|
|
Post by Geoffrey Montgomery on Jul 9, 2009 23:52:59 GMT -5
He nodded, having expected that answer. He wasn't sure it was the right decision, but he didn't know how to say no to her right now. He couldn't force her to deal with this, even if that was what she needed. Right now, she was just too fragile, and he didn't want to see her break down.
"OK. OK, so we'll do something to take your mind off of things. We have a muggle TV downstairs in the entertainment room. Or we could play a game.... pool? Or chess? I think Uncle Edward recently got a ping pong table..."
|
|
|
|
Post by Riley Neves on Jul 10, 2009 4:50:52 GMT -5
Riley didn't have the energy for any of that. She wanted to lie here in bed forever, with Geoffrey holding her like he always used to do when they were younger. The rest of the world could just as well not exist, and she would be happy. Although, happy was a relative term these days.
She shook her head. "Can we just stay here? Remember that game we used to play when we were in school? We'd imagine what everything would be like ten years in the future, where we'd be with our lives... let's do that."
Geoffrey had come up with the game. Riley suspected it was his way of promising her that she wouldn't be stuck with her brother forever. Whatever the reason he came up with it, it relaxed her just a little. And she needed to imagine a happy time, even if Roland wasn't in it.
|
|
|
|
Post by Geoffrey Montgomery on Jul 10, 2009 10:01:26 GMT -5
Geoffrey smiled sadly. He remembered the game all too well. They had done it all the time, and her theory was correct. He had started it as a way to get her mind off of her present with her stepbrother. It seemed to fit very well now, too. Just imagining that there might be a time in the future when it wouldn't be filled with so much sadness seemed like a good idea to him. Sometimes their imaginary futures were serious, and sometimes they were outrageous, but they were always perfect.
"OK, we can do that," Geoffrey said. "I think in ten years, you'll be Minister of Magic."
He waited for her to expand the idea and build on it, as they always had before.
|
|
|
|
Post by Riley Neves on Jul 10, 2009 21:59:44 GMT -5
"And you'll be my assistant," Riley said, laughing at the thought of being Minister of Magic. Of course, what she considered to be laughing these days was a light smile and not much more. Still, it was something. "And I'll have a dog... a German shephard. What do you think, kids by then, or no?" If he knew her at all, he'd say no, but she figured she would give him the option.
Her shoulders relaxed ever so slightly, and she took another breath to relax. Geoffrey was a godsend.
|
|
|
|
Post by Geoffrey Montgomery on Jul 11, 2009 14:40:19 GMT -5
Geoffrey threaded his fingers through hers, silently offering her his support. "No kids," he said, continuing the game. "You're too busy for children. In your spare time, you like to travel... you're always traveling. You've been all over Europe, America, and you've even explored Russia. You've been on safari in Africa and you've traveled across the Kalahari desert. Your faithful companions--me, and your dog--go everywhere with you."
|
|
|
|
Post by Riley Neves on Jul 11, 2009 23:43:31 GMT -5
Riley nodded. "You come with me everywhere to keep me out of trouble. You're like my body guard, but you get perks. I don't know what perks... I'm too busy to really pay attention, but there are definitely perks involved. And Al..."
She trailed off, feeling an unwanted surge of jealousy, before she continued. "And Alison comes, to. You're both madly in love and seeing the world together. I'm secretely planning on buying you a house in Egypt."
|
|
|
|
Post by Geoffrey Montgomery on Jul 12, 2009 0:00:43 GMT -5
He shouldn't have, but he felt a pang of sadness at the mention of Alison. It was sweet of Riley to bring her into it, but in the old days, there had never been any third parties in their fantasies. At least not specific ones. Somehow, knowing that Riley had included Alison, while she really wanted to be including Roland, made him ache inside.
"And you.... you have men falling at your feet where ever you go. You can have your pick of them."
|
|
|
|
Post by Riley Neves on Jul 12, 2009 10:53:07 GMT -5
"Except that you're the only one I ever want on these adventures with me, and there's a trail of broken hearts behind me because of it. You and that dog."
And Roland, if she could really have that ideal future. She wished she could, so badly, but she kept the thought to herself. She was just playing the game with Geoffrey now, seeing what their future may hold.
"We need to name that dog, too."
|
|
|
|
Post by Geoffrey Montgomery on Jul 12, 2009 13:37:07 GMT -5
Geoffrey thought for a minute. "OK, a name for the dog... I'm not good at naming dogs. But it's a German Shepherd, it should have a tough, strong sort of name. Like... I don't know... Spike. He's a loyal guard dog and would protect you with his life, but he's gentle, too."
As he said this, it occurred to him how very much that description was like Roland himself. He was loyal and protective to the people he loved, and while he could be intimidating, he could also be gentle and caring. As he thought of it, he was half-tempted to run out and get Riley a German Shepherd puppy, just so that a little piece of that fantasy future could come true.
|
|
|
|
Post by Riley Neves on Jul 12, 2009 16:07:47 GMT -5
Riley grew quiet when he decided that her dog was a German Shephard. She couldn't have explained why to Geoffrey, but he should have picked any other breed.
After a long silence, she said, "Maybe we named him Roland. Out of memory. Roland's a strong name."
If Alison was on this adventure for Geoffrey, then she decided the dog would be Roland. Her piece of him.
She sighed, reaching up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "What else? I think I live on a house boat. And I dance more. You're always my partner."
|
|
|
|
Post by Geoffrey Montgomery on Jul 12, 2009 16:37:54 GMT -5
Clearly she had drawn the same connection that he had. He felt his eyes burning as he looked at her silently for a minute. He wished there was a way he could take away her pain, or even bring Roland back for her. It seemed like Roland would forever be the unanswered question in her life, the unfinished story. Even her imaginary future was spent missing him.
"We dance all the time," he continued, but there was a sadness to his tone. Alison liked to dance even more than Riley. "We're always invited to balls and benefits, because of our renowned dancing skills. And because I'm a self-made millionaire who threw it all away to travel the world with you."
|
|
|
|
Post by Riley Neves on Jul 13, 2009 0:38:24 GMT -5
"Well, and because I'm Minister of Magic. I have to go to these benefits. It's just good form. But they're terribly boring, and you always keep me entertained. I'd be lost without you."
She turned a little, now slightly on her back. "Are you married yet?" she asked, curious where he saw himself with Alison in ten years. She already made the leap that she was still around.
"And kids? You'd be such a great father."
|
|
|
|
Post by Geoffrey Montgomery on Jul 13, 2009 11:07:24 GMT -5
Geoffrey couldn't explain why, but somehow it seemed wrong to imagine himself as being married and having kids, when Riley's imaginary future apparently consisted of her being alone and still pining for Roland. She may not had specifically said it, but he could read between the lines.
"We're engaged, but we aren't married yet. We're waiting for the right time to settle down and start a family," he said.
|
|
|
|
Post by Riley Neves on Jul 13, 2009 11:32:27 GMT -5
"You're probably not married yet because I keep you too busy doing things for me," Riley said. "And Alison's a saint to put up with it. But I think you'll be married to her pretty soon. I'll take a break from all the travel and come back to London to concentrate on being Minister of Magic. But at least I'm finally out of that apartment. Tell me more about you, Geoff."
Alison really was a lucky a girl, and while Geoffrey may have been feeling sorry for her, she wasn't. She never really saw herself married or having kids, and Roland hadn;t changed that while he was alive. It was just now, dealing with the ache of his absence, that she wondered if she would have ever changed her mind.
|
|
|
|
Post by Geoffrey Montgomery on Jul 13, 2009 15:04:05 GMT -5
"It's OK, though, because I like doing things for you," Geoffrey said. "Alison does, too. The two of you are the best of friends, and when I'm not around, the two of you sit around and talk for hours about all kinds of things."
He smiled at this. Knowing Riley as well as he did, he knew that she didn't really have a lot of female friends. She often seemed to find other girls to be flighty or gossipy. But Alison wasn't like that, and he really hoped that Riley and Alison could become good friends.
"I'm actually using our many adventures and travels to write a book," he continued. "Sort of a fictionalized version of our adventures."
|
|
|
|
Post by Riley Neves on Jul 14, 2009 1:10:31 GMT -5
"I hope there are pirates involved," Riley said, almost without realizing that she had, and she smiled. "I've always had a thing about pirates," she added, though she knew she didn't need to explain that to Geoffrey.
"But Alison and I are great friends... not quite as good as you and I, but pretty close. Whenever I do get married, she'll be my female maid of honor. You know you'd be the real one, though."
|
|
|
|
Post by Geoffrey Montgomery on Jul 14, 2009 1:42:55 GMT -5
"Oh, of course there are pirates," Geoffrey replied. "Who doesn't love a good pirate story?"
He chuckled. Maybe next time they played this game, he could have Riley be swept off her feet by a dashing pirate. But now was probably too soon.
"OK, I'll be your maid of honor, but if you make me wear a pink taffeta dress, I swear I'll never speak to you again," he teased.
|
|
|
|
Post by Riley Neves on Jul 14, 2009 2:17:57 GMT -5
Riley smiled and gave him her doe eyes. "You would too speak to me again. You know I'd be lost without you. And anyway, anyone who wears pink to my wedding will be turned away at the door. That includes you."
Riley often felt that she'd never been terribly good at being a girl. Dresses never suited her, though sometimes she had a thing for skirts, and she did rather like shoes. But pink and purple made her want to throw up half the time. And like Geoffrey knew, other girls were just too much maitnance for Riley to keep up with them.
So when she did get married... she hoped she would surprise the groom with how pretty she looked. Her hair would be up in an elegant style, and she would find the prettiest white dress she could... all for him.
Whoever that man was.
She sighed. "I think Roland... the German Shephard... he'll be my ring bearer. We're talking 12 to 14 years out. Or maybe one of your little girls if you have kids."
|
|
|
|
Post by Geoffrey Montgomery on Jul 14, 2009 9:42:26 GMT -5
He should have been encouraged that she was talking about getting married in the future. After all, back when they used to play this game, marriage and children had not usually been part of the equation for her. There had been a couple of times when she had off-handedly mentioned marrying him, during the brief period when they had dated. But otherwise, she never usually seemed to include marriage in her fantasies. And the fact that she was doing so now... Geoffrey couldn't help but wonder if that was still part of Roland's influence. That he'd made her want things that she had never wanted before.
"By then, Alison and I will be married. And we'll have a little girl. We'll name her Riley, after you."
|
|
|
|
Post by Riley Neves on Jul 14, 2009 9:49:37 GMT -5
"You better name her after your mom or someone instead," Riley warned, though half teasingly. "Alison will really start to wonder about us if you name your child after me."
It was a sweet thought though, and for a brief moment, she just wanted to ask. "Whatever happened to us?" She laughed quietly, to show him it wasn't a serious inquiry. "I mean, why did we decide we weren't meant for each other?"
|
|
