It had been a restless night for Jay, he had been tossing and turning all night, Hailey tried giving him some warm milk to settle him back down, like she did with Maddie, but that upset his stomach. She tried doing a scalp massage, but it sent chills down his spine. The last resort which seemed to work was. Rocking. She remembered when he used to tell her that whenever he couldn't sleep, his mom would always rock him in her arms, while singing a lullaby.
Hailey stirred awake, noticing Jay was still fast asleep next to her.
"Hey," she whispered affectionately.
She headed to the bathroom, rinsed her face, and got ready for the day.
"How long did I sleep?" Jay asked upon waking.
Hailey quickly put on some leggings and a sports bra.
"Just a short while. After I helped you drift off, you were out cold," Hailey said with a smile.
Jay leaned against the headboard, his eyelids heavy with sleep. Hailey, sensing his need for rest, gently eased him back onto the bed.
She tucked the covers around him, ensuring he was warm and comfortable.
With a soft kiss on his forehead, she whispered, "Rest well, love," before quietly leaving the room to start her day.
Hailey stepped out of the bedroom and into Maddie and Ashley's room.
"Rise and shine, my little stars," Hailey cooed.
Ashley let out a groan and slid out of bed.
"Breakfast awaits at the table," Hailey beamed.
Ashley exited the room, and Hailey approached Maddie's bed.
"Time to wake up, my little butterfly," Hailey whispered.
Maddie clenched her tiny fists and rubbed her sleepy eyes.
"Come on, my sweet pea," Hailey murmured gently.
Maddie nestled her small head against Hailey's shoulder, her tiny hands clenching the fabric of Hailey's shirt.
As the girls gathered around the breakfast table. Jay descended the stairs.
Jay appeared utterly drained, his hair clinging to his forehead with perspiration, and his shirt had come untucked.
'Hailey greeted Jay with a warm smile.
Jay acknowledged her with a nod and returned the smile.
"Shall we have some breakfast?" Hailey offered.
Jay declined, his gaze falling to the floor.
"Alright, then. How about you settle on the couch and unwind with a feel-good movie…" Hailey suggested.
"Sure," Jay replied softly.
Hailey's smile softened further as she turned to head back to the kitchen.
"Alright! Time to brush your teeth! Ashley, Maddie's towel is yours," Hailey instructed.
Ashley and Maddie acknowledged with a nod and headed upstairs.
Once they were gone, Hailey saw tears welling up in Jay's eyes.
"Jay?" she whispered softly.
Jay's name reached his ears, and he erupted into deep, sorrowful sobs.
"Oh, honey," Hailey whispered, pulling Jay close.
Jay clung to Hailey's shirt, tears streaming down his face.
"It's alright, my baby, you're safe here. No more gunshots, no early mornings. It's all behind us now, we're in Chicago," Hailey reassured him.
Jay's nose twitched with a sniffle, and Hailey couldn't help but notice his gaunt frame.
"Darling, what did they serve you there?" Hailey asked with concern.
Jay let out another sniffle and shrugged noncommittally.
"They gave me some sedatives, I remember the sensation of a gun pressed against my temple, followed by a taste of beans…" Jay confessed.
Hailey's eyes closed, a single tear tracing a path down her cheek.
"I'm so sorry, my love," Hailey whispered, her voice barely above a breath.
Jay's sniffles were soft, and he nodded in response.
"Let's get some comforting food into your stomach; you look so thin," Hailey said, concern lacing her words.
Jay shook his head, his silence speaking volumes.
"Jay-"
"NO!" Jay's voice cut through the air sharply.
He buried his face in the pillow, his body convulsing with sobs.
Hailey's heart shattered seeing the terror Bolivia had wrought in her husband.
"Okay, sweetheart, okay," Hailey agreed softly.
Hailey enveloped Jay in the warmth of the blanket.
"Take a little more time to rest, I know how draining it can be after crying," Hailey softly suggested.
At the chime of 3 PM, Ashley and four-year-old Maddie made their way home. Clutched in Maddie's little hands was a drawing, crafted with love for her dada.
"Do you think dada will like it?" Maddie asked, her words tumbling out in a sweet babble.
Ashley peered at the picture and let out a soft giggle.
"Dad will cherish it," she said, her smile radiating warmth.
Maddie beamed with pride as Ashley unlocked the door to their apartment.
"We're home!" Ashley announced.
The apartment remained quiet.
Ashley placed her bag on the floor and kept a protective arm around Maddie, holding her hand tightly.
"Mom?" Ashley called out again.
As they entered, they found their parents in the living room. Hailey was gently stroking Jay's neck, who was peacefully asleep on her lap.
"Shh, put your bag in your rooms and get some homework done," Hailey whispered softly.
Ashley and Maddie nodded in agreement. Maddie carefully handed Hailey the drawing she had made.
"This is beautiful, baby. I'll show daddy when he wakes up," Hailey said with a tender smile.
Maddie nodded and skipped upstairs to her room.
Hailey opened the card and read the four cutely incorrect spellings. Inside, it said:
To dada,
I love you so much!
You're the bestest dad in the whole wide world!
I hope you have a super-duper day!
Love, Maddie.
Hailey chuckled at the adorable misspellings and tucked the card into her pocket, looking forward to sharing it with Jay when he awoke.
In the quiet of their bedroom, Hailey and Jay sat together. Jay's eyes were fixed on the card Maddie had made.
"This is beautiful…" Jay's voice was thick with emotion.
Hailey's smile was gentle as she kissed the top of Jay's head.
"Absolutely! Maddie was so excited to show it to you," Hailey said, her voice filled with warmth.
Jay's smile was soft and tender as he placed the card on the wall, a cherished memory now displayed.
"Hailey, there's something important I need to share about what happened overseas…" Jay began, his tone serious.
Hailey adjusted her white pajama top and settled into bed beside him.
"Whenever you're ready to talk, I'm here for you," Hailey reassured, her presence a comforting embrace.
Jay took a deep breath and started his story.
"When I got to Bolivia, it was bad. There were dead people everywhere, blood on the walls, and guts. It made me sick sometimes. Then I saw Mouse, he was shot. I helped him with bandages. That was my first day, and it was the start of ten months. After helping Mouse, I went back to my room and put my stuff up on some bad hangers. I had to give my phone away."
Hailey understood why Jay hadn't been in touch.
"Baxter gave me my uniform and the rules. Wake up early, shoot targets, and always be ready. I tried to ignore it, but it stuck in my head."
Hailey put her hand on Jay's arm, letting him know she was there for him.
"The next day, I woke up, took my gun, and started shooting. It was like I wasn't in charge of my own actions. I felt like someone else was controlling me, like I couldn't move, and all I could do was shoot…"
Hailey was quiet, just listening.
Jay finally spoke up, his voice shaky.
"I… I shot a little girl. I tried to stop the bleeding, but two guys grabbed me and took me away."
Hailey's eyes were wet with tears as she gently rubbed circles on Jay's arms.
"They brought me back to the barracks. I couldn't sleep, so they gave me drugs. I remember being laid down and left alone. They gave me drugs when I had bad dreams too. It was Mouse who stopped them the third time…"
Hailey was there, her hand on Jay's head as he closed his eyes.
"Hey, you don't have to keep going if you don't want to," Hailey said softly.
Jay shook his head and went on.
"No, I have to keep going," he said quietly.
Hailey just nodded and didn't say anything.
"I woke up in a shipping container with Mouse tied up next to me. I tried to untie myself, but it just made me sleepy. When I woke up again, there was a gun pointed at me. The guy holding me hostage said, 'If my friend dies, you die.' I knew I wasn't going to make it out. All I could think about was you and the kids. I was shaking and trembling, and he was yelling orders at me that I couldn't follow. But before I could do anything, Baxter found us and gave us both dishonorable discharges."
Jay held back his tears as he spoke.
"I just kept thinking about my mom, coming back to Chicago. She'd be waiting for me, but it was Will. I-I wanted my mama!"
Hailey hugged Jay close, kissing the back of his head and whispering softly.
"I'm here, baby. I'm not leaving you…" Hailey comforted.
Jay was crying, and Hailey could feel it on her shirt. She heard the door open a little.
"Please wait, sweetie," Hailey said softly.
Maddie agreed and saw Jay in Hailey's arms.
The door closed, and Hailey leaned back against the bed.
Jay fell asleep on Hailey's chest, and she put him on the pillows.
"Jay, I love you so much. I'm not leaving," Hailey said to comfort him.
The door opened again, and it was Maddie.
"Mama?" Maddie said.
Hailey looked at her little girl and invited her in.
Maddie came in and jumped onto the bed.
"Is daddy okay?" Maddie asked.
Hailey smiled at Maddie and nodded.
"Yes, your daddy's going to be okay. He's just resting now."
Maddie snuggled closer to Hailey, feeling safe in her arms.
"Can I stay with you and dada?" Maddie asked, her voice small but hopeful.
Hailey hugged Maddie tighter and whispered, "Of course, you can. We'll all be together."
As Maddie settled in, Hailey gently stroked her hair and said, "You're such a brave girl. I'm so proud of you."
Maddie yawned and closed her eyes, feeling the warmth of Hailey's embrace.
"Goodnight, Butterfly," Hailey whispered. "Sweet dreams."
With that, Hailey tucked Maddie in and kissed her forehead, watching over them both as they drifted off to sleep.