Riley smiled as she looked down at the white dress she had on grabbing her flowers as she twirled. The big day had arrived and she was on cloud nine looking down at the diamond on her finger. "Knock knock. Honorary maid of honor coming in." She laughed as Lucas walked in with his hand covering his eyes making her giggle.

"I'm dressed." She tells him putting her bouquet down and her hands behind her back as he looks at her. "Wow." He whispers putting his hand on his heart. "Tom is going to faint at the sight of you Riley. You look beautiful." She smiles telling him hopefully he faints after they get married.

He chuckles as her dad tells them he was being summoned for his best man duties leaving her with a kiss on the cheek as he departs. Riley looks in the mirror holding up the necklaces she had chosen the day before and couldn't decide.

"Offical maid of honor coming in." Riley gasped when she sees through the mirror. "Elena." She cries moving towards her and giving her a hug. "Hey what's wrong?" Elena asks pulling back and grabbing a tissue for Riley when she sees her crying.

"Its just I didn't think you would be here to see this." She gestures around the room making Elena laugh. Riley pulls her into another hug wiping her eyes as she does it. "I told you my little hummingbird I'll always be here."

"Honey you ready?" Her dad asks seeing her look at the picture of Elena and her. She smiles wiping her eyes standing up. "Yes."

Four years later summertime

Riley sat up panting looking around the room. It was the same dream she always had except Elena was always someone different even Lucas. She looks at the time seeing it only five in the morning and decides to get up taking her laptop to the porch with her cup of coffee.

She loved sitting on the porch watching the sunrise and had told Pappy Joe the house was in the perfect spot to do just that. She sets her cup down opening her laptop and bites her lip as she debates with herself to FaceTime him. She knew he probably be up anyway since he was such an early riser.

She lightly laughs when she sees his bed head and the slight yawn he gives her as he waves at her. "Oh I woke you I'm sorry go back to bed." She was about to hang up when he shouts no widening his eyes looking around embarrassed.

"You didn't wake me I've been up for awhile couldn't sleep. What are you doing up? It's summer sleep in Ms. Matthews." Riley laughs as she shakes her head at Lucas who ever since she became a teacher called her that bringing her an apple.

"So what has you awake at this hour?" He asked nodding as he sees her drink her coffee. "The dream again?" He asked as she nodded grabbing her cup. "What was I this time? Please tell me it wasn't flower girl again?" He joked watching the smile creep onto her face.

"No you were Tom's best man and my honorary maid of honor." Lucas groans shaking his head at her. "Was Elena there again?" She nods looking away from the screen. "You okay? You want to talk about it?" Riley gives him a small smile shaking her head she knew why she was having the dream.

She always had a crazy dream about Elena around the time of her death and the twins birthday. Usually they were scary nightmares but now they were filled with laughter and weird things but Elena always remained the same.

"How are the twins?" He asked changing the subject knowing it helps take her mind off it. "Good wondering if you will make it back in time for their birthday." Lucas chuckles asking about the party planning. "Madness! Sheer madness I tell ya. Charlie's wants a whole separate party theme from Rosie."

Lucas looks at her weirdly as they both laugh knowing why. When the twins entered preschool he had met a little girl who pretty much had him bringing her a flower everyday. She was his Ava according to Charlie much to the dismay of Riley and the amusement of Auggie.

"So now I have to run around finding different streamers and things for his party and luckily for me Rosie loves the party we throw her every year." Lucas nods drinking his own coffee. "She still think boys are yucky?"

"Yeah but there is a boy in her class that has her changing her mind. They're only going to be nine and already with the boys and girls." Riley shakes her head slumping in the chair. "Plus they miss you like crazy."

"What about you?" He asked smiling at her. "What about me?" He gives her a look and she nods smiling. "I guess you could say I sort of miss you too." He chuckles telling her he take what he could get.

He sees her trying not to look at him and chewing at her bottom lip making him lightly chuckle. "Riley you know you can always say no. I promise I won't hold it against you. I told you I wanted to be in your life and if that means as your friend I will so if you want to tell me no go ahead."

Riley looked at him and could see the seriousness in his eyes he had ever since he first asked her. He told her he give her time and he had but she wasn't sure what the answer was really. "I'm not... sure if..." she frowns and he smiles at her. "It's fine Riley I should be home tonight or tomorrow morning."

He looks at the time grabbing his bag stuffing his stuff inside it. "I actually got to go but I meant what I said. No pressure okay?" She nods and they say goodbye as she closes her laptop pulling her knees up hugging them.

She knew he wanted an answer but she wasn't so sure she could give him one. They were finally in a good place in their friendship and that took awhile for them to get there. She sighs getting up making breakfast for herself since the twins were at a sleepover trying not to think about it.

She had a busy day ahead of herself since her dad, Auggie, Ava and Eric and Morgan were coming down. She sighs looking at the Christmas card she got last year from her dad ignoring the fact her mom just signed her name to it.

Try as she might their relationship never became anything more. They were merely acquaintances at this point. She thought two years ago they were making strides in the right direction but that went out the window when they had a huge fight.

Her mom told her didn't she want kids that were actually blood related to her and to know what it felt like to have them growing inside her. Riley told her that didn't matter and if things were different she didn't know if she would have even had kids.

Topanga told her that wasn't true and she would probably be married and have at least three by now. Riley found out later she was only saying those things because Maya was pregnant with her and Josh's first. She told her if she couldn't accept the twins then she really had no business being in her life.

It was a tough decision to make but Riley felt it was the right one and if her mom wanted to change that she would have to make the first move.

After breakfast she picked up the house taking the book she had read back to the library she had. She laid down on the lounge couch she had in there and seen the book she was reading letting the memory of that day come back to her.

2 weeks ago

She smiled as she turned to the next page in her book drinking her ice tea. She was enjoying some time to herself since the twins were at their friend's house. She had just got to the best part when she hears him.

"If I had known you were going to spend more time in here than the secret garden I would have fixed this place up better." She put her book down seeing Lucas smiling at her setting his suitcase down. "It really depends on what mood I'm in." She tells him with a shrug.

"Leaving?" She asked gesturing at his suitcase with her book as she sits up. He nods moving to sit on the little ottoman she had in there. "Yeah but I wanted to asks you something before I left." Riley looks at him and sees that serious look in his eyes and gestures for him to go on.

"I know we're friends and I love our friendship don't get me wrong.." Lucas starts to say rubbing his neck. "I just I wanted to know if when I get back I can take you to dinner. Like on a date?" Riley looked at him wide eyes not sure what to say.

He nods standing up and tell her she didn't have to say anything right then and there. She could have time and when she was ready to give him her answer he would be waiting.

Riley sat up fixing the books and waking out the library. She glances at the pictures along the wall of her little family and seen the one of Lucas with the twins. It took a long time for them to get back to normal and she wasn't sure she was ready to mess that up yet.

After deciding to sign her name to the deed and keep the house Lucas kept his word and didn't try to declare his love for her. The only reason she knew he was back in town was from Pappy Joe who told her when he came to pick up the twins.

Riley wouldn't have see Lucas for another six months when one day she was at the grocery store and they both reached for the same apple. Lucas had joked it would have been a meet cute if they didn't already meet.

They laughed and went their separate ways until and she wasn't sure why she did it but invited him over for lunch. They had lunch and everything was okay and Lucas asked her if that meant they were friends. She told him in order for them to be friends she needed to know some things.

She asked him why he cheated and got with Maya when he swore he loved her. Lucas didn't know how to really answer that and Riley told him to leave. He showed up the next day telling her he honestly didn't know why. He thought it was a good idea and maybe there was something he wasn't seeing.

She asked why he stayed in an on again off again relationship with her and did he love Maya. He told her no that the only reason was cause he was foolish enough to think Riley would come back.

She told him she wanted to know everything so he told her.

Maya and him never kissed except that drunken one. The most they did was a peck on the cheek. He told her they never slept with each other either. He was sure Josh wouldn't have gotten together with her if that happened.

Riley was okay with that and Lucas thought everything would be okay until she yelled at him with tears in her eyes why wasn't she good enough for him and didn't he love her. Did she mean that little to him that he could hurt her. He told her he was sorry and it wasn't her it was him.

They argued and Riley told him she didn't want to see him which she didn't for the next year. They both knew it was going to take alot to get past what happened and Lucas respected her wishes.

During that time Riley dated but none of them ever lasted that long. Either they didn't like that she had kids or the fact that she lived near an old boyfriend's grandpa who was family to her and the twins.

The only guy that had lasted long was Tom Roberts. A doctor who had been filling in for the twins doctor. He was a nice guy and understood the relationship Riley had with Pappy Joe and the twins had with Lucas. He lasted a year and proposed to her one night.

She would have said yes if he didn't try to control her life. Telling her he didn't want to live in her house and wanted to move to California which he eventually did. After that Riley took a break from dating focusing on her career and family.

She learned from Auggie that summer that while she was dating and not speaking to Lucas he went and visited with him and Morgan. Riley was shocked and wondered why he would do that.

Auggie told her he did it because he owed Auggie an apology and he figured if he wanted to be in her life he'd have to deal with Morgan. Who apparently tore him a new one when he visited with her.

Riley couldn't help laughing at Morgan yelling at him like that. She wouldn't talk to Lucas for another four months after that. But when they did she told him she thought a lot about everything and although it still hurt a little she was willing to try being friends.

Lucas smiled at her telling her he would take what he could get. And he did just that he didn't try to push her and remained her friend and one of her closest confidant. Riley smiled at the pictures and walked away getting ready for the day.

"So which one is the little misses?" Missy asked as her and Riley put out the drinks on the table. Riley shakes her head and points at the little girl with the flower crown on her head. Missy laughed as she rubbed her pregnant belly sitting down when she feels a kick.

"You would think baby number two would cut his mother some slack but no." Riley smiled as Charlie comes up to them. "Riley where is Friar I wanted to show him my new putter." Missy and Riley share a look and both start to laugh.

"What?" He asked looking between them. "Nothing it's just funny to hear you talk about Lucas like this." Missy tells him as he kisses her head saying it was no weirder than when she and Riley became friends.

"Calm down his flight was delayed but Eric was on his way to get him. They should be here in a few." The party was well under way when Eric finally arrives with Lucas. "Chief!" Rosie yells launching herself at him something she normally did when he got back from a trip.

"Happy birthday Rosie posey, Charlie." He hands them gifts and then smiles at Riley before Charlie grabs his attention talking about his putter. Riley bites her lip and goes inside with Missy following. "Hey you okay?" She asked as Riley sat on her bed.

"Yes. No maybe I don't know." Riley lays herself back on the bed and Missy does the same. "What's going on did something happen between you and Lucas?" Riley turns her head to her and tells her no. "Actually yes." Riley tells her sitting up.

"He asked me out on a date." Missy struggles to sit up as Riley helps her up. "So what did you say?" Riley tells her nothing and he told her she didn't have to say yes if she didn't want to and they could just be friends.

"So what's wrong? Tell him no if you don't feel anything." Riley sighed chewing her lip she felt something but she was afraid of that feeling and wasn't sure she wanted it to come out. "I did feel something." She whispers as Missy looks at her waiting for her to go on.

"When he smiled at me just now I felt those old butterflies I use to feel when I saw him." Missy looks at her and tells her if she feels something maybe find out what it was and if it's nothing than say that. Don't hold anything back.

Riley nods smiling at her as they make their way back outside. They had put the candles on the cakes for the twins and Riley stood by Lucas as they all sung. She looked down at his hand thinking about what Missy said and slipped her hand in his.

He turned his head looking at her and she felt like she was making the right decision and mouthed yes I'll go out with you to him. She smiled watching as his smile got wider with every breath he took.

The End.

Sorry if some of you didn't want it to end with Riley and Lucas together but as I said before. I went back and forth on it and the story led me to where it wanted to go. So sorry if you were disappointed with the end.