A/N: Thank you all so much for all the nice things you said about last chapter, I hope you like this one too :) It's taking place once Jay and Hailey started dating.
"I don't want to make this weird," Adam started as he and Jay waited for their round of beers to be brought to the bar.
"Then don't say it," Jay said – Adam had gotten into a habit since Jay and Hailey started dating of bringing up things about Hailey to Jay in an effort to offer advice. Nine times out of ten, Jay already knew what Adam thought he was telling him for the first time, but he randomly would throw in something that Jay wasn't aware of.
Adam rolled his eyes, "It's not about anything gross."
"Can you really confidently say that?" Jay asked.
"Yeah, promise," Adam nodded, "Have you met her parents?"
"Oh," Jay grabbed three beer bottles, "No, I haven't. Did you?"
Adam shook his head and grabbed the other three, "She refused. Did she tell you about them though?"
"That her dad abused them all? Yeah," Jay tried not to squeeze any of the bottles too tightly out of anger.
"It's disgusting," Adam breathed, "Her mom though, that's just sad, you know? I made the mistake once of saying we could get her out, but Hailey just bit my head off and said she tried and all this stuff. So, don't make that mistake." He walked over to the table in the corner where everyone else was waiting.
Jay hesitated then followed him to the table.
"You're the best," Hailey smiled and grabbed a beer from him.
Jay kissed the top of her head and passed Vanessa the other beer.
"Thanks," Vanessa smiled and turned to continue her conversation with Kim.
Jay sat next to Hailey and pulled her closer to him.
"You good?" Hailey whispered and looked up at him.
"Yeah," Jay nodded, "Just want to hold you."
Hailey raised an eyebrow and set her hand on his leg, "You realize we're in public, right? With our friends?"
"They all know we're dating, we're not hiding it anymore," Jay said.
Hailey laughed softly, "True, but this really isn't our thing."
Jay shrugged, "Want me to back up?"
"No, no, not at all," Hailey said quickly, "I like it."
"Good," Jay squeezed her hand.
Hailey smiled at him and sipped her beer before turning back to the conversation at the table.
Jay took a deep breath and rubbed his thumb over her elbow, not able to get his conversation with Adam out of his head.
"Her mom though, that's just sad, you know?"
Jay leaned against his bathroom door that night and watched Hailey put lotion on her legs.
She glanced up and smiled, "Hey, you."
"Hey," Jay smiled back, "Coming to bed soon?"
"In a minute," Hailey laughed softly, "That okay?"
"Of course," Jay tilted his head to the side to watch her.
Hailey finished and set the lotion on the counter, "You okay? You were quiet tonight."
"Yeah, of course," Jay nodded, "I – uh – I've just been thinking about something now that we've been dating for a couple months."
"Getting sick of me already?" Hailey teased as she ran a brush through her hair.
"Definitely not," Jay chuckled.
"Then lay it on me," Hailey said. She walked over and grabbed his hand to pull him to his room.
"I want to talk about your mom," Jay sat on the bed.
Hailey froze on her way into the bed.
"It's been two months since we started this whole thing," Jay said, "And I know a little about her from what we've talked about before like with your dad and her staying and even calling you her Tinkerbell, but you haven't said much else besides that. I wouldn't mind meeting her."
Hailey's heart was pounding in her chest and she swallowed against her dry throat.
"Can you say something?" Jay asked quietly.
Hailey sat back against the headboard and stared at him.
"I feel like it's a fair thing to ask for," Jay said.
"I don't," Hailey whispered.
"What?" Jay set a hand on her foot over the covers.
Hailey pulled her foot away, "You know I don't like her or get along with her."
"I do, but we're doing this, Hailey. You and I are dating and sharing our life and I want to know everything about you and that includes your family," Jay scooted closer to her, "I've told you about my dad and you know Will. I've never even met any of your family."
"Because they're horrible people," Hailey said quickly.
"But they're your family," Jay set his hand on her leg.
"Please don't touch me," Hailey whispered.
"Okay," Jay nodded and put his hand back in his lap.
Hailey breathed shakily, "I don't even know what to say."
Jay bit his lip and watched her.
Hailey hesitated then laid down, turning to stare off at the wall.
Jay sighed, but got up to turn the lights off. He then walked over to his side of the bed and got under the covers. He stared up at the ceiling and debated saying anything, deciding in the end to remain in silence.
Hailey eventually rolled over and wrapped her arms around Jay's middle.
He instinctively held onto her and kissed the top of her head.
"She chose to stay," Hailey breathed, "He hit her and he hit us and she stayed." She blinked her eyes quickly, "H-How am I supposed to forgive her for that?"
"I don't know," Jay rubbed his hand down her back, "Does she love him?"
"You'd assume," Hailey said and wiped her eyes. Her lip wavered and she sniffled, tangling her fingers tightly into Jay's shirt.
He lightly ran his fingers through her hair and rubbed the back of her neck.
Hailey closed her eyes and did her best to focus on Jay and his touch. She felt safe and protected and loved and cared for and she couldn't imagine her dad ever treating her mom the same way. She started crying and covered her mouth in shock as she tried to hold it in.
"Hey, hey," Jay whispered, "Shh, Hailey, Hailey, I love you."
"I don't know what's happening," Hailey said, "Why am I crying?"
Jay weakly laughed, "Because it's your mom. You're angry, right? And you're probably sad that she's in the position."
Hailey nodded and pressed her face into Jay's chest.
He continued gently playing with her hair, "A couple years ago, we were at work and my dad had just died and I was messed up, remember?"
Hailey sniffled and whispered, "Yeah."
"And you kept pushing me to talk and open up about him and I was fighting it," Jay chuckled, "Because what else would I be doing?"
Hailey couldn't help but laugh as she nodded and wiped her eyes.
"But you said something and I swear, Hailey, I think about it a lot," Jay continued, "Not necessarily what you said, but how you said it. You were like 'he's your dad' and it stuck with me because you were right. My dad was not perfect, but at the end of the day, he was my dad and that means something. You taught me that."
Hailey had tears falling quickly down her face and she nodded, rubbing her hand over Jay's chest.
"I won't push you again," Jay said softly, "If you don't want to see her, then I will respect that. I'm sorry for bringing it up."
Hailey took a deep breath and looked up at him, "Don't apologize. It was fair of you to say. You should meet her."
"Whenever you're ready," Jay ran his fingers through her hair again.
"Thank you," Hailey pushed herself up and kissed the edge of his jaw.
Jay wiped the tears from her face lightly with his thumb, "What do you need from me?"
Hailey briefly closed her eyes before resting her head on his shoulder, "Can you just hold me?"
"Definitely," Jay gently squeezed her.
Hailey breathed shakily and held onto his shirt.
"I've got you," Jay whispered, "I'm not going anywhere. When you're ready."
Hailey closed her eyes against the tears falling down her face.
Jay pulled the blankets over them and ran a hand over her hair, "I love you, Hailey."
Hailey took a deep breath, "I love you too."
A week later in the bullpen, Jay stood at his desk and stretched, "What do you want for lunch?"
Hailey didn't look up from her phone. Her eyebrows were furrowed and she was lightly chewing on her lip.
"Hailey," Jay grabbed his wallet and keys.
She glanced up and noticed him staring at her, "What?"
"Lunch?" Jay raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, uh, can't," Hailey stood up, grabbing her own keys, "I'll be back in half an hour."
"What're you doing?" Jay followed her down the stairs.
"Just an errand," Hailey turned and went on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek quickly, "Back in a bit." She hurried out of the district to her own car.
Jay watched as she jumped in her car and threw it in drive before speeding out of the parking lot. He took a deep breath and rubbed his face.
Hailey wasn't back in time after lunch and needed to meet Jay, Kevin, and Kim at a scene. She didn't mean to avoid Jay for the rest of the day, it just happened that way, so when he showed up at her condo just after 9pm, she wasn't completely surprised.
"Vanessa home?" Jay asked while walking in.
"Yeah, she wasn't feeling great though, so she's up in bed," Hailey said as she shut the door.
"Yikes, just a cold or what?" Jay slipped his coat off, "You know, my throat's been kinda scratchy; figured it's just allergies, but she could have gotten me sick."
"Don't think it's that," Hailey patted his back and went into the kitchen, "You want ice-cream?"
"So it's an ice-cream kind of night," Jay nodded and sat on the couch.
Hailey grabbed out a pint of mint chip ice-cream for herself and the pint of butter pecan she had bought the day before for Jay, "What's that mean?"
"That despite the hard case today, you don't want a beer," Jay said.
Hailey shrugged and opened the dishwasher to search for clean spoons.
"Something you want to tell me?" Jay put his feet on the coffee table.
Hailey walked over with the ice-cream and spoons, "Feet off the table."
Jay smirked and turned to put his feet underneath him, "Better?"
"Mhmm," Hailey passed him a spoon and his ice-cream.
"Thanks," Jay took the lid off.
Hailey ate a spoonful of hers then turned the TV on, "What do you want to watch?"
"I'd rather talk about what you did at lunch today," Jay said.
Hailey shook her head, "You're so nosey."
"Am not," Jay poked her nose with his spoon.
"Sure," Hailey smiled.
"I'm just worried about you," Jay said softly.
"Nothing to be worried about," Hailey leaned back against the arm of the chair and set her feet in his lap.
"Then explain what happened," Jay squeezed her leg.
Hailey took a deep breath, "Okay," she held her spoon in her mouth and searched in her pocket for her phone. She stuck her spoon back in her ice-cream and set it on the coffee table, "I saw my mom."
Jay paused, his mouth half open and the spoon of ice-cream just inches from his mouth.
"Yeah," Hailey breathed, "A week after I cry about her, figures she needs my help."
Jay cleared his throat and set his ice-cream next to hers, "Is everything okay?"
"I don't know," Hailey sighed and ran her hand through her hair while looking at the message her mom had sent her, "She was upset I hadn't seen her in a while, at least that's what she claimed, but I could see the…" she waved her hand by her chin, "And usually when that happens, she wants to see me."
Jay slowly nodded, "How…was she…where…"
"Back home," Hailey rolled her eyes and set her phone down to pick up her ice-cream again. "Stupid," she mumbled and ate a few spoonfuls.
Jay breathed out and watched her eat in silence.
Hailey swallowed her ice-cream, "I told her we'd get lunch with her on Saturday."
"We?" Jay asked, hesitantly picking his ice-cream back up.
"Didn't you want to meet her?" Hailey raised an eyebrow.
"I…yeah, I just didn't know it'd be so soon," Jay said.
"Well, she asked what was going on in my life and I hadn't told her about you yet, so surprise Christine, your daughter's in love," Hailey continued eating.
Jay smiled slightly, "Sounds good."
"Thanks," Hailey started eating faster, "I told her if my dad shows up, I'm cutting her out."
"Did you mean it?" Jay asked.
Hailey shrugged, "She doesn't know that."
Jay nodded, "Have you cut her out before?"
Hailey wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, "Not really. I mostly just ignore her. I don't agree with her choices at all. It's one thing to stay in an abusive relationship – it's a horrible thing, but it's a thing – but it's a whole new level to stay with the man who hurts your kids. I can't respect her."
Jay pursed his lips and looked down at his ice-cream.
Hailey glanced to the TV and breathed in, "She means well. Besides staying with my dad, she was a decent mom. She could be intense, but that was probably because my dad was so intense that she needed to let out her feelings somehow. She has this need to be perfect; probably why she stays – she can't look like a failure."
"I'm sorry," Jay said softly.
"Don't be," Hailey took another deep breath, "Just my life. You didn't affect my childhood – just made my adulthood better."
Jay smiled and moved closer to her, "I'm glad I could do that."
Hailey set her hands on his knees, "You'll come, right?"
"Wouldn't miss it," Jay scooped ice-cream on his spoon, "I will be there the entire time," he held the spoon out to her.
Hailey laughed softly and ate it, "Thank you." She swallowed and played with her spoon, "I'd give you mine, but-"
"I don't know how you can eat that toothpaste crap," Jay interrupted her.
Hailey smiled and sat up on her knees, "Just try it."
"No," Jay laughed and pushed her away.
"Have you ever even tried it?" Hailey asked, holding her spoon out.
"The idea of mint ice-cream grosses me out so much," Jay shook his head.
"For me," Hailey blinked her eyes quickly.
Jay laughed, "I'd rather leave."
Hailey gasped, but laughed in shock, "Jay!"
"Get the spoon away from me," Jay stood from the couch.
"Just eat it," Hailey walked behind him around the couch. She blocked the door, "Not going anywhere, Halstead."
Jay smirked and walked backwards up her stairs, "I'm not eating it."
Hailey followed him, "You need to."
"I need to?" Jay repeated, "Ice-cream isn't even good for you. I shouldn't have any."
"You love ice-cream," Hailey said and backed him up against a wall.
"I love desert ice-cream," Jay corrected, "Not ice-cream that's meant to clean my teeth."
"You're such a baby," Hailey pushed the spoon against his mouth.
Jay shook his head quickly and reached out to tickle her sides.
Hailey gasped and stepped back, dropping the ice-cream on Jay's shirt.
Jay looked down at the green stain on his white t-shirt before slowly bending down and picking up the spoon.
"I'm sorry," Hailey said quietly, trying to hold back her laugh.
Jay smirked, "Look what your disgusting ice-cream did to my shirt."
Hailey rolled her eyes, "It's a white t-shirt and," she grabbed his shoulder and turned him to look at the tag, "Yeah, it's Hanes. Big spender."
Jay laughed and picked her up to throw her over his shoulder, "Insulting my fashion choices now, Upton? Strike two."
Hailey kicked her legs gently, "Put me down."
"I will," Jay said and pushed her bedroom door open. He tossed her on her bed and crawled on top of her.
"Vanessa's home," Hailey laughed softly.
"That's your punishment," Jay kissed down her neck.
"Jay," Hailey smiled, "Stop."
"Mm, no," Jay pulled at her shirt.
Hailey glanced toward her door, "I can't."
"Should have thought of that earlier," Jay whispered in her ear before tugging her shirt off.
Hailey closed her eyes and gripped his arms.
Jay grabbed her waist, "Tell me to stop and I will."
Hailey took a deep breath and opened her eyes to see him staring at her face, the teasing smile still there, but it didn't match the softness in his eyes.
"I'll stop," Jay whispered and hooked his thumb in the waistband of her pants.
She bit her lip and shook her head, "Don't."
Jay's face lit up as he dove forward and kissed her, squeezing her gently and causing her to squeal against his lips.
Hailey's knee bounced against Jay's in the booth as they waited for her mom to show up.
"It'll be okay," Jay said softly and set his hand on her leg.
"Just don't say anything about her face," Hailey whispered.
Jay took a deep breath, "Hailey."
"You want to know my family, this is what you've signed up for," Hailey said.
Jay shook his head, "I don't-"
"Jay, you can't change her," Hailey grabbed his hand, "I've accepted it and I need you to do the same thing."
"But, maybe-"
"No, it's not worth it," Hailey squeezed his fingers, "I've tried for years and it never works and you'll just end up getting burned and hating yourself."
"Don't hate yourself," Jay breathed.
"It's hard to process," Hailey said.
Jay nodded and intertwined their fingers, "I'll help you."
Hailey shook her head and gently hit her shoulder to his, "I appreciate you being here."
"Nowhere else I'd rather be," Jay smiled.
The bell of the diner rang and they both turned to see a blonde woman walk in.
Hailey breathed out and scooted out of the booth to stand, "Mom."
The woman smiled wide and hurried between the tables over to her, "Hi, sweetheart."
As she hugged her daughter, Jay slowly stood and looked her over. Hailey's comment about her mom's face stood out in his mind causing him to squint his eyes and look her over. He'd never put on makeup and didn't know much about it, but the clear line of an almost yellow paste along the right side of her jaw that wasn't blending into the rest of her face seemed to be an indicator that a heavy amount of makeup was being used there. His eyes flickered down to her hand patting Hailey's back and he swallowed hard at the light purple bruise that poked out from several bracelets on her wrist.
"Mom," Hailey pulled back and looked at Jay, "This is my boyfriend, Jay Halstead."
Jay instantly smiled at the word 'boyfriend.' They really didn't say 'boyfriend' and 'girlfriend' much, so when the label came up, it usually caused his heart to skip a beat.
"Jay," Hailey continued, "This is my mom, Christine Upton."
"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Upton," Jay said and held his hand out.
"Call me Christine," Christine said softly and stepped forward to hug Jay gently, "It's nice to finally meet you."
"You too," Jay said before sitting back down with Hailey.
Christine sat opposite them and grabbed a menu, "Have either of you been here before? I usually don't come to this side of town, your dad doesn't like me venturing out here on my own."
Hailey rolled her eyes and breathed, "Of course."
Jay cleared his throat, "Um, yeah, we've been here a few times. Their sandwiches are really good, I'm probably going to have the ham and cheese."
Christine nodded, "Thank you. See, Hailey, was it that hard to give a real answer?"
Hailey sighed, "Mom, did you even hear what you said? He doesn't like-"
Christine waved her hand, "He's protective. Jay, are you protective of my Hailey?"
"Don't answer that," Hailey shook her head.
"You just know I'm right," Christine said quietly.
"Yes, Jay's protective of me, but he doesn't limit me," Hailey stated, "There's a difference."
Jay watched the two of them, not wanting to be the cause of a riff between the two of them, but also knowing that he truly did want to protect Hailey. She was right though, he could never imagine telling her where she can and cannot go. She could handle herself.
Christine shrugged, "If you say so."
"I do," Hailey mumbled.
A waitress came to their table and asked for their drink orders then walked away.
"So," Christine smiled, "How'd you meet?"
Jay glanced at Hailey, slightly surprised that she hadn't seemed to tell her mom anything about him.
Hailey relaxed though and smiled back, "Work. We're partners."
"Oh, so you're a cop too?" Christine asked Jay.
He nodded, "Detective like her too."
"Huh, that's nice," Christine smiled, "It's nice to know that someone's looking out for my daughter. It's a dangerous job."
Jay chuckled, "She looks out for me. I've gotten myself in some sticky situations, but Hailey's always been there."
"Have you been hurt?" Christine asked.
Hailey's hand shot into Jay's stomach.
He grunted quietly and looked at her, "What?"
Hailey just barely shook her head.
Christine raised an eyebrow, "Hailey."
"It's nothing," Hailey shook her head.
"Have you gotten hurt on the job, Jay?" Christine asked again.
Hailey pinched Jay's side.
"Dammit, Hailey," Jay whispered and moved away, "You're the one hurting me."
"Don't answer her," Hailey hissed.
"So he has been hurt," Christine said.
Hailey sighed, "God."
"I…I'm fine," Jay nodded, "Yes, I've gotten hurt, but-"
Christine interrupted him and turned to Hailey, "Hailey, your father and I have told you time and time again, this job is not safe."
"Mom, it's the nature of the job. I am fine. Jay is fine," Hailey took a deep breath, "He's been shot, but-"
"Oh my god, Hailey Anne," Christine shook her head, "Your dad was right, you should have been a lawyer. You were so smart."
"Mom," Hailey hissed.
Jay set a hand on her leg and shook his head.
"I'm just saying, I can't lose you," Christine shook her head.
Hailey softened, but her face remained stern, "Mom, you won't lose me. I pro-"
"Don't promise anything," Christine said quickly.
"Okay," Hailey breathed.
The waitress returned with their drinks and took everyone's orders for their food.
As she walked away, Christine said softly, "Do you think she's pregnant?"
"Mom," Hailey looked around, "That's not appropriate."
Christine put her hands up, "Okay. Speaking of pregnancy though, have you two thought about it?"
Jay's face burned bright and he nervously drank his water.
Hailey's jaw dropped, "M-Mom. We…it's been two months, we have not talked about babies yet."
"It's an important topic," Christine shrugged, "You're not getting younger. Hailey, you don't want to be forty wishing you would have acted sooner."
"I cannot believe you," Hailey whispered and rubbed her face.
Christine sighed, "Hailey, I just want you happy."
"I am happy," Hailey smiled slightly, "I am incredibly happy. We're happy," she set a hand on Jay's leg under the table, "Mom, I promise. Jay makes me feel important and like I'm worth something. Don't you want that?"
Jay could sense there was a double meaning behind Hailey's words and based on the look on Christine's face, she sensed it too.
"Hailey," Christine said softly, "We agreed not to talk about your father."
"You've already brought him up," Hailey leaned forward and reached her hand out, "We can help you."
Christine shook her head, "I love your dad."
Hailey breathed out, "He's not my dad."
"He raised you and cares about you," Christine said.
Hailey closed her eyes in frustration.
Jay noticed her jaw clench and he lightly held her hand under the table, rubbing his thumb across her fingers.
Christine watched them for a moment then took a deep breath, "Let's talk about something else, okay? Did you two go anywhere fun this summer?"
"Actually, yeah," Jay smiled, "Hailey and I took a long weekend and we went up to my family's cabin in Wisconsin last month."
"Are you from there?" Christine asked.
"My grandparents just had this place," Jay shook his head, "My whole family's from Chicago."
"And what do your parents do?" Christine nodded.
Hailey glanced to Jay and bit her lip.
He shrugged at her and squeezed her hand, "Uh, my parents have passed away."
"Oh," Christine blushed, "I'm sorry, I didn't know."
"It's okay," Jay said, "I have a brother though, he's an emergency doctor at Chicago Med."
"That's great," Christine smiled, "Hailey has brothers too."
"He knows, Mom," Hailey said quietly.
"Of course," Christine took a deep breath, "Right, sorry. I guess Hailey's told you about our family."
"You don't have to apologize, ma'am," Jay said.
Hailey held back a smile and played with her napkin in her lap.
Christine blinked quickly and looked to Hailey. She shook her head slightly and got out of the booth, "Excuse me. Hailey, watch my purse?" She quickly walked away to the bathroom.
Jay waited until he saw Christine enter the bathroom to say, "How're you holding up?"
Hailey weakly laughed, "She's a joke. What-what is happening here?"
"She seems to be trying," Jay said.
"By asking me when I'm going to pop out a baby and telling me to quit my job," Hailey rolled her eyes.
"It's mom stuff, right?" Jay asked.
Hailey sighed, "Was your mom like this?"
Jay smiled slightly, "She was protective, yeah."
"Was she blind to abuse though?" Hailey mumbled.
Jay kissed the side of her head, "I'm sorry."
Hailey leaned into him and whispered, "I'm the one who's sorry. I didn't know she would ask about your mom and dad."
"It would have come up eventually," Jay said, "It's not a secret. My parents are dead. You can go to the cemetery and find them."
The food was brought to the table and Hailey sat up, "Gosh, I needed this."
"You want some of these?" Jay held up an onion ring from his basket.
Hailey laughed softly and nodded, grabbing it from his hand, "You know me so well. Fry?"
"Don't mind if I do," Jay chuckled and reached for her plate.
Christine slowly walked back to the table and smiled at the sight, "Sharing food?"
Hailey smiled up at her, "Do you want some?"
Christine shook her head as she sat down, "No, thank you." She ate one of her own fries, "Very good."
Hailey laughed softly and nodded, "It's my guilty pleasure. I could live here and just eat fries and be happy with that."
Jay smirked, "Can I join you?"
"Sure," Hailey teased.
Christine watched Jay take the tomato off of his sandwich and set it in Hailey's basket.
"You sure?" Hailey asked.
"Yeah, not in the mood today," Jay shrugged and bit into his sandwich.
"You're the best," Hailey added the tomato to her own sandwich and happily ate it.
Christine laughed and shook her head.
Hailey glanced up, "Hmm?"
"You two are the opposite of your dad and I," Christine smiled, "I always gave your dad my tomatoes because I truly hate them."
Jay chuckled, "I'm kind of picky with them. I'll eat them on a burger, but I can easily pass on a sandwich. Hailey loves them."
"Just like her dad," Christine laughed.
Hailey bit her lip and sipped her water.
Christine quieted down and played with her food.
Jay looked between them and hesitated before saying, "Mrs. Upton?"
Christine looked up, "Call me Christine."
Jay smiled slightly, "Mrs. Upton, I'd like to tell you that I think your daughter's incredible and I am thankful everyday for her, so thank you for having a hand in raising her. I know she's her own person," he looked to Hailey, "But it's nice to meet the person who helped her become this way."
Hailey smiled back at him and set her hand on his arm, "I love you."
Christine breathed deeply and turned to Jay, "Those are very kind words, thank you. We know the truth though," she made eye contact with Hailey, "She became who she is because of herself and her drive. She's a smart, caring young woman and I'm proud of who she is."
"Thank you," Hailey said softly.
Christine's phone started ringing in her purse and she quickly turned to look for it, whispering, "Where is it? Come on."
"Mom," Hailey sat up, "Is it-"
"Just hold on," Christine said and finally found her phone, "Ok, here we go," she answered the call, "Hi, honey."
Hailey rolled her eyes, "Oh god."
Christine shot her a look and started looking for her wallet, "Yes, dear. Of course…No, no, just out for lunch…A friend."
Hailey closed her eyes and breathed shakily.
"Okay, I'll head there now…I love you too, bye," Christine hung up the phone, "I have to go."
"You only ate half your sandwich," Hailey said softly.
"That was your dad," Christine pulled out a twenty dollar bill, "Will this be enough? Actually," she pulled out two other twenties, "Here, I'll pay for everything."
"Mom," Hailey grabbed her hand.
"Hailey, I need to go," Christine slid out of the booth, "Your dad wants me to pick up lobster for dinner."
"Of course," Hailey breathed as she stood, "Do you need us-"
"I'm okay," Christine tried to smile and hugged Hailey tightly, "It was good to see you. I missed your smile. Always the brightest in the room."
Jay stood next to Hailey, "It was nice to meet you, Mrs. Upton."
Christine turned to him and lightly hugged him, "And it was nice to meet you too." She stepped back and took a deep breath, "Thank you for loving my daughter," she lightly touched Jay's arm then grabbed her purse and hurried out of the diner.
Hailey shook her head and set a hand on Jay's back to push him back toward the booth, "I guess we can finish lunch without her."
Jay sat and watched Hailey sit where her mom had minutes before, "How're you feeling?"
"He's going to hit her," Hailey whispered and pulled her food toward her, "The second he finds out she was with me, he's going to lose it."
"He doesn't like you?" Jay guessed.
Hailey rolled her eyes, "He thinks I put ideas of divorce in her head. He doesn't like that I've stood up to him. I'm what she's not and that scares him."
Jay couldn't help but smile before shaking his head and looking down at his sandwich.
"What?" Hailey asked.
"You've always been confident," Jay said, "But seeing you with your mom and talking about your dad, I can really see it in a different way. You're strong, Hailey, and that's admirable. I still don't know how you do it and how you did it before. Sitting here watching and listening was hard. I don't know, Hailey."
"I know," she breathed, "I hate it with every fiber of my being."
Jay put his hand out on the table and waited for her to grab it to say, "We're a team, okay? You're not alone."
Hailey smiled, "Thank you."
Jay rubbed his thumb against her wrist then turned to his food, "On a lighter note, this sandwich is delicious."
Hailey laughed, "I'm glad. It's even better since my mom's paying."
Jay chuckled, "Keep the money to yourself, I'll pay."
"I barely see her and she ran out on this meal," Hailey shook her head, "Don't be a gentleman. Let her pay."
Jay breathed out, "Fine, but I'm paying next time."
"I can deal with that," Hailey smiled and tossed him a fry.
Jay laughed and caught it with his mouth.
"Impressive," Hailey clapped, "My guy."
Jay winked and sipped his water.
Hailey relaxed into the booth and dug into her sandwich again – happy the lunch was over, but even happier that Jay was still there with her.
A/N: I hope you liked it! I tried balancing Hailey's mom the best I could, so please let me know what you think :) And yes, I will have a chapter on Jay's mom and one with Hailey's dad – just need to think of the best way to expand those stories from more than just a thought. If you have any suggestions, feel free to send them my way!