Yah! I'm so excited ya'll are still interested lol. Thanks so much for the reviews here's another new chapter for ya! :)
As always reviews are love so keep up with 'em!
Thanks again!
- Bethie
"Julian? What are you doing here?" Haley asked while getting up to hug the coworker who had become more of a friend.
He pulled Haley into a hug, "You forgot you're iPod at the bar and since your off until Saturday, I figured you'd be going out of your mind." He joked.
Haley threw her hands in the air, "There it is!"
"Yea, she nearly tore apart the apartment..." Brooke mumbled, causing both Julian and Haley to turn her way, "What? I'm just saying..."
"So Brooke..." Julian smiled, "Is that a new fashion?" His eyes went down to the ice cream stain on her shirt. Brooke gave him an irritated glare before stomping off into the bedroom, causing Julian's smile to grow.
Haley playfully slapped him and made her way back to the couch, "You know she IS going to kill you right?"
Julian followed in Haley's direction, "Come on she sets herself up for it...So James....how ya been?"
Though Haley hadn't worked at Lou's for very long, her shifts usually coincided with Julian's and the two quickly began a friendship. She was hesitant still to fill him in on the history of her and Nathan's relationship, but he did know she had been married and her husband had died. Haley was able to share her fears of moving on and get a male perspective on it.
"Eh...Good.." Haley ran a hand through her blonde curls, "Ok..." She forced a smile, "I'm fine Julian, how are things with...wait how did you describe her, "The walking boob-job?"
Julian stretched out his arms and placed his feet on the coffee table in his cockiest manner, "What can I say they flock to me..."
Haley shook her head, "Oh god..."
The sound of Haley's cellphone ringing put a pause on the playful banter between the two. Haley did nothing to reach for the phone, just sat there watching it light up until after a moment, it stopped.
Julian looked at her curiously, "Trouble in paradise?"
Haley rose to her feet, "No...I just..." She looked around for her jacket, "I just need some air." She threw her coat on and headed towards the door, "I'll be back...I just need to clear my head."
With that Haley left the apartment, leaving Julian to face Brooke...alone.
Nathan paced around his apartment, dialing his phone yet again, but only being met with Haley's voice mail, "Hales...you can't ignore me forever..." He picked up one of her earrings that she had left on his night stand, "Call Me..."
The cool, New York summer air caused Haley to tighten the jacket around her. She looked at all the people walking around Central Park, but not settling on anyone in particular. They all seemed to blend together...the couples holding hands, the joggers running past her, the new mothers pushing their strollers. Haley pushed her hands farther into the pockets, closing her eyes a bit as she tried to rid herself of at least a little stress.
The truth was this mornings events just pushed an already pressing issue that neither Haley or Nathan was ready to accept. Family.
Her Family. His Family....the ex's families.
Ex's. Was that even the appropriate word? Haley wondered this on a daily basis. It wasn't as if they divorced. It wasn't as if they both agreed to leave each other. In a divorce it's simple, you divorce the man, you divorce the family...in a matter of speaking. There isn't that awkward "Oh you've moved on?" accusation...it's expected. Moving on is normal.
When they die though...it's not expected. It's not normal. In some cultures...a woman, even as young as Haley will spend the rest of her life, wearing black and mourning the love she had lost.
Haley took a deep breath. It was all too much. As much as it hurt to know her husband was finding comfort in another woman's arms. She did love him. Just as Nathan did love Rachel and seeing Rachel's parents forced Haley to the realization, that she had a phone call to make...to Chris' father.
Robert Keller by most standards was a difficult man, being a New York prosecutor, it kind of went with the job. Though he had always treated Haley with respect and she was appreciative of that. She didn't agree with the way he had pressured Chris into joining his firm, but she understood his reasoning behind it.
When Robert and Nadine Keller married, both broke, the young law student struggled weekly to put food on the table for his new bride. A man of pride, he refused for Nadine to get a job and for awhile that was their life. A struggle.
Haley remembered at her wedding Robert had pulled her to the side and shared that he didn't know the meaning of struggle, until a doctor had come out of the delivery room only to tell him he was the father of a beautiful baby boy, and also a widower.
Haley found a nearby bench and rested her legs, remembering the last conversation she had, had with her father in law...
"It was a beautiful service..." Robert Keller stood in her living room, looking at the photo's of his now dead son. Haley could hear a slight sniffle coming from the man usually vacant of emotion.
"Mr. Keller..." Haley moved towards him and was caught off guard when the man pulled her into a hard embrace. It was the moment he broke down. It was the first time Haley had seen him completely...empty.
After a moment he let go of her, offering many apologies, "I'm sor-I'm sorry Haley..."
"Hey, don't apologize..." Now it was Haley's turn as fresh tears began to fall, "We both loved him...We both" Haley took a deep breath, "We'll both miss him."
Robert let out a light chuckle, "You know...loosing Nadine was...hard..." He sat on the edge of one of the chairs, "When they handed Chris to me...I looked at him...and for a moment I hated him. Hated that because of him...my wife was gone."
"Mr. Kell-"
"But then..." Robert looked at her with a smile, "He grabbed my finger. This little, bald...baby" He started to laugh, "grabbed my finger and held onto it so tight....and I looked into those big eyes of his...and immediately saw his mother...and in that moment I knew that she may be gone...but I wasn't alone...I was holding a piece of her in my arms..."
Haley stood frozen, tears streaming down his face. She wondered if anyone else had ever seen this side of him before...and not knowing if their was anything she could say to comfort the man in front of her.
Robert tried to hold back another display of tears as he continued to speak, "From that day on I got comfort in the fact that...no matter what happened...I wouldn't be alone. I'd always have a son...and with that son a piece of my wife...." He looked to his feet, "So today...I not only buried my son...but I feel like I buried my wife for the second time..."
Haley knelt down to meet his eyes, "Hey, I want you to know that you are not alone. If you ever need me...I'm here..."
"Haley!?" '
Startled out of her memory, she quickly wiped her tear filled eyes and looked to the voice calling for her, "Oh my- Jake?" Haley rose to hug him, "How are you?"
Jake held on tight to her, "Good...Good, wow..you look good kid..." He hugged even tighter, "It's good to see you."
"You too..." Jake Jagielski was Chris's roommate at NYU and for a few years the three had been inseparable. But as it does, life happens. Chris joined the law firm and Jake got a gig in Atlanta, "What are you doing here?"
"My cousin's getting married this weekend, decided to come up a few days early and make my usual rounds with the family."
Haley smiled, "Well it's good to see you."
"Ya...hey look I can't tell you how sorry I was to hear about Chris. I tried to get up for the funeral but-"
Haley waved her hand, "Hey, I know...it's ok."
Jake looked around and saw the sun was beginning to set, "What do you say we get out of here? Get a cup of coffee...catch up?"
Haley smiled, "That sounds nice."
"Alright, alright! I get that I'm never going to live down streaking through the dorms..." Jake amusingly admitted.
Haley continued to laugh as she took a sip of her coffee, "Ah...ya that was...interesting."
"Speaking of streaking...how is Brooke?" Jake smirked.
"Good...I'm sure she'd LOVE to see you" Haley joked.
"To know Brooke is to torture her...AND if you remember correctly, she was the one that stripped in MY car...so..."
"You were the one who took a Polaroid and-"
"Ya we'll leave the rest of that story out."
The two old friends sat in a comfortable silence for a moment, "Thanks Jake...On a day like today, I needed this."
"Anytime Hales..." He looked down at his watch, "Well I hate to end this but I promised Mom I'd be home by eight..."
"Well aren't you the good son," Haley teased, "Tell your mom hey for me."
They both rose, "Will do Hales. Will do."
Haley wrapped her arms around him, "Stay in touch ok?"
"I'll make sure to call you before I leave...."
"You better."
The two parted with smiles but in the corner of her eye she spotted a sight that made her sure she was hallucinating.
"Well...isn't this a surprise."
Haley took a deep breath, "Mr. and Mrs. Gattina..."
Jake noticed the awkwards tention, "Ah- Again Hales...it was good seeing you, I'll call you."
Haley just nodded as Jake left the coffee house. Marian's eyes following the handsome stranger, "Well-"
"Look that was-" Haley tried to defend.
"No dear, I understand perfectly...it's just obvious Nathan doesn't know you as well as he thinks." She coldly smiled.
For a moment Haley believed in the guilt she was trying to make her feel but it quickly vanished to anger. Who the hell did this woman think she was?
"Excuse me?" Haley added matching the woman's arrogance.
"Come on John, I don't think I want that cup of coffee now..." The woman stated, ignoring Haley's question.
As the two turned to leave Haley spoke once more, "Oh no...You don't get to do that."
Aggravated Marian turned around, "And just was it that?"
"Show up with your Prada bag and your Gucci suit and pass judgement on me!"
"If you think I was passing judge-"
"For one in your life lady...SHUT UP!" The rise in Haley's voice caused the other patrons of the shop turn in their direction, "Look I'm sorry about your daughter-"
"Don't you dare!" Marian shot back, "Just because you're screwing her husband doesn't give you any right to talk about her!"
Gasps could be heard from the onlookers and Haley suddenly felt like a guest on the Jerry Springer Show. She quickly grabbed her coat from the nearby chair, "Look, I didn't know your daughter and I'm sorry she's dead...but before you go around with your assumptions get your facts right...Your daughter was screwing MY husband long before I even met Nathan."
More gasps were heard and a shocked Marian was finally speechless, walking past them Haley added one last comment, "Have a safe trip home."
Let me know! :)
-Bethie