different reasons. Lucy still had a chip on her shoulder and tried to pretend parties were not her thing, while Rachael had yet to leave their mother’s house and grace society again. It would be her coming out party of sorts.
The external bruises had healed but she’d be forever scarred emotionally, as were all the Riley kids in some way, shape, or form. And they all dealt with their scars in different ways. The girls were more obvious, while Luke and Colton were serious and focused, and Blake and Graham worked hard to lighten the mood whenever possible.
Luke had it the easiest of all his siblings. Born to a teenage girl who thought she could handle the responsibility of a baby and soon realized it wasn’t all it was cracked up to be, he’d been left with a disgruntled aunt who eventually turned him over to foster care. He’d been adopted when he was ten after bouncing from foster home to foster home.
Unlike his siblings, he wasn’t the product of physical or mental abuse; Luke was a product of an unstable foster care system. Other than having no solid role model or parental figure in it, Luke’s life wasn’t all that terrible. At least, he didn’t think that at ten. He never knew what he was missing until the Rileys took him under their wing and showed him unconditional love and support. He was one of the lucky ones. Who knows what would have happened to him if Doreen hadn’t stumbled across his dirty, grungy face and empty lunch box when she was volunteering at his elementary school.
“Happy birthday, Ma.” Luke leaned down and kissed his mother’s cheek. “You look beautiful.”
“My birthday is long gone. Besides, it’s just another day on the calendar. What’s important is being with my family. I only wish your brothers were here.”
Blake and Graham had been in hiding since last night and would most likely be the highlight to Doreen’s night. Luke told her to dress up so she put on her favorite outfit. A purple long-sleeved dress with a fancy wide gold belt. Her shoulder-length blonde hair was natural and only showed a few streaks of gray. Many jealous elderly women couldn’t believe Doreen didn’t dye her hair.
“I told you kids not to make a fuss about my birthday. Too much excitement is going to put this old lady into an early grave.”
“Mom,” Rachael moaned. “That’s not funny. Most people think you’re forty.”
“Pssh. That’s because they’re more senile than me.”
“When was the last time you had a night out?”
“Just last week.”
Luke picked up her coat and helped his mother into it. “Playing cards with the ladies doesn’t count.”
“I was gone all day yesterday.”
“Volunteering at a homeless shelter and delivering Meals on Wheels.”
“Well, pretty soon they’ll be delivering to me.”
“Not as long as I’m here.” Rachael, wearing a conservative black pantsuit, slipped into her coat before helping their mother button hers.
“Yes, dear. We’ll talk about that tomorrow. I have some ideas.”
“Ma, not tonight. This is your night. Rachael can find her own leads.” Luke winked at Rachael, who mouthed Thank you in response. They’d talked about tonight and Rachael’s hesitation to venture out into the real world. She’d kept herself holed up in the house for the past few weeks and Luke thought being with friends and family would help her heal. He could read the fear in her eyes and bent down to whisper in her ear.
He slid a key into Rachael’s hand. “If it gets too much and you need some space, here’s a key to room 103.” Rachael nodded, tears filling her eyes. “One of us will be by your side the entire night, okay?” She hugged him quickly before turning to wipe her face.
Giving her some privacy, he opened the door for his mom and helped her down the front steps and into the front seat of his truck. Luke held open the back door for his sister as well. “Buckle up, ladies.”
“Are you going to tell me where we’re going?
The external bruises had healed but she’d be forever scarred emotionally, as were all the Riley kids in some way, shape, or form. And they all dealt with their scars in different ways. The girls were more obvious, while Luke and Colton were serious and focused, and Blake and Graham worked hard to lighten the mood whenever possible.
Luke had it the easiest of all his siblings. Born to a teenage girl who thought she could handle the responsibility of a baby and soon realized it wasn’t all it was cracked up to be, he’d been left with a disgruntled aunt who eventually turned him over to foster care. He’d been adopted when he was ten after bouncing from foster home to foster home.
Unlike his siblings, he wasn’t the product of physical or mental abuse; Luke was a product of an unstable foster care system. Other than having no solid role model or parental figure in it, Luke’s life wasn’t all that terrible. At least, he didn’t think that at ten. He never knew what he was missing until the Rileys took him under their wing and showed him unconditional love and support. He was one of the lucky ones. Who knows what would have happened to him if Doreen hadn’t stumbled across his dirty, grungy face and empty lunch box when she was volunteering at his elementary school.
“Happy birthday, Ma.” Luke leaned down and kissed his mother’s cheek. “You look beautiful.”
“My birthday is long gone. Besides, it’s just another day on the calendar. What’s important is being with my family. I only wish your brothers were here.”
Blake and Graham had been in hiding since last night and would most likely be the highlight to Doreen’s night. Luke told her to dress up so she put on her favorite outfit. A purple long-sleeved dress with a fancy wide gold belt. Her shoulder-length blonde hair was natural and only showed a few streaks of gray. Many jealous elderly women couldn’t believe Doreen didn’t dye her hair.
“I told you kids not to make a fuss about my birthday. Too much excitement is going to put this old lady into an early grave.”
“Mom,” Rachael moaned. “That’s not funny. Most people think you’re forty.”
“Pssh. That’s because they’re more senile than me.”
“When was the last time you had a night out?”
“Just last week.”
Luke picked up her coat and helped his mother into it. “Playing cards with the ladies doesn’t count.”
“I was gone all day yesterday.”
“Volunteering at a homeless shelter and delivering Meals on Wheels.”
“Well, pretty soon they’ll be delivering to me.”
“Not as long as I’m here.” Rachael, wearing a conservative black pantsuit, slipped into her coat before helping their mother button hers.
“Yes, dear. We’ll talk about that tomorrow. I have some ideas.”
“Ma, not tonight. This is your night. Rachael can find her own leads.” Luke winked at Rachael, who mouthed Thank you in response. They’d talked about tonight and Rachael’s hesitation to venture out into the real world. She’d kept herself holed up in the house for the past few weeks and Luke thought being with friends and family would help her heal. He could read the fear in her eyes and bent down to whisper in her ear.
He slid a key into Rachael’s hand. “If it gets too much and you need some space, here’s a key to room 103.” Rachael nodded, tears filling her eyes. “One of us will be by your side the entire night, okay?” She hugged him quickly before turning to wipe her face.
Giving her some privacy, he opened the door for his mom and helped her down the front steps and into the front seat of his truck. Luke held open the back door for his sister as well. “Buckle up, ladies.”
“Are you going to tell me where we’re going?
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