My Number One Fan

~One Week Later~
“Home at last!” Jeff called as we walked into the house. We tossed our bags onto the floor and collapsed onto the couch. I tossed my legs over his and he took off my boots.
“Where’s Jacky?” I called out. The sound of claws clicking and a bark came before the actual dog. He jumped up onto the couch and laid on my stomach. Jeff scratched him behind the ears, while I rubbed my hand up and down his back. He laid his head against my chest, licking his lips and closing his eyes.
“He missed his momma,” Jeff said, smiling.
“Ugh, I could so go for a long bath right now,” I said, standing up and groaning. “Unfortunately, I have things to do.”
“Now?” Jeff asked, moaning.
“Yeah, it’s been put off for way to long.” I walked up to my bag and grabbed out my sneakers, sliding them onto my feet.
“Riley, just let it go.” Jeff said when I opened the door.
“What if it was your Dad Jeff?” I asked, turning to face him. “What if your dad just stops caring about you because he has a new family?”
“One, my Dad would never do that.” Jeff said. “And another thing, you’re an adult now, you don’t need your father telling you what to do anymore.”
“That is way off base Jeffrey,” I said, feeling as though I was slapped. “What hurts me the most about this is the fact that he just suddenly stops caring about me for his new family. It’s like he doesn’t think I’m his daughter anymore, and how many times do I have to tell you that’s all I ever wanted when I was little was to have my father around.”
“He’s got a new family now Riley. You’re engaged now, we’re going to be married, he knows you don’t need him anymore.”
“I might not need him Jeff but I still want him.” I shouted at him, tears pooling in my eyes now. “You don’t understand it do you? I know I don’t need him anymore, but he’s still my father. I still want him around!” I didn’t wait for him to argue with me anymore, I slammed the door shut and rushed down the stairs, walking down the driveway. When I reached my father’s house, I took a tiny trail that led to the front door. I pounded on the door, not letting up until he answered, confusion in his eyes.
“Riley, what’s wrong?” he asked, seeing the tears in my eyes.
“I need to talk to you,” I said, pushing past him and into the house.
“Come on in,” he said, his voice laced with sarcasm. I turned to face him, showing him I wasn’t in the mood for anything like that.
“Okay, here’s the deal.” I said, walking up to him. “I just had a fight with Jeff, my fiancée, over you.”
“Why?” Dad asked, looking concerned, but I seen the impatience in his eyes as well.
“I can’t do this anymore!” I shouted so suddenly I noticed him jump.
“Will you quiet down, your brother’s taking a nap.” Dad said.
“As far as I’m concerned, he’s not my brother, Sara’s not my step-mother, and you’re not my father.”
“Okay, what’s this about?” Dad asked, grabbing my shoulders because he knew I was about to run. He sat me down on the couch and sat beside me, grabbing my hands to keep me from jumping up and running away. “What was the fight about?”
“You, me.” I said. “Dad, I-I feel like that ever since I got most of my memory back and since you married Sara and had Gunner, you don’t care about me anymore.”
“That’s absolutely not true Riley Michelle,” Dad said, squeezing my hands. “You’re my first born child, my only little girl, there’s no way I can ever stop loving you.”
“Then why don’t you come around anymore?” I asked, the tears that’s been threatening to fall finally overflowing. “Why don’t you just come by to say hi anymore or just check on things?”
“Because I felt I was intruding.” he answered, moving his arms to around my shoulders. “You’re going to be married Riley, your going to be starting your own family and needing more and more privacy.”
“Yeah but, you just stopped completely Dad.” I said, sniffling. “This is what I was saying to Jeff, I know I don’t need you like I did when I was younger, but I still want you around.”
“Honey, I know you do, but like I said earlier, your going to be starting your own family soon, you’ll understand that it takes a lot of work to keep a family together. You’ll get married, have a son or daughter of your own, and you’ll understand how truly hard it is to juggle raising a baby and working at the same time.” I finally understood why everyone was so stressed out when they had kids.
“I keep forgetting that Gunner’s the first baby you had to raise.” I muttered. “Dad, it’s not just everything with you that’s stressing me out,” I admitted. “Jeff’s acting weirdly. He’s having crazy mood swings and he’s just, I don’t know. There’s something going on with him Dad.” Dad sat there, looking thoughtful for a moment.
“Maybe things are starting to catch up to him, you know, weariness from being on the road and what not.”
“Maybe, I’ve just never seen him like this, and it’s really creeping me out.” I said.
“Hey, is everything okay down here?” Sara’s voice asked from the stairs behind us.
“Fine,” Dad replied to her. “Just trying to sooth some of Riley’s fears.”
“Mind if I talk to her for a minute, woman to woman?” Sara asked suddenly. Dad nodded and stood up, walking into the kitchen.
“Look, Riley,” Sara said, sitting down on the couch beside me. “I know you feel like your father’s ignoring you, and I know it’s mainly because of Gunner and me. I don’t want to come in between you and your father Riley.” I smiled at the sincere look in her eyes.
“Sara, it has nothing to do with you I realize that now. Dad might have a daughter and a son, but he’s only been through the raising a baby part once. I’ve never been around a baby before, so I don’t really know how much taking care of they really take.”
“It’s not really a lot,” Sara said. “But it’s enough. Especially at the beginning where you wake up at all hours of the night to change them or feed them.” We were silent for a long moment. “So, do you want kids?” Sara asked me.
“I want one, yeah.” I said. “I’m just not to sure how Jeff feels about it.”
“Oh, I know he wants them with you.” Sara said, smiling. “He knows how you feel about kids, he wouldn’t of asked you to marry him if he didn’t want them.”
“Yeah I guess,” I muttered. “I don’t know though. We’ll have to talk about it.”
“Riley, I know it feels wrong, having a step-mother that’s not that much older than you, but I don’t want to be your mother. I want to be a friend to you. A confidant.”
“You’re my Dad’s wife, you’re my mother no matter what happens,” I said, wrapping my arms around her. “Now I have to go apologize to Jeff. We had a little fight before I came over here.”
“What about?” Sara asked.
“He was trying to stop me from coming over here and I accused him of not understanding what this meant to me,” I replied, sighing and standing up. “I know he was just trying to look out for me though. He’s seen me hurt way to many times to want to see it anymore.”
“Yeah I understand that.” Sara said. “Go home and talk to your future husband.”
“I am,” I said. “Thank you.” I walked to the kitchen and stood at the doorway. “I’m leaving Dad.” I said.
“So soon?” He asked, taking a bite of the apple in his hand.
“Have to, I have to go talk to your future son-in-law,” I said, walking up to him. “I’m sorry, about what I said before.”
“You was upset, I understand.” Dad said. “I promise to start coming around more often.”
“Don’t worry about coming over, just call every once in a while,” I said. “You called me every week when I was living in Huston.”
“I know,” he said. “Go, talk with Jeff.” I nodded and left through the backdoor, running to the driveway that connected Dad’s house to mine and Jeff’s. I ran up the driveway and through the front door.
“Jeff?” I called, closing the door behind me. I looked in the living room to find it empty. Same way with the kitchen and laundry room. I ran up the stairs and into the bedroom, stopping dead when I found him sitting on the bed.
“Jeff, look I’m sorry,” I started saying. He looked up at me, his eyes piercing.
“No, don’t Riley.” Jeff muttered standing up and walking toward me. “I’m the one who should be apologizing. I’m the biggest dumbass in the world, and I don’t know how I deserve you.”
“What are you talking about?” I asked, leading him to the bed, alarmed by the tears I seen in his eyes.
“The fight,” Jeff said, his voice strained from his tears. “I should of known how important it was for you to talk to your Dad, but I just…”
“Jeff, it’s fine. I know you was just trying to prevent me from getting hurt again.” I said, bringing his hands up to my lips.
“I need help Riley,” he admitted, so silently I barely heard him. “I need help. I’m using again.”