The last scene is for Chrissyfan 😊

Chapter 77- A Surprise Playdate

"I like the swings the best," little Michael said as he and Skye arrived at the park.

"Okay, then to the swings it is," Skye said and led him to the swings.

Michael sat on the swing and gripped his hands tightly to the chains. "Daddy pushes me really really high."

Skye raised an eyebrow and set a hand on her hip. "So, you're saying you want me to push you really high?"

He smiled at her and nodded.

She crossed her arms. "I have never pushed anyone on a swing before. In fact, I haven't even been on one since I was a kid with Uncle Stuart."

"Oh!" He hopped off the swing. "Then I should push you."

"What? You want me to go on the swing?"

"Uh-huh…" He took her hand and patted the swing.

She stared at it for a moment and sat down. "Wow, this is actually… a neat feeling. Brings back memories."

He tried to push her, but she didn't go far.

Ring. Ring.

Skye pressed her new phone to her ear as she moved back and forth ever so slightly while Michael pushed her.

"Where are you?" Michael Cambias' voice muffled through the phone for the third time that day.

"I told you. I'm babysitting my nephew."

"At the Quartermaines?" he asked.

"No, we're at a park. Just between Port Charles and Pine Valley."

"Lions Park?"

"That's the one," Skye said.

"Who is there with you?" he asked.

"Just me and little Michael. Why?"

He hung up and she scrunched her face.

"You're fun, Auntie Skye," Michael said.

Skye grinned. "I am fun, aren't I?"

"Uh-huh." He walked around her and climbed onto her lap.

She was taken a little aback as he leaned against her shoulder.

"I miss my mommy."

"Oh, well your mommy is… um… interesting."

"Is Uncle Sonny gonna take me away again?" he asked in a small voice.

"Um… do you like your Uncle Sonny?"

There was a long pause before he spoke. "I don't like the monsters."

"What monsters?"

"At Uncle Sonny's house. The monsters stand all over and watch us."

"Do you mean his guards?" Skye asked.

"I like Daddy and Mommy and Gandma and Gandpa and Auntie Emily and Uncle Jason and Gate-Gandma Lila and Aunt Skye and Elizabeth and Alice."

"Guyyy! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !"

Skye looked up to find Colby running towards them and Hayley trailing behind.

"Col—" Skye grunted when Colby jumped onto her free leg and sat beside Michael on her lap.

"Skye," Hayley's voice was still lower than before she was attacked but was sounding much better and her baby bump was a little bigger. "I didn't expect to see you. Who's this little guy?"

"My nephew, Michael," Skye said.

Hayley smiled at him. "Hello, Michael. I'm Hayley."

Colby pulled herself to a standing position on Skye's thigh and began to play with her face.

Skye groaned. "Well, this is just great… Not how I imagined spending my Friday."

"Michael," Hayley said. "Why don't you take Colby on the slide?"

"Okay!" Michael hopped off Skye's lap and took Colby's hand and led her over to the slide.

Hayley sat on the swing next to Skye's. "So, how's it going?"

Skye stared ahead at the kids and shrugged. "Why do you care?"

"Skye, I do care," Hayley said. "I'd really like to be sisters."

Ding.

Skye pulled out her phone to find a text from Michael Cambias: What park did you say?

Skye texted back: Lions Park… Btwn Port Charles and Pine Valley.

"You have a new cell phone?" Hayley asked. "Can I give you my number or you give me yours? Maybe we can start by texting each other once in a while."

"Well, I guess that isn't a completely horrible idea…" Skye cleared her throat. "267—"

"Hang on…" Hayley pulled out her phone. "Okay, go ahead."

"267-886-4482."

Hayley smiled and sent her a quick text: Hey sis . "That's a start."

Skye stared at the text, then sent her a silly face emoji.

"Mother's Day is on Sunday," Hayley said sadly. "I always feel down on Mother's Day and Father's Day. I always get something for them of course, but whenever I go to look at cards… the poems and such inside never fit. I usually end up just picking out funny cards instead, but maybe I'll just skip the card this year."

Skye paused in thought. "I never even thought about Mother's Day. Mother… I mean, Althea, was always too drunk that I stopped giving her anything by the time I was ten because she usually just laughed at it."

Hayley nodded. "My mom was similar. She was always too drunk for anything, really. Do you think you'll celebrate with your new mom?"

A small smile crept across Skye's face. "Yeah. Yeah, I will. I just don't know how yet."

"You're lucky, you know. That you have her and your new dad. They seem good to you."

Skye cleared her throat and changed the subject. "So, you get to babysit Colby."

Hayley nodded and started to pump her feet. "Quite a lot. She has a nanny, of course. But Dad and Liza work so much, I feel like she needs to be around family more, you know? Between me and Uncle Stuart we try to relieve the nanny most days."

Skye started to pump her feet as well. "Uncle Stuart used to bring me on the swings. Once we got high enough, we'd jump and see who went the furthest."

Hayley turned to her and grinned as she continued to pump. "Then you know what we gotta do, right?"

"Are you joking?"

"Nope. On the count of three… one… two… three!"

Both of them jumped and landed on the grass laughing. Skye playfully smacked her. "I can't believe you convinced me to do that…"

"You know you wanted to," Hayley said. "Because it didn't take much convincing, besides… you suggested it."

"No, you did."

"You brought up the idea. I wish we grew up together, it would've been fun. And less lonely."

Skye opened her mouth to responded but they got interrupted.

"I thought you were here with your nephew." It was Michael Cambias standing over them. He took Skye's hand and helped her to her feet but didn't let go of her hand.

Hayley stood up and eyed him suspiciously.

"I am." Skye looked over as little Michael and Colby slid down the slide together. "I just happened to run into my sisters while we were here."

"So, who's this?" Hayley asked.

"This is my boyfriend, Michael Cambias," Skye said. "Daddy has done dealings with his father in the past."

She shook his free hand. "I'm Hayley. So, how long have you been dating?"

"A couple da—"

Michael gripped her hand very tightly and she winced a little. "A couple months."

"Oh, I had no idea you were getting into a… serious relationship," Hayley said.

Michael looked into Skye's eyes and tucked her hair behind her ear. "I have a meeting, but I had to check on you. I'll call you later."

Skye nodded and he kissed her.

Skye chewed on her bottom lip as he walked away.

"Skye?" Hayley turned to her. "Are you with him because he reminds you of Dad?"

Skye's mouth dropped slightly in offence. "Excuse me?"

"Except Michael gives you lots of attention unlike Dad. Am I on the right track?"

"He is nothing like Daddy," Skye said, unconvincingly. "Michael cares about me a lot. Unlike all the other guys I've been with."

"I just got a bad feeling about him… showing up at the park like that uninvited. You really haven't been seeing each other that long."

"He was just checking on me," Skye said. "Doesn't Mateo ever check in on you to see how your day is going? Doesn't he ever show concern over you?"

"Not like that he doesn't."

Skye rolled her eyes. "I know you're jealous, but you have a loving husband at home."

"Skye, I'm not jealous. I'm just a little worried about you… Be careful, okay?"

"I'm always careful." Skye crossed her arms.

FargateFargateFargate

After the kids were finished playing, Hayley was able to convince Skye to go to Kelly's with them for a visit. Hayley and Colby left, and Skye and Michael headed down to the docks to look at the water and they noticed Jason and Elizabeth sitting on the bench.

"I don't know how much longer I can keep up with this lie," Elizabeth said. "Neither AJ nor I are into it."

"I just need more time," Jason said. "As soon as it seems safer, I want to be together. But I have to make sure you and the baby are okay. But we really shouldn't be meeting like this."

She pulled out something from her pocket and showed it to him. "But I wanted to give you this. This is our baby's first ultrasound."

Jason started to smile.

"Uncle Jason!" Little Michael let go of Skye's hand and ran down the steps and hugged him.

"Hey, Michael," Jason said.

"Me and Auntie Skye went to the park."

"That sounds fun."

"I should get Michael home," Skye said. "I told my grandma I'd be back in Llanview for dinner."

"Well, I could take Michael home," Elizabeth offered. "Since I'm going there anyway."