The Millionaire's Teacher

Chapter 30 - Loss

While Connor finished getting dressed, Riley picked up the blankets, both of which were soaked from the waves.  She folded them the best she could after shaking as much sand out as possible.  As Connor shook out his pants to rid them of sand, a small blue box fell to the sand with a soft thump.

Riley noticed first and bent down to pick it up.  "What is this?" She asked Connor as she turned the box over in her hand.  "It looks like..."

"It's nothing," Connor snapped as he snatched it from her hand and stuffed it in his pocket.  Was he blushing?

Smirking as she sauntered up to him, she placed a hand on his chest. "You promised to always be honest with me..."

Connor sighed, tightly closing his eyes briefly.  "OK...it's not 'nothing'.  I'm...it's not time to give it yet."

"What is it?" She questioned quietly, stepping around to his back and kissing the spot between his shoulder blades.

A low growl rumbled through his chest.  "You'll see..." Riley heard his smirk.  "When I'm ready for you to see."

"When will you be ready?" Riley harrumphed, hands on her hips.

Connor slowly turned around, pulling another box, a flatter rectangular box, from his other pocket. "After I give Kaylee this."

Riley inhaled sharply as her eyes fell on the item in his hand.  Connor gradually flipped open the box to show a necklace with a pink heart pendant. Embossed on a card read, "You may not have my DNA, but you do have my heart."

Tears welled up in Riley's eyes as she pressed them closed to fight the flow.  That battle was lost and Connor wiped them away with his thumb.

"Do you think she will like it?" He asked softly. 

All Riley could do was nod and wrap her arms around his waist from the side.  In response, Connor wrapped his arm over her shoulder carrying the blankets in the other.

They walked like that the whole way to the house.  A happy squeal from Maria greeted them as they reached the top of the stairs on the patio.

"All is well!" Maria called into the open double doors that lead to the kitchen.

Riley quirked an eyebrow when Calista crossed the room peering carefully at Riley's finger hand. His mother frowned deeply at Connor who discreetly shook his head. She nodded a silent understanding then smiled warmly at them both.

"Dinner is ready," She announced. 

The couple joined the rest of the family, including the kids, at the dining room table.  Riley smiled observing her very happy Kaylee and chuckled softly at how dirty she and the other kids were.  They must have really had fun!

It did not go unnoticed how unusually quiet the adults were.  Clara and Alice were not at the table. Actually, neither were the oldest of the grandkids. Something happened when Riley and Connor were gone. Riley leaned over to Carolina and tapped her arm.

"Is everything alright? Did something happen?" Connor leaned over to hear the answer, too.

Carolina's eyes turned more sad as her eyes flicked back and forth between the two.  "Avó became unresponsive earlier. The Doctor gave her more pain medicine but said we need to say our final goodbyes after dinner. The grandkids are having their turns now."

Riley reached instinctively for Connors hand, laced their fingers and gave it a squeeze. He gripped hers back as his breathing went shallow.

"Did she..." Connor cleared his throat.  "Will she have a good death?"