My Number One Fan

“The same woman you told Jason and me about?” Adam asked with wonder. I nodded.
“It’s nice to meet all of you.” Alexandria responded. “Riley, mind if I have a word with you?” I nodded, standing up and walking around the table to reach her. Jeff looked like he was debating on whether or not to follow us.
“I’ll be right back,” I assured him. I followed Alexandria to the bar, where she ordered herself a dry martini.
“Would you like anything?” she asked me.
“Yes, I want to know what you want.” I replied, leaning against the bar.
“I was just worried about you,” Alexandria replied. “Last I heard of you was a phone call from your husband asking about your mother’s death. Is everything alright?”
“For now,” I replied. “It turns out I developed Bi-Polar Disorder.”
“Oh, that’s terrible.” Alexandria replied. “Be careful and make sure you take your medication. You’re mother didn’t.”
“I know, and it caused her to kill herself.” I mumbled, staring at the ground. The pounding music changed to something softer.
“Can I ask you something?” I asked Alexandria suddenly. She nodded, taking a sip of her drink. “Why did you and the rest of the family abandon me? Why did you let me go as easily as you did? Didn’t you care about me, just a little bit?”
“We love you more than anything in the world.” Alexandria answered. “You were the first born child for both your father and your mother, and the first born grandchild. We loved you as much as we loved our daughter.” she took a deep breath and let it out in a huff. “The problem was, you reminded us too much of what we lost. We couldn’t look at you without seeing Samantha, and it killed us over and over again. We never wanted to let you out of our lives for as long as we did, but we had no choice. We had no way of contacting you, no way of finding you.”
“But yet you found me.” I said, rubbing my forehead with my hand. “In a place that was less than likely where you would have been.”
“I had a feeling to go to that bar that night, and that feeling led me to you Riley.” Alexandria said. “You are my first grandchild, no matter how much looking at you reminds me of your mother, I shouldn’t of let you go the way I did.”
“I’m not resentful about it.” I said quickly. “If it wasn’t for me going to live with my Dad’s brother and sister-in-law, I wouldn’t of met my husband, or be wrestling, or even know my father. 7 years was a long time for me to go without him. I had a hole inside me until I met him. I had the hole the rest of my life after losing Mom, but it was for a different reason I had that one, it was because I loved her and she was taken from me. With Dad, I had no way to love him because I didn’t know who he was, but now I know him, and I can’t imagine not knowing him, or my step-mother and my half brother and sister. Yes, I have a brother and sister. They’re way younger than I am, but I don’t care. I love the two of them.”
“I’m not saying you don’t love your family Riley, I’m just saying we could of at least tried harder to stay in your life.” Alexandria replied. “We did nothing to try to contact you, and I know that made it that much harder on you.”
“I was 7, Alexandria, by now the biggest thing I remember is passing out on a driveway and being found by my future husband!” I exclaimed. “I barely remembered any of you for most of my life. All I could think of back then was feeling abandoned from you and a damn social worker.”
“I want to know everything that happened to you,” she said.
“Let’s see, I get abandoned by social worker,” I started listing. “Sexually harassed by a friend, amnesia, Bi-Polar, miscarriage, oh and a death threat from the guy who harassed me. But you know what, you don’t have to feel guilty or anything, because it doesn’t matter how much bad I’ve been through, I’ve been through just as many good times growing up as well. Meeting Jeff and Matt, meeting my family from my Dad’s side, and meeting my Dad. Getting married to the man I was meant to be with, being there for him through thick and thin. I’m following my dreams, and the only dream I have left is to have a baby with Jeff, and if things go as planned, I could very well end up pregnant in a few short months. I’ve had a career I’m extremely proud of, I’ll be inducting my father into the hall of fame in Atlanta next April. I happy with my life. Sure I wish I knew why you let me go, but I didn’t resent you, so you have to stop resenting yourself.”
“I don’t resent..” she started saying, but I stopped her by holding up my hand.
“You hate yourself for losing me, I can see it in your eyes Grandma,” I said, watching her eyes go wide with surprise at the word grandma. “You don’t have to. I have friends, I have a home with the man I love, you don’t have to worry about me anymore.”
“I know dear, but it’s just hard. The whole family worries about what happen to you. You’re aunt and uncle, your grandfather’s ill and we’re afraid we’re going to lose him soon. T-That’s one of the main reasons I wanted to reconcile with you. You’re grandfather is dying, and what he wants more than anything is to see his granddaughter again.”
“Why didn’t you tell me that in the first place?” I asked gently. “The lunch you invited us to, was that a way for me to go over to see him?” Alexandria nodded, tears rolling down her cheeks.
“You were so angry with me,” she said, wiping her nose with the napkin she got with her martini.
“How long does he have?” I asked, staring at the floor.
“The doctors say 2-3 months at the most.” Alexandria replied. I took in a deep breath, surprised by the tears that started clogging my throat. A sudden memory came to me, one I completely forgot, even before the amnesia.
“I was named after him. Riley came from him. His name is Walter Riley Mitchell.” I said, looking up at Alexandria. She nodded her head, wiping her nose again. We stood in silence for a long moment, each lost in her own thoughts, her own memories.
“I remember once,” I spoke up finally. “I was sitting on his lap. I was probably 5 or years old. He was trying to convince me he invented mud pies and was teaching me how to make them. He sent me outside, and Mom found me in the mud. She freaked out on him,” I couldn’t help but smile as the tears flowed. “I have nothing of hers anymore.” I muttered, a small sob escaping.
“What happened to it?” Alexandria asked.
“We lost it all. The house Jeff and I was in burned to the ground. There was nothing left. I had mom’s stuff in the attic, so we lost it.” I explained.
“We would really love to have you back at the house,” Alexandria said. “W-we also have a lot of your mother’s things still. Things we couldn’t bear to part with, and a few of your old things. You can look through it and take what you like.” I nodded, not knowing what to say. Nodding didn’t feel like enough, so I walked up to the elderly woman and wrapped my arms around her. She hugged me back, and I felt her tears soaking through my shirt.
“Oh, look at me ruining your clothing.” she said, swiping her hand on my wet shoulder.
“I don’t care,” I said. “You know, if there’s one thing I’ll always remember, it’s how much I loved you, even when I felt you abandoned me.” Before we could say anything else, I felt a sudden hand on the small of my back. I jumped slightly, turning to find it was only Jeff standing behind me. I know he saw the tears in both of our eyes right away.
“Is everything okay over here?” he asked me gently. I nodded, smiling up at him.
“I’ve taken enough of your time,” Alexandria said. “Jeffrey, you still have my number right?” When Jeff nodded, she continued. “Call me sometime, let me know what you decide.” she started walking away, but I couldn’t let her leave like that. I quickly hugged her again, muttering a quick I love you to her. She smiled and quickly walked away, leaving Jeff and me standing alone. I couldn’t hold it back any longer. I buried my face in his chest and cried great sobs of grief, joy, and relief. He led me to a more private area, letting me get my emotions out.
“Feel better now?” he asked when I looked up. He used the pads of his thumbs to wipe at my tears. I nodded, and shook my head.
“Jeff, my grandfather’s dying. Remember how when we first met, you made fun of my name, and I told you I was named after my grandfather?” When he nodded, I continued. “He’s dying. She told me the doctor’s said he only had a few months left, and do you know what she said his death wish is?”
“What?” he asked, running his thumb over my chin.
“It was to see me again,” I answered. I opened my mouth to say something, but nothing came out.
“Come on, we’re going to get you back to the hotel.” Jeff said. “Ron and John rode together, but they can both drive these damn streets. I’ll get one of them to drive us back. You’re too upset to drive.” he led me back to the table, and I was surprised to see everyone was still there.
“Hey Ron, John, will one of you drive us back to the hotel?” Jeff asked. “I hate to ask, but you can see, she’s a mess and can’t drive, and I can’t drive over here.”
“No prob, I’ll do it.” John said, standing up. I handed him the keys to the car, noting Matt’s concerned gaze. Jeff led me out of the pub with his arms around my shoulders.
“What did that woman do to her?” John’s voice asked.
“It was a conversation over 20 years in the making.” Jeff responded. I saw John’s head bob up and down in a nod, not needing to hear any more. We got back to the hotel. John helped Jeff get me to our room, and John left to go to his own room. Jeff sat with me on the bed for a long moment. I barely noticed when a knock sounded on our door hours later. Jeff answered it, revealing Matt, Shane, Shannon and Melina.
“How’s she doing?” Matt asked, walking into the room.
“In a trance,” Jeff answered. “It’s like night of the living dead, but without the eating of people.”
“Riley, sis, are you okay?” Matt asked, grabbing my hand.
“What did she say to you earlier?” Melina asked. Jeff sighed, knowing he had to tell them.
“Alexandria told her that her grandfather is dying, and they only gave him a few months.” he said. “She told Riley that his death wish was to see Riley again.”
“Damn,” Shannon said.
“S-she also told me, why they let me go,” I said, looking up at Jeff. “She said it was because whenever they looked at me, they saw my mother. T-they couldn’t help it, so they sent me away to speed up the healing process basically.”
“That’s not a very good excuse.” Matt said. “We lost our mother and Dad didn’t send us away.”
“He would send you away,” Jeff muttered. “You’re too much like him. I’m the one who was the most like Mom. Hell Matt, I look just like her.”
“I have to go,” I said, so softly I almost didn’t hear myself.
“What?” Jeff asked, looking down at me.
“I have to go see him.” I said. “He’s my grandfather after all, and he’s where I got my name from. Besides that, I have memories of him, and those memories make me realize what Alexandria said was true.” I felt the tears run down my face again fast. “After the tour, I want to go see him.”
“Okay, we’ll go.” Jeff said, rubbing my shoulders. “Right after the tour, we’ll head over there.” I nodded, resting my head on his chest.

~Three Weeks Later~
The rest of the tour dragged on. I did my promos and matches with the team, but my head was on other things. My grandfather Mitchell for one thing. The last night of the tour, Jeff and I made arrangements to head to Baltimore rather than Cameron. He called my grandmother to let her know we would be heading over there. She said she would have a room set up for us close to Walter’s room, which I was thankful for.
The next morning, instead of boarding the plane with Matt, Shane and Shannon, Jeff and I said goodbye to them at their terminal, and headed to ours. Our flight left an hour before theirs did, so we were gone while they waited at the airport. I stared out the window the entire flight. Jeff kept a hold of my hand, knowing how tormented I was at the moment. The plane landed, we got off, heading straight to luggage claim. We got our bags, and walked out of the airport, where we saw a sign that read “Jeff and Riley Hardy.”
“We’re Jeff and Riley,” Jeff said, confused.
“This way please.” the man said, leading us to the parking lot. He walked us up to a dark colored car, opening the door for us and putting our luggage in the trunk.
“Was your family rich?” Jeff asked me, confused. I turned to face him. “Sorry, forgot.” he muttered, letting his head hang.
“I love you,” I said, resting my head on his chest. The drive was long, and when we pulled up to a huge brick house, I knew Jeff’s question was answered. They were rich, or at least very well off. The driver stopped the car, and opened the door for us again. I looked around the grounds, and a memory flashed through my head. My mother and me running around the front yard, my grandparents watching from the front steps. I ran away from my mother and into my grandfather’s lap, hugging him tightly. I felt the tears well up already as I looked up to my grandmother. She was standing in the front door, watching me.
“Welcome back Riley,” she said, walking down the stairs to hug me. “Jeff, always a pleasure to see you,” she said, hugging him as well.
“Hello Alexandria.” Jeff said. “Riley told me about your husband, I’m sorry you’re going through this terrible time.”
“I’ll manage.” My grandmother said.
“Grandma,” I said. “If anyone can help you cope, Jeff can. His mother fought cancer for years before she passed away. He was nine, but he was still able to cope with it.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. Looks like you know exactly what Riley felt, losing your mother so young.” Alexandria said, looking up into Jeff’s face. He nodded.
“She’s actually the biggest reason I was able to handle it,” Jeff admitted to her. She nodded, looking back at me.
“She is one special girl,” she replied. “We knew that the moment she was born. Let’s get inside and get you two settled in. I’m sure your ready for long hot showers and a nice rest.”
“I-I want to see Grandpa,” I said.
“Later,” she assured me. “He’s resting right now. “We informed other family you were coming, and they insisted on coming over to see you.” I nodded, looking up at Jeff. He shrugged and followed my grandmother inside, all the way upstairs to a guest room.
“You can explore if you like,” Alexandria said. “However, the door three down from you is Walter’s room. Please, wait to go in until I get you.”
“I will,” I said. “Jeff will make sure I stay out.”
“I’m the only one who could ever really keep her in line, and vice versa.” Jeff replied.
“Have fun,” Alexandria said, walking back down the hall. Jeff and I entered the room, and froze. The room was amazing. It had white walls, a black full sized bed, and the covers made the room. The blinds were up, letting the sunlight enter the room, and an oar was over the bed as decoration.
“You know,” Jeff said suddenly. “I never understood the whole dozens of pillows on a bed if your not going to use them.”
“That’s why we don’t do that,” I pointed out. “I don’t get it either. Must be a decoration thing.”
“So, you want to take a shower and explore?” Jeff asked. I nodded, grabbing my suitcase of freshly washed clothes. We had the hotel wash our clothes so we wouldn’t have to worry about it later. After sharing a shower, which actually got a little over R rated, we quickly got dressed and started walking around, going the opposite direction of the door that led to my grandfather. When we reached one stretch of hallway, I froze after seeing a door. In the middle of the door was a large pink R. I glanced up at Jeff, who was still walking.
“Jeff!” I whispered sharply, opening the door at the same time. I walked in, and my heart raced. The room was completely pink, with the occasional white or purple or yellow. There was a twin sized bed in the middle, stuffed animals covering the top and the dresser, which looked like white painted wicker. A picture frame was on the dresser. I picked it up, and gasped, nearly dropping the picture. Jeff caught it, and looked it over.
“It’s you,” he said, staring at the picture, amazed. “It’s you, probably just a few months before we met.” The girl in the picture was very young, around 6 or 7. She had long brown hair, bright green eyes, and was missing teeth in her smile. Right beside her, with dark brown eyes and blonde hair, was who I knew to be her mother, my mother, Samantha Mitchell.
“That’s your mother,” Jeff muttered, still staring at the picture. I looked around the room again.
“This was my bedroom,” I said, walking toward the closet. I opened it and gasped again.
“Jeff,” I said. He placed the picture back down and walked to the closet. It was completely filled with clothes for a little girl. Dresses, jeans, shirts, shoes. Everything. Even hats and belts. I pulled out a dress, holding it up for Jeff and I to both look at.
“Holy shit,” he muttered, running his hand over the dress. I turned and noticed another door beside the bed. I hung the dress back up and walked over to it, turning the handle and pushing it open.
“No way,” Jeff said as we emerged to the next room. I looked around the room, and I didn’t have to be told who it belonged to. It conjoined to my old bedroom, and there was pictures of me as a baby and toddler all over the walls. This was my mother’s bedroom.