The Mafia's Heirs

55. Did You Miss Me?

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River covered her mouth with her palm as she sobbed into it, her eyes not leaving her family as her mother rushed towards her, embracing her in her arms, filled with warmth and love.

River knew that she missed them all but she hadn't realized that she had missed them so so very badly.

"Hey my baby girl!" Susan Johnson sighed into her daughter's hair. It was true that River was a thirty-year-old and a mother of two children herself but to Susan Johnson, she would always be her little baby; the one she loved so very much, worried for all the time and always prioritized over everything else. I am so glad you are safe!"

She hugged her daughter tight. She was a few inches shorter than River so she had to bent down to rest her head on her mother's chest. There was nothing in the world that could calm her and make her feel at peace like her mother and children's heart beats.

"Alright, now can I get a piece of my granddaughter?"

Susan laughed as she moved out of the way so that her mother-in-law, Lilith Johnson, could wheel forward. River knelt down before her, leaning into her palm when she rested it on her cheek. "You still haven't gained any weight." She grimaced.

River rolled her eyes as everybody else in the room laughed. No matter what in the world happened – you could come back home from a war, surgery or even a kidnapping – the first thing the grandmothers would notice was the fat content under your skin. River wondered if there were any exceptions to that.

River hugged her Nanna tight while the older woman patted her back, whispering sweet nothings in her ear.

"Where are my grandchildren?" Susan asked, pressing a napkin under her eyes, trying to absorb all the happy tears.

"Sleeping like sloths with their Papa." River replied, standing back up.

"I am so sad that they still don't know me well yet are super close to that stupid Adam." Alessia scowled while River gave her a mock-pity look for which she earned a smack on her arm.

Alessia and she hadn't been able to spend much time together either but they both had just clicked the very first time they had met. Or the second time. The first time they had properly talked to each other was in the car, on the way to the airport from her apartment after Mateo had pulled that stunt in front of everyone, training a gun against her head and all. It was the second time they met that Alessia impressed River with the grand entrance after the shootout. They had been good friends since then and would have been even closer by now if Mateo hadn't been an ass and flew back to New York after the misunderstanding.

"Let me introduce you to my family-"

"She flew us here genius." Jacqueline rolled her eyes. "And if family time is over, it's friends' time now."

River narrowed her eyes at her best friend since college. Jacqueline Meyers was like a sister to her and she had missed her very much and the first thing she said after meeting one another after so long had to be sarcastic. Classic Jackie.

"I don't know about you but I am family, you dummy." Sebastian shoved her aside and gave his little sister slash best friend from cradle to grave, his bear hug.

"You are crushing me you ass- asthmatic!" River hit him on his back trying to make him loosen his hold on her, catching her tongue from swearing at the last moment because her little godchild, Mia was also in the room.

"Gomama!" She grinned, unaware of the drama going on. She was still not getting the word 'God mom' and she was still the cutie pie she was.

"Let me go!" River hit her best friend one more time which made him place her back on the floor, a big ugly grin on his face.