Chapter Text
“We should get a cat.”
Hailey blows out a breath, though she’s smiling as she shakes her head. “This again?” she asks, eyebrow raising at her daughter through the FaceTime call.
“Yes, this again,” Elain retorts. “I mean, look how cute she is!”
Hailey tries to suppress her smile from widening. Elain is laying on Natasha’s bed on her stomach, holding the phone in front of her, but right next to her is an adorable calico cat, white with patches of orange and black, and gold eyes. Natasha named the cat Louise, after her favorite Bob’s Burgers character, and it’s clear she’s taken a liking to Elain as she cuddles up next to her. Ever since Elain arrived at their house, she has been sending Hailey pictures of Louise, or selfies of the two of them together. Hailey’s half-afraid her daughter is going to cat-nap Louise.
“She’s very adorable,” Hailey agrees, because it’s true. “But you know how much work it is to have a pet, El.”
“I know,” Elain says. “But I’d take care of everything! You wouldn’t have to worry about a thing.”
Hailey adopts a flat look as she takes a sip of her coffee. “Really?” she asks wryly. “You hate when birds poop on the car. You’re telling me you’d clean out the kitty litter?”
“Yeah,” Elain answers, and admittedly Hailey is impressed at her lack of hesitation. “Because birds are weird and I’ll love the cat like it’s my child.”
A chuckle escapes Hailey, but she does notice the determination in Elain’s bright blue eyes. Frankly, Hailey had already been thinking of getting Elain a cat for either Christmas or her next birthday, but she’s not ready to spoil that surprise yet. So, for now, she just gives a nod. “I’ll think about it, okay?” It’s a good enough answer, because a grin breaks out across Elain’s face, dimples making an appearance. Hailey is automatically mirroring Elain’s smile at the sight of it, and switches topics. “I’m gonna do some grocery shopping today. Is there anything you want?”
“Umm,” Elain hums thoughtfully, propping her chin up on her palm, tapping a finger to her cheek. Hailey already knows that she and her daughter look a lot alike, but sometimes Elain will make a certain expression, and Hailey really sees the twin-like similarities between the two of them, and it takes her breath away. Fills her with so much love, it’s almost painful. “Oh, I’m low on body wash and fiber bars. And the stuff for the feta cheese and tomato pasta? I’ll make dinner for us Tuesday night.”
Hailey grins, gaze flicking up past her phone to see into the kitchen from where she sits on the couch. She sees Jay come into view, raising his hand in greeting but staying quiet because he knows she’s on the phone with Elain. Her smile softens, watching as he helps himself to some coffee, hair still damp from the shower he just took.
“Okay. Let me know if you need anything else,” Hailey says, returning her attention to Elain, who is already distracted with petting Louise. “Do you know what time you guys will get back into town on Monday?”
“I think Pappouli said around four or five, depending on traffic,” Elain answers.
“You gonna sleep on the drive back?” Hailey asks with a knowing chuckle.
Elain smiles. “Maybe,” she says as Hailey takes another sip of her coffee. “But I need to finish up some reading for Mr. Halstead’s class, so I might do that.”
Hailey freezes the mention of Jay—who, in the kitchen, looks over when he hears his name. Their eyes meet across the room, and Hailey can just tell he’s pressing his lips together to keep in a startled, amused laugh. Hailey, on the other hand, swears her heart jumped over a beat or two, the secret she’s keeping from her daughter jumping to the forefront of her mind. Especially when she looks at Elain on her phone, and just past her, she sees Jay sipping his own coffee in the kitchen, leaning back against the kitchen island with an arm crossed over his chest, watching her trying to keep her composure.
“He’s really great, you know,” Elain continues, oblivious to what’s going on, on the other side of the phone. She’s petting Louise, and Hailey can hear the cat’s purrs, but her focus is on Elain’s words. So is Jay’s. “All of his lessons and whatever material he gives us are typed in Arial. I think he, like, looked up what font is easy for dyslexics to read because the materials he’d given us the first day of class were in a different font.” Hailey freezes, listening intently as her pulse begins to slowly pick up its pace. “And I think he mentioned booking one of the computer rooms to give tests so we can do them online instead of having to write everything out, so it’s fair for everyone and not just me. He’s awesome.”
Hailey’s throat works as she listens to Elain, a tightness forming in her chest at the level of consideration Jay has clearly shown her daughter and her disability. He’s not the first teacher to implement methods to make the classroom experience easier for Elain, but she’s definitely had teachers in the past who haven’t been as accommodating, and it just feels different because it’s Jay. To hear Elain talk about him with such admiration. . . It warms Hailey from the inside out. And she is certain she falls for him even more right then.
“That’s. . . I’m so glad to hear that, honey,” Hailey says, refusing to look at Jay just yet, because she’s almost certain she might let her emotions get the best of her.
“Yeah, he’s cool,” Elain says with a smile. “And I heard he’s—yeah?!” She cuts herself off and Hailey blinks, wondering what Elain was going to say and watching as she listens to someone off camera. By the sound of it, it’s Natasha. “Okay, I’m coming!” As she sits up on the bed, Elain says, “I gotta go, Mom. Tasha’s friend is doing a barbecue, pool party thing and we gotta pick up some stuff.”
“Alright,” Hailey says, keeping her voice steady. “Have fun and be safe. Love you.”
Elain grins. “I will. Love you, too. Remember to think about the cat!”
Hailey lets out a laugh as they hang up, blowing out a breath once the call ends and her gaze immediately goes to Jay. He’s still leaning against the counter, watching her. Her throat works as she gets up, his eyebrows flicking up as she approaches him, that same tightness present in her chest as she nears him.
He’s got a small little smile on his face, the kind that he seems to wear every time she sees him, and maybe Hailey is being a little emotional, which is new for her. But she can’t help it—not when it comes to Elain—and it’s Jay, who is so easy for her to be vulnerable around. The more she spends time with him, the easier it is to let her walls down, to let him see all of her without fear of judgment or feeling too exposed. So she doesn’t think twice about putting her mug down on the counter behind him before wrapping her arms around his waist, pressing herself to him in a hug.
Jay doesn’t hesitate. She hears him put his mug down before she feels his arms around her, strong and solid. Hailey relaxes in his arms, feelling the steady thump of his heart beneath her ear, eyes falling shut when he presses a kiss to the top of her head. They stay like this for a few moments, Hailey inhaling deeply and letting her senses find comfort in being surrounded by him—and showing her gratitude in the only way she knows right now. A thank you for bringing that light in Elain’s eyes as she talked about him, the smile of being understood and not being belittled for something that others have judged her harshly on.
As Elain’s mother, Hailey is grateful to Jay for making learning painless for Elain any way he knows how.
As someone who is in a relationship with Jay—because that’s what this is, isn’t it?—Hailey loves that he so effortlessly proved her right in giving them a chance.
“Thank you,” she says, her voice muffled against his shirt.
He heard the conversation. He doesn’t ask her what for. “I’m just doing my job,” Jay replies lightly, squeezing her.
“I know,” Hailey says, laughing slightly. “But still. You’re going out of your way, and it means a lot to her. And to me.”
“Hailey,” he murmurs, pulling away from her enough so he can gently grasp her jaw and tilt her head up to meet his gaze. The tenderness that warms his eyes hitches the breath in my throat as Jay smiles. “You don’t have to thank me. But. . .” He trails off for a moment, gaze searching hers, before he releases a breath and continues, “I hope you know that I want to be there for you and for Elain. However you’ll let me.”
Her throat works, the tight ball of emotions loosening with a comforting warmth. “I’m not trying to. . . Like, hide you from Ela—”
She doesn’t get to stumble through her words all the way, because Jay cuts her off. “Hailey,” he says gently with a shake of his head, smiling as he ducks his head enough to be eye-level with her. “We already talked about this. We’re taking this at your pace.”
Her lips twist to the side. “Are you su—”
Jay interrupts her once more, only this time he kisses her and Hailey hums against his lips, any lingering tension melting instantly. “Okay, you’re right,” she murmurs into the kiss, laughing slightly when he grins. “Shouldn’t you be heading out?”
“Trying to get rid of me already?” he asks, arching an eyebrow.
“Definitely not,” Hailey laughs. “But don’t keep your brother waiting.”
Jay tips his head back with a groan, making her giggle once more as she admires the sharp line of his scruff covered jaw. When he looks back down at her, he scoffs. “I’ll keep him waiting if it means I can spend more time with my girl.”
She can’t help the grin that splits across her face at that, butterflies coming to life in her stomach. “Stop,” she says, hand resting on his chest while her cheeks warm. “He needs your help.”
“No, he needs my truck,” Jay argues with a roll of his eyes. “Not my fault he’s terrible at planning.”
Hailey raises an eyebrow, amusem*nt dancing across her expression. “Didn’t the furniture store cancel the delivery on him? Not his fault,” she points out. His brother just moved to a new apartment, which he’s having a housewarming party for tonight, except the two-seater couch that was supposed to be delivered yesterday never showed. There was some scheduling error at the store, and the only way for Will to receive his couch was for him to get it himself, and since it’s not too big, it’ll fit perfectly in the bed of Jay’s RAM, so Will requested his help this morning. And then, after that, Jay has some papers he needs to grade as well and she has errands to run, so they’ve got a busy Saturday ahead of them.
Jay narrows his eyes. “Who’s side are you on?”
A laugh bubbles out of Hailey, grabbing his shoulders and turning him and then pushing him towards the front door. Her laughter intensifies when Jay digs his feet to the ground, only jerkily moving forward as Hailey keeps pushing him, her grin wide. When they get to the front door, Jay opens it but turns to face her and asks, “You’re still coming tonight, right?”
Hailey nods. “Yeah, if you still want me to.”
He rolls his eyes, like her statement is ridiculous. “Yes. We’ll head over at six, if that works.”
“Okay,” Hailey nods, nerves knotting her stomach. “What kind of wine does Will like? Does he like wine?”
An amused smile tugs on Jay’s lips. “You don’t need to bring him any—” At the look on her face, Jay snorts. “Red. He likes red.”
“Great, I’ll pick some up today. Now go,” she says. “That couch isn’t gonna get delivered itself.”
Jay huffs. “It should’ve.” He leans down and kisses her cheek, making her smile. “See you later.”
She already can’t wait, and it’s not something she’s even embarrassed to admit.
When Elain isn’t with her to keep her entertained, Hailey prefers to do her grocery shopping with AirPods in her ears that keep most people from approaching her, should she run into someone she knows. It’s relatively busy, given that it’s Saturday morning, but Hailey weaves around other people and their carts, filling her own up while listening to a true crime podcast.
She’s got most of the essentials already in her cart, moving onto snacks. Elain and her sweet tooth really get the best of them, but between all of the calories Elain burns with soccer and Hailey during her workouts, they owe themselves the sweet treats. She gets a box of sugar cookies and mini-cupcakes, putting them right next to the bunch of bananas and bag of apples, before walking out of the aisle to head to the other side of the store to where the toiletries and on-food items are.
As she’s pushing her cart down the aisle, Hailey’s eyebrows furrow together slightly as she sees a woman walking in her direction with her own cart, and Hailey bites down on her tongue as she recognizes Sam’s wife, Julissa, and three year old Dex sitting in the cart she pushes. Truth be told, Hailey has little to no problem with Jasmine; she’s perfectly sweet and when she asks about Elain, Hailey can tell it’s from genuine interest, and not forced obligation like she feels radiates from Sam. But that doesn’t mean Hailey necessarily wants to stop for a chat.
Except before Hailey can duck into an aisle, Julissa spots her and raises a hand in a wave, and Hailey forces on a smile as she keeps walking, pausing her podcast. “Hey, Hailey! How are you?” Julissa asks, the two of them moving their carts to the side so they’re not blocking anyone else’s way.
“I’m good. How are you guys?” She gives a softer smile to the toddler in the cart. “Hi, Dex.”
The little boy grins up at her, showing off those adorable baby teeth. “Hi,” he says, endearingly stretching the word out. The kid looks a lot like Sam, with the same hazel eyes and light brown hair. Though, Hailey hopes he grows up to be nothing like his dad.
“Oh, we’re all fine,” Julissa smiles. “How’s Elain?”
“She’s great,” Hailey says. “She’s in Cedar Rapids with her grandparents for the weekend.”
Julissa nods. “That’s fun. And how’s soccer going? Sam was disappointed he couldn’t make it to her game the other day. I told him he didn’t have to come to Jamie’s opening night recital since it was the same day as the game, and he could’ve gone to the one the next day, but he didn’t listen,” she finishes with a roll of her eyes and a smile that says what can you do?, but disbelief has struck Hailey speechless.
She gathers herself enough to ask, “I’m sorry, but you’re saying Jamie’s recital had two days and not just the one on the day of the soccer game?”
“Yes, why. . .?” Julissa nods with a frown, before realization seems to strike her, her dark eyes widening. “Oh. Oh, no. Did Sam say—”
“That the recital was only one day?” Hailey finishes through gritted teeth, blood boiling to a burning degree. “Yeah. He did.”
That son of a bitch. He tried to act all regretful and frustrated when he informed her and Elain that he couldn’t make it to the game because of Jamie’s dance recital. . . Only for the recital to be running for two days. There is absolutely no reason why he couldn’t have been to both the recital and Elain’s game, if he went to the game the first day and the recital the second. That way, he wouldn’t have disappointed either of his daughters.
Except it’s becoming blatantly, horribly obvious that Sam doesn’t give a sh*t if he disappoints Elain. And as angry as Hailey is with Sam, she’s also pissed at herself for not putting an end to this earlier. She should have known, by some maternal instinct or something, that this would be how things turned out when Sam didn’t even fight for partial custody of Elain when she was a baby. His presence and involvement lessened over the years, to the point that not even Elain expects anything from him. So why should Hailey? Why should she constantly be giving him chances to prove himself to be the dad to Elain that he is to Jamie and Dex?
“Hailey,” Julissa starts, and Hailey notices how embarrassed and horrified she looks. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know why Sam would say that.”
“I know why,” Hailey says, smiling tightly. She’s not angry with Julissa, but Hailey can’t exactly keep a lid on her broiling emotions at the moment. “And I’m not going to say them in front of your son. But your husband and I will be having a long overdue conversation.”
Julissa presses her lips together, no doubt noticing the ice in Hailey’s eyes. But unlike her husband, the woman is smart, and she merely nods and says quietly, “Yeah, I think that’s a good idea.”
Tension tightens the air and Hailey wants Julissa to know that her anger isn’t directed towards her, especially since she clearly didn’t know about Sam’s lie, but Hailey is done with this conversation. So with one last small, tight smile to Julissa, Hailey pushes her cart and continues her way down, her grip on the handlebar tightening as she tries to breathe through the rage. She and Elain have given Sam way more chances than he deserves, and Hailey is all out of them.
As she picks up Elain’s body wash, Hailey doesn’t think she is going to tell Elain about the truth of the recital. She refuses to cause her daughter any more pain inflicted by Sam; he has made the choices he’s made over and over again. Whatever the hell happens next, he is the only one to blame for it, because Hailey is tired of carrying his guilt. Jay was right—she’s not responsible for it. And if he could see it on their first date together, then it’s about time Hailey recognizes it too, even if it’s almost sixteen years too late.
God, she’d seen the way her mom had ended things with her dad, whom Hailey hasn’t heard from since a little before Elain was born. Sure, Hailey’s father had been verbally disparaging towards her and, as far as she knows, Sam hasn’t treated Elain like that—and if he had, Hailey was pretty damn certain she might kill him. But Hailey hates that she’s had some kind of hand in Elain being neglected by her dad. If there’s guilt for anything Hailey feels, it’s that.
“Alright, out with it.” Hailey blinks over at Jay, letting the seat belt slip away from her grasp once she has unbuckled it. Jay has turned towards her, arching an eyebrow, though she doesn’t miss the concern in his eyes.
Her lips part before pressing together, until she finally asks, “What do you mean?”
She knows exactly what he means and she knows he knows that she knows that. Jay tilts his head as he says, “You’ve been quiet since I picked you up. What’s going on?”
Hailey’s throat works. She shouldn’t be surprised that Jay picked up on how off she’s been; her sour mood has lasted all day since her conversation with Julissa. She had half a mind to show up to Sam’s house and give him a piece of her mind, but Hailey also knows if she goes in all hot-headed and ill-tempered, Sam would just turn the conversation around and condescend to her, which would only piss her off more.
So she’s giving herself some time to wrap her head around all of Sam’s bullsh*t. Truth of the matter is, Hailey’s life won’t face any change if she were to cut Sam off completely. If anything, she is sure she will feel lighter, more at ease, without him around. And while part of her knows that Elain will feel the same, Hailey is still worried about the toll it may have on Elain mentally and emotionally to not have her dad around anymore. Hailey will be sure to let both Sam and Elain know that their relationship can continue to exist on Elain’s terms, however involved she may want him to be, but part of Hailey still struggles in feeling like she has failed her daughter in some way. She had never wanted her relationship with her own father to be mirrored in Elain’s relationship with Sam, except that’s the path it’s taken, and Hailey feels helpless in fixing it.
“It’s just. . .” She starts to chew on her lip but stops, remembering the lipstick she put on, and instead bites on the inside of her cheek. With a shake of her head, she says, “Just something with Sam. I don’t want to talk about it right now.”
Jay doesn’t look disappointed in her not opening up to him at the moment. If anything, his concern remains, but he nods nonetheless. “Alright. I just wanna make sure you’re okay.”
Her chest warms, and her smile comes easily, even if it’s small. But it’s grateful. “I’m okay,” she says. “Or I will be.”
His green eyes search her for a moment. “We don’t have to go inside if you don’t want to. You can always meet them another time.”
Hailey shoots him a flat look, though it’s awfully sweet of him to even offer. Plus, it’s a little thrilling, knowing he met her friends last night and tonight she’s meeting his, along with his brother. “It’s your brother’s housewarming. We’re going.”
Jay exhales sharply, cutting the engine and pulling the keys out. “Okay, but just say the word and we’re out.”
“Okay,” she laughs lightly, knowing damn well she’s not going to be doing that. If anything, she could use the distraction of the party.
They head inside the apartment complex after Will buzzes them in and it's strange, but Hailey doesn’t feel as nervous as she thought she would at the prospect of meeting Jay’s brother and friends. Maybe it’s because, in the last few days, she has grown to accept the reality of this—of her being in a new relationship with someone she really likes. Especially because Jay holds her hand in his, fingers interlocked, her other hand holding a slim bag of the wine she bought.
The elevator ride to the third floor is quick enough, and as they walk down the hall, Hailey feels a little bit of the nervous butterflies, but it’s nothing that isn’t manageable. It’s actually exciting as Jay knocks on the door, lively chatter from the other side slightly muffled, until the door swings open and there stands a man she’s only seen in some pictures that Jay has shown her.
“Welcome back,” Jay’s older brother grins at him before his brown eyes shift over to Hailey, his smile warm as he opens the door wider. “And welcome in.”
Hailey grins as Jay chuckles, the two of them walking into the apartment. “Will, this is Hailey. Hailey, this is my annoying brother, Will.”
“I think he means loving,” Will says as he shuts the door, grin widening at her. “Nice to meet you, Hailey. I’ve heard loads of good things.”
Hailey glances at Jay and her heart flips when she sees pink slightly tingeing his cheeks as he shoots his brother a look. Any nerves from earlier lessen into almost nothing as she says to Will, “Nice to meet you, too. Thanks for inviting me.”
Will waves her off. “The more the merrier. Come on in. You can hang your jackets in there,” he adds, gesturing to a closet to their right.
Jay helps her take off her jacket, the gentleman he is, hanging up hers and his before Will gestures them over to the kitchen. It’s a nice, open space, the living room just a single step down from the kitchen area. Windows that would provide great natural light during the day show off a view of the neighborhood. A bookshelf by the TV, which is playing a football game on low volume, carries plenty of thick medical texts, unsurprising, and some picture frames.
There are about twenty or so people around, the kitchen counter and island decorated with different kinds of drinks and food. As Jay and Will talk, Hailey is busy admiring an adorable picture of them as young boys stuck to the fridge, Jay surprisingly a blonde kid and his freckles far more prominent. They’re probably around eight or nine years old, grinning wide with their arms thrown over each other’s shoulders.
“Hailey!” She jerks in surprise at her name being called by someone other than Jay. Turning, she grins when she sees Natalia approaching her, a beer in hand. “I should’ve known you’d be here,” she says, wiggling her eyebrows at Jay.
“I could say the same to you,” Hailey laughs as they exchange a quick hug.
The guys approach them. “Oh, right, you did tell me you and Hailey knew each other,” Will says, nodding in realization. “Small world.” Hailey notes the way his gaze seems to linger on Natalia for a beat before he looks over at her and Jay. “Drinks?”
Jay looks at her, and Hailey says, “I’m good with beer.”
Once they both have a bottle of Corona in hand, Jay asks her, “Can I introduce you to some people?”
Hailey nods, her smile far more at ease, as Jay nods her over. She follows him to a few people chatting by the window, two guys and a girl, who seem to sense their approach and when they look over, they’re instantly grinning. “Look who decided to grace us with his present,” the tallest of them, a handsome man with dark hair and dark eyes, says as he and Jay exchange clasped hands and a hug. “Doing good, brother?”
“I’m great, Kev,” Jay replies.
“Yeah, I bet,” the other guy grins, one of his arms thrown over a pretty brunette. “Gonna introduce us to your lady or what?” he asks, shooting her a wink that is nothing but friendly.
Jay throws his own arm around Hailey’s shoulders, pulling her close, and she instantly relaxes against his side as she smiles at the group. “This is Hailey, my—” He glances down at her, which she senses immediately, and her heart flips as she gives him an approving smile and he finishes to his friends, “Girlfriend. Hailey, this is Kevin, Adam, and Kim.”
It’s a little difficult to ignore the way her heart seems to expand exponentially at Jay calling her his girlfriend, filling her with a kind of warmth she is damn sure she has never experienced before. They’ve only been seeing each other for a week, but it feels right and good. But she pushes through getting lost in her giddiness, smiling at his friends, who all wear smiles of their own, eyes lit. “It’s nice to meet you guys,” she says genuinely.
Kim’s grin widens. “It’s nice to finally meet the woman Jay’s been raving about,” she says, her smile turning teasing towards Jay. But Hailey blushes too, nonetheless, letting out a laugh. “We’ve been hounding him to bring you around.”
Jay huffs out a breath. “You would’ve met her at the game tomorrow,” he points out with an arch of a brow.
“Better bring your A-game tomorrow then,” Adam says to him. “Wouldn’t wanna embarrass yourself in front of Hailey.”
Hailey shoots Jay a smirk. “No pressure.”
“You should invite your friends,” Kevin says with a burgeoning grin. “Add on the pressure for Halstead.”
Jay’s quick to flash him the finger. “You’re hilarious, you know that?” he grouses without any real heat, making Hailey laugh.
“So, Hailey,” Kim says as her laughter dies, though her smile remains. “Jay said that your daughter is a student of his. Elain, right?” Hailey nods, smiling at the mere mention of her kid. “She’s, what? Fifteen? Sixteen?”
“Sixteen,” Hailey confirms with a nod.
“Wait, I’m sorry,” Adam pipes in, eyes widening as he raises his hand holding the beer bottle up. “You’re telling me you have a sixteen year old kid?”
Kim rolls her eyes fondly and Hailey gets the sense that Adam already knows this, by Jay or Kim informing him, but Hailey laughs and nods again. “Yeah, I do,” she answers, nothing but pride in her voice for her daughter. Grin turning teasing, she raises her own hand, holding her beer, as she adds, “Former teen mom.”
Jay chuckles, pressing a kiss to her temple. To Kim and Adam, he asks, “Makayla happy you two back from your honeymoon?”
“Sure is,” Kim answers, and Hailey’s gaze flickers down to notice the engagement ring and wedding band on Kim’s left hand. “But I think she had a ton of fun with Uncle Kev.”
“That girl is a riot,” Kevin grins before taking a sip of his beer.
“You guys recently got married?” Hailey asks, and when Kim and Adam nod, Hailey smiles. “Congratulations. Where’d you get married?” she adds, mostly because she’s been knee deep in wedding planning with Stella, and she’s simply curious.
“The Arbory,” Kim replied and Hailey perks up when she recognizes the name. “I loved the blend of the setting, you know? Vintage industrial but also modern. . . It was perfect.”
“One of my best friends considered that place for her wedding,” Hailey says with a smile. “She’s getting married in, like, a month.”
“That’s exciting!” Kim grins. “Where’d she end up choosing?”
“Offshore Rooftop,” Hailey says. “She wanted somewhere by Navy Pier, since that’s where she and her fiancé met, and I think it’s perfect for her. She’s definitely an outdoor bride.”
Kim nods with an understanding hum. “That sounds beautiful.” Her grin turns teasing, sly, as she says, “Maybe I’ll do an outdoor one for my second marriage.”
Hailey stifles a laugh as Adam’s head whips over, suddenly more interested in their conversation than whatever he was talking to Jay and Kevin about. “What’s this now?” Adam inquired, raising his eyebrows at the two of them while resting his chin on Kim’s shoulder.
“Don’t worry about it,” Kim hums, shooting Hailey a wink, who only chuckles into her next sip of beer.
She feels more and more at ease as the minutes pass chatting with Jay’s friends, learning more about them. Kevin and Adam play with him on the recreational hockey team, but they’ve known each other since middle school. Kevin knew Kim from another school but she used to babysit his younger siblings. He introduced Adam and Jay to Kim, and they’ve been a tight group since. Hailey sees it in the way they tease each other, their personalities bouncing off one another’s.
At one point, as the guys discuss tomorrow’s game, she and Kim stand by the window as Kim asks her, “So, you and Jay—it’s still new, right?”
“Yeah,” Hailey answers with a gentle smile. “So new,” she adds with a blushing laugh, her gaze wandering until it lands on Jay. He’s a few feet away chatting with the guys, people wandering in the space between them, but it’s as though he can feel her gaze on him. When their eyes meet, he grins, shoots her a wink, and goes back to his conversation like he didn’t make her heart flip and settle all at once. “But it feels longer. Is that crazy?” she asks, looking back at Kim.
Kim’s smile softens, brown eyes bright in a way that tells Hailey her answer before Kim even speaks. “No, it’s not,” she says with a shake of her head. “It’s how I felt when I met Adam. I mean, sure—” She rolls her eyes fondly. “It took us a while to get together, and even longer to make it down the aisle. But I still feel that way today, you know? When it’s right, it’s right.”
Hailey nods slowly, letting Kim’s words turn over her head. When it’s right, it’s right—and Hailey can’t help but think that maybe that can apply to them, too.
“Tell me about Elain,” Kim suddenly says, smile widening. “My daughter’s seven, and I can’t even imagine having a sixteen year old.”
Her eyes shine with admiration, and it warms Hailey’s cheeks, the smile on her face appearing as it does any time she thinks of Elain. “She’s amazing,” Hailey says, proud. “Pretty damn blunt, a hell of a soccer player, and currently trying to convince me to get a cat.”
Kim snorts out a laugh. “Makayla’s been after a dog,” she says, the two of them exchanging a mild long suffering look. “I think Adam might give in before I do.”
“Well, honestly, I’ve been planning on surprising her with a cat. Might be her Christmas present, if she doesn’t wear me down before then,” Hailey laughs before sipping her beer.
“Are you two close?”
Hailey’s nod is instant. “Oh, yeah, for sure,” she says. “My parents help out but she and I—we’re a team. Keeps me on my toes, I’ll tell you that much. Wait till your daughter—Makayla?—becomes a teenager.”
Kim’s eyes widen, mildly horrified. “I’ve got six years until she’s thirteen. I’m going to cherish them, I think,” she says, pulling a laugh from Hailey as she raises her beer in cheers. “You should bring Elain to tomorrow’s game!”
“Oh, uh,” Hailey chuckles, admittedly somewhat awkwardly. “She’s out of town for the weekend with my parents. And um—” She flashes a hesitant smile, unsure of how Kim’s going to receive her next statement. For half a second, Hailey thinks she should just keep it to herself because, sure, she’s enjoying Kim’s company, but it’s also none of her business. Yet, Hailey still finds herself saying, “I haven’t told her about me and Jay yet.”
“Oh,” Kim says with a tilt of her head. There’s no judgment in her eyes or tone, just curiosity.
She doesn’t outright ask, but Hailey explains anyway. “Like I said, it’s new between me and Jay, and I want us to have some more time together before I tell her I’m dating her English teacher,” she finishes, eyebrows flicking up with a closed mouthed smile.
“That makes sense,” Kim nods, and it makes Hailey feel a little better, to get that kind of assurance from someone who doesn’t quite know her—someone other than her parents and close friends. “You wanna make sure it’s a sure thing before bringing your kid into it. Especially since she knows him. Sounds like great parenting to me,” she adds with a sincere smile.
“Might not be too far off in the future. Telling her, I mean,” Hailey says thoughtfully, the corner of her mouth kicking up. “She’s been making comments about me dating, so at least she’s open to the idea of that. And she likes Jay; as her teacher, at least. So we’ve got that going for us.”
“It’ll be fine,” Kim nods, like she knows it for a fact, and admittedly it does make Hailey feel a little better.
“What’ll be fine?” Jay asks, suddenly appearing out of nowhere. His arm finds home around Hailey’s shoulders and she really likes how a simple touch from him seems to relax her muscles.
Before Hailey can say anything, Kim grins cunningly. “Elain accepting your relationship with open arms and not putting a whoopie cushion on your seat for dating her mom.”
Hailey’s eyes widen incredulously, though amusem*nt pulls a laugh out of her. She wasn’t necessarily planning on telling Jay, but when she glances at him, she sees a smile on his face. His own amusem*nt dances in his green eyes as he arches a brow at them. “Are whoopie cushions still a thing?” is how he responds.
Kim’s expression turns quizzical. “Are they not?”
Jay clicks his tongue, feigning a sympathetic expression. “Probably not since you were in middle school, Kimberly.”
Eyes narrowed, Kim asks, “Jay Alexander, are you calling me old?”
Hailey sucks in a breath through her teeth, shooting Jay a dramatic, wide eyed look. “Oh, she middle-named you.” With a grin, she sing-songs, “You’re in trouble.”
Jay lowers his head, stage whispering to Hailey, “You don’t think I can take her?”
Amusem*nt is dancing in Kim’s eyes as she watches them, and Hailey says to him, “I think she can crush you like a bug.”
Kim’s face lights up as Jay groans, but Kim is wagging her finger at Hailey as she says to Jay, “I like her.”
Jay pulls Hailey in closer, her cheeks heating as he responds, “I like her more.”
