Okay, so I'm going out of town for the weekend, and I thought I should update before then. This part is definitely longer than what I normally write, so I hope you enjoy it!
ShiaLover09: Hey, this should be full of all that you enjoy. Except maybe your favorite actor. Yeah, he's not in this part, but I hope you read it anyways:)
angel-prncess-18: Thanks for the review and the name suggestion. Funny thing...I had an uncle named Aubrey. I will keep it in mind because I do have more characters to bring in...
Disclaimer: The show is not mine.
Chapter 3 – She Will Be Loved
He must be completely crazy. There was no other way he would travel halfway across the world to find a girl he didn't want to find for a father he previously couldn't stand. Of course, he had left his cell phone back in Playa Linda, which was why he was standing in a claustrophobic phone booth with quarters piled around him. He dialed the house number and waited. On the other end, he heard the phone pick up. "Hello?" It was Nikki.
"Hey Nikki, I need to speak to Ava right away," he said.
"Oh, hi Jay, wait just a sec." The phone was put down, and he could hear her calling for Ava.
"Jay?" Ava's voice came on the line. "How are you and your mother doing?"
"Hey, we're doing okay. Listen, I'm going to be a little longer than I thought. Some unexpected business came up. How's Bradin handling running the store?"
"Johnny's helping out, which is good. Jay, is everything all right?" she sounded worried.
"Everything's fine, I'm just going to be back later than I expected." He hoped that his voice didn't give any of his emotions away.
"All right, Jay, I'll tell Bradin that he's still on full-time until you get back. About how long will you be?"
"I'm not sure," he answered. "I'll let you know. I'll keep in touch."
"Okay, Jay. Take care." She hung up. Jay pressed down on the receiver and proceeded to dial another number. The phone rang for several minutes before a woman's voice answered.
"Hello?"
"Hi, I was wondering if I could speak to Laura Bradley?" The woman on the other end paused.
"Who is this?"
"My name is Jay Robertson. I need to speak to Laura Bradley." He could hear her hesitate on the other end.
"I think it would be best if we met in person, Mr. Robertson. Do you know how to get here?" she asked. Jay recited the address from the paper he held hand. "Okay, how does 5:00 work for you?"
"That works for me."
"All right, I'll see you then." She hung up abruptly.
Jay placed the phone back on the hook, and gathering up the leftover change. He exited the phone booth. A steady drizzle greeted him, and he pulled his coat tightly around him. And I thought it was summer…apparently everywhere else except Seattle. The address was safe and dry in the inner pocket of his coat. Jay stepped under an awning to pull it out. He hailed a cab. If she expected him to get there on time, there was no way he would be walking a good thirty blocks in the pouring rain.
The taxi finally stopped in front of a neat, two-story house in a quiet neighborhood close to the U-District. Jay paid the driver before exiting the car. He stood for a moment, silently evaluating the house, as if it would tell him more about the woman he was about to meet. Car lined both sides of the street, and he had a sudden unsettled feeling come over him. He shook off the troubling sensation and mentally prepared himself to go up to the door. All right, Jay, you can do this. You've come this far, it's too late to turn back now. Get yourself up to the door now before you lose your nerve. He opened the small gate and took each step slowly, noticing the neatly trimmed lawn and carefully weeded flowerbeds. As he rang the doorbell, he noticed the house was a little shabbier than he had first thought. The paint was older and was peeling off of the dark blue shutters. Jay waited nervously and was about to ring the bell again when the door opened. An older woman stood there; she was much older than he had expected and was dressed all in black. "Are you Jay?" she asked without preamble.
"Yes," he answered.
"Well, come inside then," she stepped aside, allowing him to enter. The narrow entryway made it harder to take off his coat, but he managed to remove it. She took it without a word and hung it in the closet. He suddenly noticed that there were other voices besides his, which confused him.
"I'm sorry, am I interrupting anything?" he asked politely. The woman seemed to age even more. Her shoulders slumped as she turned to face him. He could see the pain and weariness plainly etched on her face.
"There are some people here, but before we go in there, I need to talk to you for a minute," she said.
"Okay," he said. Now, he was completely confused, but he followed her anyways into a small room that by the looks of it was a sitting room or something to that effect. She motioned for him to sit down in one of the few chairs, and she sat across from him. It was evident she had severe arthritis by the way she gingerly moved.
"I apologize for my rudeness, but there have been some trying circumstances lately. Before I continue, I should introduce myself. My name is Anne Bradley. I'm Laura's mother," she said. "And you are Jay Robertson. You look a lot like your father."
"Thank you," he managed to stammer. She knew his father? "I came here to find…to find out some things."
"I figured as much. In fact, I thought your father would come, but he didn't, I presume?" A strange light filled her eyes, making her look younger.
"No, I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. My father…he died…just a little less than two weeks ago," he said. The light immediately died. She looked old and defeated.
"I'm sorry for your loss.
"My sister," the words still sounded foreign to him. "What is her name? How is she?"
"Her name is Haley. She's a beautiful, amazing girl. You'll love her."
"And her mother?" At this question, the woman paused.
"I don't know how to tell you this…Laura died last week." Jay was stunned. He didn't know how to react, what to say.
"She's gone?"
"Yes, just last week. She had been ill with a cold, or so we thought. The doctor called it viral pneumonia. It was so sudden; we had no time to react," she shrugged slightly. "I'm so sorry to have to tell you this. Especially with your father's recent death. The funeral was today, which is why there are people in the other room."
"I am sorry for your loss." The words seemed painfully inadequate, but he didn't know what else to say. "How is Haley doing?"
"She's doing as well as can be expected. The two of them were very close, and this has been very hard on her," Anna said. "Haley doesn't know much about her father, but I don't think that it would be appropriate to mention it to her during this time."
"No, I couldn't do that to her. I would like to meet her, though." Even in the midst of all he was dealing with, he still felt terrible for this young girl who had lost so much.
"Mr. Robertson, there is one more thing I should say before we go into the other room," Anne looked steadily at him. "Six months ago, my daughter revised her will. Laura added a clause in it stating that your father be contacted in the event of her death. Apparently, she contacted him and gained his consent. Her wish was that Haley could meet her father, and after an allotted time, she could stay with him permanently if he chose to do so. I'll level with you now. I'm an older woman, and I won't be around much longer. My health is failing quickly. My daughter knew this, and we chose not to have me be Haley's guardian. That was to be your father's responsibility. However, we never expected Laura and your father to both die so suddenly." She chose to address the next part delicately. "Your name came up in the will. In the event of both parent's deaths, you now have the option of becoming Haley's guardian, should you wish to do so." She looked away, tears suddenly present. "I know that you didn't know about Haley, nor do you regard my daughter highly. But Haley is all I have left, and before I die, I want to know that she will be taken care of. I would love to keep her, but with the way things are, I don't have that much time."
"Then, it's serious?" he asked. Her silence was an affirmation.
"I know you'll need some time to consider this, but please, choose wisely." Jay felt as though he had been run over by a truck. Her guardian? Me? She's got to be kidding! I'm not the right one to be in charge of a little girl. Ha, if she even knew me, she would have never even considered me. There's got to be a way out of this. She handed him a sheaf of paper, which turned out to be the will. Sure enough, his name was mentioned in the clause.
"I need to think it over," he said, his insides churning. He gave her the will. "But in the meantime, could I meet her?"
"Yes, of course." Anne rose quickly as she could. "Follow me." She led the way into the living room, which was full of people milling around, quietly conversing. Jay had just recently experienced this setting and was by no means eager to encounter it again. Anne took him through the crowd to where a young girl sat on the lap of an older girl, playing with a stuffed bear. She was sidetracked by a guest and then disappeared. Jay was left awkwardly standing there.
"Are you Haley?" Jay asked, estimating the age of the girl to be between four or five years old. She looked at him with wide eyes and slowly shook her head. To his surprise, the older girl gently moved the other girl off her lap and stood. She whispered a few words into the little girl's ear. The girl nodded and ran into the other room.
"Actually, I'm Haley," she said, proffering a hand. Jay swallowed hard. He flushed red. He shook her hand.
"I'm Jay. I came here to visit your mother." As he spoke, he took a moment to analyze her. She was fairly small, probably less than five and a half feet tall. Her hair was a blondish-brown color, the same shade as his own, but hers was neatly pulled back. When he met her gaze, his breath caught. If there was any doubt about whether they were related, it was completely crushed. Her eyes were exactly the same as his father's. Smokey gray-blue with a hint of green towards the middle. His father's eyes had usually been full of some mischief when he wasn't angry, but hers were solemn and full of pain, with the weight of the world hidden in them. She blinked again, and when her eyes opened, they were now calm and reserved. This small glimpse into her personality was enough to convince him. The whole flight back to the U.S., he had tried to discredit her in some way. Maybe she wouldn't even talk to him. Perhaps the birth certificate was a fake. Maybe the woman was lying. Now, all of those thoughts rang false. Even if he had reservations about her mother and her role in his father's life, he could not deny that she needed someone, and he was the only one left. Those eyes now inspected him; she wondered why he was here.
"I thought someone might come," she said. "But I expected my father."
"Yeah…he wanted to be here. But he couldn't come."
What is he thinking of me? Haley felt extremely nervous at meeting this strange man. Well, he is my brother, after all. There's no doubt about that. We have the same hair. Not to mention, my mom didn't know any other people with Australian accents. Why is he here and not my father? As she studied his face, she realized what had happened. "He's dead, isn't he?" she asked, watching him struggle for the right words.
"Yes…he died about two weeks ago. A heart attack. He was ill for some time now."
"What's going to happen to me?" she asked, almost to herself, but he heard her.
"I don't know…I just don't know," he stumbled over his words. Strangely enough, she almost smiled at him.
"You weren't expecting me to be this old, were you?" There, she'd caught him.
"No, I thought you were going to be younger. Quite a bit younger," Jay admitted sheepishly. He didn't know what to do. Anne was nowhere to be seen; she was probably talking to another of the guests.
"Mom never talked about my father, but he must have had the same hair color," she said, noting the similarities between them. He self-consciously ran his fingers through his hair.
"A lot of people always said I looked like him," he said. Of course, I didn't act anything like him, but that's not really the point. He abruptly changed the subject. "I'm sorry about your mum," he said quietly. Her face fell, and she looked away from him. A complete transformation had taken place.
"Thank you." Her voice was barely above a whisper, and he felt a twinge of guilt. He knew better than to be insensitive with such delicate matters. "I'm sorry about our father, even if I never met him." Haley was suddenly very tired. After an entire day of well-wishers and talking to crowds of people, all she wanted to do was crawl into her bed, pull the covers over her head and wish the day away. But that couldn't be helped. You've got to be the strong one. There's no room for crying. You're grown up now she told herself. Jay watched as several expressions crossed her face. He felt horrible for his earlier comment.
"Listen, I have something important I need to talk to you about, but I don't think this would be the best time and place to do so," he said. How was he going to breach this topic?
"People should be leaving soon. Can you wait here until then?" she asked.
"Of course," Jay answered. Anything to prolong what he was going to have to say to her. The time passed slowly for Jay, who really just wanted to say his piece and leave as quickly as possible. Finally, the last guest had left.
"If you don't mind the cold, we can go outside," Haley suggested. He nodded mutely. She took them back into the entryway where they pulled on their coats.
"Are you sure you need to go outside? It's chilly out." Anne cautioned.
"We'll be fine, Grandma," Haley answered. They slipped out the door, which she shut securely behind them. The rain had stopped, and a fine mist had taken its place.
"Your grandma cares about you," Jay said, trying to start a conversation.
"She worries about me," Haley replied. "Especially since my mom…."
"It was quite unexpected, then?"
"We didn't think she'd be the first one to go," she said quietly.
"Your grandma seems to be doing okay," Jay said. She gave him an indeterminable look, but said nothing.
"She doesn't tell me everything, but I know what's going on anyways," Haley stated calmly, belying the sickening feeling in her stomach. When would he just get it over with?
"Your grandma was talking to me earlier about…what's going to happen now," Jay said. How am I supposed to tell this girl that her life's going to change forever?
"Please, don't prolong the agony any longer," she said. "Just say it."
"Your mum changed the will, and our father is supposed to be your guardian," he blurted out. "But if something happened to him, I'm the next in line. You can come stay with me. A trial period of sorts."
"I'm not like a TV. You can't just try me out for ninety days and send me back if you don't like me," she said, her brow furrowed.
"No, it's not like that. I just…" He was at a loss for words.
"I'm sorry, I always say things before thinking," she apologized. "Please continue."
"If you want, you don't have to, you can come live with me. If you don't like it, I promise I will find a way to let you live with your grandma," he said. I'm making all these promises. How will I be able to keep them? I need to talk to Ava. What's she going to say to me? I haven't talked to any of them about this! She's going to kill me….
"You promise?" she asked. He was surprised. She didn't seem incredibly angry at the fact that he was about to turn her life upside down. Instead, there was an air of resignation about her.
"You have my word," he said. She just nodded. Then the first chink in her armor appeared.
"Did my grandma tell you to do this?"
"She just wants you to be happy," Jay said.
"She wants me to be taken care of," Haley corrected him.
"That too," he said. "You know, you don't have to do this. I can find a way to keep you here. Then you won't have to worry about your grandma."
"She wants me to do this. I'm not doing it for you. I'm doing it for her," she stated.
"I understand."
"I think I need a few days to get everything ready…."
"Of course. I need to get some of my own affairs together also." As Jay spoke, he knew it was the understatement of a lifetime. He hadn't even mentioned Haley to anyone back in California. Hey everyone, I'm home! I've brought my long-lost sister here to live with us. So, what's for dinner? No, that was not what he had in mind. He only hoped they would understand, when he talked to them later that night.
"It's kind of cold, can we go back now?" she asked, jolting him out of his thoughts. They turned around.
After returning to the house, he immediately asked to use the phone. Please let them be in a good mood. The phone rang several times before someone picked up. It was Johnny. "Hey, it's me," Jay said.
"Jay? Where are you? Ava said you were going to be gone for awhile. What's up?"
"Well, some unexpected business came up. Is Ava there too? I need to talk to both of you."
"Sure, wait a sec." A minute later, they were both on the line.
"Hi Jay, what's going on? Where are you?" Ava asked.
"I'm in Seattle. I'll explain everything when I get back, but…" he paused. How was he going to say this? "My father had some surprises for me."
"Like what?" Johnny asked. It wasn't like Jay to be so hesitant.
"Like…the fact that I have a teenaged. half-sister whose mother just died and I'm her legal guardian kind of surprise," he said all in one sentence. There was dead silence on the other end. "Um, are you there?"
"Yeah, we're here," Ava said. She was still in shock over his statement.
"I need some advice. I mean, she does have another relative, a grandmother, but she chose to surrender custody."
"Can she not take care of her?" Johnny asked. Jay glanced around the room to make sure Haley was out of earshot.
"She's an older woman, and I think she is ill," he answered quietly. "What do I do?" He was desperate.
"What's she like? I mean, how do you know she's your sister?" This time Ava asked a question.
"She's kind of quiet, but very mature for her age. She has my hair color, we have similar smiles, and for goodness' sake, she has my father's eyes," he said. "Without a doubt, she is my sister."
"Bring her home," Ava said. Jay was so surprised that he almost dropped the phone.
"What?" he squeaked out.
"Remember when I was freaking out over what to do with three children who were now in my care? You offered to help me then, and now I'm offering to help you now," Ava said. "It's as simple as that. Bring her home. We'll help you."
"She's right, Jay," Johnny added. "You don't have to do this alone." Jay let out a huge sigh of relief.
"It's going to be a few days before we get back," he said. "I'll let you know when we leave."
"We'll get things ready here. Don't worry about it," Ava told him. "Talk to you soon." Jay placed the phone back into the cradle. I cannot believe I'm doing this. What am I thinking? He was about to go back into the living room, when he overheard Haley talking to her grandmother, so he stopped and listened.
"You know I don't want to go. Why do I have to?"
"Haley, you know I can't take care of you. Your mother wanted this for you."
"He lives in California! When were you going to tell me that?" she almost wailed. "I don't want to live that far away." Jay inwardly winced at this comment. He felt a tiny inkling of guilt over eavesdropping but continued anyways.
"I think that living down there might be better for you." Anne said. "You haven't gotten to travel very often."
"I didn't really have a choice in that matter," Haley muttered. "I've got to go pack." She burst out into the hallway, where she almost ran into Jay. "Oh, hi," she said. There was an awkward silence. "Grandma's in there. She wants to talk to you." With that, she darted past him and upstairs. Jay went into the living room and sat down.
"I hope you know what you're getting into," Anne warned.
"Me too," he sighed. She raised an eyebrow at him.
"We'll get the legal issues taken care of on Monday."
The next few days went by in a whirlwind for Jay. One day, he was a carefree bachelor and the next, he was the legal guardian of one 17-year-old Haley Robertson. The legal process had gone much smoother than he had predicted. Perhaps, the entire transition would go well. Somehow, he had managed to secure two plane tickets for that Thursday morning, and soon they would be heading home. The last few days in Seattle were spent trying to get to know his sister, which proved to be a daunting task since she was busy packing. He decided that there would be time when they got back to California.
Before Haley knew it, they were at the airport, and it was time to say good-bye. Haley hadn't spoken much that morning, but there was so much she wanted to say. How does one go about saying good-bye…maybe forever? She wouldn't cry at the airport. No, she'd already decided that. But when it came time to go into the terminal, she couldn't look her grandma in the eye, for fear she'd lose it. Anne was having trouble of her own keeping her emotions in check. There was only time for a hug and a few words. "I love you. Don't you forget it," Anne said, her voice husky. She hugged the young girl tightly.
"I love you. Always and forever," Haley answered. They had done this little routine since she was a small child. It was a little bit of a comfort. She reluctantly pulled away.
"You be sure and get a good doctor down there. Heaven knows what the medical profession is like down there." Anne said. "And be safe. Don't talk to strangers." Haley cracked a tiny smile. Her grandma was still the same.
"Don't worry, I'll call when I get down there."
"If anything…happens, let me know." They passed a guarded look between them.
"I'll be careful," Haley promised. She looked over and saw Jay waiting patiently. It was time to go. One last hug, and then they headed down the corridor. She craned her neck to see her grandma waving farewell behind them. "Bye Grandma…I love you," she whispered. And for all of her earlier resolve, she couldn't help her voice catching on the last word. Jay noticed her hesitation and reached out to gently squeeze her hand. It was just a small gesture, but enough to let her know that he cared.
After a little over two hours and one stop, the plane landed at the Playa Linda airport. Haley was always glad to disembark as soon as possible. She disliked the claustrophobic feeling of being surrounded by so many people in such a small space. Jay was growing more excited as they headed down the terminal. After being away for a few weeks, he was ready for things to be normal again. Or as normal as life could be considering the circumstances. He spotted Johnny waiting by the gate. "Hey, how was your flight?" Johnny asked. He shook hands with Haley. "Hi, I'm Johnny Durant. I'm one of Jay's roommates." Haley gave Jay an incredulous look. He had never really mentioned anyone else.
"It's nice to meet you, Johnny," she said politely. Johnny offered to take her second suitcase, which she surrendered gladly.
"Now, Jay, the rest of the fam wanted to come, but Ava and I thought it would be better to not overwhelm Haley, so they're waiting at the house ready to throw a welcome party. Not that it will be any less pressure," Johnny said sarcastically. "How are you doing?" he asked in a lower voice.
"Okay. It's just been a bit…hectic lately," Jay answered truthfully.
"Don't worry, we're all here to help you out now."
"Jay?" Haley tapped on his shoulder. "Am I living with more than just you two?" Johnny and Jay exchanged looks.
"Well, yes," Jay mentally kicked himself. How had he managed to skip over that fact? "I live with Johnny, his girlfriend Ava, another friend Susannah, and Ava's niece and two nephews. It's a crazy house, but we manage somehow. I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier. My mind's one big jumble right now."
"It's okay," she said out loud while inwardly trying not to cringe. With her and Jay that made…eight people? I've been living with just Mom and Grandma for a few years now. This could be interesting…. "What are their names?" she asked again.
"Oh, the kids? The oldest is Bradin, then Nikki and Derrick," Johnny said. "They're great kids. You'll like them. In fact, I think you have a lot in common." Thinking he said Brandon, she spoke up again.
"Are any of them my age?"
"Bradin and you will are both seniors this year, Nikki's about 13 or so, and Derrick is 9," he answered. As soon as he said the first name, she became very quiet, but the two men didn't notice. They arrived at the car and loaded in the luggage before getting in. The drive home was quiet, but before she knew it, they had arrived in front of a nice house right by the beach. Her heart was beginning to speed up. What if they don't like me? I hope they like me. Maybe I won't fit in. They could hate me. Then what will I do? What if…no…that name is too common. She got out of the car, tugging one suitcase out with her. There was a group of people standing out on the sidewalk in front of the house. Haley swallowed hard. This was it. Jay guided her over to them. She cautiously scanned the faces in front of her. She stopped suddenly. No way…it can't be.Recognition flared in both of their faces. The one person she never hoped to see again was standing right there.
"Bradin?" she asked in disbelief. No, this definitely could not be happening.
All right, that's all I could come up with for now. Hopefully, there's enough crazy stuff to entertain you all. Thanks for reading! I'd love to know what you think of it so far!
