Riley
“What the hell was that about?” The moment I close the door to the waiting room I'm on Josh's ass. He lets out a long sigh as he runs his hand through his air and flops down in one of the shitty plastic chairs that they have in this room, that along with the look that's on his face makes my stomach drop. Something is wrong here, I just know it.
“Josh!” I trying to remain calm but I'm failing miserably. I'm feeling so many emotions right now that I feel like my head is about to explode. “Riley… I…” He's stuttering and it only seems to make me angry but this is my best friend here and I need to try and keep my cool, at least until he explains things anyway. He's clearly struggling to get his words out so I decided to take a deep breath and help him out.
“You know, Julia?” He nods sliently answering me. “How? Where from?” He stands up and starts pacing the room remaining silent and seriously starting to test my patience. “Josh, for fuck sake please, just talk to me!” He turns back to face me and it's clear to see that he's struggling but I need to know, I have to know. He takes a deep breath before backing against the wall and looking straight at me.
"Remember back when you were with her and she had a friend that used to walk her to the spot that I would pick her up from and then she would be there when I dropped her back off?"
"Yes, sure. I never met her but I remember but I don't understand what that has to do with this... Wait, are you saying that Julia is the friend that used to be there?" He nods "Yeah, she was." Jesus loving fuck. I don't even know what to say right now, I don't know what I was expecting him to say but I wasn't expecting this. "How didn't you say anything when I told you about her? You knew she was homeless and had a child, how didn't you connect the dots?"
I'm being pretty shitty to Josh right now, I know I am but I just can't help it and I that it isn't fair to him but I'm struggling here and I don't have a clue how to process it. "I never knew her name or that she had a baby, Riley and if you think of the timing, Nina wasn't even born back then." Yeah, ok, he has a point there.
"You never knew her name, are you sure?" He nods his head as we both take a seat across from each other at the same time. "No, I never needed to know her name, we just went along with it and somehow never exchanged names so when you were talking about Julia I had no reason to even think anything of it and besides, she wasn't homeless like Julia is."
"Fuck, this is insane." I run my hands through my hair as I try to take everything in. "Riley, don't you find it strange that her little girl is called Nina?"
"Yeah, I do. Do you know what else is strange, Josh? When I first saw Nina she instantly reminded me of... of, anyway I know you thought the same when you saw her two, then when I learned her name I almost passed out and now... now we find out that Julia knew her all along.
"I've been thinking the same thing. I had the same reaction to little Nina, that she reminded me of someone but I couldn't think of who but now, well, now I see it and I'm thrown. Don't you find it strange that Julia's little girl is called Nina and yet, not once have I heard anything mentioned about her nor have we seen her?"
My mind is a whirlwind. The woman who broke my heart and the woman who is currently finding her way into my heart are connected and I never knew. "Wait, do you think that Julia knows who you are?" Josh seems a little calmer now but I'm far from it. "No. I still remember her face when I first met her and she definitely didn't recognize me at all nor has she given me any indication that she knows me since then."
"There's no reason to think any different because she never met you, only me. Riley, I swear I didn't know or I would have told you, I promise!” Josh's desperate plea is genuine I know this and as much as I want to scream and shout at him for this the reality is that this isn't his fault and if he didn't know what he does then I would still be in the dark. It's strange because while part of me didn't want to know about this another part of me is for some reason glad that I know.
We keep talking for what feels like forever and then it hits me, a conversation that I had with Julia just this morning and I swear I feel my whole body go cold. "Oh, Jesus fuck!" I jump up from my chair as reality sets in and Josh is instantly by my side looking panicky when he doesn't even know what's going on. "What isit, Ri?"
"Fuck, how could I forget about that?" I'm mumbling to myself causing Josh to get more frustrated. As I'm pacing back and forth he comes to stand in front of me and places his hands on my shoulders stopping me in my truck. "Riley, you worrying me. Talk to me!"
His shouting seems to bring me back to the now. "This morning I asked Julia where she got Nina's name from and she told me that she had named her after her best friend... her best friend who died just before Nina was born. So, if we are right in what we think then that means..."
"That means that Nina is dead. Fuck!" Josh finishes my sentence for me then takes a step back as the reality of the situation hits us both in the face... hard. "This can't be happening!" he shouts as he starts pacing the room." Josh and my ex got on well and I know that he missed her to at the end, even if he never would admit it.
I already feel like my world has been turned upside down but of course, that isn't enough as another earth-shattering thought enders my head but this thought I keep to myself. I trust Josh more than anyone but this I need to figure out on my own and fast.
"I need to speak to Julia." I storm towards the door of the waiting room all while telling myself that I need to calm my ass down and handle this sensitively. Julia doesn't know that she's connected with my ex and I doubt that she knows anything about my suspicions. The thoughts that I'm having are pretty out there and more than likely not true and could cause great offence to her so I need to ask her but I also need to handle it gently. I don't want to hurt Julia, not in the slightest.
As I head down the corridor I spot my Mom heading my way and it's only now that I realize how long she's been gone. I don't want to be personal or anything but she was gone to the restroom for a long time. "Hey, baby boy. Where are you going?" her smile seems forced and instantly has my suspicions up. "I'm going to see Julia. I need to talk to her."
"You're supposed to be giving her some time with her little girl. Riley, honey, let the girl have some time with her daughter." This is my mom to a tee, always sweet and caring towards everyone but I can't help but think that something is going on here. "Mom, what's going on?" I watch as panic creeps into her eyes before she somehow masks it.
"Mom, what's going on?" Now I'm starting to panic because I have a feeling that I know exactly what's happened and I'm about to lose my shit. "Julia's gone. Julia and Nina." I knew it, I just knew it! "Please, tell me you are joking?" She shakes her head with a sad smile and I'm torn between wanting to hug her and shout at her all at the same time because I know she had something to do with this, I just know it.
"You helped her leave, didn't you?" She doesn't say anything for a moment but then takes my hand and starts leading me back to the waiting room. As much as I want to shrug her off and run to Julia's room, I already know that I'm gonna be too late so I may as well hear my mom out.
the moment the door closes to the waiting room she leaves go of my hand and backs away a little. Josh is still in here sitting in the corner looking lost and I feel even worse than before. "Mom, talk to me."
"I will but I want you to listen to me without interrupting, ok?" I nod agreeing but fearing that I'm lying. "Ok, so after we all left the room I went back there to see Julia. I knew that she was going to leave the moment that we left them alone so I wanted to help. I gave her some money and a note with both of our cell numbers and addresses on it. I told her that I wouldn't stop her from leaving because it was her choice but that if she changed her mind and needed any help with anything or any help with getting off the streets we would help her."
"You encouraged her to leave?" I don't want to be angry at my mom but it's so hard right now. "No, baby I didn't. I didn't want her to leave but I knew that there was no stopping her or so I saw it as I had two options, either I just let her go as she was or at least let her know that she had options, that he had people she can call or places she can go if she ever needs to or wants to."
And it's this reason right here as to why I can never stay mad at my mom. She has the kindest heart and always knows the best way to deal with situations. As much as I love her for what she has done right now it doesn't help me as Julia has still left and I need to find her and Nina and now!