10 am Hayley was at Jays door, she had argued with Danny this morning, apparently, he is with Tommy and thinks they should all meet up and play happy families, Kim was at work so Hayley hadn't had time to vent to anyone, the door opened, and Jay lets her in. His house is amazing downstairs is open plan with French doors that open on to the back garden which is huge. Plenty of room for the twins to run around in and play. The kitchen has an island in the middle, perfect for cooking, with a big cooker and fridge to the back, the sink is under the widow, perfect position for watching the twins in the garden. The tv room is by the second set of doors that open on to the patio. At the front of the house is a dining room and staircase that leads upstairs, it's a four bedroomed house, one each for the twins and a master room with an on-suite. The next was a guest bedroom with its own bathroom. Sitting at the island drinking coffee they discussed the twins and their needs.
"Ok so I would need you to be here a lot of the time so basically a live in Nanny, is that a problem? It's just I don't know when I'm going to be called into work in the night if the case is a long one. I may not be home at night. I have help from Amy's parents once a month for the weekend and I don't work Sundays. Unless I have a big case. So basically, that's the job. Just keep them alive, fed, and watered. I've not been coping well at all, and I've had help from all my friends, my brother, and his wife, I just don't think they will help much longer. The pay will be good I promise, they really like you too so that's good. I'm sorry I'm rambling. We can go through everything properly when you make your mind up."
Hayley had sat and listened to Jay, mentally taking notes about everything, the twins were playing on the carpet with a trainset and some cars. They looked like they would be easy enough to look after and Jay seemed a nice guy. Kim and Trudy both were close with him, it obviously was meant to be.
"Ok so when would I start? I have so much happening with my brothers at the moment, I need the distraction"
"Do you want to talk about it?" he looked at he genuinely wanting to listen to her.
"Ughh, well Maggie rang this morning and that was emotional, she hired a new nanny and wanted to double check I was definitely not going to go to New York. Then Danny my brother was shouting at me because I don't want to go have dinner with my parents, I haven't seen them in 7 years and it's a real long story, but he started banging and shouting and I really don't cope very well with that, so I packed my stuff and left. Sorry now I'm rambling. Just let me cook dinner one night and we can talk about it properly Kim and Trudy will almost definitely tell you so I would rather it came from me than them." Wanting the floor to open and swallow her up Hayley took her cup to the sink and walked towards the twins. "Then you can tell me if you still want me to move in."
"Ok, I'm sure both Trudy and Kim can't both be wrong. I'm excited about this. You hear that Jacob Hayley's going to help Daddy. We going to be a great team right buddy?" smiling he sat on the carpet with the three of them and played.
Hayley had brought a bag in and put it in her room, that was it a bag. Jay was shocked but didn't say anything. They went to the store and Hayley got food in to cook a Greek chicken dish. They talked and shared information about each other, after they fed the kids, Jay bathed and put them to bed as Hayley cooked. When Jay came down dinner was ready and they ate, working together like a well-oiled machine the dinner dishes were done and away.
"Can I get you a drink, beer or bourbon?"
"Beer is great thanks."
"Ok, So, tell me all your deepest darkest secrets Upton!"
"I'm not nearly as drunk as I need to be for all of them, sorry just the darkest ones for tonight!" they sat looking at each other on the couch. Their eyes meet and the static ebbs and flows around them. They both take a drink from the bottle in their hands, and Hayley pulls herself together and sighs.
"I grew up in Lake Forest"
"Oh! so you're a snob?" Jay teased,
"No, we moved to Greektown to run my dad's restaurant, it did so well until I was 12." A sadness washed over her. "I worked there after school and on a weekend, I'd get some pocket money which I saved to go to Uni. My dad wanted me to be a lawyer, but I wanted to be a cop a Detective actually. So, I decided this after we were robbed one night. It was a Saturday; we had been slammed and we were closing. My older brothers had gone to a football game and Mom was with my grandma. Two guys came in with a shot gun they took my dad down with the but of the gun, broke his eye socket gave him a brain bleed. Shoved the gun in my face and made me open the till. The one with the gun took me in the kitchen and tried to rape me, I managed to fight him off. Hit him with a pan I grabbed from the sink. His buddy came in and they ran off."
"Holy shit! Hayley I'm so sorry"
"It is what it is, anyway, this cop came in and she took over the scene and wrapped me in a blanket. Took me back to the precinct. She sat me at her desk, then on a sofa by her desk, I watched her work all night. She took no crap from anyone, commanded the room, everyone who was in the room did as she said. I was determined to be just like her. My dad was never the same after that though, started drinking, lost the restaurant, he would start drinking in the day then come home and take in out on my mom, beat the crap out of her yell, shout, throw things about, we'd stay in our rooms out of the way. The next morning: she would be downstairs making breakfast, face covered in make-up pretending nothing happened. The weekends were worse, we were kids wanted to play, made too much noise, then end up been beaten with a belt or slipper or cable whatever he could get his hands on. The first time he was sorry the second he was sorry later and as the weeks went on, he was less and less sorry. I was 13 when I ran away the first time. Trudy found me at the park, again took me to the district and I managed to hide everything from her, the next time I wasn't so lucky. The black eye was a big give away. I begged her not to report it and he learned not to go to far. Trudy kept an eye on us, and she helped me out a lot. I stayed at hers a few weekends and she helped me get into college. I stayed for a year then changed to child development and childcare. Wanted kids to be safe and feel safe. My brothers moved out as soon as they reached 18. Both never returned and tommy didn't see half of it. He had friends went out wore rose tinted glasses, Danny helped me for a while then he got sucked back in., they both say he's changed stopped drinking, whatever! I don't want anything to do with him. My mom just took it and then stood and watched him do it to us. I know why she did it, but it's just something I never want my kids to even know about never mind see. No that I plan on having any but there you go. So yeah, you didn't need to get me drunk at all Halstead." She was on her second beer and had absent minded started picking at the label on the bottle looking down and biting her bottom lip.
"Wow, Well, that was a lot, but I can't see Trudy being nice and kind. Honestly, I'm glad you had her to help you. You will be safe here I'm not a shouter or thrower. I'm a talker, and I think we should talk about Amy, clear everything now. Start on a clean slate?"
"Jay, you don't have too!"
"I know but, its only fair that we are both honest with each other." Jay went through everything, from being in the army and then seeing each other at Molly's, the pregnancy and then trying to live together. "We tried to Live together but after the twins were born, we still didn't get along. I was there for them and her all I could be. Even when she was sleeping with the guys at the fire station. I was undercover when she died. I have so many regrets, that I didn't try hard enough that I should have been here instead of being away. I love the kids and don't regret them at all. I love them so much sometime the thought of them not being here or being hurt, it hurts me. They have kept me going. Some-times I even feel guilty that I am here, and she isn't. that I should have told her it wasn't working and that if she was so messed up over the kid's she could have left, but I'm not sure that was the problem. We never really came back from the war. We didn't love each other, and she was struggling with her mental health."
"I'm sorry that you are going through this. Have you spoken to anyone about this?"
"No, and I can't believe I just dropped this all on you on the first night, I'm sorry!"
"We need to be honest with each other Jay. We are going to be living in the same house and its good we feel we can talk openly to each other."
"Ok I can get with that. I am going to write up your contract of employment and take it to the solicitor tomorrow, they have got to look it over, confirm your payments. Basically, it's coming from the fund set up for the kid's childcare and college funds etc. Then I will get you to sign and go through and change it if needed."
"When will you be going back to work?"
"Monday, I thought we could spend the weekend together and then go from there?"
"Sounds good. I am going to head up to bed now. What time do the kids usually get up?"
"Eight am, if they get up in the night, I'll deal with them if I'm home."
"Ok. Night Jay and thank you for this. I really appreciate it."
"Thank you for doing it. Night Hayley."
She loved the way he said her name, it was like music to her ears, it soothed her soul. Made her feel safe and warm. She showered and climbed into bed, the sheets felt amazing the bed was so comfy, her phone alerted her to a message, three from Tommy, ten from Danny and then Kim, she was a pest. The night before, her and Kim had chatted about Jay and the kids, the job she was offered, and the job Jay and Kim did.
"Hayley, do you like Jay? I mean like do you fancy him?"
"What? No!! Kim! come on he has offered me a job. I'm not going to turn it down. The kids seem amazing and it means I get to stay home and be near you again. You and Adam seem closer its nice that you guys are together still."
"Don't change the subject! I love him so much. We are getting Married next year. I'm so glad you are here I needed a Maid of Honour!" Hayley hadn't quiet caught on to what Kim was saying. "Will you, do it? Will you be my maid of honour?"
"What are you serious? Of course, I will, Oh my god Kim!" she through her arms around Kim's neck.
She sank further into bed sleep taking over her tired body. It felt like she had only just shut her eyes before she felt someone moving the covers. Keeping as still as she could, she opened one eye, hearing a huff, she smiled it was a small huff. One of the twins had come for a visit. She sat up and turned on the bedside light, Lydia stood by the bed blanket and pacifier in hand.
"Hey sweet cheeks what are you in here?" bending down she picked her up and sat her on her knee.
"Sleep" Lydia said.
"Yeah, you should be asleep, you need a drink before I put you back in your own bed?"
"No bed! Sleep shhh" she put her finger on her lips. Hayley laughed at her.
Noise came from the hallway, and a light came on.
"Lydia? Hayley, can I come in?"
"It's open!" She replied.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't even hear her has she been in here long?" his cheeks flushed as he looked at her. She was in a Hockey jersey. The duvet pulled up to her middle and Lydia sat with her all snug in the bed. They both looked at each other and then Lydia let out the cutest giggle he had ever heard. Hayley laughed with her, her smile was huge, it lit the room up and made his heard skip a beat. Crap he was in big trouble. "You pair are going to be trouble, aren't you?".
"Come on trouble bed!" he said.
"No Daddy, Hay-lee bed me!" Lydia replied best she could.
"Its ok Jay, I'll sort her I don't mind." Hayley told him.
"You sure?"
"Yeah, go to bed, we're good right kid? Say night, night Daddy!"
"Night Dada!" she waved pulling Hayley from her bed, Jay virtually ran from the room.
Hayley decided she needed to go shopping for some pyjama bottoms, sleep shorts were going to prove difficult. A blush spread across her cheeks
Jay shut his bedroom door climbed in his bed turned off the light and pulled the covers over his head. I will not fall for the nanny I will not fall for the nanny he repeated to himself in his head.