Chapter 3
Hayden awoke before the sunrise. The evening she had spent at the Abbott's had been one of memories, of fun, and tears. Both Bright and Amy were so grown up, that seeing them now made her feel a little old. The years had made a gap for her here, but they seemed to fade as the night wore on, and Everwood began to feel like home again.
Now, Hayden sat on the balcony of the two story cabin Joe had left her, nestled just outside of town in the edge of the mountains. The view from her balcony was breathtaking, and it reminded her of home. Scotland had been her home for many years. She had spent her first 10 years in Scotland, the highlands, mountains surrounded her home there. Hayden had come to America to live with Joe after her parents had died, bouncing between New York City and here in Everwood.
Born in New York, Hayden was both a citizenof the US and Scotland. Life had taken many wild turns for her, but this was far her favorite, life would never had been the same if it hadn't been for Everwood.
Hayden watched the sun rise over the mountains, and sent up a silent prayer of thanks to God for yet another peaceful, and beautiful day. Finishing off her coffee, she slowly rose to make her way to the kitchen, her leg sore this morning, and a bruise unlike any she had had lately. Delia would be calling soon, so Hayden knew she needed to have a plan for the day. Heading for the shower, she smiled, this young girl would some how change things for her, she could feel it, but she didn't mind, it was time for a change.
~~~~~~~~~
Delia was up and dress when Ephram walked into the kitchen. "Where are you going so early?" he asked as he poured them a glass of orange juice. "Thanks, Ephram." Delia said as she took the glass. "I'm not sure what we'll do today, I have to call Hayden in a little bit and see." A smile came from her as she spoke the words. "You want to come, Ephram, I'm sure she won't mind."
"And babysit, no thanks." Ephram said, smiling at his little sister.
"You two are up early." Andy said as he joined his children. "I invited Ephram to go with me and Hayden, but he's making fun of me." Delia said. "Did you clear it with Hayden first?" Andy asked. "Why should she clear it with some little girl, Dad?" Ephram had no idea that Hayden wasn't a little girl, he hadn't made the connection between the accident yesterday, and today's visit with the woman who had saved his sisters life.
Andy laughed, "I think you should go with them today, it might do you some good to get out of the house." "Dad." Ephram protested. "Don't 'Dad' me. You're going." Having said that, Andy poured himself a cup of coffee. "Delia, have you called her yet?" A smile stretched across her face, she had been waiting for this all morning. "Great, I call her now. Oh, and I'll be sure to ask about Ephram."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hayden walked into Dr. Brown's office less than an hour later. Sitting patiently in the waiting area, Delia smiled when she came in. "I was getting worried." she said as she stood to her feet.
"I'm a bit slow this morning." Hayden said as she smiled at her.
"Oh, this is my brother, Ephram. He's mad cause daddy said he had to go with us today."
"Hi, Ephram, I'm Hayden."
"You're Hayden." the words were out as the look of surprise crept across his face.
The sound of laughter came from behind her, as Andy stood in the doorway of his office.
Hayden turned to look at him, and smiled. "Good morning, Dr. Brown." she said, "I take it your son didn't know I wasn't Delia's age."
"You would be right." he said as he motioned her to come inside. "I want to see you for a minute before you run away with my children."
"Why didn' you tell me, Delia." Ephram said as Hayden disappeared into his father's office.
"You didn't ask." Delia said with a smile, and sat back down.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"How's the leg this morning?" Andy asked as he motioned for her to sit down. "Sore." was all Hayden said. "You mind if I take a look at it?" "No, not at all." Hayden replied as raised her skirt to reveal the bruise that now covered most of her thigh. "Lovely, isn't it." she said as he bend down beside her. Hayden flinched as he touched her leg. "Sorry." he said, looking up into her eyes, Andy found himself concerned for this new woman who had walked into his lif, maybe more than he should.
"So," he began as he ran his hand over her leg. "What do you have planned for the day, something light, I hope." Hayden was silent, his touch sent a chill through her. "Well, " she finally spoke, "I thought I'd take Delia back to my house, and see what she had in mind, and now, with Ephram, who knows." her words were soft, almost a whipser, she noticed, and so did Andy.
The room fell silent, neither one of them spoke a word, nor did they move. Andy's hand rested gently against the dark bruise on Hayden's thigh, and his thoughts ran in all directions. After what felt like an eternity, Andy stood to his feet, saying, "I don't what you to do anything to strain that leg. That's a bad bruise, and I know it hurts more than you're telling me."
Hayden smiled, it was good to know that he had felt the surge that had ran through her at his touch. "I think I can handle that, if your children can."
"Well, Ephram will be easier to deal with than Delia, she's so full of energy, I wish I had half as much of it as she does." Hayden listened as he talked about his kids, she could tell he was a father who truly loved his children, and then there was that little twing of regret that he had let so many years past without truly being there for his kids. She knew this to be true just as if he had spoken the words to her himself.
"Don't worry, I'm sure they will both have a good time." Hayden said. "I better get going with them, I don't think Delia wants to spend the day here in your office. What time would you like them home?"
Andy smiled as he walked towards the office door with her, "I'll close up around 5, so any time after that will be fine, dinner's not usually until 6 anyway."
"Ok, then I will see you then." she said as they joined the kids again in the waiting room.
"Behave." Andy said to Delia as she hugged him, the he turned to Ephram, "That goes for you too, Ephram." "Whatever." Ephram said, shaking his head. "You guys have a good time." Andy called as they headed out the door. "Don't worry about them, they'll BOTH have a good time, I promise." Hayden said firmly. "Don't let him mouth off to you, Hayden, disrespect to me is one thing."
"Don't worry." Hayden said again in a tone meant to ease his mind, and somehow, it did.
Hayden awoke before the sunrise. The evening she had spent at the Abbott's had been one of memories, of fun, and tears. Both Bright and Amy were so grown up, that seeing them now made her feel a little old. The years had made a gap for her here, but they seemed to fade as the night wore on, and Everwood began to feel like home again.
Now, Hayden sat on the balcony of the two story cabin Joe had left her, nestled just outside of town in the edge of the mountains. The view from her balcony was breathtaking, and it reminded her of home. Scotland had been her home for many years. She had spent her first 10 years in Scotland, the highlands, mountains surrounded her home there. Hayden had come to America to live with Joe after her parents had died, bouncing between New York City and here in Everwood.
Born in New York, Hayden was both a citizenof the US and Scotland. Life had taken many wild turns for her, but this was far her favorite, life would never had been the same if it hadn't been for Everwood.
Hayden watched the sun rise over the mountains, and sent up a silent prayer of thanks to God for yet another peaceful, and beautiful day. Finishing off her coffee, she slowly rose to make her way to the kitchen, her leg sore this morning, and a bruise unlike any she had had lately. Delia would be calling soon, so Hayden knew she needed to have a plan for the day. Heading for the shower, she smiled, this young girl would some how change things for her, she could feel it, but she didn't mind, it was time for a change.
~~~~~~~~~
Delia was up and dress when Ephram walked into the kitchen. "Where are you going so early?" he asked as he poured them a glass of orange juice. "Thanks, Ephram." Delia said as she took the glass. "I'm not sure what we'll do today, I have to call Hayden in a little bit and see." A smile came from her as she spoke the words. "You want to come, Ephram, I'm sure she won't mind."
"And babysit, no thanks." Ephram said, smiling at his little sister.
"You two are up early." Andy said as he joined his children. "I invited Ephram to go with me and Hayden, but he's making fun of me." Delia said. "Did you clear it with Hayden first?" Andy asked. "Why should she clear it with some little girl, Dad?" Ephram had no idea that Hayden wasn't a little girl, he hadn't made the connection between the accident yesterday, and today's visit with the woman who had saved his sisters life.
Andy laughed, "I think you should go with them today, it might do you some good to get out of the house." "Dad." Ephram protested. "Don't 'Dad' me. You're going." Having said that, Andy poured himself a cup of coffee. "Delia, have you called her yet?" A smile stretched across her face, she had been waiting for this all morning. "Great, I call her now. Oh, and I'll be sure to ask about Ephram."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hayden walked into Dr. Brown's office less than an hour later. Sitting patiently in the waiting area, Delia smiled when she came in. "I was getting worried." she said as she stood to her feet.
"I'm a bit slow this morning." Hayden said as she smiled at her.
"Oh, this is my brother, Ephram. He's mad cause daddy said he had to go with us today."
"Hi, Ephram, I'm Hayden."
"You're Hayden." the words were out as the look of surprise crept across his face.
The sound of laughter came from behind her, as Andy stood in the doorway of his office.
Hayden turned to look at him, and smiled. "Good morning, Dr. Brown." she said, "I take it your son didn't know I wasn't Delia's age."
"You would be right." he said as he motioned her to come inside. "I want to see you for a minute before you run away with my children."
"Why didn' you tell me, Delia." Ephram said as Hayden disappeared into his father's office.
"You didn't ask." Delia said with a smile, and sat back down.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"How's the leg this morning?" Andy asked as he motioned for her to sit down. "Sore." was all Hayden said. "You mind if I take a look at it?" "No, not at all." Hayden replied as raised her skirt to reveal the bruise that now covered most of her thigh. "Lovely, isn't it." she said as he bend down beside her. Hayden flinched as he touched her leg. "Sorry." he said, looking up into her eyes, Andy found himself concerned for this new woman who had walked into his lif, maybe more than he should.
"So," he began as he ran his hand over her leg. "What do you have planned for the day, something light, I hope." Hayden was silent, his touch sent a chill through her. "Well, " she finally spoke, "I thought I'd take Delia back to my house, and see what she had in mind, and now, with Ephram, who knows." her words were soft, almost a whipser, she noticed, and so did Andy.
The room fell silent, neither one of them spoke a word, nor did they move. Andy's hand rested gently against the dark bruise on Hayden's thigh, and his thoughts ran in all directions. After what felt like an eternity, Andy stood to his feet, saying, "I don't what you to do anything to strain that leg. That's a bad bruise, and I know it hurts more than you're telling me."
Hayden smiled, it was good to know that he had felt the surge that had ran through her at his touch. "I think I can handle that, if your children can."
"Well, Ephram will be easier to deal with than Delia, she's so full of energy, I wish I had half as much of it as she does." Hayden listened as he talked about his kids, she could tell he was a father who truly loved his children, and then there was that little twing of regret that he had let so many years past without truly being there for his kids. She knew this to be true just as if he had spoken the words to her himself.
"Don't worry, I'm sure they will both have a good time." Hayden said. "I better get going with them, I don't think Delia wants to spend the day here in your office. What time would you like them home?"
Andy smiled as he walked towards the office door with her, "I'll close up around 5, so any time after that will be fine, dinner's not usually until 6 anyway."
"Ok, then I will see you then." she said as they joined the kids again in the waiting room.
"Behave." Andy said to Delia as she hugged him, the he turned to Ephram, "That goes for you too, Ephram." "Whatever." Ephram said, shaking his head. "You guys have a good time." Andy called as they headed out the door. "Don't worry about them, they'll BOTH have a good time, I promise." Hayden said firmly. "Don't let him mouth off to you, Hayden, disrespect to me is one thing."
"Don't worry." Hayden said again in a tone meant to ease his mind, and somehow, it did.