One String Attached

78.

.Riley.

"It appears Piper may have a few fractured ligaments," the doctor tells us after she had taken an x-ray of Piper's leg while we were in one of the confined hospital rooms.

James was in the car in the car-park with the kids while Finn sat by Piper's side, holding onto her hand reassuringly.
We all knew it would be for the best if James was to stay away for now so that he could cool off before having another go at Finn. The boy was blaming himself already, he didn't need an almost thirty-year-old man snapping at him too.

"If she's a dancer, I reckon she's going to have to take a break for a majority of six weeks," she tells us, making me nod but Piper's eyes widen whilst Finn tenses up, a look of worry filling his face.

Before either one of them could intervene, I move my hand to my sister-in-law's shoulder for her to keep her cool for a couple more moments while I spoke.
"What if in the next three weeks we have a check-up and it begins to get better? Can she dance then?" I inquire harshly, raising an eyebrow but the nurse tuts her teeth in response. That alone was an answer in itself.

"She'd be really lucky if her leg was to heal in that short amount of time," she tells me, making me sigh.
Nationals were exactly three weeks away. Piper was one of the featured dancers. If she wasn't going to be able to dance, it would mean having to reorganise everything and I really don't know if we had the time to do that right now.

"Riley," Piper whispers to me, but I hush her, trying to think to myself before anyone started to stress themselves out.

This would be one of those times where I would need James here to reassure me that everything would be okay, that it was all fine and we had this in the bag, regardless of the dancers on stage.
But every time I see him or speak a word to him is risking bringing up an argument because I'm still yet to tell him about Bryson's spontaneous visit last night.

"It's okay," I say, though I was trying to assure myself of that fact just as much. "We'll think of something..."

. . .

Getting home later that day, I ushered the kids outside to go and play around in the garden with Sauble so that James and I could talk.
I wasn't going to let them catch onto any unsmoothened surfaces between us. It was for the best if they were as oblivious to this as possible.

Sitting myself down on the sofa, James sits himself down opposite me whilst I fed Autumn from the baby bottle.
She had slowly grown used to drinking the formula and had become less fussy when drinking breast milk, meaning she was progressing in more ways than one.

James smiles down at her softly while she stares at him, her tiny hands pressing against the plastic of the bottle. I brush my hands over her hair softly before raising my head to look up at James.
When he catches onto my gaze which was fixed on him, he bites his lip for a moment before sighing.

Before he could get a single word of his own in, however, I cut him off and start talking before him.

"Piper can't dance, she has fractured ligaments and it will take up until six weeks to recover. Bryson passed by when you and Aaliyah were at the dance last night, he knows about Nathan and he doesn't think it's fair that we have a family member as our lawyer. I need you and I to stick together right now and that means no arguments.

"You can't go off on Finn because it was not his fault. That boy loves your sister and I think you and I both know that so you need to man up and don't be such an overprotective brother in a time like this. I know you love Piper but she growing. You need to let go of her and let her be free. You're a husband and a father, James. I need you to remember that every time you think about doing or saying something, no matter what it is, okay."

After my rant, I shake my head at him and then stand up, holding Autumn's bottle for her while she continued to drink from it as I began to walk around.
"Where are you going?" he asks me, making me look over my shoulder at him before shrugging.

"I'm going to take Autumn out for a walk. I just need to think for a while and come up with something to do for Nationals since Piper will have to be an alternate."

He nods his head slowly, as though he understood and then I sigh before heading over to the stroller which was parked by the front door.
Tucking Autumn into it, securing her inside the straps while a blanket covered her, I kiss her forehead lightly so as not to panic her.

It wasn't that I was annoyed at James. I had no reason to be. But I just needed to get some fresh air away from everyone else.
But I'm not going to leave Autumn home too when she needs her mother.

"Ri," James whispers. I look at him, over to where he remained sat on the sofa and then he sighs with the light shake of his head. "I love you," he tells me softly.

Nodding my head, I bite my lip before lifting up the brake of the stroller.
"I know..." I whisper back. "I love you too."