Page 54 of What I Needed

“Okay, great. Let’s eat!”

Ms. Janis blessed the food while holding Riverlynn against her chest and rubbing her back. The visual was almost as sweet as watching River with his daughter, and Ms. Janis’s love for her first and only grandchild was very apparent.

“I made chicken and broccoli with fried rice and vegetable egg rolls,” I announced once everyone took their seats.

“She made everything from scratch, including the egg rolls and dipping sauce.”

The pride in his voice made me feel giddy.

“Well, it smells good, and I’m starving,” Rylee said.

She was the first to start filling her plate, and I watched nervously as everyone else followed her lead.

“Erissa, aren’t you going to eat?” Ms. Janis asked.

“Yes, ma’am, but I’m in no rush. I can hold Rivvy while you eat if you’d like.”

“You’re not on duty while we’re here, sweetheart. Relax and enjoy the meal you prepared.”

Before I had a chance, River, who was seated at the head of the table and on my left, grabbed my plate and filled it with food. His guests watched with slightly intrigued yet amused expressions.

“Thank you,” I told him when he placed my plate in front of me.

“I told you, I gotchu.”

He winked, causing me to blush, then returned his attention to his food. I made the executive decision not to use paper and plastic goods, so for a few minutes, silverware hitting glass was all that could be heard.

“Erissa, where are you from?” Jaxon asked.

“I was born and raised in Black Elm. You?”

“I’m from Seattle, but I’ve lived in Black Elm for about ten years since I got drafted,” he responded.

“Do you like it?”

“What’s not to like about Cali?”

“True, especially when you’re a celebrity. I’m sure the perks are endless.”

“There are definitely a lot of benefits. You from here too, Shakira?” he asked.

“Born and raised, but Rissa and I didn’t meet until high school.”

“Cool.”

“Have either of you played for any other teams?” I asked.

“Nah. We’ve been blessed. I got one more year on my contract, and I’ll happily retire before I let them trade me,” River said.

“You’re thirty-two, Son, and have had a great career. Whether they want to trade you or not, retiring after this year wouldn’t be a bad idea. You have a motherless child to take care of now,” Ms. Janis told him.

“I know, Ma, and I’ll take that into consideration when the time comes. Right now, I want to focus on being a good father and having a great season.”

In my research, I found out River’s age, what college he attended, how long he’d been playing professional basketball, and that he only had one year left on his current contract.

“Speaking of Rivvy’s mother, have you found out who she is?” Rylee asked.

River shook his head. “I haven’t tried because I haven’t decided what I want to do.”