Girl Meets Love

                                    

                                          
~9~
                          
          
                          
When Riley woke up the next morning, she almost couldn't tell whether she'd dreamt last night or not.
                          
She looked over at the spot where she and Farkle had stood.
                          
No, it was real.
                          
It was real.
                          
Last night was real.
                          
I KISSED FARKLE!
                          
Riley was grinning; she'd never felt, so intensely happy.
                          
And then she wasn't smiling.
                          
'What happens now?'
                          
'Riley, I want you to be happy. Whatever happens next, that's up to you.'
                          
Riley sat on the edge of her bed, her mind a mess. She had a decision to make, and it wasn't going to be easy.
                          
She got changed quickly, and went out into the kitchen. Topanga, Cory and Auggie were all sitting around the table, eating breakfast.
                          
"Mom, can I talk to you?" Riley asked, leaning against the doorframe.
                          
"Sure, baby," Topanga replied, stay seated.
                          
"No, Bay Window talk to you, Mom," Riley said.
                          
"Oh, oh! Bay Window?" Topanga asked, sounding excited.
                          
"Yes, Mom," Riley said, laughing slightly.
                          
"Oh my gosh, I'm coming," Topanga said, standing up, and walking over to Riley.
                          
"Wait me too, right?" Cory asked.
                          
"No, sorry, just Mom," Riley replied.
                          
"Sucker!" Topanga said, poking her tongue out at her husband, before following her daughter into her bedroom.
                          
"So what's wrong?" Topanga asked, as she sat down next to Riley in the Bay Window.
                          
"When did you realise you were in love with Dad?" Riley asked.
                          
Topanga looked slightly taken aback by the question, but she answered anyway, "Well your father and I have been in love for practically our whole lives, you know that."
                          
"Yes, but, you guys met when you were two. You couldn't have known that you were properly in love then. When did you realise that what you felt for Dad was love?"
                          
"When did I realise? Well, we were fourteen, so younger than you and we'd been officially dating for a couple of weeks. And then your Dad told me that he loved me,"
                          
"And you said I love you too, and that's when you realised?"
                          
"No, I was fourteen, Riley. I didn't think you were supposed to be in love so young. It freaked me out, so the next day I broke up with him."
                          
"You broke up with Dad, right after he told you that he loved you?!" Riley said in disbelief.
                          
"Yeah, I know, it was pretty harsh."
                          
"You don't say," Riley laughed.
                          
"That night, Cory came for his jean jacket, and I remember thinking, 'What if I am in love with this boy? I have such strong feelings for him, but I always have. They can't be love, I'm only fourteen.' Then your father sat down and told me what he believed love was. How we'd always been able to talk, make each other laugh. How he always wanted to take care of me. These were all things I felt. But I'd felt them for so long that I didn't know that they were love. And that's when I realised." Topanga said, smiling.