Keep You

~POV: Riley~
“Mommy!” Kylie shouted as she walked into the house. I smiled and stood up, rushing forward to my daughter.

“I missed you Mom,” Kylie muttered as I stroked her long dark hair.

“I missed you too honey,” I said, pulling back from her. “According to your father…” I started, but she cut me off by turning to Jeff. “Listen to me,” I said, causing her to look at me again. “According to Jeff, you’ve been very well behaved.” I continued, looking over at my husband as he smirked.

“We both talked it over, and we decided you’re nearly sixteen, we agreed, you can start dating.” Jeff finished for me. “However, we want to meet the guy before you go out, and I’m going out and buying a shotgun and forcing your grandfather to teach me how to clean it.”

“Paul can teach you,” I reminded him.

“Very true,” Jeff replied, looking thoughtful. Kylie rolled her eyes, but I also noticed the excitement in her green orbs.

“Is it okay if he’s seventeen and driving?” she asked, biting her lip.

“As long as he takes care of you, respects you, and he gets intimidated by my shotgun,” Jeff answered her.

“Will you drop it with the shotgun?” I asked him, a laugh escaping my lips. “You’re not going to shoot anyone, you probably won’t even bring it out, so just drop it.”

“Riley, you see this girl,” Jeff said, wrapping his arms around Kylie’s shoulders. “This is my little girl, my baby and I will not allow someone to hurt her in anyway.”

“Okay, so what are you going to do when William starts dating?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.

“Lecture the shit out of him about how to treat a woman and how to be a gentleman.” Jeff replied in a matter of fact tone. I couldn’t help but snort a laugh at the thought of Jeff teaching our son to be a gentleman when Jeff was far from it.

“What?” Jeff asked, looking around at everyone. I didn’t notice Matt was laughing his ass off, and even Kylie had a smile on her face.

“Nothing,” Matt said quickly, coughing to hide another laugh.

“Yeah, some family you guys are,” Jeff muttered, feigning hurt as he sat down on the couch. I looked at the clock on the cable box and realized it was already almost time for Will to get home from school.

“Ready for the second one?” Jeff asked, looking at the time as well.

“I think I’ll go walk him,” I said standing up and pulling my shoes on.

“How about the three of us go,” Kylie suggested. I looked up at Jeff, who looked thoughtful.

“That would be a very nice surprise.” he replied. We left the house and to the end of the driveway where the bus dropped the kids off. We waited until we saw the bus coming down the road, then I quickly hid behind a tree.

“Hey, what are you two doing here?” I heard Will ask his father and sister as he walked up to them. Savanna was walking home already, but I was hidden enough for her to not see me.

“Thought we’d walk with you home,” Jeff answered our son as they started walking. “Oh, before I forget, there’s a surprise for you behind that tree over there.” I heard Will’s feet crunching sticks as he walked my way. He looked behind several trees before turning back around to his father.

“There’s nothing there!” he shouted.

“Go back a little bit more,” Jeff answered him. Will reached the tree I was behind, so I quickly moved to where he couldn’t see me. He straightened up, looking more confused than ever, and turned around to walk back, only to run right into me.

“Mom!” he shouted, throwing his arms around me. I knelt so I could hug him better as I heard him sniffle.

“I missed you Mom,” he said, his face burying in my neck.

“I missed you so much too,” I replied, stroking his hair and pulling him back. “I’m home now, for good.”

“Good,” he said, pulling back and smiling at me with a few new holes in his mouth.

“Did you lose another tooth?” I asked him, pinching his chin slightly to examine his teeth.

“Two,” he announced proudly. That’s when I realized just how much I missed of my kids lives by getting sick. I missed my son losing his last two baby teeth.

“Mail call,” a voice called from behind us. We turned to see Sam in his mail truck coming into the drive. “Well, smack my head and call me Uncle Sam, Riley back in action. Heard you’ve been pretty sick, good to see ya back on your feet again.”

“Thanks Sam, it’s good to be back home.” I said, hugging William closer to me.

“Well, here you go, your mail, and your brother’s mail.” Sam said, handing us to stacks of envelopes.

“We can take the others as well. We still haven’t been to see any of them since I’ve been back.” I said. Sam nodded and handed us three more stacks of envelopes, Paul and Marylyn, Papa Gibby, and Sara’s was the last one. When I saw the envelope on top, I completely froze, dropping all the mail but the letter in my hand.

“Riley?” Jeff asked as Sam drove away.

“Sam wait!” I called, but it was too late. He was already gone.

“Pick up the mail kids please,” Jeff asked Kylie and Will as he led me from the area. “What’s going on?” Jeff said after a minute. I still couldn’t stop staring at the letter, millions of questions going through my head.

“Look at this,” I said finally, showing him the hand written addresses.

“It’s a letter for Sara from Oregon. Probably a long distance relative.” Jeff shrugged it off.

“It’s not addressed to Sara Calaway,” I pointed out. “It’s addressed to ‘The Calaway/Hardy Family.” I pointed out. Jeff looked at the envelope again, and his eyes told me that he realized it. ‘”It’s Sara’s address, but it’s addressed to all of us.”

“Okay, so, maybe it’s some legal matter from your Dad that couldn’t of been taken care of until now.”

“His will was already read to us Jeff, remember? He left the inheritance for the kids and gave us some of his collectables.”

“Yeah I remember that,” Jeff muttered. “Then what the hell could it be?”

“The name isn’t what’s freaking me out about this though,” I admitted. “It’s the handwriting.”

“What about it?”

“It’s my Dad’s handwriting Jeff. That’s the exact same way my father wrote things out.”