I'd Do Anything For A Smile

"Riv?" I asked knocking on his door.

"Yeah?" he mumbled as I opened the door. He was lying in his bed just looking up at the ceiling.

"Something wrong?" I asked sitting on the chair at his desk.

He remained quiet just looking at the ceiling till his eyes landed on mine.

"No, I'm fine." he smiled. "What are you doing today?" he asked sitting up on his bed.

"Um," I really didn't believe him. I knew something was wrong but I didn't want to press on it."Tia and me are going to go get some baby stuff for her"

He nodded with a smile. "I cant believe Tia, Miss I'm never going to have a bratty kid is pregnant."

I laughed shaking my head. "I know its weird."

"Are you taking Emily?" he asked.

I shook my head. "No, Brian is going to spend the day with her."

"Are you happy he's back?"

"Yeah." I smiled. "I'm glad he is, I missed him."

"I'm glad he is to. Now you have someone to protect you and Emily, forever."

But I thought that was you.

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"What about this?"

I was holding up a blue jumper for her baby boy to sleeping in. Yep another boy. Personally I think one Zack Baker is enough in the world as it is.

"Thats cute." Tia nodded her head. I placed the outfit in the cart and continued looking at the baby stuff.

"Do you think I have enough clothes?" Tia asked counting the number of items she had in the cart.

I looked down and giggled. "Yeah, this baby is going to be really well dressed." I beamed looking over the around 50 articles of clothing she had. "Plastic can buy anything."

She laughed. "Specially when the card reads Zachary Baker on it."

I laughed with her nodding my head.

"How did you do it?" she asked.

"Do what?"

"Become a mom. Your so good at it and your raised Emily all by yourself."

"I'm not going to lie it was hard, damn it still is hard. But you kind of just learn to love it."

"Your a great mom." she commented.

"Thanks and you will be too." I answered honestly with a smile.

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After I dropped Tia off at her house around four, I stopped at Cousins and got Brian, Emily, River and me a sub.

I pulled into my driveway and grabbed my purse along with the Cousins bag. Locking my car door I walked towards the house and noted that Brian's car wasn't here so they weren't back yet.

"Hello?" I called into the house. I could here the bass of River's stereo pumping through the house. "River?" I asked climbing up the stairs.

I knocked on his door but the music was to loud for him to here it. I opened his door slowly but stopped dead in my tracks when I saw what he was wearing and a bag on his bed.

"No." I whispered and at the same moment the songs switched creating a short pause of silence.

River turned around and looked at me before looking back at the floor. "Abby." he whispered.

"No." I shook my head with tears coming down my eyes. "No, no, no!"

"Abby, I have to it's my job" he said stepping towards me.

"Get a different one!" I yelled at him.

"Abby, no. This is right"

"Its right?" I questioned. "Its right to leave me again. To leave Emily" I yelled as he hugged me.

"Shh" he cooed trying to calm me down. "I'll be back."

"You also might not."

"Abby, I'll always come back to you." he whispered. I nodded and pulled away from his hug.

"I bought Cousins for dinner. I'm going to go take a shower." I said slowly with no emotion or life left in my voice.