Adrianās brow furrows the second that Riley tells them that thereās been a lot happening lately. He wants to say something but he canāt, not yet. Not with Riley still talking around the subject. He knew what she was doing, hell, they both did. It was what theyād done when people had asked them about Jack. Tried to keep her privacy all the while knowing that something was severely wrong with their daughter.
Katrina held Rileyās hand in her own, nodding in understanding. A chuckle left her throat at the scouts honor that was thrown her husbandās way, squeezing Rileyās hand gently. āThe station called us. I was in the middle of a class when her bossāwell, letās just say we heard about her outburst. And who she thought she saw. We knew she drank. But we neverā¦.ā She trailed off, eyes going glossy.
Her husband took over, biting his lip as he tried to figure out what to say. Something Jack clearly had learned from him. āWe never thought that sheād developed this habit as a crutch. She never got over Victoriaās death. And we tried to get her to see a counselor but she would just shut down. So we locked up Vicās room.ā He looked at Katrina, sad smile etched on his face. āUntil she left. Jack hasnāt been upstairs since she was twenty-one. She canāt even look in the direction of her sisterās room. Weāve got it open now. Itās helped us heal and I hope it can help her do the same.ā
He took the chair from the desk and moved it in front of him so he was straddling it as he sat down, arms crossed atop the back. āYou need to take care of yourself too. Jack isnāt the only one who has gone through their life with hurt. It would be foolish to think otherwise. We all just deal with our demons differently. And I can only hope that she is treating you kindly throughout her hurdles.ā
Katrina nods, brushing a strand of hair behind Rileyās ear before cupping her chin in a motherly way. āYouāre such a wonderful light for our daughter. And us. We knew sheād find her way to you. We just didnāt know how long it would take for her to stop lying to herself. And you.ā
Riley lets out a breath she didnāt realize she was holding in when she realizes theyāre not completely in the dark, in between the nods sheād been motioning whenever needed. That they both know whatās been going on at home. And were well aware of Jackās feelings about her sister, much more than Riley was. She would understand if they didnāt, if theyād distanced themselves, but no, they knew. And of course they did. They were smart, just like their daughter.Ā
Which certainly made sense. She was just happy that they talked about it so clearly. Thatās something she noticed immediately when she met them. Just like Jack, they said what they thought, and they meant what they said. It was something she loved about her girlfriend.Ā
Sheās holding onto Katrinaās hand a little tighter, when she looks back from her girlfriendās dad, and feels something akin to sadness touch her chest at the womanās maternal touches, and smile. Sheād always treated Riley like a daughter, and it always filled her with a mix of sadness, and longing. The first time sheād met her, sheād had to stop herself from asking Jack why she ever moved away.Ā
Ā But now, in their home, after the last few weeks had changed her life completely, she finds herself able to just enjoy the feelings that came with it. The safety, and fondness, and how genuinely kind the woman was to her.Ā
ā I...ā Her chest pinches, and she finds herself wanting to step away when she forms her thoughts fully. But she doesnāt.Ā āWe both have a lot of hurdles, a lot of things that we have buried. And Iāve tried, for a long time, to take care of myself, and not let it turn into something. But we both have a lot of trouble letting ourselves feel things. We both just, grind through.ā
Her eyes had to pull away from Katrinaās, and from Adrianās, finding the words much too hard to push through clearly, without shaking, while making eye contact.Ā āMy mom passed, when I was young. And thatās definitely been my hurdle, my cross to bear. I think itās made a difference, for me, at least. To have someone who understands the way it feels to lose someone that close to you. I donāt think there is.. anyone, on this planet that couldā,ā Sheās trying to find the words, and they come up short, and sheās forcing herself to look back at her girlfriendās mother.Ā āShe's good for me. She really is. And all thisĀ does scare me. Iām not going to lie, and say it doesnāt. But I trust her. I trust that, together, we can untangle all of our messes. All of us.āĀ Her lips quirk with a weak smile, feeling winded.Ā