"Well, well, well. Erin Lindsay," Jay joked as he sat down next to his high school sweet heart. Erin turned her head and smiled up at him. It's been 5 years since the man she loved went to war to fight for his country.
"Well if it isn't Jay Halstead. How have you been?" Erin asked. When he first left they talked as often as Jay's hectic schedule allowed for. She wrote letters to him, and he wrote letters back. However, one day they just stopped. That was about 4 and half years ago.
"I've been good. Got back a couple months ago. Your mom told me you were a cop in Chicago. Thought I'd come say hi," Jay smiled. "What are you doing in the park any way? You used to hate the park."
Erin opened her mouth to speak when she heard a shriek and a cry for mommy. Jay and Erin turned their head's to find a little girl on the ground holding her arm. Erin jumped up and ran over to the little girl.
"Mommy, it hurts," the little girl cried.
"It'll be okay baby," Erin cooed as she picked her up and walked back over to the bench where Jay was sitting.
"Who's he?" She asked.
"This is my friend Jay, he came to say hi. Ella, can you say hi to Jay," Erin asked as she rubbed Ella's back.
"Hi," the little girl muttered while she cried into her mother's shoulder.
"Hi Ella, how old are you?" Jay asked.
"I'm 4 and 1 quarter," Ella held up 4 fingers for Jay to see.
"Oh you're four?" Jay asked as she looked to Erin. He knew what that meant. 5 years ago he left. Erin and him had one last night the night before he left. They were careless.
"Yeah, mommy my arm really hurts," Ella complained.
"I know baby. Hey, I'm going to take her to the hospital. I think she broke it. You're more than welcome to come along," Erin explained. Jay nodded and followed Erin to her car. She placed Ella in her car seat and got in the driver's seat, Jay joining Erin in the front.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Jay asked.
"I'll explain everything tonight when we get her arm x-rayed and taken care of, okay?" Erin asked as she looked to a patient Jay nodding. She drove silently towards the hospital.
XXX
3 hours later the three returned to Erin's apartment. Jay carried a sleepy Ella in his arms. "Her room is down the hall, second door on the right," Erin whispered. Jay followed the directions and laid her down in her bed. He covered her with her blankets and slowly backed out of the room and closed the door. He returned to the living room 2 beers resting on the coffee table. "We were writing back and forth so often in the beginning. And then one day the letters just stopped coming. That was about 3 months after you left. That was when I found out I was pregnant. I didn't want it to be some letter that you threw out, and I certainly did not deprive her of knowing who her daddy is and what he does. She tells everyone her daddy is fighting for her freedom," Erin whispered as a tear fell.
"She didn't seem to know who I was today," he spoke softly.
"You've changed a lot Jay. I only had pictures of scrawny high school Jay. Plus she was traumatized. I'm going to have to find another park to take her too. She'll remember you in the morning. Have some faith," Erin smiled. "You can spend as much time with her as you want. I'm certainly not going to deprive you of that. The only thing I ask is that she doesn't bounce from house to house. She needs stability."
"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Jay asked with a smile on his face.
"I'm not angry at you, and I'm certainly not upset with you. But I do miss you, a hell of a lot. You are the only man I have ever loved. So if you're really for this, than move in and find a job in Chicago," Erin smiled.
"I like the sound of that," Jay smiled as he leaned in to kiss her. "I thought you would've hated me for not keeping in touch with you."
"I've tried to move on to bigger and better things, but no guy was comparable to you. You have always been it for me, so why don't I give you a tour of the master bedroom?" Erin winked as she stood and grabbed onto Jay's hand. They walked into the bedroom, and Jay kissed Erin hard and passionately. It was almost as if it was the night before he was leaving 5 years ago. Only this time he wasn't leaving, he was staying.
"You're the greatest thing that has ever happened to me Er. I mean that with all my heart," he pulled her closer and lifted her shirt.
"Not everything is the same as it used to be Jay. This body has been through hell and back carrying and delivering that little girl in the next room," Erin warned as she prevented Jay from pulling her shirt off her body.
"I can't believe I missed you carrying my child. Let's try again. This time I want to be present for it, all of it."
"Why don't you get to know the one you already have, and we'll talk about it on another date. But I promise you, one day you will get to see me pregnant again," she pulled him down for another kiss. "Just make love to me Jay. Remind me of how good you feel," Erin smiled as Jay took her shirt off and pushed her onto the bed.
XXX
"Mommy?" Erin woke up to a whisper in her ear.
"What baby?" Erin asked as she peeked one eye open to see her four year old crying next to her bed.
"There's a boy in your bed," Ella pointed over her mother's shoulder. Her mother turned around and stared at Jay.
"You're right, there is a boy in my bed," Erin smiled. "Why are you crying baby?"
"My arm hurts real bad, and I can't sleep with this blue thing on my arm." Ella had her arm in a blue cast due to the fracture. Tears still pouring down her face.
"Okay, let's go to the kitchen," Erin carefully pulled off the arm that was wrapped around her and stood up. She followed her daughter out of her bedroom and into the kitchen. She turned on the light and went to the cabinet to get the medicine. "Come here baby," Erin said as she lifted Ella to sit on the counter in front of her. "You have two choices, you can chew or you can drink. It's you're choice," Erin held up the two different types of Tylenol.
"Which one is grape?" Ella asked.
"Neither one is grape. This one," Erin held up the chewable. "This one is cherry. This one is orange," Erin watched as her daughter's face wrinkled in disgust.
"You know," Erin heard a voice behind her and she smiled. "When I was in the army, I had that choice of medicine too," Jay looked at his daughter sitting on the counter.
"You did?" Ella asked as her teary face looked up at Jay.
"I did, and you want to know what I chose?"
"What," Ella sniffled.
"I chose the one that I disliked the least. So I have a question for you Ms. Ella. What flavor do you like the least?" Jay asked while leaning down eye level with Ella. He took his hands and wiped the tears out from under her eyes.
"I guess I like cherry more than orange," she pointed to the chewables. Erin handed them over to the four year old who began to start chewing them.
"I'm sorry if I woke you," she smiled up at Jay.
"I'm glad you did. I told you I don't want to miss anything anymore," he leaned down to kiss Erin's head.
"Can I sleep with you tonight mommy?" Ella asked when she finished chewing the medicine.
"Of course you can, but only for tonight. Do you mind if Jay joins us?" Erin asked. Ella shook her head and lifted her arms to be let down from the counter. She began walking in the direction of her mother's bedroom.
"We made a pretty adorable child Er," Jay smiled. "I want another just like her," he laughed
"I know," Erin kissed him. "But I told you, when you get to know this one first. And when you have a job that allows you to stay in Chicago. No deserts for Jay anymore okay?" Erin asked.
"Wouldn't have it any other way," he smiled before he and Erin followed behind their daughter. Ella had already gotten in the middle of the bed and laid down. Her mother climbed in on the right, and Jay on the left. Ella turned to face her mother.
"Mommy? Can I ask you a question," Ella asked cautiously.
"You know you can ask me anything," Ella smiled and leaned in really close to Erin's ear.
"That's my daddy isn't it?" Ella whispered. She watched Erin nod her head.
"Yeah baby, it is," Erin smiled. She watched as Ella turned away from her and snuggled into her father's side. Erin watched, as the light in Jay's eyes got even brighter than they were before. She had been dreaming about this moment since she found out she was pregnant. At the age of 18 they had always discussed kids. They were always going to have kids. And not with love of her life was holding their daughter like such a father.
"Thank you for fighting for my freedom daddy," Ella mumbled into his shoulder.
"Any time Ella," he smiled.
"I told you she'd remember," Erin scooted closer to her daughter and Jay. Jay wrapped his arms around both his girls and they all fell asleep.