A/N: Hi hi! It's been a while, but I'm back and ready to share the end of this story with you. I hope you all like it :)
Elena Upton loved her family. She also loved her reputation.
She always worked to make sure her family was the best looking at church and needed to be known as the person who made the best spanakopita in all of Greektown. One of those was easier to do than the other.
She thrived on social situations, so the idea of ruining her marriage and having to deal with the fall-out at church and her diner customers was not something she ever wanted to deal with. Her kids were well-aware of that fact. Hailey had known for years that Elena cared far too much about what others thought of her to actually do anything about the abusive situation they were in. It was whispered conversations on the phone between her mother and grandmother about "what the women at church would say" and "we'll lose business for sure" that confirmed her suspicions: Elena Upton needed a positive reputation.
That same reputation led to gaudy jewelry and high expectations that were then flaunted at Sunday brunches within the diner and Wednesday wine night at their house. Hailey hated every single woman that showed up to those events. She partly blamed them and their gossiping nature for preventing her mother from leaving her abusive father. Mary Anne was the worst of them all, she never greeted Hailey or her brothers upon her arrival, and yet she was also the one who stuck around the longest. It irked Hailey.
So there she stood at her boyfriend's door staring out at her mother outside her own door. She certainly didn't want to see her after she'd been drinking, and she really didn't want to see her after she'd been with Mary Anne. Something had to have come up to prompt Elena to show up at her daughter's door. Hailey did not have a good feeling about whatever that could have been.
She breathed in slowly then said, "You're at my place?"
"I am," Elena replied, "It's…well, it's nice, Hailey."
Hailey rolled her eyes. She couldn't see her mother's face, but she knew she'd choked the words out. It wasn't like they came from money at all, but her mom's high expectations for her children spread to where they lived and what they did. While she'd come around first with accepting that her daughter was going to be a forensic scientist, she was also the first to ask her what kind of money she would be making and if there would be men there for her to potentially date. It didn't feel as supportive as her mother thought.
Hailey glanced behind her shoulder at her friends and boyfriend staring at her. They knew something had to have been up; it wasn't like she'd been subtle as she'd stumbled over to the door. In hand, she knew they were also drunk and wouldn't be able to stay quiet if they found out her mom was right outside the door. Kim and Jay were the only one's who'd seen who was calling her, so they could probably piece together who was on the other side of the door. She felt like she had no choice.
Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath then pushed open the door. As she stepped in the hallway, she whispered, "Hi, Mom," just as Elena turned at the noise.
Her mom's eyes widened instantly, and she breathed, "Hailey."
Hailey shot her a small smile and ended the call. Slipping the phone into the waistband of her pajama pants, she repeated, "Hi."
"What…you were…do you know them?" Elena asked.
Hailey laughed softly and nodded before stepping forward to hug her mom. "I do," she said softly.
"Oh, buttercup," Elena whispered as she squeezed Hailey tightly, "I've missed you so much. It's been far too long."
Hailey hummed and bit her lip. It'd been a couple months. She hadn't seen her since she moved out of her house and into this very apartment. Looking back, it probably was the longest they'd gone without seeing each other in a while. Hailey had gotten very used to life on her own; she truly hadn't even considered going to see her parents since moving in here. She didn't regret staying away at all.
She also didn't hesitate to pull away from her mother after being in her arms for just a few seconds. She stepped around her and placed a hand on her doorknob, asking, "Do you want to come inside?"
"I'd love that, yes," Elena replied with a smile.
Hailey tried smiling back as she opened the door for her. "I can make you some tea," she said, "Did you drive here?"
"I took one of those cars," Elena explained, "You know, an Uber. Have you taken one before?"
Hailey finally smiled and said, "Yeah, I've taken one of those." She closed the door then walked over to the stove to grab her kettle.
While she filled it up, Elena stood at the edge of the kitchen and looked around the apartment. She slowly nodded while taking in her surroundings and said, "This is nice, Hailey. It's very cute."
"Thanks," Hailey said softly, "My room is the one by the window if you'd like to take a look."
Elena nodded then walked away from her to take a look.
Hailey waited until her mom was out of sight to pull her phone back out and quickly shoot Jay a text.
~ My MOTHER is here ~
~ Are you serious? ~ Jay
~ YES. Wth am I supposed to do? ~
~ Do you need me to come over? ~ Jay
"Buttercup? Hailey?" Elena said while walking out of her room.
Hailey shoved her phone back in her pants and said, "Yeah?"
"Who's this?" Elena asked. She held up a picture Hailey had just recently framed and placed on her bedside table.
She wasn't one for putting pictures of boyfriends in her bedroom, especially not when they'd been dating for such a short time, but this picture was different: it was from the night she ran away to Michigan with Jay. She had been getting a few pictures printed anyways for some of the frames she and Vanessa had around their apartment, and she couldn't resist getting one of her selfies with Jay printed as well. She hadn't wanted to place it in the living room where Vanessa would be as well since that was a shared space, so she settled on swapping out an old picture of her and her brothers with that one. When she'd first placed it on her nightstand, she couldn't help but stare at it for a while. It just made her happy. That night was the first time she'd really understood her feelings for Jay and realized that she was experiencing love, and she wanted to remember it for a long time.
"Um," Hailey breathed out. She leaned against the counter and said quietly, "That's my boyfriend."
Elena's eyes widened and she looked at the picture again. "I see," she said, "Well…tell me about him."
Hailey smiled slightly and nodded. She sat down at the table and said, "His name's Jay."
"Jay," Elena repeated as she walked over to sit next to her daughter. Still looking at the picture, she asked, "How'd you meet?"
Hailey let out a soft laugh then nodded toward the door. "He lives across the hall," she said, "We met the day I moved in here."
"Oh," Elena breathed. She finally set the picture down on the table. Nodding to herself, she said, "That is great."
"He is," Hailey said softly, "I like him a lot."
Elena smiled slightly and said, "That's very good. You need to like the man you're with. Is he Greek?"
Hailey closed her eyes briefly. Her mother had always wanted her to marry someone Greek so they could take over the diner some day. It was never her dream to own the restaurant that chipped away at her family while growing up, but her mother couldn't let it go. She'd accepted that her sons were not going to run the place, and yet she still held out the hope that her daughter would be the manager some day.
"No," she finally answered exasperatedly, "He's Irish, but I don't see why that matters; he's-"
"Oh, of course not," Elena interrupted quickly, "It really does not matter; I was just curious. What does he do?"
"He's in school to be a physical therapist," Hailey said, "Specifically, he likes working with kids. I think it's really sweet."
"That is," Elena replied with a smile. Before she could ask anything else, the kettle screeched, so Hailey pushed back from the table to grab it.
As she poured the hot water into two mugs, she asked, "I have vanilla tea, is that okay?"
"It sounds perfect, thank you, buttercup," Elena said.
Hailey nodded and grabbed two teabags from the box in the cabinet. Dropping them into the hot water, she asked, "How's Mary Anne?"
"It's Mrs. Theodorakis, Hailey," Elena corrected, "And she is doing well. Her husband recently died, but she got some money out of it."
"Mom," Hailey hissed.
"What?" Elena asked, "It was nice that he left her something."
Hailey sighed and shook her head as she returned to the table. "Whatever," she mumbled under her breath.
Though she'd suspected for a while now that her mother was waiting for her father's death, it still felt weird to hear the hints that it was true. George had always said their dad had more money than he let on – he had to have bought the alcohol somehow – so it did not feel farfetched that her mom was waiting to inherit it. Hailey used to wonder if she'd be included within that will, and then she went to college and stopped caring. She stopped caring about a lot of things related to her family when she went to college. It wasn't that she forgot all about them or pushed them from her mind, but that she felt free and could finally make her own choices and control her own life. It was liberating.
It was also a lot like what she felt when around Jay. She could confidently say that even if Jay died tomorrow, she wasn't going to be hoping he left her money in his will. She would be devastated. It'd be the typical response to a loved one's death.
Her mom was just strange.
"She actually treated tonight," Elena continued as if her daughter hadn't said anything. Whether she noticed, was used to it, or didn't care, it wasn't clear.
"That's nice," Hailey breathed. She blew on her tea before taking a careful sip of it. As the hot water hit her tongue, she winced slightly. She'd burnt her tongue earlier on some hot chocolate and was going to be paying for it the next few days. At the memory of what Jay had said to her when she'd announced the burn, she smiled to herself and shook her head.
"Hmm?" Elena asked.
Hailey glanced up at her and said, "What?"
"You have a smile on your face," Elena said, "What're you thinking about?"
"Oh," Hailey weakly laughed, "It's nothing. Just something Jay said earlier."
Elena slowly nodded then said, "Is he kind?"
Hailey's face lit up in a true smile as she nodded. "Yes," she said confidently, "He is very kind."
When Hailey was little, 'kind' was always the word her mom used to describe her and her siblings and who she wanted them to surround themselves with. It was always "Be kind to each other" and "Choose kind friends, sweetheart." Despite the irony behind the words and her father's temper, Hailey always loved that. Yes, there were the underlying tones of needing the boy to be Greek and money would be helpful, but her mom always said he needed to be kind. It was one of the few things the two of them agreed on.
"Tell me more," Elena said, "How old is he? Does he have a roommate? Is he already done with college?"
"Twenty-four, yes, and yes," Hailey answered easily, "Like I said, he's still going to PT school, but he's doing well and is currently in an internship. It'll be exciting when he graduates."
"For sure," Elena said. She smiled at her daughter then asked, "So why him and not the roommate?"
Hailey laughed and shook her head. "I don't know," she said, "We just clicked. He actually flirted with me first. I was kind of hesitant, but…but he proved that he would be worth the risk."
Elena tilted her head to the side then took a long sip of tea. Staring at Hailey intently, she seemed to be considering her words before asking, "What risk?"
Hailey blushed and looked down. She sucked in a breath and shrugged slightly. Sipping her tea, she wished she hadn't said those words. Her mom was well aware of her feelings toward her dad, and yet he wasn't really the risk she was talking about.
She had never told her mom why she broke up with Garrett. While Elena had known Hailey had a boyfriend the year before, she never met the guy and didn't hear many stories about him. It should have been a sign then that their relationship wasn't going anywhere if Hailey wasn't even going to consider telling her family about him. He had just been so…Garrett. He was a normal college guy who liked partying, didn't study nearly often enough, and really just wanted a girlfriend for sex. He'd been able to get her to say "I love you," which was something she hadn't ever said to a boyfriend before. He then crushed her heart by seemingly pushing those feelings away after getting what he'd wanted.
Maybe most girls would have told their mom about the boyfriend that broke them, but it never even crossed Hailey's mind to let her mom into her heart. They really never had that type of relationship; plus, Hailey didn't really trust her mom's outlook on boyfriends given the state of her marriage. It was something she perhaps would have gotten upset about had she not had her friends to support her.
"Uh," Hailey breathed as she looked down at her tea. Shrugging again, she scrunched her nose and said, "I don't know."
"Hailey," Elena said without waiting a beat. She reached a hand out to place on Hailey's wrist. Raising an eyebrow, she said, "Talk to me, buttercup."
She did love the nickname, but the extent to which her mother was using it was starting to wear on her.
She sighed and met her mom's gaze. "Yes?" she asked.
"Is this about my relationship with your father again?" Elena said.
Hailey couldn't help but scoff before saying, "No; not at all. That's not what I was talking about. Don't worry."
Elena nodded despite the hesitation clear on her face.
"I…" Hailey sighed again then admitted, "My last relationship didn't end well. I didn't want a repeat of that, that's all. I had some walls up, but Jay didn't mind. He helped me figure it all out."
Again, Elena nodded, but this time, she seemed to actually believe her daughter. A smile flickered on her face before she said, "That's nice to hear. I'd love-"
The apartment door opened, and, as if summoned by his name, Jay stepped inside. He shot Hailey a smile and whispered, "Hey."
She groaned quietly as she took in his appearance. She'd known what he was wearing having been with him all day, but her mom had not, and now her first impression of him was not going to be something she particularly would have liked. Jay hadn't exactly brushed his hair that morning, and he certainly didn't put any gel in. While she liked his wavy hair, she knew what her mom would think about the way it stuck up in the back of his head – especially since it'd just gotten worse after their 'fireside' sex.
Unfortunately, his hair wasn't even the worst part. He was still wearing his plaid pajama pants, and, instead of slipping his Christmas sweater back on, he was wearing an old white t-shirt. His chest was rather visible through it, and she made a mental note to buy him some new ones the next time she was at the store even though she clearly wasn't his mother and should even be doing so.
Honestly, she thought he looked cute and had no personal issues against what he looked like (except maybe the navy socks that seemed out of place). He looked sleepy and comfy and relaxed. However, she had to look at him through her mom's eyes and then saw him as some sloppy guy who was wearing old pajamas and randomly popping into her daughter's apartment.
It was not the best of first impressions.
"Hi," she squeaked.
He smiled and glanced at her mom then stepped forward to lean down and whisper, "You never texted me back. You okay?"
Hailey glanced at her mom and whispered back, "Yeah. What's going on? Are you…did you have more to drink?" She set a hand on his chest and raised an eyebrow, trying to quickly count the drinks they'd had before her mother's presence sobered her up instantly.
"Just one," Jay said quietly, "Kevin suggested fireball in the hot chocolate."
"Oh my god," Hailey breathed and rubbed her face. Standing up, she said, "Do they know you're here?"
"Kim suggested it," Jay said. He glanced over her shoulder at Elena staring at him then took a deep breath. He stepped around Hailey despite her weak protests and said, "Hi. I'm Jay." He stuck his hand out and shot her mom a smile.
"Oh, god," Hailey murmured and leaned against the counter.
Elena smiled slightly and shook his hand. "Hi, Jay, I'm Elena – Hailey's mom," she said.
"And I'm her boyfriend," Jay said while sitting down at the table, "It's nice to meet you."
"Jay," Hailey hissed as she stepped over to him.
Elena nodded and glanced at her daughter.
"Jay, you don't have to do this," Hailey whispered. She pulled at his arm and said, "Come on. Let's get you back to the party."
"Party?" Elena asked, sitting up in her seat, "Oh, Hailey, were you at a party?"
"I wouldn't call it a party," Jay said, "We were just celebrating Christmas in July."
Elena raised an eyebrow and looked at Hailey. "That's a thing?"
Hailey took a deep breath then weakly laughed and said, "Yeah. Jay set it up for me. I told him how much I love Christmas."
Elena finally gave her a genuine smile and said softly, "You always did love it. I loved watching your face in the rearview mirror when we'd go look at lights."
"They were just so pretty," Hailey replied, relaxing enough to sit at the table between Jay and her mom. Jay smiled at her and opened his mouth just for her to shake her head and said, "Don't even say it."
He chuckled and shrugged. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Mhmm," Hailey hummed. She set her hand on his knee under the table and squeezed softly. He winked causing her to laugh and shake her head again.
Elena looked between the two of them then smiled and stood up without finishing her tea. "I'll get going," she said, "You two should go back to your party."
"Mom," Hailey said quickly and stood as well, "You don't-"
"We'll catch up another time," Elena said, shaking her head, "Don't worry about me. Maybe we can get dinner next week. You can bring Jay too. It'd be nice to have a real conversation with him."
Hailey tried laughing as she glanced at her buzzed boyfriend. Nodding, she said, "That…that should work. Okay."
Elena hugged her tightly and whispered, "Can I call you?"
"Um, sure, yeah," Hailey said softly, "Any time."
Elena nodded and stepped back. Looking at Jay, she said, "It was nice meeting you, Jay."
"Yeah, you too," he replied, stumbling to stand up. He shook her hand again and added, "Have a nice night."
Elena smiled at him then waved at her daughter before walking out of the apartment.
Hailey sighed and grabbed Jay's hand. "You…what the hell?" she breathed.
He shook his head and said, "What?"
Hailey rolled her eyes and gently held his face. "You're pretty buzzed, babe. You really had to come over here?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Jay said.
Hailey reached up to peck his lips then said, "Come on, let's go back to our friends."
"If you think I'm drunk, you should see Kev," Jay mumbled.
Hailey laughed and grabbed his hand to tug him out of the apartment. As she walked into Jay's, she was well prepared to ask Kim why she'd let him across the hall, but she couldn't. Everyone was settled around the living room, only the lights hanging from the walls and the tree illuminating their faces. They each had their hot chocolate mugs in front of them with bottles of wine and fireball in the middle as they watched The Santa Clause on the TV.
It was too sweet to ruin by asking what had happened, even if she would have been mostly joking. Jay hadn't really done anything wrong by walking across the hall; he just wanted to check-in on her. He hadn't meant to give a poor first impression – if that's what her mom even thought. Then again, she was used to seeing a drunk man, and Jay was nowhere near the level her dad would get to be on a daily basis. Hailey hoped it was clear that Jay was a much better man than her father.
She squeezed his fingers lightly then helped him sit down by their friends. She accepted the two mugs that Vanessa passed her before slipping down to rest her head on Jay's thigh.
A Christmas in July date that her mom crashed was not how she expected to spend her day, but it really wasn't a bad way to spend it at all. Jay had gone above and behind any of her expectations. He was a good person.
Kind too – just like her mom wanted.
Hailey spent the following morning feeding Jay carbs and making sure he drank enough water before work. His hangover hit him hard, and while she felt bad, she was also grateful he didn't throw up all over his bed while she was in it. She could deal with a hangover headache; she could not deal with a hangover stomachache.
He somehow managed to get to his office, though, so she tried keeping him company by sending him different texts and pictures all day. His replies usually came within ten minutes and helped take her own mind off of everything that was worrying her: her job, her own slight headache, and her mom.
She didn't know what to expect about whatever dinner her mom planned for them. It could be at their house, at the diner, or at neutral territory. She would prefer someplace her dad wouldn't show up at, but, knowing her mom, that wasn't a guarantee.
While she occasionally acknowledged the pain her husband put her through, she also stood by him and would say he provided for their family by giving them a steady income and a roof over their heads. He was "good" in that sense.
Hailey adamantly disagreed.
Her mother's love was unwavering, though, and she was sure to invite her father to the upcoming dinner whenever and wherever that may be.
Hailey couldn't stop thinking of what could be coming. It set her nerves on edge. While she might have been able to tolerate a dinner with her mom, she did not have as high of hopes for dinner with her dad. There was so much that could go wrong, especially if Jay was going. It wasn't that Jay would make things worse, but that there would be obvious tension. She had no doubt that he was going to be protective over her if her dad were to overstep – which was sure to happen. She had no desire to see what exactly that would look like.
"They could get in an argument," she said to Kim and Vanessa after expressing her worries about the potential meeting of her dad and her boyfriend two days later over lunch.
"Over…?" Vanessa said while poking at her salad.
Hailey sighed and said, "I don't know. Me?"
"Is that self-centered?" Kim asked.
Hailey scrunched her nose and threw a carrot at her. "No," she said, "It's a real worry."
Kim threw the carrot back and said, "I'm just saying, there could be many other things those two fight about. Is your dad a Cubs fan?"
"No, thank god," Hailey sighed, "He doesn't watch baseball. He does watch golf though, if that tells you anything about him."
"Loner who loves old men, yup," Vanessa mumbled.
"Exactly," Hailey breathed.
"Okay, listen," Kim said, pushing her own salad to the side and sitting up in her seat, "If Jay and your dad meet, it might not be terrible. You'd get to see Jay step up and support you. That could be hot."
"Or my dad could hit him," Hailey said.
"I don't think that'll happen," Vanessa assured, "Your dad's not going to randomly smack your boyfriend."
"He'd randomly smack my brothers," Hailey said.
"Unprovoked?" Vanessa asked.
Hailey hesitated then said quietly, "Well, no…but he'd be drunk and they'd do something stupid. But that doesn't excuse it."
"Of course not," Kim said and reached over to squeeze Hailey's hand, "Your dad…he seems like a horrible father. You and your siblings did not deserve to grow up like that. We will always be on your side over that. What Vanessa was saying, though, is that the chances of your dad deciding out of nowhere to smack Jay in public are low. You've always said it was only at your house where it'd happen. You've also said that your mom cared a lot about what others thought of her. Is that still true?"
"Yes," Hailey answered quickly.
Kim nodded and added, "So he's not going to suddenly hit someone where others can see him. While your fear is valid, it's also just a fear. It is not a guarantee that it'll happen, okay?"
Hailey held her eye contact for a moment before reluctantly nodding. She was right. Her dad was the kind of person to hurt his family, but he never got into bar fights or loud arguments at the diner - besides the one with her mom. At least, not that she knew of.
"You also don't even know if your dad will be there," Vanessa said, "It really could just be you two and your mom. Do you think your brothers will be there? Will that help?"
Hailey sighed, "Yes or no. It'd be nice to see them. It's been a while."
"And could take some of the pressure off of you and Jay," Kim pointed out.
Vanessa nodded then added, "It might get awkward, but it's not going to be life-ending. You can get through it. I know you can. You're Hailey Upton."
Hailey laughed slightly and looked down at her salad. Mixing it around with her fork, she asked, "Do you think Jay can? With his mom and his own family? He had a hard time with Adam's dad too. Maybe…maybe we shouldn't go to whatever my mom has planned."
"Hailey, everyone has a hard time with Adam's dad. He's kind of an ass sometimes," Kim said.
Vanessa smirked and said, "Try most of the time."
Kim nodded and waved her hand around. "Most of the time," she corrected.
"And Jay's strong," Vanessa said, "He's going through a rough time, but he's also got a good head on his shoulders. You're going to be more important to him, especially after what had happened a few weeks ago. He knows how he feels about you even more than he had before. He's solid, like you."
Hailey let out a breath then said, "Thank you. You…you're right. Yeah, it'll work out."
"Whatever it is," Kim said, "You don't know what exactly that is yet, so this could all just be moo."
Hailey and Vanessa looked at each other in confusion before turning back to her.
"Moo?" Hailey asked first.
"What the hell is moo?" Vanessa added.
"You know, when something doesn't matter – worrying about something that might not even happen, for example – that's moo," Kim explained, "Like a cow's opinion."
Hailey snorted and covered her face. "Oh my god."
"That's not moo," Vanessa said through a laugh, "It's called moot. The point is moot."
"Oh," Kim said, her face blushing instantly, "Well…you got what I meant. It made sense."
Hailey laughed harder and said, "You know what? You're right. Yes, it made sense, and yes, this whole worrying thing might not even matter."
"It's moo," Vanessa repeated.
Kim laughed softly at first, then got louder with Vanessa and Hailey. She covered her face and said, "Please don't tell the principal next week if they call for a character reference. I'll never get hired."
"I love you," Hailey laughed, "I love both of you. Thank you."
Vanessa winked and said, "Always. Love you too."
"Same from me," Kim said with a smile, "I love you two, too."
Hailey shook her head while laughing still and ate another bite of salad.
Nothing to worry about…just like a cow's opinion.
The dreaded phone call came just a few days later and resulted in an invitation to brunch downtown. Hailey was shocked by the location as she quietly accepted. She had not considered something other than dinner with her mom; she didn't even know her mom was a brunch type of person. She really wasn't a brunch type of person.
Still, she put on her sundress and nervously sat in the passenger seat of Jay's truck while he drove them to the restaurant.
"Hey, it's gonna be okay," he said as he pulled into the parking lot, "It's just brunch. Brunch is good."
"What even is brunch?" Hailey asked, "I still ate an orange this morning."
Jay shrugged and parked the car. "Could be anything, I think, it's not like that orange filled you up. I think I want bacon."
Hailey tried smiling at him. "That sounds good," she said, "Do we order alcohol?"
"I don't know, do we?" Jay countered, "Then again, I was pretty buzzed when I first met your mom. Should I really get another drink?"
Hailey sighed and unbuckled her seatbelt. "I don't know. I don't know about any of this," she said, "I'm so confused and worried and-"
"Hail," Jay interrupted softly. He reached over to grab her hand and said, "You're overthinking again."
She'd been doing it a lot. Ever since her talk with Vanessa and Kim, her mind was in overdrive. While they may have helped in the moment, the night was a whole other ballgame. She couldn't help but let her mind go wild with anything that could possibly happen at this brunch. Even the night before, she had called Jay to come sleep in her bed with her to help shake any nerves. He'd held her and ran his fingers through her hair while pressing soft kisses along her wrist, and it had helped, but it only lasted long enough to get her to fall asleep.
Taking a deep breath, she nodded and said, "Sorry."
Jay shook his head and kissed her knuckles. "Don't be," he whispered, "I know you're nervous, but we're here now, so let's face this head on. We can enjoy brunch then go back home to work on that puzzle some more. It should help your head."
Hailey shot him a smile and said, "Are you a psychologist now?"
"No," Jay chuckled, "Just trying to look out for you."
"I appreciate it," Hailey said before leaning over to kiss his cheek, "Thank you."
"Always," Jay said.
"Come on," Hailey breathed and sat back, "Let's get this over with."
Jay smiled at her then jumped out of his truck. He walked around to help her out, grabbing her hand once she was securely on the ground. Together, they walked into the small restaurant – a place much nicer than either of them was used to.
They'd gone to one steakhouse on a date that resulted in Hailey blushing very bright as Jay insisted he pay for the bill. She knew he was just trying to be a gentleman and take her some place nice, but she couldn't have him do it on a daily basis. Instead, she asked that they stick to diners or chain restaurants in an effort to reduce the cost of their dates. Jay happily agreed, but said he was still going to treat her to nice restaurants every once in a while – especially for special occasions. It was a compromise Hailey was glad to accept.
Her anklet brushed against her skin as they looked around for her mom, and she was reminded of how much Jay loved it. It gave her something to smile about as she tried slowing her heart rate down and reducing her fears.
However, it didn't work, for suddenly she spotted her mom sitting right next to the one person she hadn't had any desire to see in months: her dad.
Jay's eyes narrowed, and he quietly began, "Is that…"
"Yeah," Hailey breathed.
Jay took a deep breath and said, "Well, all right."
"Maybe we can leave," Hailey weakly tried.
"I don't know," Jay whispered, "I think-"
Elena stood up and waved them over.
"Mhmm," Hailey hummed, "Damn."
"It'll be okay," Jay said, squeezing her hand, "I'm right here. I'm not leaving."
Pursing her lips, Hailey shook her head, but still led him over to the back table where her parents were sitting. Not surprisingly, they were both dressed in their Sunday best. It wasn't anything super fancy, and she was sure they got the clothes on sale given how cheap they were, but it very well made her take a step back and make sure that she and Jay were also dressed their best.
"Hi, buttercup," Elena said. She hugged Hailey tightly then turned to Jay, giving him a hesitant hug. "Jay, nice to see you again."
"You too," he replied once he'd stepped back.
Hailey swallowed fear bubbling in her throat as she turned to her dad. "Hi, Dad," she said softly.
Nikolas Upton smiled and stood up to greet her. Stepping around the table, he pulled his daughter in a hug and said, "Hi, kiddo. It's been a while."
Hailey closed her eyes against him. Hugs really hadn't been his thing while growing up, but he always gave them when he'd see her during college. A part of her would always appreciate having her dad hug her, but she also couldn't help but feel scared in his hold. It reminded her of how much bigger he was than her and how scared she used to be while growing up.
She stiffly stepped away.
When Nikolas turned toward Jay, tension began to grow in the air. Jay straightened up next to Hailey and said, "Hello, sir. Jay Halstead."
Hailey sucked in a breath as he stuck his hand out and silently wished that her dad would take it.
To her relief, he nodded and shook Jay's hand easily. "Nice to meet you," he said, "Nikolas Upton."
Jay smiled at him then let go of his hand. He held out a chair for Hailey before sitting himself. Once everyone was tucked into the table, he cleared his throat and said, "If I may."
Hailey's eyes widened as she turned to look at him. Everything in her screamed to tell him to stop, but how she'd do so without her parents catching on and bothering her about it escaped her. She knew it was best to let her parents lead, and yet here Jay was, swimming into unknown waters.
"Please," Elena said and nodded.
Hailey bit her lip and tucked her hair behind her ear. Nervously, she reached over to squeeze Jay's knee and tried meeting his eyes, but he was looking between her parents with a confidence she hadn't expected.
"I know this is your first time meeting me," he began, "Well, Mrs. Upton, I know we met last week, but I might not have been in the best state for a good first impression."
Elena shot him a small smile and said, "It's okay."
Jay smiled back and continued: "I just want you both to know that I care about your daughter very much. She is incredibly smart and kind. She has seen me at some of my worst, but she was strong enough to give me my space and supported me when I knew I was ready to be with her. I promise you that I can keep her safe. I can't ever imagine letting anything happen to her."
If his eyes drifted over to her dad as he spoke the final sentence, no one said anything. She didn't want to cause an argument. Instead, she brushed her thumb over his knee and smiled at him until he glanced at her. He shot her a wink and nodded.
He meant what he said, and he wouldn't ever regret making it crystal clear to her parents. She believed him.
"We appreciate that," Elena said softly, "Thank you for taking care of her. I've been worried about her."
Nikolas nodded and added, "She's an independent one. Never wants anyone's help. She needs to accept that maybe her dreams are just dreams sometimes. What is it that you do, though, Jay?"
Hailey sucked in a breath and felt the heat rise to her cheeks. Jay looked at her speechless and slowly shook his head. She knew he hadn't meant for the comment to come off as he was going to marry her and have her be a housewife for the rest of her life like her parents thought she needed to do in their twisted, old-fashioned minds.
"My dreams will come true," Hailey gritted out after attempting to settle her anger as Jay still struggled to find his words. "I'm doing really well at my internship, Dad, I'm going to be a forensic scientist."
"Now, what does that do again?" Elena interrupted, leaning forward across the table, "What exactly do you want to do, buttercup?"
Hailey closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The nickname was overkill and borderline patronizing – it'd been that way since she went to college. She was sick of it.
"I want to work with the police to sort through evidence at crime scenes," she finally said, "A forensic scientist goes to the places where crimes have taken place and uses science to help solve them. I would maybe look at DNA samples or fingerprints and help the police."
"Interesting," Elena said softly and sat back in her seat to take a sip of water.
Hailey internally groaned. She had told her parents from the very beginning what she wanted to do and even why she wanted to do it. They just never listened to her. Ever. She was just their middle kid, their daughter, who had dreams too big for Greektown and had labeled herself as the weird girl. She was everything they didn't want, and they'd made it rather clear while growing up. At least…her dad did; her mom attempted to listen and understand some times...when her friends weren't around.
"It's a cool job," Jay added, "I wanted to do it for a while."
"Really? What changed your mind?" Elena asked.
"Oh, just…" Jay trailed off and shrugged. He cleared his throat then took a long sip of water. Adjusting the position of his silverware on the table, he continued searching for his words before ending on saying, "Just got caught up in something else. I'm going to PT school now, though, and I'm glad this is where I've ended up. It's a good job."
Nikolas hummed and seemed to want to ask him more only for the waitress to come for their drink orders and to announce the specials. He gave her a stiff smile after ordering mimosas for everyone then turned back to Jay once she'd walked away. "PT school, huh?" he said, "Why not med school?"
Hailey winced. Her hand shot out to again rub along Jay's thigh. She hated that her dad had to mention the exact thing she knew Jay's own dad wished he would have done.
"Just not me," Jay answered easily, "That's more for my brother. I liked exercising and working hard in college, so I thought being a physical therapist would help me continue doing that. Right now, I've been working with the kids in my office, and I've really been enjoying it. My goal-" He glanced at Hailey and softened with a smile. "My dream," he corrected, causing her to laugh softly at the same word her dad had thrown at her, "Is to open my pediatric physical therapy office."
She smiled back and said, "You'll be amazing at it."
Elena's face lit up as she said, "That sounds really nice, Jay. Good for you. Kids are a true blessing in this world."
Nikolas grunted softly and jerked his head. Hailey couldn't tell if he was agreeing or disagreeing, and she really didn't think she wanted to know.
"What's everyone going to order?" she said softly while picking up the menu, "Jay mentioned bacon."
"Your mother's been telling me to lay off the bacon," Nikolas said.
"I'm worried about your health," Elena whispered.
"It's bacon, what's wrong with it?" Nikolas replied.
"Actually, it's pretty fatty, Dad," Hailey said, "Maybe she's right."
Nikolas raised an eyebrow and asked, "Did I ask you, Hailey Anne?"
She blushed and said, "No, but-"
"Then worry about yourself; I'm fine," Nikolas said harshly.
Hailey's jaw set and she sucked in a breath as she looked back down at the menu. She could feel tears pricking at the back of her eyes for some unknown reason. She hated that her parents – her dad – did this to her. It was stupid.
Jay's foot gently nudged hers under the table, so she looked up at him. He nodded and gently smiled at her. It settled within the pit of her stomach and helped her left hand unclench in her lap.
They still had at least an hour, though.
If they were lucky.
Jay ended up ordering the huevos rancheros with a side of sausage. Hailey whispered that he could and should get the bacon, but the tension that had surrounded that one conversation made it clear he probably made the right choice.
If only the tension would have ended there, it would have been fine, but it simply seemed to increase with each passing minute. Elena tried catching Hailey up on her brothers' lives only for Nikolas to jump in every other sentence to express how disappointed he was in them or how he completely disagreed with what they were doing. It broke Hailey's heart.
She did miss her brothers and wanted them to do well, things had just gotten so complicated surrounding all their feelings about growing up that it felt easier to stay away. While listening to her mom talk, though, and her dad's feelings about their life choices, she silently vowed to text them later that day to see how they were doing.
When their food arrived, she didn't blame Jay for a second for being hesitant to share more information about his own life. He seemed to give the bare minimum about himself and Will. It was rather clear that he was thoroughly thinking over every sentence before he uttered it in an attempt to reduce the amount of follow up questions or scoffs from her dad. She thought he was doing a decent job, though, and kept her hand on his leg whenever possible. In response, he would reach over to squeeze her fingers if he ever thought she needed the support. She was grateful for every touch he gave her.
She especially needed it when she turned to sneeze, and her dad said, "What's that on your arm?"
Hailey raised an eyebrow and shoved her left arm under the table. "What?"
"Your arm, you have something on your arm," Nikolas said, "Are you drawing on yourself?"
Hailey weakly laughed as she worked to avoid Jay's nervous eyes. She poked at the remnants of her meal and said, "Of course not."
"Then let's see," Nikolas said, "Do you have some sort of rash?"
"Dad, no," Hailey said exasperatedly. She set her right arm on the table and said, "See? Nothing."
"Your left," Nikolas said, his eyes beginning to narrow. When Hailey didn't move a muscle, he said, "Now, Hailey Anne."
Jay cleared his throat and asked, "So, Mrs. Upton, Hailey said you volunteer at the church?"
Elena didn't answer. She was staring at her daughter in anticipation; she didn't show any suspicion on her face, but Hailey knew she knew. Her mom noticed everything from lame attempts at hiding bruises her dad had left on her the night before to hickeys from her high school boyfriend – her mom's eyes were flawless. She also knew her mom was well aware of how her dad was going to react. She tried showing her appreciation for not telling him through her gaze as she stared back at her mom before blinking and meeting her dad's cold gaze.
With a deep breath, she set her left arm on the table and flipped it so they could all clearly see the olive branch tattooed into her skin.
"Hailey Anne," Nikolas said with a click of his tongue. He sat back in his seat with pursed lips while shaking his head. "This…this is…unforgiveable," he finally said.
Hailey's eyes widened as she repeated, "Unforgiveable?"
"There is never a reason to permanently damage your skin like that," Nikolas said, "It's disgusting to think you-"
"Don't talk to her like that," Jay interrupted.
Everyone turned to look at him in shock.
"Jay, no," Hailey whispered, "I can take care of myself."
"No, let the boy talk," Nikolas said slowly, "Let him tell me how to parent my daughter."
Jay's face flushed, but he still managed to say, "I'm not telling you how to parent. I'm telling you to treat her with respect. It's a tattoo."
"It's permanently altering her body as if she thought she wasn't good enough as she was," Nikolas replied easily, now sitting up in his seat.
"I completely disagree," Jay argued, "She was good enough without the tattoo and even better with it."
"Jay," Hailey whispered again, "Please."
"No, Hailey," he shot back, "I'm not letting him treat you like this."
"Treat my daughter how?" Nikolas asked, "If she's going to be trash and-"
Jay pushed back from the table, knocking over their drinks as he stood up.
"Jay!" Hailey yelled, standing as well. She pushed him a step backwards and said, "Calm down. Now."
"You need to apologize," Jay said without looking away from Nikolas, "Right now."
Nikolas simply raised an eyebrow before saying, "I thought you weren't telling me how to parent."
"Dad, stop," Hailey said, turning back to him as he stood. Her mother remained firmly in her seat, her eyes stuck on her half-finished eggs benedict.
Nikolas shook his head and began walking around the table. When he was next to Jay, he was maybe two inches shorter, but the rage rolling off of him easily increased his size.
"Who do you think you are?" he whispered, "You come to a meal with my family – my wife and my only daughter – and decide that I am, what, a bad person? Rude? Old-fashioned? My values are my own. You have no right to come in here and tell me what I need to think of my own child. She chose to go out and deface her body. She then chose to lie about it when I asked her about it. She made this bed, and now she's going to lie in it."
Jay seemed to stop breathing as he listened to Hailey's father talk, but not once did he waver in his stance. He didn't look away, he didn't flinch, he didn't say a word.
"Jay, can we please go?" Hailey whispered. She took a step closer to him and set her right hand on his back. "Please, I want to go home."
In what could have been slow motion, Nikolas reached out for her left wrist at the same moment Jay's fist came in the air. The air left Hailey's lungs as Jay shoved her backwards while connecting his fist to Nikolas's jaw. She stumbled into a chair, her mother's shriek filling her ears. Blinking against confusion, it only took her a moment before lunging forward and grabbing the back of Jay's shirt.
"Jay!" she yelled. She didn't bother looking to see if her dad was okay or if the food he'd knocked off the table had landed on her mom's lap before grabbing her purse and shoving Jay toward the door. Workers were rushing over to the back table, but she ignored all the questions being shot her way as she pushed Jay from the brunch house.
In the heat of the moment, she finally let him go and spun him around to meet his gaze. She knew her eyes were wild as she searched the anger on his face. His chest was quickly rising and falling as he caught his breath and stared straight back at her.
Her father had called her trash, said her actions were disgusting and unforgiveable, and that she needed to face the consequences of her actions. He'd tried taking her down while out in public in front of her boyfriend, and then attempted to grab her as well.
But Jay stopped it.
He stepped in and fought with her dad over the respect she knew she deserved. He stood up for her in ways her mom never had. He hadn't been afraid of the man nearly threatening him to shut up. He'd known what to do and wasn't afraid of what could possibly come.
Tears began to form in her eyes. He truly cared about her to step up and protect her like that. He wanted her safe and to know that she mattered.
He was her person.
"Jay," she repeated for the umpteenth time, but this time it came out as barely a whisper. This time, it was accompanied with tears falling down her cheeks. This time, she wasn't angry or scared.
She was loved.
This man stood in front of her ready to take on the impossible. He wanted to protect her from the demons of her past while supporting her as she managed to take care of herself. He was proving himself to be the exact man she needed in her life to take all of her on, just like how she knew she was the exact person he needed to help him through his own baggage and struggles. They were perfect for each other because of their imperfections.
They were a real, actual couple with the brightest future Hailey could imagine, and it excited her. Here was standing this guy, her boyfriend, who would quite literally do anything for her to let her know that she mattered and was wanted. She couldn't believe it, but she managed to.
She sniffled and shook her head before jumping up and into his arms. Holding him tightly to her, she whispered, "Thank you."
Jay breathed in shakily and whispered back, "Anything for you, Hailey."
She closed her eyes against hot tears and buried her face in his shoulder. He held her on the sidewalk with people walking all around them, but she didn't care.
She knew he loved her, and she knew he meant it.
That was all she ever wanted.