Co-written by RatedrKjErIcHo.
Chapter Two:
John sat in the chief's office and looked across the desk at the man. He'd admired him for years and he was hoping that Hunter could provide some guidance in this situation.
"So, what did you need John?" Hunter asked him.
"I wanted to talk to you about Hailey Orton."
"What about her?"
"I went to her house the other day and she was going through her and Randy's bills. She was looking for life insurance. But apparently, Randy let it lapse five months ago. Without that money, she doesn't know what she and Brayden will do." John said to him.
"Well, I can try to get his benefits going already. And not make her wait." Hunter said getting the files from his desk. "The widow fund will reimburse for the funeral." John nodded. "Anything else?"
"Yeah. Can you let the guys know I've got my place up for rent?" Hunter looked at him.
"I'm...moving in with Hailey to help her with bills. Just for a little while."
"Is that a good idea?" Hunter asked. "I know you want to help her but is moving in with her a good idea."
"I want to help her with the bills. Randy left such a mess. I owe it to him and her to help."
"I understand that but have you thought about the rumors that would start about you and her. And how that might affect her and Brayden?" Hunter sighed. "Randy has only been gone a month. The other wives might feel it's too soon for her to move on."
"What moving on?" John said. "I'm only moving in as a renter to help her with the bills. I'm not moving in as her lover. There's a room over the garage that used to be Randy's office. I'm going to stay there. I won't even be in the main part of the house. And let them talk. They've always got something to say. Like when Christina and Mike got married 3 months after meeting each other. They were convinced she was pregnant."
Hunter nodded. "That's true. Are you sure about it though?"
"Yes. Hailey needs the help. With the bills and Brayden. It's hard for her to raise that little girl alone. I know she has Christina and Mike and her dad. But she needs someone there most of the time."
Hunter sighed. "Alright. I will let them know. John, be careful. You're grieving for Randy and Hailey is too. Those are powerful emotions."
"I've dealt with my emotions."
"Have you?"
"Yeah, I have."
"Ask yourself this...are you helping Hailey out of loyalty to Randy or guilt over his death?"
John sighed. "Out of loyalty to Randy." He never told anyone about what happened on the roof top and he didn't plan on it. "Hailey is struggling and with a newborn, she needs help."
"Alright. As long as you understand what you're getting into."
"I do. Believe me." John said getting up.
"Have Hailey stop by here soon and we will figure out the benefits." John nodded and headed out. Hunter sighed once he had gone. He picked up the phone and called the fire chaplain, Shawn Michaels. He explained things and Shawn said he would go talk to Hailey and see how she was doing. Everyone felt bad for her that Randy had died. But Hunter knew deep down that John was having some conflicting emotions about the whole thing. He just hoped that he was indeed there to help her and not to try and take Randy's place.
Hailey sat in the living room going over some things trying to decide what to do. She looked over at her daughter playing in the pack n play and sighed. She had to do what was best for Brayden. She picked the newspaper just as the doorbell rang. She got up and walked over to answer it.
"Father Michaels how are you?" She said when she opened it.
"I'm fine. I came to check on you and Brayden." He smiled as he walked in.
"We're as good as we can be." She said walking over and sitting down on the sofa.
"Hunter called me and told me about the trouble you were having. Is there anything I can do to help?"
"Can you bring back my husband? Can you change the fact that he left me in debt with no life insurance to take care of me and our daughter?"
"I understand that you're angry. And you have every right to be. But you have to know that God has a bigger plan for you."
"Forgive me Father if I don't believe that's true." Hailey said.
"I know it's hard. But you'll see in time that everything happens the way it's supposed to."
"How is my husband dying the way it's supposed to go?"
"Hailey, sometimes it's hard to understand God's plan. But you have to trust and have faith in the fact that everything is his plan." Shawn replied to her. "Randy was hero. Remember that. With everything you are dealing with, remember that."
She sighed. "It's hard to do that. I see all of this." She said pointing to the papers. "And I look at my daughter and I wonder what I'm going to do. How can I pay these things without selling this house? How can I take care of my daughter when I have no idea what we will do?"
"All I can tell you my dear is that the lord will provide a way." She shook her head. She couldn't be having this conversation right now. She couldn't. She'd barely processed Randy's death.
"Father, I really have a lot to do."
"Alright." He said standing up. "Hailey, we are all here for you. Pray that everything will work out as it should." He hugged her and left.
She sighed once he had. She walked into the kitchen and made her a pot of coffee. She had so much to go through and she had to figure out what she could pay and what would have to wait. She was going to do her best to keep the house and not have to sell it. She and Randy had bought the house before they were married. And they'd done all the work themselves. She couldn't bare the thought of leaving it. But she also had to think of her six month old daughter. She heard Brayden crying and walked over to her.
"Shh, it's okay little one." She said as she rocked her daughter in her arms. "Everything will be okay." She honestly didn't know if that were true but she was going to do her best to take care of everything.
Christina sat in the house and thought about her sister. She couldn't believe how selfish Randy had been. He had Hailey and Brayden to think about. How could he let it get like that? And how could he have been so careless? She'd known Randy for a while. He and Hailey had dated for five years before they got married and in those early days, the marriage had been great. But the minute she'd gotten pregnant with Brayden, everything between them had changed. Hailey had tried to hide it but Christina could see the tension between them and the ever widening gap that only got wider after Brayden arrived. Now her sister was raising her six month old daughter alone.
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