I finally got around to the Erin/Hailey friendship request, I hope you like it!
"Halstead!"
Jay lifted his head in alarm when he heard the desk sergeant's familiar clipped tone. He and Hailey were relegated to the desk because, to borrow Hank's words, they both looked like shit.
He took the day off after the near-fiasco at the district. It was Piper's last day of spring break, and some one-on-one time with his little girl was much needed. While Erin was able to have a full day at the office, Jay and Piper dropped the boys at daycare before embarking on an adventure to Chicago's Navy Pier.
Jay's heart was bursting as Piper clasped his hand tightly while they strolled around. His sweet little bug was animated despite the fairly sizable crowd. It was almost enough to take his mind off the fact that his partner hadn't responded to any of his texted and was dodging his calls.
After catching sight of himself in the reflection of the empty coffee pot in the breakroom, Jay had to agree with his boss. A long weekend away from work had done him and his whole family some good, but as soon as he closed his eyes on Sunday, the sound of uncomfortable baby cries echoed from the baby monitor. Liam and Ryan did not sleep a wink, and as a result, everyone in their household was starting the week on zero sleep. The internet hole he dug himself into while bouncing his unhappy son indicated that the boys were just teething, but he and Erin both agreed a quick trip to the pediatrician would put them all at ease.
He dropped his zombie of a little girl off at school with a note for her teachers that followed an apologetic email from Erin explaining why Piper was practically asleep on her feet. If he wasn't so tired, he'd spend more energy feeling guilty.
"Hank was right. You both look terrible." Platt wrinkled her brow when she caught Hailey's sunken eyes. "You don't happen to have any screaming babies keeping you up, do you Upton?"
"I'm fine," Hailey insisted, averting her gaze from Jay's when her partner raised his eyebrows at her statement, "Really." She cleared her throat. "What um, what do you need from us, Sarge?"
"I need Halstead," Platt informed her, gesturing for Jay to stand, "And I need you to be on Piper pick up duty."
Jay widened his eyes further as he looked from his partner to his sergeant, unsure of what was happening. "Is it Erin?" he managed, lifting up his phone to see if he missed a message from his fiancé, "The boys?"
"No," Platt replied flatly, "Nothing to do with them. They're fine. I just need to borrow you for a couple of hours. Voight signed off." She gestured for him to stand again. "Come on."
Jay continued to look perplexed. "But Piper-"
"Your partner knows the drill," she said pointedly, tilting her head toward Hailey, "She picks up the kid all the time. It's not a problem, is it?" Platt raised her eyebrows.
Hailey swallowed and glanced from Jay to Platt. She and Jay had barely spoken after the events of the week prior, when her misjudgment had caused an afternoon of stress for her entire team and everyone they worked with, not to mention how close the situation had come to her partner's child.
The thought of Piper being caught in the district when there was a lockdown due to her stupid pride had kept her up the entire night. It was bad enough to know that everyone in the district had been at risk, but endangering the child who'd she had grown incredibly fond of over the past two years…it was over the line. It was over the line for Jay, she was pretty sure of that – and Hailey was also fairly confident that her partner would never trust her around his family again. Or even him, for that matter. There was an unopened text message from Erin Lindsay on her phone as well that Hailey hadn't bothered to look at. She didn't need to hear from yet another disappointed person in her life.
Jay looked at his partner. He knew she hadn't slept. They'd been partners for several years and after spending long days and longer nights working gruesome cases, it was impossible not to be close. Hailey was his family. And it wasn't like he hadn't made mistakes before.
"If you don't mind," he said hopefully, "Pipes uh, she was asking about you this weekend too." Jay managed a small smile. "I'm sure she would love it."
Jay followed his sergeant down the hallway after Hailey said she would be okay to pick up Piper. He thought about texting Will or even asking Hank to step in but the speed at which Trudy Platt was ushering him didn't give him a moment to think. "Sarge, what's this about?" he asked in aspiration, stopping at the top of the back staircase, "I'm supposed to meet Erin at the pediatrician later."
"Something wrong with your kids, Jay?" Trudy asked, the urgency of whatever situation suddenly taking a pause, "You need to go?"
"They're teething, we think," he replied, rubbing his forehead with one hand, "Just to be safe we called-"
"They're teething," she interrupted, continuing down the steps, "They're babies, Halstead. Erin can handle them. Upton's got Piper." Platt gestured into an empty conference room. "And you're taking the Sergeant's exam."
"W-what?" Jay shook his head. It had been weeks since he last studied. Months, even. Between taking a knife to the back and welcoming two new family members, studying for the most important test of his career had taken a backseat. After everything, Jay was also fairly certain that there was no way in hell that Hank Voight would pass over the unit to him.
"You don't always think, Chuckles," Platt said, gesturing again to the empty conference room, "But then sometimes, you overthink. Don't overthink this. Take the test." She glanced down at her watch. "I'm the proctor. You've got 74 questions to answer, so you better get cracking."
Jay opened his mouth, but words didn't come out. He needed a passing grade on the qualifying exam to get to the oral portion of the exam, which he was arguably more comfortable with. It was the multiple choice questions that he always found himself overthinking – which was precisely why he hadn't scheduled an exam until he was ready. "I-I need to call Erin," he choked out, shaking his head again, "I'm supposed to-"
"Call your fiancé, tell her you'll be home in a few hours," Platt instructed pointedly, "If there's an emergency, it'll be handled."
Jay lifted his cell to his ear, his heart thumping in his chest and his mind racing. He literally hadn't slept. He wasn't ready. "Babe?" Erin asked, "Jay?"
"I-I," he stuttered, "I'm taking the sergeant's exam." He exhaled when Platt gave a nod.
"I know," Erin replied, bouncing a fussy Ryan on her hip, "You're going to be a sergeant, babe. You're a natural leader." She paused when she heard a sharp breath on the other end of the call. "Jay?"
"Voight signed him up so he couldn't overthink it," Platt called out, placing the test materials on the desk, "Upton's on deck to pick up Piper. He's going to be a few hours. Proctor takes the phone." She held out her hand for Jay's cell. "Fork it over."
Erin raised her eyebrows when she heard her former boss's voice. "Daddy's taking the sergeant's exam today," she said to Ryan, "Shh for just a moment, bubba, okay?" She cleared her throat. "This is great, babe. You can do it."
"I-I was supposed to meet you at the pediatrician," he managed, "And-"
"This is a good step for your career," Erin reasoned, gently bouncing Ryan again, "I can handle an appointment with the boys."
"I know you can, but you shouldn't have to do it alone. I should be there," Jay argued, "And we were going to pick up Pipes after, remember?"
"I'll figure it out." Erin placed Ryan carefully into the swing and lifted a bottle to his lips. She let out a breath when his fussing ceased. "You just focus on the test, okay? Don't overthink it. You can do it. I believe in you." She smiled when Jay was quiet. "C'mon, babe. It's just a test, but it's a test you are more than ready for."
Hailey glanced into the rearview mirror, hoping that Piper was still asleep. The little girl was downright exhausted and almost immediately fell asleep after climbing into the backseat. Her plan to take Piper for an Italian Ice was somewhat derailed by the sleeping child, but was more significantly ruined by the fact that her boyfriend elected to join her on the outing at last minute.
In the last few months, it would have been a normal occurrence. Watching Will and Piper interact always put a smile on her face and taking the little girl for a few hours to give her partner a break was one of the easiest ways she could help Jay out a bit. On any normal day, Will randomly inviting himself on an outing with her and Piper was welcomed.
But this wasn't a normal day.
A normal day wouldn't be coming off the heels of her nearly killing a building full of people because of her own stubbornness. A normal day would mean that her partner fully trusted her to take care of his child alone. And on a normal day she wouldn't glance down to see the name of her boyfriend's ex-girlfriend flash across his cell phone.
Jay didn't trust her alone with Piper, and now she couldn't trust Will to be alone at all. Hailey had been hoping for a simple outing with the kid she'd grown incredibly fond of to take her mind off of the shitstorm that just happened to be her life, but now she was stewing in silence.
"I don't want to have this conversation," Hailey hissed when Will opened his mouth in an attempt to speak again, "I clearly misunderstood what was happening between us, but that's fine. We don't need to talk about it."
"We do need to talk about it," Will countered, "There's nothing going on between me and her. It was just a question she had about Owen that she wanted a second opinion on. I s promise, that relationship is in the past. I need you to trust me, Hailey."
Hailey narrowed her gaze. "Will-" She stopped when she caught Piper's wide eyes in the backseat of the car. "Hey, Snipes."
Piper looked from Hailey to Will, eyes damp with unshed tears. "What…what's going on?" she whispered, "What's happening?" Her voice cracked. "Are you breaking up?"
Will swallowed. "Kiddo-"
Piper erupted into sobs, a strangled wail leaving her lips. "Shit," Hailey cursed, hitting her blinker to pull over to the side of the road, "It's okay, honey." She already knew from her partner's own level of exhaustion that nobody in the Halstead house was sleeping. Piper was beyond tired and so easily spooked that even an argument in hushed tones could freak her out. Hailey closed her eyes in frustration with herself. Maybe Jay really couldn't trust her with Piper.
The little girl shook her head rapidly, tears streaming down her cheeks. "It's not okay," she wept, "It's not, it's not."
"You're not losing either of us," Will promised, turning around in the passenger seat to try to meet his niece's gaze, "Hailey and I aren't going anywhere." He stifled a sigh. "I uh, I better text Erin, tell her we're on our way back."
"I don't want to go home," Piper whimpered, "I don't want to go."
Hailey and Will exchanged a glance. "You don't want to go home?" Hailey asked softly, wrinkling her brow when Piper shook her head, "Why not, kiddo?"
"I like having you guys both," she whispered, tears continuing to trickle down her cheeks, "I-I don't want you to break up and I don't want to be alone."
"You're not alone," Hailey promised, "You're not going to be alone. You've always got us, no matter what, and you have your mom and dad, and your brothers too."
Piper burst into a fresh set of sobs. "Munchkin," Will tried, "No matter what happens, Hailey and I are always going to be there for you. That's never going to change." He glanced over at Hailey again. He really hoped that wasn't going to change.
His girlfriend had been off for a few days now. He'd taken his little brother's advice and done his best to give her some space, but when Erin let him know that Hailey was picking up Piper from school, he didn't think it would be a bad idea to join them. Crashing after school dates with Piper and Hailey was one of his favorite ways to spend time with his girls.
The text from Dr. Natalie Manning had been really, really shit timing. Things between them had been amicable, but when she had texted in a panic about Owen, he couldn't not reply. The kid turned out to be fine, but now his current relationship was…not fine.
Will drew in a breath. "People who love each other have disagreements sometimes. And we make mistakes. And sometimes we have to have conversations-"
"We're not breaking up," Hailey interrupted, "That's not what happening right now, alright?" She put a hand on Will's arm. "It's going to be okay."
Piper sniffed. "I want to go home with you," she managed, "P-please?"
Hailey raised her eyebrows slightly. "Your parents want you home," she said slowly, "I'm sure they're missing you. But the three of us can hang out another time. Maybe we do a sleepover next weekend?"
"Is there another reason why you don't want to go home?" Will asked, "Is something going on at home?" He paused. "Are you upset with your mom and dad?" He tilted his head to the side when Piper didn't reply. "Is it the boys?"
Piper shook her head rapidly. "I l-love them," she whispered, "But I love you guys too and-and-" She sniffed. "Daddy's really worried. About you." Piper's tear-filled hazel's locked on Hailey's. "I don't want anything to happen to you."
"Try this, buddy," Erin encouraged, carefully holding up a frozen baby teething popsicle to her son's lips, "Ry-Guy liked it and he's sleeping now." She resisted the urge to sigh. The pediatrician had confirmed it – the boys were teething. It was relatively early for teething to begin, but the doctor assured her there was nothing to worry about.
Even though her sons were perfectly fine and just going through a normal baby milestone, part of Erin had hoped there was something else at play. Teething was something they would just have go through. There wasn't much she could do besides do her best to keep them comfortable and unfortunately, most of the homeopathic and natural home remedies weren't making a big enough dent, especially for Liam.
"Hey, babe," she greeted when Jay's name flashed across her cell, "How'd it go?"
"I finished," he said with an exhale, "So it's over. For now."
"I'm sure you did great," Erin gushed, hoisting Liam onto her hip, "Boys are just teething." She pressed her lips to Liam's soft hair as he fussed. "Ry's finally napping but buddy boy is not happy with his teeth coming in. Shh, bud. It's okay."
"I'm headed home in a few," Jay replied, leaning back in his desk chair, "I just have to wrap a few things up here. Is Pipes with you yet?"
"On her way back. Will texted and said she's asleep in the back of Hailey's car. Little bug didn't sleep at all last night. I'm surprised we didn't get any calls from her teachers." Erin held the teething ring to Liam's lips again.
"Will's there too?" he asked in surprise, "With Hailey?"
Erin paused when Liam finally took to the teething ring and quieted. "Yeah. I ran into him as I was taking the boys into the pediatrician's office. Turns out he and Dr. Brown went to med school together. He offered to pick Noodle up and I told him Hailey already had it covered." She smiled when Liam looked up at her curiously. "Oh, do you like that, buddy? He stopped crying, babe."
Jay let out a breath. "I'll be home soon. I'll pick up dinner on the way too, sound good?"
After setting Liam down in the bassinet, Erin sighed in relief. Neither of her boys had slept the night before – well, nobody in her entire family had slept – but the fact that both Ryan and Liam were napping was a borderline miracle. With the boys in bed, she would get some quality time with her little girl and hopefully her partner too.
She padded down the steps quietly and stopped short when she saw a tearful version of her little girl in the entryway, clinging tightly to Hailey Upton's arm.
And her partner's partner didn't look much better. Erin could tell from across the room that Hailey hadn't slept. Her former coworker looked like a shell of the woman that she knew, and it wasn't helped by just how exhausted and distraught Piper was.
"I don't want Hailey to go," Piper blubbered, tears streaming down her cheeks before Erin could ask what had gone wrong, "I don't."
Erin raised her eyebrows slightly. One meltdown to another. "Noodle-"
"It's my fault," Will interjected apologetically, "I messed up and she heard us having a disagreement."
Hailey shook her head. "'s not you," she managed, shaking her head, "I-" She paused, unable to continue.
Erin glanced from Piper to Hailey and then to Will. Her first priority needed to be her rapidly dissolving little girl, who was clearly well beyond tired and bordering on hysterical. Her second priority was Hailey. The detective was inches away from crumbling herself. Third was Will. Despite the trademark troubled Halstead look, he was significantly better than both Piper and Hailey. She'd get to him after.
"C'mere, sweetheart," Erin encouraged, holding her arms out to Piper, "Hailey's okay." Her heart clenched when Piper rushed forward and crumbled into her arms. She could feel the exhaustion in her child's body. "I'm here. We're all here."
"Everyone goes," Piper wept, tears sluicing off her cheeks onto her mommy's neck, "It always happens, I don't want people to keep going."
Erin cradled her baby girl against her chest as tears continued to trickle down Piper's cheeks. "You're safe, sweet girl. You're not going anywhere."
"I don't want anyone to go," she begged, "I want…I want…" Piper dissolved into sobs, unable to finish her sentence.
"Hailey and Will are here," Erin told her softly, pressing her lips to the side of Piper's head, "The boys are sleeping upstairs and Daddy is on his way home soon." She smoothed her hair back when Piper shuddered. "We're here."
It took a few moments, but Piper's breath evened out slowly. Erin exhaled in relief. In the past, Piper's tears caused her heart to stop. Jay was usually the one who could talk her down to a more regulated state, but in the almost two years together, Erin could now operate on auto pilot. She knew that the comfort of her mommy and the gentle cadence of her voice was just what Piper needed.
Erin kissed the side of her head again. Her sweet little girl was practically fighting sleep in her arms despite being upright. She glanced up to Will and Hailey apologetically. "We can stick around for a bit," Will said quickly, "It's all good."
"All good," Erin echoed, continuing to rub Piper's back carefully, "Noodle, maybe you could show Will that book you and Daddy were reading the other day, hm?" She smiled when Piper sniffed and gave a small nod. "Hailey, can you help me for a second?" Erin asked, tilting her head toward the laundry room, "If you don't mind?"
Hailey swallowed. There wasn't time to make an excuse. Piper and Will were both in the room. "I'm just going to chat with Hailey for a little," Erin told Piper, giving her little girl another kiss to the top of her head, "Just right there. Not going anywhere."
Hailey fiddled with the ends of her long sleeve shirt as she watched Piper reach for Will's hand. The tear-streaked cheeks of her little friend had her stomach in knots. She was in for it. Erin was going to tell her that she didn't want her seeing Piper any more or being Jay's partner, and Hailey couldn't blame her. She fucked up big time and if anything had happened – well, those were the thoughts that kept her from sleeping at night.
"I'm really sorry," Hailey rushed out as soon as Erin followed her into the laundry room. She bit her lip. She hated just how unsteady her voice was. It wasn't her. She was a detective, for crying out loud. She was supposed to be steady, but the look from her former colleague and partner's real-life partner had her feeling two inches tall.
Erin's eyes softened. "Hailey," she said gently, reaching forward to put a hand on the younger woman's arm, "You don't-"
"I-I know what you're going to say," Hailey interrupted, "I know I'm supposed to escalate things. I know I fucked up." She folded her arms tighter across her chest as Erin just looked at her. "I understand if you don't trust me with Piper anymore and I'm going to talk to Voight about switching partners so-"
"Hailey," Erin repeated more firmly, shaking her head, "That's not it at all." She put her other hand on the younger woman's arm. "I wanted to ask you what you needed. Away from Will, Piper, Jay. What do you need, right now?"
Hailey blinked slowly, the words that were leaving Erin's mouth not fully registering. "W-what do I need?"
She nodded. "I've been where you are. Or close to it, anyway." Erin gave a small smile. "Weeks like the last one…they're tough."
"My fault," Hailey rasped, "Last week was my fault." She bit down on her bottom lip harshly as Erin continued to search her eyes. The faint taste of blood was enough to turn her stomach.
Wordlessly, Erin stepped forward and hugged Hailey tightly. The detective instantly stiffened at the contact as Erin hugged her, unsure as to what exactly was happening. She thought she was in for an earful about her laundry list of shortcomings…but instead, she was getting a hug. And she really, really needed that hug.
"I know it's weird," Erin murmured, "But when I was going through it, this is what I needed." She felt the detective in her embrace relax slightly after a moment. "It's going to be okay," she continued, "You're not alone in this."
Erin held closer. Those were the words she needed to hear after Nadia.
She had been spiraling, self-destructing, tossing her career and life down the tubes. Jay was her partner, but he wasn't hers and even though he so clearly loved her, her vision was clouded with grief. She couldn't see it. She could see why he loved her or why she was deserving of that love in the first place.
Hank's tough love was still love, but it wasn't the love she needed. It was too tough to bring her back from the brink. Jay's frustration with her only pushed her away farther. She knew now that it was only because he loved her so much, but back then, she really needed someone to pull her into their arms and hold tightly.
So that's what she decided to do for Hailey.
Eventually, the detective pulled away. "Thank you," she rasped, clearing her throat, "I'm just…I'm just really tired. She sniffed back her tears when she met Erin's kind eyes, "You um, you must be even more tired."
Erin shrugged. "I'm pretty used to it," she said with a shrug, offering another small smile. "Look, I know…I know last week sucked. But that day doesn't define you. It doesn't mean you're bad police or a bad partner or anything like that. Jay trusts you. I trust you. We both trust you with Piper and the boys." Erin exhaled. "I don't want you going anywhere, okay? You're a part of the family now."
Hailey nodded slowly, sniffing again. "I won't," she whispered thickly, "I um…thank you."
"I'm the one who should be thanking you," Erin replied, leaning against the washing machine, "You're one of the few people Noodle actually trusts. Only person I've ever seen her get upset over like she was this afternoon was Jay. You're up there with her best friend."
"I don't know about that," Hailey said, shaking her head, "She loves Jay. And you." She cleared her throat. "But I love her too."
"She's seen a lot of people leave," Erin mused sadly, "That's…that's what was going on with her today. On top of the exhaustion and everything." She smiled wistfully when Hailey looked slightly surprised. "She loves you so much she didn't want to let go, Hailey."
Hailey bit her lip again and nodded. Piper had broken her heart wide open. When she first met the little girl, she'd kept her distance. She watched as her partner fell in love almost instantly, anxiety deep in her bones because she knew that one day, he would have to say good bye. And she was pretty sure that good bye would crush him into a thousand pieces.
But Jay never had to say good bye. And suddenly, that same little girl who she kept at an arm's length turned into her little buddy. Piper loved the snacks she kept in her desk and always got a kick out of the jokes she made at Ruzek's expense. Piper was the sweetest kid she ever met and now she couldn't imagine her life without her.
"I don't know what I would do if anything had happened to her," Hailey choked out, "Erin, she-"
"She's okay," Erin interrupted, "She's safe. She's safe with you. Outside of Jay, there is nobody safer than you. Will may love her, but he doesn't carry a gun. And Hank's got way too many skeletons in the closet." She smiled again, hoping Hailey would pick up on the jokes. "I mean it. Please don't go anywhere because of this, okay? I've never had girlfriends who understood our type of careers before you and Burgess, so I want you to stick around for me too. Plus there is nobody else I'd trust with my fiancé and I know he'd go insane without someone to bother all day long."
Hailey cracked a smile. "You sure?"
"More than sure," Erin insisted, "I mean it. You're part of the family."
"Hey, baby," Erin greeted as Jay quietly entered the house through the side door, "Long day, huh?"
Jay managed a tired smile and leaned forward to kiss her lips. "Was just countin' down the hours til I could get back here," he replied, inhaling deeply. "Missed you."
Erin snorted softly. "You missed our bed," she teased, rubbing his chest lightly with her fingertips, "I can't believe you're upright. No sleep and the big test?" She smiled proudly. "I'm in awe of you, babe." Her smile widened when Jay beamed.
"Babysitters crashed too?" he asked, tilting his head toward the living room. Piper was settled on the couch in between Will and Hailey, her small hand resting on the detective's arm.
"Noodle is exhausted," Erin explained softly, "Total meltdown when she got home. I think she thought she wasn't going to get to see them again since Hailey's been really struggling." She patted Jay's chest when he widened his eyes in concern. "They're both okay now."
It was Jay's turn to smile proudly. "Look at you," he said playfully, "One meltdown to another today."
She chuckled lightly. "'s exactly what I was thinking." Erin let out a yawn. "Mama's tired."
"If you want to crash early, I can handle the kids," Jay told her, "Big kids included." He gestured toward the couch. "I owe you one."
"You don't owe me anything," Erin refuted, continuing to rub his chest, "We're a team. A really good one." She glanced down at her watch. "Boys could go for a bottle and change before bedtime. I think I heard them stirring right before you got in. Wanna help me tackle them?"
Jay was truly in awe of Erin. His girl had flawlessly made it through the day from literally one meltdown to the other. She had truly come so far. They both had come so far. Months prior, the idea of three crying kids that he couldn't settle would have made Jay's chest tight with anxiety. Instead, he got to watch as the love of his life expertly cooed and soothed their boys and came home to a quiet household. It was a miracle.
Erin was an incredibly mom.
So when she started dozing off in the rocking chair with Liam in her arms as his son finished his bottle, Jay took the liberty of settling both boys in bed before leading Erin to their bed as well. She didn't fight him. It had been a long day.
He shuffled down the steps to check on Piper, Hailey and Will. Erin had filled him in on the conversation she had with Hailey, and if it was possible, it only made him love her more. She knew what Hailey needed, even when he didn't. For the first time in days, his work partner was relaxed and getting some much needed sleep, thanks to his life partner. His big brother had an arm wrapped around her shoulders and while it usually would have made Jay's hands clench with suspicion, this time, he was grateful. Two of his closest friends – family – were choosing to spend time together. It was a gift.
And those two family members loved his little girl fiercely. The thought of something happening to Piper had been consuming Hailey and after talking with Erin, Jay realized that it was because Hailey loved Piper so much. He couldn't ask for a better partner. Hailey had his back, and his family's back.
Piper's eyes fluttered open and landed on Jay. "Shh, bug. Go back to sleep," he whispered, offering a gentle smile, "You're safe."
His heart leapt when his baby girl raised her arms slightly, indicating that she wanted to be held. It was such a simple motion, but it brought tears to the back of his eyes. He had missed those moments. He missed a sleepy toddler in the backseat of the car who wanted her parents to carry her up to bed. He missed "Dada up" and her tiny baby hands tugging at his jeans. He missed all the things that the parenting books had him looking forward to with the boys.
But he had right now. And even though Piper was on the cusp of eleven, she still wanted to be carried to bed by her dad.
Jay carefully reached forward and lifted his first baby off the couch and into his arms. Piper immediately cuddled into his shoulder, her eyes drooping. "I gotcha," he breathed, pressing a kiss to the top of her head, "I gotcha."
"You always got me," Piper mumbled sleepily as Jay quietly padded toward the steps. She let out a content breath. She loved Will and Hailey, but hugs from her daddy were the best.
"I do," Jay replied, "Always." He swallowed the growing lump in his throat. His baby girl was beyond precious.
Would love to hear what you think!