Chapter 10.
Hayley had showered gotten into fresh Pj's and changed her bedding when Jay returned. He had also showered in his own room, been downstairs and got two bottles of water. Hayley was stood in front of the mirror brushing her hair, their eyes locked in the reflection, desire pooled in Hayley's core, a blush spread from her chest to her cheeks. Jay waked up behind her and placed his hands on her hips, the air around them crackled with electricity, her scent pulled him in his nose finding her neck, his new favourite place to be. She hummed as she placed her left hand on the side of his head, her right hand finding his right hand on her hip.
"Jay, as much as I could do this all night, tomorrow we have two kids that will not let us nap!" she hummed as he deepened his kisses on her neck, she could feel him getting hard again. The desire was almost too painful, the knots in her stomach twisting as she became putty in his hands.
"Lee-Lee? I scared the boy in my room!" both adults stopped, Jay instantly turned to run in his daughter's room. He flicked the light on quickly seeing 'the boy' was Jacob!
"Hey buddy what's going on? I thought you were sleeping?" Jacob had sat himself on the rocking chair with his blanket and rabbit, the stuffy Hayley had got him from the zoo, his tiny fingers were being chewed on as tears started to run down his face. "Shall we try again? Come on bud lets go to bed. Hayley had already brought Lydia back into bed, she was drifting off as she left the room. Jacob was having none of it tonight, he was sobbing and wouldn't let Jay leave the room. Hayley came and stood by the door watching them, she didn't feel right interrupting him, but Jacob was getting so worked up it broke her heart.
"Jay? I'm sorry but can I try?" The Hayley stood at Jacobs door was a completely different person to the Hayley knew and loved, all the spark was gone, she was timid she was wringing her hands as if she was scared to speak to Jay. "I can go if you don't want me too!"
"Hey yeah sure, are you ok?" she nodded "Hayley you really don't need to be afraid of me!"
"I know! Look just let me sort him and then we can get some sleep? Talk tomorrow, ok?" she took a breath and smiled at him as he walked past her, he reached out and grazed his fingertips along her arms. Goose bumps erupted all up her arm and into her hair. Shaking the feeling of she made her way over to Jacob's bed. She knelt in front of the sobbing toddler. He was taking ragged breaths making his shoulders shrug, Hayley's heart broke all over again.
"Hey buddy, what's going on tonight? Do you want to come and sit with me on the chair?" the toddler nodded and lifts his arms up; Hayley picks him up grabbing his blanket and stuffy and takes him to the chair in his room. The chair is soft, Hayley gets comfortable easily, Jacob nestled in the side of her the dim light from night light casting a warm glow n the room. He's still crying, Hayley is stroking his head and talking too him about the day they have had in hushed tones. The hallway night light is still on indicating to Hayley that Jay is still up and about, she continues talking to Jacob the love she feels for him is rolling through her, her training tells her that sleep regression is normal, that in his short life Jacob has endured so much loss and confusion that his little mind is probably just so overwhelmed by the last week. Guilt travels through her blood stream, the anxiety pooling in her belly where just 20 minutes before lust and desire were housed. She takes a deep calming breath, trying to be rational with herself. Her voice had become a whisper and Jacob had started to breath more evenly.
"Lee-Lee no go?" His little voice spoke as he shifted himself on the blonde's knee. "Lee-Lee stays here?" his head was in the crease of her elbow his body lying across her knees her hand rested on his face as she looked into his eyes, his soul was breaking, she wished Jay would come into the room and guide her on what to say! This was so out of her comfort zone. Jacob carried on talking to her.
"Mummy eave me and Yidia (Lydia)she gone!" His breath hitched again as he let out a sob, Thankfully Jay had heard it all and came into the room slowly so not to startle his son. Hayley moved her feet over on the foot stool and Jay sat next to them. His hand landed on Hayley's leg in encouragement.
Hayley and Jay had this thing, this supernatural ability to just look into each other's eyes and communicate with each other. Looking into Jays eyes Hayley found peace, she managed to straighten herself up take another deep breath and find the words to say to Jacob.
"Jacob, buddy? Is that why you have been upset today?" Jay asked the toddler; he nodded his head; Hayley used the hem of her t-shirt to wipe his tears. A smile on her face was full of warmth and love. Her voice still low and calm.
"Jacob I'm not going anywhere" looking at Jay she continued and shifted her gaze down to Jacob again "I am going to do my best to be here every morning when you wake up and every night when you go to bed, and if I'm not with you then your daddy will be here or Kim or Pappy Hank. And if you still miss me, you will have your stuffy from today. You just need to hold him and squeeze him tight, and I'll feel it here in my heart." She pointed at her heart. Jacob placed his hand on her chest to the left above her heart, its beating so hard and so fast he feels it and his face lights up. His eyes shining with the love and trust he has for Hayley. Jay's heart constricted and spluttered as he looked at this beautiful goddess in-front of him.
"love you Lee-Lee!" he shifted himself so he was straddling her lap, his head on her chest his bunny in one hand and her top bunched up in the other.
"I love you too Jacob. I really do buddy!" tears streamed down her face, she caught Jay wiping his face on his top. She shifted her feet so the caught Jay's attention, he smiles and offers to take his son, but Hayley shakes her head and stands up walking to her room and pulling back the covers on her bed, she settles Jacob in the middle and climbs in next to him. Jay has followed them, turning out the lights on his way through. He takes his place next to Jacob and settles in Hayley ad lay on her side with the right arm under her pillow and over to touch Jay's head. He Mirrors her and links his hands with hers, he smiles at her and their eyes meet, a low light luminates the room and Jay can't help but revel in love that surrounds him in that moment, all day he's been surrounded by love. Hayley's eyes have closed Jacob has placed his hand on her face, not wanting to let her out of his reach. Slowly he falls asleep, drifting into a dreamless state. The last 18 hours have been amazing he is praying to all the gods it feels this way always.
The next morning the twins are up and eating breakfast when Jay makes it downstairs. Jay wraps his arms around Hayley's waist and puts his head on her shoulder.
"Morning beautiful" He hums as she twists her head and kisses him on his check.
"Morning handsome! Did you sleep ok? I'm sorry I know you don't like them in your bed, but he wasn't going to let us go!" she apologised. The kids were out of their seats and needed to wash their faces and hands. A routine Hayley had started with them. The doorbell rang and the adults both looked at each other with a questioning look. Hayley ran upstairs she was wearing those damn sleep shorts and a vest top. It's a good Job too it was Amy's mother, she had messages Jay but he hadn't seen his cell since last night. Hayley was dressed and getting the kids bags ready when Mary came into Lydia's room.
"Hello Mary, are you ok? I was jus getting the kids bags ready, I'd completely forgotten about this weekend the days just all blur into one" she rambles on as she packs the clothes into a bag. "Sorry, I promise I'm normally much more organised than this, I'm so sorry!"
"Hayley, please calm down take a breath, I'm not here to inspect the house or check up on you. Trust me the last year has been hard on the three of them, I have seen a change in them already. The house is cleaner than when they moved in, I'm normally here to clean up before I take them for the weekend." Mary had moved to sit in Lydia's chair. "I know Jay's struggled with the kid's and I know I was harsh on you when I first met you, it's only been over a year, and I realised when I got home, and I have taken the last few weeks to think about things. Jay is an amazing dad, Amy chose to do what she did, I tried to get her help she talked to me when the kids were tiny, but she seemed to turn a corner when she went back to work. When I found out how wrong I was, I was angry at her at Jay, at myself. I was angry with you, and I had no right to be. I don't care what happens between you and Jay, just please make sure my babies are safe."
"Mary, is everything ok?" Hayley asks. She had sat on the foot stool to talk to the grandmother.
"I am getting old; I need to stop doing so much interfering in Jay's life! He became like a son to me, the last link to Amy. I was thinking that I am going to stop having the kids on the weekend. They are honestly too much for me now. I know that I'd be missing out on so much, but I will still love them just as much."
"Woah wow stop. Have you talked to Jay?" Hayley stood up. Mary looked up at Hayley and shook her head.
"No, I don't know how too, the weekend I have them, its his time to himself I feel awful taking that away from him. I just can't do it anymore."
"Stop, come with me downstairs, please I'll make coffee and we can talk properly. Please we needed to talk to you anyway." She looks at Mary with a soft look. Mary stood up and nodded her head with a smile.
Jay has dressed the kids and set them free in the family room when the women make it downstairs. He looks at them both and is shocked when Mary sits at the Island and Hayley pulls three cups out.
"We need to talk Jay." Mary lets out a shaky breath her elbows land on the countertop and places her thumbs to her mouth. Jay takes a seat next to Mary.
"Is everything ok Mary?" he looks between Hayley and his mother-in-law.
"I'm getting old Jay, I was talking to Hayley and telling her I need to… to stop having the twins for the weekend." Jay was in shock but didn't speak. Hayley set three coffees down and got out the creamer and the sweetener and a spoon. "The thing is Jay, I was having them so you could have a break, you are an amazing dad, but you were struggling. I was so worried that you would lose them. Now you have Hayley here and I saw the change in you and them in the first week she was here, I know I was rude and angry, but I know you aren't going to stay single forever and at first that's what I thought this was, that you had hooked up and brought this random woman home to bring up my grandbabies." Hayley chocked on her coffee. "These kids deserve the world, Jay. I'm not saying I won't be seeing them again I just can't have them for the weekend. Takes me a week to recover" she laughs.
"Mary, you need to still see the twins, please, we needed to talk to you, Jacob isn't coping well with things." Jay started. "Jacob was really unsettled last night, when Hayley managed to calm him down, he told us that he didn't want Hayley to leave, in fact here watch." Jay pulled out his phone and started playing the recording form the camera in Jacobs room, Hayley sobbed as she heard Jacob again, Mary was stunned. Jay didn't care if the recording showed anything between him and Hayley. All he cared about was his son's wellbeing.
"I don't understand, how that involves me" Mary stated.
"Jacob thrives on routine, his routine right now is Me and Hayley, he knows that he sleeps at your place for the weekend, he knows you are another safe person in his life. He has people he can depend on and loves with his whole heart. I'm not sure how much of his mum he remembers but they need that connection to you. To her side of their family. I'm not saying you must have them for the weekend but come for dinner a few times a month take them out for the day go visit family with them, but they need that connection to you. He won't cope if he loses another female in his life." Jay had placed his hand over Mary's, and she let out a sob.
"If you don't feel up to taking them alone if you don't mind, I can help you with them, the zoo yesterday was brutal I'm so pleased Jay was with me. I'm not saying I must come just; I don't mind helping you if you need it. An extra pair of hands to reign them in if you like. I'm Greek and love to cook but it's lost on these pair and if Jay is at work, then it goes to waste. I'd be happy to cook for you and you can spend the day or whatever you need please just don't feel you have to step away from them." Hayley offered with a smile.
"Thank you, Hayley, so much, I'm so sorry for the way I treated you it was unfair of me. Look I know I'm supposed to take them today, but do you have anything planned because maybe we can take them out today and then I can take them if you need me too but only if I'm not intruding. I know you must have made plans to go to the bar your friends own Jay, or if you have arranged dates or people over, I'm sorry to drop it on you like this."
"I don't have plans, I have a head injury so am supposed to be taking it easy, what were you thinking of doing today?" Jacob had made his way to Hayley, and she had automatically picked him up swinging him on to her hip. The toddler placed his ear above Hayley's heart, and she placed her chin on his head.
"Listen Ma, Hayley's love!" He said with such innocence. He snuggled into Hayley and closed his eyes.
"Jacob, do you want to know something special?" Jacob looked up at Hayley, "Your Grandma has the same love too. It sounds different but it's even more special because she's your grandma. Do you want to ask her if you can listen? Don't forget your manners. OK?" She smiled at Mary who was on the verge of breaking down.
"Let's go sit on the couch, then shall we then we can think of what we can do today?" Mary took the children to the couch and sat with both twins taking it in turns to listen to her heartbeat.
Hayley and Jay spent some time cleaning round and doing odd jobs like washing and drying. In the end they decided on going to the library and harbour. When they returned Hayley started the dinner and Jay helped, leaving Mary to play with the kids some more. Mary had eyes she could see how Jay and Hayley worked together like a well-oiled machine, she caught the glances and the wordless communication. During the day they had tried so hard not to make it obvious, but it was getting harder to do. As they ate dinner, they chatted some more. Jay brought up the cabin he owned with Will his older brother; he was hoping to take the kids up to stay there in a few weeks. Jay was worried about Mary. She had always been so adamant about having her weekends with the kids he just hoped this new arrangement would work out for them. He would have to make sure Hayley took time off, to recharge her batteries, the kids were hard work, and he knew that she loved them as much as they love her, he felt like all the pieces of his puzzle were shook up again, but he knew this time that they were all there, there were no missing pieces to his puzzle this time. He just prayed that it would stay this way.
When Mary left later that evening she stood in front of Jay and hugged him close. "I know you tried to do your best with Amy Jay, but you never looked at her the way that you look at Hayley, I'm so happy that you found someone to love you the way you deserve to be loved, who loves the twins the way they deserve to be loved too. Treat her the way she deserves to be loved, the way she loves you." Jay was speechless. "I know you have tried to hide it maybe you haven't acted on the way you feel yet, but its right there Jay, don't let her go." he nodded as Mary climbed in to her car. "Night Mary!" he said as he watched he drive away. he smiled as he locked up downstairs and headed up to help Hayley bath the twins.