Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Hailey had always dreamed of being a teacher.

Well, not exactly always.

Up until she was twelve years old she dreamed of becoming a singer, a pop star just like Madonna, even bigger than her, but when she realized she wasn't that gifted vocally speaking, she had to give up on that option.

She didn't give up on music, though. 

Hailey had continued to study it, she'd learned how to play a bunch of instruments — piano, guitar, and transverse flute — and kept on developing that passion of hers.

And during her senior year in high school, as she was sending college applications when she finally understood she wanted to be a teacher, it only made sense to her that she would teach Music History.

The teachers' room was quiet that morning. Hailey could hear the sound of the wind blowing outside while she sipped her coffee and looked through the window, her eyes scanning the few leaves that were falling from the giant tree in the schoolyard.

She was happy to be the only person there. Not because she didn't enjoy the company of her co-workers (she even considered some of them as her best friends), but because she didn't mind being alone.

It was something she'd become accustomed to, and Hailey had even become jealous of it at times.

The moment of silence didn't last long, the quietness was interrupted by the arrival of her best friend — Vanessa entered the room with her typical lack of finesse, making a bit of noise.

"Coffee number two?" She asked, closing the door behind her and then plopping down the first seat available, letting out a loud sigh. 

Her workday hadn't even started yet and she was already done with it.

Hailey glanced at her, taking a seat as well. "Number three, actually," she replied, bringing the cup to her mouth and having a small sip of the dark brown beverage.

The brunette widened her eyes at her response, though she wasn't really that surprised.

"It's not even ten in the morning," she commented, finding the strength to get back on her feet and go make herself some coffee as well.

"I haven't slept for basically three days, don't know another way to function properly," Hailey shrugged her shoulders.

Although she really enjoyed sleeping, the blonde also happened to suffer from insomnia.

It'd started during her college days: at first, she thought it was only due to stress, but then the thing started occurring more and more frequently and persistently, and she'd quickly had to understand that her love for sleep just wasn't reciprocated.

"So"—Vanessa began once her coffee was finally ready, going back to her seat—"What're you teaching those monsters today?" she asked, nodding towards Hailey's laptop that was on the table, a PowerPoint presentation on the screen.

Hailey snorted, "They're not monsters, V," she mumbled, causing her friend to arch her brow at her words.

"Anyways," Hailey put emphasis on her amused tone and reached for her laptop, "Today we're diving into some fourteenth-century songs," she explained, scrolling through and showing Vanessa the slides.

She finished her coffee and placed the empty cup on the table. "I actually have been trying to order some adaptations of them, but they can't ship until a month from now," she sighed, rolling her eyes in frustration.

Hailey was meticulous in her job and always wanted to be prepared.

"Youtube?"

The blonde shook her head, "Copyrighted."

Vanessa hummed as she listened to her. "Have you tried checking at The Rising Sound?" 

Hailey frowned slightly, "The what?" 

"Girl, you teach music and you don't know that place?!"—Vanessa asked rhetorically, exaggerating her surprised expression—"Oh, right, I forgot you don't go outside…"

And Hailey immediately kicked her foot under the table, "Shut up…" she muttered, earning a glare from her friend.

"It's a music store, in front of Bartoli's. Coolest one in the city, it's the only place where I can find old CDs of the Latin-American stuff I used to listen to when I was a kid," Vanessa started ranting, her brown eyes looking as though she was daydreaming.

"Anyways, you can ask there, doesn't hurt to try… Plus, the owner is literally a stud," she added, wiggling her eyebrows and smirking.

Hailey chuckled at that. "Ah, it all makes sense now," muttered, "You said it's in front of Bartoli's, right?"

Vanessa nodded as she finished her coffee.

"Okay, I'll check it-" she got interrupted by the loud, obnoxious sound of the bell ringing, "Out," she concluded, closing her laptop and collecting her shoulder bag from the back of her chair.

The blonde quickly got on her feet and, "Beer tonight?" she asked, opening the door with her free hand.

Vanessa turned to look at her. "Wine, but yeah," she winked, earning a nod from Hailey before the blonde exited the room.

She quickly walked to the class of eleven graders she had to teach and, once she made sure that the previous class was over and the teacher was gone, she stepped foot into the room, a serene expression on her face.

"Good morning, guys!" Hailey greeted her class excitedly, her lips curled into a bright smile.

She placed her belongings on the teacher's table and when she focused back on her students, "How are you doing tod- Evan, please, no playing the flute with your nose. It's gross," she scrunched up her face, earning a collective laugh from the teenagers.

"It works though!" Evan protested, shrugging his shoulders.

"I'm sure it does, but what then? You're gonna put it back in your mouth?" Hailey asked rhetorically, arching her brows and earning some more snorts from her students.

She liked the relationship she had with them. They knew she was an easygoing person, she allowed them to express themselves as much as the environment granted, but they also knew when it was time to be serious.

Evan grunted in defeat and quickly put the instrument back on his desk, his cheeks red as he listened to his teacher's words.

"Besides, we're not exercising today," Hailey announced, connecting her computer to the projector.

A much bigger version of the screen appeared on the blank whiteboard and as they silently read the title, a loud sigh of protest came out of her students' mouths.

"I promise it's interesting," she chuckled at their reaction, though it was something she'd totally expected.

Once everything was set, "So," she started, moving away from the whiteboard so they could read the content of the slides.

"A little history background here… The Middle Ages, we need a timeline. When do they start and when do they finish?" She asked, looking at the class.

As expected, no one raised their hand or blurted out a possible answer and after a moment of silence, "C'mon guys…" She encouraged them, crossing her arms on her chest and waiting for them to be participative in the lesson.

It was going to be a long hour.

Jay was nodding to the beat of Ascension by Gorillaz as he cleaned up the content of the boxes that his supplier had just brought into the store.

The music was playing through two pairs of speakers he'd tactically placed on the very top of each wall corner, so the music could be heard no matter where the customers stood.

He lifted his head and, looking around, a tiny smile surfaced on his face.

He was proud of seeing so many people in his store, their hands going through the numerous CDs and types of vinyl as they tried to find the one they were looking for.

Jay had bought the place six years ago. It used to be a flower shop that the owner wanted to sell because she had to move to another state, and 22-year-old Jay had just the right amount of money to buy it.

He'd tried all different types of jobs to save some money, there were times when he came back from work and his hands and limbs hurt so much he wanted to cry, having worked hard all day.

Turning that place into a music store hadn't been exactly easy: he'd just been medically discharged from the Army and Jay didn't really have knowledge of what he was doing nor did he have many connections, he only had a vision and he thought it was enough.

It was also a gamble. People had plenty of means to listen to music, especially with the coming of streaming platforms. The thought that opening a music store could be pointless had crossed his mind a few times, even after the big leap.

Jay was stubborn, though.

Eventually, he'd managed to turn the place into what he'd dreamed of, changing his vision into reality.

And people seemed to not be totally against that new reality. Their curiosity had overshadowed their skepticism, and they had actually ended up loving the new music store in town, becoming faithful customers.

Whenever they needed anything music-related, they knew there was a fair chance they would find it at The Rising Sound.

The song that was playing and echoing within the soundproof walls switched to Electric feel by MGMT, and Jay couldn't help but smile and raise his brows in surprise.

He hadn't heard it in such a long time and he was honestly wondering why — he'd almost forgotten how good it was.

Then the bell attached to the door rang for a couple of seconds, catching Jay's attention.

Well, what actually caught his attention was the blonde woman who had just stepped foot into the store. 

Even from afar, Jay was still able to capture the brightness of her blue eyes, her gaze intense and her cheeks red, probably due to the much warmer temperature inside the store.

She looked a bit lost, her eyes wandering around the place but also carefully observing it, and Jay couldn't really tell if she was somehow delighted by what she was gaping at. She definitely looked interested.

Jay put down the large box he was holding, placed it on the counter, and approached the blonde to see if she could use any help.

As much as he wanted to keep admiring her in secret, he also had a job to do (and that also happened to be the perfect excuse to be closer to her).

When he got in front of her, "Hi! Can I help you?" he asked politely, a tiny and cordial smile on his lips, his eyes quickly scanning her figure.

She was even prettier from that short distance.

The blonde smiled back at him, training her eyes over his face.

"Hi! Yeah, uhm…" she briefly looked around and then focused back on Jay. "It's kind of a longshot, but do you happen to have some adaptations of medieval songs? Like, stuff from the fourteenth century more or less…" she squinted her eyes, hoping she didn't sound too delusional.

It was quite an unusual request, she was pretty sure not a lot of people were interested in that type of music.

In fact, "Oh," Jay couldn't help but blurt out, clearly surprised, and it caused Hailey to let out a small chuckle.

"Yeah, I know…" she trailed off, "It's for my class," she continued.

"Wish my teacher had me listening to some cool stuff like that," he commented under his breath, not really sure if she'd heard his words.

He scratched the back of his head, his gaze roaming around as he was trying to think. 

Then it hit him.

"I'm not one hundred percent sure, I'd have to look, but I think I might have some stuff for ya," he mumbled, staring back at the blonde and meeting her piercing blue eyes.

"So," he sighed, "I need to know some quick things. When do you need it for and how many copies?" Jay then proceeded to ask.

Hailey slightly tilted her head, "I need them for Friday if it's possible?"

He hummed, "Doable." 

It was just Monday.

"And fifteen copies would be perfect."

As she finished saying the words, the bell at the door rang once again and Jay didn't even have to glance over because, "Hi papi!", he could recognize that high-pitched voice with his eyes closed.

He heard fast footsteps and then felt tiny arms hugging his legs.

When Jay looked down, his hands immediately caressing the head full of long dark brown hair, he found a pair of green eyes already staring at him.

They looked a lot like his and it was the only physical trait that four-year-old Solána Halstead had inherited from him, along with the few freckles on her tiny nose and upper cheeks.

Jay picked her up, her arms promptly wrapping around his neck as she looked at him.

"Hi baby," he kissed her cheek, causing the girl to giggle since his stubble was tickling her.

Then, suddenly, Solána didn't seem to be interested in him anymore, her bright eyes staring at the woman standing in front of them and a shocked look on her face.

"Daddy, that's Rapunzel!" she tried to whisper to her father but didn't lower her voice enough. Her gaze continued to shift between Jay and the blonde woman that looked exactly like her favorite princess.

Hailey slightly blushed at the little girl's words, while Jay just snorted a laugh at them, shaking his head.

"Yeah, no baby, she's not Rapunzel, she's…" he hesitated and sent a smile to the blonde when she intervened.

"I'm Hailey," she mumbled, a bright smile on her face. "You totally look like a princess too, by the way," she reciprocated the girl's compliment.

Jay chuckled when Solána started blushing heavily and buried her face in the crook of his neck. He tickled her sides, making her squirm and giggle, "What do you say, Sol?"

She turned to gape at him and then at Hailey, "Thank you," she said shyly, showing her a tiny smile that was returned by the blonde's more confident one.

“Well, while we're at it… I'm Halstead,” he outstretched his arm towards the blonde, “I mean, Jay. Sorry, old habit,” he continued sheepily, smiling when she shook his hand.

Then, "Hey, Sol. Why don't you go to Uncle Will"—he'd spotted his brother earlier on—"Hailey and I need to talk about some work stuff, I promise it won't take long," he muttered to her, bouncing her little body.

Solána nodded in agreement and then climbed off his arms and easily saw her uncle's red hair.

Jay's eyes never left her short figure until he'd made sure that she got to his brother, and that didn't go unnoticed by Hailey, who was quietly observing him.

"Sorry about that," he muttered to the blonde after clearing his voice, sending Hailey an apologetic look.

"You're kidding? She's adorable!" She exclaimed in return, waving her hand dismissively.

Jay slightly blushed at her comment. "Eh. She really is," he couldn't help but agree with her, a soft chuckle escaping his lips.

"So," he clapped his hands, "Back to business… Fourteenth century's chants adaptations, fifteen copies, possibly within this week…" he trailed off, trying to see if he remembered correctly.

"Yeah, and…" Hailey reached for her shoulder bag and took out a work card from it. "Here's the school address," she said, handing Jay the small piece of paper.

Jay nodded and took it. He quickly scanned it and "JM Keynes," he read out loud the name of the institute. "Rings a bell…" he added.

"You went there?" Hailey asked, surprise filling her tone.

"No, but I used to play baseball in high school and we always beat their ass, excuse my French, during games," he explained, a smirk on his lips.

"Oh, you went to John Cabot then?"

When Jay nodded in response, "Yikes!" Hailey exclaimed, scrunching up her nose in fake disgust.

He scoffed dramatically, bringing his hand to his chest. "Hey!"—he protested, though he was still smiling—"You know I can cancel your order, right?" he teased her, raising his brows.

Hailey rolled her eyes at him, "Fine, you win," she easily surrendered, crossing her arms on her chest.

"See? John Cabot always wins," he replied wittily, winking at her and watching as her cheeks turned into a light shade of red.

The blonde cleared her throat in embarrassment.

Was he purposefully trying to make her feel flushed?

"So, uhm, I'll leave you to your work..? Yeah," she waved her hand around, indicating the customers surrounding them.

Jay picked on her embarrassment and found it cute but ultimately nodded at her words, "Yeah," he repeated. "Hopefully, I'll find what you're looking for," he added.

He didn't include the So we can meet again part, but it was definitely threatening to come out of his mouth.

"Hopefully," Hailey smiled at him one last time. "Have a nice day," she mumbled before turning around and starting to walk towards the exit.

Solána noticed her immediately, "Bye-bye, Hailey," she waved her small hand at the woman, sending her a bright, toothy smile.

"Bye princess," Hailey winked at her, noticing the little girl's smile grow wider at the word she'd used, and then exited the store.

"Need a napkin to wipe that drool?" Jay snapped out of his daze when he felt his brother's hand tapping his shoulder to get his attention.

He was focused on watching the brief interaction between Hailey and his daughter, and honestly, he couldn't help but continue to stare outside, where the blonde had gone, even though she wasn't there anymore.

Jay slapped Will's hand away from him, "Get off," he whisper-yelled, but the redhead ignored his antics.

Solána joined them promptly, her father's hands instinctively resting on her small shoulders.

He gently squeezed them, "Did you have fun with Uncle Will?" he asked, the little girl immediately staring at him.

She had spent the night at Will's, playing with her step-cousin Owen and watching Disney movies together.

Before she could respond though, Will scoffed dramatically. "Please, of course she did! I'm her favorite person," he muttered.

Jay snorted, "You heard that, Sol? That's a big fat lie, isn't it?" he tickled her under her chin.

The brunette looked between the two, furrowing her brows, her expression pensive and just adorable.

She eventually fixed her gaze on Will.

Jay was about to protest but then, "Sorry Uncle Will," Solána shrugged her shoulders and reached for her father's hand, gripping it tightly.

"Aha!" He stuck out his tongue to his brother.

Will rolled his eyes and cursed him under his breath. He then said goodbye to the pair, telling Jay that Solána's belongings were already in the back of the store, walking outside after placing a kiss on his niece's forehead.

Still holding Solána's hand, Jay walked them behind the counter. 

He helped her get on her designated seat and quickly placed her colors and coloring book in front of her so she would keep herself busy.

"You good?" he asked her and Solána nodded vehemently, her green eyes already too focused on the coloring book to look back at him.

Jay pressed his lips on the top of her head in a sweet kiss and then got his attention back to his job.

He checked his surroundings but noticed that no one seemed to be needing his help yet, so he took the box he was emptying before Hailey's entrance and continued from where he'd left off.

"So, I went to The Rising Sound and you were right," Hailey began talking before taking a few chips from the bowl placed between her and Vanessa, bringing them to her mouth.

Monday evenings were made for the pair of best friends to drown in alcohol their non-existent will to go through the rest of the week.

It was cathartic.

They wouldn't get drunk, knowing they'd have to go to work the next day, but they'd drink enough to forget they had actual responsibilities and a long week ahead of them.

"He's hot, isn't he?" Vanessa replied with a question.

Hailey knitted her brows in confusion and a brief but awkward silence ensued.

Then, "Oh," it hit her. "What I meant is that there's a fair chance I might find the stuff I need…" 

"Oh, that!"

"Yeah"—Hailey chuckled—" that," she mocked Vanessa, turning to look at her and finding that the brunette was already observing her, her brows lifted as if she knew something already.

"Okay, fine, he's kinda hot too," Hailey rolled her eyes, blushing at her admission.

Vanessa grinned mischievously, "See? I told you!" She muttered with a knowing look, sipping a bit of her red wine.

"You know, next time you go there, you could…" The blonde shook her head before her friend could finish her sentence, already knowing what she was implying.

"He has a daughter, she's super adorable by the way, but, I dunno, maybe he's-" she shrugged, not really knowing what to think.

If he had a daughter, then the possibility of him also having a partner wasn't that absurd, was it?

"Hey, if there ain't no ring on it, then he's not anything," Vanessa snorted, taking a handful of chips and shoving them into her mouth.

Hailey turned to look at her, a brow raised in disbelief although she wasn't that surprised at that point.

Vanessa was wild. But she also had a good heart so that compensated.

Though, "You suck, Vanessa. You're a terrible person," she let her know just in case, shaking her head at her.

She knew she was just kidding — was she?

"And you know what you should suck?"

"Vanessa!" Hailey exclaimed, cutting her off, her eyes wide.

Vanessa's mouth and wine were a dangerous combo.

"Girl, I'm serious, seek help. You need Jesus," she murmured.

The brunette shrugged her shoulders and once her mouth was empty of food, "Maybe you're right…" she trailed off. 

And when Hailey thought Vanessa was done with her antics, "I heard he was kinda hot too, by the way…" she heard her mumble and couldn't help but send a glare her way.

Yeah, Vanessa needed help.

Chapter Text

Jay entered his store, two coffee cups in his hands and a serene expression on his face.

"That was fast," he heard his friend's deep voice, a slightly surprised tone behind it.

Jay approached Kevin and handed him one cup which he accepted eagerly, feeling the need for caffeine in his system.

The two exchanged a knowing look and after Kevin took his first sip, "Tamara was there," he muttered holding back a chuckle. It wasn't a question.

She'd probably let him cut the line as usual.

Tamara was the barista who worked at the cafeteria right behind the corner of The Rising Sound, and it was clear to anyone on that block that she had a crush on Jay.

She had actually tried to shoot her shot once, but Jay had to kindly turn her down because he was still with Solána's mother at the time.

"I mean, you're available now," Kevin commented, shrugging his shoulders.

Jay hummed in response, leaning his back against the counter. "She's not my type," he simply replied, though he'd never even given himself the chance to consider if she was his type.

After taking a deep breath, "Have you heard from her?" Kevin asked, and he didn't know to specify who he was referring to for Jay to understand.

A long sigh ensued. "Nope," Jay declared, his response short and concise, enough for his friend to get that he didn't want to address that topic.

They finished their coffee in silence, the only sound coming to their ears was Beyonce's voice at the end of Frank Ocean's Pink + White, her soft harmonizations providing them with a sense of lightness. 

Once they were done, the two tossed away the cups and started getting into work mode. They had a bunch of deliveries to make and needed to be fast if they wanted to respect the schedule for the day.

Time passed, songs kept switching, and a few customers were starting to enter the place. Usually, mornings were a bit slower than afternoons — people were at work or school or just busy running their errands.

Jay passed Kevin the last box to seal with some duct tape, his lips turning upward when his ears caught the beat switch in After hours by The Weeknd.

"Yo man, since when did we start sending people flowers here?" Kevin asked, his brows arched in confusion as his eyes quickly scanned the content of the box Jay gave him.

The way his friend's face immediately turned red didn't go unnoticed by him, causing a smirk to form on his lips.

After an amused chuckle escaped his mouth, "Jay Halstead, my man! You finally have a crush," he exclaimed teasingly, watching his friend's embarrassment grow bigger.

"Shut up," Jay mumbled, rolling his eyes at his theatrics.

Kevin walked to him, elbowing his arm just to annoy him. "Who is she? What's she look like? Brunette, blonde… No, brunette, definitely. You like brunettes..." he kept rambling, sounding maybe a little way too excited.

With a loud scoff, "Kev, just close the damn box," Jay rolled his eyes again, ignoring his insistent questions.

"You're no fun," Kevin shook his head, though he wasn't really offended, and did as he was told, getting back to work.

Jay bit his lower lip, feeling embarrassed as Kevin put him on the spot, but also feeling a little bad for killing his enthusiasm right there and then.

So, "She's a blonde, by the way," he allowed himself to give up that little piece of information, sending his friend a knowing look.

He saw Kevin grin proudly. "You switching lanes now?" He asked rhetorically, watching him blush even more.

"No, but for real, man"—he cleared his throat and finished putting the duct tape on the box—"I'm glad this is happening, it's about damn time," he said sincerely, a genuine smile on his lips.

Jay had been through a lot emotionally speaking, especially the last few years. He'd witnessed it first-hand, trying to be there for him as much as he could, as much as his friend allowed.

After that, he'd seen him starting to avoid every situation that could potentially burn him again. 

So Kevin was happy to finally see he was willing to put himself back out there, or at least looking around, let loose, get some fresh air.

"Thanks, Kev." Jay patted his shoulder as he passed him by, walking to the door and meeting his delivery guy.

Hailey had just finished getting her stuff on her wide desk, the muffled chattering of her students before the lesson would start in the background.

Above the noise, the blonde was able to hear the three knocks on the already opened door. She turned her head towards its direction and saw the school's doorman holding a box in his arms.

"Morning, Raùl, come on in!" She invited him inside and he quickly obliged, greeting her and the class with a tired smile.

Raùl placed the box on top of her desk and then left the room as fast as he came in.

Hailey didn't need to open the box to know what it contained, the logo on the side of it giving her a clear clue along with the three letters stamped on it: TRS.

With the help of a pair of scissors, she opened the box, gathering her students' attention and telling them to get one CD copy each, an excited smile on her face.

She was so happy that the little project she had in mind could finally start.

Once everyone had taken their copy and was back at their desk, Hailey went in to fold the box but stopped in her tracks because something else caught her attention.

She put her hand inside and picked the object only to find out it was a flower, her grip immediately loosening as she extracted the fragile thing.

Her brows knitted in confusion and after clearing her throat, "Uhm, guys, did any of you leave this sunflower here?" She asked the class, causing them to stop chatting with each other and look at her with blank expressions.

Everybody shook their heads, but then Evan (of course!) opened his mouth to talk.

"Ms. Upton, maybe it's from your boyfriend," the thirteen-year-old said bluntly, shrugging his shoulders and causing Hailey to blush heavily.

She was left quite baffled by his statement, her confusion increasing because last time she checked, she was single and hadn't been on a date in years.

"Is he cute? He better be cute," Jerrika, Evan's classmate, asked as well.

Why were a bunch of freshmen talking about her non-existent boyfriend?

And who sent her that sunflower?

When Hailey decided to put it back inside the box, it hit her at that moment.

Her cheeks immediately turned redder, her heartbeat slightly increasing its pace, suddenly having an idea of who might have sent her the flower.

She bit her lips in embarrassment but then remembered she was at work with a bunch of teenagers that were enjoying that show a little too much for her liking.

"Why don't we talk about the reason why you all have these CDs instead, hmm?" Hailey changed the subject, snorting a laugh when the class replied with a loud groan.

Fun time was over.

Later on, that afternoon, Hailey stepped foot into the now-familiar music store.

She had someone to thank for her sunflower, which she had immediately put in a vase and watered as soon as she got home, and she'd also realized she still had to pay for her order.

The blonde felt quite happy that day. It seemed like she woke up on the right side of the bed.

Hailey spotted him easily. He stood behind the counter, a slight frown on his face as he looked at the computer in front of him with a concentrated expression.

His head was bobbing and his lips moving along — rapping — with the song that the blonde recognized as Informer by the '90s artist Snow, she'd immediately remembered the famous tune.

He didn't seem to notice her presence, not even when the bell at the door signaled that someone was coming in, too lost in what he was doing on the computer.

So Hailey decided to approach him, her nervousness visible in her smile and growing bigger with every step she took.

Once she was just a few feet from him, "Don't tell me you know every single word of this song," she muttered loud enough for him to hear her.

Jay abruptly raised his head and looked at her. "Hailey! Hi!" He exclaimed in surprise, blushing a little for his jumpiness.

"Didn't mean to scare you," Hailey mumbled, a sheepish grin on her face.

He waved his hand dismissively, an amused scoff escaping his lips, "All good." He then thought about her previous words and "And I do know this song by heart," he admitted with a tiny smirk.

The blonde sighed dramatically, "I guess nobody's perfect," she murmured, watching Jay gasp at her statement.

Before he could protest though, "I got the CDs this morning," she added, "Thank you."

"You're very welcome," he nodded in response.

Hailey grabbed her shoulder bag and searched for her wallet. She took out her credit card and handed it to him.

Some of her co-workers would've called her crazy for paying for those CDs herself, telling her she should charge the students' parents for that, but Hailey didn't think it was fair.

She was the one to suggest the little project they were going to work on, so it only made sense to her that she should be the one to pay.

Besides, it was an extra expense that she knew for a fact that not every one of her students could afford, and she didn't mind helping out.

Jay took the card from her and started typing something on the computer, glimpsing at Hailey now and then just because he couldn't help but do otherwise.

Her blonde hair was tied into a high ponytail and it seemed to enhance her cheekbones, making them stand out more.

He cleared his throat and got back to work.

No distractions, he told himself.

But then something else popped into his mind.

"So, those CDs… Are they the only thing you found in that box?" He asked, the tone of his voice trying to make his words sound more casual than they actually were.

Hailey's cheeks turned into an intense shade of red at his question.

"Oh, so that was you…" she replied, although she'd well-figured it was him.

"Who else did you think it was?" Jay asked, finally looking straight into her eyes, his brows a little furrowed.

The blonde shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know, could've been the delivery guy…" she teased him, her smug smile on full display.

"Nope, no delivery guy, just me," Jay pursed his lips, "Special offer…" 

"A first delivery gift for new customers, gotcha," she raised her brows, her mouth still curved upward.

He sighed and looked straight into her eyes as he handed her card back. "Uh-huh," he eagerly shook his head. "No new customers," he clarified, "Just you," he stated bluntly.

Hailey couldn't lie and say his straightforwardness left her unfazed. It'd actually caused the opposite effect, her heart suddenly beating at an accelerated pace.

"Well, thanks," she muttered shyly, her face feeling like it was on fire.

Thanks? That's all you can come up with?! She mentally scolded herself.

Jay moved his head in a nod, a tiny smirk on his lips as he'd noticed her embarrassment.

At least he had some type of effect on her.

The buzz of Hailey's phone interrupted their brief but intense moment, snapping the blonde out of her daze.

She quickly checked her phone and read the text she was just sent: 

Adam
wya?

Little did she know that her eyes weren't the only ones to read that short message.

Jay didn't mean to pry but his curiosity got the best of him. Plus, her phone was literally right there.

But, that wasn't the point. 

He kept asking himself who the hell was Adam, suddenly feeling some type of way for being so bothered when he read that name.

And it wasn't like it was any of his business. Besides the fact that she was a teacher, he knew nothing about Hailey or her life, and he needed to push his annoyance aside.

"Jay..?"

"Huh? Sorry!" He shook his head, "What'd you say?"

Hailey giggled at him. "I said I gotta go, but thank you again for the CDs and the sunflower too," she murmured, her blue eyes flickering when they met Jay's green ones.

Feeling a little disappointed at her imminent departure, "Oh, yeah, okay…" he trailed off, leaning his hands on the counter, his fingers fiddling with a random pen.

He didn't know why he'd gotten so nervous all of a sudden.

Jay cleared his throat, trying to compose himself. "I'll see you around?" He asked, a hint of hope behind his voice.

He smiled when he saw Hailey nod eagerly, "Definitely," she muttered before tossing her card inside her shoulder bag and walking towards the exit.

Once she left the store, Jay exhaled heavily, only now realizing he'd been holding his breath for that long.

Before he could gather his thoughts though, he sensed an intense stare coming from his left.

When he turned his head, he found Kevin's eyes already trained on him, a mischievous grin on his face.

He'd witnessed the whole interaction between him and Hailey and was oh so ready to tease him about it.

Jay didn't need him to utter a single word to understand what was going through his head and as childish as it was, he replied to his unspoken but still loud witty comment by raising his hand and showing him the finger.

Kevin gasped dramatically, his brows raised. "Wanna step outside, Halstead?!"

"Did you just fart?"

"I did."

"You're disgusting."

"And you're annoying as f-"

"Okay, kids, time out," Hailey intervened, sitting down between her two best friends and rolling her eyes at their childish antics.

Adam groaned loudly and rested his arm on the back of Hailey's couch, reaching for Vanessa's hair and pulling it slightly.

"I swear to god, Ruzek, te mato !" The brunette barked, leaning towards him and punching his thigh, earning a curse in return.

Hailey sighed. She didn't know what was wrong with them.

"You two stress me out. Can I enjoy my beer in peace?" She asked in exasperation.

They were at her apartment, having a typical Friday night in, drinking and listening to some music in their pj's (that was the dress code), and not giving a damn about anything else in the world.

"You like flowers now?" Adam asked randomly, his eyes roaming around, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

Hailey gulped down some beer, "What?"

"Yeah, that thing,"  Vanessa chimed in, pointing at the vase Hailey had placed in the middle of the coffee table.

She'd noticed it as soon as she stepped foot into her friend's living room.

"Oh, it's a present…" she trailed off, ignoring the two pairs of eyes watching her insistently.

When she didn't add anything else, Vanessa elbowed her arm, almost making her spill her beer — that earned her a deadly glare: beer was sacred to Hailey.

"Elaborate please."

The blonde gave in with a huff. "So," she began. "Jay… the guy from The Rising Sound …" she continued, watching her friend's lips turn into a smirk.

"Wait." Adam stopped her, shaking his head in disbelief. "You're getting some? Am I hallucinating right now?!"

Hailey arched a brow at his question and didn't reply, turning to look at Vanessa, "Can you please punch him again?"

The brunette shrugged but still obliged, just because, this time aiming for Adam's upper arm.

"I'm not getting some," Hailey glared at Adam, who raised his arms in surrender, "He literally just gave me a flower," she explained.

"Boring. We can talk again when he gives you his seed," Vanessa commented, dramatically rolling her eyes and waving her hand around.

Adam snorted and almost choked on his beer, starting to cackle at the brunette's words, tears forming in his eyes.

"Dude, how do you do that?!" He managed to say between the laughs.

Vanessa shrugged her shoulders and just sipped her beer.

Children. Hailey's friends were literal children.

The blonde looked at two and glared at them. "I hate you. Both of you."

"No, you don't," Vanessa and Adam said at the same time.

Hailey sighed in annoyance because unfortunately for her, they were right.

"Are they too tight?" Jay asked his daughter as he tied the end of the second French braid he'd regrouped part of Solána's hair into.

The four-year-old shook her head. "You did good, papi!" She exclaimed in response, her tired eyes inspecting her father's job along with her small hands.

Jay's smile spread wider, "Aw, thank you, baby," he kissed her temple.

He sometimes felt insecure about little things like this, he didn’t always feel like he fit into the fatherly role, even though he put his whole self in it.

But then, just like in that moment, Solána looked at him with her bright green eyes and her little smirk, so similar to his, and that was enough for him to know that maybe… Maybe he was doing a decent job.

Solána loved him, unconditionally, and that gave him the courage to always beat any insecurities he had.

Jay turned around, still crouched down to Solána's height, and "Hop hop!" He chanted, grinning when his daughter immediately hopped on his back, her arms wrapping around his neck and her head resting on his shoulder.

He started walking fast, almost running and imitating the sound of a plane with every step he took.

"Halstead Airlines here, the plane is ready to end its flight at Solána's bedroom. Prepare for landing," he covered his mouth with his hand to muffle the sound of his voice.

When they got in front of his bedroom and he started crouching down, "That's not my bedroom, silly!" Solána exclaimed between giggles, shaking her head vehemently.

"Oh, it's not?" Jay feigned cluelessness with a dramatic gasp. "My bad… Let's try this other route, then."

He walked down the corridor and finally arrived in front of his daughter's bedroom. "That's it! This is my bedroom!" Solána patted his shoulder.

They entered the room and with a swift move, Jay helped her down his back, having her sit on her bed and following her right after.

"Did you have a nice flight, Miss Halstead?"

Solána nodded eagerly, "Yes, Captain," she replied, getting under the blankets when Jay lifted them for her.

He tucked her in, "Can I have a goodnight kiss now?"

She leaned towards him and kissed both his cheeks and the tip of his nose, just like she was used to.

Jay did the exact same — it was part of their nightly routine. "Goodnight baby, I love you," he murmured to her.

Solána reached for her koala, hugging it tightly against her chest, "G'night papi, I love you too," she smiled at her father before starting to focus on her stuffed animal.

At her reply, Jay felt his heart swell with an incommensurable amount of love. 

No matter how many times he'd hear those words coming out of his daughter's mouth, they would always have that same effect on him. They meant everything and they made him feel warm and proud, and as his life was finally whole.

Solána made him whole.

Chapter Text

Saturday came pretty fast for Jay that week. It came with a light breeze and birds chirping outside the window, the warm sun rays landing on his freckled skin as he tried to keep his eyes shut.

He heard footsteps, their sound more and more hearable as they got closer to his bedroom.

Jay turned to his side, his eyes still half-lidded, a hand absentmindedly scratching his stubble.

When he saw the door of his bedroom being slightly pushed open, "I can see you," he mumbled, his voice groggy and thick with sleep still.

He got amused giggles in return, and then the door was opened fully, revealing Jay's favorite person in the entire world.

"Papi, it's Saturday!" Solána screeched, hurrying onto her father's bed and placing her small hands on his face as soon as she got on the mattress.

"Good morning to you too, Sol," Jay chuckled, eyes now wide open and a faint smile on his lips.

Solána was full of energy in the mornings, especially on Saturdays — it was Jay's day off and that meant she'd get to spend the whole day with him, of course she was excited! 

"Morning daddy! It's Saturday, right? It's waffle day!" She said, excitement filling her voice. 

Jay hummed softly, his thumb gently stroking her freckled cheek, "It is, Sol. You're right," he replied.

"We need to get ready, dale!" She widened her eyes, reaching for his arm and pulling at it so he would get out of bed.

"You're not even gonna give me a morning kiss first? Really?" He teased her, frowning dramatically, his lips curled into a pout.

Solána huffed in response (he swore she even rolled her eyes), and Jay chuckled at her antics, stopping the urge to shake his head.

The four-year-old leaned down and kissed both his cheeks and the tip of his nose. 

When he did the same, tickling her sides and causing a loud laugh to echo inside the bedroom, "Now we can get ready," he whispered to her ear, never letting go of her and getting on his feet with a swift move, Solána squealing in surprise.

Solána smiled a wide smile when she and her father entered the waffle house they were used to going to every Saturday.

It was probably her favorite place on Earth, along with Jay's music store.

She got on her tiptoes and looked around the place, the smell of freshly made pastry filling her nostrils, her green eyes easily catching the table where she and Jay usually sat.

She liked that spot. Jay would let her sit next to the large window and she could see every person walking by.

Sometimes she would smile and wave at them and they would wave in return, her dad's word's in her head.

"Being nice costs you nothing but it can change a stranger's day for the better."

They sat at their usual booth and waited for someone to come and pick their orders.

Solána placed her little purse on top of the table. It was a gift from her Aunt Natalie and she brought it everywhere.

It didn't contain much, just a couple of her favorite hair clips, but she liked to bring it along, it made her feel grown.

When she lifted her gaze to look around, a wide smile spread onto her lips, her cheekbones lifting and making her face look more round.

"Papi, it's Rapunzel. No! Ms. Hailey," she blinked rapidly, stretching her arm and pointing her finger towards the entrance of the waffle house.

She'd apparently yelled the blonde's name, because Hailey immediately followed her voice, a smile appearing on her lips as soon as she recognized the toddler's face.

Jay turned towards her, his brows slightly raising in surprise, though he was smiling as well.

Hailey quickly walked to them, "Well, look who we got here! Good morning you two!" She greeted them, her eyes scanning Jay's face and taking note of the amused expression on it.

They did meet again after all.

Jay mumbled a small Good morning back but then was interrupted by his daughter.

"G'morning, today's Saturday!" Solána exclaimed, making both adults chuckle at her words.

Hailey faked a gasp of surprise in response. "Let me guess… It's also waffle day, isn't it?" She winked at her, watching Solána's green eyes widen even more.

The four-year-old looked between her father and the blonde woman standing next to their table, and then back at her father.

"How's she know?" She asked him, the look on her face was a mix between excitement and confusion.

Before Jay could answer though, "I know because I love waffles, they're my favorite food," Hailey stated.

She got a grin back from Solána. "They're my favorite too, but Daddy says I can't eat too much because then my teeth will fall. Not cute, huh-huh," she shook her head.

Hailey glimpsed at Jay and the two of them exchanged a knowing look, "Your dad's right."

Solána nodded, "My Dad's very very smart," she muttered, smirking at her father, trying to wink at him the way he always did to her, but adorably failing at her attempt.

Their small talk was interrupted by the arrival of the waitress, who took Solána and Jay's orders, quickly scribbling on her notepad, but before the young woman could go away, "I'll have their tab," Hailey stated.

Jay immediately cocked his head towards her. "Huh? Hailey, no"—he frowned slightly—"You really don't have to…" 

Hailey shrugged in response, "I know. But I want to," she replied wittily, then addressed the waitress and told her to add two waffles and a cup of coffee for her, before dismissing her with a Thank you and a polite smile.

"C'mon, it's waffle day!" She emphasized cheerfully, "I don't mind, really," she added calmly.

After releasing a sigh, "Well, at least have breakfast with us"—Jay suggested, scooting over the booth to make some room for her—"Unless you're with someone else..?" He then asked.

He was hoping she'd say that, no, she wasn't with anybody else and, yes, she'd like to tag along for breakfast, but he also didn't want her to feel like she had no other choice.

Much to his surprise though, "You have to ask the little princess here, first," Hailey eyed Solána, making it clear to Jay that she didn't mind sharing time with them and had no plans with anybody else.

But, still, she didn't want to intrude.

"Hey, Solána," Jay reached under his daughter's chin and tickled her to catch her attention (she was already too busy looking outside, staring at the people walking by).

Solána turned towards him.

"Is it okay if Hailey sits here and has breakfast with us?"

The four-year-old nodded vehemently. She clumsily scooted over and then, "Here, next to me," she told the blonde, patting the spot next to her.

"Aw, thank you, you're such a nice little lady!" Hailey praised her, wasting no time and sitting next to the little girl.

"Being nice is important. Can change people's day for the better," she quoted her father's words, "Right, papi?" she gaped at him.

Jay nodded, "You're right, kiddo," he showed her his fist and Solána promptly bumped her smaller one to it.

Hailey was quietly observing the interaction between the two, her heart suddenly feeling like putty, totally melted by their adorableness.

It was clear to her that Solána completely adored her father, their love for one another was so tangible. 

It truly felt like a warm hug, warmer than the food the waitress was bringing to their table.

Once it was all set, "¡Buen provecho!" Solána exclaimed, licking her lips, already savoring the taste of her meal.

Hailey found it quite odd that she'd started speaking Spanish all of a sudden, but didn't read too much into it, the smell of the warm waffles already inebriating her senses.

Jay wiped his mouth with a napkin after finishing his waffles, getting ready for the cup of coffee in front of him.

He kept looking from his food to the blonde sitting across him, his gaze shifting away every time their eyes would meet.

He was hoping that Hailey didn't find it annoying or creepy, but he also couldn't help but lay his stare on her.

And the fact that she kept blushing certainly wasn't helping him stop, only increasing his desire to continue to see her cheeks get redder each time.

He hadn't talked much to her because, first of all, Solána had totally stolen the scene, easily conversing with the blonde as if she'd known her forever — and of course he wasn't going to interrupt them; second, he didn't really know what to say. He felt his brain had completely shut down, not allowing him to find any interesting topics to talk about.

Jay hated that he was feeling like a middle schooler in front of his first crush, his thirteen-year-old self would've probably made fun of him. It was quite odd and slightly confusing.

He was a confident, self-aware man, who for sure didn't panic just because he was in front of a beautiful woman.

Hailey though… There was something very intriguing about her, and it went above and beyond her looks. It was probably the fact that she wasn't making it clear if she was interested in him or not.

It made his confidence crumble a bit, in a way that he was strangely liking.

But, Jay decided to snap out of this bubble of sudden shyness that certainly didn't belong to him, and cleared his throat, immediately catching Hailey's attention.

"The CDs"—he chose a random topic, just wanting to make small talk—"what were they for? Like, for a project or something?" 

You could do better, but it's not that bad, he told himself.

Hailey looked up at him, her gaze meeting his. She hummed softly before wiping her mouth. "Something like that, yeah. I got my students to listen to something very different from what they'd usually listen to, and they have to write a little review about it."

"Oh, gotcha," Jay nodded. "Did they like it? I mean, the Three Country dances in one was actually the coolest thing I've heard in a while… Wasn't expecting it!"

"You listened to it?" Hailey gasped in surprise.

He blushed a bit, his lips curling into his signature lopsided grin. "Eh. I got curious," he simply stated with a shrug.

"That one was their favorite too. The rest of it though…" Hailey scrunched up her nose and shook her head.

"Understandable."

She nodded in agreement. "One of them told me, and I quote, to stream JESUS IS KING if I like to listen to church stuff."

Jay snorted a laugh, almost spilling his coffee. "That sounds a lot like something one of my friends would say," he murmured, immediately thinking of Kevin — he was pretty sure he knew every single word from Kanye West's entire discography.

He wanted to ask a lot more, how she got into teaching, which part of the job she liked the most, and why she'd picked that specific subject, but once again his daughter stole the spotlight.

"Papi, that's my song!" Solána told him with a wide grin, her mouth covered in chocolate syrup as she ate the last piece of her waffles.

"Oh, you love this one, huh?" Jay chuckled, watching her nod and drink some water through a pink straw.

He helped her wipe the corners of her mouth and she then started softly singing along with La vida es un carnival by Celia Cruz, moving her hands and following the rhythm.

Hailey was staring at her impressed, the little girl really had no trouble pronouncing the Spanish words, and it kind of reminded her of her younger self, when she'd try to slip in some Greek every time she could.

She lifted her head to glimpse at Jay, "Her song?" She asked, amused.

He nodded, a tight-lipped smile on his face. "Before she was born, we made her listen to a lot of music because, you know, I'm a tad bit obsessed and we were trying to see if she would move. This is the only song she'd move to, so"—he shrugged with a chuckle—"it's her song," he concluded.

Hailey had noticed how he didn't explicitly mention her mother, using we and not really specifying who was included in it.

If she was being honest, she wanted to know more about it, ask some questions, but she knew she had no right to do so.

So, "You two are such a cool pair," she commented, deciding to put aside her growing curiosity, at least for that moment, and just enjoying the company of the two.

Later that day, Hailey found herself unable to hold back her curiosity anymore.

"Is her mother around?" she blurted out, biting her lower lip and immediately regretting asking that question as soon as the words slipped out of her mouth.

They were now at the park. She wasn't originally supposed to tag along, she had lots of homework to grade, but Solána had insisted that she'd follow her and her father, and how could Hailey say no to those sweet green eyes?

The blonde heard a small sigh escape from Jay's lips and immediately felt awful for allowing her curiosity to get the best of her.

She turned to look at him, their elbows slightly touching, but Jay's eyes didn't meet hers, his stare still focused on Solána who was playing on the slides.

"I'm sorry, it's none of my business," she mumbled quickly,  feeling mortified.

"It's okay," Jay shook his head and then finally looked at her, his piercing stare catching Hailey off guard.

He smiled a little but she could tell it wasn't totally genuine, it didn't reach his eyes.

"Camila… She loves Solána," he began, clearing his throat, "But, sometimes love's not always enough, you know? Kids need stability and"—he shrugged uncomfortably—"Let's just say she's not ready to raise a kid. Not yet," he roughly explained, the features on his face now hardened.

"It's just the two of us," he added in conclusion, forcing a smile.

It was clear to Hailey that it was a touchy subject for Jay and she still felt bad for bringing it up.

And Jay seemed to notice her conflict, picking up on the guilt she was feeling, he could read it on her face.

"Hailey," she turned to look at him. 

"It's okay," he tried to reassure her, his voice calm and gentle, "I mean it."

She'd asked a question that would have eventually been leaped out. It was nothing to fuss too much about.

The blonde seemed to relax a little after his words. She exhaled a sharp breath and then smiled when she looked in front of her and saw Solána waving her hand at them before going down the slides.

"She adores you," Hailey commented as she and Jay waved back at the little girl.

Jay smiled at her words, a sense of pride making his chest swell. It was the best compliment he'd ever gotten.

He released a small sigh. "She's my sunshine on a cloudy day," he replied, a smug smile on his lips.

"Oh, we're quoting songs now," Hailey caught the reference. He'd just used a line from My girl by The Temptations.

Jay chuckled, "Makes it more poetic. Be grateful I didn't actually sing it."

"Is it that bad?"

"Oof!" He nodded eagerly, "Terrible."

"Makes two of us then."

"Really?" Jay asked, surprised by her response. "You look like you can sing."

Hailey raised her brows, "Oh, do I?"

He smirked in response, moving his head in a small nod and watching her cheeks turn red.

Jay decided to seize the moment now that the mood had lightened up a bit.

After clearing his throat, "So, tomorrow," he started, earning Hailey's attention. She stared at him, her blue eyes so bright and intense they almost made him feel small.

"There's a small event, a fundraiser. We do this thing with Bartoli's. They offer food and we sell our old records to the cheapest price and then the money goes to an association for military families who have lost someone on the field," he continued, scratching the back of his neck.

"It's lots of fun though"—he shrugged—"there's good people, music, nice food, just… good energy, and it's for a good cause," Jay concluded, watching Hailey's small smile.

He didn't know that the blonde was internally groaning, her frustration growing because not only Jay seemed like an overall good guy, in addition to that he put himself out there to help his community.

That only made him ten times more attractive to her eyes.

"So what do you say? Are you free tomorrow afternoon?" Jay finally asked, nervously chewing on his lower lip, wondering why his heart had suddenly quickened its pace.

Hailey slightly tilted her head. "Well, I can't say no to Bartoli's, can I?" Hailey asked cheekily.

The teasing tone she'd used didn't go unnoticed by Jay, who released a small hum, feeling a lot more relaxed than he was a few seconds ago. 

"Oh, wow"—he widened his eyes and then rolled them dramatically—"so, you're coming just for the pizza, noted," he mumbled sarcastically.

Hailey turned to him and nudged him with her elbow, her cheeks still red. "That's not what I said," she shook her head, not really looking into his eyes, "It's just one of the reasons why…"

She liked the banter they had going on. It was refreshing.

"What's the other reason?" He asked boldly, his signature lopsided grin on his face and a wishful thinking that she'd say he was the other reason.

Hailey scoffed loudly, a chuckle ensued. 

She didn't know how to flirt, she was too self-conscious to do it purposely, but Jay was a huge help, it made it easier and fun, and like she could let go of the reins, finally let loose for once.

So she patted his knee and "You can't know everything, can you? It takes out all the fun," she raised her brow at him, sending him a knowing look.

They were about to part ways. Solána's hand was tightly holding her father's, while she used the other to count the tiny giraffes on her t-shirt.

The three of them were now standing in front of Hailey's car and ready to say goodbye.

"So, what time does the fundraiser start?" the blonde asked Jay, her fingers absentmindedly fiddling with the chain of her shoulder bag.

"Around 2 PM."

Hailey slowly moved her head in a nod.

"I'll text you the address," Jay added.

"You don't have my number, though," she countered, watching him carefully and noticing a smug smile starting to form on his face.

"I know," he replied wittily, a chuckle threatening to escape his lips.

Hailey let out a small scoff, getting in the loop of what he was trying to do. "Smooth," she commented in a lower tone, though Jay had heard her loud and clear, laughing a bit.

"Eh. I try…" 

She playfully shook her head at him but promptly took Jay's phone as he handed it to her, quickly typing her number on it and then giving the device back to him.

"I'll see you tomorrow then," Hailey muttered.

Solána heard the word tomorrow and was quick to lift her head up, her eyes filled with excitement. 

"Hailey, you comin' to the party too?" She asked her.

Cute. There were going to be lots of people, food, and music, it made sense that she'd think it was a party.

"I am!" The blonde nodded at the little girl, sending her a warm smile.

"That's so cool, I'm very eskyted," Solána said, making the two adults chuckle at the way she'd pronounced the word.

"So precious," Hailey commented under her breath.

"Well, Sol, I'm sure she is very excited too, but we gotta let Hailey go for today," Jay chimed in, gently squeezing his daughter's hand.

Solána didn't protest — she could be very stubborn at times, just like him — and nodded instead, "Okay."

She waved at Hailey. "Bye-bye, have a nice day," she mumbled politely.

"Thank you! You two have a nice day too, yeah?" She looked at the pair, blushing a little when she met Jay's eyes.

He nodded at her, "Be safe."

The blonde sent him one last glance before hopping on her car, and Jay helped her close the door of the vehicle.

When Hailey took off the road, "She likes waffles, daddy!" Jay heard his daughter tell him as if it weren’t already clear, probably too excited about the fact that she and Hailey had something in common.

It warmed his heart. They were getting along and the mere thought of it made something bubble at the pit of his stomach. It wasn't an uncomfortable feeling, Jay liked it quite a bit, if he was being frank.

So, "And so do you, don’t ya?" He wiggled his eyebrows and saw that Solána's smile had widened at his statement before sending her a knowing wink. 

Once she got to her best friend's apartment, Hailey started totally freaking out about the next day.

Vanessa had to force her to sit down on the couch and after handing her a glass of wine, she sat next to her, ready to listen to the blonde's neverending rant about how Jay had invited her to that fundraiser and she was considering canceling everything because she was scared all of a sudden.

She had repeated the same exact story to Adam when he'd joined them. Her account sounded a lot calmer and less frantic, but her nervousness was still there, very persistent.

After seeing how desperate she was, Vanessa and Adam had decided they would go with her, hoping that being around people she actually knew wouldn't have Hailey so on edge.

So now that that bridge had been crossed, Hailey was drunk because a margarita had followed that first glass of wine, then a beer, and then another, and now she was dancing in the middle of Vanessa's living room, Justin Timberlake's Sexyback playing in the background.

She looked happy, totally unbothered, and like she wasn't really listening to the same tune as the other two in the room, her body moving totally out of sync.

Hailey didn't care though, she was drunk and having fun, and thinking of Jay.

As drunk as she was, she couldn't help but think about him, the color of his eyes, his piercing gaze. She'd noticed how he kept looking at her at the waffle house, how pink his cheeks would turn every time their eyes met, and maybe it was the alcohol making her so confident, but she was starting to believe that he might have had a tiny crush on her just like she did.

It was all fun until the moment when Adam saw her walk in the kitchen and reach for her phone.

He followed her immediately, his quick movement earning Vanessa's attention.

"What are you doing, Upton?" He asked, narrowing his eyes at her.

Vanessa pried in, a smirk appearing on her face when she saw whose text chat her friend had just opened. She blocked Adam from saying anything, shaking her head at his attempt to stop Hailey.

"Shouldn't we, I don't know, do something..?" Adam started but was quickly cut off by the brunette.

"Let her have her carefree moment for once," she sighed, shrugging her shoulders. "Plus, at least I have something to look forward to tomorrow," she stated before emptying her glass of wine, a knowing look on her face.

Adam gasped, though he wasn't really surprised. "You're evil," he mumbled, his eyes trained on Hailey who was typing furiously, cursing now and then because her sight was blurry and she couldn't properly see what letters she was pressing her thumbs on.

"Thanks," Vanessa replied to him, placing her empty glass on the counter and patting Adam's chest as if to console him.

Hailey was going to love her or hate her for not stopping her and she honestly couldn't wait to find out.

Chapter Text

Hailey groaned loudly when she woke up that Sunday morning, the piercing sun rays blinding her eyes and throbbing headache making it clear that it was going to keep her company for the whole day.

I'm never drinking again, she thought, running a hand down her face as if doing it would help her sober up faster.

The hangover was hitting her, hard, and she was regretting drinking anything but water the previous night.

But, Hailey also knew she'd had fun, she remembered dancing without a care in the world and having the time of her life, though her legs were protesting a bit now.

Letting out a long sigh, she managed to open her eyes and that's when she realized she wasn't in her bedroom: this one was slightly smaller than hers, and the walls weren't of the pastel blue color she herself had painted her room with.

The bedroom door was open and Hailey was too busy keeping herself from falling again between the sheets to notice Vanessa's presence, the brunette's body leaned against the door frame and a glass of water in her hand.

"Good morning, sunshine," she greeted Hailey with an evil grin, an amused tone behind her voice.

The blonde slowly lifted her head to look at her and let out a groan of protest — why the hell did her voice sound so loud? —, her hands going to her head and her palms pressing on her throbbing temple.

Vanessa finally entered the room and sat on her bed, outstretching her hand and handing Hailey the glass of water.

"There's some Advil in it already," she informed her.

"Thanks, V," Hailey slurred, gathering all her strength to bring the glass to her mouth and slowly drinking its content.

They stayed in silence for a bit: Hailey usually wasn't a talkative person in the morning, she had to process the fact that another day was starting, and the hangover was slowing down that process even more.

"Where's Adam?" She asked, remembering that last time she checked, there were three of them in that apartment.

"Went to Disco Bob's a couple of hours ago, they're having breakfast together," Vanessa told her, "He'll meet us later."

She got a nod in response and silently watched Hailey chug down the water, a question forming in her head.

Once she saw her friend was done, "Have you checked your phone yet?" She asked her, a mischievous grin hanging on her lips.

Hailey scrunched up her face in confusion and shook her head, "Huh? No. Why?"

Vanessa just shrugged her shoulders and didn't really answer her question.

The confusion on Hailey's face switched to suspicion and "What did you do?" She narrowed her eyes, grabbing her phone from the nightstand.

Her blue eyes immediately widened when she saw the notification of a text on the screen.

When she read that the text sender was Jay her heart started beating faster, her hands slightly shaking.

She turned to look at Vanessa only to find her already staring at her, a huge smirk on display.

"What did I do? What did you do last night?" Vanessa retorted back, a laugh threatening to escape her mouth.

Hailey ignored her words (she was clearly messing with her) and decided to unlock her phone and open the text.

Jay
Oh no
You're drunk, aren't you?
You spelled "misbehave" wrong and you're a teacher, so my mind says you're drunk

Hailey reread it a couple of times and then, for context purposes, went over the text she had sent before Jay's reply.

After reading the words, "What the hell? When did this happen?!" She asked, embarrassment hitting her all at once as she stared at the screen in disbelief.

Hailey
I'll let you whip me if I missbehave

Vanessa finally let out a loud laugh, earning a punch on her arm from Hailey. 

"I'm pretty sure JT's song inspired you, dirty babe," the brunette muttered matter-of-factly, remembering how unbothered her friend looked as she was typing that message.

"What did he say though?" She asked between giggles, trying to snoop over Hailey's shoulder.

The blonde rolled her eyes at her and groaned, rudely tossing her the phone and covering her face in embarrassment.

That message was a clear, unmistakable innuendo, and hadn't she been shitfaced from alcohol, she would've never sent something like that.

What kind of person would Jay think she was? 

Vanessa read Jay's reply and hummed, letting out a soft chuckle.

"Aw, he's a dork like you, that's cute," she commented, handing the phone back to her friend.

Hailey glared at her. "How's that cute? I made a fool out of myself, Vanessa," she seethed, closing her eyes and hoping someone would tell her it was a stupid joke once she'd open them.

Vanessa huffed when she heard her words, nudging her with her elbow. "Oh, come on! You were drunk and you sent a funny text, so what? I've done worse…" she muttered, a hint of exasperation behind her voice.

They had different personalities, she was aware of that. Vanessa was more outgoing and impulsive, less paranoid, whereas Hailey was more reflexive, she always thought about consequences, maybe a bit too much, and she was definitely way too hard on herself.

Once again, Hailey ignored her friend, reopening the chat with Jay and quickly typing a text.

Hailey
OMG, I'm so so sorry. That was my evil twin talking 🤦🏼♀️

She immediately noticed the symbol signaling that the text had been read and before she could process it, the three gray dots suggesting that Jay was typing appeared on the screen.

"Shit shit shit he's typing oh my- no wait, he's calling me now. Vanessa, he's calling me, what do I do?" She started panicking, her blue eyes wide as she stared at the brunette, asking for help.

"And you say I need Jesus, huh?" Vanessa mumbled mockingly, way too amused by the situation.

It was fun watching her freaking out like that, she looked like a teenager with her crush, and for once she didn't have control over something. 

Maybe Hailey wasn't realizing it yet, but it was good for her.

So, with a quick move, she reached for Hailey's phone and tapped on the screen, answering the call, and then ran out of the bedroom before her friend could kill her right then and there.

"Hello? Hailey, you there?" Hailey snapped out of her shock when she heard Jay's voice over the phone.

She took a deep breath to calm down as much as she could and brought the device to her ear. After clearing her throat, "Hey Jay!" She greeted him, her voice slightly shaking.

"Hey, sorry I called you. I'm not really a texter," he explained. "How you doing? "

Hailey sighed at the question, "My head is killing me but I'm alive…" she dramatized.

Jay hummed. "So you did get drunk, I knew it!" He exclaimed maybe a little too enthusiastically, chuckling at her.

The blonde closed her eyes, embarrassment hitting her again. "Yeah, about that… I'm sorry for that weird text. I normally don't do stuff like that," she mumbled sheepishly, scratching the back of her head.

But Jay was quick to help her calm down. He giggled softly and, "It's all good, no need to feel bad. I thought it was funny," she tried to reassure her.

Hailey almost gasped at his words, her eyes wide. "You did?"

He hummed at her, "Yeah," he confirmed with a chuckle. "Although…" he trailed off, causing her blood pressure to rise again, her cheeks turning red. 

"Here we go," she whispered to herself, covering her face.

Jay ignored that comment. "I mean… Justin Timberlake, really? Yikes!" He teased her.

Hailey let out a sigh of relief, all worries about making a bad impression immediately gone.

But then she replayed his words and "Hey!" She protested, "No JT slander around me," she argued, probably a little too seriously.

Well, Justin Timberlake was a serious matter to her.

"All I'm saying is, next time go for some old Usher line," she heard him say, and the way she was able to perfectly visualize the smirk on his face almost scared her.

"Next time, huh?" She retorted, the red color on her cheeks visibly intensifying.

"You heard me," Jay chuckled, but then cleared his throat as if to get back to his composure. "So, you're still coming today, right?"

Hailey nodded but figured he couldn't see her.

(That hangover was really doing all sorts of things to her!)

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be there," she stated. "I'm also bringing two friends if that's okay," she added.

"Yup, no problem. The more the merrier," he chanted.

She was ready to open her mouth to talk again but had to stop, hearing a high-pitched voice in the background.

When she heard the word Daddy she had the confirmation that it was Solána, a tired smile coming to her face as she listened to the little girl kindly asking her father to help her with something.

"Jay, go, she needs you"—Hailey muttered comprehensively—"I'll see you guys later," she added.

"Okay, yeah, sorry…”

"Don't, it's alright. And say hi from me to her," she smiled.

"Will do. Bye, Hailey."

"Bye," she ended the call and released a long breath.

Before she could take some time for herself to think about and process that phone call, "What did he say?" Vanessa's voice reached her ears, proving that she'd been standing behind the door the whole time.

"He said you need to mind your business," Hailey replied, rolling her eyes and finally finding the strength to get on her feet, still a bit dizzy, but definitely ready to take a shower.

And as if she'd been reading her mind, when she opened the door she found her best friend wearing an evil grin, a white towel in her hands, waiting for her.

Vanessa handed her the towel, "Don't say I don't love you."

"Girl, you look so nervous right now," Vanessa commented as she was waiting for the headlights to become green.

She eyed Hailey for the umpteenth time and noticed that her friend hadn't even heard her (or maybe she was just ignoring her on purpose).

The light turned green and she started driving again, following the GPS instructions.

They were headed to the location Jay had sent Hailey. From what the two had seen on Google, the fundraiser was going to take place in an elementary schoolyard.

Hailey was excited, but her nervousness definitely overshadowed it.

She kept wondering if the floral dress she decided to wear was appropriate, maybe she should've chosen something else.

And, after the text she had sent Jay the previous night, were things going to be awkward between them?

These and a bunch of other hundred questions kept running through her head, and Hailey realized they had arrived at the location only when she noticed Vanessa parking her car.

After turning the engine off, "Hailey, relax. Everything's gonna be great and we're gonna have lots of fun, okay?" Vanessa tried to reassure her friend, nudging her arm with her elbow and winking at the blonde.

Hailey let out a long exhale and then nodded, "Yeah, but let's go before I change my mind," she muttered, not really waiting for an answer and opening the door.

Once they were outside, they saw a couple of posters telling them to walk to the back of the building to join the fundraiser.

She quickly took her phone and shot a text to Jay, informing him that she and Vanessa were there.

With every step she took, Hailey could feel the anxiety build in her stomach but forced herself to stay calm.

It wasn't that deep, was it?

It was a mundane event meant for people to be together and have fun, and it was for a good cause. There was no reason for her to start overthinking.

As they silently approached the place, Hailey and Vanessa could hear the sound of voices as well as some music in the background.

It was muffled and a bit confused, and neither of them could quite pinpoint which song it was.

They finally arrived at their destination and Hailey let out a sigh of relief when she saw that, yes, the place was crowded, but not at an overwhelming level.

There were also kids playing together or holding their parents' hands, too shy to socialize just yet.

"Well, that looks nice," Vanessa commented, quickly rubbing Hailey's back to encourage her to take a few more steps forward.

The blonde turned to look at her and sent her a nod, "It does. I like it," she affirmed, checking her surroundings.

A group of women was standing next to them, at the spot they'd chosen, the proximity allowing the two to hear their conversation.

"He's so hot, oh my God. I'd risk it all for him," Vanessa was the first one to catch the words of a tall, curly brunette who was talking to her friends.

She raised a brow to Hailey, an amused expression on her face and her brown eyes wide.

Hailey had a similar look on her face, she bit her lips to prevent a chuckle from coming out of her mouth.

"And he's single too! I swear, the things I'd do to him if I weren't with Chuck…" another woman trailed off in agreement with her friend, causing the other two to giggle loudly.

"Shush girls, he's coming this way!" The third one urged, all of them suddenly stopping their laughs.

"Oh, they were talking about him, makes sense," Vanessa whispered to Hailey with a giggle, but before she could process her friend's words,

"Hailey!" The blonde recognized Jay's voice.

She turned towards him and couldn't help but smile widely when her eyes met his.

He got in front of her within a few steps, and both Hailey and Vanessa could tell that the women that were gushing over him a few seconds ago were now all observing them, their stares so intense.

But Hailey honestly couldn't care less, especially not when she felt Jay engulf her in a tight, warm hug, his hand brushing over her back, slowly going up and down.

"Glad you're here," he told her, his voice low as he said the words. He was telling her and only her.

When they pulled apart, they exchanged a small smile, filled with shyness but also excitement.

Figuring that it wasn't just the two of them there, Jay cleared his throat and looked at Vanessa, smiling politely at her and stretching his arm her way.

"I'm Jay, nice to meet ya," he mumbled.

"Vanessa, nice to meet you too. I heard a lot about you," the brunette shook his hand, quickly glancing at Hailey and sending a smirk her way.

"Did ya?" He asked rhetorically, a cocky grin on his face as he turned to glance at the blonde in front of him.

But Hailey tried not to get intimidated by his much more confident attitude, holding her gaze onto him and acting as if her friend hadn't just ratted her out.

Catching on the furtive looks Hailey and Jay were sharing, Vanessa decided to give the two some privacy, using the first excuse that popped into her mind.

"Why don't I go get us some drinks, huh?" She asked rhetorically. "Beer for everyone?"

"I'm good but thanks," Jay declined. "Hailey?"

"Oh, hell no, I don't even wanna smell it. I'm sticking with water today," the blonde told her friend, causing her to giggle.

"Gotcha," Vanessa nodded. She sent the two another knowing look and then, "I'll be right back," she started walking towards the bar.

So, Hailey and Jay were left alone — although they still had eyes on them.

"Water, huh? That alcohol must've traumatized you last night…" he teased her, his smirk growing bigger when he noticed Hailey blushing at his words.

She shook her head vehemently, "I don't even know how I'm on my feet, to be honest," she sighed. "Where's Solána?" She then asked, remembering the little girl's excitement for what she thought was going to be a party today.

"Driving my brother insane," Jay replied, moving his head to point to a spot not too far from them.

Hailley followed his gaze and easily recognized the tall redhead she'd seen the first time she'd entered Jay's store.

He was sitting on a picnic blanket with his legs crossed, Solána was right in front of him, along with another little boy who seemed to be older than her.

The four-year-old was playing with her uncle's hair and when Jay saw the slightly confused frown on Hailey's face, "She's torturing him with hair clips," he explained to her with a chuckle.

Hailey turned to look at him and smirked, "And I kinda get that you love seeing him suffer," she added in.

Jay nodded eagerly, "Oh, you have no idea," he widened his eyes and raised his brows to emphasize his words. 

Right when he finished his sentence, Vanessa got back to them. She handed Hailey her requested cup of water and took a sip of her non-alcoholic beer — she too had opted from taking a break from alcohol for once.

"Shall we join them?" He asked generically, though Vanessa figured that maybe the question was more directed at Hailey.

The brunette didn't really know who they were supposed to be joining but didn't mind asking.

Hailey nodded at Jay, and the tiny smile she had on her lips grew bigger when her ears detected the round of drums from Dani California by Red Hot Chili Peppers, which was one of her favorite songs.

She and Vanessa quickly shared a knowing look, the brunette sending a grin her way, and right at that moment Hailey felt that, yeah, it was going to be a good day.

"Hailey, you're here!" Solána cheered as soon as she saw the blonde walking towards the spot where she, her uncle, and her cousin were sitting.

She dropped everything she was doing, much to Will's relief, and hurried to hug the blonde, her arms wrapped around her torso.

Hailey gasped in surprise, a gigantic happy grin on her face as she caressed the little girl's long hair.

She then crouched down to meet her and smiled widely at her, "Hey, Solána! What a beautiful dress you have right here, you look gorgeous," she praised her, watching her cheeks get more round for the way she was smiling.

"Thank you! Daddy helped me pick it," Solána admitted, her small fingers touching the fabric of the lilac dress she was wearing.

The blonde shortly gaped at Jay, imagining him rummaging through his daughter's drawer to find the perfect dress for her.

She wished she was there to witness it all.

"Well, it was great teamwork then," Hailey commented, winking at the little girl.

Jay was watching them in silence, a bit baffled by the naturalness of their interaction.

He knew his daughter liked Hailey but was still surprised to see the amount of excitement and joy filling her green eyes when she approached her so eagerly.

He probably didn't know she liked her that much.

The thought immediately brought a smile to his face, the little shift in his expression not going unnoticed by his brother's attentive eyes — they had been trained on him the whole time.

The two exchanged a quick, serious glance and then Will got on his feet, ready to meet the two new acquaintances.

"I'm Will, Jay's brother," he greeted them, shaking the two women's hands. He then pointed at the little boy sitting on the blanket and quietly observing them, "This is my son Owen," Will added proudly, a soft smile on his face.

It was still weird for him to refer to Owen as his son but it also felt so right, something telling him that was all he wanted in his life.

Owen knew Will wasn't his biological dad, but his mom Natalie had also taught him that family isn't only a matter of blood. 

And Will acted like a father to him, always had, even before Owen was born, and it was the only thing that made sense to the six-year-old boy to call the redhead Dad.

The amount of joy it brought Will when he first noticed the switch from Uncle Will to Dad was indescribable, actually bringing him to tears when he told Natalie that same night when they went to bed.

Hailey and Vanessa greeted Owen as well, though they quickly understood he was a bit shy. He'd greeted them back like the polite boy his mom had raised but immediately went back to his business, not really paying attention to them.

Solána though… She was quite the opposite of her cousin. She had a bubbly personality and loved talking to people, asking them an extenuating amount of questions, making her presence known, even with those she knew for a relatively short time.

Jay was convinced it was a trait she'd inherited from her mother. Camila too was very extroverted, she never held back.

He instead… he definitely wasn't the talkative type of person, although, with a daughter like this, things had changed, at least a little bit.

"Hailey, you wanna sit next to me?" Solána asked, taking the blonde by the hand and not really waiting for an answer from her, who was immediately pulled by the little girl, the eager gesture causing her to chuckle and widen her eyes at Jay.

He raised his arms in surrender, "She's the boss here," he commented with a smile, taking another picnic blanket from Will's backpack and laying it out on the grass.

They were soon joined by Kevin, the tall guy approaching them and immediately catching Vanessa's attention.

She made sure to notice how well that olive green tight t-shirt suited him, complimenting the brown color of his skin and making his eyes stand out more.

According to what Hailey had told her, he was Jay's partner in business and his best friend, and when he finally got in front of her to shake her hand, Vanessa couldn't help but think she'd found the perfect incentive to go back to that music store.

(Besides, Majid Jordan's newest album was out, she'd planned to step foot there anyway.)

"I'm Kevin," he told her, releasing her hand, his dark eyes wide and gentle as they looked at her.

Vanessa smirked in return. His gaze intimidated her, she found it a bit overwhelming, but she had no intentions of letting him know that. 

"Vanessa," the brunette replied, watching Kevin wet his lips with his tongue as he nodded.

She emitted a long sigh seeing that small gesture, her body suddenly stiff and her mind trying to not think of censurable things.

They both then joined the others, sitting on the blankets and easily sliding into the conversation that was already taking place.

They all were trying to get to know each other better. 

Hailey and Vanessa had learned that Will worked at the city's hospital, in the Emergency Department; Kevin used to be a cop, he'd become one to try and change the crooked system from inside, but figured that he ended up only hating himself for some choices he'd had to make. The best way he could live with himself was by taking the uniform off and finding less morally conflicting ways to help the community.

"And what do you two do for a living?" Will asked the two women. "Hailey, Jay told me you're a teacher, what subject do you teach?"

The blonde briefly glanced over Jay, biting her lower lip to suppress the all-too-giddy smile that was trying to creep on her face at the news that Jay had talked about her to his brother.

"Music history," she replied proudly. "We do a lot of the theoretical, boring stuff"—she added with a grin, squinting her eyes—"and then we play some instruments too," she explained.

When Owen heard the last sentence, it was like he immediately got out of his shell of shyness, snapping his head and staring at the blonde.

"My dad can play the guitar and he sings a lot too," he told her, slightly walking towards her, his cheeks turning red for speaking up.

Hailey looked at Will and then back at Owen. "Does he? What's your favorite song your dad sings?" She asked him, happy he was talking to her.

Owen turned to look at his father, his mouth slightly open as though it helped him think better. 

Will nodded at him to encourage him, his lips curled into a tiny smile. "Tell her," he winked at him.

"A horse with no name," the six-year-old said, blushing heavily, going to Will and sitting next to him.

Hailey was about to reply to him but Solána soon jumped into the conversation.

"My dad doesn't sing very well," the little girl chimed in with a shrug, a sheepish grin on her face when she heard the group laughing out loud.

Well, except for Jay, who frowned at her words, though he still wore an amused expression. "Ah! Thank you, Sol, glad to know you're on my side!" He chanted, reaching for his daughter and starting to tickle her sides, her loud squeals echoing.

Jay let her calm down and set her free, but she didn't let go of him, wrapping her arms around his neck, "Un besito, daddy," she muttered to him, leaving a kiss on his stubbly cheek.

"Kiss ass," Kevin said between fake coughs, earning a glare from Jay.

Solána gasped at the two men but then the smirk appeared back on her face. "Uncle Kev, you know you can't say that!" She scolded, staring at him with a knowing look.

He huffed in response, glimpsing at Jay to try and ask for help. 

"Ah-ah. Don't look at me, man," he shook his head, feigning a non-interested expression.

Hailey and Vanessa shared a confused look, wondering what was going on, but then they saw Kevin take out his wallet from the back pocket of his jeans, extracting a one-dollar bill out of it.

"You sure you're only four years old?" He asked Solána rhetorically, squinting his eyes at her and handing her the money.

Solána shrugged in response, grinning at her father when she got what she wanted.

She and Kevin had a deal. Every time a curse word slipped out of his mouth whenever she was around, he would give her one dollar.

The toddler was only four years old and already had a business going on.

"I like her, she knows what's up," Vanessa stated after witnessing the scene, a chuckle escaping her lips as she looked at Solána putting her money inside the little purse she always carried around.

Jay winked at the brunette and grinned proudly, "I know, right?"

When he turned to look at Hailey, "I swear I also teach her morals," he added with a snort, tilting his head.

"Hmm-hmm," she hummed in response, "I bet," she muttered, feigning a judgemental tone.

"You were in the Army, right?"

Jay looked at Hailey as soon as the words left her mouth, her blue eyes meeting him immediately. "How..?" 

"This," she waved her hand around, indicating their surroundings. "A lot of people know you here," she elaborated, referring to the times she'd seen people approaching him to greet him.

She'd often caught them sharing a look, something she couldn't quite describe with words, but it definitely hid some heaviness behind it, something only they knew the meaning of.

"And, when we first met you said your last name first," the blonde added, recalling the moment.

She'd always been one to pay attention to details.

Jay slowly moved his head in a nod. "I'm impressed," he chuckled, but then Hailey saw his tiny smile faltering a bit, his gaze fixed in front of him. It was absent but he made it seem like he was just checking on the kids that were playing catch.

He then turned to look back at her, finding her already observing him, her gaze intense but kind and curious.

"Yeah, I'm a former Ranger, did two tours in Afghanistan," he muttered, the expression on his face serious and his features had hardened a bit.

Understanding that she'd touched a nerve, Hailey decided to let that topic go for now.

She was curious, yes, but they were having a great time and she didn't want to ruin that serene atmosphere.

After his reply, the two stayed in silence for a while, observing the others having fun.

Owen's mother had joined him and Will, and now they were spending some time with their co-workers from the hospital.

Kevin and Vanessa had clicked immediately, and he was showing her some pieces of vinyl they usually brought along during this type of event to sell them and then give the money away.

Solána was with them: as soon as the little girl found out that Vanessa too could speak Spanish, she'd turned her into her new best friend.

Adam had joined the group as well — after taking forever to find the address — and it turned out that he and Kevin had already crossed paths.

The former police officer and Disco Bob (Adam's dad) had worked a few shifts together when he was still on service, and the three of them had gone out for some beers once or twice.

When Jay met the guy, he couldn't help but recall what had happened a few days before, recognizing him as the sender of the text Hailey had gotten the day he gave her the sunflower.

A couple of hours had passed, but he still was wondering who Adam was for Hailey. Sure, they seemed to be close, but how close?

He needed to crack that code.

So, "You and Adam…" he trailed off, glimpsing at Hailey but dropping his gaze right after. "You two seem close," he went on, though the sole idea made him cringe.

"Yeah, we are. He's my ex-boyfriend…" the blonde blurted out with a smile.

"Oh!" Jay chuckled nervously and cleared his throat, “Cool cool cool.”

He was right, then! There was something between them.

Hailey then burst out laughing at his slightly bummed face and shook her head, watching Jay's expression switch to confusion.

"We dated in middle school, Jay," she snorted. "We were twelve and held hands like three times max," she chuckled.

"First Sol, now you? Everybody's getting too comfortable making fun of me today," he furrowed his brows, reaching for Hailey's feet and giving it a light kick. 

"Didn't know you wanted to keep tabs on me," Hailey commented, her smile growing bigger as she said the words.

Jay shrugged his shoulders, his green eyes intense while staring into hers. "I mean, maybe I want…" he trailed off with a smirk.

The blonde was left quite shocked by his statement, not really knowing if he was being serious or messing with her the way she did with him.

"Maybe?" She checked, tilting her head, a hint of hope behind her question.

"Maybe." He repeated with a nod, and Hailey could've sworn it sounded a lot like a yes.

"Sol, this is the last candy you're eating today," Jay told his daughter, watching her unwrap yet another candy. It was probably the third in the last hour.

He was crouched down and helping her get her jean jacket on. It was starting to get a bit chilly and he sure didn't want her to catch a cold.

The little girl pouted, an adorable frown between her brows. "But-" she tried to protest but stopped when she saw the stern look on her father's face.

"No buts, Solána. You don't wanna get a tummy ache, do ya?" He lifted his brow at her.

She shook her head and hummed, tossing the candy in her mouth and huffing. "I don't."

Jay caressed her hair, tucking some loose strands behind her ears and kissing her forehead, "That's what I thought."

He then got back on his feet and picked his daughter in his arms, having her sit on the counter he and Kevin had set up.

He checked his surroundings and easily spotted Hailey roaming around, a concentrated look on her face as she searched through the different albums trying to find the right one.

A bunch of other people were doing the same exact thing, but only she was catching his attention like that, making him feel like there were no other people around them. Like it was just the two of them.

Hailey was beautiful.

And she seemed like a great person too, Solána liked her, which was a huge thing for him, and he too… He liked her.

Maybe it was too soon to tell, maybe his impulsiveness was taking control over him once again in his life, but he honestly couldn't help it.

Throughout the day, he'd found himself observing her quietly (though his mind was full of thoughts, of her, of them), and it'd only caused his crush for her to become more intense, more than he'd originally allowed himself to.

It was a good feeling, though. Refreshing. For so long, he'd been closed off, keeping his heart open for his daughter only.

But, maybe there was room for someone else. It was a risk, sure, but Jay was finally ready to take it.

"Jake?" He snapped out of his daze when he heard that familiar voice.

It was familiar but he'd definitely hadn't heard it in quite some time.

When he turned in its direction, "'S no way that's you, Kate!" He smiled widely, seeing his friend approaching him. “When did you get here? I thought you were coming next week!”

They shared a tight hug, "Surprise!" She muttered to him.

"Aunt Kim!" Solána jumped off the counter and went in to hug her waist.

Kim picked her up, feigning sudden tiredness. "Solána! Oh my gosh, you got so tall and heavy, next time I see you you're gonna be taller than me!" She exclaimed to her, kissing the little girl on the cheek.

"Did you get to go on big planes again?" Solána asked, her green eyes wide as she looked at her godmother.

She nodded, "I did. And I got lots of cool pictures to show you," she winked at her. "I even got inside a cloud."

"Really?!" 

Jay chuckled at his daughter's surprised expression. It was priceless and the cutest thing in the world.

Solána then spotted a familiar face behind them and wiggled her legs to climb down.

She hurried over to Hailey and took her by the hand, guiding her towards Jay and Kim.

"She's Hailey. She looks like Rapunzel," Solána told Kim, causing the blonde to chuckle at the words.

Hailey saw the two exchange a quick look, Jay moving his head in a slight nod. "So you're the famous Hailey! I'm Kim."

"Kate," Jay chimed in.

"Don't listen to him. It’s Kim," the brunette glared at her friend but then smiled again when she looked back at Hailey.

"Nice to meet you," the blonde smiled.

Once again, Kim gazed at Jay and after sharing a knowing look, "I'll take this pretty lady with me — she held Solána's hand — and I'm gonna go say hi to the others. I'll catch up with you two later, yeah?" She waved at them and left with her goddaughter, not really giving them the time to answer her question.

When they were alone, "Kim or Kate?" Hailey asked Jay, slightly tilting her head.

"Kim"—he smiled sheepishly—"I call her Kate 'cause, well, she looks like a Kate, and she calls me Jake because I call her Kate," he shrugged as if his explanation made any sense.

But it didn't, in fact, "You're a weirdo," the blonde commented.

"And I think you're special, what's behind your back ?" He challenged her, raising his brow and smirking at her.

"I'll never hear the end of it, will I?" She asked rhetorically, pouting.

"Nope, you won't. But seriously, whatchu got there?" Jay pointed at her hand.

Hailey handed him the vinyl she had chosen and grinned when she saw a big smile appear on his face.

"Ooh, now we're talking, yeah yeah yeah, this is, like, my favorite album!" He said excitedly, his eyes scanning the piece of art he'd been listening to way too many times.

Sue him, though. Moby had really created a masterpiece when he made Play.

"This is just… Ah, you made a great choice. You'll like it, one hundred percent," he continued rambling and Hailey chuckled at his sudden excitement.

He looked adorable and you could tell how much it meant to him.

"You know what? I'm pumped, you don't even have to pay for it," Jay chuckled, his eyes flickering. "It's yours," he added at Hailey's confused expression.

"It's like five bucks, Jay…" She tried to protest but he shook his head vehemently.

"Save those for… Waffles!" He insisted with a grin.

Hailey then pointed at the album and "Is this like a window to your soul type of thing?" She teased with a chuckle.

Jay hummed and moved his head in a nod, his lips curled into a smirk. "Yeah, you can put it that way…"

"I like that!" Hailey smiled.

And I like you, she wanted to add but she made sure to bite her tongue before the words could slip out of her mouth.

"Papi, is Hailey your new girlfriend?"

Will grinned widely when his niece said those words, "Now, that's an interesting question!"

"Yeah, tell us more, Jake," Kim chimed in with the teasing.

Jay almost choked on his glass of water at his daughter's inquiry, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

They were all eating the pizza that Bartoli's had kindly offered them, their legs crossed as they sat on the picnic blankets they'd brought along.

Solána's question seemed to shift everyone's attention on Hailey and Jay, the blush on the blonde's face didn't go unnoticed by him when he glimpsed at her, silently asking for help.

Jay shook his head. "Hailey's my friend, Sol," he told her, trying to ignore the fact that everybody was staring at him.

Solána huffed, "That's what I said, Papi!" She insisted. "She's a girl and she's your new friend so she's your new girlfriend," she protested with a frown, not getting why her father was confused.

"And two plus two is four, I like the way you think," Will commented, earning a slap on the arm from Natalie, Owen laughing at the gesture.

Jay got back to his glass of water, chugging down some of it to calm down and buy some time to come up with a proper answer.

But Solána decided to not give him a break because "I got two boyfriends!" She exclaimed, and this time Jay definitely choked on the water, starting to cough as if he'd just caught the worst cold ever.

"Oh, she's trying to kill him," Kevin muttered under his breath, causing the others to start cackling.

Once his cough had subsided, "Who the f- Who are these people? You know what? Don't tell me, I don't even wanna know, come here," Jay wiped his hands and waited for Solána to go sit between his legs, her head resting on his chest.

He widened his eyes at the rest of the group and shook his head. "If I end up having a heart attack, you know who caused it…" he commented, eliciting a collective laugh and doing his best to avoid Hailey's piercing gaze.

He knew she too was left blindsided by Solána's question because, all jokes aside, the little girl had mercilessly put them on the spot.

"They're getting along, huh?" Hailey asked rhetorically, looking at her best friend and Kevin chatting.

They'd been close the entire day and it was clear to pretty much everyone knowing them that there was some sort of chemistry between the two, even from just a physical point of view.

"They are. And I'm glad I can finally tease him about it," Jay commented with a shrug as they started walking towards his truck, Solána sleeping in his arms, her head resting on his shoulder.

He was supposed to be helping Kevin get the remaining vinyl records in his car to take them back to the store, but seeing that he was carrying his sleepy daughter, he'd told him he'd take care of it.

Jay had tried to protest, saying he would help, but Kevin insisted on relieving him.

So now he and Hailey were in front of his truck, the blonde helping him open the back door, and he gently sat Solána in her car seat, securing her with the seatbelt.

Once she was all set, "She's out like a light," Hailey mumbled, her eyes quickly scanning the little girl's face and smiling at her peaceful expression.

"Yeah, she had lots of fun," Jay agreed, glimpsing at his daughter and then focusing his gaze on the blonde.

"Me too," she nodded. "This thing you do," she waved her hand, referring to their surroundings, "It's so cool," she sighed contently, "And helpful."

"Thanks," he smiled genuinely, blushing a little.

He liked the fact that he made a good impression on her.

"You're a good man, Jay Halstead," Hailey added with a nod, her blue eyes flickering as she said those words.

Jay found himself taken aback by her statement, it was definitely unexpected.

But not more unexpected than the kiss Hailey left on his cheek, her lips warm as they touched his stubbly skin, the gesture making his heart skip a beat.

The chilly wind was making her hair wave, some stray strands lingering on his face, and the sweet scent of her shampoo filling his nostrils.

The blonde got off her tiptoes and dropped her gaze, her eyes now shyly staring at her shoes, not ready to face Jay just yet.

And he was left pretty much speechless.

Jay had a lot of thoughts in his head, but none of them seemed to be clear enough for him to form a coherent sentence in response to what had just happened.

Hailey had left him quite baffled.

But then, when he was ready to come out of his trance and finally say something, "Upton, Rojas, time to go!" Adam exclaimed, catching his two friends' attention by waving at them.

The blonde finally looked up at the man in front of her, his green eyes still wide but filled with something very similar to excitement.

"Goodnight Jay," she purposely bumped his arm with hers and smiled sheepishly at him, starting to walk towards her friend after shooting him one last glance.

Hailey heard him mumble a "Night," and it made her smile widen a little.

She waved at Kevin and met Vanessa halfway. The knowing look on her face caused Hailey to shake her head.

"Not a word," she muttered, already anticipating the witty comment that was coming her way since the brunette seemed to have seen her whole interaction with Jay.

"You get a pass this time," Vanessa said in response before they got in front of Adam.

Chapter Text

Kim entered The Rising Sound and immediately smiled when she recognized the tune that was playing within the soundproof walls. She’d never been a fan of hip-hop music, but she had to admit that King Kunta by Kendrick Lamar was a catchy song — Kevin taught her well.

She closed the door behind her with the help of her foot, her left hand holding her phone and the right one holding a cup-holder with three cups stuck in it.

“Burgess! Whatcha doing here so early?” Kevin asked her, placing the large box he was holding on the counter.

Jay came out of the room in the back right after him, he as well was holding a box and rested it right next to the one his friend had brought.

“Katey Kate," he greeted Kim with a nod of his head, “What brings you here?”

Kim shrugged, “Jet lag,” she simply said with a sigh, “Thought I’d bring you guys some coffee since I can't sleep,” she continued with a cheerful smile.

She worked as a flight attendant and was used to having the most inconsistent sleep schedule. She’d finally gotten her two weeks of leave and was now back in Chicago, but her body needed some time to adjust to yet another change in her circadian cycle.

"Thanks," Jay murmured, handing the cup she gave to him and smiling when he smelled the intense smell of coffee.

Kim gave Kevin his cup as well and quietly observed them as they all drank their dark beverage in comfortable silence.

Then, "So…" she started, causing the two men to eye them with curiosity. "I'm gone for a month and when I get back I find you two have an active dating life?" She asked rhetorically with a smirk, watching them widen their eyes, guilty.

Jay glanced at Kevin, his brows slightly furrowed. "We're dating people?" He feigned a clueless look.

Kevin shrugged his shoulders and continued drinking his coffee, his back resting against the counter and his hand in the pocket of the black jeans he was wearing that day.

Kim exhaled loudly, "You know what I mean," she rolled her eyes. And since Jay was the one who talked, "Hailey, right?" She decided to nag him first.

She smiled softly when she noticed the pink color surfacing on her friend's cheek.

"She's gorgeous," she commented, causing him to blush even more.

Jay didn't explicitly react to her words, not wanting to give her the satisfaction, though he mentally agreed with her. Hailey was indeed gorgeous.

Kevin eyed Kim and shook his head at her, "He's not gonna budge," he told her with a knowing look, implying that he too had tried to get some insight on their friend's love life with no success.

Jay sighed at them, rolling his eyes and scratching his beard with his free hand. Yes, he was a reserved guy, but Kevin and Kim were his two best friends so there was no point in hiding things for them.

Plus, they were so nosy that they were going to find things out anyway.

So, "We've been… Talking," he began after emptying his cup of coffee and tossing it in the nearest bin. "And we're going out tonight," he added with a tiny smile, eyeing Kim to see her reaction.

He and Hailey had been talking frequently ever since the fundraiser. He very much preferred phone calls, he thought they made things more personal and intimate, but since both he and the blonde were very busy people, they had settled on texting. 

Jay wasn't exactly the ideal texter, but they'd managed to make it work so far.

Kim smiled as well, though she was trying her best to hide her immense excitement. She was so glad he'd started going out again.

"Where to?"

"How long have we known each other?" He asked rhetorically with a smirk, "I'm not telling you," Jay added then, sending a knowing look to both Kevin and Kim.

He knew that as soon as they'd find out where he and Hailey were going to go out that night, his nosy friends would magically appear there to spy on them and make it look like an oh-so-odd coincidence.

Kim stuck out her tongue at him, "Annoying," she murmured with an eye roll, but promptly blew him a kiss when he handed her the CD copy of Taylor Swift's latest release, knowing she was a diehard fan.

"How much-"

Jay glared at her before she could even finish her question. "Go on, Kate. I dare you," he mumbled at her.

She raised her hands in surrender, a sheepish smile on her lips. She didn't like to take advantage of the fact that her best friend owned a music store and wouldn't allow her to pay for the things she purchased there, but Jay had stated multiple times that he didn't mind — actually, he would get genuinely offended if she even suggested paying.

The brunette went sitting on the counter to get out of her friends' hair and allow them to move freely as they stocked the store, observing them quietly.

Kevin was mumbling along I wanna be down by Brandy and looked like he was lost in his little world, nodding his head to the beat while placing some new arrivals in their designated location.

Jay… He was on his phone, his brows knitted together as he read the screen, he then locked the device and put it back in the pocket of his jeans, the heavy sigh that ensued not going unnoticed by Kim.

She immediately recognized the look on his face, which caused her expression to shift into a concerned one.

When he finally looked up, he found that she was already staring at him, her big brown eyes boring into his, trying to detect what had caused his mood to change so abruptly.

And Jay seemed to get that silent question because he huffed loudly and shook his head, scratching his stubble as he always did whenever he was nervous or uncomfortable.

He mouthed something that Kim easily understood as "Camila," but he didn't elaborate further, shrugging his shoulders.

Kim bit her lower lip, a sense of anger suddenly forming in her chest and causing her to clench her jaw.

"Later," he told her, the tone of his voice now a bit louder.

She slightly moved her head in a nod and allowed herself to put the uncomfortable feeling aside for the moment, not wanting it to ruin the good mood she was in.

Kim then hopped off the counter and clapped her hands. "I'm bored, let me help you guys," she exclaimed, looking at Jay and Kevin, but the latter seemed to not hear her, too busy singing along Save room by John Legend and swaying back and forth in a smooth dance.

She snorted at him, honestly jealous of him for having that amount of energy in his body so early in the morning, and then focused her gaze on Jay.

"Guess it's just Jake and Kate, then," she winked at him with a grin, approaching her friend and helping him sort out the CDs in the box.

"Hailey Anne!" The blonde smiled widely when she recognized the person who'd yelled her name as soon as she stepped foot inside the familiar Greek restaurant where she and Vanessa had decided to have lunch that day.

"Hi, Cynthia!" Hailey greeted her back, happy to see the woman after so long. "How are you doing?"

"Would be better if you came here more often," Cynthia scolded her good-naturedly, sending her a knowing look.

"You're right," the blonde admitted with a sheepish grin, "I'm just so busy with work!" She stated in her defense. But, "I'll try and stop by more often."

She got a nod in response. "How's your mom? It's been a while since I last saw her, too," Cynthia asked.

The serene expression on Hailey's face dropped at the mention of her mother, but she still kept her composure.

Cynthia wasn't the only one who hadn't seen the woman in a while, but she didn't need to know that.

It would only give the go-ahead to a lot of other questions that Hailey honestly didn't feel like answering, so, "She's doing great," she replied, hoping her answer matched reality.

"Say hi from me to her then," Cynthia said enthusiastically.

"Will do," the blonde guaranteed, showing the older woman a cordial smile. She then cleared her throat, looking around the restaurant and easily finding Vanessa at a table.

She purposely waved her hand at her and that was Cynthia's cue to set Hailey free. In fact, "I'll leave you to your things," she relieved her, stepping aside and letting Hailey finally walk ahead.

The blonde sent one last smile her way and then proceeded to go in Vanessa's direction.

Once she got to their table, "I swear you always meet someone you know when we come here," Vanessa chuckled.

Hailey huffed in return. "I even got the How's your mother doing? question," she rolled her blue eyes, finally sitting on the chair.

"Yikes!"

"Yeah…"

The relationship Hailey had with her parents was… Rough, to say the least.

Growing up with an abusive, alcoholic father with anger issues and a mother who always got manipulated by her husband had taken its toll on her. It had inevitably shaped her as a person and she was still dealing with the aftermath of it, even though she hadn't been living in the same house as them for a whole decade now.

But, apparently, getting away from that toxic household was just a tiny step of a much longer healing process.

Some wounds were hard to heal, and Hailey was living proof of that.

"Anyways," she trailed off, blinking rapidly and focusing her gaze on her friend's face.

The last thing she wanted was brooding over all the physical and emotional damage her parents had caused her.

"I already got the menu," Vanessa told her, showing her the item. "I wanna try something different than pita gyros, though," she added.

Hailey faked a gasp, "Oh, wow, change!" She commented with a hint of sarcasm, alluding to the fact that they usually ordered the same thing whenever they'd go out to eat.

The brunette nodded vehemently, "Yeah, it's been a constant lately. It even got you to get out of your apartment and start dating a hot dude," she countered back, a mischievous grin on her face.

She watched Hailey dramatically roll her eyes at her words, even though her cheeks had turned an intense shade of pink.

"I'm not dating Jay," Hailey clarified, though she had to admit that the thought of it had caused her heart to skip a beat (or maybe three).

Hell, even the mention of his name made butterflies flutter in her stomach! 

"Yet," Vanessa chimed in, and before Hailey could reply, the waiter arrived to get their orders.

Once he was gone, "I saw you kissing his cheek the other day," the brunette added in not-so-randomly, referring to the day of the fundraiser.

Hailey let out a small chuckle, feeling heat setting her face afire.

"I'm pretty sure I kissed your cheeks a lot of times," she replied wittily, raising her brows in a knowing look.

"Damn, you were flirting this whole time!?" Vanessa faked a loud gasp of surprise, causing the blonde to giggle at her antics.

"Anyways," Vanessa continued, "I'm happy for you, it's good to see you like that," she stated. "Plus, Jay seems like a nice guy," she added, and that was a huge thing coming from her.

She'd always been very vocal about the guys that Hailey had dated in the past, sharing her impromptu negative opinions to her friend to prevent her from getting hurt.

And, as boldly as she'd shared those opinions, she'd always been right about them.

So her saying that Jay seemed to be a nice guy wasn't something to undervalue.

But, "Mind you, I said seems," Vanessa clarified. "He's still under testing…" 

"Oh, is he?"

The brunette nodded. "Yeah, let's see what happens tonight," she babbled.

At the thought of that night's meeting with Jay, Hailey almost choked on her food, her nervousness catching her off guard.

She knew she had to stop overthinking things, that she had nothing to worry about, but she also couldn't help but wonder what was going to happen, how things between her and Jay would unfold — if they were still going to stay in their limbo of theirs or if things would finally get more black and white, clearer.

"If you don't eat, I will," Vanessa told her teasingly. She'd noticed her blank expression, recognizing it immediately. It clearly stated aloud I'm second-guessing myself that she didn't approve of.

Hailey had nothing to worry about, and she wasn't just saying that because they were friends. She might have not wrapped her head around it yet, but Jay was definitely into her, she'd seen it in the way he kept gravitating towards her the day they were all together, maybe without even realizing it himself.

They heard the buzz of a phone against the hard surface of the table, and Vanessa already knew it wasn't hers, since she always had the sound on.

Hailey slightly raised her brows and dropped her fork.

She hoped it wasn't anyone from work asking her to do extra hours at school because, as much as she loved her job, she also was exhausted and in desperate need of some time off.

Much to her surprise, though, when she checked her phone, she read Jay's name on the screen.

Vanessa didn't need her to tell her who it was, it was pretty clear in the way Hailey's face had suddenly lit up and turned red, in the way she had quickly put the code to unlock the device and check the message.

The blonde let out a soft chuckle when she opened the text and saw its content.

It was a selfie of Jay, Kevin and Kate — no, Kim.

They were in a car and he was between the other two, sitting in the backseats. The green shirt he was wearing made his eyes stand out more (they matched perfectly), a tiny smile on his lips, and his freckles in full-on display.

Kim was at his right, a bright smile on her face, while Kevin had slightly widened his eyes, staring straight at the camera.

Attached to the picture, there was a text,

Jay
TRS gang going to get lunch

it said, and Hailey smiled, liking the fact that he was sharing details of his day with her.

Hailey turned her phone to show Vanessa the picture.

"I gotta say it, they're some fine ass people!" The brunette commented with an impressed tone in her voice, though her eyes were more focused on the man on the right side of the picture.

"What are you gonna text back?" She then asked the blonde.

But Hailey didn't answer her question, silently typing something on her phone with a smirk on her lips.

Once she was done, she placed the phone on the table and pushed it towards her friend, waiting for a reaction.

Hailey
Who's the guy on the right though? He's kinda cute...

Vanessa giggled when she read the text, "Oh, the teasing… My girl still got it!" She exclaimed amusedly, nodding in satisfaction.

Hailey glanced at her phone, her eyes scanning the message she had sent Jay before locking her phone, her lips curled into a proud smile.

She sucked at flirting, that was a known fact, but yeah, she had her moments too.

Jay grabbed a pink Rapunzel-themed backpack from his truck's back seats and closed the door of the vehicle, walking around it and finding his daughter waiting for him.

"Hand?" He offered his hand to her and she immediately held it, her grip tight.

After making sure that no car was driving, the two quickly crossed the road and walked to the front door of a two-storied house.

Solána didn't waste time and excitedly pressed her finger to ring the doorbell, a tiny smile growing on her lips when she heard the sound of a dog barking.

The door opened a couple of instants later and the little girl squealed loudly when a big Basset Retriever greeted her, her green eyes squeezed shut when it started licking her face.

Behind them stood a tall man with gray hair and light blue eyes who was observing the scene with a tight-lipped smile on his face.

"Am I gonna get a hug or is this dog cooler than me?" He asked rhetorically, his voice slightly gruff but his gaze sweet as he observed his granddaughter.

Patrick Pat Halstead was a stoic man who had a hard time showing the more tender side of him, especially since his wife had passed, leaving him with an immense emptiness in his heart, but ever since Solána had entered his life, he'd turned into the softie no one thought he could ever be.

Solána looked up at him with a tiny grin, her eyes wide.

She immediately opened her arms to hug him, but Pat bent over and picked her up, letting out a small grunt that didn't go unnoticed by his son.

"Easy, Dad," Jay mumbled, patting his father's back and closing the main door behind him.

Pat scoffed at his apprehensiveness, swatting his hand away and walking towards the living room.

Jay rolled his eyes at him but didn't say a word — he knew how his father was.

Pat had had a heart attack just six months ago, scaring the hell out of his two sons, but still acted as nothing had happened.

They settled on the couch, Solána sitting on her grandfather's lap and her eyes focused on the dog that was strolling around them.

"How're you doing, Dad?" Jay asked.

Pat sighed. "I'm bored," he muttered. "But I'm going to have this lady to keep me company today, so that's okay," he added, tickling Solána's sides.

She squirmed and started cackling, her face getting red as she tried to escape from the amusing torture.

When he decided she'd had enough, Pat set her free, watching her calm down.

"Daideó, you know I got a secret to tell you," Solána then blurted out randomly, quickly eyeing his father who was too busy scratching Kol's fur to pay attention to their conversation.

Pat frowned slightly, the questioning look on his face seemed to be the little girl's cue to spill the beans.

She used his shoulder as leverage to help herself and reach his ear, covering her mouth so her father wouldn't see or hear anything.

She mumbled her secret very quietly, the content of the information she had causing Pat to widen his eyes as he stared at his son.

Jay felt his piercing gaze on him and raised his brows as if to ask what the two were chatting about.

Pat hummed at Solána. "So your Dad has a new girlfriend, huh?" He repeated her words, glancing at Jay, the young man now staring blankly at him with a pale face.

What did he do to Solána to have her rat him out like that? Besides, it wasn't even true!

The four-year-old nodded at her grandfather and then squirmed away from his grip, eager to go play with Kol.

"Dad, it's not like that…" Jay muttered as soon as the two of them were left alone, "She's just a friend."

Pat huffed and waved his hand to dismiss him. "You're a grown man, Jay. I've stopped telling you what to do a long time ago," he told him with a shrug.

Pat had stopped telling him what to do with his life, but he still never missed the chance to show his disapproval of basically every choice he made.

But he bit his tongue, holding back that comment. He didn't feel like arguing with him, especially not with his daughter around.

"All I care about is you being a good father to her," Pat added then, clearly referring to Solána, "And you're doing a good job so far," he admitted, catching his son off guard.

Jay raised his brows at his father's words. Pat wasn't one to shower people with compliments, especially not his sons, especially not Jay.

Their relationship had been rocky for a long time, they'd even spent months without acknowledging each other's existence in the past. It was actually Solána's birth that brought them back together.

Pat took the first step, showing up at the hospital after Will had called him, telling him that the birth of his first granddaughter was way more important than any bad blood between him and Jay.

As much as Jay tried to conceal it, his Dad's opinion mattered to him — a lot — and it warmed his heart to know he didn't think he was a total screw-up. 

And to add the cherry on top, "I believe your mother would be very proud of you," Pat stated with a melancholic look on his face. "She for sure would've loved that little girl so much…" 

Jay let out a long exhale as he stared at him, a twinkle in his eyes.

The love his father had for his mother was still so vivid and tangible, and he wondered if he would ever be lucky enough to experience something as pure as what they had.

He thought he had that with Camila, but then life happened and things took a different turn, leading them to part ways.

"That's, like, the nicest thing you ever said to me!" Jay blurted out with a chuckle, trying to lighten the mood a bit.

Pat rolled his blue eyes. "Don't get used to it," he mumbled, though Jay was still able to spot a hint of a smile on his face.

Then, "Go get me a beer," he told his son with his typical nonchalance, shifting his position into a more comfortable one.

Jay decided to tease him, a smirk on his lips. "You sure you can drink?"

He knew he could. Will had suggested he'd completely cut out with the alcohol, but their father had started cursing him out in Gaeilge, telling him to mind his business in a definitely unkind way.

So they had settled on only reducing the number of drinks he consumed.

Pat stared at him with wide eyes and an offended look. It was like someone had just entered a church and yelled the most blasphemous things ever.

He reached for the nearest couch pillow and threw it at Jay without hesitation, even though the younger Halstead easily caught it with his hands.

Jay then stood up to go to the kitchen, but still was able to hear the way too familiar curse words escaping his father's mouth — "Téigh trasna ort féin!" — causing him to snort loudly.

He scratched his beard as he eyed the entrance of Molly's for the umpteenth time that night, his leg bouncing steadily.

It wasn't like Hailey was late, it was just that Jay was nervous and kept checking the door, hoping she wouldn't cancel on him at the last minute.

His nervous antics were easily noticed by the attentive eyes of Stella, one of Molly's bartenders and Jay's friend.

Well, he'd known her husband Kelly for a longer time, but he and the brunette went along pretty well.

Plus, Solána happened to be in the same class as their son, so they bumped into each other quite frequently.

"You waiting for someone, Halstead?" She asked him with a knowing look, quickly rubbing the counter with a cloth to keep it clean.

Jay cleared his throat, shooting one last glance towards the entrance door before giving Stella his undivided attention.

He slowly nodded at her, "I am. Should be here any minute," he confirmed.

Stella knew how reserved he was, and as curious as she was, she decided to not dive too much into the topic,

So, "How's Solána?" She asked instead.

Jay's lips immediately curled into a soft smile at the mention of his daughter and started wondering what she might be doing at that time.

(Well, it was past her bedtime and he was hoping Pat had been stern enough for her not to convince him to let her stay up longer.

The little girl knew she had pretty much everyone wrapped around her finger, and sometimes took advantage of it.)

"She's doing great," Jay replied. "I still don't know how to get her to eat her veggies without it resulting in a tantrum"—he rolled his eyes—"But aside from that… We're doing good, yeah," he concluded with a chuckle.

Stella grinned at his statement. "Oh, I know the feeling," she said with an amused expression on her face.

"Kelly suggested hiding them with some breadcrumbs so they don't really know what they're eating," she winked at Jay, watching his brows lift in surprise. "It works with Benji," she then added, referring to her five-year-old son.

Jay hummed in response. "That's smart," he commented, impressed. "Thanks for the tip," he saluted her with a gesture of his hand 

"Anytime."

He then saw Stella glimpse at the entrance door and a tiny smile formed on her face as she spotted a blonde girl that didn't look familiar at all.

She was looking around, probably searching for someone, and Stella started thinking she might've had an idea of who that person could be.

"I think your plus one is here," she informed Jay, pointing at the entrance with a gesture of her head.

When he turned around, his leg abruptly stopped bouncing — he froze.

Jay still had to wrap his head around the fact that Hailey effortlessly looked so beautiful (or maybe he was just a bit whipped already), since the blonde was wearing a casual outfit and he still thought she looked absolutely gorgeous in it.

Hailey finally saw him and blushed when their eyes met, but the smile on her face never faltered.

"Yeah, that's her," Jay mumbled, his face still focused on the blonde who was now walking in his direction.

"Hi!" She greeted him with an excited grin, taking a seat next to him.

"Hello!" Jay chanted back, his green eyes still intensely trained on her, only now realizing how much he'd been looking forward to seeing her again.

"Sorry I didn't bring cute-Kevin along," he teased her, referring to her reply to his text earlier that day.

Hailey chuckled at that, her cheeks turning a soft shade of pink.

She then bumped her elbow with his. "That's unfortunate but I can adjust. You're kinda cute, too," she smirked at him as she dropped that bomb on him, totally catching him off guard.

Before Jay could respond to the unexpected comment though, "So," Hailey exclaimed, "What are we drinking?" She asked, changing the topic.

He bit his lower lip, both amused and intrigued by her behavior. He'd noticed that she seemed to be more comfortable around him and enjoyed teasing him. And, without a doubt, Jay liked being teased.

"I'm a whiskey guy," he looked at her as though to ask her if she maybe had something else on her mind.

Hailey hummed, hiding a loose strand of her behind her ear. "Let's do whiskey then," she agreed.

Jay nodded and then called Stella, ordering a round of whiskey for them.

The brunette fixed them in no time and once they were ready, she placed them in front of the two.

They clinked glasses together, sharing a tiny smile, and then took their first sip, Hailey making a face as soon as the strong liquor hit her tongue.

With her face still scrunched up, "Woah," she commented, causing Jay to chuckle at her reaction. "And you drink this like it's nothing?" She asked him with her blue eyes wide.

He hummed. "Irish genes. I mean, it's bullshit but it also kinda explains it," he blabbered with a giggle.

"I'm such a lightweight I could probably get drunk with sparkling water," Hailey rolled her eyes, taking another sip of her drink. Maybe it was a bit strong for her but it didn't taste awful.

Jay shrugged his shoulders. "Well, you're like, this tiny…" He showed her his hand, his thumb and pointer finger almost touching.

The blonde dramatically gasped at his words, "I'm not tiny!" She protested, her brows slightly furrowed.

He snorted at her and then, "Don't worry, it's kinda cute," he used the same words she'd said not too long ago, a sheepish grin on his face.

Hailey glared at him and before she took another sip, "You're annoying," she mumbled, though Jay could clearly see she was smiling and blushing.

He finished his drink in no time — well, he finished Hailey's too, and in the meantime, she'd ordered a beer, something she was more accustomed to — and by the time she was halfway through her bottle, they'd talked about a whole bunch of stuff.

Hailey found out Jay had never had Greek food and she made sure to show him her disapproval, having him promise he had to at least try once in his life.

"Solána would totally love loukoumádes," she'd trailed off, and that comment caught Jay off guard but nonetheless brought a smile to his face, happy she seemed to be totally okay with him having a daughter.

(Not that he had any doubt — she and Solána did get along — but sometimes it was better to be extra sure).

From his part, Jay found out Hailey was pretty much a nerd, always had been. She'd always loved school, and that's why she decided to be a teacher.

"When did you know you wanted to open the store?" She asked him at some point.

Jay hummed, tilting his head. "When I came back from Afghanistan, that's for sure," he bit his lower lip, thinking of the exact moment the idea popped into his mind.

"I was angry and sad pretty much every day for a bunch of different reasons and, it might sound cheesy, but music kept me from going insane basically," he let out a dry chuckle, scratching the back of his neck.

"It's just… It's so important to me, you know? It speaks to me, and I dunno, if I can help people enjoy it as much as I do, it just makes me happy," he explained with simplicity.

"So," Jay sighed, "I worked my ass off to get the money and then bought the store. It used to be a flower shop…"

"My dad was totally against it. He said it was an impulsive and stupid idea. But he's never been a fan of any of my choices anyways so… And it's not like I was asking for his permission either."

Hailey nodded at him, knowing the feeling.

"And I mean, it's okay to be a little impulsive sometimes. Turned out pretty well for me," he grinned proudly, raising his brows in a knowing look.

The blonde watched him carefully, in silence. The word impulsive wasn't exactly one to often appear on her vocabulary. She usually tiptoed around things, studied them to the extreme until she was one hundred percent sure of what she was getting herself into.

She knew it made her miss out on plenty of opportunities but she also couldn't help it. Her comfort zone made her feel safe, stable, in control.

In fact, "Impulsive sounds scary," Hailey commented.

Jay nodded at her. "Agreed," he told her, "But it's also lots of fun," he stated with a smile. 

It was natural, the way they did it, getting to know each other a little more. She would mention something, the littlest detail, an anecdote, and he would agree with her or tease her about it, causing her to reply with one of her witty phrases that deep down he liked.

And it didn't feel like they were in a bar, surrounded by people and their loud, drunk chattering, it was more like they were immersed in their own bubble made of stolen glances, feather-like touches, and just the eagerness of wanting to know each other more and more.

That until…

Until the drunk chattering of two customers became a proper fight, their loud voices catching the attention of everyone at Molly's and immediately killing the joyful atmosphere.

"The hell is going on now..?" Jay trailed off, instinctively placing a hand on Hailey's knee as he turned around to see what was going on.

At that very moment, the two men became more aggressive towards one another, getting on their feet and coming face-to-face, spitting harsh words at each other.

"Hey!" Jay heard a familiar voice that he easily associated with Kelly.

He saw his friend get up to help the fight simmer down, but when he approached the two, one of them tried to throw a punch on his face.

Luckily, though, Kelly was able to see it in time and avoid it, swatting his face away in a swift move.

Having witnessed the whole scene, Jay understood it was time for him to intervene.

He quickly got up and after sending Kelly a quick complicit glance, he blocked the guy's hand and pulled his arm from behind, twisting it and causing a loud groan of pain to erupt from his mouth.

He then put his other arm around his chest, making sure the guy couldn't move, finally stopping his tracks.

Once he made sure that Kelly too had blocked the other dude, "How about you two get your ass outta here, hm?" He heard him say to them, his voice fed up but the tone of it still calm.

They walked the guys to the exit, rolling their eyes at their poor attempts to protest the supposedly unfair treatment, and after pushing them outside the bar and making sure they wouldn't try and enter back, they both exhaled heavily at the same time, looking at each other and bursting in laughter as they got back inside.

"My heroes!" Stella exclaimed from the counter, dramatically bringing a hand to her chest, above her heart, causing her husband to shake his head in amusement.

Jay patted Kelly's shoulder and saluted Stella before walking back to his seat, his eyes focused on Hailey and seeing she wasn't looking his way.

When he finally went sitting next to her again, "Hey, sorry about that. Molly's usually doesn't get like this. It's just"—he sighed in annoyance—"people..." He apologized, his green eyes wide as they searched for hers.

But Hailey was avoiding his gaze, even when she replied to him with a simple "Don't worry, it's not your fault," and a tiny, reassuring smile, he noticed that her eyes were focused on everything but him.

At first, he thought that maybe him getting involved didn't make a good look on him, but when, as he carefully observed her, he noticed her legs bouncing at a rapid pace and the shakiness of her hands, he started thinking that maybe there was something else going on.

So, "Hey, why don't we get outta here, hm?" He suggested, his words causing Hailey to finally look at him. "Take a walk, get some fresh air…" he added.

Hailey smiled a tiny smile, catching on to what he was trying to do. It was an attempt to distract her and let her calm down (clearly, he'd noticed the slight change in her behavior), and she appreciated it more than she could put into words.

Then after taking one last sip off her beer, "I'm down," she agreed, moving her head in a nod.

"Perfect!" Jay commented with a sheepish grin.

He then called for Stella and mumbled a Later to her, to which she responded with a nod before waving at the couple and watching them exit the bar.

Once outside, Hailey let out a long exhale. She could tell Jay was staring at her, his gaze was very intense, and after taking a deep breath, "Why can't people get shitfaced without becoming aggressive?"—she rolled her eyes, turning her head to look at the man standing next to her—"Ugh, I'm sorry. I totally ruined tonight," she let out a groan of frustration, biting her lower lip.

Jay furrowed his brows at her words, "Who says it's ruined?" He asked her rhetorically, tilting his head as he looked at her.

Hailey stared at him with a skeptical look on her face and Jay continued to smirk at her, keeping her stalling.

Then, "What's on your mind?" She decided to ask, amused by his vagueness.

Jay didn't respond right away, he instead outstretched his arm and wiggled his fingers at her, his lips curled into a grin.

"There's only one way to find out," He then murmured, and when the blonde slightly narrowed her eyes at him, "I promise it's nothing disgusting or creepy," he added quickly, understanding how twisted his words might have sounded.

Hailey observed him for a couple more seconds and then, without uttering a single thing, she wrapped her hand around his, earning a wide smile from Jay before they started walking towards his car.

"Well, this doesn't look creepy at all…" Hailey commented sarcastically, waiting for Jay to open the back door of the store he owned.

They were in a small, dark alleyway, the only source of light coming from the flashlight on Jay's phone that he'd used to help himself put the key in its lock.

Jay scoffed at her, "Oh, c'mon, have a little faith in me!" He protested, smiling victoriously when he managed to get the door opened.

They entered the store, and he immediately reached for the wall to find the light switch and turn the lights on.

Hailey smiled widely at the scene she was witnessing. It was all a bit messy, but the place was full of every and any sort of vinyl, she was pretty sure some of it might've been older than her parents.

"Wow," she breathed out, her blue eyes wide as she moved around, the tip of her fingers touching the surface of the numerous pieces of music. "This is beautiful," she continued, bringing a proud smile to Jay's lips.

That was his happy place. As much as he loved taking care of the front side of the store, dealing with customers, suggesting new music to listen to… The backside of it was like the soul of the whole place, where the magic truly was.

Jay watched as Hailey walked around the place, her eyes filled with fascination and curiosity, flickering whenever she'd found an album she recognized.

It was her and music, and Jay couldn't help but think that they looked damn great together.

After some time her gaze got trained on a record player, and an idea popped in her head, a slight smirk on her lips as she prepared herself to tease him.

"You know," she started, causing Jay to look at her face, "I haven't listened to Play yet," Hailey confessed with a sheepish grin.

He immediately stopped in his tracks, turning her way and narrowing his eyes at her. "That's just disrespectful," he shook his head, though he had an amused expression.

He then hummed quietly and walked to the front of the store. She saw him bend over and take a vinyl out of a hidden shelf.

When he got back to her, "You have no excuses now," he showed her the vinyl copy of the album they were talking about and watched her chuckle at him.

"You're obsessed," she chuckled and when she saw him go towards the record player, "Wait, are you serious? We're gonna listen to music?" 

Jay nodded but didn't look at her, too busy preparing the vinyl. He then turned to her and smirked at her, "Do you know a better way to spend our time right now?" He asked her, and Hailey couldn't really ignore the teasing tone in his voice, which had gotten slightly deeper, or the way she'd seen him glance at her lips.

She blushed heavily at his question. Jay was bold yet also very subtle and, yes, Hailey did know a better way to spend time (especially if he was down for it, which she didn't have too many doubts about), she had a vague idea, but sure as hell would have never said what was really going through her head.

"That's what I thought," he giggled at her clear embarrassment and she pouted at him, seeing how fun he was having at her expense.

Then, "Come here," he told her, his voice now soft, free of any teasing note behind it.

Hailey obliged, walking where he was and mimicking him when he sat on the ground with his legs crossed.

She observed him in silence as he slightly lifted his head, his hand reaching for the record player to regulate the volume.

He had a lot of freckles, on his lips too, and Hailey honestly didn't know people could have freckles on their lips. If you paid attention, you could see the reddish undertone of his stubble, and it made her wonder if Jay ever had red hair in the past — Will had it, it wasn't absurd to think he could, too.

Once he was done, "Let's go," he mumbled to himself, resting his back against the rack where the record player was, and glimpsed at Hailey, seeing that she already was looking at him.

He felt kind of nervous if he had to be honest. This album meant a lot to him, it was his album, a window to his soul just like Hailey had described it.

And to have her listening to it, with him, it was like getting rid of any superstructure of his persona and showing her his real, vulnerable self.

When Hailey heard the beginning of Honey, "He sampled it!" She exclaimed with her blue eyes wide, a tiny smile on her lips as she moved her head to the beat.

Jay grinned at her comment, nodding a little.

They listened to it in silence, exchanging a few glances every now and then, but Hailey had noticed that Jay liked to close his eyes as if it helped him enjoy the experience more intensely.

When the third song came, Hailey gasped slightly, causing Jay to open his eyes and see her smile widely, "What?" He asked amusedly.

"You know those songs that you know you love but somehow it takes you, like, decades to find out their title? That's one of 'em," She briefly explained with a chuckle, her voice low. 

Jay nodded in understanding. "It's called Porcelain," he told her quietly, gaping at her since her gaze wasn't onto him. 

"It does sound like it."

She was staring at the ground, her fingers fiddling with a loose strand of her black jeans, but you could tell she was listening to the song carefully and that she was enjoying it.

The next tune started with two rounds of piano, and Hailey expected the wave of melancholy that suddenly hit her like a cold shower.

It was the words of the song, the sadness they carried… Those took her off guard. It was a question she'd found herself asking way too many times, she knew the answer to it, it required her to dive back into her childhood, she'd have to relieve the screaming, the bloodstains on the floor, the hiding under her bed hoping she was somewhere else, somewhere safer.

Why does my heart feel so bad? felt like a punch in her guts, and it caused Hailey to start crying without her even noticing.

It was only when Jay took her hand in his that she found out, turning towards him and looking at him through blurry eyes.

She quickly sniffled and tried to wipe her eyes, only allowing a lot more tears to stream down her skin.

"I usually am not a crybaby," she mumbled with an embarrassed chuckle, feeling Jay caress the back of her hand in circling motions as though to help her calm down.

"It's good to cry," he murmured, glimpsing at her. 

Only he knew how many times he'd cried while listening to that song. It was like finally raising a white flag after way too many I'm fine, it was surrender and it felt good.

After she wiped her tears away, "Seeing drunk people fight triggers me. The yelling and just.. Everything, I-” she blurted out, not really knowing why.

And she didn't feel like there had to be a reason, Hailey just was comfortable around Jay. The way he was looking at her made her feel safe, like it was okay to allow herself to be vulnerable in front of him. Like he wasn't going to judge her for that or take advantage of it.

She trusted him, blindly, and it wasn't something she took for granted.

Hailey huffed loudly, smiling when she looked down at their hands and saw that Jay hadn't stopped stroking her skin.

"I didn't become a teacher just because I was a nerd. I mean that's true, but...," she chuckled, tilting her head as she gaped at Jay. "School saved me, a lot of times. It was my home when I was scared to actually be home," she went on, looking up at the ceiling to prevent more tears from forming.

Jay observed her in silence as she put her words together, and thought of her starting to shake when they were at Molly's.

He had an idea of what might have happened to her but didn't dare to utter a single word or ask any questions, allowing her to just tell him as much information as she wanted.

"My dad, he… God, he drank so much," she sighed, shaking her head as she recalled her father's drunken limp or the obnoxious smell of his breath when he'd get too close to her face. "And then he'd get home and let out all his frustration on us. Beat up my mother like crazy. Then it was me and my brothers' turn. And when he'd sober up, he'd try to get away with it by telling us I love you. I'm sorry. I promise it won't happen again, or he would buy us gifts. But, duh, it did happen again, and again." She scoffed, rolling her eyes, letting out a long exhale.

"But there was this teacher when I was in high school, Ms. Platt. English teacher. She started noticing some stuff. My bruises, my mom's bruises whenever there was a meeting, and she put two and two together," Hailey put a strand of hair behind her ear, her hand trembling.

A sigh escaped her lips. "She did so much for me, and I promised myself I'd give it back once I could," she looked up at Jay, a tiny smile on her lips and her vision blurry.

"There's a lot of kids out there that are scared to go home, you know? Too many"—Jay moved his head in a small nod as he looked at her with admiration—"I just want them to know they can be safe somewhere, and that place can be school," she concluded with a shrug, a long exhale escaping her lips.

"Hailey…" Jay trailed off, shaking his head in disbelief. "What you went through… That's awful. It doesn’t change much, but I'm so sorry you had to deal with that crap," he muttered, squeezing her hand to comfort her, his green eyes sweet as they stared at her.

"But you're doing a really good thing. It's so so important," he added, leaning over towards her and leaving a quick, small peck to the side of her face while his other hand caressed her hair, his fingers entwined between the blond strands.

"I try," she smiled sheepishly, trying to ignore the fluttering sensation that his sweet gesture had just caused. "Kids should stay kids, they don't have to put up with the stuff their parents put them through," she muttered, not knowing that her words had touched Jay to the core.

For a split second, he stopped brushing his thumb over the cold skin of her hand and just blankly stared at her before "Yeah, that's right," he simply said, dropping his gaze and continuing the soothing gesture of his thumb on her hand.

They stayed in silence for a few moments.

Jay was still replaying her last words in his head, thinking of how true they were, how personal they felt to him. His mind couldn't help but picture his daughter's face.

But then, "Jay?" Hailey bumped her elbow with his, grabbing his attention. 

He turned his head to gape at her and saw her face had a tight-lipped smile on it, finally clear of any tears even though her cheeks were still a bit flushed.

She looked adorable.

"Moby is cool, I swear, but can we put something else on? I'm getting depressed…" she mumbled with a mischievous grin, already preparing from Jay's dramatic reaction.

And in fact, "Depres- What? Stop lying, " He frowned at her, elbowing her arm.

He then sighed in defeat, seeing her arch her brow. "What do you wanna listen to, then? Justin Timberlake?" He mocked her, rolling his eyes and making a face, earning a light punch on his arm.

"Duh! Don't ask stupid questions," she mumbled with a cheeky grin, causing Jay to scoff loudly as she let go of his hand and got on her feet. "Come here, boy!" She sang, eyes starting to roam around the room.

Jay cackled at her poor attempt to imitate Timbaland's voice and got up as well. "Nothing from Man of the woods, though. That thing was atrocious…"

Hailey turned to look at him. "Ah-ah, see? I knew it! You do listen to him, then!" She pointed her finger to his face, but he swatted it away, childishly mocking her comment.

"I agree, though"—she snickered, grinning his way—"that album was a mess." 

Chapter Text

"What’s wrong?" Jay asked when he met Kim's face, her lips curled into an amused grin as she stared at him.

The two of them were at the coffee shop at the corner of The Rising Sound for Jay's usual morning break. Kevin was supposed to be there with them, but ditched last minute, saying he wanted to hit the gym instead.

They could hear Sade's voice on the famous track Smooth operator, the 80's vibe of it setting up the tranquil ambiance of the place. 

"Does she still have a crush on you?" Kim asked, eyeing the curly girl behind the counter, Tamara, who was fixing their meals. 

Jay scoffed dramatically, a cocky grin on his face. "I mean, I cut the line every time I'm here, so…" he trailed off and when she glared at him in total disapproval, "Hey, it's the Halstead's charm, I'm not to blame," he simply stated, watching Kim roll her eyes at his antics.

He was so cocky at times.

Then, "Remember when she thought we were a couple?" She randomly came up with the question, adjusting her posture on her chair.

He amusedly giggled at her, "You mean when she kept messing your order on purpose?"—Kim shook her head vehemently as she recalled the period—"Yeah, I remember that."

She gasped at his comment, "I'm lactose intolerant, Jay. You know what I had to go through that week?!"

He childishly made a face at her words. "Yeah, no. Damn, I know we're close, but that's too much information even for me!" Jay squinted his eyes in pure disgust, although he knew that was the exact reaction Kim was trying to get from him.

Their banter was interrupted by Tamara, who slowly approached their table and placed their order in front of them, a tiny smile on her lips, "Here you go, guys," she said, longing her gaze on Jay and ignoring Kim's presence.

Once it was just the two of them, "Demon," Kim muttered under her breath, causing Jay to start cackling loudly, tossing his head to the back and struggling to keep his composure.

Kim was probably the nicest person he'd ever met in his entire life, so it was funny to see her like this and for a silly reason at that.

When he'd calmed down, "So, let's go straight to the point…" She trailed off, clearing her throat and raising her brows at him, her expression much more serious now as she looked at her friend.

Kim took a deep breath and, "The other day, you said later but we never really talked about it so…" She started, biting her lower lip, "What does the crazy woman want now?"

Jay didn't need her to specify who she was referring to. He recalled the conversation and he recognized the tone of disdain behind her voice every time she talked about Camila — she couldn't hide it and it's not like she wanted to.

He uncomfortably shifted on his chair, his fingers scratching the stubble on his cheeks as a dry chuckle escaped his mouth.

He took a sip of coffee to buy himself some time, but then "She wants to see Solána," he told her, fighting the urge to roll his eyes.

Kim did it for him though, very dramatically, a scoff following the gesture.

"Kimberly…" Jay teased her, trying to lighten the mood a bit.

He knew why she was so upset. She had first-hand witnessed how deeply Camila had hurt him ( and Solána) and being her protective self, she'd get defensive whenever the woman was mentioned.

"I know, I know," Kim raised her hands in surrender, shaking her head, "I'm glad she knows she has a daughter now," she said bitterly, emphasizing the last word and causing Jay to widen his eyes a bit, as though to tell her that he agreed.

After releasing a long sigh to calm herself down, "When are you going there?" Assuming Jay had decided to go.

And she assumed correctly. Jay and Camila weren't exactly on good terms, but that didn't matter to him.

It wasn't even something to debate on: Camila wanted to see Solána and she was going to. That was it.

And in fact, "Wednesday," he replied to Kim's question.

"Okay," she huffed, deciding on letting her anger go for the moment. But then again, "Are you nervous?"

Jay let out a groan of discomfort in response, closing his eyes for a couple of seconds and then opening them back. "I don't know…" he trailed off, staring at Kim.

But, "It's not about me"—he shrugged with a sigh—"it's about Solána, so we're going there and then we'll see," he concluded.

Kim nodded at his words, a proud, tiny smile on her lips.

She and Jay had known each other since high school. She was a straight-A student while Jay… His dyslexia was giving him hell at the time. His teachers thought he was just a lazy kid who wouldn't put any type of effort into his studies when in reality he just had an untreated condition that he didn't know how to deal with.

And Kim had helped him. It was difficult at first (Jay had always been a stubborn guy who hated asking for help because it made him feel too vulnerable), but she'd found a way to make things more enjoyable and simpler for him to understand.

Then, they'd started hanging out of school and quickly formed a brotherly bond: Jay found out that his nerdy classmate had the coolest personality, while Kim understood that behind the tough façade he always showed to others, deep down Jay was a caring guy with a big heart.

He was someone who'd give his everything and go the extra mile for the people he loved.

None of them could've imagined that they'd become best friends, but here they were now, more than fifteen years later, still close, to the point that when Solána was born Jay didn't even hesitate to choose Kim as her godmother.

Jay took a sip from his coffee and then cleared his throat, eyeing Kim, his leg nervously bouncing.

"So," he started, biting his lower lip. "I need your advice…" He trailed off.

"Hailey?" Kim asked, raising her brows at him and sending a knowing look his way. 

When she saw his cheeks turn a light shade of red, "See? I know you too well," she commented wittily, her lips curled up in a tiny smile. "Go on."

Jay ignored her giddy expression and went on with his question. "You think I should tell her? About Camila, I mean."

It was something he'd been debating on for the last couple of days, ever since he and Hailey had spent the evening at his store listening to music and enjoying each other's company.

Hailey had opened up to him, telling him a hurtful and intimate fact about her past, and he kind of felt like he owed her the same sincerity.

But also, what happened with Camila had turned him into the man he was now, the man that Hailey seemed to be wanting to get to know better, so it made sense to him that he would tell her about that too.

He needed Kim's advice, though. Maybe she had a different take on this.

"I think you should," the brunette stated without hesitation. She then continued, "Only what you're comfortable with of course, but if you're serious about this, I think it's fair to her that she knows what she's…"

"Getting herself into," Jay cut her off, getting her point. "Yeah, I thought the same thing," he concluded, scratching his stubble.

"Ok, thanks," he sighed, shooting a tiny grin her way, but Kim wasn't done with the conversation, in fact,

"So you're serious about it!" Jay wasn't sure if it was a question or a statement, but he nonetheless slowly moved his head in a nod, feeling a rush of heat go to his cheeks, setting them aflame.

He had gotten to the conclusion that what he felt for Hailey was more than just a simple crush, it went beyond the mere desire of getting to know her better. He'd found himself thinking about her, a lot, picturing her in his day-to-day life, even with Solána, and that was the ultimate confirmation that, yes, he did like her and there was no point in denying it anymore.

"It feels a bit weird for me to put myself out there again, you know"—Kim nodded—"but I do like her, I can't lie about that," he concluded and fought the urge to roll his eyes at his friend when her smile got bigger.

She was genuinely happy for him but she also loved teasing the hell out of him.

"Aw, look at Jakey being all cute and blushy," she reached for his cheek and squeezed it between her fingers, causing Jay to slap her hand away from his face and glare at her.

"Get off!" He protested, hiding his face behind the large cup of coffee, drinking the remaining of the dark beverage in it. "Can't stand you," he mumbled then, pouting at Kim as she mocked him.

Hailey snickered at the collective sigh of relief that echoed in the classroom when the bell started ringing, signaling that the lesson was over.

"We'll finish this next Monday," she told the class, seeing a few heads nod at her words, though most of the students were too busy getting their stuff ready for the next lesson to pay attention to her.

She quickly checked around and one thing caught her attention. The look on Evan's face.

He was a talkative boy, he usually participated in her lessons actively, even by just making silly jokes to make his classmates laugh, but Hailey had noticed how much quieter he was today.

She hoped it was just an exception, that maybe he just wasn't in the mood to entertain the class, but she also couldn't help but be a little worried.

Hailey deeply cared about her students, she always wished the best for them, and maybe she was also a little overprotective of them.

When everyone got outside to get ready for their P.E. lesson, she noticed that Evan was still inside the class, an absent look taking up his features.

That only allowed her concern to grow bigger since he usually was the first one to rush out of the room when he'd hear the bell ring.

Hailey let out a long sigh and closed her laptop, putting it inside her shoulder bag, though she kept eyeing the thirteen-year-old boy.

The moment when she realized she wouldn't find peace of mind until she'd try figuring out what was wrong with him, "Norton," she called him by his last name, snapping him out of his daze.

Evan quickly collected his backpack from the floor and walked to his teacher, an uncertain expression on his face.

"I didn't hear your voice today…" She muttered with a warm smile. "Is everything okay?" She finally asked, tilting her head.

Evan was quick to answer with a nod, but the blonde was even quicker to notice the way he'd reached for the sleeve of the blue sweater he was wearing and pulled it down even more over his left arm.

The gesture looked way too familiar to Hailey and she felt her heart sink as her mind started wandering.

"Are you sure?" She pried in, seeking eye contact with the boy.

"Yeah. I'm okay, Ms. Upton," Evan confirmed, showing her the boyish grin she was so used to seeing on his face. "I just ran out of good jokes today," he added, shrugging his shoulders.

Hailey returned the smile and nodded at his words. "Okay," she muttered, letting her concerns go for the moment, even though she made sure to remind herself to keep a close eye on him from now on.

She had a weird gut feeling that there was something else going on, but decided to keep things to herself, not wanting Evan to feel like she wanted to invade his privacy. 

"Well"—she sighed—"I'm here if you need to talk about anything, okay? And, remember, our class needs your jokes," she snickered when Evan finally smiled her way, nodding right after.

"Thanks, Ms. Upton. Have a good day," he muttered politely, sending one last glance her way before he stepped out of the class, leaving Hailey alone.

She observed him with a pensive look — she really hoped he was telling the truth, that his sudden quietness was just a one-time thing, and that everything was going well in his life.

With a huff escaping her lips, Hailey tucked some loose strands of hair behind her ears and took her leather jacket from her chair.

Before she could put it on though, she felt her phone buzz in the pocket of her jeans.

When she pulled it out to check it, a smile inevitably took upon her features the moment she read the name that popped on the screen, her stomach churning with nervousness.

She opened the text and quickly read its content. "Guess the day's not over yet…" She mumbled to herself, putting her jacket on and exiting the room. 

Hailey arrived in front of a large apartment building, her car's stereo still playing Ms. Jackson by OutKast but then the song got interrupted when she turned the engine off.

She checked herself through the rearview mirror to see if she looked presentable.

She felt a bit silly, to be honest, she didn't look any different than the other times Jay had seen her, but still, she'd found herself being extra conscious of her appearance lately, especially ever since he'd texted her his address, asking if she'd pass by his apartment because he wanted to see her and talk to her.

Plus, it was her first time entering his house, and Hailey just wanted to make sure she didn't look like a mess.

With a low hum, she quickly collected her stuff and stepped out of the vehicle, locking it and crossing the road.

Hailey got inside the apartment building and was met by the concierge, whom she greeted with a polite smile before walking towards the elevator, calling it.

When it arrived and she got inside of it, she pressed her thumb on the button that would get her to the third floor.

She then let out a nervous huff, turning around and looking at the reflection on the wide mirror she found in front of her. She fixed her hair, freeing it from the tight ponytail she'd restrained it into, liking the result a lot more.

The elevator stopped and the doors opened, Hailey's heart started to beat faster in her chest as she carefully walked towards apartment 9.

She cleared her throat and bit her lower lip before pressing her thumb on the doorbell, the piercing sound audible even from outside.

The door opened in no time, revealing a short figure in front of the blonde, a pair of familiar green eyes staring at her.

"Hello!" Solána exclaimed to her, opening her arms and wrapping them around Hailey's waist, hugging her sweetly.

"Hello to you, Solána!" She greeted her back, returning the hug and patting the little girl's damp dark hair.

Solána was in her lilac bathrobe, her feet bare, and it was clear that she had taken a shower not too long ago.

Hailey stepped inside the apartment and closed the door behind her, and the moment she was ready to ask the toddler where her Dad was, Jay appeared in her view with a scolding look on his face.

"Solána Kasee Halstead." He said sternly, staring at his daughter with his head tilted.

The four-year-old knew she was in trouble just by the fact that Jay had used her full name.

She raised her head to look at him, a guilty expression taking upon her features.

"What did I tell you about getting the door without asking me first?" He asked rhetorically, crossing his arms to his chest, briefly glancing at Hailey and sending her an apologetic look.

"But it's Hailey, it's not a bad guy!" She tried to defend herself, holding Hailey's hand.

"But you didn't know that before you opened the door, did ya?" Jay raised his brow at her, watching her scrunch up her nose as she pouted, offended by the fact that he had a point.

When he expectedly didn't get an answer from her, "C'mon, go get dressed," he dismissed her, eyeing her bedroom from afar.

Solána huffed dramatically, letting go of Hailey's hand and starting to walk towards her bedroom just like her father had told her.

Before she'd leave the living room though, "¿Estás enojado conmigo? " She asked Jay, making puppy eyes at him.

And Jay sighed heavily. That little girl was slick.

She always did those, the puppy eyes, she knew they worked in her favor whenever she did something she wasn't supposed to.

So, of course, "No, I'm not mad at you," he easily gave in, rolling his eyes at himself. "But seriously, go get dressed or you're gonna catch a cold," he repeated.

After he'd said those words, a mischievous grin appeared on Solána's face before she hurried into her room.

Jay shook his head at her, rolling his eyes. What a rascal she was.

Once it was only him and Hailey in the living room, "The puppy eyes? Really?" She didn't waste time and promptly teased him, sending him a fake judgemental look.

"I told you she's the boss," Jay muttered, motioning for Hailey to hand him her leather jacket so he could put on the clothes hanger.

She obliged, looking around the place and studying it in silence.

The living room was quite large, there was plenty of space, and it was connected to an adjacent smaller kitchen.

Despite its spaciousness, it looked cozy and radiated a sense of warmth that immediately made Hailey feel welcomed as if she'd been engulfed in a comforting hug.

And if Hailey was looking around Jay's house, he was looking at… Her.

He had been looking forward to seeing her again, it was a constant feeling lately, and he hoped that inviting her to his home wouldn't give her weird vibes from him.

Jay had chosen his place for a simple reason: he didn't want to leave Solána with his brother or his Dad and bother them at the last minute.

It was just more practical for Hailey to come and see him instead of the opposite.

"You got a nice place," she complimented once she'd finished her quick inspection.

"Thanks," he replied, suddenly feeling very self-conscious around her.

It was probably the fact that she was in his home. It made things a lot more personal and intimate.

But he liked it, her being there with him.

Jay hummed softly, scratching his beard as he eyed the blonde. "You, uhm, want something to drink?"

Hailey didn't get the chance to answer the question, though, because,

"Papi, I put my pj’s on!" Solána yelled from her room.

He glanced at Hailey and showed her a tight-lipped smile. "I'll be right back," he muttered to her, "Don't disappear on me."

She returned the smile and "I don't plan to," she replied wittily, watching him disappear in the hallway.

Ten minutes had passed, and Jay finally returned to the living room in silence, his green eyes immediately trained on Hailey as she looked at the sequence of photos on top of the sideboard.

From the left, there was a picture of him and Will when they were little kids, approximately six or seven years old — his brother had a couple of teeth missing back then but his unique look of mischief had remained the same throughout the years.

Then, there was a picture of his parents. It was taken during the anniversary of their twenty-five years of marriage. He was pretty sure Will took that picture of them.

Next to that one, the photo of his mother alone, a headshot. She was wearing the pearl necklace she always had with her and a bright smile was taking upon her face as she looked at the camera with her gentle hazel eyes.

He missed her terribly.

And, to the far right, the last picture… The more recent one.

Will was behind the camera again with that one; Camila was laying on her hospital bed and had a tired smile on her face, while Jay was sitting next to her, a newborn Solána in his arms as the moment was being immortalized.

"We took that two or three hours after she was born, she didn't even fit in my arms," Jay mumbled, staring at the picture, his heart swelling with love as he recalled the moment.

He remembered it perfectly, how fragile Solána looked between his much stronger arms, the way he couldn't leave his eyes off her, the sense of fulfillment he felt at the realization that the little bundle of joy he'd been waiting for nine long months was finally there with him, with them, ready to start a new journey together.

"She already had lots of hair," Hailey commented, briefly glancing at Jay and sending him a tiny smile.

"And she's the carbon copy of her mom," she then added, her eyes scanning Camila's face and finding a lot of resemblance to Solána, "Like, she got some little things from you here and there, but they really look the same."

Jay chuckled at that, "I know, right? They even have the same mannerisms and expressions, it's actually funny," he smiled, sighing right after.

He then cleared his throat, scratching the back of his neck out of nervousness, looking at Hailey from behind, and biting his lips.

Before he could say any other words, "You looked good together, all three of you," he heard her say, seeing a genuine smile when she turned to face him.

Jay motioned for her to have a seat on the couch with him.

"Yeah…" he trailed off with a slight bit of uncertainty in his tone, figuring that they were going to have that conversation sooner than he'd planned. 

"We were happy," he started, letting out a small sigh, "But I guess it wasn't meant to last," he added.

**"Her brother and I served together but he didn't make it," he shrugged, sensing the feeling of uneasiness creeping up his skin.

Hailey caught on to that and after moving her head in a slow nod, "It's okay if you don't feel like t-"

"I want to tell you, I think it's fair," Jay cut her off, staring into her eyes, "Just… If I end up crying, ignore me," he snickered halfheartedly, in a poor attempt to lighten the mood.

It was something he was eventually going to tell her, so if he had the opportunity to rip the band-aid off now, well, he was going to take it.

"It was during our second tour. We were sent to go to this location, so… We hop on our humvee and start driving there," he began, and Hailey noticed the look in his eyes. It was like he was reliving the moment right there and then like he had really gone back to Afghanistan.

"I had this weird feeling in my bones that day. Like, you know when you can feel something unusual is about to happen and it doesn't feel right, but at the same time you can figure out what it is, right?" His leg started bouncing without him even noticing.

But Hailey did. Her eyes were glued on him, silently observing even the slightest detail of him.

She also felt nervous. Jay was telling her something so delicate and personal, and she felt kind of stunned that he trusted her to the point he was willing to share something so deeply lacerating with her.

"Turned out, I was right..? Wish I weren't"—he let out a dry chuckle, shaking his head and scratching his stubble—"So, long story short, it was a setup. We arrived at the location and not even five minutes passed that boom, everything went completely black."

"I thought I was going to die," he hummed, shifting his position and naturally getting a bit closer to Hailey, who was still staring at him with her attentive, piercing gaze.

"But then I feel someone tug my arm, I look to my right and it's the one and only Luis Vega. He-" Jay huffed and Hailey couldn't help but reach for his hand, wrapping her fingers around it, hoping the gesture had the same calming effect as his hand did when she needed it.

"I'll never forget the look he gave me," Jay looked at the ceiling and blinked rapidly, feeling his stomach sink at the memory. "We were in the middle of nowhere, there wasn't a single soul around and it was like he knew it was time for him to- yeah ... So he smiled at me," he chuckled.

"He smiled at me and told me Right pocket," when he saw Hailey slightly raise her brows in confusion, "Yeah, I know," he snorted at her.

"And not only was I confused, but I was freaking out too because all our friends were dead, I could literally smell it, and now this mad man who can't even breathe properly is smiling at me and telling me weird stuff? I was like, great, I'm losing my mind!"

He then dropped his gaze, focusing it on their intertwined hands, and he tried to concentrate on that, on the comforting feeling her feather-like touch was providing him.

After taking a deep breath, "He died before I could ask any questions so, uhm, I reached for his right pocket and took whatever was inside before I passed out."

Then, out of the blue, "You want something to drink?" Jay asked, but didn't wait for Hailey's answer because, "I'll go get us something," he got on his feet and went to the kitchen.

Hailey bit her lips while she figured that that was his way to tell her he needed a break. 

When he got back to her, the agitated state he was in was visible to her, it was written all over his face.

So, again, "Jay," she called for him as he handed her a glass of cold water. "It's really okay if you wanna stop…" She trailed off.

The last thing she wanted was for him to feel like he had to tell her at all costs, making himself uncomfortable while doing it.

But Jay stubbornly shook his head, "No no, really, I'm fine, it's just, I haven't thought about this in a while, but"—he shook his head again and took a sip of water—"I promise, I'm fine," he reiterated.

He then hummed, resting his arm on the back of the couch, slightly tilting his head. "Where was I…"

Hailey hesitated but then "Right pocket," she mumbled.

Jay glimpsed at her. "Yeah, right! So, uhm, my messed up self gets rescued, I stayed in Germany for like a month or so 'cause my bones were all over the place, then I got medically discharged and I was back to my old life in Chicago," he went on with his account.

Hailey had carefully noticed his choice of words. It seemed like it was talking about the situation with a light tone as if it weren't as terrifying, but it didn't take a genius to understand it was his way to help himself deal with the thing.

It'd definitely taken a while for him to process the fact that he'd cheated death while his friends didn't make it, Hailey could see it, and she'd bet anything that it was a lot to accept.

"One day, a couple of months after I got back here, I started going through my stuff from the Army and I saw something that didn't belong to me. A short letter and a washed-out picture of two kids smiling. It was Luis and his sister…" 

"Camila..?" Hailey murmured, finally starting to put the pieces together.

Jay nodded.

"So"—he huffed, closing his eyes for a couple of seconds, feeling the beginning of a migraine making its way to his temple—"I go to the address, give her the letter, she says stay for a beer, and…" he shrugged.

"We were grieving for the same reasons and, you know, it's hard to find someone who perfectly understands the type of pain you're going through," Jay bit his lips, eyeing Hailey and seeing that she still was listening to him, her cheeks flushed as well with her nose.

"She was there for me and I was there for her, and I guess that brought us together, yeah," he nodded at his own words, his mind recalling the good old days, the early stages of his relationship with Camila, how it made him feel glad to be alive after months of unbearable guilt.

"Then two years later Solána was born," Hailey saw him finally smile at the mention of his daughter, and it warmed her heart to see, and feel, the amount of love he had for her.

It was everything deserved from their parents, she wished she had something like that during her childhood.

Jay chugged down some water, "We adjusted pretty easily at first but then things went downhill," he mumbled, setting his almost empty glass on the coffee table.

"Her friends were… I wasn't very fond of their lifestyle, let's say that. Like, you wanna end up in dialysis by the age of thirty or completely fuck up your brain cells, fine by me, your body your choice, you do you," he waved his hand around. 

"That was their thing and it wasn't affecting me, so yeah. Not my business. But then I noticed Camila was weird, she started hiding things from me, like small dumb things, and at first, I thought she was cheating. I mean, she was doing that too but, ugh, definitely not the point..." He trailed off with a bitter chuckle, his fingers nervously fiddling with Hailey's.

Gosh, he probably had never talked so much in his life.

But it felt good and liberating to do it. The only people who knew the details of the story were Kim and his brother, the fact that he was telling Hailey as well was definitely huge.

He just hoped it wasn't too much.

But again, he felt like she had the right to know what she was getting herself into like Kim had told him that very morning.

He saw Hailey raise her brow at his statement, probably taken aback by his words, mirroring a similar expression he made when he found out about the real reason behind Camila's weird behavior.

"Turns out, she was using too. A once-in-a-while thing became a serious problem. She would completely lose control if she didn't get her fix, she'd even become aggressive sometimes, like physically, and that totally tore us apart. It was the last straw," he shook his head. "It's already messed up if two grown adults are involved, yeah? And I know addiction is a beast, I know that, but Solána was only one year old at the time, like-" he huffed in frustration, the features of his face now hardened.

Jay had tried to understand the situation, but it was still beyond him how things had turned that way. He just couldn't wrap his mind around it.

"I loved her, I did, even then, but she put us through so much shit…" He sighed, running a hand down his face and clearing his throat. "Anyways. Now she's in rehab, again, and yeah, Solána stays with me. I guess that's it. Yup, that was my way-too-long sad story," he concluded with a sarcastic smile, "I swear I don't always talk this much…"He muttered before emptying his glass of water.

When he bored into Hailey's eyes, he found that they were watery, she was trying her best to not start sobbing right in front of him.

She was thinking of the little girl that was now sleeping in her colorful bedroom, how many awful things she might've seen despite her young age, and her heart ached at the thought of it. 

Life was so unfair sometimes, especially to kids. She knew something about it.

And she couldn't help but lean forward and wrap her arms around Jay's neck, closing her eyes as he returned the gesture, resting his head between her neck and shoulder.

"You gotta stop making me cry," she mumbled light-heartedly, sniffing a bit, the sound of her voice muffled since her lips were pressed on the fabric of his flannel shirt.

Jay chuckled at her comment, tightening his grip around her body. "I'm sorry," he retorted, and Hailey could tell he was smiling.

"No, I'm sorry. God, you went through hell, and that little girl…" her voice cracked, and she started feeling hot tears wetting her rosy cheeks.

He felt his eyes get filled with tears too but did everything to keep them at bay.

Hailey was right, he had been through a lot, Solána too, but "We're good now," he stated with a tight-lipped smile, pressing his mouth to the side of her head, longing a bit before he pulled away, though his arms were still around her, "We really are."

Yes, it was just him and his daughter but they were good, and he would've done anything in his power to keep things that way.

And as if she knew he was thinking of her, Solána appeared from the hallway, her stuffed koala tight against her chest and her small fist rubbing her left eye.

"Papi?"

Jay almost jumped away from Hailey when he heard Solána's voice, sending a quick apologetic look to the blonde before turning his head and glancing at the toddler that was staring at them.

"Hey, you, whatcha doing still up?" He asked, getting on his feet and easily joining the little girl, scooping her up in a swift move.

He kissed her cheek and checked her face, "Can't sleep yet?"

Solána shook her head at his question, though her green eyes were focused on the woman sitting on the couch, a confused frown on her face.

"We're having waffles?" She asked with her small voice, and the two adults immediately burst into an amused laugh.

Hailey quickly wiped her face from any tears as she stood up and looked at her, "Oh, dear. No waffles this time, I'm sorry," she tilted her head before gently pinching her cheek. She then gazed at Jay and mouthed an "I should probably go," to him, feeling a rush of heat pervade her face.

She honestly felt like they'd been caught red-handed, it was kind of funny.

Jay nodded in understanding, probably sharing the same feeling she had.

Then, "You're leaving?" Solána asked again with a small gasp of disappointment, her lips curled into a small pout as her wide eyes looked at Hailey putting her leather jacket on.

Hailey glimpsed at Jay but then came up with a quick excuse, "I am. It's getting a bit late," she mumbled.

"Oh, you're scared of the dark," Solána assumed, letting out a huff, "I am, too," she confessed.

Jay snorted at her words, shaking his head as a content sigh escaped from his lips.

God, his daughter was so innocent and pure and she was the absolute love of his life. 

But then Solána's face lit up, though. He saw the expression on her face shift into a much more cheerful one.

In fact, "Hailey!" She called for the blonde, and Jay actually approached her as they walked to the door.

Hailey looked at her with an encouraging smile.

"The dark can't hurt you, you don't gotta be scared! My Daddy's strong, he can protect you! He protects me very very good," Solána told her, and Hailey could've sworn her heart had started melting right then and there.

She sent a knowing grin to Jay and nodded at the little girl, who had now rested her head on her father's shoulder.

"Oh, trust me, I know he can," she winked at Solána, who sent a tired smile her way.

Hailey then looked again at Jay and opened the door. Before she would leave though, "You two have a good night for me, yeah?" She told the pair.

Jay nodded, "You too! And thank you for coming and… Listening," he stared at her, feeling more grateful than he'd allowed his words to say.

"Of course," she nodded his way and exited the apartment, smiling a big smile when she heard Jay say "Let me know when you get home," showing him the thumbs up.

"Will do," she muttered before disappearing from his sight.

As she walked down the stairs towards the exit of the building, she found herself smiling more and more, till her cheeks started hurting.

Hailey liked Jay a lot, and she didn't have any control over it, and for the first time in her life the realization of that feeling wasn't freaking her out. She was willing to explore it, even though she didn't really know where it was going to take her.

But she wasn't scared anymore, she felt… Ready.

Chapter Text

Solána was in her car seat humming the theme song of her favorite animated series, her legs swinging and her eyes focused on her dad as he was putting his seatbelt on.

She had a contented expression on her face, even though she had barely slept that night, too excited for what this new day had in store for her, for them.

It'd been so long, too long, since she'd last seen her Mamá and when Jay told her that they were finally going to visit her, she was beyond happy, telling the news to every person she knew.

"Daddy..?"

Jay unlocked his phone and glimpsed at her through the rearview mirror, "What's up?" He asked.

"Uncle Will works at the hospical, right?" Solána looked at his face when he turned around to give her his undivided attention.

Jay smiled softly at her. "It's hospital, baby," he quickly corrected her, "Yeah, he works there, why?"

The four-year-old pursed her lips and tilted her head. "Why Mamá isn't at his- at his hospital?" She watched him with a slight frown, seeing him open his mouth and then close it, not really knowing how to answer her question.

Because how could he explain to a toddler that her mom wasn't just at any hospital, that she was getting treatment for substance addiction and that was the reason why she could see her only every other month.

Jay let out a sigh, scratching his beard as he looked for an appropriate way to answer.

He briefly hummed and then, "Because your mom needs to be in a different one. I guess we can say it's a special kind of hospital," he said carefully, already preparing himself to answer some more questions on the topic.

Much to his surprise though, his words seemed to be enough for Solána because, "Oh, okay," she nodded at him and then reached for her dear koala (it was sitting next to her, seatbelt on and everything), giving it a light pat.

When Jay turned around, he let out a sigh of relief, happy he didn't have to dive too much into that topic.

He pushed his frustration aside and took a deep breath, already knowing that that day was going to take a gigantic emotional toll on him.

After reaching for his phone again, "Want some music on?" He asked, knowing how much Solána loved to listen to music whenever they were on a ride — she always had, ever since she was a tiny newborn that barely fit into his arms.

As expected, Solána nodded eagerly, a huge grin on her face. 

Jay typed something on his phone, selecting a song he knew she loved and wasn't that surprised to hear her excitedly cheer and clap her hands, her green eyes wide when Lemon tree by Fool's Garden started playing.

He shot her one last glance through the rearview mirror and then turned the engine on, ready for the two-hour drive he had ahead of him.

Jay drove around the parking lot for the third time, his patience running low as he tried to find a spot.

He was already nervous for basically being in the same building as Camila, he didn't need something else to add to his stress.

Luckily though, he saw a short woman enter her car and then start to drive towards the exit, so Jay took his chance and parked his truck right there, letting out a sigh for sorting that out.

Solána was quietly observing the sky through the window, her green eyes focused on a flock of swallows, fascinated by the way they all flew together and in sync like a big family.

"Let the show begin…" Jay stopped the car and she snapped out of her daze, quickly undoing her seatbelt as she watched her father do the same.

She freed her stuffed animal as well, holding it to her chest and waiting for Jay to open the door for her.

The excitement she was feeling was written all over her face, she couldn't stop smiling and she felt like a ball of energy.

Jay exited the vehicle and quickly went to open her door, watching her jump off it eagerly.

Solána then looked at her dad from head to toe, then over at her shoes, and widely smiled at him. 

"Daddy, we are matching!" She noticed, outstretching her leg to show him their shoes were the same color.

Jay took something from the passenger seat and then locked the truck, glimpsing down at her right after.

His lips turned upward, "Well, a cool duo needs to be matching," he winked at her, before handing her a small box. "It's the gift," he told her, and Solána took it, already knowing what he was talking about.

She quickly gave him her koala and hid the box inside her purse, so she wouldn't lose it, her father's gaze focused on her and smiling at her thoughtfulness.

Once she was done, she took back her dear stuffed animal, holding Jay's hand right then.

"¡Vamos!" She instructed with a nod and Jay swore it seemed like he was dealing with a smaller version of Camila sometimes.

He didn't need her to say it twice though. The two started walking to enter the building, Solána's eyes still roaming and looking at the beautiful sky on top of their heads.

They got inside the building in no time, the white walls reminding Jay of a hospital, a feeling of uneasiness immediately creeping up his spine.

They got checked by Security, as usual. He knew it was required and the goal was to make sure the entire building was safe and no one would bring forbidden things inside, but that didn't make it any less unpleasant.

Especially when they had to search Solána as well. She was just a kid! 

But then again, Jay knew they had a reason to do so. He knew certain people would put their kids in a difficult position for their own benefits, he'd seen it happen plenty of times when he was overseas.

Once they were done with that, the two finally entered the hall of the rehab facility. There was a huge painting on the large wall on their right, and Jay was surprised to see it, recalling that the last time they went there it was just a simple, white wall.

Solána was inspecting her surroundings as well, her eyes examining every detail of the tall building they were in.

Jay took his phone from his pocket and was ready to shoot Camila a text to tell her they'd arrived, but

"Is that my sunshine I see?" He heard her voice coming from a few feet away.

Solána's eyes lit up immediately as soon as she recognized it, a big smile forming on her face when she looked in front of her and spotted the brunette she hadn't seen in way too long.

"Mamá!" She screeched, letting go of her father's hand and hurrying to go hug her mother, who was crouched down and waiting for her with her arms open.

Jay took a few steps forward and then stopped, allowing the two to have their moment.

He observed the woman he once thought he'd love forever, the one he was ready to grow old with. But now, as he looked at her, he could tell that love was gone.

Jay was always going to be grateful to her for giving him the dearest gift of his life, their daughter, but other than that, now, as he stared at Camila, he felt nothing.

Well, not exactly nothing.

There still was a pinch of resentment there, he had to admit it. Resentment and disappointment. He wondered if there was even a remote chance of them ever going away someday.

His heart clenched a little in his chest as he looked at the two, how tightly Solána was hugging her mother, but it brought a smile onto his face to see them together. It was so clear that they had missed each other and he couldn't help but wish that things were different.

He wished Solána could see her mother more often and spend as much time as she liked with her, but then, they had tried that path in the past and it was exactly what had led them to be in that building that day.

So, it wasn't ideal, but at the same time, it was their best option at the moment.

After peppering her daughter's face with kisses, Camila picked her up and got on her feet, the grip around Solána's body solid, as if she never wanted to ever let her go.

Jay approached them with a tight-lipped smile and gave the brunette a quick side-hug.

"You changed your aftershave?" It was the first thing she said to him, her voice calm and relaxed.

He hummed with a nod, "Yeah, got tired of the other one," he simply stated, shrugging his shoulders.

"I liked it," Camila stated, staring at his face, her gaze intense as her dark brown eyes studied his expression.

Jay fought the urge to roll his eyes at her.

Had it been years ago, he would've played along. He used to love their banter, how he would flirt with her and she would push him away, only to pull him back at the end.

But now, her words felt like a mockery.

He knew her comment was meant to be innocent, that Camila was just being her playful self, but he also couldn't help the feeling.

He decided to push it away, though. They'd just gotten there and Solána was beyond happy to see her. She deserved to spend the day with her mother without him ruining it with his bad mood.

So, "Sol, did you give her your gift?" He focused on something else, ignoring Camila's comment.

The little girl's grin widened at the mention. She easily opened her purse and took the box out of it, handing it to her mother.

"Daddy paid for it cuz I don't have a job," she muttered with a small shrug, watching Camila open the box and stare at the silver bracelet in it as she chuckled at her words.

"Well, a big thanks to you both then. I really love it!" She glimpsed at Jay and then focused on the little girl in her arms, softly kissing the tip of her nose, "I'll put it on later, that okay?"

Solána nodded at her and then wiggled her legs, silently telling her she wanted to be put down.

"God, you got so big, can't even pick you up for too long," she exhaled contently, listening to her quiet request.

The four-year-old nodded vehemently, "Yes, I'm a big girl," she confirmed proudly.

Camila snorted at her and then looked at Jay, who was standing in front of her uncomfortably, hands in his pockets and eyes looking down.

She cleared her throat and, "It's a little early for lunch, but maybe we can hang out a bit, take a walk… The weather's nice today," she suggested, biting her lips.

Jay lifted his gaze but didn't really look at her face. But ultimately, "Yes, sounds cool to me," he complied. 

He took Solána's hand and the little girl wrapped hers around her mother's, staring back and forth at her parents with a happy smile and feeling glad that they finally were all together.

They exited the building like that, Camila nervously eyeing Jay, while he was having a conversation with their daughter.

Camila was staring at Solána with fond eyes as the toddler was singing the song she had learned at school not too long ago.

"...Z is for zebra it can't be wrong, and that is the end of the alphabet song!" Solána concluded with a cheerful smile, excitedly clapping her hands at herself.

"Aren't you the best singer ever?" Her Mamá clapped her hands as well, a sense of pride swelling in her chest watching her daughter blush heavily.

That sense of pride was also mixed with a bit of shame if she had to be honest. Well, a lot of it.

She was missing so much about her daughter's life, and she was the only one to blame.

Camila didn't know if she would ever be able to get rid of the remorse or even just live with it. It was eating her alive, every single day.

And the fact that Solána loved her nonetheless? It only added to her guilt.

She felt like she didn't deserve that pure soul of hers to love her.

They were at the small town’s square, sitting in front of a circular fountain along with a bunch of other people.

She watched Solána play with the few pigeons that were around and laugh out loud whenever they'd fly away once she approached them.

God, she'd missed the sound of her contagious laugh.

Jay was staring in front of him, and she wasn't sure if he was actually focused or just blatantly ignoring her presence.

The awkwardness between them was very tangible and she was getting tired of it. In general, Camila was a chatty person, she liked to make small talk even for the mere sake of it — staying silent wasn't really her thing.

So, "Uhm," she cleared her throat, "How's everything going? You, the store..?" She asked, her fingers fiddling with the new piece of jewelry she'd put on, the bracelet Solána had gifted her.

Jay turned to face her, "Everything's going well," he nodded her way, dropping his gaze when their eyes met.

He hummed softly, scratching his beard. "What about you? How's the program?" He returned the question, figuring it was better than not uttering a word at all.

Plus, he was genuinely curious.

"It can be a bit rough sometimes, but"—she huffed—"it's also been helpful. I have my days but Roxanne said I'm making progress," she informed him, mentioning her therapist.

He glanced at her, "That's good," Jay stated.

Camila nodded vehemently at his words. "Yeah. It's step by step," she mumbled, lowering her voice.

She was proud of herself for what she'd accomplished in the last four months, and she knew she had two more ahead of her, that it would've been a lot more difficult once she'd completed the program and come back to real life, but she was trying her best.

She knew she had no chance of getting Jay back, he'd had given her too many already, more than she probably deserved, but she was willing to try and be a better mother to Solána.

It was easier said than done, but… That was her goal.

The four-year-old hurried over them, her chest rising and falling quickly since she'd been running the whole time.

"Can we get ice cream?" She asked the two, making puppy eyes at them. She particularly turned to her mom and "Por favor…" she added in a whiny voice, taking her hand in hers.

"How about we have a nice meal first?" Camila countered, raising her brows and eyeing Jay, who was listening to them, and sent a small nod her way.

"But then we can have ice cream, yeah?" The little girl insisted, a hopeful twinkle in her green eyes.

The brunette chuckled at Solána, playfully rolling her eyes. "Yes, we can, you impatient lady."

"You like it?" Camila asked as she looked at her daughter, the four-year-old eagerly stuffing her mouth with a burger that was probably larger than her face.

The three of them were now having lunch at a local steakhouse, it wasn't too far from the rehab facility.

Solána nodded at her mother's question but didn't speak, remembering how many times Jay had reminded her that it wasn't polite to talk while having her mouth full.

As for Jay… He had barely touched his burger, just casually munching his fries.

He felt on edge, wired. It was like his mind was already preparing for something bad to happen and he knew there wasn't an actual threat around them, it was just how he was used to feeling whenever he was around Camila.

She noticed how his mind seemed to be totally elsewhere, absent, and in fact, "Remember when I was pregnant and all I did was eat burgers?" She tried to ask him with a chuckle, a clear attempt to make small talk.

Solána swallowed her big bite and looked at her mother with widened eyes, "Mamá, you were prenant?!" She asked in shock.

Both Jay and Camila snorted a laugh at the question, only causing their daughter's confusion to grow bigger, a slight frown between her brows.

"Yes, with you, silly!" The brunette exclaimed, staring down at the toddler. "Before you were born, you were inside my belly. You lived there," she explained to her, watching her make a face as she registered her words.

Then, "Ew," Solána scrunched up her nose, pouting her lips and then focusing back on her burger.

"Carried her for nine months and I get an Ew in response, wow," she commented, mostly talking to herself, but her words caused Jay to let out a small chuckle.

Camila looked up at him, almost shocked by the fact that he had somehow acknowledged her presence, and shot a tiny smile his way, holding back the look of disappointment when he dropped his gaze and focused it elsewhere.

But Jay saw it, that look, and it made him feel guilty, even more when he gaped at Solána and watched the content, serene expression on her face.

She was so happy to have both of her parents with her that day, so, "Remember the night you ate pickles dipped in Nutella?" Jay asked casually, watching Camila bite on one of the pickles she'd ordered.

She snickered loudly. "Hey! It just sounds wrong but I swear it wasn't that bad," she retorted before munching on her last fry.

He raised his brows and sent her a skeptical yet amused look, "Hm-hmm, sure…" 

Solána had a relaxed expression on her face while Camila was gently caressing her dark hair and quietly observing her.

They were now back at the facility, in Camila's room, the little girl sleeping as her parents were conversing a bit.

"So…" She trailed off, raising her head to look at Jay who was sitting on the couch, at the opposite side of the room, "Hailey..?" She asked with curiosity, seeing Jay's eyes widen a little, obviously caught by surprise.

"Your daughter talks a lot," she then added with a light chuckle, trying to make everything less tense.

Yes, Solána had spilled the beans but Camila wasn't stupid either. She'd known Jay for years and, besides that, she knew that the possibility of him meeting another woman existed.

She couldn't lie and say it didn't hurt a little when she was told the news, but that wasn't much she could do about it — again, she was the one who had ruined things between and she had to deal with the consequences.

Jay quickly studied the look on her face and saw she was actually serene, just… Genuinely curious.

So he cleared his throat and shrugged his shoulders. "It's new, just been a few weeks actually," he said casually, not really wanting to get into full-on details that would make the atmosphere awkward.

"Is she nice to her?"

Jay sent her a pointed look and fought the urge to roll his eyes. "Of course, she is. You know me," he kept it short.

Camila knew him and the fact that their daughter was his first priority, always, no matter what.

"I do." She nodded, then "I'm happy for you," she added with a sad smile. She meant what she said, and Jay could tell that by the look in her eyes.

"And," she continued after she sighed heavily, causing Jay to focus his gaze on her. "I wanted to say I'm sorry. I realized I never said that to you."

Camila nervously bit her lips, the inner conflict she was having was visible in the features of her face. "I know it doesn't fix anything, but I am sorry for what I did to you, and Sol, and what happened that night, I'm-" she shook her head, feeling tears form in her eyes.

"I'm not sure if you'll ever forgive me, but I need you to know I'm sorry," she repeated in conclusion, sniffling and quickly wiping her face, her voice broken.

Jay was staring at her quite taken aback by her words. It wasn't something he'd expected and he didn't know how to react.

That wasn't how he had envisioned things to go, and he wasn't there to be reminded of the old days or talk about the night she'd mentioned. 

"Dont-" he shook his head, biting his tongue to stop himself from saying what was really going through his head.

So, "Just try to get better," he said, briefly meeting her eyes and then looking elsewhere, scratching his beard as he became nervous all of a sudden, "For real this time," he added, slightly widening his eyes.

Camila blushed, a bit shocked by the harshness of the tone he'd used, but not blaming him for that.

She knew she deserved that. She had broken his trust, many times, and knew it would take time for her to earn it back.

But, "I will," she stated with confidence, clearing her throat.

Then, "Once I get back to Chicago, how…" Camila took a deep breath, feeling her heart beating fast. "How are we gonna play it?"

"You can visit her, of course you can," Jay told her in no time, watching the blank expression on her face. "But Solána is staying with me," he concluded boldly.

"So, you're the one who calls the shots in this?" She asked, earning a dry chuckle from him.

He stared into her eyes, shifting his position on the couch. "I am, yeah," he murmured. "You wanna see her? You call me, you come visit her. No problem. But she's not living with you, and you know why. Don't piss me off," he focused his eyes elsewhere, suddenly feeling uncomfortable in being in the same room as her.

"It was just a simple question," Camila trailed off defensively, rolling her brown eyes and crossing her arms on her chest, "No need to get all worked up…" 

She knew she'd messed up, but she thought his treatment was a bit uncalled for. She was paying for the mistakes she made.

Jay let out a loud scoff but didn't reply, only shaking his head and pinching the bridge of his nose.

Camila thought everything was a game but maybe it still wasn't clear to her that he wasn't willing to play with her. Not anymore.

And he couldn't wait to be out of that room.

So, he did it. Jay got up and stormed out of there, not even bothering to say another word to her.

He took a deep breath, feeling a soft breeze caress the warmer surface of his skin.

There were a few other people on the large terrace he'd decided to go to take some fresh air, two guards dressed in white studying their every move as required by their job.

Jay opened his eyes after the long exhale he'd emitted, trying to calm himself down.

He hated the effect Camila's words still had on him, how every little thing she'd say would get on his nerves. He hated the person he'd become whenever she was around: he was constantly anxious, suspicious of the real intentions behind her words and actions.

And he had tried to let go of that uncomfortable feeling, tell himself that he shouldn't have judged over the mistake she made, that dealing with the consequences of it was enough of a punishment, but none of those things seemed to work.

He had completely lost any form of trust in her, and felt like the person he once knew had become a complete stranger in his eyes — that's how bad she'd betrayed him.

Jay too, just like Camila, wondered if he was ever going to forgive her.

His train of thoughts was interrupted by the buzzing of his phone in his pocket.

He let out a huff and took the device, seeing that he'd received several notifications.

Jay quickly checked the text he'd gotten from Kim, a funny picture of her and Kevin at the gym. He sent her a quick reply and then opened the most recent message. 

Another photo. It was a selfie of Hailey and Vanessa but the background of it felt very familiar to him.

The following text only confirmed his intuition:

Hailey:
Recognize the place? 💁🏼

it said.

Jay pressed his thumb on the screen and dialed her number almost instinctively.

Hailey picked up after a couple of seconds and the moment he heard the sound of her voice, a big smile appeared on Jay's face.

"Hello!"

"I can't believe you went to the store just because you miss me," he didn't waste time and teased her immediately.

Hailey let out a light giggle, "If it helps you sleep at night," she countered wittily, and Jay could imagine a faint shade of red color on her cheeks and nose. "Are you guys having fun there? How's Solána? "

See, there was one specific thing about Hailey that stood out to Jay's eyes, ever since the beginning, and it was the fact that she would always include Solána as part of their conversations, even by asking just a small question about her.

It was clear to him that she saw Jay and his daughter as some sort of complete package and, maybe he shouldn't have been left stunned by that, but it definitely wasn't something he could ignore.

"She's having fun. She ate a burger bigger than her and it totally knocked her out," he chuckled.

"Aw, I bet she looks adorable," Hailey commented and Jay was able to feel her smile even though they were miles apart. Then, "What about you?"

He let out a heavy exhale. "Oh. That bad? " She asked, and Jay detected the concern behind her voice.

A soft hum ensued. "Not bad necessarily but"—he shrugged—"I just stormed out of her room, so yeah..." he trailed off in a mumbled, "By the way, there's a pretty nice view here, I'll send you a pic later," he trailed off, blatantly avoiding answering her question.

Hailey seemed to get the hint because she didn't dive into that topic any deeper.

Then, "What are you girls doing at the store? Need anything specific?" He asked, totally changing the subject.

"We're actually stalking a guy," Hailey said casually, causing a small frown to form on Jay's forehead.

"Behind my back?"—he feigned a loud gasp of surprise—"That's such a low blow. I hope he's cute at least …" Jay chuckled, playing along with her although he was curious.

"Very cute. You know I have the best taste," she replied smartly, and he hummed in response, a bit taken aback by her backhanded compliment.

"That I know…" He trailed off, feeling a rush of heat pervade his face all of a sudden.

"You're so full of yourself," Hailey commented quickly and Jay was sure that she had even rolled her eyes. "Anyways "—she went on—" Vanessa and I were around and she said she wanted to stare at Kevin for a few minutes," she explained.

"I'm sorry, what? Stare at him?" Jay reiterated in confusion.

Hailey hummed, "You heard it!"

"Sounds weird," snickered.

"You mean, sounds like Vanessa! She says hi by the way..."

Just when he was about to respond, "Jay!" He heard his name being called by a voice near him.

Jay turned around and saw Camila stare at him, a sleepy yet awake Solána in her arms.

He waved at her, silently telling her to grant him a second.

"Hailey, I gotta go," he muttered a bit disappointed, wishing he could talk to her more.

Somehow, their brief call had managed to change his mood a bit, making him forget the reason why he'd gone to that terrace in the first place.

"Yeah, no problem. Those two have finally decided to acknowledge my presence anyways, so…" She snorted, and Jay could hear Vanessa protest in the background. " I'll talk to you later? "

"Yeah, definitely. And Hailey..?" He bit his lips, feeling a small smirk take upon his gesture.

"Yeah… "

"Don't stare at Kevin too much," he murmured playfully, though his request hid a bit of truth behind it.

Hailey cackled at his words, "I make no promises but I'll try," she declared, abruptly ending the call and leaving Jay speechless, amusement written all over the features of his face.

He then shoved his phone in his pocket and started walking towards Camila and Solána, his lips curled into a forced smile because what else could he do? 

"Good afternoon, Sol! That burger did a number on you, huh?" He asked tickling his daughter under her chin as he took her from Camila, avoiding eye contact with the brunette when they re-entered the building together.

"Be good for your dad, okay?" Camila asked Solána, not really waiting for an answer and just placing a long, soft kiss on her forehead.

Solána eagerly nodded at her, smiling when she heard her mother speak to her in Spanish.

"I love you too, Mamá," she replied, her stuffed koala tight against her chest as she adjusted her position on her car seat.

It was now time to go back to Chicago: they had a two hours drive ahead of them and Solána couldn't go to bed late since she had school the next day.

"You gotta say goodbye to Mr. Ko, too!" The four-year-old old exclaimed,  shoving her stuffed animal into Camila's face and waiting for the woman to give it a kiss.

Camila chuckled but immediately obliged, talking to the inanimate object and asking it to make sure her daughter was always safe.

After gently ruffling Solána's dark hair, she pulled back, closing the door and taking a few steps to her right, still bent over but staring at Jay this time.

"Drive safe," she muttered to him, watching him move his head in a nod.

"And you be safe," Jay replied, granting them a smile on his part.

If there was something to be sure about him and Camila, it was the mixed feelings he had towards her — that day had definitely proven it.

But she was wrong about one thing: despite him giving her the cold shoulder, he didn't hate her.

Jay wasn't one to hold grudges but he was also very black or white on certain topics, and he really had a hard time with allowing himself to see the gray in Camila's situation.

"I will," she nodded, showing him a smile as well.

Jay shot her one last glance and watched her pull back from the car before he started the engine.

Camila turned to look at Solána who was waving at her and felt her heart sink in her chest at the thought that she'd see her again in weeks. Long, extenuating weeks.

But, "Bye-bye," she put on a fake smile as she waved back at her, fighting the urge to start crying right there.

She watched Jay exit the parking spot and waved again at the two when he took off, emitting a long exhale and feeling a lump form in her throat before she turned around and entered the building that had become her home for the last few months.

It was going to be a long night, that one.

Jay emitted a heavy sigh of relief when he finally entered his apartment after that long day, Solána in his arms with her head resting on his shoulder, her eyes closed as she was already dreaming.

He locked the door behind him and then quickly walked to her bedroom, ready to put her in bed.

When Solána's back hit the soft surface of her mattress, "Mamá?" She asked, abruptly opening her eyes and looking for her mother, only to meet her father's gentle gaze.

"We're home, Sol," Jay told her quickly, watching her move her head in a nod and reach for her stuffed koala that he'd just put next to her in bed.

"Feel like wearing your PJs?" He asked, and Solána nodded again.

She quietly got rid of the pants she'd been wearing the whole day, along with her sweater, and swapped them with her PJs set that was already on her bed.

"You okay?" Jay had noticed her quietness. It probably was just the result of her tiredness, but he still wanted to make sure it wasn't something else.

Solána's reply caught him off guard. She leaned forward and tightly wrapped her arms around his neck, the tip of her nose cold when it touched his warmer skin.

"I love you, Daddy," she muttered against him, her voice filled with exhaustion.

He didn't know where that sudden display of affection was coming from, she probably didn't know it as well, but it sure caused his heart to swell in his chest, overwhelmed by the nice feeling.

Jay pressed his lips on the top of her head, his large hand going up and down her back.

"I love you too, baby," he whispered to her ear, "So so much," he added.

Then, "Ready to sleep?" He asked her when the little girl pulled away from him.

Solána stared at him with wide eyes and pouted. "Don't wanna sleep here," she murmured sheepishly, hugging her stuffed animal as if her life depended on it.

Jay chuckled at her words and playfully rolled his eyes. "Okay, you can sleep on the couch then," he teased her, causing a gasp to escape from her lips.

"I'm kidding!" He said fast, feeling quite scared of the way she was glaring at him. 

It was adorable but also kind of scary.

"I guess my bed has some room for you," he finally said and Solána's expression changed in no time, her lips now curled into a victorious smile.

"And Mr. Ko?"

"And Mr. Ko."

"Yes!" She exclaimed, quickly getting out of her bed and hurrying into Jay's room, bringing her beloved stuffed koala with her.

"I'll meet you there," Jay shook his head at her antics and then went to the bathroom to get himself ready, too.

When he was done, he got in his bedroom and wasn't surprised to find Solána already asleep, her eyes closed and a peaceful but tired look on her face.

Jay quickly changed into his nightwear and got inside the bed, placing his phone on the nightstand after setting the alarm.

He sighed when he lied down, the exhaustion really hitting him right now.

The physical one, he could handle it. He knew it would go away the next day. 

As for his emotional state… It was a different story.

Seeing Camila again had brought back a lot of conflicting feelings. 

Jay was happy that she was starting to feel better, she looked like she was, but he couldn't help but feel like there was a catch somewhere, somehow, like sooner or later an ugly truth was going to come out because that was what always happened with her.

That's what he was used to and if he had learned something from the last time, it was that he wasn't going to put himself or Solána through a similar situation again.

Jay felt his phone buzz against the hard surface of the nightstand, creating a brief echo.

He checked it in no time and a low hum escaped his lips when he read the text he'd just received.

Hailey:
Hope you guys got home safe. Have a good night x

Jay wasn't sure if it was going to be a good one but he had the feeling that he'd have an extremely long night ahead of him.

Little did he know that it was going to be more than just a feeling.

Chapter Text

Jay opened his eyes abruptly, a loud, strangled gasp coming out of his mouth as his lungs desperately searched for some air.

He felt like he was suffocating, every attempt at evening out his breathing seemed to fail, his chest rising and falling frantically.

He rapidly blinked, anxiously checking his surroundings, trying to calm himself down.

It took him a few moments to understand he was in the safety of his room, but the images of what woke him up were still so clear and vivid in his mind.

Jay put a hand on his bare chest and forced himself to take slow, deep breaths. In and out.

He started counting aloud, a method that had always helped him in similar situations.

Because, yeah, it wasn't his first time having nightmares. Not only had they been a recurrence those past few days, but they'd been hunting him ever since he came back from his first tour in Afghanistan.

They'd become more frequent and violent after his second tour, he was grieving for his comrades and his mother's death, but when he'd finally started going to therapy they had almost disappeared.

But, they eventually came back with the whole Camila situation — they were different but hurt the same, even deeper, especially since they often featured Solána in them.

Those though, they weren't just nightmares. There was a lot more behind them, and it hurt even worse.

Once his breathing had turned a little more even and after quietly observing his room, Jay got out of bed and exited the room.

Without hesitation or really thinking about it, he went to Solána's room to check on her: rationally, he knew she was safe and sound, but still, he felt the need to actually make sure of it.

Jay opened the door and stopped there, his body leaning against the doorframe as he stared at her.

Her night light was on and it allowed him to see her face without him necessarily entering the room.

Solána was sleeping peacefully, her arms and legs opened on the bed and making her look like a starfish.

She always slept in that funny position.

He stayed there observing her for a few instants, then closed the door, feeling the sudden urge to go drink some water. Jay walked to the kitchen and took the first glass he found on the counter, quickly filling it with some cold tap water.

That had been his routine for the past three nights — getting to bed, waking up in panic an hour later, and then spending the night wandering around the house because he couldn't sleep anymore.

Dark circles had started forming around his eyes, his mood swings had become more intense, and he was noticing a slight lack of focus too.

Ever since visiting Camila, the nightmares had come back, preventing him from living peacefully.

Jay chugged down the water and put the glass in the sink, taking his phone and seeing he still had some texts he needed to reply to, knowing damn well who was their sender.

He ignored them though, just like he'd been doing for the past few days.

He then exited the kitchen and walked towards the end of the corridor, entering a room he'd ditched his bedroom for lately.

It was small, its walls soundproof and covered in every sort of poster — music-related, obviously. There were signed album posters of artists of every era and music genre: Nancy Sinatra, Mereba, John Coltrane, Masego, Run DMC, and Kendrick Lamar.

Kevin had put a title to that room, The rising sound: home edition, and Jay thought it was perfect for it.

He walked towards the shelves where all types of music pieces were scattered, though still in order. Jay wasn't a fan of chaos.

When he found the single he was looking for, he walked towards the record player, taking the vinyl out of its box and placing it on the platter.

The music started playing, the familiar piano motif, the hip-hop-sounding drumline, and then the raw guitar riff echoing in the room as What I've done by Linkin Park began.

Jay sat on the lounge chair next to the record player, his legs stretched, feeling the goosebumps all over his body as he listened to every word Chester Bennington was singing, feeling each of them in his bones, in his soul.

«So let mercy come and wash away what I've done…»

Hailey let out a huff of frustration when she checked her phone for the umpteenth time that day and saw that she didn't have any new text — not really a surprise, lately.

And not just a new text from someone in general, but from Jay, that's what she was waiting for so eagerly.

She finished her cup of coffee and tossed it in the bin, clearing her throat as she reread the slides for the presentation she'd prepared the night before, even though her eyes kept going over and over the same words without really absorbing their real meaning.

The headphones in her ears were playing What Happens Tomorrow by Duran Duran, which was one of her favorite songs, and she wasn't even paying too much attention to it because her mind was completely elsewhere.

Hailey felt kind of stupid if she had to be honest.

Three days had passed since she and Jay last spoke to one another, and the blonde had no doubt in her mind that he was avoiding her.

The first day, she let it slide: Jay and Solána had visited Camila and she knew how the previous day had been hard for him emotionally speaking, so when she didn't get a reply to her text she didn't read too much into it.

The second day, the same thing happened — she had sent him a text in the morning but didn't get any reply back. At first, she thought it was due to his business, that between work and Solána maybe he just didn't get the time to do it.

(Although, let's be realistic, she knew losing five mere seconds of his time to text her back wouldn't be a tragedy.

But, still, she gave him the benefit of the doubt.)

And now it was Saturday, the third day, almost four in the afternoon, and still nothing. No texts from him.

Jay and Solána had also skipped their weekly breakfast date at the Waffle House, and that had caused Hailey's worry to grow a little bigger.

She did go there, checking the entrance every time someone would open the door hoping she would find the two pairs of green eyes she adored immensely, only to be left with disappointment.

But, Saturday morning at the Waffle House was a sacred thing to them, they wouldn't have missed it unless something was going on.

But he would've told her, right? If something was going on… And why wasn't he answering her text?

Though, if she thought about it, the silent treatment she was getting was some kind of answer on its own, so — Hailey came to the conclusion that Jay was avoiding her.

It was the only explanation that made sense to her. She couldn't find any other reason why he wouldn't talk to her: she had gotten over their conversation and, as far as she recalled, she didn't remember saying or doing anything weird or particularly wrong.

Or maybe she did, she wasn't sure of anything at that point, that's why she wanted to know from Jay directly.

Hailey bit her lower lip, letting out a heavy sigh and tapping the screen of her phone once again as if checking it almost obsessively would change anything.

Yes, she had thought of going to the store, but she wanted to save herself the humiliation of Jay telling her he didn't want to have anything to do with her anymore — those were the vibes he was sending.

It was a bit funny though. The moment she'd let her guard down and allowed herself to feel something for once, be vulnerable with someone, there she was, being blatantly ghosted, left with a million questions in her head but not even the littlest explanation.

Hailey scoffed, clearly annoyed by the irony of it all.

"Go outside, meet people, oh this guy's cute, you should put yourself out there more…" She rambled under her breath, repeating the words she'd been told way too many times.

Hailey let out a small grunt and, "Malakíes," She finished in Greek, rolling her eyes and forcing herself to focus on her job.

She hoped that at least her students would appreciate the effort she put in what she'd prepared for them.

He scoffed loudly at the man standing in front of him, his face red with anger as he crossed his arms on his chest.

"I paid for it and I want it. Now." The man stated, glaring at Jay, who took a deep breath to calm himself down.

He was already in a bad mood, the lack of sleep was taking a toll on him, every little thing was getting on his nerves, and the last thing he needed was a customer yelling in his face and telling him he didn't know how to do his job.

He'd definitely caught him on his wrong day: Jay was so ready to lose his cool.

"Sir, you probably didn't submit your order because I don't have the stuff you're asking for," he countered, his fingers tingling from nervousness.

"Or, you stole my money…" The other guy said aloud, causing the other few customers to turn their heads and stare at them with curiosity.

Jay totally lost it when he heard the accusation, his eyes widening in disbelief. He took a step towards the man gritting his teeth, his jaw clenched.

One thing he was not going to allow was for some random stranger to enter his store and call him a thief because of thirty stupid dollars, knowing he didn't touch them.

"What did you just say to me?!" He mumbled, keeping his voice low.

Jay wasn't one to yell, the look on his face being threatening enough.

The guy took a step back, swallowing hard but still trying to keep his composure. He clearly wasn't expecting Jay to react like that.

Luckily though, Kevin and Kim came from the back of the store with perfect timing, recognizing their friend's body language.

"Woah, gentlemen, what is going on here?" Kevin hurried over them, stepping between the two and putting his hand on Jay's chest to push him.

He mouthed a Get the hell outta here to him, before eyeing Kim, silently asking her to help him out.

She caught on immediately. "Jay…" She approached him, elbowing his side and widening her eyes at him. "Let's go. Now," she mumbled at him, sending him a deadly look.

Kim didn't need to add anything else. Jay shot one last glare at the customer and turned around.

He heard Kevin's heavy huff, along with his deep voice: "Morning, sir, sorry for the inconvenience. I'm Kevin. What can I do for you?"

Meanwhile, Jay totally ignored the eyes he had on him and followed his friend towards the back of the store.

He needed some fresh air.

Jay could feel Kim's intense gaze on him, her big brown eyes observing him as they were taking a walk around the block, a nice breeze hitting their skin.

After figuring out that he had no intention of talking, Kim sighed, slightly elbowing him.

"Wanna tell me what happened?" She asked.

Jay let out a small grunt. He was enjoying the silence.

He knew she wasn't only referring to his little dispute with the customer.

Then, "Camila happened…" He mumbled with his voice low, keeping his focus ahead of him but knowing that Kim was still looking at him.

She wasn't left surprised by his answer, she somehow knew that's what he was going to say.

"She's doing good, seems like it," Jay went on, then turned his head to finally face Kim. "But isn't that what happened the last time?" He asked rhetorically, a sad smile on his lips.

"She was doing good, and then…" He shrugged his shoulders, rolling his eyes.

Kim didn't need him to say more, knowing damn well what he was implying.

She glanced at his face and bit her lips, "Nightmares?" She asked although the answer was in the circles around his eyes.

Jay moved his head in a nod, "I haven't slept in days…"

Kim let out a soft hum, biting her lips to prevent herself from saying something she would regret.

No, scratch that. "I hate her," she blurted out, conscious of the meaning behind the word she'd used.

She couldn't lie, Kim detested Camila. Strongly.

She had witnessed with her own two eyes how much Jay had suffered because of her, how many times he had to bite the bullet because he loved her and wanted to give her the umpteenth chance even though he too knew she didn't deserve it.

Jay snorted at her words, eyeing her with a lifted eyebrow.

"No way!" He exclaimed sarcastically, putting his hands in his pockets as they kept strolling around.

Kim's idea wasn't that bad after all: he did need to take a walk.

A few moments passed, then "I don't." Jay mumbled, turning his head towards Kim. "I don't hate her," he specified.

"Oh, I know that!"

He let out a small chuckle. "It'd make things a lot easier, that's for sure, but," he shrugged, "She's her mom."

Another answer Kim did expect, and it made her so damn proud to hear him say that.

Jay was a good father.

They stayed in silence for a bit, enjoying the feeling of the chilly wind sneaking through their hair.

Then, "Hailey..?" Kim asked out of the blue, "How are things with her?"

Jay bit his lips, his face turning red immediately.

"Well, she probably hates me…" He murmured sheepishly, not daring to look at Kim but knowing she had a judgemental expression on her face, "I haven't really talked to her these past few days."

"What? Why?"

He tilted his head at her, his eyes widening a bit as if trying to give her a hint.

And Kim got it in no time because, "You serious?!" She whispered-yelled, glaring at him.

"I don't want her to see me like this," Jay said defensively, a small frown appearing on his face.

He got a scoff in response, "So you'd rather not see her at all and leave her in the dark," she muttered, "That's better, huh? God, Jay, you're one of the smartest people I know, but you're so dumb sometimes!"

He opened his mouth to protest but she halted him before he could utter a word.

"Just, think for a second," Kim added then, her voice sounding a lot calmer now, "She's probably blaming herself for God-knows-what because you are being a dick…"

Jay hadn't really thought about that part if he was being honest.

In his mind, he was doing the right thing. He and Hailey were still getting to know each other, he had already told her a lot about his life, which wasn't exactly peaches and cream, he just didn't want to burden her with yet another issue, fearing she would think it was too much and go away.

But Kim was right, he realized that. Disappearing like that, without saying a word to her or telling her the reason why he needed some space, wasn't the smart move he initially thought it was.

So, after thinking about it, "Stop being always right, Kate," Jay mumbled to his friend, letting out a nervous huff.

"Talk to her," Kim told him.

"I will," Jay said with a small nod. "Thank you," he added, patting her back before taking his phone from his pocket, opening the text app.

Jay:
Hi! You free tonight? I need to talk to you

Adam barged into Hailey's apartment with his typical roughness, Vanessa following him and closing the door behind them.

"Whose nose do I need to break?

Hailey confusedly glanced at him, her blue eyes squinted. "Huh?"

Adam glimpsed at Vanessa then focused back on Hailey. "She told me some guy's making you sad, so…" He shrugged, "Is it that Joey guy?"

"It's Jay," Hailey and Vanessa corrected him at the same time, exchanging an amused look.

"Same thing, I don't care," Adam muttered, waving his hand dismissively, "What do you want me to do? I can slash his tires," he giggled enthusiastically.

"You're always so borderline-violent," Vanessa commented as they walked to the kitchen, followed by Hailey.

"See, that's a lie," he mumbled, opening his friend's fridge to get himself a beer. "I just present it as an option, I don't act on it," he clarified.

Hailey hummed and raised her eyebrows, an amused smile on her lips as she stared at him.

She could write a book about all the times Adam had gotten into a fight for idiotic reasons.

"I appreciate the thought, I guess..?" the blonde said, looking at Adam, "But it's not necessary," she went on.

He hummed in response, sipping his beer. "What'd he do anyway?"

"He ghosted her," Vanessa answered at her place, "And she's being a pain in my ass ever since!"

"Thank you for your support..?" Hailey exaggerated the smile she sent to her, knowing her friend was right.

She had been a pain in her ass, going over the thousands of reasons why Jay could've decided he didn't want to deal with her anymore.

Vanessa had been on the verge of telling her to just leave it, that if he didn't realize he hit the jackpot with Hailey then it was his loss, but then Hailey finally got a text from him, asking the blonde to meet because he wanted to talk.

"I still think you should make him squirm a little bit," the brunette reiterated what she'd already been telling her friend.

Hailey let out a sigh in response, her elbows resting on the kitchen table, her palms cradling her head.

"What is your evil mind suggesting?" Adam asked.

Vanessa smirked at him, "I said ' Ghost him in real life ' but she — she turned to Hailey, who was shaking her head — is a bummer and rejected my idea."

"'Cause she's not fifteen," Adam mumbled.

Hailey smiled widely, "Thank you!" she praised him, making a face to Vanessa.

She didn't have the will nor the strength to play stupid games. She just wanted to get some answers from Jay and see where to go from there, nothing else.

"You started listening to him since..?" Vanessa muttered, Adam elbowing in response.

"Shut up, Rojas," he rolled his eyes at her, placing his almost empty bottle of beer on the table. "I give great advice…"

"Slash his tires?" She countered, raising her eyebrow.

Hailey snorted, "Break his nose?" She chimed in.

Adam glared at them, raising his middle fingers and shoving them in their faces, and mocking them.

"Can't stand you two…" he trailed off, narrowing his eyes.

Hailey glimpsed at him and Vanessa with a tiny smile on her lips, grateful that they were there with her even though she wasn't being much company that day.

Her friends could be a lot sometimes, especially Adam and his weird mood swings, but Hailey was grateful to have him and Vanessa in her life — she knew she'd be lost without them.

Hailey shoved her hands in the pockets of her leather jacket as she crossed the road.

She'd been lucky enough to find the perfect parking spot; it wasn't too far from The Rising Sound, where she was headed, and it would only take her a three-minute walk to get there, enough for her to calm her nerves and stop freaking out.

She couldn't really tell if it was the cold Chicagoan wind or her nervousness, but, either way, it was making her hands shake tremendously, so much that she had to tighten the grip around the soft fabric inside her pockets.

Hailey hated not having everything under control, and Jay telling her that they needed to talk without giving out any other details didn't exactly help her.

And she was so caught up in her own head that she didn't realize when she arrived in front of his music store, almost surpassing it.

She let out a huff, her breath forming small, misty clouds, then she pushed the door open, the bell on its top ringing briefly.

The store wasn't particularly illuminated, just enough so it wouldn't be completely dark. The dim lights created a warm, cozy atmosphere that put Hailey at ease, along with the soft music coming from the record player — Ticking bomb by Aloe Blacc playing in the background.

As soon as he heard the bell ring, Jay came out from the back of the store, a look of what seemed to be surprise taking upon his features.

He seemed like he didn't actually think that Hailey was going to show up and, to be completely honest, the thought had crossed her mind once or twice.

But then — she wanted some answers, she thought she deserved that much and figured that agreeing to see him was the only way to obtain them.

"Hi," Jay greeted her, taking a few steps forward and shyly glimpsing at her.

Hailey slightly moved her head in a nod, her teeth nervously biting her lower lip.

After a few seconds of awkward silence, "You said you wanted to talk..?" She mumbled. There was uncertainty behind her tone, along with a bit of fear.

Jay nodded slowly but didn't really answer, walking towards the counter and taking a white pouch off it, handing it to the blonde.

"Waffles," he muttered after noticing the look of confusion on her face, her eyebrows knitted together.

He then sat on the floor and placed his leg on top of the other, his back resting against the hard surface of the counter.

Hailey had a conflicted expression on her face, she was trying to understand what was going on.

She then shook her head at him and, "I didn't come here for-"

"I missed you," Jay cut her off, causing Hailey to narrow her eyes at him. Her breath hitched as she processed what he'd just said, not really knowing if he was being serious.

She easily gave in though, letting out a sigh and placing her shoulder bag at her feet before joining Jay, sitting right next to him and crossing her legs, their shoulders slightly touching.

"Could've texted me that, but oh wait-" she mumbled with sarcasm, making a face at him and watching him drop his gaze.

But Hailey had seen the veil of melancholy behind them, a bit of redness killed their usually bright green color — Jay looked like he hadn't been sleeping a lot.

"I guess I deserve that…" He trailed off to himself before clearing his throat, "I'm sorry for being a dickhead," he mumbled quietly, his eyes tired but gentle as they got lost into hers. "I really am."

He wasn't expecting a different reaction from her, the sole fact that she'd decided to even enter the store was a win for him. He could handle a bit of a cold shoulder from Hailey, it was better than nothing.

Jay nervously scratched his beard and bit his lips. "I really missed you though," he repeated, reaching for her hand and smiling a soft smile when she didn't protest, his fingers fiddling with hers.

"It's just — he huffed, shrugging his shoulders — it's been a couple of rough days and I didn't want you to see me like that, I guess," he murmured sheepishly.

Saying it loud made it sound a lot dumber than just thinking it.

Hailey tilted her head at him, her chin resting on her free hand and her eyes carefully observing the features of his face.

"Like what?"

Jay let out a dry chuckle, his gaze still avoiding her, "Like me being in a shitty mood because I keep having nightmares and I can't sleep… It's — he shook his head — it's whatever. I'm taking care of it," he shook his head to dismiss the topic and make it seem like it wasn't a big deal, which it was.

It wasn't whatever and the look on his face made it pretty clear, both Hailey and Jay knew that, and the fact that he kept playing pretend was really frustrating to her.

"Anyways," he sighed, "How was your day? Well, days," he rolled his eyes.

There he was again, changing the topic.

Hailey sighed at his behavior, "Yeah, no, we're not doing this, Jay," she shook her head, abruptly withdrawing her hand from his, the brusque gesture making him snap his head at her, his eyes wide as they stared at her.

The music switched to Formidable by Stromae, the tension now hovering over them mirroring the atmosphere stressed by the piano in the song.

She didn't know why he did this, giving her a bit of himself and then acting like he regretted his decision, backing out and making her feel like she was alone in it, whatever it was between them.

That was the reason that had led her to be there in the first place.

"You don't have to tell me anything, but don't treat me like I'm stupid either," Hailey told him bluntly, her fingers nervously grazing over the zipper of her jacket.

"I don't-" Jay shook his head vehemently, "That's not what I'm… Look, I'm sorry, okay?" He stammered frantically, and Hailey almost thought he was starting to panic.

He closed his eyes for a moment and took a long, deep breath, trying to gather his thoughts and make sense out of them."Seeing Camila again really messed me up, I thought I was done being so angry at her, but-"

Hailey gave him the time to think and process what he was about to say, if he wanted to say anything at all.

And she wasn't exactly surprised by his words, the mention of Camila.

Jay started avoiding her right after he and Solána had visited the woman, she'd sensed it has something to do with it, and she'd just gotten confirmation of it.

Then, "Hey," Hailey was the one to take his hand this time, sending him a small smile when he gaped up at her.

The look he gave her, the way his eyes bored into hers… It was like something had suddenly switched. One glance and Jay felt like letting go of that infamous veil shielding his eyes, allowing Hailey to really see him, his flaws and weaknesses. The real Jay.

"Remember I told you it's not her first time trying to get clean, right?" He asked hesitantly, and Hailey was quick to nod, recalling the conversation they had at his apartment.

"She tried quitting cold turkey the first time" Jay continued, his eyes focused on the floor, his voice lulled by Chris Isaak's voice in Wicked game. "We already weren't together at that point. After I found out she was cheating we parted ways, I got my own apartment and we tried to make things work for Solána's sake," he shrugged defeated.

"She had stopped using, that's what she told me, and I believed her because things were fine. I thought they were. Sol would spend half of the week with me and the other half with Camila. We made it work," he repeated, letting out a dry chuckle and sniffling a bit, and quickly wiping his nose.

Jay raised his head and looked at Hailey, "See who's crying now?" He asked rhetorically, chuckling right then.

His joke-like question was a poor attempt at lighting up the mood, but Hailey saw the tears filling his eyes and it made her heart sink in her stomach to see him like that.

His expression then turned serious, almost making him look like he was physically in pain, mirroring how he was feeling inside.

He cleared his throat and took a sharp breath in. "One night Will calls me, it was around three. Didn't even give me time to cuss him out that he tells me 'You need to come to Med, take Solána to my house and come to Med!'" he mumbled quietly, his eyes staring blankly in front of him as if he was reliving the moment he was telling Hailey about.

Jay let out a low groan of frustration when the tears actually started staining his face. He hated crying, especially in front of other people.

"I thought it was our Dad at first. Ole man had already had a heart attack and, God, he's so stubborn," he rolled his eyes, "I got it from him," he added then, "But… Turns out, it wasn't Pat."

"Will didn't want to tell me at first but then he said 'It's Camila, she overdosed.'"

When he said the words, Hailey almost choked on her breath, taken aback.

She'd sensed it was going to be something ugly and messy and hurtful, but this- it went beyond what she'd imagined.

And she was starting to connect some dots together after what he said, and the picture that was slowly forming, well… Hailey prayed she was wrong.

"He told me he'd already called Natalie, she was ready to keep Solána for the night, that I needed to hurry to Med," Jay explained.

"Except-" the scoff that came out of his mouth gave everything away.

Hailey's eyes widened when he stopped abruptly, gripping his arm for dear life and once again hoping her assumption was wrong.

But when "It wasn't your day," she whispered to him and saw him move his head in a small nod, she felt so awful for being proven right, "God…" She breathed out.

She immediately leaned in and hugged his arm, resting her head on his shoulder and squeezing it tightly when a small choked-up sob managed to escape from Jay's lips, his palm immediately pressing onto his eyes.

"It's okay, it's okay, it's okay…" she repeated frantically, staring at the ceiling to prevent herself from crying too.

Hailey softly grazed her fingertips over the nape of his neck, hoping the soothing motions would calm him down.

Other than that though, Hailey felt totally helpless, like nothing she could've said or done would console him.

She didn't know that her hug, her touch, was exactly what Jay needed.

"She left Solána alone in the middle of the night to get high," the anger he felt shone through the tone he'd used when he started talking again after calming down a bit, though a few tears were still coming from his eyes.

Hailey was at a loss for words.

She didn't want to judge Camila for what she did, she wasn't in her shoes and she didn't struggle the same way she did, but God, it was really hard for her to ignore the anger she felt towards the woman.

Jay really wasn't lying when he said she'd put him and Solána through a lot, and Hailey couldn't imagine how he must have felt the moment he thought his daughter might have been in danger.

"I have no idea of what happened after I heard Will's words, that time slot is completely blank, I really don't remember anything — Jay shook his head, roughly wiping his face and taking a deep breath — I just know at some point I had to break into her house and.."

He cleared his throat, turning his head to look at Hailey. "Solána must've thought it was a thief because I found her hiding under her bed, a smart little lady she is," he giggled, his eyes lighting up at the mention of his daughter, as always.

"Got it from me," he added, eliciting a light chuckle to come out of Hailey's mouth.

Jay took his time to calm down a bit, then hugged Hailey with one arm, pulling her closer to him, craving more of her touch.

She hummed in response, an amused look on her face. With her free arm, she then reached for her bag and rummaged through it.

Hailey tried to ignore the butterflies fluttering in her stomach when she realized how much closer they were now, and the feeling of his arm around her body, the distance between them now minimal.

"Here," Hailey handed him the small pack of tissues she'd taken from her bag, and he accepted it with a soft hum.

"Thanks."

Jay wiped his face dry and giggled a bit when he was done, causing the blonde to look at him in confusion.

"What?"

He shook his head with a small smile. "That's such a teacher thing to do," he chuckled, his eyes pointing towards the tissue in his hand.

Hailey gasped dramatically. She raised her eyebrows at him, an expression of fake annoyance on her face.

Before she could say anything, "You know it's true," Jay nodded decisively, pulling her even closer. He'd never seen her face from such a short distance. He wished it'd happened sooner.

After that comment of his, he decided he wanted to stop thinking and just be bold.

Jay pressed his lips on her cheek, his heart swelling in his chest when he saw Hailey close her eyes, the corners of her mouth curling upward in a cute smile.

She then opened her eyes, her smile widening when she saw Jay was already staring at her intensely.

His eyes were still a bit red, but the look behind them was definitely different from the one he had earlier, his gaze so piercing that it made her blush heavily — Hailey felt like her cheeks had been lit up in flames.

Jay had a proud grin on his face, and it only caused the blonde to stare at him with a challenging stare.

She gently cupped his face with her free hand, her thumb softly glazing his stubbly cheek, and then wasted no time, pressing her lips on his.

Jay's breath hitched, caught by surprise, it took his brain a few seconds to register what was happening, and the moment he realized it, Hailey pulled away, leaving him craving for more of her touch.

"This still a teacher thing to do?" She asked teasingly, her voice low and her face completely red from embarrassment.

Hailey had never been one to make the first move, at least not before knowing she was one hundred percent safe doing it, but it was different with Jay.

She had to wipe that stupid smug smile off his face, catch him by surprise, and she also didn't really think about it.

And it felt good to stop listening to her brain for once, allow herself to feel — because she felt a lot of things for Jay.

He was still in shock, his brain processing the fact that Hailey had really kissed him, that it wasn't just his mind playing tricks with him.

Yes, he wished it had lasted longer so he could properly savor the taste of her lips on his, but god, it was perfect.

Once he came to his senses, Jay looked at Hailey, his eyes slightly wider as he carefully observed her.

Then, "It depends. If the teacher is a creep…" He trailed off, answering her question and earning a gasp and a slap on the arm from her, baffled by his response.

"Ugh, I knew you didn't deserve it!" She murmured, playfully trying to get away from him, her gesture only causing Jay to tighten his grip around her body, her blond hair brushing over his neck.

"No, I did, I deserved it. I was hurting and you kissed the pain away," Jay replied smartly, holding back a mischievous grin.

Hailey glared at him, "You're an idiot," she mumbled quickly, hiding her face in the crook of his neck, her cold nose touching his much warmer freckled skin.

He chuckled at those two words, his hand resting on the side of her face. "You kissed this idiot, though…" He replied, brushing his thumb over her cheek.

His comment only caused Hailey to snap her head at him, and she scrunched up her nose, blushing when she saw the amused look on Jay's face.

"Dude... Shut up," she rolled her eyes dramatically, the ghost of a smirk curling up her lips.

He was blatantly making fun of her at that point.

A low hum escaped from his mouth and then, "I think I can do that," he whispered with a nod before slightly leaning down to her and kissing her.

It was a proper kiss this time, no signs of hesitation behind it — Jay was definitely ready.

He put his hand in her hair, eagerly pushing it back to have a better hold of her, his fingers tangled with her blond strands, while his other hand went cupping her face, allowing him to taste her the way he really desired.

Hailey let out a small hum when he bit her lower lip, making her lightly gasp and taking it as an opportunity to kiss her more intensely, his tongue gliding over the spot his teeth had sweetly tortured.

They didn't mind sharing oxygen, but their lungs had a different take on that, forcing them to pull apart to gather some air.

But, the pause was brief, Jay's lips pressing on Hailey's in no time and kissing them softly, the overwhelming sensation making his heart swell in his chest in a way he hadn't experienced in a long time, his fingertips tingling as they softly grazed over her skin.

The record player kept playing songs, but the two didn't dare to pay attention to it: it was just them and their little bubble, drunk of this new feeling, hands trembling between hair and soft hums escaping their lips now and then as they kept kissing.

Now that they knew how good it felt (it was perfect and flawless), they didn't seem willing to stop.

And they didn't. They couldn't.

Chapter Text

Jay let out a groan when he woke up that morning, his nose scrunched up as he blindly reached for his phone to turn his alarm off, the intro of Bad habit by The Kooks making his heart lose a beat just like every morning.

He'd chosen that song in particular as his alarm because it was the only one to actually have him open his eyes, being the heavy sleeper he was.

It was Monday and the mere thought of having to deal with a whole new week again wasn't appealing enough for him to leave his bed. What really convinced him to get up was the fact that Hailey was going to come over later that day — the sooner the day started, the sooner that moment would come.

His mind couldn't help but think of two days ago, the night at his store, how things had unpredictable shifted. 

One moment Hailey was entering the place with a pissed-off look on her face, and the next they were getting lost in each other's lungs as they couldn't stop kissing.

Jay could still feel the softness of her lips on his, the taste of her mouth, the way he didn't want to let go of her when it was time for her to get back home.

He'd really had a hard time letting her get inside her car, but he eventually gave in with the promise that they were going to see each other soon.

With a huff, he got up, stretching his limbs and letting out a big yawn, walking towards the windows and opening them.

Jay then slipped his phone in the pocket of his black sweatpants, exiting his room to go to Solána's.

He entered her room and opened the curtains, quietly walking to her and crouching to his knees, his hand resting on her head.

It didn't take him too long to wake her up, her sleepy green eyes slowly opening.

She immediately reached for her stuffed koala, hugging it tightly to her chest, mumbling under her breath something that Jay didn't quite decipher.

"Good morning, Sol," Jay stroked her cheek with his thumb, "Did you sleep well?"

Solána moved her head in a small nod, a hum coming from her mouth.

"Ready to get up?"

She shook her head at that question, a frown taking upon her features.

Jay raised his eyebrows in surprise, not expecting that answer from her.

"But you gotta go to school," he poked her side, thinking she was just being silly and hoping she'd let out a giggle or try to squirm away, but she didn't really react to his gesture.

"No," Solána muttered, shaking her head again, more eagerly this time.

Jay tilted his head in concern, "Why not?" 

But, she didn't really give him a proper answer, only shrugging her small shoulders.

It wasn't like she was going to actually skip an important school day and miss out on something useful to learn, but "I gotta go to work though," he explained, only causing Solána to frown deeper.

"Después yo estoy aquí con Mr. Ko," she said matter-of-factly.

Jay sighed, weirded out by her behavior. "Uh-huh, you can't stay here alone, Sol," he shook his head at her, "You're too little for that…"

Solána pouted, "I'm not little!" She protested, "I'm a big girl," she added, crossing her arms on her chest and glaring at her dad.

He hummed in response, fighting the urge to roll his eyes.

"Still. You're going to school. I'm sure Benji and Andy can't wait to play with you," he argued, hoping that mentioning her two best friends would be convincing enough.

But, Solána was his daughter, and if she had taken the looks from her mother, her character was all Jay — through and through — that meant that she was as stubborn as he was.

"No, no," she shook her head vehemently, getting back to bed and covering herself and her stuffed koala with her blanket.

"Sol…" Jay trailed off, but she didn't budge.

"Solána, I don't have time for this." Still nothing.

He then sighed, scratching the back of his head. "Okay, bye-bye then. I'm done talking to you," He was headed to the door, the corner of his eyes still checking for her.

She reacted immediately at his words, getting out of bed in no time. She hurried to him and stomped her feet, "Daddy!" She whined with a deep frown on her face.

When Jay turned around and looked at her, Solána stuck out her tongue at him, her nose scrunched up as she glared at him.

He scoffed in response, tilting his head. "You're giving me attitude now?" He asked rhetorically, and she reacted by crossing her arms on her chest.

And, needless to say, she looked so darn adorable with her pouty face and disheveled hair, but her cuteness wouldn’t let her get away with it.

"I go to work with you," she then said, and it wasn't a question.

Jay stared at her with a challenging look on his face but eventually gave in, already tired of arguing with her.

He sighed and then raised his eyebrows at her, "This is the first and last time this happens, you hear me?"

Solána pouted even more, looking at him for a few seconds before hurrying to the bathroom, leaving Jay in her room with a baffled expression on his face.

"It's gonna be a long day," he chanted, his voice filled with sarcasm, and let out a heavy scoff as he rolled his eyes.

"We have, what, ten minutes left? Yeah," Hailey quickly checked the clock on the wall as she addressed her class. "Did you guys listen to the two songs I sent you?" 

She saw a few heads nod eagerly, but she couldn't help but pay extra attention to Evan, who was staring outside the window and wasn't really listening to her.

Hailey sighed and tried to ignore it for the moment.

"Jerrika, did you notice a common thread?" She asked the girl who happened to share the same desk as Evan.

She got a nod in response. "They kinda sound the same," Jerrika said with confidence, getting some other classmates to hum in agreement.

"Yeah, especially the beginning," another student, Ameer, added.

Hailey nodded at both replies, a smile appearing on her face as she noticed how participative they were being.

"That's correct. And you know why's that?" She continued, even though she was about to deliver the answer in just a few seconds.

But, "One is sampled," she heard Evan mumble, keeping his voice low.

His gaze was still focused outside but she was wrong about him not paying attention to the lesson.

"Right but I'm sure the rest of the class wants to know, too," Hailey encouraged him to raise his voice a little.

Evan huffed, finally looking at his classmates and blushing when he saw he had all eyes on him.

He cleared his throat and, "One song is sampled. It means we have the original one and then they took some part of it for the second song."

Hailey's smile widened when she heard his explanation.

"Very, very good," she praised him, watching a tiny smile creep its way on his lips.

"So, we have The Last Time by The Rolling Stones and Bitter Sweet Symphony by The Verve"—Hailey started, walking around the class and then leaning her back against her desk—"Can you tell which one is the original?" She asked, crossing her arms on her chest.

Jerrika raised her hand to answer and when Hailey nodded at her, "How do we tell though?"

Before Hailey could answer her question, "We gotta see which one is older, right?" Ameer replied in her place.

“Right," she confirmed. "That can be a method too."

"My dad listens to old people's music, I'd say it's The Last Time is the original," the thirteen-year-old continued.

Hailey snickered when she heard the comment about his dad, remembering how she too, at his age, would consider old whoever was at least five years older than her.

His words also made her think of Jay somehow, she could see him scoff as he listened to him, and argue that Mick Jagger was sprier than all of his classmates combined.

Hailey found herself blushing heavily when she realized she'd started daydreaming.

She snapped out of her daze and bit her lips, trying to suppress the smirk that was. trying to surface.

"It is the original one," she muttered with a nod.

Hailey then let out a sigh. "Good. I've got another question for you: do you think it's fair for artists to use other people's music and include it into their own projects?"

As soon as she completed the question, the bell rang, the stridulous sound making her cringe and squint her eyes.

"We're gonna discuss this next time," she announced, although she knew everyone was too busy getting their stuff ready to pay attention to her words.

She said goodbye to each of her students, feeling particularly giddy about how the lesson went: she felt proud and rewarded.

When, "Bye, Ms. Upton," Evan waved his hand at her, walking quickly to get out of the class,

"Norton," Hailey stopped him.

The teenager turned his head to look at her, curiosity filling his eyes.

"Good job today!" She told him with a smile.

Evan shrugged in response, though he'd started blushing a little.

"I like music," he simply replied before exiting the classroom.

Once she was alone, Hailey checked her phone and immediately saw that she had a text to read.

She opened it and couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle.

Jay had sent her a picture of Solána at the store. She was sitting at the counter, unaware of the photo her father was taking, a concentrated look on her face as she colored some figures from her coloring book.

There was a text attached to the picture,

Jay :
Training a new employee, customers love her already 🙃

Hailey gathered her stuff and exited the class, closing the door behind them, taking a few steps, and then entering the teacher's room — luckily, it was empty.

She checked the time and dialed his number once she saw it was safe for her to call him (since he'd usually have his lunch break by that time).

He smiled at his phone when he saw the incoming FaceTime call with Hailey's ID caller on the screen.

Jay wasted no time and immediately accepted the call. He didn't care if he looked desperate: he'd missed Haily during those two days apart and was eager to hear from her, see her.

"Hello!" He grinned when he saw Hailey's face pop up on the screen. The image was a bit too pixelated for his liking, but he could see she was smiling too.

"Hey," she replied shyly, resting her head on her free palm while the other held the phone.

As the speakers played Two Princes by Spin Doctors, Jay looked around and saw Solána had left her place at the counter to go sit on Kevin's lap and have lunch next to him.

So, he went where she was previously sitting, resting his phone against his water bottle.

"How're you doing?" He asked Hailey.

"Good. Good day so far," she replied with a happy smile, her eyes squinting adorably.

Jay checked her background and "You're still at school?" He asked, noticing the colorful lettering on the wall.

She nodded in response. "I still got some papers to grade. Staying here helps me concentrate better," she explained.

"Well, did you eat yet?" He tilted his head, fiddling with the stubble on his chin.

Hailey shrugged and let out a sigh, " Later ."

"Hailey…" Jay trailed off, "It's almost 3 PM, you gotta eat something," he mumbled with concern behind his tone.

She chuckled in response, her cheeks tinted in red color at his apprehensiveness. "I will, I will, I promise," she nodded, watching him tap something on the computer.

Then, "Where's Solána?" She asked.

Jay theatrically huffed, tapping twice on his screen so Hailey could see his little girl, who was conversing with his best friend.  "Totally ditched me for Kevin. I think she hates me today…" He trailed off.

"What did you do?"

He tapped the screen twice again, the camera showing him now, and he let out a dramatic gasp, causing Hailey to cackle at his antics.

"I'm gonna let this accusation slide…" He rolled his eyes, playfully glaring at Hailey. "You're lucky you're cute," he added smugly, a wide grin curling up his lips as he saw her blush even more. 

Jay then got back to the previous topic: "She's been cranky the whole day. I don't know why, I'm pretty sure she doesn't know why, so yeah," he muttered with a shrug.

"I'm sorry to hear that," she mumbled, biting her lower lip, an unsure look on her face.

After a few seconds, "You still think it's a good idea for me to stop by later? I don't want t-"

"Yeah, yeah," Jay cut her off, nodding vehemently, "Don't… I'll deal with her," he assured, hoping Hailey wouldn't change her mind.

He really wanted to see her, even if it was going to be a five minutes thing by her car.

Hailey hummed in response but didn't seem really convinced.

She and Jay hadn't really talked about what they were, there wasn't exactly a label on it, they hadn't even defined things after the first kiss they'd shared.

And the last thing she wanted was for Solána to be confused or upset about it; she didn't want to overstep, especially after knowing that she wasn't having her best day. 

Plus, she'd already had a lot on her plate at such a young age, Hailey didn't want to add more to it — so, yes, she was asking for permission.

"I mean-"

"Daddy, who are you talking to? I wanna see!" Solána didn't let him finish, running to him and sitting on his lap to see who he was talking to.

"It's Hailey!" She exclaimed with an excited smile, turning to look at Jay, who nodded at her, and then shifting her gaze to the woman. "Hi, Hailey," she waved at the screen, bringing her small hand to her mouth to blow the blonde a kiss.

"Hello, princess!" Hailey cheered with a smile, her heart warming at the soft gesture that the little girl had shown her. "How're you doing? You skipped school today?"

Solána nodded eagerly. "You know, Uncle Kev said I'm his assistant today," she muttered with a proud grin.

The blonde hummed. " Really? That sounds very cool. What about your dad though ?"

She turned to briefly look at Jay with pouty lips, a slightly pensive look on her face. Then, "I'm not his assistant," she declared, then, "I gotta go now, bye-bye," she waved her hand again before climbing off Jay's legs and following Kevin.

"See?"—Jay asked Hailey with raised eyebrows—"She has a problem with me," he commented, shaking his hand in amusement.

She was about to respond but, "Sorry, wait a second," someone knocked at the door. Hailey quickly opened it and found the school’s doorman, Raùl, standing in front of her, a bag in his hand.

"For you, Ms. Upton," he muttered before handing her the bag and exiting the room.

Hailey chuckled in confusion, " That's weird… " She trailed off while Jay watched her slowly open the bag.

When she saw what was inside, she tilted her head at him and watched him smirk at her. 

"Jay Halstead!" She exclaimed with a smile, "You didn't have to," she continued, extracting a burger with some fries from the bag — so that's why he was typing so furiously at his PC minutes ago!

"I know," he shrugged, enjoying the sight of her red cheeks and wide smile, "But your Later didn't sound very convincing, so…"

"Thank you," she said shyly.

"No big deal," Jay winked at her. "And eat, Hailey Upton!"

"Hailey Anne Upton," the blonde rectified, emphasizing her middle name.

He hummed with a small nod. "Hailey Anne…" He repeated, "I like it, I'm calling you that from now on," he decided.

Then, "You got a middle name too?" She asked with curiosity, getting up to go wash her hands at the small sink in the room.

"Yeah."

She sat down again, "And..?"

Jay chuckled, "Oh, I'm not telling you," he teasingly shook his head, chuckling when he heard her loud gasp.

"Outrageous…"

He then checked the time and saw he had only a minute left till the shift would start again, so, "I unfortunately gotta go now," he sighed, biting his lips — he would’ve considerably preferred to keep talking to Hailey some more, but duty called. 

"I'll see you later?" He checked, a persistent hint of hope in his voice.

Hailey nodded, "See you later," she confirmed with a small smile.

"Perfect then," he smirked, "Well… Bon appétit, Hailey Anne," he mumbled with a wink, saluting her and then ending the call.

A content sigh escaped his lips when he slipped his phone in his pocket, and when he lifted his gaze in front of him, "My man!" Kevin exclaimed immediately, his big arms crossed on his chest and a gigantic smirk on his face.

Jay rolled his eyes, blushing. He should've expected something like that.

"Jay Jay Jay, you are so whipped, dawg," he commented, not really waiting for his friend's answer and keeping on doing his job, helped by Solána.

And it wasn't like Jay could've actually replied because, ultimately, Kevin was right: he was whipped, and the way his face hurt from smiling so much after speaking with Hailey and seeing her face was the confirmation of it.

Jay sighed tiredly as he watched Solána put her pajamas on after her shower, his arms crossed on his chest.

He'd offered to help her out since she'd often put shirts inside out, but she'd dismissed him rudely, still being in her cranky mood.

"You've been mean to me for no reason the whole day, Sol. That's not nice," Jay sent her a stern look but kept his voice calm.

"Wanna tell me what's wrong?" He tried but got no response in return.

Once she was done putting her clothes on, Solána just stared at him with a broody expression on her face, hurrying out of her room when she heard the doorbell ring.

Jay shook his head at her behavior and exited the room as well, finding his daughter in front of the door, waiting for him to open it.

When he did, "Hailey!" She exclaimed, immediately hugging the woman, her arms tightly wrapped around her waist.

"Hi, princess!" Hailey greeted her back, caressing her head and stepping inside the apartment as she sent Jay a warm smile.

"Hey, you."

Solána eagerly raised her arms, signaling that she wanted her to pick her up, and Hailey obliged immediately, her heart clenching in her chest at the little girl's cuteness.

She handed Jay her bag and the tray in her hands and took Solána in her arms.

"What's that?" The four-year-old asked with curiosity, pointing at the object her father was now holding.

"Well," she sighed, "Your dad told me you're in a bad mood today, so I brought something to cheer you up," she told her, tickling her neck.

Solána let out a small gasp of excitement.

"Is it true? That you're in a bad mood?" Hailey asked her as she and Jay walked toward the living room.

She got a nod in return. Then Solána covered her mouth with her hands and whispered something to Hailey's ear, the blonde eyeing Jay the whole time.

"You've been mean to Daddy?" Hailey repeated out loud.

Solána nodded again, shrugging, a guilty look on her face.

The blonde whispered something back to her and once she was finished, Solána turned to stare at her father with an unsure look.

Jay was watching them with confusion, but waited in silence, not daring to utter a single word.

Then, "Papi…" Solána called him.

She outstretched her arms toward him and Jay didn't waste a second, grabbing her immediately and smiling when she hugged him tightly.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled to him, the sound of her voice muffled since she'd buried her face in the crook of his neck, "Do you still love me? I love you…"

Jay tightened the grip around her small body. "Of course I love you, baby. You're my sunshine. There's no life without sunshine," he said back, kissing her all over her face until she started giggling, her nose crinkling adorably.

Once she calmed down, Solána turned to Hailey and smiled victoriously, "It worked!" She cheered, showing her the thumbs up.

"Told ya!" The blonde winked at her, getting rid of her black leather jacket.

The toddler then wiggled her legs, signaling that she wanted to be put down, and Jay let her.

He glanced at Hailey and took a step towards her, putting his arm around her shoulder in a side-hug and leaning to kiss her forehead. "Thank you," he softly muttered to her, smiling when the scent of her shampoo filled his nostrils.

She looked up at him, her heart skipping a beat at the small distance between their faces.

But then she remembered it wasn't only the two of them in the room, so, "Who wants to know what I brought you guys?" She clapped her hands.

Solána started jumping enthusiastically, "I do!" She raised her hand.

Hailey went to the counter and took the aluminum foil off the ashtray, unveiling a dozen of pastry sweets.

"Didn't really have time to bake a lot, but…" She trailed off, blushing heavily when her eyes met Jay's gaze and noticed the fond way he was looking at her.

"They're called loukoumádes," she explained, "Wanna try one?" She asked Solána, handing her one.

Solána glimpsed at Jay, silently asking for permission and when he nodded at her, she took the sweet from Hailey.

She bit a small piece, a smile surfacing on her face as she chewed, then she took another bite, and then another, causing Hailey to giggle at her.

"I think she likes it," she raised her eyebrows as she looked at Jay.

He took one too and tasted it, a surprised look on his face. 

"Are you even allowed?" Hailey asked teasingly, knowing that he wasn't really a fan of sweets.

Jay shook his head and rolled his eyes at her, "Who lied to you and told you you're fun?" He muttered sarcastically before taking the final bite.

Hailey ignored him and "I'm not done yet," she said, walking in the living room. She reached for her bag on the couch and took her phone from it.

"That's a Smart TV, right?" She asked Jay.

He nodded at her, "Yeah, wh-"

Jay stopped talking and decided to just observe in silence, watching her turn the TV on and fumbling with her phone, connecting the two devices.

She then turned to them and asked, "Solána, you know what I do when I'm in a bad mood?"

Solána shook her head, munching on her second loukoumás. 

Hailey approached her and took her by her free hand, walking her to the living room. "I dance," she told her, causing the little girl to lift her eyebrows. "I'm not very good at it but it helps me forget about everything bad," she added.

"I know how to dance!" Solána exclaimed, wiping her mouth with the napkin her father had put around her neck, and watching Hailey tap on the screen of her phone before putting it away.

The blonde then took the remote control and made a page appear on the screen.

Jay softly hummed when he looked at it, his lips curling up into a smile when he saw the playlist she'd created (the title was a sun emoji, how cute and thoughtful).

Hailey smiled at Solána, grabbing both of her hands and, "Let's dance then," she pressed play on the playlist and the first song, Alors on danse by Stromae, started.

The two started dancing slowly first, following the rhythm of the song, Solána smiling wide at Hailey, her eyes filled with excitement.

And Jay was quietly observing them from the kitchen, his arms crossed on his chest and his back leaned on the counter.

His cheeks were hurting from smiling so hard, but he couldn't help it — he liked seeing Hailey with Solána and the way they’d welcomed one another with open arms. It was heartwarming.

When the refrain started playing, the two let the party begin; Solána was mostly jumping, her hair waving from left to right, and she was the cutest thing Hailey had ever seen.

When the song ended, the little girl quickly ran to her dad, taking his hand pulling him to join them — they were having so much fun, he couldn't just stand there and watch!

In fact, "Papi, you gotta dance too!" She told him as she let go of one of his hands to grab Hailey's.

Jay glimpsed at Hailey and grinned widely when he heard the first few notes of the next song. "Oh, this is a good one," he preached, nodding eagerly, moving his body the best way he could when How will I know by Whitney Houston started.

He wasn't really much of a dancer, the furthest he usually went was nodding his head to the beat and moving his shoulders, but Solána had asked (ordered) and he couldn't say no to his little girl.

Hailey laughed at him, earning a few pinches on her hands from Jay, her cheeks flushed as she kept dancing around the living room.

And Solána kept dancing with them, her gaze shifting back and forth from her dad to Hailey as she mimicked their exaggerated dance moves, laughing out loud.

Her mood had definitely changed for the better and there was only one person to thank for that.

"Out like a light," commented Jay, watching his daughter sleep. She had her head on Hailey's lap, the blonde gently caressing her scalp in soothing motions ever since they'd stopped dancing and the toddler started cuddling with her.

He got on his feet and then leaned slightly, taking Solána in his arms, "I'm gonna put her in bed. Be right back," he muttered to Hailey, who sent him a nod in response, watching him walk and disappear in the corridor.

There was still music playing, the volume much lower now, its sound delicate.

Hailey got up and quickly stretched her legs, going to the leaving room to help herself with a glass of cold water. She drank and let out a sigh — she needed that, they'd been dancing a lot, but she couldn't remember the last time she had so much fun doing something so simple and natural as dancing.

Jay came back to her in no time, his lips curling upward when he recognized the tune playing.

As Beyond by Leon Bridges kept going, he reached for Hailey's hand, smoothly pulling her towards him and smiling when she immediately wrapped her arm around his upper back, feeling his strong muscles against her palm.

He didn't waste time, gently pressing his lips on hers as soon as she looked up at him, catching her by surprise but nonetheless feeling her smile.

When they pulled apart, "Thank you for being so nice to her," he muttered to her as their body kept swaying, his grip around her much stronger now.

Jay knew he didn't have to thank her for that but he also wanted her to know how important it was for him, that he had noticed her behavior with Solána and didn't take it for granted.

Hailey met his piercing gaze, "Of course," she whispered to him. "And she's a great kid, so it comes naturally," she added with a small shrug, blushing at the way he was staring at her.

He hummed in return, "I'm actually kinda jealous that it took you a total of five minutes to change her mood…" He trailed off, feigning an offended look.

The blonde showed him a smug smile, tilting her head. "Well, she adores me, what can I say?" She asked rhetorically, causing him to let out a dramatic scoff.

But then, pressing his forehead against hers, " I adore you, too," he whispered before capturing her lips with his, cradling her head and his fingers entwining her blond hair.

It was more eager this time, the way Jay kissed her, his body pushing against her until she couldn’t walk backward anymore, finding herself being caught between him and the fridge.

The cold surface behind her made Hailey shiver, a sharp contrast from the burning sensation she felt on her skin when he cupped her jaw and then replaced his hand with his mouth, leaving languid kisses all over her jawline, traveling down to her neck.

And Hailey started to think she was caught between a dream and a movie scene, the blissful feeling was surreal, almost too good to be true.

But it was true, and the way her heart was racing in her chest was enough proof — she felt like it was going to burst out any time soon.

Jay didn’t seem willing to let go of her but eventually ran out of air, so he slightly pulled away, though his lips were still ghosting between her ear and her neck.

Then, “I was thinking…” He muttered to Hailey, backing off so he could see her face, grinning when he saw how red her face had turned.

“Uh oh, dangerous,” Hailey exhaled teasingly, earning a glare from him.

Jay pinched her side, “Okay, know what? I’m not telling you sh-”

The blonde didn’t let him finish his sentence, pressing her mouth on his before he could. She rolled her eyes theatrically, “Go on, Grumpy.”

He sighed, shaking his head and bopping her nose, “We’ve never been out on a date…”

Hailey’s smile widened at his words, “Oh, I like where this is going,” she murmured excitedly.

“Good,” Jay pecked her lips, “Uhm, what about Saturday night?” He suggested, getting a vehement nod in response.

“So, it’s a date…” He mumbled with a smirk.

She chuckled, “Yeah, it’s a date,” she repeated.

Chapter Text

"Can you guys stop devouring all of my snacks, please?" Hailey glared at her two best friends as the two kept rummaging through the cabinets in her kitchen.

"No," Adam and Vanessa replied at the same time, and when he turned to look at her, "The hell is on your face?!" He exclaimed, widening his eyes.

Hailey's face was covered in a clay purifying face mask that she'd borrowed (stolen) from Vanessa.

She rolled her eyes at Adam and decided to ignore him, not before she showed him the middle finger.

"Did you find a dress yet?" Vanessa asked her, munching on some Pringles.

The blonde shook her head, "No, but I narrowed it down to two, I'm making progress," she winked at her, stealing a bite of the Nutella toast Adam made himself.

"It's my food," she muttered with a mouthful when she saw he was ready to protest.

He just rolled his eyes at her, going to the living room to sit on the couch and continue to watch the show he'd put on pause: it was his third time watching The Last Ship and he'd ridiculously become familiar with the Marine jargon.

Hailey and Vanessa were left in the kitchen; the blonde still had five minutes to go before getting rid of her face mask, while the latter was trying to get as much information as possible about her friend's date with Jay.

She had to admit it though, Vanessa was still a bit skeptical about him. It was probably only due to the protectiveness she felt towards Hailey, and she just hoped his intentions with her were nothing but genuine.

"Where is he taking you?" She asked with curiosity, popping another Pringle in her mouth.

Hailey smiled immediately at the question and blushed, thanking the clay mask for hiding the rosy color on her cheeks.

"He said dinner and then somewhere else, didn't give me details…" She explained with a quick shrug of her shoulders.

Vanessa hummed, nodding her head as she carefully observed her friend. "You really like him, huh?"

The blonde let out a long sigh, her eyes soulful. What she felt for Jay... It went beyond just liking him. They'd found a perfect harmony, she felt like she could be her true self whenever she was around him, and that meant a lot to her.

She literally just had two people in her life, Vanessa and Adam, and by now she'd gotten used to the fact that they were probably going to be the only people being part of the journey — she didn't want nor felt the need to add someone else to the picture. Her circle was small but she liked it that way.

But then she'd stepped foot into that music store that her best friends had suggested, and everything changed. It was spontaneous and unplanned, two things that would've usually had her run away but were now allowing her to experience all these beautiful, fuzzy sensations that she didn't know she was able to feel.

Hailey tilted her head and nodded shyly at the question, biting her lips to prevent her smile from growing even wider "I do, yeah."

When she didn't hear a reply from her friend, "You're not gonna tease me about it?" She asked almost weirded-out.

Vanessa chuckled, "Nah, I'm just happy to see you like this," she sent her a solemn look, to tell her she meant what she said. "I'll bug him instead, today," she announced, turning her head to Adam and getting up to approach him.

She got to the back of the couch and her nosy self couldn't help but peep and check what Adam was doing on his phone: he was typing and not at all caring about the show he loved oh so dearly.

The brunette frowned a little, "Kim? Who's Kim? Hailey, do we know a Kim..?" She asked out loud, causing Adam to jump on his seat, clearly caught off guard.

"Jesus, Vanessa!" He whispered-yelled, turning to her and bringing his hand to his heart.

Hailey burst into laughing, tossing her head to the back as she watched their antics. Adam and Vanessa were the most random comedic duo: they didn't make sense but also worked perfectly together.

"Who's Kim?" Vanessa asked again.

Hailey tilted her head, a pensive look on her face. "I don't- wait, is it Jay's Kim?" She widened her eyes in disbelief.

Adam blushed heavily after that question, his expression indicating that his friend's assumption was right.

"You serious?" She asked too.

He huffed in response, rolling his eyes. "Your surprised tone is a bit offensive…" He trailed off, crossing his arms to his chest.

"It is meant to be offensive, you're welcome," Vanessa mumbled while leaning towards him to pat his cheeks, almost mockingly.

Then, "I'm gonna go and judge what you decided to wear," she added before disappearing into Hailey's rooms.

Once the two of them were alone, and before Adam could turn his head again and focus back on his show, Hailey sent him an intense look as if to tell him that they weren't done with that conversation, she was too curious to know every single detail.

Well, no, probably not every single one, a rough outline would do the job.

"Ms. Upton, come here, we need to discuss a few things!" Vanessa yelled from her room, and Hailey sighed before standing from the chair and dragging her feet where her friend was probably going to drag her.

Will stepped foot into his brother's apartment and, "Where's my favorite niece?!" He yelled, watching his son hurry to the living room.

"I'm here!" He heard Solána's loud screech above the song that was playing, Bongo Bong and je ne t'aime plus by Robbie Williams. "I'm your favorite niece!" She exclaimed, raising her hand as if he would ever choose anybody else.

"Yes, you are," Will took her in his arms with a swift move, placing a soft kiss on her round cheek. Then, "Where's your dad?" He asked, walking to the living room and seeing that Owen was getting rid of his shoes.

"Se está duchando," she told him, "He's gonna see Hailey so he needs to smell good," she added knowingly.

He cackled at her words, Solána was always so unintentionally funny.

"That's right," he nodded at her. Then, "What movie are we watching?" Will asked no one in particular, letting go of Solána so she could go annoy her cousin.

"Not Tangled," Owen answered before she could, knowing she was going to choose that movie as she always did. 

Solána gasped and got in front of him. "But I wanna watch it, Owie!" She protested.

He didn't even blink, unphased by the tone of her voice. "We always watch it though…" He mumbled, shaking his head.

She frowned at his words, crossing her arms to her chest. She then turned to Will and narrowed her eyes even more.

"Uncle Will…" She whined, walking towards him, and he let out a sigh, already knowing that trouble was coming his way.

Before anyone could get mad, "How about we watch two movies, huh?" He suggested.

"We can watch Tangled and…"

"The sword in the stone," Owen picked his favorite animation movie, smiling at him and silently agreeing with the deal.

Will sighed in relief, glad he'd managed to prevent the two from fighting.

At that exact moment, they were joined by Jay as he entered the living room with a serene expression on his face. He sent his brother a small nod and took a deep breath.

Owen immediately went to hug him, earning a smile from his uncle, who patted his back.

"How's it going buddy?" He asked him, giving his shoulder a light squeeze.

"I'm doing fine," Owen answered politely.

"Glad you are," Jay winked at him, then, "Your dad told me your team won the last game thanks to you," he told him, watching his cheeks turn red.

The six-year-old nodded eagerly, adjusting his team's baseball hat on his head. "I ran super fast!" He exclaimed proudly.

"Papi, I can run super fast too!" Solána chimed in, approaching the two. She loved being the center of attention.

Jay looked down at her and gently pinched her soft cheek, "Yes, you can," he seconded her.

Owen then went sitting on the fluffy carpet, having spotted a puzzle under the coffee table, while Jay ran his hand down the white shirt he'd decided to wear and, "So, tell me," he exhaled, "How do I look?" He asked his daughter.

Solána carefully looked at him, maybe even a little dramatically, taking his hand to have him turn around so she could properly see the complete look.

"Guapo," she ultimately declared, nodding eagerly.

"Oh, really?"

"Uh-huh," Solána nodded again before disappearing from him and joining her cousin.

Jay chuckled at her antics, briefly shaking his head before his eyes searched for his brother, finding him in the kitchen.

"Hey man," he patted his shoulder as soon as he got next to him, sitting on the chair, "Thanks for watching her," he added right after.

Will had offered to watch Solána for that night, bringing Owen alone so the three of them would have a sleepover.

"Don't," he shook his head, hating it whenever Jay thanked him for that. Solána was his niece so of course he didn't mind watching her when he could.

Besides, Natalie was going to work the night shift. It wasn't like he and Owen had more entertaining plans.

The redhead glanced at his brother, quickly studying his behavior. He was bouncing his leg and biting his lower lip.

"Stop doing that, they're gonna bleed," He told him, pointing at his own mouth, his words immediately making Jay stop.

"Are you nervous, little brother?" Will teased him, an evil smirk on his face 

Jay glared at him, kicking his leg. "Shut up," he muttered, gritting his teeth, but then, "It's been a while since I last went on a date…" He trailed off, not to Will in particular, but just for the sake of saying it out loud.

He was pretty sure the last first date was with Camila: he hadn't tried to meet other women ever since things went downhill between them. Until he came across Hailey and allowed himself to be captured by her magnetic blue eyes and contagious smile.

Jay cleared his throat, shifting his gaze from his brother to Solána, smiling a small smile as he watched her handing Owen the puzzle pieces so he could put them together.

"You think I'm doing the right thing?" He looked at his brother, "Considering… I don't know, everything," he added.

"You mean considering Solána?" Will countered back knowingly. He'd noticed the way he'd looked at his daughter.

Jay sighed and after hesitating for a couple of seconds, "Yeah," he nodded his head.

Will let out a small hum. "She just wants her dad to be happy, and you've definitely been smiling more lately…"

He scoffed dramatically in return, "Ah, not you too!" He chuckled, a soft shade of red coloring his cheeks. "Kim's been telling me the same thing."

"Means it's true, then."

Jay hummed with a soft smile but didn't really answer.

Shortly after, the alarm he'd set early that evening started blaring in his pocket. He quickly switched it off and, "Time for me to go," he muttered, standing up.

He took his blouse and then walked to Owen and Solána to say goodbye to them.

"You look after her, 'kay buddy?" He talked to Owen, who nodded at him and bumped his fist with his.

Jay then crouched down to Solána and "Be good for them, hmm?" He tickled her neck, smiling when she started giggling.

"I will," she mumbled, laughing even louder when she glimpsed at his uncle.

She always did that whenever he was around, amused by that silly coincidence with his name and the phrase.

"Good," Jay winked at her, "¿Besito? " 

Solána pressed her lips on his cheek, and he returned the gesture, "Bye, I love you." He made sure to remind her.

"I love you too, bye-bye," she waved her hand and then went back to playing with her cousin.

Jay walked towards the door with Will following him, and started giggling at his brother's "Have fun!" muttered with little too much excitement.

"Shut up," he shook his head while opening the door and exiting his apartment, ready to find out what that night had in store for him.

Jay took a deep breath when he closed his truck and started walking to Hailey's front door.

She lived in a two-flat house with a modern design: Hailey had told him she lived on the first floor, while Vanessa was right on the second one (and that's why they were always at each other's apartments). It was like living together without renouncing their privacy.

Jay cleared his throat when he pressed his thumb to ring the doorbell, nervously biting his lips.

He smiled when he heard Hailey's voice through the intercom, "Coming down," she said, and he was able to detect her excitement even from those two simple words.

Jay waited down there, shifting his weight from one leg to the other, checking his clothes for the umpteenth time that night.

He stopped moving when he heard the sound of the door being unlocked, and the moment it opened fully, he felt his breath hitch at the sight in front of him.

He'd always seen Hailey as a gorgeous woman, it was exactly what had initially drawn him to her the first time she stepped foot in his store. 

And tonight, she looked absolutely breathtaking with that long, black dress perfectly hugging her body and enhancing her curves, the split down her thigh giving him an ample glimpse of her leg, and her blond, wavy hair cascading over both her shoulders and the thin straps of her dress.

Jay snapped out of his daze when "Hello!" she waved her hand in front of his face, amusedly chuckling at his expression.

He slightly widened his eyes and cleared his throat. "Sorry, hi!" He greeted her back, unable to keep his eyes off her.

He was pretty sure it was going to be the state of affairs that night. 

"You look"—he let out a shaky breath—"You look really beautiful," he told her with a small nod, suddenly feeling very shy and self-aware.

Jay thought she was going to look stunning, of course he did, but she'd definitely outdone whatever ideas he had in mind.

The reality he was staring at was far better than whatever he'd imagined, and he felt so lucky for that.

Hailey blushed at his words, her heart beating fast in her chest as her lips curled into a wide, bright smile. "Thank you," she replied, feeling her cheeks turn warmer.

She too checked him out, her blue eyes very appreciative of the white button-up shirt he was wearing and the way it complimented his fit body, especially his arms.

Then, "You look kinda cute, too," she added with a smirk and a knowing look on her face, ready for his reaction.

Jay snickered at her, "Kinda cute, huh? The infamous words," He laughed, recalling the first time he'd used them.

He offered her his arm and Hailey gladly accepted it, hooking hers around it.

Hailey nodded at his question, then closed the door behind her before they started walking towards his truck, a halo of shyness hovering over them.

Jay opened the door for her like the gentleman he was but before the blonde could get in, "You look very handsome, by the way," she told him, avoiding his gaze and hopping inside the vehicle.

He smiled softly at the compliment she'd granted him and "Thanks," he whispered to her before closing her door.

He then got inside the truck as well and quickly put his seatbelt on, briefly glimpsing at Hailey and blushing hard when he saw that she was looking at him too.

The blonde then let out a nervous chuckle, shaking her head vehemently. "Okay," she started after clearing her throat, "We both need to calm down," she giggled, Jay's eyes trained on her.

"It's a chill date, we're just wearing nice clothes, but it's still us and we're going to have fun," she continued.

"Deal," Jay was quick to say, nodding his head confidently. 

Hailey was right, there was no reason for them to be nervous. It was still them, they were just wearing different outfits from the ones they used on their day-to-day basis.

"We're going to have fun"—he repeated—"So let the fun begin," he added, taking his phone from his pocket, unlocking it, and tapping the screen a few times.

He handed it to her and, "Choose wisely," he muttered.

Hailey took the device and saw he'd already opened the Spotify app. She quickly typed the title of the song she'd picked and then pressed play, turning to look at Jay with a challenging look.

"I always choose wisely, Jay Halstead," she murmured confidently.

When I THINK by Tyler, The Creator started playing, she started smiling when she saw his lips had slightly turned upward as well.

He looked at her and nodded with enthusiasm, manifesting his approval, "Guess you do."

"And I'm going to find out what your middle name is," she warned him, still bothered by the fact that he didn't tell her.

Jay chuckled and raised his brow at her, "You can try…" He trailed off with a smug smile before starting the truck.

Hailey took a sip of water and wiped her mouth, briefly eyeing Jay and checking him out for the umpteenth time.

Sue her, the shirt he was wearing really fit him, and the way she could see the muscles of his arm, especially now that he kept bending it every time he brought the food to his mouth… She was trying her best to keep her composure.

She cleared her throat and "How do you know this place anyways?" She asked him, curiosity filling her voice.

She took a bite of the lasagna she'd ordered and waited, staring at him.

Jay hummed briefly. "Found out about it a couple of months ago, I think? Yeah, something like that. The husband of the owner came to the store one day and wanted the discography of this Indian artist and of course, I didn't have it," he chuckled, shrugging his shoulders.

"But we spent like two hours talking about said artist, and I was curious about Indian music in general so, like, he told me about what he used to listen to when he was young and stuff like that. And after the talk he told me he was glad I was willing to listen and have an open mind about it, so he was like 'My wife is Italian and she's the best cook, if you wanna stop by someday…" he trailed off.

"And here we are," he concluded with a smile, "Can't go wrong with Italian, right?"

"Never," Hailey agreed eagerly, her cheeks turning red. She was glad that they were doing this experience together for the first time.

"Next time we're going to Greektown," Hailey suggested with confidence, and the way Jay's brows lifted so swiftly didn't go unnoticed by her blue eyes.

"Next time..?" He asked teasingly, shifting in his seat and getting into a more comfortable position, crossing his arms on his chest.

The blonde shrugged. "I mean, it depends, but that would be the goal, yeah."

Jay smirked at her words. "Depends on what?" He tilted his head, his fingers fiddling with the stubble on his chin.

"You telling me what your middle name is," she tried to sneak in the question.

He cackled at her attempt. "I have a great middle name," he commented, "That's all I can say."

Hailey scoffed dramatically, glaring at him. She ate the last piece of lasagna and after finishing the food, "You're very annoying," she mumbled.

Jay hummed and nodded his head just to annoy her even more, not knowing that he was only causing the opposite effect.

Hailey was far from annoyed, in case it needed to be said.

"And you got a little something…" He took his napkin and brought it to the corner of her mouth, "There," a shiver running up her spine at the way he was staring at her eyes.

She felt her face turn warmer, a sign that she was blushing heavily, taken aback by his gesture.

Jay wiped the little tomato sauce off her skin and after he was done "Thanks," she told him, her voice so low it was almost inaudible.

He had a lopsided grin on his face and he tried his very best to prevent his lips from curling into a cocky smirk after noticing the way she'd reacted.

He exhales heavily, his green eyes scanning Hailey's figure once again that night, the way that dress seemed to be made for her body only. 

Man oh man, Jay needed to calm the hell down.

"You're really not going to tell me where we're headed?" Hailey asked, turning to look at Jay as he kept driving to a destination he didn't want to tell her about.

Their dinner went perfectly, they had a great time at the Italian restaurant and the food was amazing: Hailey even wrote down the Torta Caprese recipe because she wanted to recreate it at home — it was that good.

Jay glimpsed at her with a smirk and then focused his eyes back on the road, "Nope," He shook his head. "I know you hate surprises but you're gonna like this one, I promise," he added.

The blonde hummed and got silent for a couple of seconds, "It's not the ferris wheel, right? I hate the ferris wheel," she rambled.

He chuckled at her eagerness, "It's not the ferris wheel, we're not going there," he reassured with a small nod. 

Hailey sighed in relief, "Good," she trailed off.

"Why do you hate them?" Jay was curious now.

“Got stuck in one of them when I was five,” she said, snorting at the memory.

“No way…”

“Yeah! I was with one of my brothers. We got stuck in it, I was bawling my eyes out and that asshole was laughing at me!” She went on, shaking her head and rolling her eyes.

Jay snickered, “Sounds like me and Will,” he commented.

Hailey tilted her head, “He bullied you?” She asked, a bit weirded-out. Will really didn’t seem to be hot-heated to her.

He scoffed dramatically, “Nah. I bullied him,” he briefly glanced at her, “I broke his nose twice,” he went on, hearing Hailey’s loud gasp.

Before she could apostrophize him with one of her unique compliments, “Here we are," he muttered, entering the line of cars waiting to enter the parking lot.

"Oh!" Hailey exhaled, leaning forwards and narrowing her eyes to read the banner pinned on the front of the building they were approaching, her nose adorably scrunched up.

"West-African folk music: the ultimate exhibition," she read aloud, and when she processed the words, she turned to Jay and looked at him with wide eyes. And of course, he was already staring at her, waiting for her reaction.

"You serious?!" She asked enthusiastically, clapping her hands, her brows raised in excitement

Jay nodded slowly and before he even knew it, Hailey pressed her lips on his in a tender kiss.

It was supposed to be short, but he was quick to place his hand in-between her blond hair, eagerly pushing it away so he could have better access to her mouth.

They were forced to pull away when someone behind them honked their horn, startling the two.

Hailey giggled in embarrassment, while Jay let out a grunt of annoyance and cursed under his breath ("Can't even have fun in peace!"), pressing on his car pedals so they would move forward in the line.

They luckily didn't wait too long to get into the parking lot, and after finding a spot and parking his truck, he quickly went to Hailey's side and opened the door for her.

She hopped off the vehicle and after locking it, Jay took her by the hand, intertwining their fingers and smiling at the intense way that simple gesture made Hailey blush.

They walked to the building in comfortable silence, exchanging quick glances here and there, and when they finally entered the exhibition, Hailey's eyes widened as she admired her surroundings.

There was a large map of West Africa, the borders of Mali, Guinea, and Cote d'Ivoire highlighted in dark green.

Hailey turned to Jay and hugged his arm, a wide smile on her lips. "I'm so excited!" She whispered-yelled, tightening her grip.

Jay had been so thoughtful in bringing them to that place and doing something different for once. She couldn't wait to get to know more about West Africa and its musical traditions.

It was something she didn't know very well, the little information she had was unfortunately limited and filtered, and she was glad she was going to learn something new from people who knew a lot more than her.

Jay looked down at her, a soft smile on his face as he noticed her thrilled expression.

He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled closer to him, slightly leaning down to softly press his lips on the top of her head.

"Me too," he replied to her words.

They clapped in sync with the other visitors when the cover artist in front of them finished singing her version of Seya by Malian artist Oumou Sangaré.

It was the third and last performance of the event.

First, when the whole thing started, they were greeted by a cover band singing Brigadier Sabari, originally sung by Alpha Blondy.

He was from Cote d'Ivoire and one of the greatest artists of the entire West-African area. 

After learning about his influence and contribution to music and society, they moved to the second section. This time, they were welcomed by another band covering Sékouba Bambino's Gnagnini, the popular Guinean song that got famous all over the west coast of the continent.

Now, after applauding the amazing performers who had recounted a piece of Africa in their own unique way, Hailey and Jay were ready to leave the exhibition, though they were still excited for the good time they had.

"Oh my gosh, that was the coolest thing ever. I wish it lasted like ten hours!" Hailey exclaimed to him as soon as they exited the building, entwining her fingers with Jay's.

"I know, right?" He chuckled, "I'm still thinking about that flute that the second band used, I'm literally obsessed with it."

Hailey nodded, sharing the sentiment, then turned her head to look at him.

"Thank you for bringing me here," she muttered to him as they kept walking, squeezing his hand.

Jay blushed a little and just shrugged, "I was planning to go solo but I thought it would be cool to go together since music it's our thing, ya know?" He snickered nervously, biting his lower lip.

Our thing. 

It had a nice ring to it, she liked it.

In response to his words, "No one ever did something like this for me," Hailey blurted out that confession, dropping her gaze to focus it on her shoes, feeling embarrassed all of a sudden.

Jay frowned at her statement and tilted his head. "What you mean no one..?"

The blonde chuckled at his question. "I haven't talked a lot about my previous relationships because they're pretty much non-existent…" She trailed off.

He widened his eyes in disbelief, "Oh..?"

"Yeah, I've never really found myself liking someone enough to start something serious with them," she explained truthfully, a soft breeze waving her hair.

Hailey knew it was a risky move for her to make, admitting that she basically didn't know how to be in a relationship, but she also didn't want to lie to Jay.

Besides, the fact that she didn't know didn't mean that she wasn't willing to learn, figure out how to do it.

(Maybe they could figure it out together.)

As expected, Jay simply nodded to her words, not really knowing what to reply.

And Hailey was quick to notice his subtle reaction, so, after clearing her throat, she squeezed his hand again. "By the way," she started, letting out a nervous sigh, "I would have told you sooner if this was the case," she said timidly, feeling her heart beating at a fast pace after that act of courage.

She wasn't used to expressing her feelings like that, out loud. It made her feel like she wasn't in control, but now, she also felt the need to let loose, give up a bit of that control and allow herself to be vulnerable for once.

"I don't say no to my sneakers and wear these damn heels for some random guy I go out with," Hailey went on, elbowing him in a clear attempt to lighten up the mood, and giggling when she saw Jay smile.

He raised his brow at her, an almost-concerned look on his face. "That bad? I can pick you up," he winked at her, earning a playful eye roll from her.

"Nah, don't worry," she shook her head. "We're almost there anyway," she said, referring to his truck. It was just a few feet away from them.

Jay let out a soft hum and nodded, staying in silence for a bunch of seconds and feeling his heart thump in his chest like a hammer.

He then snapped his head at Hailey and took a deep breath before opening his mouth to speak. "Just so you know," he began, tightening his grip around her hand, "I don't have my daughter meet any random women," he mumbled with a small nod, staring at Hailey in a way that was taking the wind out of her sails.

With just a few words, he'd said everything. And it meant everything to her.

Hailey and Jay found themselves standing in the same spot they were before their date actually started: in front of her door.

When the blonde turned to Jay, she found him observing her with a tight-lipped smile, hands in his pockets and his teeth nervously grazing over his lower lip.

He was ready to say goodbye to her, probably thinking of a silly joke just so he could watch her smile one last time that night, and was caught off guard when Hailey asked him, "Do you wanna come in?" Her cheeks immediately turned red.

She didn't know where she'd found the courage to ask that question, but she was glad she did, because Jay nodded his head, blindly locking his car with his contactless keys.

After exchanging a small smile, they started walking towards her apartment, entering it in no time and closing the door behind them.

When he stepped foot inside, "Ooh, that looks nice," Jay whispered excitedly as soon as he spotted the electronic keyboard in the living room, immediately going to sit across in front of it.

Hailey smiled at him, "My eldest brother gifted it to me for my eighteenth birthday," she quickly explained, watching Jay entertaining himself with a few buttons.

"Want something to drink?" She then asked as she got rid of her heels, losing a few inches in height but immediately feeling the soreness wash away from her.

Jay shook his head, "No, thanks," he muttered, his eyes still focused on the instrument. Then, "Is Vanessa upstairs?" He asked.

Hailey let out a small chuckled, weirded-out by that random question. "Nope, she's probably at some bar with Adam," she answered, "Why?"

He immediately answered by pressing his fingers on the keys of the keyboard, turning to look at her with a cheeky grin, "Because," he muttered, continuing to play a few chords.

Oh, he wanted to play.

"Show me your best," she challenged him with a chuckle, going to the kitchen and then the fridge, getting herself a glass of cold water, and taking a small sip.

She saw him shake his head, "Nah. I can't play, just know some random chords," he admitted, opening his arms for her as soon as she approached him.

Hailey hummed and then sat on his legs, smiling when she felt his firm grip around her body.

She touched the keyboard knob to slightly turn the volume down and then cleared her throat. After glimpsing at Jay, she started playing the beginning of a song that he promptly recognized as If I ain't got you by Alicia Keys.

Jay stayed there in silence, completely captured by the speed of her expert fingers, and with that concentrated look on her face, the way Hailey seemed to feel the music branch into every cell of her body… She'd never looked more beautiful to his eyes.

She stopped in the middle of the song, not feeling like boring him, and when she turned to look at Jay, she blushed heavily when she noticed the way his green eyes were staring into hers, making her feel so small all of a sudden.

"Mozart got nothing on you," he mumbled to her with a cheeky grin, causing the blonde to snort at his lame excuse for a compliment.

"I know, I know, I got so many talents," she played along, unaware of the effect her words had on him.

Jay hummed softly, resting his chin on top of her shoulder, "Do ya?" He raised his eyebrows.

**Hailey stared at him, only now realizing how things could potentially evolve that night, her heartbeat rapidly increasing at the mere thought of it.

After taking a deep breath (and a bit of courage), she wrapped her arms around his neck, her hands shaking as they grazed over his skin.

She slowly moved her head in a nod to answer his question, watching a smirk form on his face.

"Noted," Jay mumbled in a whisper, leaning forward and finally pressing his lips on hers.

He felt Hailey smile against his mouth, that smile turning into a small gasp when he bit her lower lip, a trick to have more access to her.

She shifted her position, starting to feel uncomfortable in the way she was sitting. Jay helped her turn around completely, his hand pressed on her back to keep her balance steady, while the other went cupping her jaw as he dragged his lips to explore more of her skin.

Hailey let out a soft moan when his teeth started grazing over her lobe and then just down below. She closed her eyes at the blissful sensation, feeling the temperature in the room turn hotter.

Or maybe it was just her.

She could feel Jay's heavy breaths against her skin as he kept savoring it through burning kisses until he reached her collarbones and pulled away after leaving a quick, small peck in the middle of it.

"Hi," he breathed out, observing Hailey as her lips curled upward.

“Hi,” Hailey repeated, grinning.

She slightly leaned back to look better at his face, but it was enough for her body to hit the keyboard behind her, causing a tremendous sound to echo inside the room and startle her.

Jay shook his head dramatically as she gasped in surprise, “Feeling flustered?” He teased her with a smirk.

She scoffed at his words, raising her brows and sending him a challenging look — she so wanted to wipe that smug smile off his face.

And so she did, adjusting her position and purposely moving her hips against his, a victorious smile creeping its way on her lips when a low groan came out of his mouth.

Hailey then leaned her head forward, her lips brushing against his and her blue eyes boring into his green ones, making him feel like she was staring into his soul.

She was ready to pull back from him, but Jay was quick to stop her, eagerly pressing his palms on her thighs to prevent her from moving, shaking his head at her and silently ordering her to stay still.

“Feeling flustered, Jay?” She asked, almost mocking him, her lips curled into a mischievous grin. 

“Hailey…” He trailed off in a whisper, and Hailey wasn’t really sure if it was a plea or a warning, but she took it as an invitation to keep going with her slow, sweet torture — she loved the way he was crumbling under her.

Jay hummed softly when she pressed her lips on his neck, over his pulse-point, her burning touch already having him see stars.

“Hailey,” he repeated, and this time it sounded like he actually wanted to tell her something.

She pulled back, her eyes trained on his face, his sigh brushing against her heated skin.

He cleared his throat and, “If you wanna stop then we should-”

“Do you wanna stop?” Hailey cut him off with her own question, biting her lower lips right after, his eyes following the gesture.

He shifted his gaze and met hers, letting out a small chuckle when he registered her question. “If I ever answer yes to this question, you have the permission to take me down. Bang bang,” he muttered, damn serious with his words.

There was no way he could ever want this to stop, he just wanted to make sure she was okay with what seemed bound to happen any time soon. He had no problems waiting if she wasn't comfortable yet.

Hailey giggled at his dramatic statement but, “Gotcha,” she replied before going back where she'd left off, kissing his neck. 

She noticed a small scar there, the skin was a bit darker and free of freckles. It was between his neck and collarbones, and it was inevitable for Hailey to wonder how he managed to get it.

She decided to keep the question to herself, though, at least for the moment. She had something else to focus on right now.

For example, the way Jay had tightened his grip on her thigh, pulling her even closer to him, the friction that their body created driving him insane, along with the way she kept pressing her lips on the right spots.

And as much as he loved watching her in that black dress, he also really wanted to get rid of it, feeling the growing urge to see more of her body.

She seemed to share the same opinion, her fingers leaving his short hair and grazing over his skin as she started undoing the buttons of his shirt.

Once she was done, Jay quickly got out of that piece of clothing, tossing it on the floor and revealing his bare torso, a thousand, maybe a million freckles scattered all over his skin like a constellation.

Hailey's gaze was trained on his body, unashamed, her hand touching his body as if she wanted to make sure everything was real and not just a figment of her imagination.

She nodded quickly when Jay asked her if she was okay after noticing she'd zoned out for a bunch of seconds. "I'm okay," she confirmed, keeping her voice low. She didn't really trust it at the moment.

"Good," he gently kissed her neck, before his hands traveled to the back of her thighs to lift her, her legs around his hips creating friction that made him exhale heavily.

"Your room?" He asked, walking towards the dark corridor.

Not really sure if it was just a suggestion or a request for directions, "First one on your left," Hailey replied quickly, attaching her mouth under his lobe, now knowing how sensitive that spot was.

She hid her face in the crook of his neck, the intense smell of his aftershave filling her nostrils, immediately making her feel like she was at home.

That's what it was like, being in his arms.

When they entered the bedroom, Jay blindly reached for the wall and switched on the lights. They were more faint and hazy than he expected but then he remembered Hailey once telling him that she often had migraines and wasn't a fan of bright lights, especially not in her bedroom.

He sat on the extreme corner of her bed, Hailey still straddling him, and captured her mouth with his, eager to taste her again, his hand sneaking under her dress, ready to explore her bare skin.

"Nice room," he whispered against her lips, causing Hailey to let out a small chuckle, knowing damn well that he couldn't even tell what color the walls were, too focused on her and only her.

But, "Thanks," she replied anyway, gasping in pleasure when she felt his hands squeeze her ass in a firm grip, the gesture inevitably causing the blonde to thrust her hips forward.

"F-" he breathed out with a long sigh, unable to even finish talking or keeping his eyes open.

Then, "I really need you to get out of this thing," he muttered with his lips grazing over her neck, tugging on the dress and dragging one of his hands upon her back and to her shoulders, the other on her upper side of her thigh.

With eyes still closed, Jay freed her shoulders from the thin straps of her dress, the piece of clothing gracefully flowing down her body.

When his hand went down slightly and didn't encounter any more fabric, he processed the fact that she wasn't wearing a bra, the realization of it immediately having him open his eyes.

Hailey's heart was pounding in her chest and she felt like it wanted to get out of there once she felt Jay's gaze on her naked body, her cheeks turning pink.

Well, she still had her panties on, but the majority of her body was exposed for him to see it.

His green eyes scanned it attentively, wanting to remember as many details as he could.

He then tenderly kissed her cheek and, "So beautiful," he whispered, feeling her lips curl up in a shy smile.

His eyes didn't leave her even when she got on her feet, completely getting out of that dress, overwhelmed by the feeling of having her standing right in front of him, naked and vulnerable in every possible way.

Jay was ready to welcome her in no time when she straddled him again, his large hands under her thighs and burning her skin as if she wasn't already feeling like it'd been set afire.

He then pointed his palms to his sides, slightly leaning back, when Hailey's hand reached for his belt. She was moving slowly and it was on purpose, there was no rush. In fact, she could even stop if she wanted and she did, abruptly, a smirk on her face.

Hailey blankly stared at him, enjoying his confused expression.

If she remembered correctly, she was still out on a mission, in fact, "You sure you don't wanna tell me what your middle name is? Now would be a perfect time," she murmured to him, raising her brows in a knowing look.

Jay let out a small grunt and swallowed hard. "That's not fair," he breathed out, feeling the urge to wet his lips.

He moved forward to press his mouth on hers in an attempt to distract her, but failed miserably, watching her pull back, her hand still ghosting over his pelvis but not really doing anything.

Although, it was doing something, and that was driving him insane.

"You can not tell me," she suggested, a shudder running down her spine when his fingers brushed over the curve of her breasts.

He groaned in frustration, biting his lips and deciding on what to do.

(He knew what to do, he just couldn't believe she was winning that game so easily.)

Jay was right, Hailey wasn't being fair, but it seemed to work because,

"Alexander," he gave in after… Well, not much, already worn out by her torture. "My name is Jay Alexander," he went on, earning a grin from Hailey.

She leaned towards him, her lips grazing over his lobe. "See? It wasn't that hard…" She trailed off in a whisper.

"Oh, it totally is, trust me," Jay countered and when Hailey realized what he actually was referring to, she started laughing out loud, tightening her grip around Jay's shoulders to prevent herself from falling — not that there was any risk, Jay was holding her firmly and had no intentions of letting go. Not now and not any time soon.

"You're an idiot, Jay Alexander," she squealed. 

"And you're very very gorgeous, Hailey Anne," he replied cheekily, observing her quietly as she finally undid his belt, his breath hitching in his throat when her hand lightly brushed over the front of his boxers as she pulled his pants down his legs, his body twitching a little.

Jay took his chance and shifted their position in a swift move, hovering over her body while her back was pressed against the mattress, her blond hair flowing over her pillow.

"Feeling good?" He asked, unable to keep his gaze off her perfect body.

Hailey looked like a goddess and his eyes were filled with nothing but devotion for her.

He got a nod in response and continued to kiss her down her skin — each kiss, each time he pressed his lips on her bare flesh represented a step closer till her body would completely be in flame.

Jay followed an imaginary path down her skin with his lips. From her collarbones, down to her breasts, giving each of them their well-deserved attention. 

When he got below her pelvis, he went on his knees in front of her, raising his head to look at her.

Hailey had a tiny smile on her lips, almost imperceptible, more visible in the way her blue eyes were staring at him.

He leaned over to her, and pressed a series of kisses from her lips to her jawline, until he ultimately reached the infamous spot under her lobe, his hands grazing over her flat stomach and her pelvis, waiting for her permission before going further.

"You sure you wanna keep going?" He asked, his fingertips gently stroking her hairline and his eyes scanning her face while he waited for an answer.

And if Hailey didn't have enough proof of him being a gentleman, he gave her one more with that question.

She nodded her head, cupping his face with both her hands and gently pulling him down to her, leaving a soft kiss on his lips, and wrapped her legs around his waist.

His thumb hooked inside the lace fabric of the black panties she was wearing, and the sharp breath she took in when he finally cupped her flesh sounded better than any other piece of music he'd ever heard in his life.

Chapter Text

Hailey woke up to birds chirping by her window and strong arms tightly holding her body, Jay's soft breaths brushing against her neck and making her shiver slightly.

She smiled when she opened her eyes, her gaze promptly landing on the freckled arm wrapped around her bare stomach. Jay tightened the grip when she slightly moved to shift her position and turn around.

The light coming through the windows wasn’t that bright, the sun had just risen, but it was enough for Hailey to be able to see Jay’s face, now that she was facing him.

Flashbacks of the previous hours immediately flooded her mind, causing her smile to widen and her cheeks to turn a deep red color.

Hailey could still feel Jay’s intense stare on her, always looking at her to make sure she was okay; the millions of kisses he’d planted as his lips traveled on every single inch of her body, and the feeling of his palms pressed on her skin as if he wanted to make sure she was really there, that they both were.

And she could still hear the soft grunts escaping his lips, the ones he’d tried to suppress at first but then set free, overwhelmed by the sensation of finally being that close to Hailey.

She was about to fall asleep again, her eyes still heavy and tired, but a small giggle came out of Jay's mouth at that exact moment, causing a confused expression to form on her face, especially after not detecting another move from him.

(Maybe he was dreaming and something funny had happened, that's why he was chuckling like that.)

He just was lying there, a soft smile curling his lips, while he continued sleeping.

And she followed him on that, closing her eyes and giving up to the tiredness pervading her body.

She woke up again almost two hours later, and this time, when she opened her lids, she found a pair of emerald green eyes already looking at her, a familiar, gentle stare welcoming her.

"Morning," Jay mumbled to her with a smile, watching her blink rapidly to adjust to the bright sunlight in the room.

"Good morning," she said back, suddenly hit by the realization that she was with him in bed, naked, and she immediately covered her face with the blanket, allowing him to only see her eyes.

He chuckled at her reaction, resting his head on the pillow but still watching her. "You playing hide and seek with me?" He asked teasingly.

"No, because I can easily catch you," he continued, pinching her bare side and making her squirm, a giggle escaping her lips.

"Stop!" She managed to squeal but he didn't listen to her, actually starting to tickle her, her laughter echoing in the room.

"What? Can't hear you," He kept frantically moving his fingertips on her body, watching her laugh out loud.

When he decided she had enough, Jay easily pulled her towards him, her body now on top of his.

Hailey noticed he'd put his pants on, blushing at the fact that she was naked on top of him. From head to toe.

But, she wasn't given much time to think about it, already distracted by the way Jay was staring at her.

He always looked at her in an intense, special way, admiring her in silence as if he couldn't believe she was really there.

“Last night was fun,” he mumbled against her cheek, a little smirk on his lips.

Hailey chuckled at his words, blood rushing to her face and making her blush heavily. She shyly glanced up at him and, “It was,” she confirmed, leaving a small kiss on his stubbly jaw and then resting her head in the crook of his neck.

Her eyes slowly scanned his body, along with her pointing finger, absentmindedly tracing shapes on his freckled skin. Then, she ran her finger onto the scar she’d noticed the previous night, the one he had on his neck.

When her fingertip touched the slightly darker area, Hailey felt Jay’s body stiffen a bit, and she immediately withdrew her hand, shifting it elsewhere.

"I will tell you about it,” Jay mumbled after letting out a small sigh. “Just not right now”—he added—“I like it right now, don't wanna ruin it,” he concluded, keeping his voice low and caressing Hailey’s head, his gaze focused in front of him, avoiding hers.

But, she saw the expression on his face was serene, his features hadn’t hardened, and she knew he wasn’t upset.

Hailey was about to open her mouth to respond, but the buzzing of a phone echoed in the room, and Jay knew it was his when he noticed the screen of his phone light up.

He huffed and leaned to take it from the floor, reading the name on the screen, “It’s Will,” he muttered.

Will:
Look at these truants here. This is how you sleep when you spend the evening acting like the devil possessed you.

Jay chuckled when he read the text, opening the picture attached to it. 

It was a photo of Solána and Owen sleeping in her room, totally looking dead to the world. He knew they’d had a blast driving Will insane and that depleted all their energy.

"She sleeps like a starfish," Hailey noted, having seen the picture too.

Jay glimpsed at her, "I know, right?” He snorted, typing a quick reply to his brother. “And she kicks, too. A lot. Can’t stay still,” he added with a giggle, putting his phone back on the floor and then going back to giving Hailey his undivided attention.

He stayed there in silence, watching her relax as he lightly moved his pointer finger up and down the bridge of her nose. Then, “I was thinking…” He began, slightly pulling his face back so he could properly look into her eyes.

He nervously bit his lips, “D’you have any plans today?” He asked her.

Hailey briefly tilted her head and slightly narrowed her eyes. “No, don’t think so, why?”

“If you’re not tired of me already”—he chuckled shakily—“Wanna hang out some more? With me and Sol. Don’t have anything in mind yet, but we can figure something out,” he rambled, dropping his gaze and focusing it on his fingers in her hair instead.

His heart was beating hard in his chest. It felt like he was asking a lot, but Jay couldn’t help but second the urge to spend more time with her, especially after they’d shared together. He couldn’t get enough of her.

And he honestly was surprised to hear Hailey’s positive answer, a small nod moving her head and a small smile curling up her lips, “Yeah, why not?”

“Yeah..?” He asked almost in disbelief, wanting to make sure he heard correctly.

Hailey nodded again, watching him with a look of mischief on her face. “I mean, I am tired of you already, so I gotta compensate with the cooler Halstead,” she teased him, using his body as leverage to get into a sitting position, immediately bringing the blankets to her chest.

“I said Solána, not Will. He is not the cooler Halstead!” Jay immediately protested, glaring at her.

The blonde snorted at his reaction, “Ooh, I hit a nerve. You sure everything’s okay? Your ego..?” She mocked him, raising her eyebrows. “I was talking about Solána, by the way,” she clarified, sympathetically patting his shoulder.

She then leaned forward, Jay’s piercing gaze immediately falling to her bare back, the sight of it making him lose his train of thoughts. Hailey stretched her arms to reach the end of the bed and undo it so she could use the first layer of blankets to cover her body when she stood up.

Jay didn’t know a simple gesture like that could be so sexy but, well, Hailey was so it made sense.

Once she was on her feet, she turned to Jay and saw him staring at her with a dumbfounded look on his face.

“Earth to Jay…” She giggled, waving her hand around.

Jay blinked at her, “What are you even hiding? It’s not like-”

He didn’t complete his sentence because Hailey raised her hand at him, “Yeah, no, don’t finish that, I’m gonna take a shower, bye-bye,” she pouted her lips, trying to mask the little smirk on her lips.

But, she got a dramatic frown in return. Jay got on his feet as well (and Hailey had to try her very best to not jump in bed with him right then and there when she saw his perfect body) and, “You mean we are gonna take a shower,” he approached her, swiftly lifting her up, causing a loud squeal to come out of her mouth.

“You’re a fool!” Hailey exclaimed between giggles, as they walked to the bathroom.

A fool for you, Jay really wanted to reply to her, as cheesy as it sounded but kept that thought in mind. The way his heart was beating for her spoke loud enough, it was enough for now.

It took them around twenty minutes to get to Jay’s apartment after their shower, and as soon as he turned the door open, he and Hailey were greeted by a smiley Solána, who had been impatiently waiting for them for the last half hour.

Solána hugged Jay’s legs, smiling when he gently stroked her dark hair.

“Looks like someone missed me!” He exclaimed, stepping aside so Hailey could come in as well.

His comment went unanswered because the moment she spotted the blonde, Solána pulled back from him and went to Hailey instead, giving her a heartwarming hug.

“Hello, princess,” the blonde greeted her, giving her cheek a gentle squeeze.

“Hi!” Solána said back, taking her by the hand and leading her to the living room, where Will and Owen were listening to some music, A horse with no name by the ‘70s rock band America playing through the speakers.

Will and Owen already had their jackets on, they were going to go home in just a matter of minutes. 

The redhead greeted his brother with a small nod and then approached Hailey, giving her a quick hug and a smile. “I see you haven’t dropped his big head yet,” he mumbled quietly but still making sure Jay could hear him.

In fact, “Shut up, Will,” he retorted, rolling his eyes at him.

Hailey didn’t have the chance to chime in because, “You know we watched two movies yesterday,” Solána told her, slightly pulling her arm to get her attention.

The blonde muttered a small “Not yet,” to Will, sending him a knowing look and watching a smug smile form on his lips, then glanced down at Solána, giving her all her attention.

She took her jacket off and picked her up, placing a kiss on her cheek. “Two movies?” She gasped, “Did you like ‘em?”

Solána nodded eagerly, focusing her gaze on Hailey’s blonde hair. “But Tangled is still the best,” she replied cheekily.

“I know, right?” Hailey winked at her.

Then, “Did you and Daddy watch a movie too?” She asked curiously, and the awkward silence that loomed inside the room was so loud it almost made Hailey’s ears ring.

A red color tinted her cheeks when “Yeah, I’m sure that’s exactly what happened,” Will muttered sarcastically, that comment earning him a slap in the back of his head from his brother.

“Get outta here, Will,” he mumbled through his teeth, shaking his head.

Will raised his arms in surrender, giggling at his brother’s reaction. “I got it, I got it. We’re getting out of your hair,” he muttered, dramatically rolling his eyes. “Owen, c’mon, say goodbye,” he talked to his son.

Owen went to bump his fist with Jay and Solána, then shyly waved his hand at Hailey.

Jay followed him and Will as they walked to the door and, “Not a single word,” he murmured to his brother when he turned to him and sent a smug smile his way.

“You’re such a bummer,” Will countered but stopped teasing him, not wanting to risk getting his ass kicked and opening the door instead.

“Bye-bye, Uncle Jay,” Owen, before following his father and exiting the apartment.

“Bye, buddy,” he saluted him.

Once the two were gone, Jay locked the door behind him and walked back to the living room, finding Hailey and Solána already in the little world, the toddler listing to the blonde all the reasons why Tangled was her favorite movie.

“And… Left arm,” Hailey mumbled as she helped Solána get into her father’s old Army shirt.

They were in the kitchen, Solána was standing on a chair while Hailey stood in front of her. The song now playing through the speakers was Ho Hey by The Lumineers, the little girls singing it with her own made-up words.

Once they were done, she took a step back to look at the toddler and couldn’t help but chuckle — that shirt was at least four times bigger than her!

“You look absolutely adorable,” she told her, earning a grin from the four-year-old.

Then, “Where is Daddy?” Solána asked impatiently, excited for what they were about to do in just a few minutes.

Jay had gone into his room to quickly change into more comfortable clothes, and Hailey and Solána were waiting for him to join them, eager to start baking something.

To be fair, Solána had asked Hailey to bake some loumádes (that’s what she’d called them) together, but the blonde had to tell her she didn’t have all the ingredients for them.

But, the bummed expression on the little girl’s face honestly made Hailey’s heart clench in her chest, so she’d suggested baking a cake instead — she’d seen a few apples inside the basket on the kitchen counter, so apple pie was the first thing that came to mind.

Solána had nodded vehemently at that suggestion, cheering with enthusiasm. They could’ve even stirred a pot of water if it were for her, she just wanted to do something with Hailey because she enjoyed being around her.

“Daddy’s here,” Jay answered the question as he entered the kitchen. 

He’d changed into a gray shirt and black sweatpants and Hailey almost choked on her breath when she looked at him, blushing at the realization that she was gushing over him even in that simple outfit.

She was definitely whipped.

“Where do we start?” He asked, walking behind Solána and placing his hands on her small shoulder, squeezing them and making her amusedly squirm.

The toddler slightly turned to glimpse at him, raising her head. “Hailey is the boss, we have to listen to her,” she told him, a serious expression on her face.

“Oh, she’s the boss,” Jay repeated, widening his eyes at her, “Gotcha,” he nodded, looking at Hailey and finding her lips curled into a smirk.

“Where do we start, boss?” He raised his brows at her, biting his lips.

Hailey rolled her eyes at his flirtatious antics, slightly shaking her head. “So…” She took an egg from the counter and pulled an empty bowl closer to her and Solána.

“We need to crack these eggs,” She told her. “We have to make sure the shell doesn’t go in it, though,” she explained, “Like this…” She cracked an egg inside the bowl.

“Oh,” Solána gasped as she carefully watched the process, her eyes wide.

“Wanna try together?” She asked her and the four-year-old nodded enthusiastically.

Hailey handed her another egg and guided her, smiling when Solána cheered after they managed to crack that one as well.

Solána inspected the bowl and then looked at the blonde, “No shell,” she told her proudly.

“Good job,” Hailey winked at her.

With the corner of her eye, she could see Jay was observing them quietly but tried to ignore him, watching Solána crack an egg on her own and do it perfectly.

"You did it!" She cheered, seeing a big smile spread on her face.

Solána was the carbon copy of her mom but when she smiled like that, it was all Jay.

"Papi, did you see?!" She asked, almost yelling in excitement.

Jay nodded, “Good job baby,” he leaned forward and place a quick kiss on top of her head.

Hailey watched them with a tender smile, then “Hey, you!” she turned to Jay, “You think you’re just gonna stand there?” she teased him, clearly wanting him to participate with them, stepping aside a little.

"And watch you burn?" He continued, staring at her with a blank expression.

Hailey replayed the words in her head — they sounded familiar — and when she actually registered them, "You're the biggest dork I've ever met," she shook her head vehemently. "Love the way you lie, really?" She mentioned the song he'd quoted.

“Really, and I could go on for days," Jay replied confidently, winking at her. 

"Please don't." She snorted.

"Anyways, I don’t know, you two seem to be having fun without me," he shrugged, referring to her previous question.

“We are,” she stuck out her tongue at him, but then elbowed him with a soft smile, “It’d be more fun with you though," she hinted, "We need some flour here…" 

And Jay nodded, opening the flour jar and putting some inside the bowl.

When Hailey stopped him and told him it was enough, he dipped his two fingers in the flour and then pinched the tip of her nose, leaving a white stain on it.

Her loud gasp echoed inside the room, grabbing Solána’s attention.

As soon as she laid eyes on her, she started cackling, then turned to Jay and “Daddy, what did you do?!" She asked between giggles, the look of surprise still on her face.

“Me?” He feigned cluelessness, then brought his hand to her face and pinched her nose as well, the bit of flour now on it too, "What did I do?" 

Solána's laugh only intensified, her face red when Hailey took some of the flour and put it in Jay's hair, the expression on his face now turned into a terrified one.

"You didn't…" He muttered.

Hailey nodded eagerly, a challenging expression on her face, "I did."

“Daddy, you look like an old man now,” Solána commented between giggles.

“Yeah, a very handsome old man,” Jay made sure to clarify.

But, “Hmm, yeah..” Solána shrugged unconvinced, the unsure tone in her voice causing her dad to dramatically frown at her and then shift his gaze on Hailey.

Jay hummed, “That sounds reassuring,” He mumbled, shaking his head.

Hailey bit her lips, “Well, she’s not wrong…” She played along, raising her eyebrows in a knowing look.

Jay hummed, narrowing his eyes at her. “You sure about that…”—he took some flour and then—“old lady?” he put it on her head, her blond hair now white.

"Can you believe your dad?" She gasped, staring at Solána, who nodded vehemently at her.

"He's being silly," she replied, "I like it when he's silly," she then added, staring at the eggs in the bowl and smiling proudly for not getting any shells in the mix.

Hailey glimpsed at him, “Heard that?” She raised her brows with a smirk. “C’mon, silly guy, start cutting those apples,” she instructed.

Then, "Hailey, what do we do now?" Solána asked, eager to know what was the next move.

The blonde took the sugar jar and, "We add some sugar," she said, actually putting the ingredient in the bowl.

"Yes, please!" Jay sang in a weird attempt to replicate Adam Levine's falsetto just like in the song. "Ooh, that was bad," he mumbled to himself, taking the second apple and cutting it in half.

Hailey shook her head at him and took a whisk, quickly rinsing it and then handing it to the little girl, who observed it curiously.

"Sol, your dad is a walking jukebox," the blonde giggled, getting behind her and starting whisking the mixture with her. "You wanna try alone?" 

Hailey kept the bowl still for her when Solána nodded enthusiastically, putting every single ounce of her strength in doing her task.

She had a deep frown between her eyebrows, her tongue out in concentration — needless to say, but she looked adorable.

Then, "Daddy, you're a juice box?" Solána asked in confusion, huffing heavily when she stopped and handed Hailey the whisk.

Jay tried his best to not laugh at the question, pressing his lips together to prevent any sound from escaping, but he failed miserably, placing the knife aside and covering his face while laughing out loud.

He couldn't remember the last time he'd laughed like that.

Solána turned to look at him and then at Hailey, her eyebrows raised and an amused expression on her face.

"God, you're so precious," Jay told Solána once he'd calmed down, standing up properly.

The four-year-old glanced at him and her smile widened. She then looked at the blonde next to her and "Daddy's happy today," she commented.

Her words didn't go unheard by Jay, who looked down at her with a smile. He felt happy and he was glad she could notice it.

He couldn't help but glimpse at Hailey. After all, she too was the reason why he was feeling that way, and not only because they'd spent the night together.

He couldn't quite put his finger on it, or give it a specific label, but Jay knew it was deeper than that.

And so, "I am," he muttered in reply to his daughter's statement, dropping his gaze and going back to cutting the apples and missing the big smile those two words had created on her face.

Jay ended the call with his dad and bent over to turn off the oven, smiling when he saw the golden color of the layer of crust on top of the pie.

He opened the oven and let out a heavy huff, hiding his face from the steam and using a potholder to take the pie out of the oven and put it on the stove.

Once he'd turned everything off, he walked to Solána's bedroom, knowing she and Hailey were there.

Before he stepped foot inside though, he stopped at the door, leaning against the doorframe and watching the two interact.

Their backs were facing him and they didn't see him or hear his footsteps, so he decided to not make his presence known just yet.

"This is Mr. Ko, he's my bestest friend, after Daddy," Solána explained to the blonde, showing her stuffed koala.

It was a gift from Will, he gave it to her a few hours after she was born, carefully placing it in her crib at the hospital. From that moment on, she’d never separated from it.

She then showed Hailey a doll, her skin a bit tanned and her hair long and dark. "She's Clarita, my Mamà gave it to me, says she looks like me," she went on.

Hailey took the doll and observed it, then glimpsed at the toddler. "She does look like you!" She exclaimed, actually seeing the resemblance.

Solána smiled at her, showing her the collections of stuffed animals she had — a giraffe, an elephant, a horse, and a dolphin.

"You have lots of them," the blonde pointed out.

The little girl nodded eagerly, "Yes, they're a family!" She said. Then, "Ms. Spencer tells us that you don’t have to all look alike to be a family and I told her yeah, it's like me and my cousin Owie!" She continued.

Hailey remembered the fact that Owen wasn't Will's biological son, and it seemed like Solána knew that too.

She watched her with a soft smile, nodding at her words. She was so little yet already understood that blood didn't really matter in the concept of family and it was honestly admirable.

"You’re very very right! Such a smart lady," She praised her, seeing her cheeks turn red.

"Thank you. My Daddy says that too," Solána replied politely.

“Well, he’s right.”

Jay had heard everything about that conversation and couldn't feel more proud of his daughter and her mindset — it was very family-oriented and open at the same time.

And he was glad that Hailey was taking time to get to know her better, asking her questions and carefully entering her little pure world.

With a happy sigh, he knocked on the door, making the two turn their heads towards him. 

Jay shoot them a big smile and "Pie's ready," he announced, the two words enough for Solána to get on her feet and start running. 

"Slow down, Sol," he warned her when she passed by him, ruffling her head.

Hailey got up as well and was in front of him before he knew.

The speakers in the living were blaring Me gustas tu by Manu Chao as the two walked through the corridor to the kitchen, and he didn't waste time taking her hand and making the blonde do a spin, whispering "Me gustas tú," in her ear when she stopped in front him, her body against his chest and his palms immediately pressed on her waist.

He left a quick stolen kiss on her lips, and Hailey blushed heavily at the smooth gesture. Her face hurt from smiling that much, and she was left craving for his touch when they entered the kitchen and had to separate their hands.

“I still can feel the flour inside my ears,” Jay muttered to Hailey as he cleaned up the kitchen table, Hailey sitting across from him with her elbows pinned against the hard surface.

She’d insisted on helping him clean up, but Jay was definitely more stubborn than her, telling her she wasn’t allowed to. “You didn’t come here to clean,” he’d told her, after letting out a scoff.

They could see Solana from there: she was in the living room, sitting in her small, yellow chair with a concentrated look on her face as she was drawing something on her sketching pad.

“Yeah, I’m glad I didn’t wash my hair this morning, because…” Hailey pointed to her hair and the flour still in it.

“Well, we were kinda busy,” Jay mumbled teasingly, referring to their activities in Hailey's bathroom. Let's just say that washing their bodies had been the last thing on their mind.

When he got back to her, he found her face had reddened significantly, which only caused a smug smile to form on his lips.

Then, he glimpsed at Solána and back at Hailey, his expression a bit more serious now. 

Jay cleared his throat and "I saw you girls talked a bit earlier," he began, leaning against the countersink and crossing his arms on his chest.

Hailey nodded, "Yeah, I was meeting her friends," she replied, referring to the stuffed animals she'd 'met'.

"Oh, it was a serious matter, then,” he chuckled, confident in his voice.

"Totally."

Hailey then thought again of the conversation she had with Solána in her room, briefly eyeing the little girl. "You're raising a smart kid there, Jay," she said truthfully, staring at his face and watching him slightly blush.

He bit his lips and dropped his gaze, "I’m trying," he murmured with a shrug that was meant to be dismissive.

He appreciated the compliment, but Jay didn't feel like he needed to be praised for what he was doing.

He'd started loving Solána since the moment he found out about her, and trying his very best to be a good dad to her was the least he could do.

There were a few moments of silence between them while I like it like that by Pete Rodriguez played in the background (Solána moved her shoulders to it now and then).

Then, "Hailey," Jay called for her, biting his lips, his heart thumping in his chest at what he was about to tell her — well, ask her.

The blonde immediately looked at him, boring her blue eyes into his green ones. She moved her head in a small nod, her silent way to tell him he could go on.

He cleared his throat and, “Is it okay for you if I talk to her about… This,  you and I..?" He blurted out, his thumb and pointer finger fiddling with the stubble on his chin.

"I mean not now but you know when the right time comes… And I mean, she’s gonna see more of you around well I hope so yeah. Or I can not tell her I guess or make something up if you don’t-"

"Woah, Jay, breathe please," Hailey stopped his rambling, letting out a small chuckle even though she found him really cute. 

She got off her chair and walked to him, standing right in front of him, her body against the table. She tilted her head at him and, "It’s okay, you can tell her," she mumbled confidently.

Jay raised his eyebrows in surprise, slightly widening his eyes. He uncrossed his arm and, "Really?!" He asked, not wanting to make any mistakes.

Hailey nodded, a wide smile plastered on her face. "I like this, you and I. Us"—she turned to Solána—"I could get used to it," she confessed, feeling her heart miss a few beats.

That was the most honest she'd been with anyone in her life about her feelings, and it definitely was overwhelming her, almost making her tear up.

Jay smiled at her words, wanting to lean forward and kiss her right then and there, but "Papi, I need your help!” Solána yelled from the living room.

He looked at Hailey and sighed, dramatically rolling his eyes. "You one hundred percent sure about this?" He joked.

Well, it wasn't entirely a joke. Hailey needed to know Solána was always going to be his priority, no matter what.

But Hailey knew that too, she'd known since the first time she'd stepped foot in his store.

So, "Go help her!" She exclaimed, waving her hand dismissively and giggling at him, watching him walk to his daughter.

She saw him crouch down to her, and Solána immediately told him something, eyeing Hailey but making sure to keep her voice extra low.

Then Jay kissed her cheek, taking a marker and scribbling something on the paper she'd been drawing on.

Hailey was watching them with curiosity filled in her eyes but managed to keep it at bay, confident that she would eventually find out what it was all about.

Hailey eventually decided to stay for dinner as well.

To be fair, Solána begged her to stay, though she was pretty sure Jay had something to do with it since he was staring at them with a smug smile when his daughter was asking the question.

And how could she say no to that cute face?

Jay had ordered pizza for the three of them (after that apple pie, they had to counterbalance with something unhealthy, it was only fair.)

When he’d gone downstairs to meet the delivery guy, the blonde’s face had turned pale at the thought that she was going to be alone with Solána.

It was going to be a matter of a few minutes only, but it still freaked her out: being around her knowing Jay was there was a thing, but being just the two of them was a different story.

It was the first time for the both of them, and anything could happen in that timespan, no matter how short it was.

But, much to Hailey’s surprise, everything went smoothly. Well — nothing really happened.

Solána was a pretty independent kid, she knew she had to behave, and the only thing she did was go to the bathroom to wash her hands, smiling when she came back and saw Hailey’s nervous face.

That little smile was all it took Hailey to start relaxing and convince herself she had nothing to worry about.

And when Jay came back with the pizzas in his hands, “Everything okay?” He asked with a smile, placing the food on the table in the kitchen.

“Perfect,” Hailey replied with confidence, sending him a small nod.

“Papi, look, I already washed my hands!” Solána told him proudly, grinning from ear to ear and showing him her clean palms.

“Good girl,” he mumbled to her, winking at her and going to wash his hands.

Once everything was ready and set, “¡Buen provecho!” Solána exclaimed, before stuffing her face with the slice Jay cut up for her.

It was now time to go for Hailey. As much as she wanted to stay, she had a few papers to grade before going to bed and needed to properly get some rest to be ready for the new week she had ahead of her — all three of them did, actually.

III. Urn by Childish Gambino was playing when Solána saw her walk towards the coathanger and “Wait!” She yelled, running to the coffee table and picking the drawing she’d been thoroughly working on the whole afternoon.

“I made this,” she told her, handing Hailey the drawing and just standing there with her hands crossed behind her back, waiting for a reaction.

Hailey briefly eyed Jay, noticing a tiny smirk on his lips. Oh, he was on to this too!

She looked at the drawing and a wide smile appeared on her face, her heart swelling in her chest as she stared at what Solána had spent time creating.

Hailey recognized two slim figures, one taller than the other. The tall one had blond hair and blue eyes, while the shorter one had dark hair and green eyes. 

Solána had clearly drawn herself and Hailey, the two had big smiles on their faces and were holding hands.

On the top of the drawing, she saw something handwritten, ‘To my friend Hailey’, and she recalled the moment the little girl had called Jay because she needed his help — that was what they were doing.

“You did this for me?” Hailey asked her, staring at her, feeling a lump form in her throat, overwhelmed by her sweetness.

“Yes,” Solána nodded, her cheeks now slightly red. “You like it?” She asked with a hopeful tone behind her voice.

The blonde chuckled, “I absolutely love it!” She exclaimed. Then, “Come here,” Hailey crouched down and gave Solána a tight hug, caressing her long hair.

“Thank you, that was so sweet,” she mumbled to her ear, kissing the top of her head right after. “I’m gonna frame it and put it on my nightstand,” she assured, getting back up straight.

They said goodbye to each other and then Jay told Solána to go to her room, that he was going to walk Hailey to the elevator and then come back to her.

Once they exited the apartment, “Ugh,” Hailey sighed, wiping the single tear that managed to escape her eyes.

Jay immediately put his arm around her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze.

“Gosh, am I ever gonna step foot in this house and not cry?” She asked rhetorically, rolling her eyes at herself, “Okay, I’m good,” she giggled nervously as they kept walking.

When they got in front of the elevator, “Today was… Really fun,” Jay muttered, softly smiling at her.

Hailey moved her head in a small nod. “Yeah, I’d give it a ten out of ten,” she stated confidently.

He cheered dramatically at her words, “This is my first ten outta ten ever !” He exclaimed, making her laugh at his antics.

The elevator’s door opened, and Jay took a step forward, getting closer to Hailey.

“Time for me to go,” she mumbled with a sad smile.

He bopped her nose before leaning and cupping her face, pressing his lips on hers repeatedly, leaving a series of small tender kisses.

"Text me when you get home," he told her, his mouth still touching hers.

“I will,” Hailey nodded, giving him one last kiss on the cheek and then stepping inside the elevator before the doors would close.

Jay waited until they did, winking at her at the last moment.

When he got back inside his apartment and locked the door behind him, he immediately walked to Solána’s room, finding her combing the hair of her favorite doll.

“I’m back!” Jay chanted, entering the room.

“Hi, Daddy,” she smiled at him.

“What you did for Hailey was really sweet,” he told her. “She was very happy,” he added, replaying the big smile Hailey had on her face.

Solána just shrugged, “She’s my friend,” she murmured matter-of-factly. “I like her.”

Jay’s eyebrows slightly lifted at her statement. It wasn’t her first time saying that she liked Hailey, it just felt good to hear her say it once again.

Apparently, he didn’t need to worry about them getting along. They already were partners in crime.

Chapter Text

Jay opened the door of Molly's and let Hailey get in first, following her (and checking her out too because, why not).

They were greeted by Stella, who was behind the counter and smiled at them, pointing at a table at the end of the place as a way to tell them where their friends were.

It had been almost three weeks since their first date now, and Hailey and Jay thought it would be a good idea to hang out with all of their friends, taking the opportunity to celebrate Kim's last day in Chicago.

She was going to leave the city and go back to work for four months, and her plane would take off the next day, right after lunch.

The jukebox at the entrance was playing (Sittin' on) the dock of the bay by Otis Redding, his voice creating a warm and cozy atmosphere inside the crowded pub.

They walked to the table where Vanessa, Kevin, Kim, and Adam were, their drinks already in front of them.

"Too busy with each other to be on time?" Was the first thing Vanessa said, a teasing tone behind her voice, her words clearly suggesting something dirty.

Hailey gasped at her comment, though in the back of her mind she was expecting something like that.

"There was an accident on the way here!" She protested, taking her leather jacket off.

Vanessa hummed, tilting her head. "That's what they call it now, huh?" She continued with a smirk, the other people at the table laughing at them, while Hailey decided to just ignore her.

Jay greeted everyone at the table, he and Kevin making their signature handshake and making everyone whistle at them.

The last person to shake his hand was Adam: "Joey, right?" He asked, holding back a smirk and acting like he didn't remember his name.

Jay had noticed the mischievous grin on his face and decided to play his game.

He nodded, shaking his hand. "Aaron..?" 

Adam looked at him for a few seconds, a bit taken aback, then started cackling, nodding his head and eagerly patting Jay's back, "How are you doing, man?"

Hailey shifted her gaze between them, a confused expression on her face. "Okay weirdos…" She mumbled, deciding to just ignore their antics and greet Kevin and Kim instead.

"Do you have a special handshake with everyone?" She asked Kevin as she sat down.

"Yup," he replied, "Look…" He trailed off, turning to Kim and doing their handshake — he had a different one with every person.

"He takes it very seriously," Kim chimed in before taking a sip of her margarita.

Kevin hummed with a nod, and, "I'mma create one for us," he concluded, winking at the blonde and watching her smile.

"We ordered without you guys," Vanessa told Jay, a sly look on her face.

Jay glimpsed at her carefully, studying her expression.

He wasn't sure if he was on Vanessa's good side. He knew he'd messed up when he thought it was a smart idea to ghost Hailey after visiting Camila, and even though the blonde had told him Vanessa wasn't one to hold grudges, he still wanted to be extra sure there wasn't any bad blood between the two of them.

So, "I guess I'll remember that the next time Bad Bunny or J Balvin drop their album," he teased her, shrugging his shoulders.

Vanessa gasped at his statement, "Hey, no, that's not fair!" She protested with a frown, pouting her lips.

Jay chuckled at her reaction, "I'm just kidding," he quickly said, "Maybe," he added.

And before she could reply back, "What did you get?" He pointed at her drink.

"Cuba libre."

He hummed with a small nod, "Might get one myself," he mumbled, smiling at the brunette.

Jay then turned towards Hailey, placing his hand on her hip. "What are you drinking?" He whispered to her ear, his lips brushing over her lobe.

Hailey was left surprised by the gesture but tried to keep her composure, although she was pretty sure she'd started blushing.

"Beer is okay," she told him and Jay nodded at her.

"Gotcha. Be right back," he muttered before leaving the table and walking to the bar counter.

Hailey found herself grinning as she watched him talk to Stella, biting her lower lip while checking him out.

She loved it when he wore his flannel shirts, and she also loved being the one getting him out of those.

She blushed even harder at that thought, snapping out of her daze only when she heard Vanessa dramatically clear her throat to get her attention.

The brunette was smirking at her, and as soon as Hailey laid eyes on her, "Maybe you need some holy water as well, right?" She teased, raising her eyebrows at her friend and sending her a knowing look.

"What's the superior Señorita?" Vanessa asked Jay before taking a sip from the second beer she was having that night, a smirk on her lips.

"That's a great question, I'm very interested," Hailey exclaimed dramatically, giggling as he watched Jay roll his eyes at both women.

The jukebox switched the song to Superstition by Stevie Wonder when Kevin excused himself to go to the restroom, leaving Jay in the clutches of Hailey and Vanessa's teasing.

Adam, well, he was at his third beer and bluntly flirting with Kim, who was tipsy enough to go along with it, falling for his cringy pick-up lines — okay, maybe the softness of his brown eyes deserved some credit, too.

"This is a setup," Jay mumbled to the two women, staring at them with an amused expression on his face.

They were playing a game, it was very simple: they had to pick two songs with the same title and decide which one was the best.

"Maybe," Hailey smirked, "You still gotta answer though," she shrugged.

Jay groaned, sipping a bit of his honey whiskey, and glaring at the blonde.

Then, "Okay, fine, JT's version is the superior one," he muttered begrudgingly, rolling his eyes once again.

Hailey cheered at his answer, a victorious smile spreading onto her face. She then took her phone for show and "Will you say that again? I need to record it," she teased him some more.

"Ah-ha." Jay elbowed her arm in fake annoyance, then turned to Vanessa and dramatically sighed, "She's obsessed," he shook his head, speaking as if Hailey wasn't there with them.

The brunette nodded vehemently, "Don't I know that?" She asked rhetorically. "She probably still has some posters of him hidden somewhere in her room," she snorted, watching her best friend blush heavily at her words.

Jay turned towards her, a mischievous grin on his face. "Do you?!" He laughed at her.

"Hey, are we done with the Hailey slander, please?" The blonde rolled her eyes, not really denying anything, her cheeks now red and not (only) from the alcohol in her system.

She then pinched Jay's arm, not really obtaining any reaction from him. "And you're my boyfriend, you're supposed to be on my side!" She then exclaimed, her words causing him to slightly widen his eyes.

The 'What are we? ' topic hadn't been discussed yet, and her statement had clearly taken Jay off guard, even though he was trying to act as if nothing had happened.

But, Hailey seemed to eventually realize which words had escaped her mouth, her heart suddenly increasing its heartbeat, especially after the look of surprise she was sent by Vanessa.

So, being the excellent friend she was, "Ivy," Vanessa said after clearing her throat, "Taylor Swift or Frank Ocean?" She asked Kevin, grateful he came back at the table just in time.

Hailey and Jay focused their attention on Kevin too, not before sharing a shy look with one another, a tiny smile on both of their faces, their eyes speaking for them and clearly telling each other they had something to talk about later that night.

He furtively glimpsed at Hailey as they were walking around the parking lot side-by-side, a loud silence surrounding them.

They had just left Molly's, same thing for their friends, and were now headed to Jay's truck.

Hailey could feel his gaze on her but dropped hers every time they made eye contact, just like at that moment.

This time, though, Jay decided not to ignore it, in fact, "Hails…" he trailed off, shooting a glance her way, willing to start the conversation they both knew was bound to take place any moment.

Her lips twitched a little, a tiny smile creeping its way onto them — she liked it when he called her like that.

Jay had sworn he was going to stick with calling her using her two names, but when that Hails slipped out of his mouth that one time, he'd found out he liked that new nickname as well.

When they got to his truck, "I didn't mean to make things awkward before," she blurted out, finally facing him.

He frowned at her words, quickly shaking his head. "No awkwardness," he clarified, "Just surprise, I guess," he chuckled nervously.

"You know, I was gonna ask you the right way, but…" He shrugged his shoulders, enjoying the sight of her smile when he made that revelation.

"Really?"

Jay nodded, a soft hum escaping his lips.

Hailey blushed more than she already was, her heart skipping a beat or two, and a strange yet nice feeling was making her stomach churn. She was pretty sure it was those butterflies she heard a lot of people talk about.

But then, "The right way… What is it?" She tilted her head, staring at him with curiosity filling her eyes.

His cheeks turned red at her question, "It was meant to be a bit funny but now I think it's just straight-up dumb," he mumbled dismissively, scratching his cheek. He always did that when he was nervous. 

"Still wanna know," the blonde retorted, boring her blue eyes into his, "Pretty please..?"

Jay chuckled, more at himself than anyone. Just the way she was staring at him was driving him insane.

"It's really dumb though…" he muttered, taking his wallet from the pocket of his jeans, a tiny smile curling his lips upward.

He opened his wallet and the first thing Hailey noticed were the two small-scale photos: she easily recognized Solána in one of them, her dark hair was a bit shorter and her cheeks rounder, clearly indicating she was younger when the picture was taken.

The second one portrayed a woman. It was the same one she'd seen in one of the photos that Jay kept in his living room. The way she was smiling at the camera looked vaguely familiar, and Hailey had no doubt that it was Jay's mother.

She blinked rapidly, snapping out of her trance when Jay cleared his throat, unfolding a small piece of paper and handing it to her.

A wide, dumb smile immediately appeared on her face when she recognized his messy handwriting and read what he'd scribbled, a loud chuckle escaping her lips, "I love this!"

Will you be my girlfriend? ヅ
Yes □       No □

Jay studied the expression on her face and couldn't help but smile as well, although he felt a bit embarrassed for coming up with that silly and childish idea.

But, by the look she was sending him, it seemed like Hailey was enjoying it.

So, "What d'you say?" He asked her, hiding his shaky hands in the pocket of his jeans.

"Well, I'm pretty sure I already made my position clear when we were inside," she muttered, raising a brow and sending him a challenging look.

Jay rolled his eyes, bumping his elbow with hers, "Just humor me."

Hailey huffed dramatically and then got on the tip of her toes, cupping his face and pressing their lips together.

She pulled back, their nose still touching, and saw a grin on his face. "How's that for an answer?" 

He hummed in response, placing his large palms on her hips to pull her closer to him, his back now pressed against the cold surface of his truck.

"Eh," he teased her, tilting his head and watching Hailey sigh in fake annoyance, "Needs to be a little more detailed and thorough," he mumbled on her lips, smoothly capturing them with his before she could think of uttering a single word.

Kim watched her friend smile at his phone and shook her head, already having an idea of the person he was messaging.

"I forgot you could even smile like that," she commented when Jay put his phone in his pocket.

They were at the airport and she was going to join the crew of the company she worked for as a flight attendant.

"Been smiling a lot lately," Jay admitted as they walked, carrying Kim's trolley.

Things with Hailey were going pretty well, and it had been a long long time since he'd felt this happy, he had noticed that.

Her presence lifted his spirit, and he was falling deeper for the blonde as the days passed.

"Here we are," Kim muttered as they arrived in front of the stand of her company, spotting a few familiar faces.

She opened her arms and Jay immediately went in for a hug. "Don't miss me too much," he said cockily, a smug smile on his face.

"As if," Kim rolled her eyes as she pulled back, "Don't be a stranger, okay? And give Solána a big big hug from me," she said, already missing her goddaughter.

He nodded at her, "I will." 

"And Hailey," she added, watching a pink color appear on Jay's cheeks, "Aw, he's blushing," she chuckled.

Jay rolled his eyes at her, "Knock it off," he nudged her elbow.

Then, "She's good for you," she stated, the tone of her voice now more serious.

It was a big statement coming from Kim. She saw Jay as an older brother and she looked out for him, always had. And seeing how much he'd been hurt in the past, she'd been skeptical about him starting a new relationship.

But, she meant what she said. She believed Hailey was good for Jay and she wished them nothing but the best. 

Not that they needed it, but they had her blessing.

"Time to go," Kim took her trolley from Jay when she noticed her coworkers starting to get inside the room where they'd usually get ready. 

"I'll call you later," she told Jay after he gave her another quick hug, and he nodded in response.

"Yeah, we need to discuss a few things…"

"Like what?"

Jay smirked at the question, "Like you and Adam," he murmured, slightly raising his brows, sending her a knowing look.

Kim blushed heavily and sighed, pressing her lips together to prevent herself from smiling. "Too bad I gotta go, right?" She patted his shoulder, before starting to walk away.

"She didn't eat much today," Ms. Spencer, Solána's teacher, told Jay as the two watched the little girl put her jacket on.

He hummed in response, looking at the woman and scratching his stubbly cheek. "Yeah, I know, I booked an appointment with her pediatrician to see what's going on," he sighed, frowning a bit.

He too had caught on to the fact that Solána had been eating less those past few days and he'd also noticed that she'd lost a few pounds, so he'd called Dr. Scott to see if they could figure out what exactly was causing that.

When Solána approached them, "Why are you not eating, huh?" He asked, gently stroking her hair and trying his best to hide the concern in his voice.

She just shrugged her shoulders, taking his hand. "I'm not hungry," she simply replied before staring at her teacher. "Bye, Ms. Spencer," she waved her hand at her, sending her a bright smile.

"Bye, Solána. I'll see you tomorrow," the woman returned the smile and then looked at Jay, "Mr. Halstead," she moved her head in a small nod and then got back inside the classroom, where a few more kids were playing while they waited for their parents to come and pick them up.

Solána and Jay exited the building in no time and walked towards his truck.

"Did you have fun today?" He asked her, opening the door for her and helping her hop inside the vehicle.

"Yeah, I drawed a lot!" She replied, getting in her car seat and observing her father buckling her up.

"You drew a lot, huh..." Jay subtly corrected her, "What did you draw?" He asked.

Solána blushed at the question, then shook her head. "It's a surprise, I can't tell you," she said with a smirk.

He raised his eyebrows. "A surprise… Wow, okay, okay, I'll try to be patient then," he muttered before closing the door and going to the driver's seat, putting his seatbelt on.

Once she saw he was set, "Daddy…" The little girl trailed off, staring outside the window and then at her father, who had just turned to look at her.

"Is Hailey your real girlfriend now?" She asked, pressing her lips together and waiting for an answer.

Jay's eyes widened in a heartbeat, clearly taken off guard by her words. He definitely wasn't expecting that question from her.

So, "What d'you mean?" He asked, trying to know what exactly she intended with that word, knowing she'd attributed her own unique meaning to it.

Solána shrugged, pursing her lips. "You kissed here"—she touched her mouth—"Lo he visto," she explained, nodding vehemently. "That means she's your real girlfriend, right?" She insisted.

Jay lifted his brows, a confused look on his face. "Sol, when did you see me kiss Hailey?"

Solána tilted her head, trying to recall the exact moment she saw them, but "No recuerdo," she stated.

He hummed in response, letting out a small sigh.

He knew they were about to have that conversation sooner or later, but Jay thought he was going to be the one addressing the topic first, not his too smart four-year-old daughter.

But, "Hailey is my real girlfriend," he confirmed, staring at Solána to see how she was going to react.

He knew she liked her, but it wasn't automatic that she would approve of their relationship.

And Jay was about to ask her, he wanted to make sure she was okay with it, but Solána stopped him before he could even open his mouth. 

"That means you're Flynn!" She exclaimed, her lips curled into an excited smile, a twinkle lighting up her green eyes.

"Huh?" He chuckled, scratching the back of his head, not getting her reference immediately.

"She's Rapunzel and you're Flynn" Solána explained matter-of-factly, smiling at him.

Jay returned the smile, a sigh of relief escaping his lips. "I guess I'm Flynn, then…" 

That went smoother than he thought.

But, just to be extra sure, "You're okay with that?" He asked, "Hailey and I being together," he specified.

Solána nodded eagerly, her round cheeks lifting up as her smile widened. "I can eat loumádes whenever I want," she muttered, sending a knowing look to her dad.

And Jay couldn't help but start laughing out loud, shaking his head at her words. "Ah, now I see… You're tryna be slick, huh?" He reached for her stomach and started tickling her, making her giggle loudly.

"No, I'm a good girl!" She protested between giggles, trying to keep his hand away from her.

When he decided to let her free, "Yeah, you are," he agreed with a nod, winking at her. "My favorite girl," he added, watching Solàna smile proudly at his words.

Jay then took his phone and, "What does my favorite girl wanna listen to?" He asked her.

Solàna didn't really have to think about it, already having her answer: "No se habla de Bruno," she replied excitedly, watching Jay type the title on his phone, her smile widening when the song resonated in the car and she started singing along.

« No se habla de Bruno, no, no, no...»

Solána hurried in front of the door the moment she heard the doorbell ring, her eyes filled with excitement.

"Papi!" She yelled at Jay as though to tell him he needed to be quick.

"You impatient little soul…" He murmured as he approached her, finally getting the door.

"Now isn't that my favorite Halstead?!" Hailey smiled excitedly, stepping inside the apartment and closing the door behind her.

Solána proudly grinned, "That's me," she mumbled, giving the blonde a tight hug.

"Well, I'm not offended," Jay muttered sarcastically as they went to the living room.

Then, deciding to just catch her by surprise, "Hi," he leaned towards her and stole a kiss from her, grinning when she pressed her lips on his in return, but then froze abruptly, realizing they weren't alone.

"Jay!" She whispered-yelled, eyeing Solána and silently telling him she'd definitely seen them.

"We talked," he mumbled to her, a knowing look on his face.

Hailey gasped, "Oh."

Jay snorted at her reaction, "Yeah," he squeezed her shoulder, listening to Solána as she asked him to put some music on 'cause she wanted to dance.

The blonde smiled by herself, going to the kitchen to get herself a glass of water, while New shoes by Paolo Nutini started playing in the background.

She was soon joined by Jay, and she sent him a confused look. Before she could ask any questions, 

"I didn't even have to tell her," he began talking, leaning against the countersink and glancing at her. "She literally asked me if you're my real girlfriend now"—he chuckled—"She saw us kiss, I have no idea when," he went on.

"And we thought we were being careful, huh?" Hailey retorted, crossing her arms on her chest. Then, "Is she okay with... Us?"

Jay scoffed loudly, the sound followed by a chuckle. "Called us Rapunzel and Flynn," he said, amusedly shaking his head.

"That's couple goals, she's not playing!" Hailey exclaimed, blushing a little.

"Just, one thing…" He trailed off.

"What?"

"Loukou..?"

"Loukoumádes?"

Jay nodded, "Yeah, those. She thinks she's gonna eat them whenever she wants now," he raised his brows, not really approving of that.

Hailey hummed, tilting her head. "Cute but very unhealthy," she commented, scrunching up her nose, "Maybe every once in a while…" 

"Exactly, thank you, glad we're on the same page," he laughed, kissing her cheek and winking at her. "You staying for dinner, right?"

She moved her head in a nod, not really able to say no to him when he looked at her like that.

Hailey turned the blow-dryer off, immediately hearing the sound of Solána's laugh.

The little girl always got ticklish whenever it was time to dry her hair, and this time it was a task Hailey had been more than happy to perform.

The blonde gently brushed her hair to make sure there weren't any knots in the way. "Now what?" She asked once she finished that task too.

Solána looked around the bathroom and pointed at a little sprayer.

Hailey stared at it curiously, trying to smell it, smiling when her nostrils detected a faint scent of argan.

"Oh, I see why you have such beautiful hair…" She trailed off as she sprayed the mixture of natural oils. "That's your secret, huh?"

Solána giggled and nodded. "We can share," she told her, sending a smile her way. "Only you, though," she warned her.

"That's nice of you, thanks."

Once they were done applying moisture to the hair, "Want me to do your two braids?" Hailey asked, but Solána shook her head, keeping the relaxed expression on her face.

"Daddy's gotta do it," she told her simply, moving her shoulders in a small shrug.

And Hailey nodded at her response, understanding the deeper connotation of her words.

It was part of Solána and Jay's routine, it was their moment, only theirs, and it had become somehow sacred to them.

"Just a minute, then," Hailey mumbled, quickly tidying up the bathroom and putting each used item where it originally was, knowing how much Jay hated things being all over the place.

When she finished, she took Solána by the hand and then exited the bathroom together, walking towards the living room where Jay was typing something on his laptop.

He glimpsed at the two, longing his gaze on Solána just to then shift it on Hailey, mumbling an inaudible ' Thank you ' to her, making her blush.

Then, "You're ready, Sol?" He asked the little girl, who hurried in front of him.

Solána turned around and smiled when she felt him starting to make the first braid.

Then, "You know, Daddy said we gotta see my doctor…" She said out of the blue, eyeing Hailey the best way she could without interfering with her father's work.

"Your doctor?" Hailey asked with concern, then turned to look at Jay, "When? Why?"

"Saturday"—he sighed—"She's barely eating and she lost almost three pounds," he simply said for her, focusing on the second braid.

He enjoyed doing it, braiding his daughter's hair. Learning how to do it had been a bit of a hassle, especially because he was scared his large, rough hands would unintentionally hurt Solána, but the hundreds of YouTube videos he watched helped him perfect his technique, turning him into a pro — alright, fine, he was… Okay.

"Oh Sol, I'm very sorry to hear that. But I'm sure your doctor will find out what is going on and you're gonna feel a lot better," Hailey told Solána, sending her a reassuring smile.

She then eyed Jay and, "You're good at-"

Hailey got interrupted by the sound of the doorbell ringing.

Jay raised his brows in confusion when he heard it, wondering who the hell was showing up at his house at that time of the day.

"Should I..?" Hailey pointed at the door.

He shook his head, "I'm done here, anyways…" he replied, finishing the second braid and quickly getting up.

Jay walked quickly and was so confused about who it might have been that he didn't even think about checking through the peephole first, and once he opened the door, he almost lost a breath when he saw the person standing in front of him, his eyes wide.

"Camila..?"

"Hi, Jay."

Chapter Text

"Mamá!" Solána exclaimed as soon as she spotted her mother, running towards her and hugging her tightly.

"Papi, it's a surprise!" She turned to look at Jay, who had a shocked expression on his face, still processing the fact that Camila was in front of him.

He snapped out of his daze, clearing his throat. "Yeah, it's definitely a surprise," he mumbled, more to himself than anybody else.

Jay nervously scratched his beard, letting out a sigh, not feeling very enthusiastic about the little stunt the brunette had just pulled on him.

Showing up at his door unannounced really was the best way to irritate him.

But, he stepped aside, allowing Camila to enter the apartment, feeling like he had no other choice.

Hadn't Solána been there he probably would've closed the door the moment he saw her face, but the last thing he wanted was to cause a scene in front of Solána.

Jay turned around and saw Hailey was standing up by the couch, her fingers nervously fiddling with its fabric while her eyes were staring at Camila, taken aback by what was happening.

The tension in that apartment was so thick that even the sharpest knife wouldn't have been able to cut it.

Luckily for them though, Solána was there.

"Mamá, she's my friend Hailey, say hi. You see, she's beautiful, she looks like Rapunzel," she told her mother, taking her hand and having her walk in front of Hailey, who was still frozen next to the couch.

"She is," Camila eyed her daughter and then cordially smiled in Hailey's direction. She then outstretched her hand, "I'm Camila," she muttered.

Hailey was quick to shake her hand, swallowing hard. "Hailey," she said but figured her voice came out a little too low. So she cleared her throat, "Nice to meet you," she put on a smile of courtesy.

She hummed, biting her lower lip and then shifting her gaze on Hailey, who still had a baffled expression on his face.

"I- um, I think I should go..?" She said out loud, not really waiting for an answer and getting her leather jacket off the coat hanger.

When she got in front of Jay, she was met by the apologetic look he was sending her, a sigh escaping her lips.

Hailey dropped her gaze, not feeling like she could stand it at that moment. She knew none of that was his fault, that Camila showed up uninvited, but she also felt like her presence was unrequited, almost like an outsider.

But, as uncomfortable as it was, she didn't want Jay to feel guilty, so she placed her hand on his shoulder, giving it a light squeeze, their eyes meeting briefly.

She sent him a small smile as a way to tell him everything was okay.

"Bye-bye Hailey," Solána hurried to give her a big hug, and Hailey couldn't help but smile at her sweetness.

"Bye princess, have a good night," she winked at her, lightly pinching her cheek. She then looked up, meeting Camila's gaze, and politely smiled at her too, quickly waving her hand and then opening the door, exiting the apartment in no time.

Hailey let out a big huff once she was outside, her back pressed on the wall as she tried to process what exactly had just happened.

It was inevitable for her to feel threatened by Camila's bold move, even though she knew she had nothing to worry about. 

But, about that, did she?

Jay and Camila had known each other for so long, they'd been through a lot, and they had a kid together, for crying out loud! 

She trusted Jay enough for her to believe he would be completely honest if he didn't feel like pursuing things with her anymore, but she also knew she'd be devastated if that was the case.

And, unfortunately, it was a feeling she couldn't shake off her shoulders.

Jay closed the door behind him, his jaw still clenched as he gritted his teeth, a pissed-off expression on his face.

He pressed his fingers on the bridge of his nose when he turned to face Camila, closing his eyes for a few seconds and taking a deep breath, hoping it would help him calm down but quickly finding out it wasn't going to be that easy.

"What?!" Camila blurted out as soon as she noticed Jay's stern look.

He scoffed at her question, baffled by her audacity and shaking his head.

"Are you serious right now? You show up here unannounced and you ask me what?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "I'm here to see my daughter, I didn't know she would be here too," she replied, letting out a sigh.

To be fair, he didn't like it that she put Hailey in an awkward position, basically forcing her to leave, but what bothered him, even more, was the way she clearly didn't give a damn about boundaries.

In fact, "How about a phone call first?" He asked her.

"Why are you always so angry at me?!" She retorted back, narrowing her eyes at him. "Every little thing I do becomes a problem with you and I'm sick and tired of it!" She snapped, watching him let out a dry chuckle.

"Okay," he nodded dismissively, feeling his temples pulsate. It was always migraines with her.

"That's all you have to say, great..." Camila mumbled to herself, lowering her voice, but it was still loud enough for Jay to hear it and lose his cool.

"I don't have to say shit to you, you shouldn't even be here in the first place!" He yelled, taking a step forward, feeling the blood boil in his veins.

Camila had the strange ability to know what exactly to do or say to light the fuse and make Jay explode, making him only see red — a bull and his matador.

And she was about to yell back, feeling like he was making a scene for no reason, but "Papi…" Solána whined, staring at him with a frown. 

She was covering her ears with her hands, a look of disapproval on her face as she pouted, "No yelling," she told him, her eyes wide as she looked between her parents.

Jay glimpsed down at her, blushing hard and feeling terrible for losing his temper in front of her. It was something he'd sworn he'd never do, and he'd just broken his promise. 

He knew better than that.

With a swift move, he took Solána in his arms and hugged her tightly, kissing her forehead. "I'm sorry. I won't do it again. Can you forgive me?" He whispered to her, a tiny smile forming on his lips when she nodded, hooking her arms around his neck.

She let out a loud yawn and, "Tired?" Jay asked her, caressing her back.

Solana nodded while rubbing her eyes with her fist.

"Can I at least put her to bed?" Camila took a step closer to them, stroking Solána's hair. She sighed and tilted her head, boring her eyes into Jay's.

He let out a small huff and nodded slowly, "Go ahead," he told her, passing her Solána and watching them disappear into their daughter's bedroom.

When Camila came back to the living room, she found Jay furiously typing something on his phone, so focused that he only noticed her presence when she sat on the couch, at the opposite end of it.

He glimpsed at her, placing his phone on the coffee table and scratching his beard.

Jay took a deep breath, hoping this conversation wouldn't lead them to raise their voices again.

"I'm sorry I yelled," he started, "But, I told you, I don't have a problem with you seeing her, okay?"—he looked into her eyes—"Just… next time call me first," he stated, huffing heavily.

"I don't wanna confuse her…" he trailed off, keeping his voice low.

Camila scoffed at his statement, rolling her eyes. "As if you're not doing that already," she commented, her leg nervously bouncing up and down.

One thing about her, she didn't know how to bite her tongue. Camila had always been very bold and direct, if she had something in her mind, she was going to express it. No exceptions.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Jay glared at her, though he knew exactly what she meant.

She huffed, "Look, I'm sure your girlfriend is great, but Solána already has a mom and-"

"Unbelievable," He ran his hand down his face, watching her total dumbstruck. "Camila, what the hell. You really think Hailey's tryna take your place?"

"I'm-"

"You saw her for, what, two minutes and you're already assuming things about her? But then I get pissed and I'm the bad guy, right?" He harshly muttered those words and then got up, done with that conversation.

He went to the kitchen, filling a glass with some cold water, and chugging it down in no time in a vain attempt to calm himself down.

"I completed the program," he heard Camila's low voice.

Jay turned around and saw she was in the kitchen with him, sitting at the table.

He took another glass from the cupboard, filling it with water too. He then handed it to her and "Congratulations," he muttered, though the features of his face were still pretty serious.

"Thanks," she raised the glass and then took a small sip. "Never thought I'd toast with water," she commented amusedly.

Jay glanced at her, granting himself a tiny smile at her attempt to lighten up the mood.

Camila sighed, hiding a few strands of hair behind her ears. "I had a job interview yesterday. It went well, I start tomorrow," she told him. "It definitely doesn't pay millions but"—she shrugged—"it's a start. Step-by-step," she concluded.

He nodded in agreement, "Good for you, Camila" he simply said.

He wished he could show a little more support and cheerfulness, but he also didn't want to be a hypocrite. There was no need for fake coaxing.

"It is," Camila whispered. Then, "Hey, I'm sorry for what I said about Hailey," she then muttered, a sheepish look on her face. "You're right, I don't know her, I shouldn't say things about her…" She continued, lowering her gaze onto the floor.

Jay couldn't really tell if she was being genuine or not, but he appreciated that she at least tried.

"Hailey is great," he replied, relaxing immediately as soon as his mind started thinking about his girlfriend. "In general, but especially with Sol," he went on, staring into Camila's brown eyes.

"You know I wouldn't even be with her if that wasn't the case," he concluded, crossing his arms on his chest.

Camila sent a small smile his way, slowly nodding her head. She believed him, she knew Jay wouldn't be dating Hailey if she didn't get along with Solána. 

Then, "Looks like you really love her," She blurted out, causing Jay to widen his eyes.

She knew Jay enough to be confident he wouldn't be so defensive of her if he didn't care deeply. Plus, she'd recognized the look he gave Hailey as the blonde was exiting the apartment, the little twinkle in his eyes, the way it almost felt like he wanted to go after her.

Camila chuckled when she saw Jay's cheeks turn reddish. "Sorry, I know it's weird to talk about this with me…" She took a step back, scratching her head in embarrassment.

Jay hummed, "Yeah, no, it's not that. I mean, yeah, it is definitely weird," he started rambling, not really making any sense.

He was still shocked about her statement and the way she seemed to be so sure of it 

A brief silence ensued. Jay felt his heartbeat increase as he replayed her words — well, the word.

It was something he'd been thinking about a lot lately, the natural way in which Hailey had entered his life, his heart.

He knew he was falling hard. What he felt for Hailey couldn't be described as a simple crush, she wasn't just some random cute girl who entered his store one day and made him lose his mind

It was something deeper, pure, and intense, and he wasn't sure he could give it a specific label yet. Or maybe he could, maybe he knew exactly what to call it, but it was such a big word that it almost scared him.

He didn't play when it'd come to It, and after being hurt so badly in the past, he wasn't sure he was ready to use it yet.

"Anyways. Solána"—Jay sighed, changing the subject—"What's the plan?"

"What the-?" Hailey exclaimed when Vanessa abruptly closed her laptop, clearly not caring that she was reading something on it and placing a cup of coffee in front of her instead.

"Break," she told her.

They were in the teacher's lounge. Vanessa was grading her class homework and it was stressing her out a lot because it seemed like her students weren't even trying to learn Spanish.

As for Hailey, she was preparing some slides for her next lesson. It had been inspired by the show she and Jay attended on their first official date, and it was about the influence of African music in all the different genres. She thought it was cool and interesting, and she hoped her students would share the same opinion.

"Yeah, sure, I wasn't doing anything important," Hailey retorted sarcastically, but still smiled when the strong aroma of coffee filled her nostrils. "Thank you," she told her friend.

"Now it's time for the tea," the brunette murmured with enthusiasm.

Hailey told her about Camila's breach in Jay's apartment the previous night, but she didn't give her any details. And, before she could ask for info, it was already time for them to be in class, so she definitely had been left hanging.

"But we're having coffee," Hailey feigned cluelessness, earning a glare from Vanessa.

"Yada yada yada," she rolled her eyes, "Just talk."

The blonde sighed and took a sip of her coffee just to buy some time.

Then, "There's not really much to say," she began, shrugging her shoulders. "She showed up, we greeted each other, and then I left," she explained simply.

"She showed up like that, out of the blue?" Vanessa asked, slightly raising her eyebrows.

Hailey nodded, "Pretty much, yeah," she answered, focusing her gaze on the coffee cup between her palms.

"Kind of a low blow if you ask me," the brunette commented, imagining how her friends must've been feeling in that tricky position.

Hailey didn't really remark on this, huffing hard.

Then, "What if he wants to go back with her, try to get their family back?" She blurted out, voicing the thought that had been haunting her since the previous night.

That thought had been keeping her up all night — all she did was toss and turn, and overthink.

But, "Nah," Vanessa was quick to say, shaking her head vehemently. "Hailey, he's into you. No one else," she added, staring at the blonde who still looked unconvinced.

Vanessa had been a little skeptical about him, especially after the ghosting episode, but she'd seen Hailey and Jay together, and the amount of happiness they seemed to provide each other was unmatched. There was no way either of them would miss out on that.

"Homegirl missed the boat, she gotta deal with that," she shrugged, making a funny face that caused Hailey to smile a little.

The blonde hummed after taking another sip of coffee. "Let's hope she knows," she muttered.

"Trust me, she'll know," Vanessa dramatically cracked her knuckles, the sound making her friend cringe.

Hailey chuckled, shaking her head. "I swear, you and Adam…" 

"We're the Hailey Anne Upton defense squad," the brunette shrugged, sending a wink her way.

Kevin was staring at his best friend with wide eyes and a flabbergasted expression on his face, still not believing what he'd just told him.

"You're kidding," He mumbled, hoping he didn't just hear Jay say that Camila had shown up at his door the previous night.

Jay shook his head, "Swear on my life," he said back.

They were on their lunch break, the store was momentarily closed. What I got by Sublime was playing through the speakers as the two enjoyed the Thai food they'd been delivered not too long ago.

"And poor Hailey was there?" He asked, getting a nod in response. "That's not cool," he concluded.

Then, "What did she say?"

"Hailey or Camila?"

Kevin shrugged, "Both, I guess."

"Camila is back," Jay said, and before he could continue,

"To her bullshit," Kevin mumbled under his breath, causing his friend to snort at his words.

"Hopefully not," he replied with a sigh. "We found an arrangement for her to see Sol," he went on, watching Kevin move his head in a slow nod.

"That's good," he murmured before sipping a bit of his soda.

"Yeah…" Jay trailed off, biting his lips, a pensive look on his face.

He was hopeful yet still skeptical, he had to be.

He hoped she wasn't playing him this time, that her intentions were genuine and in the right place, but… He wouldn't bet his life on it like the last time.

He'd trusted her blindly in the past and it turned out to be the biggest mistake of his life, so he wanted to tread very carefully this time.

"Earth to Jay..?" Kevin yelled, tossing a napkin at him.

"Huh?"

"I said, what about Hailey?" He repeated the question his friend clearly didn't hear, too caught up in his own head.

Jay hummed, scratching his beard. "Been texting her the whole day but"—he shrugged—"No answer yet."

Kevin couldn't help but widen his eyes a little. He was pretty sure that Hailey not responding to his text wasn't a positive sign, but didn't say anything to Jay because he didn't want to upset him (or deal with his short temper).

Then, an idea popped in his head: "What time does she clock out?"

Jay slightly frowned at him, a bit weirded out, but nonetheless answered. "Today's Thursday so um… Around four," he stated.

Before he could ask the reason behind that question, "Make sure you're there by then," Kevin simply mumbled.

When Jay tilted his head at him, he scoffed, shaking his head. "Your crazy-ass ex shows up at your door uninvited while your current girlfriend is there…" He murmured, crossing his arms on his chest, letting out a long sigh. "I know I would feel threatened," he went on, raising his brows, "You gotta make sure she knows she has nothing to worry about, dawg. Go to her," he repeated.

"I'll take care of this place," he assured, sending a playful wink his way, having the last bite of his food and getting up to toss the empty box in the nearest trash can.

Jay was still sitting behind the counter, replaying his friend's words.

Kevin was right.

Hailey needed him to man up and actually show her his intentions, and it wasn't something that could happen over text messages.

Hailey followed her friend as the two of them exited the school building, happy that their hectic workday was finally over.

The blonde felt herself tremble a little. 

The weather in Chicago was getting colder with each day passing, and Hailey definitely needed to pull her heavy clothes out.

The two were headed towards Vanessa's dark red Nissan, but "Hey, look who showed up!" The brunette exclaimed, grabbing her friend's attention and pointing her finger at Jay, who was standing by his truck.

Hailey stopped in her tracks, a small gasp of surprise escaping her lips.

(If only all surprises could be like this one…)

She watched Vanessa wave at him and then turn around to her, "Guess you already have a ride," she winked at her as a way to tell her goodbye.

Jay walked towards the blonde calmly, his hands in his pockets.

"Hey!" He greeted her once he was in front of her, sending her a shy smile.

After everything that happened the previous night, he needed to test the waters first, know exactly where they stood and try to avoid making Hailey uncomfortable.

She smiled back at him, nodding her head when he asked if she wanted to go on a ride.

Hailey knew it was a subtle way to tell her he wanted to talk to her, and, sure, she was nervous, but she appreciated his attempt at being delicate about it.

They walked to his truck and Jay opened the door for her, an additional gesture of care that he enjoyed doing for her.

Plus, his mom taught him well: Jay Alexander, you always, always open the door for a woman. 

It was important to her.

Once he too got inside the vehicle, "I sent you a few texts this morning..?" He said as he put his seatbelt on, briefly turning his head to look at Hailey.

"Yeah, I was super late, I left my phone at home," she simply replied.

She had spent the night wide awake, thinking about what happened and only falling asleep early in the morning.

She didn't come to work late only thanks to Vanessa, who had been furiously ringing her doorbell, causing the blonde to rush out of her apartment — the last thing she had on her mind was her phone.

Jay nodded at her answer. Then, "You don't love it no more?" He asked.

Hailey thought about the words, repeating them in her head, then gasped at him, hitting his arm. "Dude, I can't stand you," she muttered, trying to keep herself from smiling but failing miserably.

He smirked at her, glad he'd managed to make her smile. She looked cute with those dimples showing up and her squinted eyes.

He scoffed dramatically, a smug smile on his lips. "Even you don't believe it," he replied cockily, handing Hailey his phone so she could choose a song.

It became their thing. He'd drive and she'd choose the music.

Hailey ignored his words, not before sending him a glare, and let out a relaxed sigh when she heard the riff of the acoustic guitar at the beginning of Radio by The Corrs, which was one of her favorite songs.

"What did you have for lunch?" Jay asked her, starting the car and getting on the road.

"I- um…" She opened her mouth to answer but had to close it again, feeling herself blushing.

She actually forgot about lunch, too busy with her work.

He huffed in response, "Of course," he mumbled, "You gotta stop doing that, Hailey," he told her in a scolding tone, glimpsing at her. "It's not healthy," he added.

Hailey huffed, hiding a few strands of hair behind her ear, "I know, I know."

Jay reached for her, placing his palm on her thigh and giving it a light squeeze. "You okay with a burger? I feel like having a burger…"

She smiled at him and his consideration, how he always looked out for her. It was nothing major but Hailey wasn't for grand gestures anyway, she preferred to notice the little things, a detail, a subtle look, or a comforting smile.

"Jay, I'm so hungry I'd probably eat this truck," she replied with a chuckle.

He frowned dramatically, pouting his lips. "Hey, no, that's my baby, leave her out of this."

Hailey snorted, "Your baby?"

"Don't judge me, Hailey Anne."

Hailey chuckled when she saw Jay quietly observing her open her burger and put the fries in the middle of it, closing it back.

"You look shocked," she commented, smiling at the creation in her hands.

He shook his head, "This is a look of admiration," he replied wittily, "The way you opened that burger, ooh, so sexy," he joked, closing his eyes dramatically.

Hailey absolutely adored the funny side of his character. To someone who didn't know him, Jay seemed to be this stoic, broody guy who took himself a little too seriously, while in reality he was extremely easy-going and fun to be around.

They were sitting next to each other in the booth of a '70s themed fast food, a cool place a young man had opened not too long ago.

They'd been welcomed by the voice of Donna Summer in I feel love, the famous tune making them miss a time they didn't even get the chance to experience.

Hailey swallowed her first bite and sighed, staring at Jay.

The atmosphere was chill, meant for them to relax and enjoy their food, though she couldn't help but feel on edge, knowing there was a matter that needed to be addressed sooner or later.

And, usually, she would've tried to procrastinate till the last, but this time, Hailey was the one to rip the band-aid off.

In fact, "So…" She started, wiping her mouth with a napkin and clearing her throat, "What happened last night?"

The song in the background switched to Sunny by Marvin Gaye when Jay let out a heavy huff, his leg bouncing under the table and his appetite suddenly gone.

"The start was kinda messy," he replied, biting his lower lip. "There was a bit of yelling on my part, I'm not gonna lie," he admitted with a sigh, avoiding Hailey's piercing gaze.

He also avoided telling her which words Camila used referring to her: things were already awkward, he didn't want her to be upset on top of that.

Jay started fiddling with his napkin, opening his mouth to speak again. "She's done with her program, got a job and… It seems like she wants to get it together," he explained.

But, "You can never be too sure with her though…" He added with a sigh, shrugging his shoulders, a skeptical expression on his face. 

His words were a bit strong but they were also true, and it wasn't like he was telling Hailey something he hadn't already told Camila.

It was her last chance at trying to make things right, Jay made sure she was well aware of that.

He finally focused his eyes on Hailey, who was carefully listening to what he was saying.

"Anyway, what's on your mind?" He asked, his eyes boring into hers.

Hailey blushed heavily at the question, dropping her gaze and tracing the rim of her glass of water.

She wouldn't describe herself as a jealous person, but she also couldn't lie and say she didn't somehow feel intimidated by Camila and the past she and Jay shared, and she had to admit that her showing up at his door like that did make her feel a bit threatened.

She didn't know if she wanted to let him know, though. Maybe she was just overreacting and overthinking.

"Hailey…" Jay trailed off, looking into her eyes and seeing a bit of hesitation behind them, "Just tell me," he said calmly, understanding she was in a weird position.

"I kinda felt like I was in the way," she spoke up timidly, suddenly feeling very silly. 

Jay sighed, scratching his beard. "I'm sorry, I swear I didn't know she was gonna-"

Hailey moved her head in a nod. "Yeah no, I know that. I-" she huffed, taking a deep breath, "I'm talking in general," she continued and saw him slightly raise his eyebrows, clearly not expecting that answer.

"You two are not just exes, you know? You've been through a lot and you have a daughter and-"

"And there's a reason why we're not together anymore," Jay muttered sternly, his frustration growing as he knew already where she was heading with that topic.

"Hailey, I-" he stopped himself from going further, taking a long and deep breath before saying anything he would regret. 

His heart was beating at an accelerated pace, feeling like a hammer, his breathing had quickened a little too.

Jay cleared his throat. "You're not in the way," he repeated the words she'd used. "I wanna be with you. Not Camila, not anybody else. You." he stated.

Hailey stared at him, taken aback by what he'd just said. She kept shifting her gaze between his green eyes and his lips, back and forth.

She normally was a huge PDA hater but she honestly couldn't resist the soft look he was sending her, his eyes gently boring into hers and making her feel lulled.

So, she granted them a small, quick peck that soon turned into something more intense when Jay palmed her face, cupping her jaw.

It felt like it had been ages since the last time they'd kissed.

Hailey pulled back when she felt out of air to breathe, a faint smile on her lips, her cheeks red. 

"I wanna be with you too," she whispered with her lips brushing against his, recognizing the familiar twinkle in his eyes. "But let me eat my burger first," she continued, smirking proudly when she heard Jay's soft chuckle.

Stuck with me by The Neighbourhood was playing when the back door of Jay's truck opened and Hailey snapped out of her daze with that sound. 

She turned around and she was met by a set of two pretty green eyes, "Hi Hailey!" Solána waved at her as Jay made sure her seatbelt was positioned correctly.

Hailey winked at her, "Hello princess, how are you doing? Did you have fun at school?"

Jay hopped on the truck as well, checking an email he'd just received.

"I painted with my hands. There’s still color on them, see?” Solána showed Hailey her hands, grinning from ear to ear. Then, “Hailey, do you know Spanish?" She asked out of the blue.

"I know a little, yeah," Hailey replied.

The little girl widened her eyes at her response, "Really?!" She exclaimed with excitement while Jay started the car.

The blonde hummed, nodding her head. "My best friend speaks Spanish, so I learned through her," she explained.

"That means I can talk Spanish with you too!"

"Yeah, and you can even teach me some," Hailey said with a wink, watching Solána nod her head eagerly, a bright smile on her lips.

Then, "Papi," she trailed off, and Jay quickly glimpsed at her through the rearview mirror.

"What's up?"

"I used the bubble thing and it worked!" She told him.

Before he could reply, "The bubble thing?" Hailey chimed in with curiosity, eyeing both Jay and Solána.

He chuckled at her. "Sol, wanna tell Hailey what's the bubble thing?"

Solána nodded, focusing her gaze on the blonde. "The bubble is invisible! I'm the only one who can see it! And nobody can get inside it if I don't want to. Daddy said it's personal," she explained the best way she could. Then, "I told Nate he can't enter my bubble today and he listened to me!" She concluded, proudly smiling at herself.

"Teaching her boundaries," Jay tried to give it a little extra context. 

"Oh well, you spoke up for yourself, that's great Sol. Boundaries are very important," Hailey commented.

Solána smiled with enthusiasm, "That's what Daddy said," she then furrowed her brows, "No means no," she repeated Jay's words, doing her best impression of his voice and causing Hailey to chuckle at her.

"That's correct," the blonde muttered in agreement, glimpsing at Jay and nodding her head, a proud look in her eyes.

Jay was doing an excellent job raising her, and Solána was lucky to have such a good, kind-hearted man as her dad.

“Daddy, Hailey said she’s gonna teach me how to play the piano,” Solána muttered as Jay was putting her to bed after her shower.

After picking her up from preschool, they made a quick stop at Hailey’s apartment to collect her phone, and then went to Jay’s to have dinner together.

“Didn’t know you wanted to play the piano…” he commented, tucking Solána with the lilac blankets, making sure her stuffed koala was right next to her.

“I wanna play the piano, the guitar, and the cymbals,” she added enthusiastically.

Her passion for music was something she’d definitely inherited from him.

“Cymbals?”

Solána nodded eagerly, “They’re cool!” She exclaimed, holding Mr. Ko close to her chest and laying down.

“You’re cool,” Jay winked at her, seeing her signature grin spread onto her face.

When she let out a big yawn, “Okay, time to sleep,” he said, “Have a good night,” he leaned toward her and kissed her cheeks and the tip of her nose, “I love you.”

"I love you too," Solána smiled, returning the kisses and waving at him as Jay exited her room and turned the lights off.

When he got to the living room, he saw that Hailey was actually sitting at the kitchen table, quickly scribbling something on her notebook and typing on her laptop, a concentrated look on her face as Stand by Me by Ben E. King was playing at a low volume.

Jay was observing her quietly, finding himself thinking she looked absolutely stunning without even trying.

"You know staring is rude, right?" She asked, catching him off guard. Hailey didn't even bother to turn her head, her eyes still focused on her work.

She loved her job and wouldn't change it for any other position in the world, but God, her workday never really ended, did it?

Between grading papers and preparing lessons and presentations, trying to keep them fresh and interesting for every single one of her students… It could be very stressful at times.

And Jay was able to detect the stress in her frowny expression, she seemed tense, and he only wanted her to relax a bit.

He walked to her and placed his palms onto her shoulders, chuckling when he heard her moan in pleasure as he started massaging her tensed muscles.

"You're gonna give me a full massage before I go home, I deserve it," she said, watching Jay sit next to her, his hands still doing their job perfectly.

And Jay couldn't help but smirk. "A massage, that's what it's called now… Cool, cool, cool." He trailed off, pressing his lips together to prevent himself from laughing at her face.

Hailey snapped her head at him, her cheeks slightly turned red. "Vanessa has a terrible influence on you," she muttered, focusing back on her job, enjoying the feeling of Jay's hand doing wonders to her neck.

"How about I give you the massage and… You spend the night?" He asked her, a hopeful tone behind his voice.

There wasn't a big, complicated scheme around it — Jay just wanted to spend more time with her, as much as she'd allow him.

"Just… Stay," he said again, biting his lower lip.

Hailey briefly stared into his eyes, not really needing any convincing from him. "Maybe I will," she muttered cheekily, looking at the screen in front of her even though she knew she wasn't able to focus anymore, only having Jay on her mind.

"Maybe?" Jay asked. He'd detected the teasing note in her voice, and could easily see the tiny smirk curling up her lips, and as much as they seemed to be positive signs, he still wanted to hear it from her.

"Maybe as in you need me to convince you?" He tried again, his palms stopping from giving her the massage and traveling down her body instead, resting around her waist.

The blonde nodded, figuring she wasn't being productive anymore and saving the work on her laptop. "I think so, yeah," she said, feigning nonchalance and enjoying the playfulness of it all.

Jay noticed her slightly pushing the laptop away and took it as his cue that he now had all of her attention.

And he didn't waste time, having her sit on his lap with her back pressed against his chest, his arm tightly wrapped around her.

He pushed her hair away and attached his lips to her neck, a soft hum escaping her mouth when he moved to the spot right under her earlobe, knowing how much she liked it.

Her breath hitched when she felt his warm hand touch her colder skin, and by the way his lips seemed to have no intentions of letting go of her neck, Hailey quickly made peace with the fact that she was going to have a few hickeys to cover with make-up.

"Still a maybe?" Jay asked her when she finally turned her head towards him, a smug smile on her lips as she nodded again.

She was pretty sure the trembling of her voice would betray her if she spoke, so she didn't even try.

Instead, she pressed her lips on his, smiling when she felt his smile against her mouth as they indulged in their passionate kiss.

His hand traveled up her back, his fiery fingertips causing Hailey to shiver. Every time he navigated her body that way, it felt like the first one, giving her a whole asset of blissful feelings that were always new, never the same.

Nothing was really ever the same with Jay.

He easily unclasped her bra under her shirt, his eyes still looking into hers, and smiled smugly when his hands softly brushed against her breasts, her face turning redder with every touch.

If he ever had any doubts about her wanting to be with him, the look Hailey sent him was saying everything and more. And it was driving him crazy.

Just the two of us by Bill Withers and Grover Washington Jr. started playing when Jay pulled back slightly, his breath caressing Hailey's skin.

"I guess it's still a maybe, right?" He asked with a chuckle as she nodded again, adjusting her position on him and actually straddling him.

That definitely wasn't a maybe, but since she was being a tease, he decided he was going to beat her at her own game.

He grinned victoriously when his thumbs brush up against her hardened nipples, making her gasp intensely.

"What about now?" He teased some more, his teeth grazing over her earlobe.

Hailey cupped his face, his stubble prickling her palm. "What about," she kissed his jaw, "We," she moved to his chin, "Take it to the bedroom?" And she finally crushed their lips together.

She didn’t mind staying in the kitchen — there wasn’t much difference between the counter or any other place as long as she had Jay with her — but she had to keep in mind that it wasn’t just the two of them, pun intended.

Jay didn't need her to say it twice; he stopped the music and got on his feet with Hailey still wrapped around his body and hurrying to his bedroom.

Hailey sighed contently as Jay continued to pepper her face with quick kisses, his stubble tickling her soft skin.

"You okay?" He groggily asked her, his eyes lighting up when they met her face, her cheeks red and a tired smile curling up her lips.

He caressed her bare back, tightening his grip around her body while she rested her head in the crook of his neck, enjoying the feeling of his fingers threading her hair.

She hummed and moved her head in a nod, leaving a small peck on his shoulders.

Hailey was exhausted after the long day and the activities that led them to be wrapped in each other — she couldn't really tell where she started and where he began — but she wouldn't have it any other way.

"Good," Jay mumbled, kissing the top of her head.

He scratched his chin, slightly turning his head to the side, and she couldn't help but lay eyes on the scar on his neck that always grabbed her attention.

He saw her staring at it and brushed his pointer finger over it.

"I wish there was a cool story behind it, maybe even heroic, but"—he shrugged, glimpsing down at Hailey—"it's not the case," he said, letting out a dry chuckle.

"It's the reason why I took this apartment," he started, nervously scratching his beard. "Camila, she was… Spiraling, and it was awful. We were fighting constantly for the dumbest things, and I got my share of slaps in the face 'cause I have like zero patience and yeah, I can't really bite my tongue either... One day I wake up and say 'you know what? Let's go out for breakfast and have a good time and forget about all the shit we have to deal with for a couple of hours," he went on.

Hailey's eyes were glued on him, she was silent, listening to each and every word he was saying.

"So, I go to the kitchen and ask her if she wants to do that. I got no response, I asked her again, still no response, then I lost it, I…" He sighed. "I told her I was done with her treating me like shit, and oh boy," he chuckled to take some edge off.

Jay glanced at Hailey and saw her eyes attentively trained on his face, and he caressed her forehead as a way to tell her to just relax.

"You know those rom-coms where the guy cheats on his girlfriend and she starts throwing everything at him? That's what happened." He muttered, letting out a low hum.

"But- We were in the kitchen, so I got kitchen stuff thrown at me. I'm pretty sure it was a knife..? Definitely felt like it, I tried to dodge it but clearly…" he trailed off, widening his eyes and showing Hailey the scar once more.

"A knife?" The blonde finally spoke up, slightly pulling back so she could look at him better.

Jay nodded slowly, clearing his throat.

"Jay, that's messed up on so many levels, I mean, what the hell?!" She frowned, her eyes getting watery.

"Nobody knows about it… Scratch that, Will probably knows, but," He shook his head, "I don't want anyone to know so-" he sent her a look, and Hailey was quick to nod.

She wasn't sure if he wanted to keep things on the low for privacy reasons or because he felt ashamed. She believed it was the latter, knowing how proud he was, knowing how men, in general, weren't very inclined to acknowledge the fact that they'd endured abuse. Especially from a woman.

But, "Yeah no, of course, this stays between us, yeah," Hailey assured.

"Thank you," Jay mumbled, kissing her forehead and sending her a weak smile.

Hailey lied back close to him, her finger blindly tracing down the bridge of his nose, her mind absorbing that new information.

Then, "Hailey…" He trailed off, his voice thick with exhaustion.

"Hmm?" She looked up at him.

"I'm so glad I've found you."

Chapter Text

When Jay opened his eyes that morning, "Holy sh-", it took everything in him to not freak out and start screaming or running away from his room.

Solána was sitting next to him on the bed with her legs crossed, her chin resting between her palms, and her green eyes were wide and staring at him, blinking only when extremely necessary.

He wouldn't normally describe his daughter as creepy, but that's exactly what she looked like as she kept staring at him that way, not uttering a word.

"Sol," he giggled at himself for getting startled, closing his eyes back and pressing his face on the pillow, his groggy voice thick with sleep.

Jay blindly reached for her and patted her head, a strangled yawn escaping his mouth when he opened his eyes again.

Solána was sitting in that same position, her lips slightly pouty.

He knew that expression very well.

He poked her chin with his finger, "Morning baby," he muttered, rubbing his eye with his free hand.

"Morning," she murmured back in a lower tone, going to hug him as soon as he got into a sitting position.

"What's up?" Jay asked, even though he already knew why she was upset.

Her frown deepened. "I don't wanna go to the hospital," she said in a whiny voice, shaking her head vehemently.

He expected that answer but Jay sighed nonetheless.

It was the day. 

They were going to head to Med and see Solána's pediatrician so they would do a blood test and hope it could give some answer to their questions. Her sudden loss of appetite and weight was concerning Jay and he wanted to make sure it wasn't anything serious.

And he perfectly understood Solána: he too wasn't a fan of hospitals, just the aseptic smell inside of them always made him want to go home.

"I know, but we have to, Sol. We need to know what's going on," Jay rubbed her back, "It'll be super quick though."

Solána pulled back and cupped his face with her small hands, "But it's waffle day! It's not fair!" She protested.

Not only did she have to go to a place she hated but she was going to skip waffle day too... She was annoyed. Very much so.

But, "We're still having waffles, Sol Sol," Jay tickled her stomach, watching her lips quiver and trying their best not to curl into a smile. "Later than usual, but we're not skipping waffle day," he concluded, winking at her.

Solána studied his face in silence, her head slightly tilted. Then, "You promise?" 

Jay was quick to eagerly nod his head, "I promise."

They entered the door of Gaffney Chicago Memorial at around 9.30 PM and as soon as they stepped foot inside, they were met by Maggie's welcoming smile.

"Look who we got here!" She exclaimed, tickling Solána's chin and making her giggle briefly.

"Hi, Maggie," the expression on her face quickly switched into a serious one though, a deep frown between her brows.

"What's that face for?" The nurse asked, tilting her head at her.

Jay replied for her, a sigh escaping his lips. "She'd definitely rather be somewhere else," he muttered, watching Solána looking around with suspicion and quickly studying the place.

"Ah! Reminds me of someone," Maggie said back with a wink, smiling when Jay playfully rolled his eyes.

Then, "Dr. Scott's in room 3," she told him, earning a nod in return.

"Thank you, Mags. Have a nice day!" He sent her one last smile, while Solána waved her hand at her.

As they walked to room 3, they spotted Dr. Scott. He greeted them cheerfully and followed them inside the room along with nurse Collister. 

Jay helped Solána sit on the bed and explained the reason why they were doing that visit, though he already did on the phone.

Dr. Scott nodded at him when he finished his account, then turned to look at Solána, "Hey, Sol. You nervous, huh?" He asked though he could see it in the look on her face.

She slowly moved her head in a nod, eyeing her father now and then 'cause it helped her stay calm.

"Your dad told me you're not really eating lately, is that right?"

Solána nodded again, "I'm not hungry," she mumbled, keeping her voice low.

Dylan hummed briefly. "Copy that. Is it okay if I raise your shirt just a little so I can feel your tummy? Or dad can do it if you'd prefer…" He asked.

Without saying a word, she lifted her shirt herself, enough so her tummy would poke out.

"Independent," Dylan commented with a small chuckle, then, "Can I?" He asked again, and Solána nodded.

He felt her stomach and released a small sigh that didn't go unnoticed by Jay, who immediately asked "What is it?", a slightly worried tone in his voice.

"It's a little airy, and with the loss of appetite and weight, it all points to Celiac disease, but I'd have to run a blood test to know for sure," Dr. Scott explained, lifting down Solána's shirt and covering her stomach.

Jay's face had turned pale, and he didn't really know if it was because he heard the word disease or because he was already imagining a long needle entering his daughter's skin.

And Dylan seemed to notice that fearful look, because, "Don't let the word 'disease' scare you, Jay, she's probably intolerant to gluten," he tried to reassure him. "But again I'd have to run some tests to know that for sure..?" He said

Jay listened to him carefully, nervously touching the stubble on his chin as he processed the words, a slight frown on his face.

Then, "Yeah, sure, do what you gotta do," he told him reluctantly, letting out a sigh.

Dylan nodded to nurse Collister and focused on Solána, "Hey, Sol, I gotta ask you to roll up your sleeve, please?"

She complied and waited for the next step.

"Now nurse Collister is gonna take some of your blood. Just a super duper tiny part of it. I know it sounds scary, but it's important so that we can figure out how to help you, you know?" Dylan winked at her, talking rather fast so she wouldn't focus too much on his words and be even more nervous.

Nurse Collister disinfected the spot on her arm, a big smile on her face to try and reassure the little girl.

But - as soon as Solána's green eyes spotted the needle the nurse took, the toddler jerked away with a gasp, reaching for Jay's hand and holding it for dear life.

"Papi," she shook her head vehemently, "No," she mumbled, her eyes quickly getting watery.

Great. They shared the hatred for hospitals and the fear of needles.

And Jay was the one that had to calm her down even though just the sight of the needle was making him squirm visibly.

He took a deep breath and sat next to her on her bed, cupping her face with his hand.

"Hey Sol Sol, look at me please?" He asked, but she kept peeking at the nurse preparing the needle and tears started rolling down her face.

Jay pouted immediately. Solána didn't cry often but the few times she did it always made his heart clench in his chest, wishing he could take all her worries away.

"Aw baby, it's okay. I know you're scared but it's gonna be over before you know it, I promise," he muttered to her as he wiped her tears away.

He then leaned down, a quick idea popping in his mind. "And then you know what?"

Solána looked at him with her eyes wide and shook her head.

Dr. Scott and nurse Collister were giving them their time so Solána would calm down a little, watching them quietly.

"Then we're going to the waffle house, right?" Jay winked at his daughter, and she slowly nodded her head, recalling the conversation they had first thing in the morning.

"You know, Hailey's gonna be there too," he added, knowing that mentioning his girlfriend would do the trick.

And he was right because "Really?" Solána asked, her voice a bit choked up but full of hope.

Jay looked at Dylan and the nurse and sent her a small nod, a silent way to tell them to proceed.

"Yes," he said to them and Solána, who was so happy with the news that she didn't realize nurse Collister had inserted the needle.

"She told me she really can't wait to see you," Jay went on.

It wasn't a made-up story, Hailey really did text him that she was going to join them at the waffle house and that she couldn't wait to see Solána.

"Ow!" Solána exclaimed when she felt the needle exit her arm, and nurse Collister quickly put a yellow band-aid on the affected part.

"You like it?" She asked her.

Solána shifted her gaze between her arm and the nurse, only now figuring out what really happened, 

But then she nodded her head, rubbing her eyes, "I like yellow."

Nurse Collister turned to Dr. Scott, "I'll send this to Lab," she announced, sending Jay and Solána a cordial smile and then exiting the room.

"¿Terminamos ya?" The little girl impatiently asked her father, and he was glad she was her sassy self again.

Dr. Scott and Jay both chuckled at her but before they could answer, someone knocked on the glass door, catching their attention.

"Heard my favorite niece is here!" Will chanted, before stepping inside the room and quickly greeting his coworker and his brother.

"Uncle Will, they took my blood, I don't like it," Solána mumbled with a small frown still present between her brows.

Will eyed his brother before focusing his gaze on his niece, "You're just like your dad, huh…" He commented.

Jay cleared his throat and glared at him, "Shut up."

But Solána didn't miss her uncle's words because "Papi, you're scared too?" She asked her dad.

Jay put his arm on Will's shoulder, squeezing it hard and sending him a deadly glare.

It wasn't enough to stop Will, though. "Your father used to cry like crazy when we'd have to get our shots. He's afraid of needles," he told her, and before his brother could cuss him out, his pager started going off, forcing him to leave the room in a hurry.

Solána was staring at her Jay in disbelief: she couldn't imagine her strong, tough dad would be afraid of needles just like her.

"That's our secret, Sol. Don't tell anyone," Jay muttered to her, his stubbly cheeks tinted in a light shade of red.

She hummed and although it didn't really sound very convincing to him, he let it slide, focusing his attention on Dr. Scott instead.

"So, what happens now?" He asked him.

"Now, we wait for the result, but I suggest we start putting her on a gluten-free diet and see if anything changes," he said and Jay nodded.

"I'm gonna give you a list of food she has to avoid. Luckily, there are good alternatives nowadays, so she doesn't really have to renounce the goo0d stuff," Dylan went on, "You guys can get ready while I get the list."

Jay took Solána in his arms and kissed her cheek, "See? That went well," he winked at her.

She nodded, "But I still don't like it" she muttered, stressing the word 'still'.

He chuckled at her. "Eh, I know the feeling."

They exited the room and were met by Dylan, who handed Jay the list of food Solána would have to avoid eating and another one with ingredients they could use as a replacement.

He then said goodbye to them, going to his other patients.

As Jay and Solána walked by the nurse station, "Bye-bye, Maggie," she waved at the woman, a very different expression from the one she had when they entered the building.

"Ah, you're happy now, huh?" Maggie raised her brow at her, an amused look on her face.

Solána nodded eagerly, "I'm gonna see Hailey and eat waffles," she told her confidently, her words bringing a soft smile to her father's lips.

Jay kept checking Solána through the rearview mirror as they drove to the Waffle House, Longshot by Catfish and The Bottlemen playing in the background.

He knew they took just a bit of her blood and nothing was actually going to happen, it was normal routine, but he couldn't help but feel a little anxious about it, asking her if she was feeling okay every five minutes.

He parked his truck right in front of the familiar building (he luckily didn't have to drive around to find a parking spot), exiting the vehicle and helping Solána do the same thing before locking the car.

They entered the Waffle House, welcomed by the smooth voice of Leon Bridges singing in Brown Skin Girl, and were greeted by the receptionist, who recognized them immediately and, "Your table's clean and ready," he told them with a smile.

"Thanks, Mike," Jay saluted him before he and Solána went sitting at their usual spot.

He shot Hailey a quick text, telling her they were now at the Waffle House and waiting for her, and she replied telling her she was just around the corner.

In fact, she joined them just a couple of minutes later, her entrance making Solána smile cheerfully and wave her hand at her.

Hailey had spent her morning running some errands, a few bags with her.

"Here," Solána patted the spot next to her and Hailey obliged, amused by her eagerness.

"Morning Hailey Anne," Jay greeted her with a smirk, winking at her.

"Morning Jay Alexander," she returned the smirk, kicking his leg under the table.

The waitress approached them and took their order, their usual, and a gluten-free variant of Solána's waffles.

Once the waitress went away, "Gluten-free?" Hailey asked, slightly tilting her head.

Solána immediately looked up at her, leaning closer to her, "Daddy said it's for me," she told her.

Hailey glanced at Jay and saw him nod.

"Yeah, her doctor said she's probably intolerant to gluten," he explained, watching the blonde nod at the news.

"Hailey, look, they took my blood," Solána told her, rolling up her sleeve and showing the yellow band-aid on her skin.

The little girl then pouted, dropping her gaze. "I wasn't brave though, I cried," she added with a mumble.

Hailey frowned at her statement, not liking it one bit.

"Hey, Sol?" Solána looked up at her, "Come here," she patted her legs, securing her once she sat on them.

She caressed her face, putting a few strands of dark hair behind her ear. 

"You cried and that's totally okay, nobody enjoys being poked," she nodded. "But that doesn't mean you're not brave. In fact, you sat through it even though you didn't like it and that makes you very very brave!" She concluded, smiling at the little girl.

"And you know there's a reward for being brave…" She trailed off, avoiding her gaze and rummaging through one of the bags she brought along.

"A reward?"

Hailey hummed before showing her the stuffed panda she'd chosen to buy for her earlier that day.

"Is that for me?" Solána asked, her mouth agape and a look of surprise in her eyes.

The blonde nodded and the smile she already had on her lips only spread wider when Solána hugged her tightly before even reaching for her gift.

Jay was observing them in silence up until then by then "Hailey…" He mumbled, slightly shaking his head, a tender expression on his face.

Hailey just waved her hand dismissively, mouthing that he needed to stay out of this, earning a chuckle in return, watching him raise his arms in surrender.

When he thought he was already head over heels for Hailey, there she was being the absolute best with his daughter, reassuring her.

He felt like he'd hit the jackpot with her.

"Thank you, Hailey," Solána muttered to the blonde. "Besito," she leaned to kiss her on the cheek and then of course focused her entire attention on her new friend — she needed to give it name as soon as possible.

Their sweet moment was interrupted by the buzzing of Hailey's phone on top of the table, an incoming call.

Jay saw it, reading the name 'Niko' as the ID caller, and he couldn't help but frown a little.

Hailey declined the call, causing his confusion to grow a little bit bigger.

He kept his mouth shut though, now wanting to appear as the nosy boyfriend who demanded to know every guy his girlfriend talked to.

But, as the waitress came back with their orders, he couldn't help but think of one thing: who the hell was Niko?

"Papi, it doesn't taste funny," Solána told Jay once she swallowed the small piece of waffle she had, "Wanna try?" She handed him some of it.

He tried it and when the flavor hit his taste buds, he raised his brows in surprise.

When he was done chewing, "It's actually good!" He commented, training his gaze on Hailey and finding her type something on her phone before locking the device.

Maybe it was his past experiences making him feel that way, but something wasn't adding up — he felt like Hailey was keeping something from him.

She took a big piece of her waffle and stuffed her face in it before feeling Jay's intense gaze on her.

"What?" She asked, eyeing with the corner of her eyes.

"Nothing, just looking at ya…"

"Hey, don't judge, okay? Mother nature punished me so I might as well take some enjoyment out of it," she mumbled, referring to her period cramps, "I'm eating this entire place,"

She didn't know the real reason why Jay was looking at her that way, and he didn't mention it either, chuckling at her words, even more, when Solána turned towards her and gasped at the blonde.

"Hailey, that sounds like a lot!"

Solána stood up from the picnic towel Jay had spread when they arrived at the park and hurried toward the bench where he and Hailey were sitting and entertaining their own conversation.

The little girl handed Hailey what she'd been working at for the past twenty minutes, "It's a crown but I think it's too small," she muttered in embarrassment, her lips curling into a small pout as she looked at her botched flower crown. 

Hailey saw the slightly disappointed look on her face and was determined to have that change. There was no way she shouldn't be proud of her beautiful and thoughtful creation.

She quickly came up with an idea, carefully sliding the 'crown' up her hand until it was around her wrist, then glanced at Solána who was observing everything with wide eyes.

"See? It's a bracelet now," she winked at her.

"You're the best!" Solána commented in awe, smiling from ear to ear, "I'm making another one," she declared before going back to wander in search of some other beautiful daisies.

"Stay where we can see you, Sol," Jay reminded her, then turned to look at Hailey, his gaze inevitably landing on the gift she'd just received.

Solána adored Hailey and she never missed a chance of letting her know. He thought it was very sweet of her.

Then, "Who's Niko?" Jay asked her out of the blue, his voice only seemingly calm, hiding his actual worry.

He'd been mentally repeating that name over and over again, and it was annoying how he couldn't associate it to a specific face.

Or, even worse, maybe him knowing anything about that guy wasn't even part of the plan in the first place.

Jay trusted Hailey, fully, and after what happened in the past, he too was surprised that he allowed himself to put his heart in someone's hand like he was doing with Hailey; it was a risk that he was willing to take because he felt like she was worth it.

He also couldn't help but at least think that maybe it was a bad decision he took, that thought always in the back of his mind and making an appearance now and then to play tricks with him.

Hailey looked at him and let out a small sigh, "He's one of my brothers," she simply said.

A wave of relief hit him right in the face, his expression relaxing visibly and, "Oh," he gasped.

The blonde quickly studied his reaction, her head tilted as she put two and two together.

"Jay Alexander Halstead, you thought..? Oh, you were so jealous, oh my gosh!" She exclaimed with confidence, a mocking grin on her lips.

He immediately started blushing. He couldn't even try denying anything because it was so clear and visible in his face.

And he didn't. In fact, "Well, duh…"—he chuckled, scratching the back of his head—"I mean, look at you," he played it cool, winking at her.

As cocky as it sounded, Jay was too confident in himself to actually be jealous, but he had to admit that the idea of his girlfriend with another man really bothered him, so he was glad to know that Niko was just Hailey's brother.

"Yeah, look at me," Hailey rolled her eyes, "All bloated and everything," she commented sarcastically, "I doubt anyone would want this," she concluded.

She loved being a woman, but those five days of hell she had to endure every month always made her think otherwise, stating that 'Mother nature is a misogynistic devil'.

"Ah. So funny," Jay commented with a straight face, rolling his eyes at her, "I do, by the way…"

They both knew she was being overdramatic but he still didn't like to hear her talk that way about herself, even if it wasn't serious.

With a swift move, he had Hailey sit on his legs, her arms absentmindedly wrapping around his neck.

"You are literally out of this world, Hails. You have no idea how gorgeous you are," he murmured with his eyes boring into hers, a gentle look behind them.

Jay really wished she could see herself with his eyes, maybe that way Hailey would understand how beautiful she was. In and out. Bloated or not.

The Rising Sound was a bit crowded when they stepped foot in it, and Hailey's instinctive gesture was to reach for Solána's hand, secure it in hers to make sure she'd always know where she was.

They made a quick stop there because Jay needed to talk with Eric, one of his suppliers, about some projects he had in mind.

He and Eric were in the back of the store, Kevin was busy behind the counter, and Hailey and Solána were roaming around the place, enjoying Needs by Verzache playing through the speakers.

Hailey was so focused on checking out the New arrivals area that she didn't even notice the person standing right next to her.

"Ms. Upton..?"

"Evan! Hey!" Hailey smiled excitedly, absentmindedly caressing Solána's hair.

"Hi!" The little girl greeted him too, and he politely returned the gesture.

"Looking for some cool music, huh?" Hailey asked, to which Evan nodded.

Before he could answer, they were joined by Jay, who approached them sending Hailey a slightly confused look, silently asking her who he was.

"He's Evan, he's one of my students," the blonde introduced him, "He was telling me what he's looking for."

She was so glad to see him there.

"He," Hailey looked at Evan and pointed her finger at Jay, "is the owner of this beautiful place," she told him proudly.

Evan was blushing a little, feeling a bit intimidated by Jay's presence, but tried to keep it cool and smooth.

"Oh, that's cool, I can ask you then," he muttered with a small smile.

Jay shrugged his shoulders, "Sure, go ahead."

"I need some info about that round thing you ol- you people used to listen to music with. You know, round, you click a button and it opens it…"

Hailey and Jay briefly glimpsed at one another and had to try their very best to not burst into laughter.

Jay granted himself a chuckle, "Ah. Kids these days…" He said in the most boomer-ish way, then looked at Evan and, "You mean a walkman?"

"Yeah, yeah, that one!" Evan cheered with a smile.

"Okay…"

"My question is, do I have to buy a CD for every album I wanna listen to? I'm getting one for my birthday but I can get probably only two CDs…" Evan explained, scratching the back of his head.

Jay saw the disappointment in his look and felt bad for him, kind of seeing a younger version of himself in him.

He knew what it was like to have a strong passion for something but not really be able to afford to pursue it properly.

So, "What kinda music do you listen to? Like, artists, genres..?" He asked him.

"I like rock music. My dad and I always listen- listened to it," he said, dropping his gaze on his shoes.

Unfortunately, Hailey had been right about Evan's sudden weird behavior being related to something going on at home.

His father had just passed after his battle against multiple sclerosis, and it was the reason why Evan had been so quiet, distracted, and avoidant lately.

"You're lucky, I love rock music too," Jay grinned at him. "Well, I think we can make a deal," the word caused Evan to look up at him curiously.

"I have a lot of rock albums in the back here. I'm talking about dope stuff," he widened his eyes, grinning at him. "When you get your walkman, you can come here, pick an album and take it with you, and when you bring it back, you can choose another one," Jay concluded.

Evan was staring at him with his mouth agape, a look of disbelief on his face, "I really can?"

When Jay nodded in return, "Oh god, thank you Mr…"

"You can call me Jay," he smiled.

"Thank you, Jay. You're so cool!" Evan outstretched his hand and Jay shook it promptly.

When she heard that, "Uh-Huh, my daddy is the coolest," Solána chimed in, making everyone laugh.

As soon as Jay started his truck and got them on the road, "Thank you, Jay," Hailey muttered to him, her cheeks slightly tinted in red.

They were headed to Jay's apartment, lulled by the voice of RINI in After the sun playing in the background 

"For..?" Jay arched a brow, his eyes focused on the road in front of him.

"Evan," Hailey simply said, and saw a tiny smile come upon Jay's features.

"Of course," he replied almost dismissively. "Life's been really cruel to him, he definitely deserves a bit of kindness," he stated.

At this point, Hailey knew how good of a man he was, but it seemed like every time he somehow outdid himself, doing something that was the catalyst for her falling deeper and deeper for him, and this time was no exception.

What she felt for Jay became oh so clear all of a sudden. It was making her stomach burn and her fingertips tingle, it ignited a fire so warm and intense, something she'd never felt before with anyone else.

And knowing herself, Hailey didn't expect it to happen so soon, but then again, feelings didn't follow a timeline, and they certainly didn't wait for someone to be ready.

They just surged through people so powerfully and once they were so deeply rooted, ignoring them just couldn't be part of the plan anymore. And that was definitely the case for Hailey.

Fresh out of the shower and stepping into his bedroom, "Is that my shirt?" Jay asked Hailey, the question obviously a rhetorical one since he could clearly see the Army logo on the top left of it.

Solána was already in bed, knocked out by the long day she had.

(And this time, there wasn't only Mr. Ko to keep her company in bed, but Pablo, the stuffed panda Hailey gave her, had joined them too).

"Looks better on me," Hailey replied cheekily, putting a pair of sweatpants on.

"Hey, that was my line," Jay protested, walking towards the drawers to get himself a shirt too.

Once he found one, he opened the top drawer and eyed Hailey suggestively, causing her to tilt her head at him, an amused look on her face.

"What?" She snorted.

"I cleared it for ya," he smirked at her, "You should bring some of your clothes here, ya know?" He mumbled seriously.

"Only if you want, of course," Jay made sure to add quickly.

He certainly didn't want her to feel forced to do it.

"I'd like to," Hailey declared, her cheeks hurting from the big smile she wasn't able to suppress.

"Yeah?"

She nodded but, "Just so you know, I'm still stealing your shirts," she told him in case he thought he could shy away from that part of the deal.

Jay was smiling from ear to ear, glad she'd accepted. He saw their relationship as something long-term and, if it wasn't clear enough, he wasn't playing around, so he was happy she seemed to be on the same page as him.

"Works for me," he agreed with a nod, "They do look better on you," he concluded smoothly before getting in bed and watching the dumbfounded smile on her face.

He opened his arms, non-verbally telling her that he was waiting for her to join him, and Hailey did, wasting no time and climbing in bed as well, immediately being wrapped in his warm hug.

(As much as he liked to act like a tough guy, he really was a big teddy bear.) 

 Hailey enjoyed the feeling of him tightly wrapping his arms around her body, his lips brushing over the top of her forehead.

When she looked up at him, she found a pensive expression on his face.

He didn't seem worried but she knew something was on his mind.

So she slightly pulled back to face him properly, running her finger over his eyebrows, her touch feather-like.

"What's on your mind?" Hailey asked him.

Jay briefly glimpsed at her and then went back to staring at the ceiling, "How come I didn't even know your brother's name? Still don't know what's your other brother's name, by the way," he chuckled nervously.

The topic had been running through his head the whole day, ever since she told her that Niko was her brother, and it made him think that he knew very little about her family.

He was an open book to her, he believed he told her pretty much everything about him and his life, but Hailey had objectively not done the same.

He knew it wasn't personal but he felt like they were on a level in which they could talk about certain topics without any fear.

"I know what he did, but I barely know about the rest of your family…" He trailed off,  looking at her, his fingers entwined in her blond hair.

Hailey sighed, dropping her gaze and focusing it on the collar of his shirt.

It was bound to happen, Jay asking questions about it.

And it wasn't like she was hiding something or didn't want to ever address it, but… It was a bit complicated.

"Peter," she mumbled, finding the courage to look at her boyfriend.

"Nikolas and Peter, Niko's the older one," Hailey went on as Jay stared at her attentively, carefully listening to her.

She was opening up and he knew it wasn't for her, and he appreciated her effort more than she could think.

"Wait a second," she whispered, turning and reaching for her phone.

Hailey tapped on the screen a few times before bringing the device closer to Jay so he could look too.

"Are those braces?" He teased her as soon as she showed him a picture of her and her two brothers. "Adorable," he went on making fun of her, which earned him a punch on his arm.

"Shut up," she told him, opening the Instagram app and searching for her brother's account.

"This is Niko," she opened a random picture of him, his long blond hair and blue eyes in full-on display.

"He's a geographer, lived in India for a couple of years," she scrolled through the profile, showing Jay the various pictures.

"He met his wife there but now they live in LA. And they have the cutest kid ever," she stopped scrolling as they came across the photo of her nephew. "His name's Akhil and he's almost two."

"He is very cute," Jay commented, loving the big smile that appeared on her face as she mentioned the kid.

Hailey then looked up Peter's account and the small sigh that escaped her lips didn't go unnoticed by Jay, who immediately got the hint that something wasn't exactly right.

Peter's hair was a bit darker than hers and his eyes were more of a greenish color.

"We don't really see or hear from each other very often, to be honest," she mumbled, briefly glimpsing at Jay.

"Up until I was ten..? Yeah, we were really really close but then we slowly grew apart. Especially after he started excusing our dad's behavior just because he was our dad," she explained.

"You can't resent your dad, you know?" Hailey asked rhetorically, widening her eyes and shaking her head, "Not allowed."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"It is what it is," she shrugged dismissively, "Niko's cooler anyways," she added with a chuckle to lighten up the mood a little.

But Jay could see right through her and it was clear that the situation hurt her more than she let on. 

"Dumb question but…" He muttered as she put her phone on the nightstand. "Have you tried explaining to him your point of view?"

Hailey let out a small chuckle, "Many times. I have, Niko has, but…" She shook her head again, "Guess we're just a stubborn trio," she concluded.

"Yeah, I know a thing or two about that…" Jay giggled, scratching his beard, but his words caused Hailey to arch her brows, a questioning look on her face.

"Will and I spent almost a year without talking to one another," he started, tightening his grip around Hailey's body, slightly leaning to kiss her cheek, seeking some familiar touch and comfort.

"Really? I wouldn't tell," she commented.

From what she'd witnessed, Jay and Will seemed to be really close — maybe Will showed it a bit more openly but it was clear that the both of them were thick as thieves.

But Jay was ready to explain everything to her.

"Our mom was sick, the treatment wasn't doing anything except hurting her, and Will was in New York," he started, letting out a huff.

"She was like 'he's out there studying, let him do his thing, it's for the best' but I didn't understand how he could actually listen to her," Jay shook his head, rolling his eyes.

"I left my friends in the middle of a war to come see her, and he just had to catch a two hours flight to be with us, but he didn't."

He let out a heavy sigh before opening his mouth again, "She passed away, I went back to Afghanistan and came back a mess, still grieving and all that. And he was back in Chicago too. I was still resentful, like a lot,  but…"—he shrugged—"Will's a dumbass but he's still my brother. And I knew my mom wouldn't like her two boys to be angry at each other, so…" he trailed off.

"You listened to mom," Hailey muttered with a sad smile, her eyes attentively trained on his face.

Jay chuckled, "Yeah, I did. Couldn't let her down," he nodded, looking at her and pinching the tip of her nose to take some of the edge off.

It was his first time telling Hailey about his mother and even though it was a touchy subject for him, he was glad he did.

And, he was sure of one thing, "She would've liked you."

A small gasp escaped Hailey's lips, taken aback by that statement.

It was a strong thing to hear in general, but especially coming from Jay, knowing how dearly he'd loved his mother — she and Solána were the two most important women in his life.

"You really think so?" Hailey asked him excitedly, a big smile on her face, her dimples easily visible.

Jay nodded solemnly, "She would've probably stolen your Greek recipes. Like, all of them," he declared with a chuckle.

The blonde was speechless in front of him, Jay didn't know (or he probably did) how much his words meant to her, it was the most beautiful things he'd ever told her, and she couldn't help but feel those infamous butterflies in her stomach once again.

He noticed the expression on her face and, "You there?" He checked.

"Yeah, I just…" she shook her head, stopping herself from going any further with her words, her heart thumping fast in her chest.

Hailey wasn't feeling that brave, not yet, and even though every part of her was telling her to tell him, she stayed quiet, only showing him one of her bright smiles before pressing her lips on his, capturing them in a tender kiss.

Chapter Text

Hailey was nervously bouncing her leg as she looked around the Cafe where she used to go every time with her friends when she was a teenager, lulled by John Coltrane's saxophone in Giant steps.

She kept glimpsing at the entrance door whenever somebody would come in, letting out a nervous sigh every time she didn't spot the familiar face she was waiting for.

She wasn't even hungry, her stomach feeling closed, her appetite non-existent. She wasn't sure she was going to order anything that morning.

When she turned her head at the door for the umpteenth time that day, Hailey felt like her heart had traveled up to her throat, hearing it thump louder than normal.

Nikolas was keeping the door open for a young pregnant woman, and after greeting her, he started looking for his sister.

Hailey waved her hand at him and Nikolas immediately saw her, a bright smile spreading onto his face as soon as their eyes met.

He got to her in no time, and Hailey got up from her seat, smiling hard when her brother engulfed her in a warm hug.

"Hi, little rascal," he mumbled, placing a quick kiss on the top of her head.

"You cut your hair!" Hailey exclaimed, slightly pulling back to properly look at his face, her signature bright smile curling up her lips.

She hadn't seen him in almost a year, and it was hitting her now how much she'd missed him.

She'd been waiting for that moment for a whole month, ever since Nikolas started blowing up her phone because he was excited to tell her he was going to spend a long weekend in Chicago.

Growing up, Nikolas had been her anchor. Despite being only four years older than her, he'd been a sort of father figure to her, replacing their dad when he clearly wasn't able to be a functional one.

It actually saddened her if she thought about it: he was forced to mature quicker in order to give her some kind of stability, fitting in a role he didn't sign up for.

And Hailey was forever going to be grateful to him for that.

"Yeah, it was too much- too much to handle," Nikolas commented as they sat down.

"As long as your beard stays like that," she replied teasingly, referring to the time he grew his beard and looked like he'd lost his way home (and his mind) in the meantime.

He rolled his eyes in response, "Don't hate," he kicked her leg under the table, "Isha liked it," he added with a shrug, releasing the deep breath he was holding as always.

Nikolas stuttered, always had, ever since Hailey could remember, and he mainly struggled to balance the moments when he had to breathe and the ones when he had to talk, resulting in them often clashing.

He used to be ashamed of it, especially because kids at school would make fun of it, but as he grew up he started making it his unique trait, something that made him cool.

That little — huge — thing already told a lot about his character.

"Duh, cause she's your wife," Hailey mumbled wittily, returning the kick.

Nikolas crossed his arms on his chest, his sleeves lifting up enough for his tattoos to stick out.

"You're still hella annoying," he commented, and Hailey was ready to respond to him, but kept her mouth closed when they were approached by the waiter who took their orders.

"How is Isha, by the way? And my little baby!" Her smile widened as she thought of her nephew.

Niko tilted his head. "Eeh, not so little anymore. Kids grow- grow way too fast," he mumbled, "And Isha is kinda offended someone won't come visit us anymore," he added amusedly, sipping a bit of his coffee.

He knew his sister was busy but he also couldn't lie and say he didn't miss her.

She pouted her lips, a sigh escaping them. "I know, I'm sorry," she murmured with a nod, a look of guilt on her face, "Soon as I have some time off, I promise…"

"Good," Niko nodded. Then, "Maybe you can bring that boy- boyfriend of yours too," he put out there, smirking when her cheeks started turning red, "And his daughter."

Hailey narrowed her eyes at him, tilting her head. Before she could ask how he knew those details,

"What? I did my homework! Well, Isha did, you know I go as far as taking... Blurry pictures" he shrugged, rolling his eyes. 

"Anyways, n-not the point," he breathed, "How'd you guys meet?"

The reddish color on her cheeks intensified at the question, recalling the exact moment she met Jay for the first time. 

"He owns a music store, and I needed some stuff for my class, and he asked if I needed help, and well, yada yada yada, we got together," Hailey said, talking quickly.

It's not that she didn't want to tell him the story. but she'd always been kind of closed-off about her personal stuff and yes, Nikolas was her brother, but there were still things she wanted to keep for herself.

And if there was someone who totally understood her on that matter, it was exactly Nikolas because he was the exact same.

He would answer if asked but wouldn't willingly disclose extra details about stuff that was only his at the end of the day.

But, there was a question that was bugging him, ever since his wife showed him a particular picture on Hailey's profile, "How's it like to date someone who already has a kid?" 

Hailey observed him quietly after the words left his mouth. His arms were crossed, the sleeves of his flannel shirt rolling up a bit and showing the tattoos on his arms — he had quite a few all over his body.

She thought about his question for a bunch of seconds, it was her first time hearing it, then "I was a bit scared at first," she admitted, taking a sip of her Americano.

"You know, I have barely been in relationships, let alone one where a kid is involved! But… We made sure she'd see me as a friend first before we'd tell her what was really going on," she explained, watching Niko nod his head slowly.

"Actually, we didn't tell her, she told us " Hailey corrected herself and her brother tilted his head in amusement and confusion, "Just... Solána's super smart," she chuckled.

Then Niko asked another question, one that she'd been fully prepared to hear: "What about her- her mom?"

Hailey tried her best but failed at not making a face. She sighed heavily and shook her head a little, "She sees her now and then but it's… Complicated," she didn't dive deeper into the subject.

Jay was her boyfriend but she didn't feel like it would be fair to him to just tell his business like that.

Niko could sense that the conversation was about to take a heavy turn and that was the last thing he wanted, definitely not the reason why he was there, and so "I hope I'll get to m-meet Jay and Solána then," he concluded it on a lighter note, proudly smirking when he saw Hailey's smile resurface.

"Gotta show him the pictures where you have your braces on," He added teasingly, trying to hit a nerve.

But, "He already saw them," Hailey replied wittily, sticking out her tongue at him.

"And he didn't dump you? Must be real l-love then," She should've expected that comeback.

She then replayed his words and started blushing heavily as she mentally repeated them, dropping her gaze and focusing it on her empty cup of coffee.

Niko didn't miss it though, "No way!" He exclaimed, a mischievous grin on his face.

"Knock it off," Hailey hissed, doing everything to avoid looking at him.

She didn't know if Niko could tell because he was her brother and knew her like the palm of his hand, or because it was so darn obvious.

She thought it was a combination of both.

"Ooh, Baby Hailey is in love," Not only was he teasing her but also using a nickname he hadn't used in more than twenty years probably. Fantastic.

"Never thought I'd be alive to witness it," Niko commented, then "Jesus!" He cursed under his breath when Hailey kicked him on his bad knee.

"Maláka!"

Hailey rolled her eyes at his dramatic antics, "Shut up, Niko."

"I haven't told him yet, you know we're not good at this," Hailey muttered to her brother, Blue in a pig alley by Phil Woods playing in the background.

Niko let out a dry chuckle at her statement, "You tell me. It almost led me and Isha to break- break up at some point."

"That sounds very reassuring, thank you," Hailey replied sarcastically.

"I mean, we've been together for five years, married for- for three, got a kid together, probably gonna have more 'cause our genes are b- bomb," Hailey snorted at that but couldn't say it wasn't true.

Niko let out a small sigh and looked at his sister, "I literally bawled my eyes out the first time I told Ishani I loved her," he confessed to her. "You know we've never been able to learn how to ex- express it, all that love… Considering"—he huffed—"how we were raised and everything."

Hailey nodded at his words, listening to him carefully. He was far more experienced than her on that front and she trusted him: she could use his advice.

"But you slowly get used to it," he continued. "And, Hailey, being scared of love..? I get it, trust me, but it's the worst thing you can do t-to yourself, especially after what we had to go through," and there, he hit the nerve.

"Don't let him take this away from you. Not this too," Niko concluded, fiddling with a napkin.

After a few seconds of silence, "Damn, you're good with words," Hailey commented with a chuckle, quickly wiping her teary eyes.

They both went through the same things, and they totally understood each other, how their brains were wired. They felt things powerfully but weren't really able to express them the way they wanted. As Niko said, they'd never been taught how to do it, and it could get overwhelming at times.

"You wouldn't tell, huh?" Niko asked rhetorically, winking at her. He was great at self-irony. 

Before she could answer, "Uh oh, the annoying Upton is here," he mumbled, pointing towards the entrance of the Café with a small gesture of his head.

Hailey looked in that same direction and raised her eyebrows in surprise, "Peter!?" She whispered-yelled when her other brother approached their table.

She turned her head towards Niko and "You knew?" She asked, getting on her feet to hug Peter.

"Kind of? T-told him we were here, but you can never tell with this one," Niko patted their brother's shoulder.

Peter was kind of a wild one, he never was in the same place for too long (how long was too long?) and stated that his only plan in life was to have no plan.

"Yeah, duh, my life's not freaking boring," Peter muttered, sitting down, "Caught a last-minute flight this morning," he explained.

Peter was a photo reporter for a known scientific magazine, and he traveled the world a lot, always onto the next interesting news that he could share with the world. It was a job that aligned perfectly with his nomadic personality. 

"From?" Hailey asked.

"Greenland," he replied, then shook his head, "Too cold for me. Next stop, somewhere hotter… Maybe LA," he glimpsed at Niko who glared at him instantly.

"Don't look at me, man. We don't want you," he joked (but not really).

Peter scoffed, "Whatever," he shrugged, then looked between his two siblings, "How are you guys doing? Halle?"

"What's up with the ugly nicknames?" She asked rhetorically, a dramatic groan escaping her mouth.

"Nothing much, same old life," she replied dismissively.

He hummed in response, nodding his head. "So that Jay guy is not your boyfriend, huh?"

Hailey almost choked on her breath at the question, caught off guard.

She glared at him, an amused expression on both of their faces. "Don't be surprised when I block you."

Peter gasped dramatically, "What did I even do?"

"You're… You. Chaos."

"Ah, that makes sense," he mumbled to himself, then immediately checked his phone when it buzzed twice.

Hailey and Niko shared a look when they saw him start smirking at the device, a curious expression on both of their faces.

"Who the hell is Kathleen?" Niko asked him when he peeped to read the name, "Thought you were with- with Emily," he added, mentioning his brother's girlfriend.

"I am with Emily, Kathy's just a friend," Peter replied quickly. Too quickly.

Niko scoffed, "Do I look stupid to you?"

After staring at him dead in the eyes, "Actually, yes," Peter snorted, causing Hailey to roll her eyes.

"Every time I see you you're always doing shady stuff like that," Niko muttered, clenching his jaw when he ran out of air, inhaling deeply. "You're- you're not gonna laugh when Emily finally dumps your ass," he concluded.

Peter nodded his head just to annoy him, "Okay," he replied, then, "When am I gonna see my nephew?" He changed subject all of a sudden, making Hailey widen her eyes.

She'd almost forgotten about how chaotic Peter tended to be. He was a walking headache.

She was staring blankly at Peter as she processed the question he had just asked, her body petrified all of a sudden.

"C'mon, Halle, you're the only one who actually lives here. It won't look good if it's only me and Niko who go there," he insisted, a serious look on his face.

"Pete…" Niko tried to chime in, but Peter cut him off.

"No, like, you don't wanna talk to him, it's fine. Whatever. But Mom did nothing to you. And she misses you," he crossed his arms on his chest, continuing to frustratedly mumble under his breath.

Another thing about Peter, he would lose his cool very easily, and Hailey was pretty sure he took it after their father.

His outburst didn't result in violent reactions but, just like him, he had very little patience.

He was also very attached to their mother and couldn't understand why Hailey was giving her the cold shoulder too.

Nikolas was about to open his mouth again but stopped when Hailey slightly shook her head, silently telling him to let her handle it.

"Okay," she murmured quietly, her confidence totally gone. 

Peter glanced at her with his eyebrows slightly knitted together and creating a small frown. 

"I'll go," she sighed.

She didn't want to make him upset and, truth be told, Hailey missed her mother too.

"You sure?" Niko checked, nervously bouncing his leg under the table, his question earning him a glare for Peter.

"Man, knock it off, will ya?" He whispered.

Niko ignored him, though. He didn't like how he was pressuring Hailey into doing something she was clearly uncomfortable with.

But, "I'm sure," she replied, slightly nodding her head.

"Cool," Peter mumbled, taking the receipt on the table and quickly walking towards the counter to go pay for them.

Hailey was about to protest but, "Let his whack ass pay," Niko shrugged, rolling his eyes.

Then, "Hailey…" He trailed off.

She knew which words were going to come out of his mouth, so she promptly shook his head.

"It's fine," she sent him a small smile as they got up. She put her leather jacket on and took her phone, "Just, let me call Jay, we were supposed to meet and…" She murmured.

When he nodded, Hailey quickly exited the Cafe while dialing Jay's number, hissing when the cold Chicago weather hit her face.

"Hailey Anne!" He exclaimed contently, happy to hear her voice.

"Hey!" She sighed, biting her lips and wishing she could share the same excitement.

"What's wrong?"

Crazy how easily he could detect that something was wrong just from the tone of a 'hey'.

Hailey cleared her throat, "Nothing's wrong, just… Change of plans, we're going to say hi to our parents," she explained, "I don't know how long it's gonna take, so…"

"Oh. Okay, no problem," Hailey could visualize the surprised expression on his face. In fact, "Wait, are you sure it's a good idea?" Jay asked a second later.

"No," she chuckled drily, kicking a random feeble she found on the ground. "But I don't wanna be difficult…" She mumbled, and to Jay it seemed an obvious indication that it wasn't her idea. "And I kinda wanna see my mom," she added.

"Okay," he repeated, "Just… Call me if you need to, I dunno, get away from there..?" He cleared his throat, "You know what I mean " he said, the concern in his voice coming loud and clear to Hailey's ears.

She giggled at his choice of words, "Oh, fugitive style, I like it," she replied jokingly, but Jay knew her all too well at this point.

In fact, "Hailey…" he trailed off, his tone stating that he wasn't playing around.

"Sorry, sorry," she sighed. "But don't worry about me," she muttered, earning a scoff from him.

"Too late for that," Hailey heard him say, which made her drop her gaze on her shoes.

She didn't want him to be worried. She was going to say hi to her parents and then come back home, there was no need to be alarmed.

With a sigh, she opened her mouth to speak again: "I'll talk to you later," she mumbled to Jay before ending the call and closing her eyes, immediately regretting how she interrupted their conversation.

Hailey took a deep breath, slid her phone into her pocket, and turned around, walking to her brothers who had joined her outside and were waiting for her.

She looked at them and sent them a small smile.

"All good?" Peter checked.

Nikolas was observing her too, silently asking the same question with his eyes. It used to just take a glance at her from him to know something wasn't right.

"Yeah, we can go," Hailey said, patting Peter's shoulder and putting on a joyful expression that didn't quite reach her eyes, but Niko didn't say anything, keeping on staring at her.

He was confident he was going to be there anyway, in case things would turn difficult for her.

And Hailey got that message very well, sending a small nod his way.

Hailey was staring at her shoes as Nikolas took the trouble to ring the doorbell of the house where they grew up.

The outside hadn't really changed from the last time Hailey came visiting: the car in front of the garage was still the same one, and she could notice that her mother still had a passion for plants, since the veranda was decorated in them.

When the door opened, she felt like her stomach had suddenly dropped.

"Oh, look at my three babies!" Maya exclaimed, bringing a hand above her heart and watching her two sons and daughter with joy in her eyes.

Peter was the first one who went in for a hug, "Don't forget I'm your favorite," she told her, earning a light slap on his arm.

"Stop being silly," she said as she now hugged Nikolas, "I love you all the same," she retorted with a bright smile.

It was no secret, though. She did have a soft spot for Peter, everyone knew and was okay with it.

When it was time to hug Hailey, Maya hold her tightly and for a longer amount of time, closing her eyes as she enjoyed the warmth radiating from her daughter.

Her only daughter.

"I'm so happy to see you," she whispered to her, her voice a bit shaky.

Hailey couldn't help but smile at her, resting her head on the woman's shoulder, "I'm happy to see you too."

They then heard someone clear their throat and, "It's all sweet and everything but my ass is freezing, can we go inside?" Peter chimed in.

Maya pulled back from Hailey and turned to look at him, "Pete, you better fix your language if you wanna come in," she warned him, though she had an amused smile on her face.

She was beyond happy to see all three of them together.

Maya sat at the table next to Hailey, quietly observing her as she ate a small piece of moussaká.

Nikolas and Peter were in the living room with the father, all three of them enjoying a cigarette while doing small talk.

"Peter told me you met a guy," Maya initiated the conversation, a tiny smirk on her lips.

She looked a lot like Hailey, the only noticeable difference was the color of her eyes. Maya's were blue, but it was a different shade, a bit darker.

Hailey had definitely taken the light blue from her father.

"Peter is a stalker," she commented, not even wanting to make a fuss out of it.

Peter had a large mouth and that was just it. There was nothing she could do about it.

Maya elbowed Hailey, eager to know more about that news, "C'mon, tell me about him!" She exclaimed, her eyes filled with curiosity.

It clearly was an attempt at bonding with her daughter.

Hailey blushed at the request, a tiny grin on her face.

"His name is Jay and he owns a music store," she started saying, watching Maya smile and nod her head with interest.

"He has a daughter, Solána, she's four years old," she added, pulling out her phone and showing a selfie she took a few days ago, "Look."

The features of Maya's face softened as she looked at the picture, "She's so pretty!" She exclaimed

"I know!" Hailey retorted in agreement, shoving the phone back in her pocket, "She's a sweetheart," she concluded.

A few seconds passed and, "I hope he's a good guy," Maya muttered in a serious tone, staring at his daughter.

"He really is," Hailey replied immediately, confidence filling her voice, "He has a kind heart," she added with a soft smile.

Maya looked at her for a few moments, trying to read her expression, and then nodded. "Good," she murmured, "You deserve that. Nothing less."

Hailey blushed heavily when she heard her mother's words, "Thank you, mom."

"You're still a teacher, right?" Elias asked Hailey, looking at her with the corner of his eyes as he smoked a cigarette.

They were in the living room, and it was just the two of them, meanwhile Nikolas and were chatting with their mother in the kitchen.

The atmosphere was tangibly tense: Hailey was leafing through a book she took from the pile that was next to the hi-fi, while Elias kept glancing at her now and then.

Hailey knew he was, she could feel his piercing gaze every time he trained his eyes on her, but ignored him blatantly, clearly not wanting to entertain any conversation with the man.

She answered his question with a dry Yes before focusing back on the book she was taking a look at, The Great Gatsby by Francis Scott Fitzgerald. 

"Looks like you're as stubborn as me," Elias commented, taking another drag of smoke.

He was referring to the fact that, ever since she started applying for colleges, he'd always insisted she'd go to law school. Hailey though, she was determined to become a teacher, and she did.

She huffed at his statement, closing the book in her hands and lifting her head to shoot him a quick glance.

"Guess I am," she replied, a serious expression on her face.

"You won't even look at me," Elias chuckled, causing his daughter to train her gaze on him, her eyebrow cocked up.

"I'm not here to look at you…" She retorted, crossing her arms on her chest, "Or for you."

He let out a small hum. "Mátia mou, you're still mad at your old man?" He huffed, "C'mon it's been a long time…"

"Since you left bruises all over my body? Yeah, it's been so long," Hailey replied, feeling her eyes getting watery.

It was like, for a second, she traveled back in time to her teenage self and was still able to feel that same fear she felt every single minute she spent in that house. Living there was like walking on eggshells, they were always praying Elias would wake on the right side of the bed, otherwise, they were the ones paying for the consequences.

The only difference, she wasn't afraid to talk now, and it was something that left Elias quite stunned, his mouth opening slightly as he let out a small gasp.

She wasn't allowed to talk back, no matter how grown she thought she was, he was the father.

And, when the realization really hit him, things escalated pretty quickly.

"Who do you think you're talking to?" He hissed, getting on his feet and glaring at Hailey.

He got in front of her, pointing his finger at her face. "Imei patéras sas, and you will respect me!” He yelled at her, ignoring the way she'd visibly started shaking, "Or else…"

"Or else what?" Hailey dared to spit, already anticipating the burning feeling of his palm hitting her face when he raised his hand in a quick move.

But, "I dare you," his hand stopped mid-air when he heard Nikolas's low voice.

"Do it," he challenged him, while Hailey quickly wiped her tear-stained cheeks.

Elias sighed, slowly lowering his hand, dropping his gaze as well. He didn't look disappointed for losing his self-control once again, he was upset because Niko caught him and he couldn't finish what he had in mind.

"I'm sorry," he muttered, getting back on his armchair and shakily lighting up another cigarette.

Hailey closed her eyes when he said those damned two words for the billionth time in his life.

So many years had gone by, but the story had never really changed, had it? 

Him saying he was sorry after hitting her, Peter, Niko, or their mother, thinking it would solve anything.

It was like breaking a jar in hundreds of pieces and hoping those pieces would get back as one by just staring at them — his apologies were useless, the only thing they fixed was his guilty conscience.

Niko scoffed at him as he walked towards Hailey.

"I'm sorry my ass," Niko mumbled, not even bothering to look at him, his back facing him.

His height and muscles were enough for Elias to know Nikolas was the last person he could piss off. He was probably waiting for the moment he'd give back all the beating he endured when he was just a scrawny boy trying to protect his younger siblings.

Elias just had to pray that day would never come.

Niko stretched his arm toward his sister and took her by the hand, "C'mon Hailey, let's take a look at Mom's plants."

Her blond hair was waving around thanks to the cold breeze blowing in Chicago that evening, and Hailey was starting to regret not bringing her jacket with her before she and Nikolas stormed out of the house to go to the veranda.

As for Niko, he was glimpsing at Hailey, his body moving back and forth on the rocking chair his mother used to sit with him onto.

"Want me to… Take you home?" He asked his sister, clearing his throat.

Hailey shook her head, her fingers fiddling with the ends of her hair, "You don't need to be outside with me, you know?"

"I know," Niko sighed, "But I'm g-good. My hands are still- are still itchy," he added with a chuckle, and that caused Hailey to snap her head in his direction.

She knew the meaning of his words: he didn't want to end up putting his hands on their father, violent, and staying outside with her would prevent him from stooping that low.

Hailey nodded at his response, and then a comfortable silence fell between them.

She closed her eyes, the soft feeling of the breeze on her face was helping her calm down a little; she was glad Niko got her outside.

Then, the buzzing of her phone created a small echo around them, and Hailey immediately checked it out.

Jay:
Hey, is everything okay there?
Tell everyone I say hi and please text me when you get home 💌

Hailey kept reading Jay's text over and ovetkr again, a smile forming on her face and her cheeks turning a pinkish color.

Niko, who had been quietly observing her the whole time, asked, "That your Romeo?" with a tiny smirk on his lips.

She moved her head in a small nod, "Yeah," she breathed. "Just checking on me, he says hi," she went on, locking her phone and slipping it inside the pocket of her jeans after replying to Jay and telling him everything was fine.

Everything wasn't fine and she wished he could be there with her. His presence had a calming effect on her and it was all she needed right now.

"I'm glad you have someone who makes you smile like that," Niko told her, letting out a long exhale.

The color on Hailey's cheeks intensified and she had to bite her lips to prevent herself from smiling too much.

"He still has t-to pass the Niko's check, though," he added with a cheeky grin.

She chuckled at that, "He will," she replied with confidence, standing up.

"Ready to get back inside?" He asked.

The blonde scoffed, "Just to take my jacket," she muttered, "I'm going home."

Hailey had no intention of spending any more time in the same place as Elias.

And Niko understood that. In fact, he nodded at her, opening the door for her as they entered the house.

"Bye Mom, take care," Hailey whispered to Maya's ear, a small, sad smile on her lips when her mom moved her head in a nod.

It was time to say goodbye. Maya insisted for Hailey to stay for dinner and spend more time with them, but she had already had enough of that visit and had run out of any type of mental strength to stay.

"You too," Maya said, pulling back from her daughter and caressing her face. "And don't be a stranger," she recommended to her, "You know I love you, right?" She asked with tears in her eyes.

She knew she could've done more as a mother, trying to protect her children, but she did what she thought was the best to keep her family together.

And so, yes, she made her fair share of mistakes, but none of them was meant to cause any harm.

It was just complicated and tricky and overall unfair to all of them.

"I know," Hailey smiled at her, taking her hand in hers, "Ki egó s'agapó," she told her, leaning to give her another quick hug.

"My turn now," Peter interrupted them, nonchalantly pulling his sister by the arm and hugging her.

"I'm sorry for what happened," he whispered to her but Hailey shook her head.

"Not your fault," she mumbled back. When she pulled away, "Get it together with Emily, though," she told him with a serious tone. 

Peter rolled his eyes but nonetheless nodded, "Pinky promise or whatever…" he chanted, then "Ouch!" He yelled when Hailey slapped the back of his head.

When it was time to say goodbye to Niko, he and Hailey shared a quick hug.

"I'll keep you posted," she murmured to him, referring to a conversation they had before.

Nikolas nodded and winked at her, watching her go towards the living room, where their father was still sitting in his armchair and smoking.

"I'm going home, have a good night," she quietly told him, not really looking at him.

She was there only out of courtesy and little respect she still somehow had for him.

Elias nodded at her, "Goodnight, mátia mou," he replied.

When she was ready to turn around, "Hailey…" he trailed off, making her stop in her tracks.

She trained her eyes on him and after hearing him take a deep breath, "I am sorry," he mumbled, staring into her eyes.

Hailey felt a weird vibe after that: it was like, for the first time in his life, Elias actually meant those words. He sounded… Genuine.

But, I'm sorry wasn't the magical cure to years and years of trauma. Sure, it was a tiny, minuscule step in the right direction, but he had a long long way ahead of him.

"Okay," she muttered, shooting one last glance his way before quickly waking outside.

She inhaled sharply, the wind of Chicago hitting her face and making her hair wave.

Hailey went to her car and hopped inside. She quickly texted Jay and told him she was heading home, then connected her phone to the vehicle and selected a random playlist to listen to.

Prayer in C by Lily Allen started playing as she turned the car on, a sad smile curling up her lips as she sang along.

«Yeah, you never said a word, you didn't send me no letter, don't think I could forgive you...»

Hailey let out a sigh of relief when she finished grading the three papers she'd been reviewing for the last half-hour, ever since she came back home from her parents' house.

It had been really hard to find the right amount of focus, but she preferred that rather than having to wake up at dawn to do it. 

She reached for her phone and was ready to open a random food app so she could order her dinner, but the doorbell rang.

Hailey peeked through the peephole and felt her heart increase its beating pace.

She opened the door and saw Jay was standing in front of her with his signature lopsided smile curling up his lips, "Hey."

"You're here," she blurted out with a sad smile, her tearful eyes slightly widening in surprise.

She needed him like she probably never had and he was there.

She was doing her best to try and not let the tears stream down her face, but with Jay being in front of her, she couldn't keep it together anymore.

Jay moved his head in a small nod, "I'm here," and immediately opened his arms as an invitation to let him hold her and comfort her.

And of course, she accepted, wasting no time and wrapping her arms around his torso, her head resting on his chest and his heartbeat reaching her ear loud and clear.

Hailey let out a sob and then the rest ensued, her face and her cheeks wet with tears.

It was the first time Jay saw her cry that much, with such tumult, and he was mad at whoever dared to make her feel that way.

But, he decided to put the anger aside and entirely focus on her.

Jay closed the door behind him and tightened his grip around her, probably having no idea of the amount of comfort he was giving her.

"I'm here, Hailey," leaned towards her, resting his head on her shoulder and caressing her hair.

Hailey was hugging him as if her life depended on it, he was pretty sure she'd never held him so tightly.

It was clear that she needed that, to be wrapped in his arms, to be in her safe place.

Jay was her safe place.

And he was holding her with the same firmness, his hand gently going up and down her back, his lips pressing on her jaw now and then.

"I got you," he kept whispering to her as she continued to let out many sobs, "Just breathe."

Hailey was wiping her eyes with the sleeves of her sweater, sniffing now and then and doing everything she could to avoid Jay's gaze.

She felt so utterly embarrassed and ashamed for what he had to witness, wishing she could turn back time to a few minutes ago and not break down in front of him the way she did.

"I'm sorry," she muttered when she felt like she'd finally be able to speak without choking up, "I'm such a mess."

"Come here," he hugged, kissing her cheek. “You wanna talk about it?”

He wasn't surprised when Hailey shook her head, burying her face in the crook of his neck.

She was shutting down and he somehow knew it was going to happen, he often reacted that way too. It was a defense mechanism.

"Okay," he muttered to her but then, "Just know I'm here whenever you're ready," he made sure to remind her, tightening his grip around her.

Hailey slowly nodded her head, "Thanks."

"I'm gonna order some food, want to take a bath in the meantime?"

She tilted her head, "Is that a nice way to tell me I stink?"

"No," Jay snorted at the question, "You sound like Solána though. Asking 'Daddy do I stink?' every two minutes."

"I've never seen a kid wash their hands as much as she does," Hailey laughed along. "Aw, I miss her!" She exclaimed, frowning dramatically. "I could use one of her hugs right now," she added.

Then, "How did it go today?" She asked, referring to Camila visiting them.

She was so wrapped in her family drama that she almost forgot anything else happened.

"All good, no drama," Jay simply said as he walked towards her bathroom, and she followed him.

Hailey started taking her clothes off while Jay ran the bath, filling it with warm water.

Then, "Lavender or vanilla?" He turned around to ask her, and almost choked on his breath at the sight of her naked body in front of him.

No matter how many times he'd see her like that, he would never get used to how beautiful she was.

Jay cleared his throat and nodded when she chose lavender, quickly getting up.

"I better get outta here," he muttered more to himself than Hailey, scratching his beard and looking around a bit confused.

Hailey chuckled at his reaction, getting inside the bath and smiling as she noticed Jay picked the perfect temperature for the water.

He did as he said, getting out of there and rolling his eyes when he heard her loud laugh; she was clearly making fun of him but he was just glad to hear her laugh after that rough day.

Jay ordered the food from a random Chinese restaurant, going through his emails as he waited for Hailey to be done with her bath and the delivery guy to bring their food.

Hailey joined him about fifteen minutes later. She got into her oversize hoodie and sweatpants and entered the living room just in time for the delivery guy to ring the doorbell.

"Who's that?" She asked out loud, slightly frowning.

Jay walked through the corridor and, "Food," he replied before opening the door.

He quickly took the order and gave the young man in front of him a tip, closing the door right after.

When he got back to the living room, he found Hailey had already placed two glasses of water on the kitchen table and was now choosing a song to play from her playlist.

"I ordered Chinese," he told her, to which she replied with a small smile, approaching him and leaving a kiss on his stubbly cheek.

"Love it," she muttered against his skin.

Hailey plopped on the couch and Jay followed her right after, opening the boxes and setting their food while she played a few buttons on the remote control.

When Incomplete kisses by Sampha started playing, she saw Jay's lips curl up into a cute smile, his head moving in a small nod of approval.

They started eating, a comfortable silence between them as they enjoyed the food and the music, though it was inevitable for Hailey to start replaying the whole day in her mind, her gaze absent-looking.

"You know, it was weird, going back there," she began talking out, catching Jay off guard.

He wasn't expecting her to do it, but he was glad she was. Keeping things bottled up wasn't going to do her any favor anyway.

"I grew up in that house and I felt like a total stranger going in today..."

Jay glimpsed at her and easily noticed that her eyes had turned a bit red and watery, she clearly was on the verge of tears.

And so, "What happened?" He asked.

His voice sounded calm, masking his concern and frustration.

"He asked me if I was still angry while basically laughing at me," she explained, inhaling sharply.

"I used to be his punching bag and was supposed to just be okay with it, you know? It's in the past, I should forgive him or whatever the hell he said," Hailey kept rambling, feeling the need to take a thing or two off her chest.

"I didn't bite my tongue this time and… He's not used to it, so… He was so ready to make sure I knew who really has the power," she said, focusing her gaze on her food.

Jay was just about to feel sick as he kept listening to her, and couldn't help but ask the question that obviously formed in his head, "Hailey, did he-"

"No," Hailey cut him off before he could finish his question.

"Niko was there, thank God, and he… You don't wanna mess with him. He's a good guy but he will punch you," she said, letting out an eerie excuse for a chuckle.

But Jay didn't look as amused, and she had in fact noticed the deep frown between his eyebrows.

"I don't like this," he whispered, not really looking at her, "It's so so fucked up. Like, why would someone-" he didn't even finish, just let out a groan of frustration.

He couldn't even begin to fathom the idea of harming Solána, and he couldn't wrap his head around the thought of parents doing evil to their children instead of protecting them from it.

"I have no idea, but"—Hailey shrugged—"I'm okay." She told him, staring into his eyes to let him know she wasn't just saying that.

Jay slowly moved his head in a nod. 

And he decided to change the subject, see if they could turn that dark conversation into a lighter one.

So, "How are your brothers doing?" He asked.

Hailey understood what he was trying to do, smiling at his attempt to distract her a little.

"They're doing good!" She replied excitedly, "Well, Peter is being kind of a whore and I don't like that," she commented, slightly pouting her lips.

Jay snorted at those words, "A whore?"

"Yeah, why would you flirt with other girls if you already have a girlfriend who is nothing but great to you?" She asked rhetorically, cocking her brows.

"Oh, he's a greedy guy," he commented.

"Aw, you're being way too nice," she chuckled, "Niko told him if he doesn't stop, he's gonna tell his girlfriend," she explained, bringing some food to her mouth before it'd get cold.

"Looks like Niko doesn't play around…" Jay trailed off.

Hailey swallowed the food in her mouth then, "He definitely doesn't," she replied. After a few seconds, "He said he wants to meet you by the way," she quickly added, "And Solána."

He was a bit taken aback by that information, not knowing if he should be excited or worried. "Really?!"

She hummed, "Someday, I guess, doesn't have to be rushed," she murmured, not wanting to alarm him.

She knew meeting family for the first time was a big deal.

But, much to her surprise, "How long is he staying here?" Jay asked, clearly hinting that he too wanted to get to know Niko.

"He's gonna catch his flight on Monday," Hailey said.

"Okay." He simply nodded his head, not adding anything else.

Hailey was observing him with curiosity and a bit of suspicion but didn't say anything, continuing to eat her food.

But, "Thanks," she blurted out as We all try by Frank Ocean softly played in the background.

Jay snapped his head to look at her, "For what?"

She emitted a short sigh, "For this"—she pointed at the almost empty box of food—"And just… Being here," she concluded.

She wasn't used to feeling like she mattered so much to someone. Sure, she had Adam and Vanessa in her life, but of course it wasn't the same — it was more like a brotherly love with them, whilst with Jay it was… Different.

He was capable of changing her mood for the better with just a simple glimpse; she found his presence was calming, and being vulnerable in front of him still was hard, but never because of him per se. Instead, he'd always made her feel like he was going to wait for her with open arms no matter what, and that thought made her feel safer than she ever felt her entire life.

In all the madness, Jay was her safe haven.

He hummed at her words, shooting a tiny smirk her way. "Eh. I was bored anyways," he muttered, earning a light punch on the arm from her, a tired smile curling up her lips.

"You don't have to thank me, Hails," he started talking again, his tone much more serious now. "I-" he moved his mouth but seemed like the right words were struggling to come out.

"I care about you. A lot. I'll always make sure you're okay," he concluded, feeling his heart beating fast.

Before he could begin to process how much he was about to flip out for almost blurting everything out, Hailey pressed her lips on his in a tender kiss, pulling back just a couple of seconds later.

"Hmm, is that soy sauce? Tasty," he commented, dramatically licking his lips and wiggling his brows, causing Hailey to start laughing profusely.

"You're an idiot!" She exclaimed once she calmed down, placing the now empty box of food on the coffee table.

"So much love in the air tonight," Jay replied with sarcasm, singing the last part and getting on his feet to go toss their empty boxes in the trash bin.

Hailey's heart skipped a beat when she heard the word, her eyes carefully observing him, a shy smile curling up her lips.

"Oh, you have no idea," she commented when he came back, but Jay looked at her confused, probably because he'd already forgotten what he said.

But, she didn't, and she was being serious with her statement — he had no clue.

They had decided to watch a movie after having dinner, and since she was the one having a bad day, Hailey was the one to pick it up.

She'd opted for Palmer starring Justin Timberlake (of course!), and Jay obviously didn't hold back about her being absolutely obsessed with the guy.

"I'm scared you're gonna start calling me Justin one day," he'd told her, to which she had replied with a witty "I might as well. Too bad your last name doesn't start with a T. Jay Talstead."

Hailey now had her head on his thighs, his fingers entwining with her blond hair and gently stroking her scalp.

She'd fallen asleep twenty minutes into the movie, and Jay wasn't really surprised by that.

The combination of his hand in her hair and the fact that she had an exhausting day (both mentally and emotionally) was the perfect cocktail to put her out like a light.

Jay turned the TV off (he wasn't following the plot anyways), feeling himself getting tired as well.

It had been a busy day at work, then he had to take Solána to the park where they met Camila (and thankfully, no drama happened), then took her to his dad.

He'd been out and about the whole day. 

He carefully lifted Hailey's head, slipping his arms under her back, and picked her up, shutting the lights off and walking to her bedroom.

And Hailey was so knocked out that she flinched only when Jay put her to bed, adjusting the blankets on top of her.

She turned her head to the left, her favorite side, and "Jay..?" He stopped moving when Hailey mumbled his name.

"Hmm?"

"S'agapó," she talked again, causing Jay to narrow his eyes in confusion.

He waited a few seconds and when Hailey didn't add anything else, "O-kay..?" He just shrugged, thinking she was talking gibberish, murmuring incoherent words in her sleep.

Hailey was talking in her sleep, but little did Jay know that what she'd said was far from being a sequence of nonsensical sounds she put together.

Chapter Text

Solána tucked Mr. Ko and Pablo the Panda under the blankets on her bed and gave them a quick kiss before patting their heads. She then hurried into the living room where her dad was waiting for her.

Jay was sitting on the couch, slightly bent over, and tying his shoes, the pensive look on his face making Solána observe him with slight concern.

"Daddy, are you sad?" She asked him, taking a step forward and tilting her head to have a better look at him.

He glimpsed at her, confused by that question. "No, I'm not," he replied.

"But you look like this," Solána retorted, making her best impression of him, brows knitted together and everything.

Jay chuckled at her silliness, rolling his eyes dramatically, "You're being funny, huh?" He tickled her neck. "I'm just a little nervous," he then admitted.

He gestured for her to come closer so he would tie her shoes as well.

(She knew how to do it, but Jay had no intention of wasting ten minutes on it while he could do it in less than thirty seconds).

"Why?"

Jay sighed, "Because"—he finished tying her shoes and had her sit next to him on the couch—"We're meeting Hailey's brother for the first time and I want him to like us," he explained truthfully.

He hadn't really slept that night, his mind constantly reminding him that he was meeting Nikolas and keeping him up and vigilant.

"I know he will like me," Solána stated with a smile, making her dad snort loudly at her words.

He wished he could be this confident too.

"He definitely will," he nodded.

But, it wasn't that simple for him.

He was going to meet Hailey's older brother, the one she was most closer to, and he wanted things to go as smoothly as possible.

He wanted Nikolas to like him and know he wasn't playing around with his sister; he was serious about their relationship and needed him to believe it too.

He doubted he was going to meet her father any time soon, so… It was important.

"He will like you too, Papi," Solána added as if she knew it was exactly what Jay needed to hear at that moment.

He glanced at her with squinted eyes. "You think so?" He checked.

She nodded eagerly, "Yes!"

Jay hummed in response, his lips curled into a smirk.

"Thank you, I needed to hear that," he leaned and kissed the tip of her nose, smiling when she adorably scrunched it up.

"Ready to go?" He asked her and she nodded again, clapping her hands with enthusiasm.

"¡Vamos!" She exclaimed, standing up and running towards the front door.

"Your coat?"

Solána blushed, "Oh, right," she walked back to the coat hanger.

She was so eager to see Hailey that she would risk catching a cold.

"Athènai," Jay read aloud the name written on the signboard of the place Hailey told him they were going to have breakfast.

With one hand holding Solána's, he opened the door, letting the little girl get in first and following her, Opus the Funk by Art Pepper immediately coming to their ears.

They were greeted by the receptionist, a young man named Philip (that's what his name tag said), who asked Jay where he wanted to sit.

"Um, I'm actually with…" he trailed off, his eyes roaming around the place to see if he would spot any familiar faces. "...Them," he stated as soon as he saw Hailey.

She hadn't noticed their presence yet, since she wasn't facing the entrance, but Nikolas had. In fact, he waved his hand at them, making sure they would see them.

Nikolas shouted something in Greek (at least he thought) to the receptionist, who smiled at Jay and Solána. "Follow me, please," he told them, taking a copy of the menu with him.

As soon as they were in front of the table, "Hailey!" Solána screeched with a wide smile, immediately going in to hug the woman, while the receptionist placed the menu on the table and then went away.

"I missed you, Hailey," Solána told the blonde, burying her face in the crook of her neck.

The already big smile on Hailey's face grew even bigger at those words and, "I missed you too, Princess"—she kissed her round cheek—"So so much."

They hadn't seen each other for only two days but to Solána it felt like two weeks had passed.

Hailey helped her take her coat off and then lifted her to have her sit next to her. Solána had already started babbling about the drawing she'd been working on for the last couple of days.

Meanwhile, "Hey man," Nikolas was on his feet, a smile on his lips as he stared at his sister's boyfriend.

Jay outstretched his hand, "Nice to meet ya, I'm Jay," he said, and Niko firmly shook his hand, sending a nod his way.

"Nikolas, call me Niko."

Jay then glimpsed down at Hailey, sending her a smile, "Hey you," he greeted her with a wink.

Hailey blushed a little, "Morning," she countered with a cheeky grin.

Nikolas was glimpsing between the two of them with a weirded-out expression on his face and, "Guys, you know you can k-kiss or whatever. I promise it won't trau-traumatize me," he told them, causing the couple to chuckle at his comment.

Hailey shook her head, "We're good," she shrugged her shoulders, "PDA is not really our thing," she replied, and Jay nodded in agreement.

It wasn't like they'd never kissed in public but they preferred some things to be private and kept behind closed doors.

Nikolas was about to add something else, but before he could open his mouth

"Hi," Solána spoke to him, waving her hand in his face.

He turned to look at her, "Hello!" He sent her a joyful smile, "You're Solána, right?"

She gasped in disbelief and blushed heavily, surprised that he knew her name already. 

She nodded at him and then looked at Hailey, who had her eyes already trained on her.

"He knows!" She whispered, well, tried to.

The blonde chuckled, "I told him, he's my older brother," she explained, watching Solána absorb the information.

"Like Uncle Will is Daddy's brother?" She checked, and when Hailey nodded, "Okay," she said.

Solána then focused back on Nikolas, "What's your name?"

"Nikolas, but you can call me Niko," he replied, giggling in amusement when the little girl gave him her hand for him to shake it, which he obviously did.

"Hailey calls me Princess," she retorted.

"Suits you," Niko winked at her.

Philip approached them and took their orders, and once he was gone, they all started eating.

Jay naturally focused his gaze on Hailey and, "You forgot to add some coffee in all that sugar," he mumbled sarcastically, a quite disgusted look on his face as he watched Hailey adding way too much sugar in her coffee cup.

Nikolas snorted at his comment and almost spilled his coffee.

"You guys drink coffee that's meant for dead people, focus on that," the blonde glared at both of them, sipping some of the dark beverage and emitting a dramatic sigh of contentment.

Jay always made fun of her for adding a little extra sugar to her coffee. Okay, maybe not so little.

"So, Jay…" Niko turned to look at Jay, and the guy knew it was time for him to be in the hot seat.

His leg was bouncing under the table, a way to release some of the anxiety he was feeling.

It was his first time meeting a family member of his girlfriend.

(Camila was on her own: Luis was the only family she had and he'd already passed when the two met.)

Jay knew he only had to be himself, but in the back of his mind, he feared that Niko would think it wasn't enough to be worthy of his sister.

"Hailey told me you own a music- a music store..?" 

"That's correct," he nodded, "Been having it for, um, six years now," he went on with a proud smile.

Just thinking of the store filled his heart with a sense of pride. He worked hard for it and it was his happy place.

"What did you do before that?" Niko really hoped he didn't sound like he was interrogating him because that was far from where his intentions were.

"I was a Ranger, did two tours in Afghanistan," Jay replied, keeping it short.

He didn't like talking about that time, he barely did it with Hailey, and it was clear in his serious expression.

Niko seemed to catch up on that as well, keeping his comment short, "Woah, tough stuff," and Jay just nodded at him.

Then, "Sol…" He trailed off, noticing his daughter tugging at Nikolas's sleeve, it was like she was trying to peek and see what was underneath.

"It's okay," Niko chuckled as he glimpsed down at the little girl, undoing the buttons of his sleeve, and rolled it up, having an idea of what Solána was trying to look at.

He had the confirmation of it when he saw her smile widely while observing his ink-covered arm, numerous tattoos of different shapes and sizes coloring his skin.

Hailey had a surprised look on her face, "Woah!" She exclaimed, "How many do you have now?"

She knew her brother loved tattoos and had lots of them but she could tell he'd added a few since the last time they'd seen each other.

Niko shrugged his shoulders, releasing a small giggle. 

"I lost count. Some of them- them are blended now, so… I don't even know anymore," he mumbled, watching Solána trace the shape of the larger tattoos with her pointer finger.

"Did you draw on yourself?" The little girl asked him, immediately blushing when her green eyes met his.

His and Hailey's eyes were similar, even in the intensity of their gaze. It was easy to feel flustered from staring into them.

Niko shook his head, "Wish it was that easy but no. A friend of mine is a tattoo a-artist and did everything you see," he told her.

"How?" Solána asked.

"With a machine. It has tiny needles in it. It's like having a lot of little injections at the"— he took a breath—"same time," he explained.

Her face almost turned pale when he mentioned needles and "Nooo, I don't like it!" She exclaimed, shaking her head vehemently but still inspecting his skin.

"She's scared of needles," Jay chimed in.

Solána looked at him and smiled, "Daddy, you're scared too!" She giggled, "Uncle Will told me."

"Oh, are you now?" Hailey snorted, earning a playful glare from her boyfriend.

He glanced at her and made a face, "Keep drinking that nasty thing," then turned to his daughter with a pointed look. 

"Sol Sol, I thought that was our little secret," he retorted with a fake whisper, theatrically covering his mouth. 

Solána gasped, though she couldn't hold back her laughter. "I'm sorry!" She whispered back to him, then looked at Hailey and Nikolas and, "I was just kidding, he's not really scared," she told them.

Niko nodded eagerly, "We believe you, don't worry," winking at her.

Hailey was still giggling, "You did two tours in Afghanistan yet you're afraid of needles…" She trailed off teasingly, smirking at Jay.

"What a guy, huh?" He replied back, kicking her leg under the table.

She sighed with a knowing smile, "Indeed."

"I think she's got a new best friend," Hailey mumbled to Jay, her eyes staring at Solána and Nikolas.

The two had grown attached to the hip very quickly. Solána was already very social, she loved meeting and being around new people, and the fact that Nikolas was naturally great with kids had helped them bond fast.

"I'm kinda jealous," Jay added amusedly, a tiny grin on his lips as he listened to Solána and Nikolas's conversation.

Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum by Wayne Shorter was now playing in the background, creating a relaxing ambiance inside the Cafe.

"And what's this?" The little girl asked Nikolas.

She was now sitting on his lap, that way she was able to look better at his tattoos — yes, she was still asking a million questions about them.

"This one says 'Akhil', it's my son's name," Nikolas told her as they looked at the Sanskrit word on his forearm.

Solána snapped her head up to look at him, an excited look on her face, "You have a son?!"

He nodded in response and so, "Can I meet him?" She asked, her smile widening, "We can play together."

Nikolas adjusted her better on his legs, "He's not here today," he told her and her lips curled into a small pout, "But sure, I think he'll be happy to meet you and play together someday," he quickly added.

He then turned to look at his sister and "See? You have no excuses. You guys have to come vi- visit us," he mumbled to her.

"Told you we will," Hailey retorted, "Soon as I have some time off."

"How's it like to be with a workaholic, Jay?" He said teasingly to Jay, clearly wanting to direct his words at Hailey instead.

But Hailey replied immediately, "He's almost worse than me," she mumbled, "His friend always has to kick him out of the store."

"Guilty," Jay chuckled, shrugging his shoulders. "We'll arrange something though, we definitely need some time off," he added with a confident nod.

"Good," Niko stated.

Jay's eyes widened a little when his phone started ringing, its buzz making the wooden table slightly tremble.

As soon as he read that the ID caller was Dr. Scott, he immediately became worried and "I have to get this one, guys. Sorry," he said to Nikolas and  Hailey.

"Yeah, sure man, no worries," Niko replied, watching him walk outside of the Cafe to answer the call.

Once it was only Hailey and Nikolas (and Solána), "So, what do you think?" The blonde asked her brother.

He smiled, knowing she'd been eager to know his opinion on her boyfriend. 

"I like him," he stated simply, not needing too many words to say it.

"Yeah..?"

Niko nodded, "He seems like a great guy," he said, "And the right one for you," he added.

Hailey blushed heavily at his words, glad that he could see it too. "I think he is," she agreed, "Makes me happy."

"I can see it," Niko mumbled, then "You should tell him, you know?" He went on, sending her a knowing look.

Before she could reply, Jay came back to them, and she was glad to use it as an excuse to avoid the topic Niko wanted to address.

"Everything okay?" She asked Jay.

He sat down and nodded, "Yeah, it was Solána's doc. Turns out, she is intolerant to gluten," he explained, "Glad we have an answer now," he murmured.

Then, "So, I was thinking…" He trailed off, "Wanna stop at the store?" He looked at Nikolas.

"Yes!" Solána exclaimed, making everyone chuckle.

Niko nodded at Jay, "Little lady here spoke," he said.

“The Rising Sound…” Niko mumbled while stepping foot inside the store, Hailey, Jay, and Solána following behind.

“After The house of the rising sun?” He asked Jay, who was closing the door behind him.

“Yeah, glad you caught the reference,” Jay replied with enthusiasm. He usually had to explain why he chose that exact name for his store. He thought it was pretty obvious but apparently it wasn't.

“This place looks awesome,” Niko muttered to himself, his blue eyes roaming around the place and admiring every little detail of it. Then, “Wait, is that Tiken Jah Fakoly? There’s no way this is here right now!” He exclaimed in disbelief, quickly walking towards the West-Africa Sounds section.

It was a new section Jay added after his first date with Hailey. He was left so fascinated by the performances they saw that night that the next day he immediately found a way to make sure he’d have that new music genre he discovered in his store too.

“I’m surprised you know who that is…” Jay raised his brows, walking closer to him.

Niko nodded. “I lived in Mali for six months, “Went to two of his concerts there,” he explained.

“No way," Jay chuckled, honestly feeling a little jealous.

“I’ll text you the name of some other artists you should have here,” Niko smiled at him, patting his back.

He got a nod in response, “I appreciate that,” Jay replied. Then, “Hey, what does your wife usually listen to?” He asked him.

Niko hummed, slightly tilting his head. “You wouldn’t tell, but she loves The Weeknd. Probably more than she loves me,” he chuckled. “Why?”

His question went unanswered though because Jay was already walking to the back of the store, momentarily disappearing from his sight.

Hailey was watching them from afar, a smile on her lips. She was so happy that they were getting along. Both Niko and Jay had great personalities, very similar in a way, and it actually made sense that they liked each other.

And she knew what was going through Jay’s head, that’s why she feigned cluelessness when her brother stared at her with a questioning look.

When Jay came back to them with a couple of CDs in his hands.

“Ah-Ah man, I know what you’re tryna do,” Niko immediately understood Jay’s intentions. 

He had a copy of Tiken Jah Fakoly’s album that they were talking about a few minutes ago, and a copy of Abel’s latest release.

Niko shook his head when he handed him the two CDs, “Nope,” he told him, “How much is it?" He asked.

Jay huffed and rolled his eyes, “You're not supposed to pay for a gift, ya know,” he said amusedly, a tiny smile on his face.

It really wasn’t a big deal to him.

“I mean it, man, it’s my pleasure,” he added.

Niko turned to his sister, eyeing her to ask for help, but she giggled at him instead. “He won’t stop until you take them,” Hailey murmured with a shrug, absentmindedly caressing Solána’s hair.

He eventually gave in with a sigh. He finally took the CDs and smiled at Jay, “Thank you, man. Really,” he muttered, sending him a grateful smile.

“Papi, you’re a nice person,” Solána chimed in and interrupted them, causing Jay to chuckle and blush a little, his heart filling with love.

The little girl had witnessed the whole scene in silence and was happy to see Jay show that act of kindness towards Nikolas.

“Kid’s right,” the older Upton agreed, glimpsing at his sister and sending her a small nod of approval.

Jay parked his truck in front of a tall, modern building, the one where Nikolas was going to attend a work conference in just about ten minutes.

The conference was the original reason why he was back in Chicago, and he of course took it as an opportunity to say hi to his family as well.

“You sure you don’t want us to take you to the airport when you’re done?” Jay asked, turning the engine off.

“Nah man, don’t worry. It’s already arranged,” Nikolas replied.

His plans had changed a little but he didn’t really mind.

He was supposed to stay in Chicago for three more days, but after hearing his son’s desperate cries the last time he called his wife, he’d decided to get home earlier than scheduled.

Akhil was teething and had a slight fever, and Nikolas wanted to be there for him and his wife.

He already missed a lot of his son’s important moments due to work and being away from home for months. He loved his job but he hated that it forced him to take time away from his family.

They all exited the car, except for Solána who was taking a nap, and were ready to say goodbye.

Nikolas approached Jay first, giving him a quick hug and smiling at him.

“It was nice meeting you, man. And your daughter,” he told him, resting his hand on his shoulder and giving it a squeeze. “Take care,” he added, sending him an intense look, his gaze carrying what that he didn’t disclose with his words.

He was telling him to take care of his sister too, and Jay got the message very clear, nodding at him and returning the look.

“I will,” he replied, patting his arm.

Jay then stepped aside, allowing the two siblings to properly say goodbye to each other, and kept himself busy by observing his surroundings.

It was a good day. The sun was shining and there were barely any clouds in the sky, even the weather was more on the warm side although the temperatures had dropped.

Hailey and Nikolas were hugging tightly, and, as much as Jay didn’t want to pry in or eavesdrop on their conversation, he couldn’t ignore that “S’agapó” that Niko whispered to his sister while cradling her head and caressing her blond hair.

Jay was pretty sure he’d already heard those words coming from Hailey’s mouth before, but couldn’t quite pinpoint the exact moment it happened.

“I love you too,” Hailey smiled, pulling back from her brother, having no idea of what hearing those words had just caused to Jay.

It was like he’d been launched back to a couple of days ago, Jay could see it perfectly: it was the day she went visiting her parents.

He’d carried her to bed and she’d mumbled those same words to him. She’d specifically called his name before saying them, and now he was finding out their real meaning… 

To say he was confused was an understatement; he still wasn’t sure they meant what he was thinking, but, aside from that, he couldn’t help but ask himself a question: did Hailey love him?

“And remember, what you gotta do before going to sleep?” Jay asked Solána, glancing at her through his truck’s rear view mirror.

“I gotta brush my teeth,” she replied, tightening her grip around her two stuffed animals, Mr. Ko and Pablo the Panda.

"And?"

"And tongue."

“That’s correct,” Jay nodded, glimpsing at Hailey when he heard her chuckle.

“What?”

“Nothing,” she shrugged her shoulders, “You’re fun when you go all dad mode,” she giggled.

After leaving Nikolas, they’d spent the rest of the day together at Jay’s apartment, enjoying themselves.

Once they had dinner, they got ready for the night they had ahead of them. Hailey and Jay were going to have a night out with their friends at Molly’s, while Solána was going to have a sleepover at Will’s house.

They made a stop at Hailey’s apartment first, she had to take a shower and change her clothes, and took the opportunity to pick Vanessa as well since she literally lived there. It would save on gas.

“Sorry I’m late,” Vanessa said when she opened the door of the truck and hopped inside.

Before either Jay or Hailey could reply, “Hola Solána. ¿Cómo estás?” She asked the little girl that was sitting next to her, buckled in her car seat.

Solána smiled at her, “Está bien. Hoy conocí a Hailey’s brother,” she said.

Vanessa looked at her friend, “Niko or the other demon?” 

She didn’t get a response from the blonde because Solána kept talking, “He’s funny, I like him,” she added.

“Oh, we’re definitely talking about Niko then,” Vanessa muttered with an amused smile. “Is he still hot?” She asked Hailey, causing a grossed-out expression to form on her face.

“Am I supposed to answer this question?!” She exclaimed rhetorically, hearing Jay snort as he started the car.

“Nevermind,” Vanessa trailed off, rolling her eyes.

Jay arrived by Will’s house in no time, it wasn’t too far from where Hailey and Vanessa lived, and when he parked his truck,

“Daddy..?” Solána called him.

He turned the car off and turned around, “What’s up?” 

“Hailey’s brother is my new uncle, right?” She asked, staring into his eyes.

Jay tilted his head, his brow lifting as he registered the question, “Uh… What?”

Solána read the disoriented look on his face and sighed, not knowing why he was confused. It made perfect sense to her because, “Hailey’s my mom number two, so he is my uncle. Like Owie and Uncle Will, and you,” she explained.

He glimpsed at Hailey with the corner of his eyes and could see she’d started blushing, while Vanessa was busying herself with her phone, though it was clear that she’d heard everything.

“That’s… That's not how it works, Sol,” Jay mumbled, running a hand down his face and sighing.

He was aware of the fact that Solána adored Hailey, she always gravitated towards her whenever she was around, but he had no idea she’d grown so attached to her to the point she’d see her as her second mother.

Solána pouted at her dad, “But why?” She asked, lowering her gaze.

And it was breaking Jay’s heart to see her like that, he really wished things were as simple as she was making them.

“How about we talk about this when I come pick you back, hmm?” He suggested, figuring it wasn’t a conversation they could have on the driveway of his brother’s house. “Just the two of us,” he added.

Solána nodded at him and Jay undid his seatbelt, exiting the truck and hurrying to get her.

He took her in his arms, along with her night bag, and walked towards Will’s front door.

Before ringing the doorbell though, “I’m sorry, Daddy,” she mumbled against his shoulder, her voice muffled and barely audible.

Jay shook his head vehemently, “There’s nothing to be sorry about, baby, I promise." He kissed her head and slightly pulled back to properly look at her.

“You know”—he started—“What you said is very very beautiful,” he told her, watching her lips twitch upward into a tiny smile.

“Really?”

“Really. You have such a big and kind heart, Sol. You should be proud," he told her, meaning every word he was uttering.

He was so glad she was his daughter.

Solána blushed at the compliment and hugged him tightly, causing a warm smile to form on Jay’s lips.

When he put her down, “Wanna ring?” He asked her and she responded by pressing her thumb on the doorbell.

The door opened in no time, revealing his sister-in-law welcoming them with a soft smile.

“Hello, you guys,” she greeted them, ruffling Solána’s hair and stepping aside to let her get inside.

The little girl waved one last time at her dad, who was glad to see the serene expression on her face.

Jay quickly greeted Natalie and handed her Solána’s night bag before saying goodbye and getting back in his truck.

He could sense that the atmosphere inside the vehicle had shifted a bit inside the vehicle, it was now tense and awkward as he put his seatbelt on. 

Hailey was staring at him as if she was waiting for him to say something, though deep down she knew now wasn’t the right time. 

Plus, Vanessa was there, and as much as they loved her, the blonde was convinced that some things needed to stay private, especially considering the fact that Solána was involved as well.

To avoid any more awkwardness, Jay turned the radio on to a random station and was positively surprised to hear Dirty Harry by Gorillaz playing.

Hailey couldn’t tell if Jay was upset.

He was definitely distracted, that was for sure — she’d seen Kevin had to tap his arm to get his attention a few times, and, in general, he wasn’t actively participating in any of the conversations their group was having since stepping foot into Molly’s.

She was more than positive it had to do with what Solána had asked when they were dropping her off, and, to be fair, that question would’ve discombobulated anyone.

Hailey herself couldn’t keep it out of her head, and it was crazy how a few simple words could create so much havoc.

Mom number two.

She couldn’t help but replay those three words in her head.

Hailey had never envisioned herself as someone’s mom, not because she didn’t want to have kids, but because she wasn’t sure she’d be a good mother to them.

Growing up, she didn’t have the best role models; she knew what she didn’t have to do to become like them, but to break the curse and become a healthy parental figure… She thought it was easier said than done.

But there she was, with Solána stating she was her second mom, a confidence and spontaneousness in her voice that she wouldn’t have ever expected.

And another thing Hailey didn’t expect, was to feel that sense of peace and calm it had provided to her, like she finally got ahold of the puzzle piece she didn’t know she was missing this whole time. It made her feel whole.

With a sigh escaping her lips, she glimpsed at Jay, noticing he had the same pensive expression on his face.

Hailey caressed the back of his head, gently stroking his hair, and he immediately looked at her as if he’d been waiting for permission to do it this entire time.

Jay sent her a small smile but it didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“You okay?” She checked, talking about the noise of their friends and other customers’ voices and the music coming from the jukebox — No. 1 Party Anthem by Arctic Monkeys.

He nodded his head, wasting no time and wrapping his arm around the small of her back. He leaned to place a quick kiss on her cheek, to give her a little more reassurance.

Jay didn’t take his hands off her for the rest of the night. Whether it was on her back or her thigh, he kept making sure Hailey was in his proximity, feeling the urge to be next to her, touch her, and know she was there.

He usually wasn’t that clingy. He wasn’t even that much of a fan of physical touch for that matter, at least not at the level that Hailey was, but that night at Molly’s he never let her go, and the blonde of course didn’t mind.

She was enjoying the extra attention he was giving her, she just wished she knew exactly what was going through his head and why he was being so quiet. She wanted to hear it from him.

She sighed in relief when she stepped foot in her apartment, happy that day was finally over. 

As much as she had fun, Hailey was also very tired and just wanted to rest.

Before she could do that though, she had to figure out why her boyfriend was moping around, following her inside with a serious expression on his face.

Hailey took her jacket off and huffed in frustration. She walked to the kitchen and filled a glass with some water, gulping it down before walking to the living room and plopping down on her large couch.

She quietly observed Jay, who was waiting for his phone to connect to her TV. Once it did, he immediately put some music on and Jungle by Drake started playing at a low volume.

When he turned to check on her, he noticed the pensive look on Hailey's face, a small frown between her eyebrows.

"What's up with you?" He asked as he sat next to her

A small scoff of disbelief escaped her lips, and she pulled her legs closer to her chest, leaning her head on her knees. "What's up with me?" She widened her eyes, "I'm not the one who's been weird the entire night," she added, crossing her legs and straightening her posture.

Jay opened his mouth to talk but… She was right, he had been weird the whole night.

He hummed and took her hand in his, sending her an apologetic look, but before he could say anything, Hailey mumbled his name, slowly blinking and lowering her gaze.

"Look, if it's about what Solána said earlier, I'm sorry, I had no idea she was gonna say something like t-"

"It's not that," Jay vehemently shook his head, "I mean, yeah, but not really..?" He mumbled incoherently, making a confused face himself.

Hailey frowned at him and started rambling, her anxiety showing in each of her words. "Are you sure? Because I can talk to her if you want or…  Maybe she'll listen, yeah"—she looked up at him—"Or maybe if you want time to figure things out and need some space from-"

"I love you," he whispered to her, blinking slowly, his gentle stare focused on her.

It took him a few seconds to realize that the words actually came out of his mouth, and he could perfectly feel his heart thump at a rapid pace, almost fearing it was going to jump out of his chest.

It was scary, saying it aloud, but it also felt so good and liberating that he wished he'd done it sooner.

"You love me?" Hailey asked in disbelief, her voice small and shaky, almost inaudible, and her cheeks totally red, they looked like someone had set them aflame.

Jay chuckled at the question, thinking the answer was pretty obvious, and nodded his head slowly, a lopsided grin on his face.

"What Solána said"—he hummed—"We will talk about it but… Guess it was the little push I needed. To tell you, y'know," he mumbled anxiously.

"You-" Hailey closed her mouth and stopped talking, besides, she didn't even know what to say, pervaded by the overwhelming feeling.

No one ever told her they loved her while staring at her that way Jay was, making her feel special and safe.

And so "I love you," he repeated, using a little more confidence this time. "So much," he brought the back of her hand close to his mouth and kissed it, feeling himself blushing as well.

Hailey was nervously biting her lower lip, her blue eyes wide and boring into his green ones.

When Jay quickly scratched his beard, she was able to notice the shakiness of his hand and didn't hesitate to hold it, wrapping her tinier one around it.

Jay sighed, lowering his gaze and making a face. He knew neither of them was too much of a fan of romance, but he was wishing he'd told her in a special way at least. She deserved that much.

In fact, "I'm sorry I'm dropping this major bomb on-"

He didn't get to finish his sentence because Hailey's lips didn't allow him to, their softness catching him off guard as they moved against his in a tender kiss.

His hand immediately went cupping her face, his thumb gently brushing against her jaw as he titled his head. He bit her lower lip and smiled a victorious smile when she winced a little, taking it as an opportunity to mend the affected part with his tongue, anticipating the taste of her mouth.

"Don't be sorry," Hailey mumbled against his lips but Jay was already too focused on their kiss to really pay attention to anything else.

She uncrossed her legs so she could get closer to him and wrapped her arms around the back of his head, her fingers playing with his short hair.

She felt Jay shiver when her cold hands touched his much warmer skin, and she smiled when she felt him blindly getting rid of his shoes, securing her body before leaning down on the couch and bringing her with him.

The temperature in the room turned hotter in no time, Jay's moans of pleasure fusing with the music playing in the background as Hailey straddled him and proceeded to kiss him under his lobe, his head leaning to give her more access to that spot.

Hailey's expert hands undid the buttons of his flannel shirt, and she happily smirked once she was able to see his freckled body, her fingertips tingling as they softly grazed over his warm skin.

Jay eagerly attached his lips to hers, his mouth moving with the right amount of roughness, while his hands snuck inside her sweatshirt, humming when they encountered her skin.

"Clothes off," he demanded as Hailey's lips focused on his neck. His voice sounded lower than usual and its tone clearly showed his urge to touch her. Unfiltered.

"Someone's bossy today," Hailey remarked teasingly, secretly liking the little attitude. It made her feel hotter than she already was.

He lifted her sweatshirt up, sighing heavily when she had to pull away to fully get rid of it but looking at her with admiration, a low hum escaping his lips.

"Just know what I want," he replied, smirking at her and reaching for the back of her bra, unclasping it in no time.

Hailey blushed, feeling exposed, but grinned when Jay pulled her body closer to him, one hand roughly squeezing her ass while the other brushed over the curve of her breasts, the eagerness of his gesture making her hum in pleasure.

Jay always made her feel so beautiful and sexy and wanted. Powerful.

She kissed his jaw and stared into his eyes, her hands teasingly fiddling with his belt, ready to start her sweet torture.

"And what do you want?" Hailey asked him, though she already knew the answer.

She could feel it, the answer was right under her palm, she didn't need him to say it out loud.

But Jay did anyway, "I want you. All of you," he stated, his words free of any teasing note behind them.

It was pure and genuine, just like the way he was staring at her, as if he was seeing the light for the first time.

And Hailey wanted him as bad, but still, they had something on their way there.

Jay seemed to have the same thought because he immediately reached for her jeans and unzipped them. Hailey took them off and he did the same with his, they were becoming too much of a restraint, and he was literally suffering.

He didn't lay back down but got into a sitting position instead, his breathing becoming more intense as he felt Hailey teasingly move hips against him.

The song playing in the background switched to Stand still by ZAYN when he snuck his hand inside Hailey's panties, her loud gasp reaching his ears the moment he touched her flesh.

His signature lopsided grin appeared on his face when she gasped again, tightening her grip around his neck as he slid one finger in with ease, and, "Jay…" She breathed on his shoulder, while he began pleasuring her, setting a slow, teasing pace.

She moaned in disapproval when he stopped abruptly, cursing under her breath as she heard him chuckle.

Jay pulled back slightly, looking at her face and kissing her pouty lips.

"You gotta be patient, Hailey Anne," he muttered to her, shifting their position and having Hailey lay down on the couch, her back resting on the comfortable fabric and her blond hair sprawled all over the place.

"I don't like you," she mumbled back, keeping her eyes closed and enjoying the feeling of his lips traveling down her stomach, leaving a series of kisses following an imaginary trail.

He hummed in return, not really giving her an answer. Instead, he moved her panties to the side, watching her carefully looking at him with anticipation written all over her face.

Hailey honestly felt like putty in his hands, she was okay with whatever he wished to do to her.

"I hope you like this, then," he retorted cockily, raising his eyebrows, and before he could get an answer from her, he kissed her the inner side of her thighs and then moved to the center, where he could tell Hailey really wanted him.

Jay smiled in amusement as Hailey kept tugging on his short hair, his lips pressing on her thighs and slowly trailing up her body, her stomach, her breasts, and then her collarbones.

She was still shaking beneath him but that didn't hold her back from shooting a series of deadly glares at him — if looks could kill, Jay would've been long gone for a while.

When he tried to kiss her, Hailey moved her head to the side, preventing his lips from touching hers, and it caused Jay to start laughing out loud at her.

"Sorry," he said between giggles, managing to place a stolen kiss on the corner of her mouth.

Hailey narrowed her eyes at him, still bothered that he left her high and dry just when she needed him the most.

She could still hear herself whimper in protest when he dragged his mouth away from her groin, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.

"You're a terrible person," she muttered to him, licking her lips, her ears immediately recognizing the song that started playing. It was Apocalypse by Cigarettes After Sex — how ironic.

She gathered all her strength and lifted herself up, running a hand through her now messy hair before pressing her palms on Jay's chest, "Lay down," she said, her assertive tone making his lips twitch upward.

Jay didn't need her to tell him twice, observing her with desire-burning eyes as her fingertips hooked into the waistband of his boxers, her warm touch eliciting goosebumps on his freckled skin.

Hailey could see how desperately he needed her to go further but stayed still instead, raising an eyebrow. "What now?" She asked, feigning an innocent expression.

He glared at her, his fingers nervously tapping on her thighs, "Stop being a tease, how bout that?" He replied, knowing exactly what game she wanted to play.

His lips parted and he closed his eyes when she moved her hand inside the soft yet restraining fabric of his boxer, a drawled out 'Fuck' escaping his mouth when he felt her wrap her hand around his cock, her warm touch making him forget about anything else in the world.

Jay brought a hand to her head, his fingers entwining with her blond strands as she leaned down onto him, kissing him down his happy trail.

Hailey never ceased to make eye contact as she went down, her warm breath on his skin and the ghost of a smirk curling up her lips before she took him in her mouth, his sharp inhale distinctly audible even above the music.

Poison by Brent Faiyaz was playing when, "Hailey, I'm..." Jay trailed off, shutting his eyes closed and feeling the muscles of his stomach twitch, his hips instinctively thrusting upward and his jaw clenching.

It was all it took for the blonde to drag her lips away from his cock, a sly smile curling them up as he watched him crumble beneath her, abruptly opening his eyes.

He grunted in protest as she slightly backed off, maintaining eye contact with him, enjoying his begging expression.

"Unbelievable," he panted, his chest rapidly rising and falling.

Jay was breathing so hard that both he and Hailey could use that oxygen.

He shook his head, tightly squeezing her thigh in frustration, but when he actually looked at her, he couldn't help but share the contagious smile she had on her face.

He reached for her nose, pinching it lightly, his eyes slowly blinking. "That was evil," he told her, watching a light tint of red color her cheeks.

Hailey bit her lower lips and slightly tilted her head, putting on a fake innocent smile. "Evil? It's payback," she replied wittily, "Karma."

"Is it?"

"You did this to yourself. You know I hold grudges."

"I know now!" Jay exclaimed as she stood and straddled him again. He kissed a spot on her breast, right where her heart kept beating at a crazy pace.

Hailey laughed in response, the sound crushing upon his shoulder as she rested her chin there.

She bit his skin when he slightly lifted her upper body, feeling him position his cock between her legs and at her entrance, teasing her, happy he could feel how ready she was for him.

Her breath hitched while sinking down onto him, the room filling with their strangled moans.

Jay hummed in pleasure, stunned by the blissful feeling, and tossed his head behind, shutting his eyes and trying to take a long, deep breath.

"Fuck," he breathed, "You feel so good," he let out, kissing the side of her face, his lips longing over her skin as he waited for Hailey to make the next move.

The blonde was taking her sweet time. That angle felt a bit overwhelming at first but it was honestly her favorite, it allowed her to perfectly see Jay's face and every little detail of it. She loved it when she was on top.

He pressed his lips on her chin and traveled upward to her jaw, then focused on the spot under her lobe, "You okay?" He checked like he always did, his voice low and more gruffly.

Hailey hummed in response, her body slowly beginning to move again on top of his, a shiver running up both of their spines.

Jay was keeping her body still, meeting her halfway with his calibrated, deep thrusts, knowing exactly which spots he needed to hit.

And, there was something melodic following every sound coming out of her mouth, each tiny whimper, soft moan, and intense gasp mixing with his and creating a new tune.

She tightened her grip behind his neck, pressing herself onto him, the gesture telling him she needed to take a small break.

He obliged, stilling himself and releasing a heavy breath, his eyes immediately searching for Hailey's.

They found each other in no time, the blonde blushing at the way he was staring at her.

Jay always had a way of gaping at her, like she was some sort of otherworldly goddess that he couldn't believe was in front of him, and it made her heart skip a beat or two. Maybe five. Every single time.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered to her before leaving a quick peck on her lips, observing her mouth curling up into a tender smile.

She cupped his face, sharing that same gentle look, her thumb caressing his stubble. 

As she looked at him, she couldn't help but eye the scar on his neck and start peppering it with small kisses.

Hailey had somehow grown attached to that scar. It was the result of a painful moment for him, but it was part of him, and she'd inevitably started loving it just as much as she loved Jay.

And, "I love you," she found the courage to tell him, watching Jay's half-lidded eyes fully open and stare at her.

"What?" He blurted out with a small frown.

Everything was having a little too-good-to-be-true undertone to it, Jay needed to make sure he heard correctly.

Hailey scoffed at him, amused by his response.

"See? That's why you gotta stop blaring music in your headphones," she commented, dramatically rolling her eyes and causing Jay to chuckle at her words.

"I said," she dragged her mouth on his, "I love you," she spelled it out better, pressing their lips together.

His reaction was somehow unexpected, despite the activities they were entertaining.

Jay hugged her body with an urge and tenderness that Hailey had never experienced with him before.

She felt him inhale sharply, burying his head in the crook of her neck, the familiar scent of her blond hair filling his nostrils and calming him down.

At first, she was convinced that he was going to come back with one of his witty remarks, in full-on Jay Halstead style, and so his actual reaction had caught her a bit off guard.

She wasn't worried though, not after the numerous kisses he was leaving on her bare shoulder or the sweet words of adoration he kept whispering against her skin, her hand cradling his head while her fingers played with his short hair.

"Are you okay?" It was Hailey's turn to ask the question now.

Was he okay… Jay definitely felt overwhelmed, only now processing the fact that someone like Hailey loved him in the exact same way that he loved her , with no ulterior motives behind it.

Just the thought of allowing himself to be vulnerable again, after being so deeply scarred in the past, was a huge step for him. And to see that his feelings were reciprocated, genuinely, it felt all kinds of breathtaking.

It made him feel in a way he hadn't experienced in such a long time — alive and so aware of himself, of her, of them.

"I'm okay," he nodded, slightly pulling back to look at Hailey, smiling when their eyes met. 

Jay leaned forward, pressing his forehead on hers and kissing the corner of her mouth.

"And I love you too," he breathed, his voice fading in as Warm by Majid Jordan started playing.

Chapter Text

Hailey tossed and turned in bed, her face pressed against her pillow and her eyes squeezed shut.

She groaned in disapproval when she tried to open them and realized it was already morning. She felt like she'd slept for only two minutes total!

With a sigh escaping her lips, she blindly reached for the other side of the bed only for her palm to encounter empty space, which immediately woke her up like a cold shower.

Hailey found the strength to get out of the bed and when she finally stood up, she almost lost balance, both from the sudden move and the fact that her legs felt weak.

She was pretty sure Jay was the one responsible for the latter, but she sure as hell had no intentions of letting him know — he already had a gigantic ego as it was.

She started blushing the moment she replayed last night's events, a shy smile curling up her lips as she still could hear Jay's voice whisper sweet whatnots while making love to her.

Sex with Jay was always amazing, the man never failed at driving her crazy. He just had to take a glimpse at her to know exactly what she needed.

But, Hailey knew last night was more unique than the others they'd shared together.

She was pretty sure it had to do with the fact that both of them had finally said the word, allowing themselves to let go of that small ounce of self-preservation they had been still holding onto.

She was fully enamored with Jay, and the sole thought of being in love with him made her heart skip a few beats.

Hailey opened her closet and took a hoodie and some sweatpants from it, putting them on in no time and exiting her room to walk towards the kitchen.

As soon as she started going down the hallway, her nostrils filled with an intense aroma of coffee that immediately caused her to smile.

She entered the kitchen and couldn't help but emit a shy giggle at the sight in front of her, her cheeks turning a light shade of red.

If her sore legs weren't enough proof of how intense their night was, then the marks on Jay's back definitely were.

He had them all over his back, red marks that her nails had left on his skin.

Jay was bent over the counter, his back facing her while he kept humming along and nodding his head to the song his phone was playing, La solassitude by Stromae.

"Hope it doesn't hurt too much," Hailey mumbled, causing Jay to jump a little and turn around abruptly, clearly not expecting her to be there just yet.

She added a small apology for startling him but he just waved his hand dismissively.

"Hello!" He chanted with a smile, stopping the music to give her his full attention.

Hailey walked to him and immediately went in for a hug, earning a cheeky grin from him.

It quickly faded away, a hiss escaping his lips when her fingers absentmindedly brushed over the now sensitive skin on his back, and "Sorry," he heard her say, which made him snort loudly.

"Won't be sleeping on my back for a few days," Jay laughed, then "It was lots of fun, though. I'm definitely not sorry," he added, looking down at her and seeing her blush.

"D'you sleep well?" He asked her, leaving a quick kiss on top of her head and turning around to fill her mug with some hot coffee.

Hailey hummed and hooped on top of the counter, running a hand down her face and suppressing a big yawn.

"Yeah but… I wish I could sleep for another, I don't know, twenty hours or something," she mumbled tiredly, already regretting getting out of bed in the first place.

Jay snorted, "I'm pretty sure that's the beginning of a coma," he replied, handing her the full mug, which she accepted with a grateful smile.

She added a copious amount of sugar, as always, and when she looked up at Jay, she found him already staring at her.

"You're judging me," she said to him, narrowing her eyes and watching him nod eagerly.

"I totally am, yeah," he confirmed with a wink.

Hailey then saw him quickly check his phone and bite his lower lip as soon as the lock screen lit up, showing a picture of Solána.

She tilted her head and looked at him. "Come here," she breathed out, taking her coffee mug and slightly scooting over to leave some room for Jay.

He immediately got the hint, going next to her and leaning his back against the counter, and crossing his arms.

Jay shifted his gaze from the floor to Hailey's face for a second, "She took us off guard, huh?" He muttered keeping his voice low.

Hailey let out a small chuckle, "She did," she nodded slowly, then glimpsed at him, trying to read the expression on his face though she couldn't exactly decipher it, and so "Are you mad?" She asked him.

He frowned a little when he heard the question, "No, not at all," he replied

Jay then took a deep breath and, "I love you and"—he sighed—"This isn't about me but I'm actually relieved she said that to you, ya know?" He blushed.

He'd never been the best at expressing his feelings and he was feeling like his heart could jump out of his chest any minute.

"Just- I know it's a lot, trust me, and I don't want you to feel forced or like…" He shrugged, trying to gather his thoughts, "Solána's stubborn as hell but she wouldn't want you to be uncomfortable around her," he went on, scratching his beard.

"Honestly…" Hailey trailed off, staring at him and feeling a rush of heat pervade her face when their eyes met, "Mom number two does have a nice ring to it," she admitted, her lips turning into a soft smile as she mentally replayed Solána's words, "Made me feel special."

She couldn't really quantify how much she loved that little girl, and to know that she considered her as family, just… Hailey couldn't think of anything that could top that feeling.

"You are," Jay retorted, putting his arm around her shoulder to pull her closer to him, "There's a reason why she loves you so much," he added matter-of-factly.

"You know," Hailey slightly pulled back to look at him, "You saying these kinda things and being shirtless and wearing gray sweatpants and-"

"Being extremely hot," he cut her off, watching her roll her eyes the second he opened his mouth.

She slapped his arm and frowned dramatically, "You ruined it," she mumbled to him as he let out an amused chuckle. 

Hailey finished her coffee and hopped off the counter to go put the empty mug in the sink. Before she could even take a step forward though, "Wait, Hailey Anne," Jay wrapped his arms around her waist to stop her, having her turn around.

"Are we good? Like, seriously" He asked her, staring into her eyes, the tone of his voice now much more solemn than it was before.

The corners of her mouth curled up in a shy smile, her cheeks turning rosy.

 "We're good, Jay," she nodded at him. She then got on the tip of her toes and left a quick kiss on his stubbly jaw, "We're always gonna be good." 

Jay was waiting in front of his brother's house when he was welcomed by two bright smiles, two sets of eyes staring at him.

"Hi, Uncle Jay," Owen greeted him, letting him inside and locking at the door behind him.

Before he could reply to him, "¿Dónde estás Hailey? " Solána asked her father, tilting her head and frowning a little.

Jay ruffled Owen's hair to acknowledge his presence, "Hi, buddy," he muttered to him and sent him a wink, then focused his gaze on Solána and picked her up.

"I see you're excited to see me," he mumbled with sarcasm, which Solána didn't really catch on because she just kept staring at him with her green eyes widened, waiting for an actual answer.

"Hailey está en su casa, she's resting a little," Jay explained to her as they walked towards the living room.

"But we gotta go see the puppies!" Solána countered, furrowing her brows and pouting her lips.

He let out a small chuckle and slightly shook his head at the fact that she didn't forget at all. 

And, "We still got time, Sol,"—he replied—"Don't worry, she'll be there," he then added.

"You promise?" 

Jay nodded and watched the features of her face relax a little at his response.

"Okay," she said.

"Did you behave?" Jay asked her as they walked past Owen, who was doing his homework.

Solána nodded eagerly, a cheeky grin on her lips, "Yes! Uncle Will said I'm his favorite niece," she muttered proudly, and Jay did everything he could to suppress the loud snort that he was about to let out.

Owen seemed to hear what she said too, and it was like Jay could see his gears turning as he elaborated what his cousin had just said, a little frown on his face.

The first-grader decided to just let it go, though, shrugging his shoulders and figuring his dad had a reason why he said that, though he was pretty sure Solána was his only niece.

As if he knew they were talking about him, Will showed up in the living room and greeted his brother, his damp hair signaling that he'd been taking a shower not too long ago.

"Hey, you mind if I take some time to talk to her-"

Before he could finish his question, "Yeah, I know you have things to discuss," he murmured.

At the confused expression on Jay's face, "I'm her favorite uncle, she tells me everything!" Will exclaimed with an amused smirk.

Jay scoffed in return, "Favorite uncle," he muttered, "I wouldn't be too sure about that," he continued, alluding to the instant complicity Solána had found with Hailey's brother.

Will tilted his head, a deep frown between his eyebrows, "What the f-"

"Dad!" Owen scolded him just before he would finish.

"William! Don't curse," Jay grinned at him to annoy him, then called for Solána and told her to join him in the kitchen.

The little girl hurried to him, happily squealing when he picked her in his arms with a swift move, her loud giggles echoing between the walls.

He sat on the chair with her, adjusting her on his lap, and just hugged her tightly, a content smile curling up his lips.

"Ya know, I missed you," he whispered to her, placing a few kisses on her round cheek.

He felt his heart begin to swell in his chest when "I missed you too," she replied back, slightly pulling away and cupping his face with her small hands, loving the feeling of his stubble against her palms — she always had, ever since she was a newborn.

"And Hailey," she added with a soft smile, now focusing her gaze on the thin necklace he was wearing, "We're gonna go see the puppies later!" She told him excitedly as if he wasn't the one who arranged the whole thing.

"Yes, you are," He commented, carefully looking at her face and preparing himself for what he wanted to tell her next.

"Remember, you said something yesterday in the car…" Jay began, studying her features and waiting for her reaction.

Her smile widened as she recalled the moment, an excited look on her face.

"Yes! I said Hailey is my mom number two," she responded, but then her expression turned into a small pout. "But you said it doesn't work like that," Solána repeated the exact words he'd used.

Before he could clear up any of her concerns, "I love Hailey," she went on, "We bake together, and we dance, and she draws with me, and she said she's gonna make loumádes only for me and she gived me Pablo," Solána started rambling, listing all the things Hailey had done with and for her.

Jay couldn't help but smile at her and the way she was talking, excitement filling her green eyes.

"She loves you too, ya know? So much," He replied, he playfully bopped her nose, "She tells me every time."

Solána nodded with confidence at what he'd just said. "She loves me like Uncle Will loves Owie," she stated before focusing back on his necklace and playing with it, unaware of the effect her innocent words had created.

Her emotional maturity was honestly leaving him stunned, and he was wishing he could be more like her, so open and in tune with his feelings, unafraid to express them.

He had a lot to learn from her.

Jay was replaying her words in his mind, his fingers fiddling the collar of her shirt, kind of mirroring her gestures.

He then cupped her face and slightly leaned over, pressing his lips on the top of her head and longing in the kiss he gave her, his eyes closed as he immersed himself in that sweet moment, never wishing for it to end.

"I'm so happy you're my daughter, Sol," he mumbled to her.

She probably couldn't understand the weight those words carried, but he hoped she could feel it in every single gesture he did for her, even the littlest — Solána was literally a ray of sunshine making his life brighter, he was so proud to call her his.

Vanessa was applying some gloss on her lips, a concentrated look on her face, and smiled at the reflection on the mirror when she finished, happy with the neat result she'd obtained.

She was in Hailey's bedroom, waiting for her friend to finish blow-drying her hair, though her mind was fantasizing about what that Sunday had in store for her.

She was pretty excited about it though, and the reason behind her giddiness was the fact that she was soon going to see Kevin.

He'd invited her to go see an art show together, a date. 

The first thing Vanessa told him when he asked her out was 'Damn, finally!' which was followed by his amused chuckle and him shaking his head at her bluntness.

Hailey exited the bathroom and felt her friend's piercing gaze on her. She turned towards her and knotted her brows together, a questioning look on her face.

"What?" She asked her, quickly checking herself to see if something was wrong.

"Nothing," Vanessa shrugged, "Just… You might wanna cover that hickey," she muttered with a smirk.

Hailey scoffed and rolled her eyes, "Shut up," she countered.

"Somebody had fun last night!" The brunette chanted before stepping away from the mirror to give some room for Hailey.

She quietly observed as her friend applied the hair-care creams she always used, then "What's that?" Vanessa asked, approaching her and snatching an unfamiliar spray bottle from her.

Hailey ignored her lack of elegance. "It's a mix Jay uses on Solána's hair, I like the smell," she simply replied.

"Aw, you guys!" Vanessa commented, handing the spray bottle back to Hailey and sending her a knowing look and a smirk, "The mom vibes I'm getting here… Oof!" She started cackling in excitement.

Hailey blushed heavily at what she said, biting her lips to suppress the big smile that wanted to show up so badly. She turned towards her and sprayed some of the hair product on her face, making Vanessa gasp loudly.

"You know I'm not afraid to go to jail," she muttered, glaring at her and clearly threatening her, "Watch out." 

But the blonde ignored her blatantly, continuing to take care of her hair even though she could see that Vanessa was still staring at her with a tiny grin.

Then, "Just say it," she gave up with a dramatic sigh, placing her hairbrush on the top of her drawer and turning around to face Vanessa.

"No teasing, I swear," Vanessa murmured, showing her an innocent smile. "But, you know, all this love… It looks good on you," she stated in all seriousness, watching Hailey smile proudly at herself, the little rose tint on her cheeks still present.

She knew why Vanessa told her those exact words, and she was grateful she was there to remind her how far she'd come.

Hailey had grown up in a toxic household, where fear was mistaken for respect and manipulation disguised as love, and over the years, it had been a struggle for her to recognize and accept that feeling in its most genuine form.

She'd always felt like it was a trap, that it was too good to be true, There must be a catch she'd often thought.

Now though, now Hailey was completely surrounded by it, a pure, real love that she'd honestly never find herself imagining she could be able to experience without feeling the constant need to watch her back and expect the incoming swindle.

As expected by Vanessa, Hailey didn't really reply to her, both of them already knowing how much they were appreciated and how much they meant to the blonde.

With a sigh of contentment, "I'm glad I suggested you that store," Vanessa then murmured, winking at her friend and clearly wanting to take some credit for unknowingly playing matchmaker between Hailey and Jay.

You will never know by Imane got interrupted when Hailey parked her car and turned the engine off.

She hopped off the vehicle and locked it, quickly crossing the road. She then took her phone out of the pocket of the leather jacket she was wearing, checking the time.

Taking a deep breath, she smiled, immediately realizing how much clearer the air was just a few miles outside Chicago.

She felt pretty excited about today's activities, but more than that, she couldn't wait to see Solána, especially after what happened yesterday.

Hailey opened the door of the dog shelter they were going to visit and was welcomed by a young man, probably in his late teens, who was scratching a puppy's neck, making it adorably grunt in pleasure.

"Morning," he smiled at her, letting go of the dog and giving Hailey his full attention.

The blonde greeted him back, and before she could explain the reason for her visit, "You must be Hailey, right?" The young man checked.

She nodded slowly in return and saw his smile grow wider. "Ethan Jones"—he introduced himself—"Jay and the kids are already here," he informed her as he started walking to another room.

Hailey followed him in silence and, as soon as they stepped foot into the large room in the back, "Hailey's here!" Solána announced before anyone else could.

She started running towards her, and Hailey welcomed her in her arms, picking her up.

"Hey, princess," she kissed her cheek, smiling when Solána sweetly returned the gesture.

Then, "They already started," the little girl told her, pointing at her dad and Owen, who were feeding a puppy together (Will had literally begged him to take his son with them so he could have some alone time with Natalie, and of course Jay agreed, not before watching him squirm a little bit.

 "But I said no, we gotta wait for Hailey!" She went on with zeal. "They didn't listen to me," Solána concluded with a shrug as the blonde put her down.

Hailey chuckled and shook her head, sharing a furtive look with her. "Boys…" She commented, taking her coat off and putting it onto the coat hanger next to the door.

Jay was done giving Owen instructions and he got up, walking to her with a tender smile curling up his lips. He was about to greet her but noticed that Ethan was still standing by the entrance and staring at them — well, Hailey.

She had noticed he was looking at her but didn't make a scene out of it, unlike her boyfriend.

In fact, "Earth to Ethan!" He yelled at him, snapping his fingers in his direction, and causing the young man to recover from his daze.

Ethan blushed heavily for getting caught red-handed. He glared at Jay, "Thank you, man!" He replied sarcastically. Then, "I'll get out of your hair," he declared.

"Bye-bye, Ethan. See ya later," Solána smirked at her friend, bumping her fist with his and letting him go back to his chores.

She then went to her cousin, carefully watching him feed a puppy and starting a conversation with him.

"Ethan's dad and I served together," Jay explained once they were left alone, keeping it short.

By the subtle way he frowned while saying the words, Hailey quickly understood that the brief story didn't have a happy ending to it, and she decided not to ask further questions, even though she was curious.

"Anyway," he cleared his throat, sending her a tiny smile and then looking around, "Ready to feed these guys?"

"You had a dog?" Solána asked Hailey, the two of them sitting on the ground as they helped the last puppy on the line drink some milk.

Haily glimpsed at her, "Yeah, his name was Argos and he was my best friend," she replied, "I'll show you a picture of him later," she promised.

The little girl nodded, gently smoothing down the puppy's fur and watching it drink. "He's dead now?"

"Unfortunately, yes."

Solána noticed the slight pout on Hailey's face and watched with a heartwarming smile, "Maybe he's keeping company to God and they're protecting you together," she told her.

Gosh, she was so sweet!

"I'm sure they are," the blonde nodded, leaning towards her to leave a quick kiss on top of her forehead.

Jay was on the other side of the room, feeding bigger dogs with Owen's help and, despite the distance, he'd heard Solána's words loud and clear. He couldn't help but smile at her attempt to try and make Hailey feel better, proud of her compassion.

"I still have a dog! A real one," Solána informed Hailey. 

She frowned, tilting her head and sending her a confused look. Last time she checked, she'd never seen a real dog at Jay's apartment, just a small, stuffed one in Solána's bedroom.

The little girl read the confused expression on her face and giggled, blushing a little. 

"It's not mine mine," she clarified with a smirk, "Kol lives with Daideó, but he likes me better. He's mine," she declared with a nod.

Hailey chuckled, impressed (but not really) by the level of her confidence. She could use some of it for herself.

"You can meet him when it's Daideó's birthday if you want," Solána proceeded to say, causing the blonde to raise her brows in surprise.

"Oh, you're inviting me then?" She asked, amused by the whole conversation.

The four-year-old nodded, "I'll make your invitation card," she murmured, "It's gonna be so pretty."

Hailey hummed in approval, glimpsing at Jay with the corner of her eyes, knowing his piercing stare was on them the entire time. 

The small diner where they decided to grab something to eat wasn't too far from the dog shelter they'd been spending the afternoon.

Hailey and Jay were sitting at a table, listening to Hozier's voice in Someone new and enjoying a cup of hot chocolate — yes, hot chocolate season had just started.

Owen and Solána weren't too far from them, playing table football in a team against two other kids. Owen was doing most of his team efforts, Solána just looked at him now and then and copied whatever he was doing.

Jay finished his hot chocolate and pushed the empty mug away from him. He tried to suppress a yawn but felt too tired to even do that.

He finally was focusing on a new project that was sucking every bit of energy out of him, and he'd been working a lot more because to make that project happen, well, he needed the money. Very surprising.

"God, am I exhausted!" He let out a long sigh, closing his eyes for a couple of seconds and scratching his beard. "Feel like someone beat me up. What the hell," he continued.

When he opened his eyes again, meeting Hailey's gaze, "I'm sorry," he apologized, feeling bad for lashing out like that.

"You know… The world won't end if you take a nap sometimes," Hailey stated, staring at him with an arched eyebrow, "You literally never rest."

Jay scoffed, "Look who's talking!" He retorted, "And I do rest."

She sent him a look, "Sleeping five hours per night is not rest, Jay," she countered, "You're basically a vampire…"

He snorted, "Jay Cullen… It's kinda cool," he chuckled, bumping his elbow with hers.

"No, it's not."

Jay then let out a tired sigh and, "It's gonna be a complete mess when they actually start working on the store, I just wanna be extra safe," he explained to her.

It wasn't a money issue per se, he'd always been great at managing it and now was no exception. It was more for his peace of mind than anything, really.

"Then, I'll get some rest," Jay went on, scratching his beard, "I already delayed this thing because…" He glimpsed at her and then shifted his gaze quickly, "Stuff happened," he rolled his eyes, "I just wanna be done with it for once and for all," he concluded.

Hailey sighed, "Yeah, I get that," she nodded slowly, sending him an understanding look.

Just like Jay, she hated leaving things unfinished or poorly done. If she started something then she was going to go through with it.

He was about to say something but Solána preceded him, hurrying to them with the biggest grin on her face.

"I scored one!" She told him excitedly as he helped her sit on his lap. 

"It was by accident," Owen whispered to Hailey, sitting next to her, the two chuckling at the additional information.

"You scored one? That's my girl!" Jay cheered, sitting upright and taking Solána in his arms, giving her a big kiss and suddenly feeling less tired just from the way she was grinning so proudly.

Jay let out a long exhale when they finally were back home.

He kept the door open for Hailey and Solána to get inside as well before locking it behind them.

As he walked past the kitchen, he stopped abruptly, cursing under his breath. He should've thought of what they were going to eat because now he was standing there having no idea, and that was ruining his mood.

He huffed and turned towards Hailey and Solána, taking his phone out of his pocket.

"What do you guys wanna eat? I'm gonna order something," he told them.

Hailey hummed pensively, walking towards the kitchen and opening a couple of cupboards.

"No need to order anything, I'll make us some pasta and tomato sauce, simple but good," she said, after checking all the ingredients were there.

Jay slowly shook his head, "I know you're tired too," he mumbled.

Hailey waved her hand dismissively, "It's a ten minutes thing, don't worry," she replied as she washed her hands.

She then put all the stuff she needed on the counter while Jay was still standing there and staring at her.

She looked towards him and "DJ, we need some music here," she chanted, "Something fun, please," she added, filling a pot with water and putting salt on it.

Jay chuckled, placing his hand on her waist as he passed by her, a small gesture to thank her for putting up with his weird mood swings.

He did as he was told, connecting his phone to the tv and searching for an upbeat song to play.

When he put Beggin' by Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, "Yeah, now we're talking!" Hailey exclaimed.

Solána, who had gone to the bathroom to wash her hands, was now back with them and, "I wanna cook too," she told Hailey, walking towards her.

"Mh, what can you do…" She trailed off. She looked around and took a chair, putting it in front of the countersink.

Jay helped Solána get on on the chair as Hailey handed her some tomatoes, "Here. You can rinse them," she instructed, getting a nod in response.

Once she was done, the little girl got off the chair and stood next to Hailey, observing every move.

Then, "Hailey…" she patted her leg after the blonde put some pasta inside the pot full of hot boiling water — gluten-free, don't worry.

"I go to school tomorrow," she began when Hailey crouched down to reach her height. "Is that okay if I tell Benji and Andy that you're my mom number two?" She asked.

"Daddy says you always gotta ask for permission," she added, her fingers nervously fiddling with the zip of the green jumper she was wearing.

A small gasp escaped Hailey's lips, and the moment she thought she was ready to answer, she actually found herself being speechless.

She realized she was crying when Solána pointed it out, glancing at her dad to ask for help, not really able to decipher Hailey's reaction.

In fact, "Don't cry. I won't tell them if you don't want," she suggested, which caused Hailey to let out a small sob as she looked at her.

Jay was observing the whole thing in silence, feeling a bit emotional too.

"I don't think that's why she's crying," he muttered to his daughter, sniffing a little, and then glimpsing at Hailey who was trying to get her composure back, even though she couldn't really shake off that overwhelming feeling.

She let out a sound that seemed to be something between a groan and a chuckle, rolling her eyes at herself for crying and scaring Solána with her tears.

"These are happy tears, Sol," she explained to the little girl, quickly wiping her face with the sleeves of her sweater, "You make me so happy," she went on.

Solána shot a glance at her dad and the expression of shock she had on her face shifted into a shy smile, her cheeks completely red as she registered Hailey's words.

"You're not upset?" She checked, tilting her head.

The blonde shook her head, "Not at all."

She then opened her arms and engulfed Solána into the tightest hug they'd ever shared, their bodies swaying back and forth.

"I love you so so much," Hailey whispered to her ear as tears started streaming down her face again.

When they pulled apart, "So, can I tell them?" Solána asked again in excitement, referring to the original question.

Hailey kissed her cheek and smiled at her, "Of course you can, princess."

The speakers in Jay's apartment were playing Santorini coffee by Melvitto, a slow, relaxing tune that perfectly set the mood after such a long day.

Jay was in the bathroom, taking a shower, kicked out from the kitchen by Hailey. 

She'd insisted on him going to take a shower, that she was going to take care of turning the kitchen squeaky clean. He always did it anyway, and since he visibly looked exhausted that evening, she'd offered to do it herself. Team effort.

Hailey dried her freshly-washed hands with a towel and walked into the living room, plopping on the couch and emitting a long exhale.

Before she could even begin starting to relax,

"Hailey, can you braid my hair?" Solána hurried in the living room to her, handing her a comb, the hair products she usually used, and two hair ties — green and yellow, just like she liked them.

Hailey looked over the couch and sent her an encouraging smile, "Yeah, come here," she replied with enthusiasm, watching the toddler take a seat next to her on the couch, her back facing her.

When she realized what she was about to do, "Wait," the blonde stopped in her tracks after taking the comb, "Solána, you sure you don't wanna wait for your dad?" She asked her. "I know you like it when he does it for you," she went on.

She remembered that the first time she'd offered to braid her hair, Solána responded by basically telling her that Jay was the only person allowed to do that task.

But, "Uh-uh," the little girl turned to look at her and shook her head vehemently. "I want you to do it," she stated with confidence and excitement, then "Please," she added, blushing heavily.

Her dad had taught her to always be extra polite when making a request.

Hailey could feel her heart swell in her chest as she looked at her, processing the fact that Solána came to her specifically and asked her because she wanted to.

She loved and trusted her to the point she chose to share that step of her routine with her, and it totally felt a mind-blowing type of amazing. 

She just hoped that Jay wouldn't take offense, knowing how much he also enjoyed that moment of bonding with his daughter.

Jay didn't. Not at all.

He was smiling as he quietly observed the two, his now more relaxed body leaning against the wall behind them.

Just like before, he didn't interrupt the interaction between the two: it was only Hailey and Solána's moment and theirs only.

He just wanted to watch them, they were able to bring him a sense of contentment and peace he'd never really experienced before.

And his already big smile grew even wider when he heard Hailey speak again.

"You tell me if they're too tight or you don't like 'em, yeah?" She muttered to Solána while parting her hair into two sections, and she got a hum in return.

She sprayed some good-smelling product all over the right section, carefully hydrating every part, and then started braiding the hair.

Once she was done with the first one, she let Solána inspect it with the small mirror she'd brought along, then "Looks like daddy's!" The toddler declared. What a compliment!

"Not too tight?"

The little girl shook her head, which caused Hailey to proudly grin at herself.

She proceeded to do the other braid and when she was finished, "Done," the blonde muttered.

Solána checked herself in the mirror again and smiled, turning towards Hailey and showing her the thumbs up.

"¡Gracias!" She exclaimed with confidence, moving her head in a small nod of approval.

Hailey smiled back at her, "Anytime, princess," she winked at her, "Let's get you to bed, yeah? It's been a looong day."

Jay wasn't there watching them anymore when she got up and started walking towards Solána's bedroom, holding the little girl's hand.

Solána hopped in her bed, immediately reaching for her two favorite stuffed animals.

Hailey sat on the bed, carefully tucking her in and, "You're okay?" She checked.

The four-year-old nodded with confidence, smiling when Hailey gently pinched her cheeks, wishing her to have a goodnight.

The blonde got up but before she could take a step, "Hailey..?" Solána stopped her.

She turned around, "What's up?"

Solána was blushing heavily, not really looking into her eyes. She then took a deep breath and found the courage to tell her what she'd been willing to say throughout the entire evening.

"I'm very happy that you're my mom number two," she confessed, her cheeks turning even redder as she pronounced the word in a shy tone.

Hailey's lips turned into a soft smile, her head slightly tilting. 

"Aw, princess, you're so sweet, thank you!" She exclaimed, bending over and giving Solána a kiss on the side of her temple. "I'm very very happy you chose me," she added in a whisper, winking at her as she pulled away.

She wished her goodnight again and actually managed to get out of the room this time, shutting the lights off and closing the door behind her.

Her cheeks were in pain from the way she was smiling, so widely and happily, even though honestly, she could say pain had never felt so nice and sweet. 

Chapter Text

Jay woke up before his alarm went off, three minutes earlier to be exact.

He’d abruptly opened his eyes, a confused look on his face as he observed his surroundings, and took a deep breath to calm down.

He’d been having weird dreams the whole night. He didn’t remember them exactly, and he knew they weren’t nightmares, but… They’d definitely left a strange taste in his mouth, feeding the slightly anxious state he was already in.

Jay got out of the bed with a heavy huff, running his hand down his face to get himself mentally prepared to start the day.

He put on the first random t-shirt he found and opened the windows, inhaling some fresh air.

He then exited his room, heading to Solána's and getting inside.

The blinds were allowing a bit of light to come from outside so the room wasn't completely dark.

Jay approached Solána's bed and the first thing he noticed was the sweat she had all across her forehead.

Solána looked paler than normal and she visibly was shaking, and when he touched her face and neck, he understood her body temperature was hotter than it should have been.

As soon as she felt her dad's touch, Solána opened her eyes abruptly, blinking slowly as she stared at her father with a confused look on her face.

"Hey, baby," Jay whispered to her with a sad smile, caressing her cheek. "You're not feeling well, are ya?"

Solána shook her head and let go of Mr. Ko, raising her arms towards Jay with a small pout curling her lips.

"I got you," he kissed her cheek when he picked her up, the little girl immediately resting her head on his shoulder and hiding her face in his neck.

As he ran his hand up and down her back, he noticed how much she'd been actually sweating. Her shirt was completely drenched, it seemed like she took a bath with her clothes on.

"Let's get you some water, okay?" He asked, not really waiting for an answer.

He made a brief stop in his room to take his phone and shoot Kevin a text, telling him he wasn't going to work today, and then went to the kitchen.

"Here," Jay had her take a seat and then filled a glass with water and gave it to Solána. "You hungry?"

"No," she replied before chugging down the water, her half-lidded eyes watching him rummage through the cabinets.

Jay then sat next to her and waited till she finished drinking. Once she was done, he gently raised her arm and put the thermometer under her armpit, "You keep it still till it makes a beep, yeah?" He instructed her.

Solána nodded, then pointed at the glass in front of her. "More, please," she muttered as she rubbed her eye.

"Gotcha," Jay filled the glass again.

Then "Mamá's coming today?" She asked him, recalling the conversation they had last night.

"Yes, she is!" He put on a smile, "You excited?" 

His question went unanswered because the little girl got distracted by the beep sound of the thermometer startling her a bit.

A long sigh escaped Jay's lips when he checked the temperature, 101,3 °F. She was burning up.

He hummed and glanced at Solána, who was staring at him already. "Let's give your uncle a call, hm?" he suggested, nervously scratching his beard.

He knew there wasn't any imminent danger and that it wasn't absurd for a kid to get a fever, he just couldn't help but go into overprotective mode when Solána was involved.

"Uncle Niko?" She asked, slightly widening her eyes in excitement.

Jay shook his head with a chuckle, "Nope, sorry," he said, amused by the dramatic sigh Solána emitted.

"We'll call Niko later," he winked at her while dialing his brother's number.

Solána nodded and then put her glass on the table, climbing up Jay's legs to sit on his lap, her head resting on his chest.

"Good morning, early-bird," Will answered the phone in no time. 

Jay greeted him back and when the redhead asked him why he was calling him so early in the morning, "Solána has a fever," he explained, getting a huff in return.

"She's like sweating and burning up," he added frantically

"Yeah… Same thing with Owen last night, they probably got it at school," Will mumbled, letting out a sigh. "You took her temperature?"

"Yeah, like five minutes ago. It was 101,3."

Will hummed. "Okay, give her some Tylenol. Since she's sweaty, I'd suggest a bath with lukewarm water. Lots of fluids, and try to have her eat something, even though she's probably not hungry," he instructed calmly.

He knew Jay had already crossed that bridge before, but he also was aware of how panicky his brother would turn in these kinds of situations.

"She's also super sleepy though," Jay added that info just in case.

"It's okay," Will replied, " Let her rest ."

"Yeah, gotcha," Jay scratched his beard and tilted his head as he looked. down at his daughter, sending her a reassuring smile when their eyes met.

Then a distant, persistent, and piercing sound reached his ears through his phone, and before he could ask any questions, " Just got paged ," Will muttered.

"Just stay calm, 'kay? It's a fever. And I'll be there soon as my shift's over," He said, figuring it would help him calm his nerves.

Jay nodded, "Yeah, thanks man. Alright,see you later then," he told him before the call ended.

He then stared at Solána, who looked like she was going to fall asleep any minute.

"Let's give you a quick bath before you sleep, hm?"

Hailey cleared her throat, turning to face her students, her arms crossed on her chest and her back leaning against the teacher’s desk.

“So, I've been thinking about something cool these past few days…” She began talking as they attentively looked at her.

“We’re all getting A’s for no reason?” Evan suggested, making his classmates laugh, proudly smirking at herself.

Hailey granted herself a small chuckle too, glad that he was taking his time to grieve while going back to his usual jokester self again.

“Funny, but no,” she made a face at them, causing the eighteen teenagers to groan in chorus.

“I appreciate the enthusiasm, thank you,” she responded sarcastically, watching them giggle a little, “I promise it’s gonna be fun.”

“Just spill the tea, Ms. Upton,” Jerrika mumbled, a curious expression on her face.

“Okay,” Hailey nodded with a chuckle, "You know this year we're celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the foundation of this school, right?" She asked excitedly, getting a collective nod in response.

"I was thinking that maybe we could contribute with a concert," she went on, "There's a lot of you who can play instruments, and you're very very good at it, so, maybe you could choose a bunch of songs, we would practice them together and ultimately perform them."

"And since we've talked a lot about samples, and similarities between songs, we could use that in our favor by doing a cool blend with the tunes you'll eventually pick," she added, hoping they'd find it even more stimulating.

Jerrika raised her hand and Hailey nodded at her.

"Can we sing too?" She asked, and the smile on the blonde's face widened even more.

"Oh, yeah, definitely!" She replied. Then, "What do you guys think?" She looked at the rest of the class.

Evan nodded eagerly, "I like it," he said, and other students followed him, murmuring their own 'Yeah's.

Hailey clapped her hands in contentment, happy they all were on the same page, "That's so good to hear."

She then checked the clock on the wall and saw she only had a couple of minutes left before the lesson would end.

So, "To make everything a little more organized, I'll put you in three different groups, and you'll have to choose two songs, so we'll have six in total-"

Oliver, from the far end of the class, raised his hand, and Hailey gave him the floor.

"What if one group chooses their songs but they don't match the ones another group chose?" He asked.

"Good question," Hailey commented, "But don't worry about that. I'll make sure to arrange them so they do match," she replied, earning a surprised look in return.

Before she could add something else the bell rang, signaling her time was up, and everyone quickly started collecting their things, ready for their next lessons.

Among the students' loud chattering, "You guys check your school emails this afternoon, I'll send you the list with the groups," Hailey told them, slightly raising her voice to make sure they'd hear her. "Make sure you choose the songs for our next lessons, okay? No excuses. If you have a problem, you talk to me," she concluded.

Jerrika walked past her desk and nodded at her, "Gotcha, Ms. Upton," she chuckled at her teacher, "Have a nice day," she mumbled before rushing out of the classroom.

A round of goodbyes followed, and then Hailey found herself alone, a sigh of tranquility escaping her lips.

She was so excited to see what her students would come up with. They were always very creative and ready to try and learn new things, and she couldn't wait to know what they had in store this time around.

Hailey disconnected her laptop from the projector and turned both off, putting all her things inside her shoulder bag.

She then checked her phone and saw that she had a new text from her boyfriend.

"Aw, poor thing," she murmured after reading that Solána wasn't feeling well today.

She shot Jay a quick text back and then exited the classroom, her mind already planning a bunch of ways to help Solána feel better when she was going to visit her later on.

“Well, okay, give Sol a big hug for me, yeah? Let’s hope she gets better asap,” Kim told Jay through the phone, “Bye, Jakey,” she murmured before ending the call.

They’d been talking for the last past half-hour: Kim was telling him about all those great places she’d been visiting the three months she’d been away.

Jay checked the time on his phone and wasn’t surprised to hear the doorbell ring a few seconds later.

She’s on time, he thought as he walked down the hallway, already knowing who was on the other side.

“Hi!” Camila had a smile on her face when he opened the door.

Jay greeted her back, stepping aside to let her inside.

“How is she?” Camila asked, taking her coat off and placing it on the back of the couch in the living room.

He sighed, “She's sleeping now. Fever slightly went down but…” he trailed off with a shrug, silently telling her that there had not been much of a change.

“Will’s gonna stop by later, though,” he added to reassure her.

"Is she in her room?" She asked.

"My room," Jay corrected, watching her nod in return and send him a questioning look.

"Go ahead," he told her.

Camila showed him a grateful smile and walked through the hallway to Jay's room, opening the door with an excited look on her face.

She wished it was under better circumstances, but she was happy to finally see her daughter.

Solána was asleep in Jay's bed, her body still shivering now and then and her arm wrapped around her favorite stuffed animal.

Camila sat next to her, brushing her palm over her heated cheek.

Solána's eyes fluttered open when she felt that feather-like touch, her nose scrunching up and a confused expression forming on her face.

"Mom?" She mumbled sleepily, her half-lidded eyes checking her surroundings.

Camila smiled at her. "I'm here, baby," she caressed her hair.

"Where's Hailey?" Solána asked. "I want Mom," she repeated, then covered her face with the blankets, annoyed by the intensity of the lighting in the room.

When she heard the words her daughter used, Camila blankly stared at her, feeling like her heart had sunken into her stomach, a sense of void suddenly pervading her.

With a lump forming in her throat, she stood, her mind totally fogged up by the fact that her daughter was using the word Mom to refer to another woman.

She angrily walked to where Jay was, his back resting against the kitchen counter as he typed something on his phone.

He noticed her presence only when she got right in front of him and "Hey, what's up?" He asked, weirded out by their sudden closeness, a slight frown on his face.

Camil let out a dry chuckle, taking his phone and throwing it across the room, and before he couldn't even think of reacting,

"I hate you!" Camila put her hands on his chest and pushed him forcefully, making him slightly lose his balance.

His frown deepened, "What the hell?!"

"She calls her 'Mom'?!" She got ahold of his shirt and clenched her fist around it.

 Jay took her wrist and with a yank, managed to get her to let go of his shirt, his eyes twitching, "Don't-"

"You son of a bitch, you let her call her 'Mom'?!" Camila cut him off, pushing him again, her vision blurred by the copious tears forming in her eyes and wetting her face.

She felt betrayed.

He closed his eyes for a second and took a deep breath to calm himself down, "Camila, stop pushing me," he told her in vain. 

"You think you're holier than all of us and yet you keep torturing me over a mistake I made," she kept yelling, getting everything off her chest.

Jay scoffed at her choice of words. "A mistake? You're calling that a mistake?"

"Shut up!"

"God only knows how many times you left her. Hope it was worth it," he mumbled out loud, and that seemed to be enough for Camila to completely lose it.

"I said shut up, shut up, shut the fuck up!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, hitting his face with the back of her hand, the ring on her finger colliding with his lower lip.

Camila seemed to snap out of her daze of rage only when she saw the blood on Jay's mouth, her dark eyes widening in shock as a small gasp escaped her lips.

She choked on a breath, quickly absorbing the fact that she did that.

"I'm sorry," she said shakily, her trembling hand reaching for his face, but Jay was quick to dodge her.

"Don't touch me," he told her sternly, sharing the same feeling of shock.

Camila had been physically aggressive with him in the past, it'd happened often when she was using, during the moments when she couldn't get her fix yet. She'd lash out at him all of a sudden, then she would calm down and act as nothing had happened.

He was familiar with that side of her, it was nothing new, really, but he'd never witnessed the level of anger she had today as she spat those words at him.

She was completely blinded by rage, and Jay couldn't believe he once was able to love someone who'd treated him so badly and was still doing it without hesitation.

"I'm sorry," Camila repeated, taking a step forward so Jay would focus his eyes on her. "Look, hey…" She started rambling, her body moving frantically as the tears kept staining her face.

When Jay finally glanced at her, "Get out," he told her, somehow finding the strength to keep his composure.

She shook her head vehemently, "No, wait. Jay, I'm sorry, please don't-" she wrapped her hand around his arm, sending him an apologetic look.

Jay could see that she was genuinely shocked and sorry but it wasn't his problem anymore.

In fact, "I didn't call the police that night," he started, boring his eyes into hers, "But I swear on my life, I won't hesitate today," he warned her and, God, he'd never, ever been so serious.

"Take your stuff and get out," he repeated, turning around and opening the freezer, taking the first random thing he got ahold of — a sack of green peas — while hearing Camila's footsteps.

A sigh of relief escaped his lips when he heard the door being opened and then closed, signaling that she'd exited the apartment, and he walked down the hallway, actually locking the door to be extra safe.

Jay then hurried to the bathroom, rinsing his mouth from the blood and noticing that he indeed had a small cut on his lower lip that had now turned swollen.

He was still in shock when he got back to his room. He let out a long exhale and sat next to Solána, a sense of relief washing over him as he realized that she was still asleep and didn't hear or witness the mess that happened just a few moments ago.

With the cold pack of green peas pressed on his mouth, he caressed his daughter's face with his free hand, his heart feeling a little lighter when Solána absentmindedly reached for his hand and wrapped her little palm around it, comforted by the warmth of his skin.

“What the hell happened to your face?” Was the first thing Will said to his brother as soon as he stepped foot into his apartment.

He reached for his face with his hand, his eyes wide as he looked at the dried-up blood in the corner of his swollen lip, but Jay was quick to swat his hand away.

“Nothing happened,” he mumbled dismissively, not daring to even just glance at him, and then, “Solána’s in my room,” he informed him, plopping on the couch and just ignoring his presence.

Jay had a throbbing headache and the last thing he wanted was to deal with his brother's numerous questions.

He just wanted to be left alone, really. 

"Fever's subsiding," Will announced a bunch of minutes later when he came back to the living room.

He lifted his brother's legs, forcing him to get into a sitting position and, "What's that?" He asked, clearly referring to Jay's busted lip.

"Nothing…"

"Nothing?" The redhead repeated with a scoff, "You sure? Because last time I checked, Camila was supposed to see her today, and… Something doesn't smell right, so- Let's try this again," Will took a deep breath, "What happened?"

Jay glared at him and scoffed, letting out a dry chuckle. "She was here, we argued, she slapped me. End of the story," he got up, getting two glasses of water.

"It was just an argument," he mumbled, sitting back on the couch and handing his brother one glass.

Will shook his head, "No, Jay," he muttered. "This"—he pointed at his lips—"is not just an argument. This is abuse," he told him. "This, too," he touched the scar on his neck.

Jay made a face at him when he referred to that scar. He had the suspicion that Will knew he didn't get it by accident, but they'd never talk about it.

"I'm not stupid," Will answered his silent question.

"It's just an argument," Jay repeated tiredly, feeling his headache intensifying. 

Will sighed, not really getting why his brother was being so stubborn about it.

He'd never really liked Camila, he could admit that. He'd always thought she took advantage of Jay's kind-heartedness, especially considering the fact that they had a kid together.

But, "She crossed too many lines, man…" Will went on, staring at his brother, hoping he would finally open his eyes.

Jay was too proud to admit it or maybe he just didn't see it, but Camila had clearly been abusive towards him, not only physically, and his reaction to whatever she did to him was evident proof.

"What do you want me to do, Will?" Jay asked in exasperation. "She's her mother, for God's sake!" He spat, quickly wiping away the tears that had formed in his eyes.

He sniffled and cleared his throat, "What do I do? You tell me."

Will didn't answer his question and just dropped his gaze, his leg bouncing nervously.

"You think I don't know this is all kinds of fucked up?" Jay went on, widening his eyes as he looked at his brother, his throat starting to feel tight.

Will cursed under his breath.

It was breaking his heart to see him so torn and conflicted, yet, "What if she snaps at Solána one day?" He couldn't help but ask, knowing it was a low blow. He just wanted Jay to finally open his eyes.

Now it was Jay's turn to let the question go unanswered, a sense of guilt immediately taking the best of him.

He wiped his nose and exhaled heavily, his jaw clenched.

As much as he wanted to deny it or fool himself, Will's point was valid, and it was the thing that was hurting him the most.

What if Camila snapped at Solána one day? 

Hailey let out a small gasp when Jay opened the door of his house and she saw the state of his face.

She couldn’t help but focus her gaze on the cut on his lips in particular, though his overall expression appeared concerning.

His eyes were bloodshot red and his skin paler than normal, he looked like he’d seen a ghost.

Before she could begin to ask any questions about it, “Later,” Jay told her while letting her inside, nervously scratching his beard.

That gesture… Something had definitely happened.

"Here," Hailey handed him a thermos containing the chicken broth she'd cooked for Solána.

"Thanks," Jay sent her a grateful smile and winked her way.

They got in the living room where Solána was lying on the couch, her gaze focused on the TV broadcasting a movie (Finding Nemo) while holding Pablo the Panda next to her.

When she noticed Hailey's presence, a big smile appeared on her face, her eyes literally lighting up.

"A little bird told me my princess had a rough day today," Hailey chanted, sitting next to her on the couch and opening her arms so Solána could come to hug her.

Solána basically launched into her arms, hugging her tightly, happy she was there, "Hi!"

"Hi, beautiful," Hailey slightly pulled back to look at her. "You feeling better?"

"Yeah, I spent the whole day with Daddy," she said with a smile.

"Bet you had lots of fun, huh?" Hailey said, poking her cheek.

Solána nodded as Jay joined them on the couch with a hot bowl in his hands.

"Hailey made some broth for you," he announced, placing the bowl onto the coffee table.

"Yeah," Hailey sighed, "Should help you feel a little better," she murmured, looking at Solána.

"Thank you!" The little girl exclaimed, blushing a little as their eyes met.

She looked at her dad and then back at Hailey. "Daddy hurt himself today, he wasn't being careful," she told the blonde, dramatically shaking her head.

Jay eyed Hailey but was quick to focus his gaze elsewhere, on Solána.

He obviously hadn't told her how it got hurt, he just made up a white lie about him opening a cupboard in the kitchen and hitting himself because he was distracted.

"It just looks ugly," he shrugged, his hand moving up and down her back while he sent her a reassuring smile.

Solána huffed, climbing on his lap and cupping his face. "You have to be careful, Papi!" She scolded him, laughing at the silly expression he made when she pinched his nose.

Jay returned the gesture, making her giggle loudly, then, "I will, I promise," he replied, kissing her forehead. "Now eat before it gets cold," he patted her back, and Hailey took the bowl and spoon, carefully handing them to Solána.

The little girl's appetite seemed to have finally come back because she completely emptied the bowl. She even ate all the vegetables inside the broth, and that was a first — or maybe she just was a better cook than Jay.

Once she was done eating, Solána clung herself to Hailey, resting her head on her lap while the blonde kept soothingly massaging her scalp, helping her relax.

In the meantime, Hailey and Jay were sharing some small talk. It was mostly him asking questions about her day at work, he was curious to know how her students had reacted to her concert idea.

"Told you they'd like it," Jay said matter-of-factly, winking at her. "You should stop doubting yourself, Hailey Anne," he went on, taking her hand and pressing his lips on its back.

But, "Ow!" He winced, feeling a burning sensation on his lower lip, and Hailey tilted her head at him, her blue eyes boring into his with a look of disapproval.

"Jay…" She trailed off, her lips holding back the numerous questions she actually wanted to ask him.

He sighed, glimpsing down at Solána and seeing that she had fallen asleep.

Jay looked back at Hailey and, "Let me get her to bed first," he mumbled calmly, earning a small nod in return.

He got up and picked his daughter from her, securing her in his arms and walking towards her bedroom.

A heavy exhale escaped Hailey's mouth once she was alone, her mind wandering and exploring the different scenarios concerning the state Jay was in.

She was sure about one thing: Camila had definitely something to do with it.

Jay exited Solána’s bedroom and shut the lights off, closing the door behind him.

When he came back to the living room, he saw that Hailey had already cleaned the coffee table and was now typing something on her phone.

She noticed his presence and smiled at him, "Niko says hi," she told him, putting the phone away.

"How's he doing?" Jay asked, going to sit next to her.

"Good," she replied, then glanced at him with a sympathetic look in her eyes. "How are you doing?" She passed on the question, focusing her gaze on his lip.

"Looks like it hurts" She muttered with concern.

Jay scratched his beard, "Oh, trust me, it does," he let out a dry chuckle. 

Hailey let out a huff, "What really happened?"

He stared into her eyes and shook his head, "Camila," he muttered with a shrug, that simple answer opening a huge Pandora's box.

Before she could comment anything, "Apparently Solána said 'Mom' in front of her and she was referring to you," he started explaining, "It's not like I wasn't going to talk to her about it, I'm not freaking stupid," he continued rambling.

Hailey nodded at him, listening to his words without interrupting them. He clearly needed to vent.

"It was just bad timing," he concluded with a sigh.

She watched him, tilting her head in slight confusion. Jay was explaining everything that went down, but it seemed to her that he was focusing on the wrong thing.

In fact, "It's not an excuse, though," she told him bluntly, not liking the way he was being dismissive about it.

"I know, I know, but…"

"Jay…" She interrupted him, taking his hand and giving it a light squeeze.

Hailey felt bad for him. He was in a tough position and she could tell that he was struggling with finding the right way to deal with it.

"I keep telling myself that it's not fair to Solána that I don't give Camila a chance, but how many did I actually give her? I swear, I can't even count them! It's the same story over and over again, and I'm so tired, Hailey," he breathed out, his voice shaking and his already red eyes filling with tears, "I'm so damn tired," he concluded.

Jay then glimpsed at Hailey, who was biting her lips, trying her best to not get emotional too.

"You know, Will told me something earlier and I can't stop thinking about it," he went on. "Asked me what if Camila loses her cool with Solána one day."

Saying it out loud was even worse than just thinking it.

"Wish I could say she'd never do something like that but…" He admitted, a tear falling the moment he dropped his gaze.

He then took a glance at his girlfriend and chuckled at himself, "I look pathetic, don't I?" He asked rhetorically, wiping his eyes and resting his back against the couch.

Hailey was quick to shake her head, letting out a sigh. "You're just trying to protect your daughter, there's nothing pathetic about it," she told him, a serious expression on her face.

"I wish my mom did," she went on, sending him a knowing look, her fingers fiddling with his.

Jay slowly moved his head in a nod, understanding what she was hinting at.

"But," Hailey huffed, searching his eyes, "Solána deserves better than you making a decision that involves her while you're upset," she murmured truthfully.

As much as she hated Camila for the chaos she was bringing in Jay's life once again, the person they really had to think about was the innocent kid who had nothing to do with any of this mess.

"Yeah, you're right," Jay let out, granting himself a tiny smile.

Hailey brushed her thumb over the back of his hand, "The ball's in your court anyway, so give yourself some time to calm down first," she added.

He hummed in agreement and took a deep breath, then turned towards the blonde and sent her a grateful look. "Thank you, Hails. Like, for real," he tilted his head, slightly widened his eyes.

She went in for a hug and Jay was ready to welcome her, closing her eyes and getting lost in the way Hailey was cradling his head, her fingers threading through his short hair, "You don't have to thank me."

He secured her in his arms and they lay down, Jay's lips ghosting over Hailey's forehead.

"I didn't listen to any music today, now I feel weird," he mumbled, and Hailey could've sworn he sounded like a little kid who didn't get to eat a piece of cake at a party.

"It was kind of a shitty day, hm?"

"Oh, totally," he nodded, "Didn't even get a kiss from my girlfriend," he continued, a small grin forming on his lips.

"You're injured!" Hailey protested with a chuckle.

"Exactly my point, Hailey Anne," Jay replied, winking at her.

She groaned dramatically and rolled her eyes, leaning towards him and kissing him, careful not to apply too much pressure.

"Happy now?" 

He nodded vehemently, "Very," he said before pressing his lips on the corner of her mouth, "You really saved today," he added, tightening his grip around her body, never wanting to let her go.

Hailey didn't say anything, just smiled and closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of his strong arms holding her so dearly.

Then, "Feel like listening to some music now?” She suggested after a few moments of silence, knowing he was never going to say no to that question.

Jay smiled his first genuine, excited smile of the day. He leaned towards her and carefully pressed his lips on the side of her head. “I love you,” he softly whispered to her before reaching for the remote control and opening the music app on his TV.

Yeah, he could use some music now.

Chapter Text

The sound of the electronic keyboard was echoing in Hailey's living room as Solána was randomly pressing her little chubby fingers on the keys, her legs swinging in contentment.

A ding! added to the noise and caused Jay to run towards the kitchen, immediately opening the oven where the second tray of loukoumádes was waiting for him.

He carefully got the tray out of the oven and put it on the stove to let the food cool down, then walked back to Hailey's bedroom, where the blonde was looking at her reflection in the mirror.

A long huff escaped her lips as she was trying to collect her hair into her usual ponytail, something she'd done a million times but couldn't quite do right now.

"Okay, fine, I'm over it," she surrendered in frustration, deciding to just let her hair cascade over her shoulder since the ponytail kept coming out crooked.

"What's up with you?" She turned around to look at her boyfriend.

Hailey sent him a pointed look. it was so obvious to her why she would be nervous.

Today was Pat's birthday and they were going to go to his house for a small get-together to celebrate it, and she was going to meet him for the first time, which clearly made her a bit anxious.

"It's just my dad!" Jay told her, slowly approaching her.

"It's not just your dad!" She retorted, shaking her head.

Pat was the only parent Jay had left and she wanted to make a good impression on him. It was important for her that he'd see her at her best.

"He swore he's gonna be on his best behavior," he joked, even though it was the truth.

It went both ways for him: he wanted Pat to like Hailey as much as she wanted her to like him, so he'd practically begged his dad to not give her a hard time.

"Yeah, okay, but I don't want him to feel like I'm intruding or whatever," Hailey kept rambling, biting her lower lip, "It's his birthday."

Jay chuckled at her lame attempt at an excuse. "Hailey, he is the one who invited you!" He reminded her, and she couldn't really argue on that.

She'd been talking on the phone with Pat and he had explicitly told her he was looking forward to seeing her at his birthday celebration, so it wasn't like she was going to impose her presence on him.

But still, she was nervous, and Jay couldn't really blame her for that; he remembered how agitated he was the day he met Nikolas.

"I promise you it's gonna be okay," he told her, taking both of her hands in his, his thumbs brushing over her skin.

Had it been a few years ago, there probably would've been a real reason to worry about his dad, but Pat had softened up a lot, especially after Owen and Solána had become part of his life. 

Hailey had nothing to worry about.

"And, ponytail or not,  you look beautiful," he added, grinning when she started blushing, "You always do."

After cupping her face and leaving a quick, tender kiss on her forehead, "Now, let's go to the kitchen before Sol eats all the loukoumádes," he muttered.

"Oh, she's definitely doing that," Hailey giggled, hooking her arm around his as they started walking towards the kitchen.

Just like they had predicted, they'd found Solána stuffing her face with one loukoumás, a guilty look on her face when she noticed Hailey and Jay's presence.

"Hi!" She waved at them with her mouthful, feigning innocence even though she'd been caught red-handed.

Jay shook her head at her, an amused look on his face. "You're trouble," he commented before walking to her and picking her up, wiping her mouth with a napkin.

They went over the sink and Solána washed her sticky hands, while Hailey was covering the trays with aluminum foil to protect the food.

All three of them then put their jackets on and, "Ready to go?" Jay checked, looking around the room as he held the two trays.

Solána nodded but was too focused on Hailey to really look at him.

"Hailey, you look pretty," she told her, her round cheeks turning red when the blonde looked down at her with a wide grin.

"Aw, thank you, you look very pretty too," she returned the compliment, bending over to pick her in her arms. "Eres muy preciosa," she whispered to her, kissing the tip of her nose.

Jay was observing them with a tender smile on his face — he just liked to see his two girls together.

"Hey! No compliments for me?" Jay asked them, knitting his eyebrows together and feigning an offended look.

Solána sighed dramatically and shrugged her shoulders, "You look okay, Papi," she told him, hooking her arms around Hailey's neck.

"Damn, thank you I guess," he replied to his daughter, sticking out his tongue at her as Hailey walked past him, opening the door since he had his hands full.

Solána giggled at him while they all exited the apartment and "Besito," she muttered, causing Jay to roll his eyes at her but nonetheless lean towards her, smiling when he got a kiss on his cheek.

Hailey locked the door behind them and they got out of the building and then inside the car.

"Milady," Jay winked at the blonde, handing her his phone since she was now the designated car DJ.

When Fu-gee-la by The Fugees started, "Ooh, haven't listened to this one in a while!" He exclaimed with a smile, turning the engine on.

He checked on Solána through the rearview mirror and saw that she was already looking outside, absentmindedly bobbing her head to the music.

Solána was smiling in excitement as she heard the barking noises coming from inside her grandfather's house, and her smile widened when the door opened, revealing her favorite dog.

She immediately went in to hug him, giggling as Kol licked her chin, her eyes squinting shut and her face scrunching up.

Kol then ran inside,  and Solána obviously followed him, leaving room for Hailey and Jay to get inside, greeted by a smiley Natalie, who had opened the door for them.

She noticed that Jay was looking around, searching for his brother, and "He's looking for some ice, burned his arm with the oven," she explained, causing Hailey to gasp.

"Oh gosh, Is he okay?" She asked with concern in her voice, hearing Jay scoff dramatically.

Natalie chuckled, waving her hand around, "Yeah, don't worry about it, he's just… Will," she muttered with a sigh, rolling her eyes.

She then trained her gaze on Jay, and, "Pat's upstairs, Will forced him to dress accordingly," she widened her eyes.

"Bet he got cussed out a lot."

Natalie shrugged her shoulders, "You know it…"

She could see that the words had caused Hailey's anxiety to grow higher, noticing her eyebrows had knitted together in a small frown.

"Hey, he just hates Jay and Will. He's nice to the rest of us," she joked (well, not really), trying to lighten up the mood.

Jay took Hailey's hand in his and gave it a light squeeze, a little attempt at calming her nerves down.

"She's not wrong," he muttered, showing her his signature lopsided grin and winking at her.

After figuring that dwelling on the subject wasn't doing anyone's interest, "Why's there no music? What kinda sad party is this?" He asked no one in particular, just for the sake of changing the topic.

"Obsessed," Natalie commented, shaking her head in amusement.

She exchanged a few words with Hailey, and when she spotted Pat coming down the stairs, she went back to the kitchen to assist her reckless husband.

"You looking sharp, Dad," Jay smirked at Pat, nodding his head in approval.

The blue button-up shirt he was wearing really made his bright eyes stand out.

Pat scoffed, "I know, son," getting in front of him and Hailey and gently patting his cheek, then trained his eyes on the blonde, who had a nervous smile on her face.

"You must be Hailey."

"Yes, sir. It’s a pleasure to meet you," she outstretched her hand and he shook it immediately.

"Pleasure's all mine, but please just call me Pat," he chuckled at her, "Don't let this gray hair fool you. I'm young at heart."

Jay snorted dramatically at that last statement, earning a glare from his dad.

"You have something to say?"

Jay didn't get to answer because, "Daideó!", Solána came running to Pat and hugged him enthusiastically.

"Happy birthday!" She cheered, grinning from ear to ear.

Pat wasted no time and picked her up with a heavy huff, leaving a big kiss on her cheek. "Thank you, love. How are you?"

"I'm good," Solána replied quickly, almost dismissively. There was something else she wanted to talk about.

In fact, "Do you wanna see your gift? Daddy said I can't tell you what it is but it's so beautiful. I picked it," Solána revealed to him, causing Pat to let out a loud laugh.

"I bet it is very beautiful!" he told her and before she could get upset, "Why don't we go get Hailey something to drink first, huh?"

The little girl nodded eagerly, and the three of them started walking towards the kitchen.

"Yeah, no thanks, I don't want anything," mumbled with sarcasm as they left him alone.

Hailey turned around and stuck out her tongue at him, then followed Pat and Solána in the kitchen, already hearing Owen, Will, and Natalie's voices.

"Let me put some music here," Jay mumbled to himself, choosing a record from the stack his father had on the bookshelves and putting on the platter of the record player, proudly smiling at himself when Rebel rebel by David Bowie started resonating in the living room.

"Daddy, can I drink it too?" Solána asked her dad after seeing him pour himself and Hailey some more red wine.

Jay shook his head at her, "Nope, I'm sorry."

They were all in the kitchen, finally eating lunch, and they could hear the music coming from the living room — now Master blaster (Jammin') by Stevie Wonder was playing.

She gasped, opening her mouth and frowning, "Why?"

Jay tilted his head at her, squinting his eyes. "Cause you're four..?"

"But I'm almost five!" She argued, crossing her arms on her chest.

"That's your argument?"

"Yes," Solána replied, even though she really didn't get the question.

"You'd make a great lawyer," Pat chimed in, winking at her then, "But, you're gonna have to wait, huh, a little less than twenty years to drink wine," he said.

Will scoffed when he heard that.

"What?"

"I'm pretty sure the first time you made me and Jay try wine we were twelve and ten years old," the redhead explained with a knowing look.

"And I learned from that mistake," Pat retorted, "Look how you turned out… A pain in my-"

"Dad!" Jay scolded him, even though he had an amused look on his face.

Pat could be a lot to deal with sometimes, most times, but he was a fun man to be around and sure knew how to entertain people.

Natalie snorted at her father-in-law's words, earning a glare from her husband.

"Hey, it's true," Pat shrugged his shoulders. "Your teenage years? A complete nightmare," he went on.

"I was always at church!" Will protested, holding back a mischievous grin.

"Doing what ?" Jay sent him a knowing look, "You're lucky we have to keep it PG because the kids are here but you would've been excommunicated if it wasn't for mom," he went on, shaking his head.

"Yeah, whatever. Mind your business, ashtray," the redhead sighed, rolling his eyes and focusing on the food on his plate instead.

His brother groaned in frustration, "I didn't even get a chance to become one!" He defended himself.

"That's a weird thing to say,"  Hailey commented, her eyes squinting a little.

Pat decided to answer her silent question.

"This genius right here," he began, pointing at his youngest son and watching him start blushing already, "He hid a cig in the pocket of his jacket, came home, changed jacket the next day, and forgot the cig in the other one," he wetted his lips with a sip of wine.

"My wife found it and showed it to me and when he came home I asked him if he'd started smoking. Of course he said no," Pat scoffed, shaking his head.

"I swear I never smoked, that was supposed to be my first one," Jay interrupted him quickly.

"He made up a story about his classmate having his exact same jacket and said they switched them by accident," Will explained.

Hailey turned to look at her boyfriend and tilted her head at him, "That's the stupidest excuse I've ever heard in my life," she muttered, "And I teach high schoolers."

"Not my best moment, I know," Jay admitted with a sigh.

"You teach music, right?" Pat took the opportunity to ask Hailey since she'd mentioned her students.

"Yeah, juniors," she replied shyly, quickly dropping her gaze.

She was so nervous. It was her first time meeting the parent of someone she was dating and, yes, Pat had been really nice to her so far, but she wasn't actually sure she'd made a good impression on him.

But, at the same time, she thought she couldn't do anything but be herself, and so she took a deep breath, building up the courage to continue the conversation and not let it die.

"Um, we're getting ready for a little concert we plan on doing for the fiftieth anniversary of our school," Hailey went on with a tiny smile, watching Pat listen to her with a curious look in his eyes.

She then glanced at everyone at the table, "You're all invited by the way," she added, "We could use your support."

"Are you gonna sing?" Owen asked her, causing her to let out a small chuckle.

"Trust me, you don't wanna hear me sing," she replied, sending him a knowing look, "I can ruin everyone's favorite song."

"Yeah, I can confirm that," Jay chimed in with a smirk, earning a glare from her.

"Is he still obsessed with Moby?" Will checked.

Hailey snorted, cocking a brow. "He'd marry the guy tomorrow," she exaggerated (did she, though?)

"C'mon, give me a break," he scrunched his brows, "I'm not that obsessed," he muttered, blushing when she looked around the table and saw everyone staring at him with an unsure expression on their faces — even Owen was on to that.

It was now time for dessert and although everyone's stomach was completely full (the baked potatoes and turkey that Natalie had cooked were absolutely delicious) they couldn't wait t try what Hailey had brought along too.

"It's my first time using cornflour, so I have no idea how they taste," she stated as she sat down, after setting the tray of loukoumádes on the table.

She'd changed the recipe and made a gluten-free version so Solána could eat it as well, but she was worried no one would actually like it.

"They're good," Solána stated with confidence, showing her the thumbs up and grinning at her. "I love your loumádes, Mom," she added, actually reaching for one and eating it without having any idea of the effect that the word she'd used had caused.

Everyone was sharing the same shocked expression (except for Owen, who was too busy munching the loukoumás in his hand), their eyes switching between Hailey and Solána, and casually Jay.

As for him, he wasn't surprised about what his daughter said, he’d taken into consideration that it would eventually happen someday.

He glanced at Will and Pat and noticed that their faces had switched into more serene expressions, they didn't look bothered at all, and it was a relief for him.

And even if that wasn't the case, Hailey and Solána had found their own harmony, and everyone knew better than shatter it down based on their own skepticism.

But, Jay knew in his heart that they all were on the same page about one thing, Solána's happiness, and tranquility, and as long as those were guaranteed, well, there wasn't anything else to worry about.

They were just glad Hailey had become someone the little girl could truly rely on.

The blonde seemed to snap out of her daze and smiled at Solána, quickly wiping her eyes before she'd notice they were watery, smoothing down the little girl's hair.

"I'm glad you do,"  she murmured, blushing heavily since she could feel everyone's gaze on her.

Under the table, she felt Jay give her leg a quick squeeze to get her attention, and when she looked at him, she found him already staring at her, his green eyes softly boring into hers as a tender smile curled up his lips.

Hailey still couldn't believe Solána had called her Mom in front of everyone like that, and the way she did it, so naturally, it was just filling her heart with pure love and joy.

She loved that little girl so much, and Solána didn't miss a chance to remind her that she loved her just the same.

Pat exited the kitchen with the umpteenth loukoumás in his hand and walked towards Hailey, a delighted expression on his face.

She was in the living room, looking at the numerous photos on the wall. Most of them were of Jay and Will and their mother, Pat was the one behind the camera.

He noticed that the blonde was observing a picture in particular: it showed Marianne holding Jay and Will in their arms, they were probably two and four at the time, and Pat remembered that moment like it was yesterday.

They were in a field near the cabin in Wisconsin, the one his father had built with his own two hands; it was summer and no one could take away from the happiness they were feeling, and his Marianne was beautiful, a smile lighting up her eyes as she held her two boys.

"That's my favorite photo of them," Pat muttered to Hailey, startling her a bit since she wasn't expecting he'd be behind her.

"Sorry," he chuckled and she waved her hand dismissively.

"I'm jumpy," she simply commented.

She then looked at him and, "She was very beautiful," she said, clearly referring to his late wife.

Pat nodded in agreement, a nostalgic look in his blue eyes. "She really was. Don't know why she ended up with me," he retorted.

Hailey slightly furrowed her brows and pointed at the picture of two very young Pat and Marianne. It definitely was at a party and she assumed it was some sort of prom picture.

"You didn't look too shabby yourself," she chuckled, sending him a knowing look.

She wasn't as nervous as she was when she stepped foot in that house. Pat had succeeded in making her feel more welcomed and at ease, and Natalie was right, he only was a bit harder on Will and Jay.

Pat let out a laugh at her comment, "Thank you, dear," he smiled her way.

Then, "He took his smile from her," he continued talking, and Hailey almost instantly trained her gaze on her boyfriend, who was on the other side of the room, looking for yet another song to play — The passenger by Iggy Pop was about to end and he needed to be ready.

Hailey observed him quickly and couldn't agree more with Pat: the laughter lines that formed around their mouths were almost identical, and she honestly found it adorable, especially considering the fact that Jay had told her he was a real Mama's boy.

"His kind heart too," Pat added, focusing his eyes on her.

It didn't take long for Hailey to understand what he wasn't telling her, and she slowly nodded her head at his words.

She appreciated his thoughtfulness, how subtle he was being in telling her to take good care of his son.

They'd had a rough past but he loved him nonetheless, even though he maybe wasn't too explicit about it.

"You raised a good man," she whispered, glancing at her boyfriend and smiling when she saw him nodding his head to One way or another by Blondie.

It only took a small nod from his dad for Jay to understand he wanted to talk to him, alone, just the two of them.

He followed him into his room and found him rummaging in his drawer.

Par then handed Jay a small piece of paper and scrunched his eyebrows, a small frown of confusion forming on his face.

"What's that?"

Pat sighed, rolling his eyes at him. "You're pushing thirty and you can't read?" He asked him rhetorically.

"You're an ass," Jay bluntly told him, sending him a glare before actually reading the paper.

"Lawyer..? Why would I need one?"

"Because the next time this happens," he pointed at the now small bruise on his lip (the swelling wasn't there anymore), "I'm calling the cops on her, and you will need a lawyer," he said with a stern tone.

Pat had never liked Camila and, throughout all these years, she'd just given him more and more reason not to change his mind about her.

Then, "Your brother has a big mouth," he explained, answering Jay's silent question on how he knew about that story in the first place.

Jay cursed under his breath, the features on his face hardening all of a sudden.

He didn't like the fact that everyone knew about his business, especially not his dad, who could be extremely judgemental at times, particularly towards him.

Pat was able to read through his annoyance and let out a small sigh, trying to put himself in his son's position.

"Look," he began, "I'm not saying you have to do anything, but keep it with you… Just in case," he shrugged his shoulders, "For my peace of mind, okay?"

"Can't have another heart attack because of you," He went on, watching Jay loudly scoff at him.

"Really? You're using the heart attack card?"

"I am."

Jay let out a long huff and took a look at the paper in his hand, then at his father, and then back at the paper.

"I'll think about it," he stated, slipping it into the pocket of his black jeans.

"Fine with me," Pat nodded in approval. "You can get outta my hair now," he then dismissed him.

Jay saluted him and turned around but then, "Wait," he stopped in his tracks, an impending question begging to be uttered.

He bit his lips and slightly blushed and then, "D'you like her?" He finally murmured, clearly referring to Hailey.

"Does it really matter?" Pat asked him back, almost jokingly, knowing his son wouldn’t allow anyone to influence him anyways.

Much to his surprise though, "Yeah, it does," Jay replied with a serious tone.

No matter how many times they'd butt heads or how much he tried to deny it, his dad's opinion was important to him.

"I do," Pat declared with a nod. "But she better bring me those Greek sweets every once in a while if she wants to stay on my good side," he concluded, granting himself a small smile.

"Can I get a hug?" Pat asked his granddaughter, who had just put her coat on.

Solána nodded and went to hug him, even though she looked visibly tired.

It was now time for Hailey, Jay, and Solána to get home. Will, Natalie, and Owen had already left since Natalie had to get ready for her shift at Med.

"Thanks for celebrating with me, you made my birthday ten times better," Pat muttered to the kid, watching her smile proudly.

"I'll see you next week, okay?" He gently pinched her cheek, before Jay picked her up.

"I choose the movie?" Solána asked Pat as she rested her head on her dad's shoulder.

Pat nodded, "Oh, yeah, I trust you on that," he winked at her.

When Hailey joined the trio, "Alright Dad…" He patted his arm, "Take care, okay?"

He got a scoff in response, "Sure," Pat whispered before focusing his gaze on the blonde in front of him.

"Hailey…" he sent her a small smile, "I hope you'll keep your promise," he said, sending her a knowing look.

She chuckled at his words and crossed her fingers, "I will," she declared.

Jay tilted his head as he watched the two. "Are you two already keeping stuff from me?" He asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

"Yes," Pat and Hailey replied together, sharing a laugh before saying their goodbyes.

After they'd hopped on the truck, "I promised him I'll make loukoumádes for him every once in a while," Hailey told Jay, watching a grin appear on his face.

"Seems like you two get along, then…" He trailed off matter-of-factly, starting the car.

He was right. Pat had welcomed her with open arms, making her feel like she was part of the family.

Actually, it was her first time feeling like she belonged to a family, a real one, and it felt so damn good.

She nodded vehemently, "Your dad's lots of fun," she replied with a smile, turning the volume of the music down a little.

As much as Starlight by Muse sounded good, it looked like Solána was about to fall asleep and she didn't want to bother her.

Jay dramatically squinted his eyes, quickly glancing at Hailey, "Eh. I don't know," he commented, earning a light slap on the arm from her.

"I see why he can't stand you," Hailey snorted, shaking her head at his antics.

"I've got her," Hailey whispered to Jay when he offered to get Solána to her room after taking her shoes off.

He moved his head in a small nod and she took the little girl to her room, careful not to wake her up, and put her to bed, making sure her favorite stuffed animals were right next to her.

"Mom..?" She heard Solána mutter sleepily.

"Yeah?"

"Goodnight," the four-year-old murmured, causing Hailey to softly smile at her.

She crouched down to leave a kiss on her forehead, "Goodnight, princess. I love you," she said back, not really getting a response in return since Solána seemed to already be back in her deep sleep again.

Hailey exited the room with her heart still doing the backflips in her chest: she didn't think she'd ever get used to the sense of happiness that pervades her every time Solána would call her Mom.

She entered Jay's bedroom with a big smile plastered on her face and "She called me Mom again!" She blurted out in excitement.

"I think that's your new favorite thing to say," Jay commented, giggling at her visible contentment, crouching down to get two pairs of sweatpants from the drawer.

"Oh, you got them cakes!" Hailey cheered, "Nice booty," she went on, admiring his body, her comment causing him to start laughing so gleefully that he lost balance when he got up, plopping on the bed.

She could feel her heart swell in her chest at the sight. He had a couple of rough weeks, taking all the stress about Camila upon himself, and it was good to finally let loose like that, eyes squinting and everything.

Hailey walked to him, finding him now in a sitting position, and, "You seem happy!" She said matter-of-factly..

Jay let out a content sigh, hooking his arms around her waist and looking up at her, "I am," he asserted with confidence, a tiny smile ghosting over his lips.

"Today was a good day," he went on.

"Yeah, I loved every second of it," Hailey agreed immediately, doing a quick mental overview of their day. Everything went down the way it was supposed to, even better, and she couldn't be happier about it.       

"And I love you," she added with a tender smile, her cheeks slightly turning pink, "So much."

"I love you too, Hailey Anne," Jay replied, sneaking his large palms under her dress and staring at her with the look that always made her weak on the knees. 

She didn't think she'd ever get used to the way he looked at her

It's like his eyes couldn't focus on anything else but her, and Hailey could feel all the love with just that one glance.

Hailey was quick to straddle his lap, founding Jay's welcoming arms ready to secure her in his strong grip.

"You tired?" He asked her, pressing his lips on her jawline.

She shook her head almost immediately, her blue eyes boring into his green ones, "No."

"Me neither," he whispered before finally capturing her lips with his, his hand immediately threading through her blonde waves, while the other one cupped her face so eagerly as if it was guiding her, giving her silent instructions.

Their kiss was everything but chaste or innocent and when Jay felt her cold hands slipping under his shirt, "Oh, hi" he hissed with a smile, letting out a small sigh. 

He liked the contrast between her cold hands and his much warmer skin, Hailey told him he was her personal human heater.

"Funny how many things we have in common, huh?" She chuckled against him, her lips traveling up from his jawline to the spot under his earlobe.

He hummed in response, and Hailey wasn't really sure if it was because he was actually agreeing with her or if his mind was already elsewhere, distracted by the effect of her mouth torturing his weak spot.

"So many," Jay replied absentmindedly, not even remembering what was the question in the first place.

Instead, he was very focused on undoing Hailey's dress, the zip rolling down her back and revealing her shoulders.

She pressed her arms against his chest, silently telling him they could actually use the bed, all of it, and Jay allowed her to push him down until he switched their position last minute, earning a gasp of surprise from his girlfriend.

"Hey!" Hailey protested, "You tricked me."

Jay scoffed dramatically, "You're always on top," he muttered against her, "Doing the work, ya know?" He went on, gently biting her neck. "You should…" he trailed off, helping her take the rest of the dress off.

"Let me take care of you," he concluded, watching a soft grin appear on her face, a light shade of red tinting her cheeks.

"I can work with that," she whispered, blushing even more.

Jay arched his brow, "Yeah?"

Hailey moved her head in a small nod, feeling his hand reach for her back and expertly unclasping her bra, already getting a taste of the long night that they were going to spend together when Jay hooked his fingers into the hem of her panties. 

Chapter Text

Hailey woke up feeling a small hand pressing on her neck and keeping her skin warm, a tiny huff escaping her lips as she turned to her right side.

She blindly reached for that hand and immediately recognized the chubby fingers. Solána.

Before she could ask herself any questions about why she was there next to her, she remembered the little girl waking up Jay in the middle of the night and telling him that a monster had tried to chase her and was hiding in her closet, ready to take her away from him.

She'd clearly had a nightmare, so vivid that it had run away from her room towards where she felt safer, her father's arms.

Hailey hadn't even given Jay the time to reply (or really understand what was going on) that she instantly told Solána to hop on the bed with them, trying to shush her sobs until the little girl eventually fell asleep again.

About Jay… Where is he? Hailey asked herself after noticing his side of the bed was empty.

The answer to that question was written in the note that Jay had stuck to the headboard, saying that he'd gone out jogging and was going to get breakfast on his way home.

Hailey smiled while reading the words.

The first time Jay had left a handwritten note she'd asked him he hadn't just sent her a text, and he replied by saying that he thought it was more romantic that way.

It seemed like Hailey moving to her side caused Solána to wake up as well, her green eyes fluttering open and her hand threading through her hair.

"Where's Daddy?" Was the first thing Solána said, her voice thick with sleep as she searched for her dad.

Hailey hummed and stretched her limbs, careful not to hit the toddler next to her, and "He went out for a run and he's gonna buy breakfast on the way…" She replied, getting into a sitting position.

The little girl copied her and sat as well, and now the two were staring at one another with sleepy expressions on their faces.

Once Solána registered Hailey's words, "Is he getting us waffles?" Her eyes lit up as she asked the question.

The blonde nodded in response, "That's correct. Today's waffle day," she mumbled.

She then quietly observed the little girl as she looked around the room. It was like hitting her now that she wasn't in her bedroom.

Hailey cleared her throat, biting her lower lip. "So…" She began, "Wanna talk about what happened?"

Solána looked at her and pursed her lips into a little pout, her fist rubbing her eye in an attempt to wash the sleep off her face.

She shrugged but didn't answer her, dropping her gaze and blushing heavily.

"You know, it's okay if you don't want to," Hailey went on, touching her chin.

"Okay," the little girl mumbled sheepishly before plopping her head on Hailey's lap, a soft smile appearing on her face when she felt her fingers between her hair.

She then sat up again, abruptly, and looked at Hailey. "What if the monster comes back?" She asked her, clearly scared.

Hailey pulled her closer to her, letting her rest her head on her chest. "It won't," she muttered in a confident tone, "And…" she added, earning Solána's attention, "Nothing and no one will take you away from your dad, okay?"

Solána stared at her with her head tilted. "You promise?"

"I promise," Hailey stated, pressing her lips on the top of her head, "Remember, he needs his Sunshine in his life," she concluded.

She got a wide grin in return, "I'm Solána. I'm his Sunshine," she chanted proudly, getting on her feet and doing a little happy dance.

Hailey got distracted by the buzzing of her phone, and she quickly took it from the nightstand, checking who texted her.

"Is it Daddy?" Solána asked with curiosity, looking at Hailey's screen as if she could read anyway.

"Nope. It's Vanessa."

"Oh, she's your B.F.F." Solána stated with a nod.

Hailey chuckled at her choice of word and read the text Vanessa had sent her, typing a quick reply.

Once she was done, she saw that Solána was still dancing, now humming what seemed to be Don't go yet by Camila Cabello.

The blonde thought again about Vanessa's text, and an idea popped in her head as she watched the little girl in front of her.

"Hey, Sol," she interrupted her.

Solána walked in front of her, focusing her green eyes on her face.

"What do you think about hanging out with me and Vanessa today?"

After the rough night she had, she figured she could use a day of relaxation and just not think about the nightmare she had.

Solána gasped at her words, then tilted her head, "Really..?"

Hailey nodded with a tender smile, "Yeah. We're gonna have a girls' day," she went on, "No boys allowed."

The little girl stifled a laugh at that last statement. "Boys are annoying sometimes," she muttered to herself as if it was helping her make up her mind.

After a few seconds, "I like it," she declared, furrowing her brows and exaggerating her serious expression.

"Yeah?"

Solána hummed, "We need to get ready!" She exclaimed, taking ahold of Hailey's hand and starting to pull her so she'd get out of bed.

The blonde let out a giggle, glad to see her so eager and enthusiastic, but "How about we wait for your dad first, huh?" 

Just when she finished uttering those words, the two exchanged a look, a small gasp of surprise escaping their lips the moment they heard the sound of the main door closing.

"That's him," Solána whispered to herself with a smile. She couldn't wait to tell Jay the news.

A few seconds passed before Jay knocked at the door and opened it, finding his favorite person already grinning at him.

"Good morning, girls," he greeted Hailey and Solána, lightly pinching his daughter's nose and sending his girlfriend a wink.

"Morning," Hailey replied, finally getting out of bed.

"Morning, Daddy. Me, Mom, and Vanessa are having a girls' day!" Solána immediately told him the news.

"A girls' day?" He asked and the little girl nodded at him, "I guess I'm not invited..?" Jay smirked at her, then eyed Hailey.

She stuck out her tongue at him, mouthing a Sorry and shrugging her shoulders.

"No," Solána stated, "No boys allowed."

Jay let out a dramatic sigh, "Okay," he replied. "Can I at least get a kiss?"

Solána pursed her lips and shook her head.

He frowned at her, "Why not?"

She held her belly and "I gotta go do number two," she said before storming out of the room, leaving her dad with a shocked look on his face.

"Yeah, good to know," Jay sarcastically mumbled to himself.

"Can't say she doesn't speak her mind," Hailey commented too, opening the room's windows to let some fresh air inside.

She then walked in front of him and smiled when he leaned towards her and left a quick kiss on her forehead.

"I need a shower," he told her, taking his shirt off and using it to wipe his sweaty neck.

He noticed the lustful way in which Hailey was staring at his body, even though she was trying to be subtle about it, and grinned at her. 

"No girls allowed," Jay whispered, sending her a smug smile and starting to walk towards his bathroom.

Hailey gasped but then her lips curled into a smirk. "I'll remember that," she replied with a knowing look, and saw his face suddenly turn pale.

Before he could add anything else, she exited the room, heading to check on Solána.

Jay could hear the music from his bedroom, even though the volume was too low for him to pinpoint which song was playing.

It was all clearer when he exited the room to join Hailey and Solána, smiling as he recognized Aretha Franklin's unmistakable voice in I say a little prayer.

Solána was dressed and ready, clearly waiting for him and Hailey so they could have breakfast together.

"Hello," he chanted, greeting her again.

She got out of her seat and walked to him, wrapping her arms around his waist and giving him a tight hug.

"I can give you a kiss now," she muttered to him, causing a warm smile to form on his face.

He had the most precious daughter and felt just so damn lucky for it.

Jay picked her up and peppered her face with kisses, causing the little girl to burst into a fit of giggles since his stubble was tickling her soft skin.

Once he decided he was done torturing her, they sat down at the table and he just looked at her while his hand moved up and down her back.

"You had a bad dream last night, didn't ya?" He asked her, and she answered with a nod.

"It was scary," Solána mumbled, slightly pulling away so they could properly look at one another.

"Bet it was," Jay commented, leaving a small peck on the top of her head.

"But Mom said I don't have to worry," she continued talking, focusing her eyes on his necklace. "No one can take me away from you," she repeated what Hailey said, a tender smile lighting up her face.

Jay hummed in response, "She's right," he let out a sigh of contentment, grateful they had someone like Hailey in their life. "You're stuck with me," he winked at her.

"Not today though," Solána made sure to remind him, and he chuckled at her enthusiasm.

"You sound pretty excited, huh?" He tickled her neck, making her squirm and giggle.

"We're gonna have lots of fun," she declared once she calmed down and Jay nodded at her statement, feeling kind of excited too.

Hailey joined them right after he'd uttered the words, and walked to go sit at the table, feeling Jay's gaze on her the entire time, as short as it was.

"What..?" She chuckled nervously, blushing at the way he was staring at her.

Jay shook his head, "Nothing," he mumbled quickly, "You look cute with that white sweater on," he simply told her.

"Oh," she blurted out, not expecting it at all, but "Thanks," she told him, feeling her cheeks getting warmer.

He figured that her surprise was due to the fact that he wasn't one to give out too many compliments, and maybe he should've put a little more effort into that. After all, if there was one person who deserved to be complimented, that was definitely Hailey.

Solána had her hand tightly wrapped around Hailey's when they entered the hair salon where the blonde was used to getting her hair done.

Lady Marmalade by LaBelle was playing through the speakers as they were being greeted by a tall lady with curly hair and a welcoming smile.

As she looked around the place, her eyes observing in awe, Solána easily spotted Vanessa and waved at her with a grin, happy to see a familiar face.

"Vanessa told me we have a special guest today," the tall lady, Lilli, exclaimed, shifting her gaze between Hailey and the little girl standing next to her.

Hailey hummed with a smile, caressing Solána's hair. "You're right," she replied, "And she's pretty excited too."

Solána nodded in agreement and gave her hand a squeeze.

Lilli smiled at the two and then clapped her hands. "Why don't you two go have a seat and make yourselves at home, and then we can start doing some magic, hm?" She suggested before leaving to the back of the salon.

Hailey and Solána went sitting next to Vanessa, whom the four-year-old greeted with a warm hug and a special handshake — Kevin had created one for them.

"¿Estás emocionada?" Vanessa asked, helping her take her coat off.

"Un poco. But Mom said it's gonna be fun. I trust her," Solána replied, making both women chuckle.

Vanessa glanced at her best friend and sent her a small smile, melting at the way Solána always openly expressed her affection for Hailey, never shying away from it.

Lilli came back and handed them three portfolios, one for each of them, so they could show her which hairstyle they desired.

"Mom, what are you getting?" Solána asked with curiosity, eyeing Hailey.

She immediately pointed at the picture of a model with soft, elegant curls, and Solána hummed as she looked at it.

"I want that too," she told her with a decisive tone.

"You guys wanna have matching hairstyles?" Vanessa chimed in, wiping her teary eyes, "Oh my gosh, that's so cute," she went on.

Solána tilted her head at her and glimpsed at Hailey, a weirded-out look on her face.

"That's not a sad thing. Why is she crying?" She asked, causing the blonde to snort loudly.

Hailey shook her head and let out a sigh, but before she could answer her question,

"PMS is ruining my life," Vanessa continued bumbling, clearing her throat and calming herself down.

"Don't mind her, she's just being silly," Hailey commented and quickly told Lilli which hairstyles they were going to get, distracting Solána with that instead.

She then turned to look at her friend, who just shrugged when she noticed the pointed look she was getting.

"What?" Vanessa deadpanned, "It's really girls' day for me, leave me alone," she muttered, making a face at her.

"Can I see now?" Solána impatiently asked Lilli for the third time in the last seven minutes, ready to see the result in the mirror.

Lilli chuckled and nodded at her, "You can now," turning her chair around.

Solána gasped as she looked at her reflection, her green eyes widened and an overall hyped expression on her face.

"I look pretty!" She exclaimed cheerfully, making everyone at the salon laugh out loud at her confidence.

"Thank you, nice lady!" She blew a kiss before getting off her seat and quickly walking in front of Hailey. "Mom, look," she patted her leg even though she already had all her attention.

"Woah! You're a real princess now, Sol!" Hailey commented, taking her hand and raising her arm, making the little girl do a spin for her.

"¡Ay, te ves tan hermosa!" Vanessa complimented her too, looking at her reflection in the mirror.

"Gracias," Solána replied, grinning from ear to ear.

She felt very pretty and, in general, the idea of getting her hair done at a professional hair salon made her feel like she was a grown-up, and she liked the sensation.

Hailey grabbed her phone and took a few pictures of her but before she'd send them to Jay, "Don't show 'em to Daddy, it's a surprise," Solána told her, attempting to wink at her but actually closing both her eyes.

"Great idea," Hailey commented, giving her approval. "Come here," she tapped her legs and she didn't need to say it twice because Solána immediately went sitting on her lap.

She started humming along to the song that was now playing, Rare by Selena Gomez, and then, "I like our girls' day," she confessed with a soft smile, and Hailey swore she could feel her heart flutter with joy.

"I'm glad you do," Hailey kissed the back of her small hand. "And, mind you, it's not over yet," she went on with a smirk before her hairstylist continued doing her job on her hair.

Hailey unbuckled Solána from her car seat and helped her get out of the car, then locked the vehicle.

She didn't tell her where they were going, but the four-year-old figured it out immediately when she looked at the sign of the store and saw the drawing of a hand with beautifully painted nails.

"We're getting our nails done!" She cheered, tightening around Hailey's hand.

The blonde winked at her and sent her a knowing look, "You got it, smarty-pants."

They finally got to the entrance, and Hailey pushed the door open for both Solána and Vanessa before getting inside herself.

Julia, the owner of the salon whom the two best friends had known for a while, came to greet them and pulled them into a big group hug.

"I was waiting for you girls," she told them, pulling back and looking at them.

"Same here," Vanessa commented, showing her hand and wiggling her fingers.

"We'll work on those," Julia replied, then, "And you must be Solána, right?" She asked the little girl, looking down at her.

Solána blushed heavily but moved her head in a nod.

"The Princess?" Julia smirked.

The red color on Solána's cheeks intensified even more, and she nodded again, "That's me."

She got a smile in return. "Cool," Julia mumbled, "You need a royal chair, then," she went on, sending a look to one of her employees, and the young woman walked toward them pushing a special sliding chair.

It had been adorned with silver, pink and yellow boa decoration, the yellow one was in the shape of an S.

Hailey sent Julia a grateful smile. When they spoke on the phone earlier in the morning and told her who she was going to bring along, she highlighted the fact that it was a special occasion for a special guest, and she was honestly happy with the result. 

It was a simple gesture but it truly meant a lot to her. Julia did understand the assignment.

"Is that for me?" Solána asked in complete awe and when Hailey responded with a nod, she immediately sprinted to take a seat, getting comfortable in her chair and letting out a sigh of contentment.

After taking a couple of pictures of her, Hailey pushed the chair closer to the table where they were going to get their nails done, causing the little girl to laugh out loud.

It was heartwarming for Hailey to see her so happy and relaxed. Solána had kept a smiley face the entire morning and she honestly couldn't imagine a better sight.

Hailey and Vanessa sat down as well, and the three of them waited until Julia came back and took a seat right in front of Solána.

She took her small hands and, "Since I'm the best one here," she started, causing her employees to scoff dramatically, which caused Solána to chuckle.

"I will personally take care of these pretty hands," she went on. "You cool with that?"

Solána nodded vehemently, "Yes!" She exclaimed.

"Okay," Julia mumbled, "There's one more thing I need to know…"

"I'm ready," Solána replied, and both Hailey and Vanessa let out a small giggle, amused by the seriousness in her tone.

Julia cleared her throat and looked into the toddler's green eyes, "What's your favorite color?"

She theatrically hummed after taking the first bite of her food, a chicken fajita wrapped in a corn tortilla.

Solána then looked at Hailey and Vanessa and moved her head in a nod of approval.

"It's good," she exclaimed after swallowing the food, then took a sip of coconut water. "This too," she added, referring to her drink.

They had found themselves to be pretty hungry after spending their morning going from place to place, and now they were at El Crocante enjoying some amazing food while being lulled by Kali Uchis's voice in Telepatía.

El Crocante was Vanessa's favorite place to eat. The food was just too good and smelled like home, it brought her back to her childhood and the holiday spent in El Salvador.

Solána was wearing a large orange gown so she wouldn't leave stains on her clothes, and she was absolutely adorable (kind of looking like a pumpkin, too).

"We should make this a monthly thing… Have a girls' day once a month," Vanessa suggested, shifting her gaze between Hailey and Solána.

The blonde moved her head in a small nod, "That's actually a cool idea!" She commented.

Vanessa scoffed, "Duh. I only have cool ideas," she blabbered, then turned to look at Solána. "What do you think?"

"I like your idea," the little girl replied with a bright smile. 

"Perfect!" Vanessa exclaimed. "Now we raise our glasses," she said, and both Hailey and Solána followed her instructions.

With all three glasses raised, "To our girls' day," Hailey cheered, clinking her glass with Vanessa and Solána's.

The little one giggles in amusement at the perky noise they were making, and then "¡Salud!" She repeated after the two women.

Solána's small hands were carefully touching the fabric of the dress Hailey had just shown her.

They were now at a clothing store to do some shopping. 

Well, her plan actually was to look for a cute dress for Solána, one that would make her look and feel like the real princess she was.

Vanessa was in another store; she wanted to give Hailey and Solána some space so they'd spend some time together without her being in the way.

Solána hummed, "This one's pretty," she mumbled, showing her the thumbs up.

"Wanna try it on?" Hailey suggested and Solána nodded in excitement.

The two walked to the changing room and Hailey crouched down to help her change into the dress they'd picked.

Once she got her ready, "You look beautiful," she smiled widely, scanning her figure.

Solána blushed at the compliment and looked at her reflection in the mirror.

"And, look," Hailey went on, "It perfectly matches your nails," she pointed out, noticing both her nails and the dress were of the same bright shade of yellow.

The four-year-old turned around to face her and "I like it," she declared.

"Yeah?" Hailey grinned, "You say yes to the dress?" She joked, and Solána nodded at her.

"You know you can keep it on if you want," the blonde put out. that information and she wasn't surprised to see Solána's eyes light up in excitement, a small gasp escaping her lips.

"Really?!"

"Oh, yeah," Hailey sent her a smirk, and then was left speechless when Solána took a step towards her and wrapped her arms around her neck in a tight hug.

"Thank you, Mom," she mumbled quietly.

A soft smile surfaced on Hailey's face when she heard those words, and she left a small kiss on the side of her head and, "You're welcome, Princess," she murmured back.

It was closing time for The Rising Sound when Hailey, Solána, and Vanessa crossed the door and got inside the store.

Love affair by UMI was playing through the speakers while Jay and Kevin were almost done tidying up the place.

They turned towards the door when they noticed someone had entered the place and before they could say the classic We're closing they were used to saying at that time of the day, "Daddy!" Solána screeched loudly, running towards her dad, who welcomed her with open arms, picking her up with a swift move.

"Who's this beautiful lady?!" Jay peppered her face with small kisses, causing Solána to start giggling. "I love your hair!" He winked at her.

"Thank you," she replied shyly and blushed.

Jay took a quick look at her figure. "Is this a new dress?" He asked because as far as he remembered, she went out wearing some jeans and a jumper.

Solána nodded at him. "Mom said I look like a real princess now," she explained with a shiny smile.

Jay immediately glanced at Hailey when Solána mentioned her, and, boy oh boy, she looked gorgeous.

She got her hair cut just a tiny bit, and the bright, blonde color had been cooled down a little on the wavy ends, making the blue of her eyes stand out even more than usual.

"I see two princesses," Jay muttered loud enough so Hailey could hear him too.

And she did hear him, her cheeks turning a deep shade of red and a wide smile curling up her lips.

After waving her hand at Kevin, Hailey walked toward Jay and was surprised when he leaned to kiss her lips.

It's not like they'd never kissed in public, it just wasn't something they did often, that's why he caught her off guard.

Jay felt her smile against his mouth and when he pulled back, "You look great," he murmured with a smirk.

"Thanks," Hailey bit her lips and dropped her gaze.

They had been together for a while now and Jay still managed to have her blushing like the first day they met.

"Papi, I ate fajitas and a tortilla and I finished it all by myself!" Solána chimed in with a proud tone in her voice.

"You did?"

She nodded vehemently and started cackling when he began tickling her stomach.

Once she calmed down, "What are we eating tonight then?" Jay asked her, and she widened her eyes and raised her brows, moving her shoulders with a small shrug.

"I dunno… Fajitas and tortilla?" She suggested, causing Hailey to laugh.

"Again? Sol Sol, you're gonna turn into that if you eat any more," Jay replied, sending her a knowing look.

Before Solána could come up with another option, "Hey, Halsteads," Kevin shouted at them.

Jay turned to look at him, moving his head in a nod as to ask him what he wanted.

"You can go home," Kevin told him, causing his friend to shake his head.

"We're almost done here, man," he countered back.

"Exactly," Kevin chanted, rolling his eyes, and then focused his gaze on Hailey, "Get him out of here," he mumbled, glimpsing at Vanessa who was standing in front of him.

Oh. 

She didn't get the chance to say something back because Solána was the one who really wanted to talk. 

"Uncle Kev, is Vanessa your girlfriend?" She asked, causing Vanessa to blush heavily and Kevin to widen his eyes in shock.

"You know, she's really pretty!" Solána added, intensifying the already awkward atmosphere in the store.

Kevin cleared his throat but Jay was quick to save the day.

He knew his friend had it bad for Vanessa and even though the attraction was mutual, they'd never really discussed labels and terminology.

"Tortillas and fajitas sound great for dinner, ya know?" Jay mumbled to Solána, pressing a kiss on the back of her hand, and then took his phone and keys from the counter, walking outside.

Hailey snorted at his obvious escape attempt and shook her head in amusement, letting out a sigh of contentment.

"Have fun, you guys," she breathed out with a smirk, earning a glare from her best friend.

It was her payback for all the times Vanessa had told those exact words to her and Jay.

Before stepping outside, though, "By the way…" Hailey began, eyeing Kevin, "I'm not a Halstead," she told him.

He hummed softly and shrugged, "Yet," he replied wittily, shocking her, then waved his hand at her, "Have a good night."

Bedtime arrived and, since girls' day wasn't over yet, Hailey and Solána were still attached to the hip, while Jay was doing whatever in his room

Hailey was going through numerous pictures she had taken today, showing them all to Solána.

She had told her she wanted to choose a couple to print out and hang on the wall, 'Next to the picture of me and Daddy.' she said.

"This one too," Solána mumbled, looking at the picture of her and Hailey where the two were posing while making silly faces, "We look funny."

"Still cute, though," Hailey winked and marked that second picture before putting her phone away and tucking Solána under her blankets.

The instant she sensed that she was going to get up, "Mom..?" Solána stopped her.

"Hey there!" She gently pinched her cheek.

"I had fun today," she told her, but Hailey figured there was something else she wanted to tell her, and she caressed her face as a way of telling her she could speak without hesitation.

"I don't do stuff like that with my Mamá. She just says hi to me, and we play and draw a little and then she goes away," Solána started talking, and as sad as it was, Hailey was very impressed by the way she could express her feelings so well.

"It makes me sad sometimes," the little girl admitted.

"I'm sorry to hear that, baby," she whispered to her, trying to hide her deep frustration.

From a few feet away, Jay was standing by the wall in the hallway, carefully listening to their words and biting his lips with nervousness.

It was breaking his heart to hear that Solána actually felt her mother's lack of involvement in her life (they hadn't even communicated ever since the incident that happened a few weeks ago) but it also made him fuming angry because she didn't deserve this.

Solána was an innocent soul, the purest one, and she deserved nothing but love, especially from the people who brought her into this world.

And, obviously, she wasn't getting that, not entirely, and it wasn't fair.

But, "It's okay," Solána mumbled inside the room, shrugging her shoulders. "I'm happy I can have fun with you," she explained with a cheeky grin.

"Yeah?"

Solána hummed. "Yes!" She exclaimed, "Today was the best day of my whole life," she went on, opening her arm to show Hailey that her whole life was a long amount of time.

Hailey let out a small chuckle and "I'm super glad to hear that," she commented, then, "Come here, munchkin," she hugged the little girl, kissing the side of her head.

"I love you so so much. And I'm always here for you, okay?" Solána smiled and nodded. "Have a goodnight."

"I love you. And Daddy, you gotta tell him!" The four-year-old mumbled tiredly.

Hailey sent her a wink, "I will," she reassured her, lowering her voice, "Now sleep. It's been a long day."

When Hailey exited Solána's room, she instantly felt Jay's hands on the small of her back, gently pulling her closer to him.

"Hi, eavesdropper," Hailey tried to tease him with a chuckle, knowing he often listened to her conversations with Solána so he could learn a thing or two on how to raise a little girl.

Her smile faltered when she noticed the redness of his eyes and the way they had turned glassy. 

"Hey…" She cupped his face and tilted her head, sending him a questioning look, "What's wrong?"

Jay didn't answer right away and instead engulfed her body into a tight hug, probably one of the tightest they ever shared.

"Thank you," he whispered to her, kissing the exposed skin on her shoulder.

"For sticking with us, ya know?" He went on, resting his head on her shoulder and closing his eyes, the familiar smell of her skin filling his nostrils and making him smile.

"For spending the day with her," he continued, and Hailey could feel her stomach closing when she heard him sniffle.

For being the mother she deserves to have , Jay wanted to add, biting his tongue, figuring it was going to be too overwhelming.

He didn't say it aloud, but he meant it.

The way Solána's eyes lit up every time Hailey was even just casually mentioned… That wasn't something he could ignore.

"For loving her like she's yours," he stated, and then cleared his throat, "I really couldn't thank you enough for that."

 He slightly pulled away, quickly wiping his eyes and nose, and stared at Hailey with a soft, melancholic smile.

It was inevitable for him to think of the times he thought he'd never be fully happy, that life would always find a way to switch up on him and let him eat dirt.

But, it seemed like the universe indeed had another plan in store for him, bringing Hailey into his life, into Solána's life, changing everything. 

It was like he'd been listening to a bunch of insignificant songs for a very long time and then, by sheer luck, found the perfect one.

Hailey was his perfect song. 

Chapter Text

Hailey let out a loud yawn before taking a sip of her now cold coffee.

"That's your cue," Jay slurred behind her, making her slightly jump because of the surprise.

She thought she was alone!

"Shoot!" She whispered-yelled, turning to glare at him, even though he couldn't really see her expression in all that darkness.

The only source of light in the kitchen was coming from the display of her laptop, though she had put the brightness on the lower level.

"What are you even doing? It's like two in the morning," Jay mumbled, rubbing his face and walking towards her.

"It's actually three," Hailey countered. She gave up on protesting when he easily lifted her body and stole her seat, letting her sit on his legs instead.

She secretly liked it, and had to bite her lips to suppress the tiny smirk forming on her face.

Jay peeked at the screen in front of them. He quickly scanned the page and read what Hailey was working on.

"For the show…" He trailed off.

Hailey hummed in response, shooting him a quick glance before getting back to work.

They stayed in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, Hailey was enjoying the feeling of his strong chest pressing on her back while she worked, and Jay was observing her quietly, interested in what she was doing.

He wasn't a fan of her staying up at night to work, as if she didn't overwork herself during the day already.

But, he knew how much of a perfectionist Hailey was, so he knew better than saying anything about that.

He then noticed her quickly glimpsing at him just to shift her gaze elsewhere when their eyes met, and "What?" He asked her.

She hummed quietly, still uncertain about the question she wanted to ask him, but calmed down when she saw that familiar, gentle look in his eyes.

"So. I'm making these sheet music for three of my students and they're dyslexic," she started, and Jay immediately caught on to what she was going to ask him, "You think it's clear enough or…" She trailed off, shrugging her shoulders.

Jay slightly raised his brows at the question. And not for the question in itself but because she really was willing to listen to his opinion about it.

It was the first time someone had treated his dyslexia as a tool to see things from a different perspective and do better, instead of using it against him and make him feel like he was stupid.

He didn't answer right away, but reached for her laptop, selecting the option to change the layout of the page.

After clicking and typing in silence, a concentrated look on his face, he pressed enter and the layout of the page changed slightly.

He'd increased the size of the words, enlarged the images and added a few more spaces between words so they could be seen as separate units a lot faster.

"It was clear," Jay replied to her previous question, "Now it's clearer," he concluded, winking at her.

"Thanks," Hailey smiled at him and leaned to leave a quick kiss on his cheek. 

"You're a good teacher…" He muttered with a proud smile, tightening his grip around her body.

She saved the document twice and then a third time to be extra safe, and then turned to give him her undivided attention.

"You really think so?" Hailey asked him shyly.

To be fair, she thought she was just doing her job, but she also couldn't lie and say it didn't feel good to be appreciated for once.

"Yeah," Jay replied without hesitation.

"You clearly care a lot about them," he went on, "This is just another proof," he explained, eyeing her laptop. 

Then, "This simple thing would've made my life ten times easier years ago, ya know," he sent her a knowing look. "So, yeah, you're a good teacher," he repeated.

"And you'd be an even better teacher if we went to bed right now," he concluded with a chuckle, after hearing her yawn yet again. 

Hailey hummed and gave up with a sigh, "Yeah," she mumbled with a tired smile. 

Before she would get up, though, "I know we joke about you being married to work but…" he shrugged his shoulders, noticing she was fighting the urge to roll her eyes.

They'd already had that conversation. Hailey would allow herself to be absorbed by work so much that she'd forget she needed to take care of herself first.

"Burnouts are no fun," Jay told her in a serious tone, sending her a knowing look.

Hailey slowly nodded her head and bored her eyes into his, recognizing the look of concern in them. "I know," she breathed out, "But I'm okay," she continued, brushing her thumb over his stubbly cheek.

He stared at her hesitantly, her words didn't sound too convincing (or maybe he was worrying too much), but he didn't protest, only humming in response before smoothly picking her up to take her to bed.

"You've been ignoring my emails."

That was the first thing Hailey said as soon as she heard Principal Platt enter her office.

"And I also need to file a restraining order," Platt mumbled back in her typical sarcastic tone, sitting on her chair and dropping some files on her desk.

"I wasn't ignoring you," she added, replying to Hailey's statement, but the blonde arched her brows when she heard those words.

Platt chuckled at that look. It brought her back to when she was a teacher and Hailey just one of her students, and she would spend extra time with her as they waited for her mom to come pick her from school.

Hailey had grown into an adult now, a lot of things had changed, but not that scowling look.

Platt tilted her head at the expression on her face and dramatically rolled her eyes. "Hailey, do you have an idea of how many emails I have to reply to? And how much I still have to read?" She asked her, crossing her arms on her chest.

Hailey blushed heavily at her words, feeling like a teenager being scolded. But, "Well… Did you read mine?" She still pressed on the topic.

After letting out a sigh, "I did," Platt said, "But…" she trailed off, raising her hands in surrender and shaking her head, "I'm sorry, Hailey, my hands are tied."

"We've been practicing for weeks, I'm not telling my students it was all for nothing," Hailey countered, "Not at this point."

She was still confused about the reason why she had just found out that the school didn't have the funds to rent a theater hall.

The school auditorium was already off-limits because of the damages caused by last year's snowstorm, and Hailey had even gone out of her way to look for a place they could rent.

Apparently, her efforts had been meaningless since there was no money to do anything at all.

And she wasn't mad about that specifically, she just hated the awful timing and thought it all could've been avoided.

"Look, you know it's not that I don't wanna help you..." Platt muttered, keeping her voice low.

Hailey huffed, running her hand down her face. She knew it was the truth. Trudy wasn't one to easily give up, especially when she was involved.

"Yeah…" She sighed, nervously biting her lips, her leg bouncing at a fast pace.

She was so frustrated with… Everything.

But, "I'll find another way," Hailey stated, looking right into Trudy's eyes.

She didn't know which way yet, but she was damn sure about one thing: she had promised her students they would do the show, and they were going to do it.

When Vanessa entered the teachers room and found that her best friend was still sitting in there, staring at her laptop,

"Are you serious?" She couldn't help but blurt out with a scolding expression on her face.

Hailey snapped her head and looked at her, confused by her annoyance.

"Girl, go home, get some sleep!" Vanessa exclaimed, opening the fridge and taking her lunch box from it.

She knew Hailey had been under a lot of stress lately, trying her very best to prepare for a show that had very few chances of actually taking place.

A few days had passed since Hailey's conversation with Platt and the situation hadn't really changed: there still was no money and the clock kept ticking.

"How many of those have you been drinking?" Vanessa proceeded to ask when she saw Hailey take a sip of coffee.

She didn't know how many times she'd seen her do that gesture and she was pretty convinced that, apart from a few snacks from the vending machine, Hailey hadn't touched real food in a while.

Hailey let out a groan as she stared at her friend. "You sound like Jay…" She simply commented before emptying her cup .

"Glad to know he has some common sense," Vanessa  countered, crossing her arms on her chest.

The blonde rolled her eyes in response, "I need to figure out a few things," she muttered, pointing at her laptop.

Vanessa walked to her and bent over to see what the hell she was still working on, and wasn't surprised to see she was still looking for small venues around the city.

There was also an open document on the screen; she read it quickly and then looked at Hailey with her brows furrowed, a slightly amused expression on her face.

"Are you planning on actually sending these threats?"

Hailey shrugged her shoulders, "If necessary," she replied with a nod. "Diplomacy clearly isn't working, so…" She trailed off, sending her friend a knowing look.

Vanessa let out a sigh and tilted her head. "Hailey…"

"I'll go home," Hailey told her in a serious tone, already anticipating what her friend was going to tell her. "I just wanna finish something here," she concluded.

She got a hum in return. Vanessa had figured that she wasn't going to budge, and she gave up. "Okay," she nodded, "I'm ordering food for you, though," she said, and Hailey knew she couldn't really protest.

Not that she wanted to, anyway — she had been eating sparingly these last few days, she wasn't going to say no to a nice, real meal at this point.

So, "Burger," Hailey murmured, smiling sheepishly and blushing. "Double," she added, "With fries."

Vanessa snorted at her response but nodded nonetheless. "Gotcha," she replied before squeezing Hailey's shoulder and exiting the room.

She was walking down the hallway, whistling a random melody, but stopped in her tracks when she heard a loud thump, followed by the sound of something breaking.

It was comin from the room she'd just left and she couldn't help but turn around and frown in confusion.

That confusion quickly turned into concern when she didn't hear any other following sounds, and she decided to walk back in there to check and make sure everything was okay.

She gasped in surprise when she found Hailey laying on the ground with a semi-conscious state. She was blinking slowly, probably feeling dizzy, while her palm was pressing on a specific spot on her temple.

Her mug had broken into small, pointy shards scattered all over the floor.

"Dios mio…" Vanessa immediately crouched down to her, trying to see if she was injured.

"I'm okay, I'm okay," Hailey mumbled, gritting her teeth through the sharp pain she was feeling on her head, "I just slipped," she went on, using Vanessa's arm as leverage to get into a sitting position.

She hadn't just slipped. She remembered getting up to get another cup of coffee as soon as her friend left the room, and feeling particularly dizzy out of the blue.

And when she took the first step towards the coffee machine, her stressed and tired body had clearly given up on her.

"Guess it is time to go home," Hailey commented lightheartedly, her palm still pressed on the throbbing feeling on her temple.

Vanessa was quick to notice where her hand was positioned and checked the part, almost choking on her breath when she saw a trail of blood stream down as soon as she removed her friend's hand.

She knew cuts on the head only looked scary most of the time, but "Yeah, no, we're past that," she muttered to Hailey, carefully helping her get on her feet.

She took a few napkins off the table and pressed it on the open cut, telling Hailey to apply pressure on it.

"What's that mean?" Hailey asked in confusion, but Vanessa didn't come up with an answer, only collecting all of her friend's belongings.

Once she was done, "You'll find out," she finally replied, taking Hailey's hand as they exited the building.

Kevin and Solána were dancing to Gotta good feelin' by Pigeon John while Jay was taking care of the last two customers of the day.

Their long work day was finally over and Jay was happy with how things went.

He'd spent the morning with the architect he'd chosen to work on the store's expansion project, and they had agreed on the final plan for The Rising Sound.

Jay wished the two customers goodbye and followed them to the door, and changed the sign to 'close'.

Just when he was about to go back to the counter, he felt the buzzing of his phone in his pocket, the serene look on her face shifting into a confused one when he read the name of the ID caller.

"Vanessa..?" He answered the call with what sounded more like a surprised tone. It was her first time calling him, and he couldn't help but thinking the reason for that call was somehow related to Hailey.

"Hey Jay…" Vanessa said back, and Jay was able to detect the hesitance behind her voice.

"Everything okay?" He asked, scratching his beard.

He heard her hum quietly and nervously clear her throat, "Yeah, um, well…"

"Vanessa…" He called her name again, the tone of his voice now more stern and it caused Kevin to stop dancing and look at his friend instead, a confused look on his face.

"Hailey is at the hospital. I'm with her. Nothing serious happened, I'm the one who kinda forced her to come here, it was more for my peace of mind," Vanessa started rambling.

"H-hospital?" Jay widened his eyes in shock, his heart pounding in his chest.

That word was enough for Solána to stop dancing too and stare at him, her brows furrowed in concern.

"Yeah, but she's okay, alright? Your brother's checking on her right now," Vanessa tried to reassure him but Jay was already far too swamped by a thousand thoughts making him imagine all kinds of different tragic scenarios.

"So you're at Gaffney, right?" He asked for confirmation, and Vanessa hummed in return.

"Yeah..."

"Okay, see you in a few then," Jay muttered before ending the call, not even giving Vanessa to come up with a reply.

He shakily slipped his phone back in his pocket and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath in an attempt to calm down.

"What's going on, man?" Kevin asked.

Jay cleared his throat. "Um, I'll text you," he widened his eyes and Kevin understood he didn't want to talk in front of Solána, nodding at him.

"Daddy, are you sad?" The little girl was staring at him with a worried look in her eyes, and Jay immediately shook his head at her question, sending her a reassuring smile.

He crouched down to her and kissed her forehead. "Nah, Sol Sol, I'm not sad," he caressed her face, "But I gotta go take care of something, hm?" 

"Okay," she nodded at him, even though she could sense that something was going on.

"You stay with uncle Kev, and then he'll take you home okay? I'll be there as soon as I can," he went on, straightening his position and looking at his best friend.

Jay handed him the keys to his apartment and a twenty dollars bill, "For dinner," he mumbled.

Before Kevin could protest, "No time for that," Jay mumbled, rolling his eyes and quickly exiting the store.

He hopped on his truck and started driving, using every shortcut he could possibly think of so he could get to Med as fast as possible.

Jay hated going to the hospital. It was a place filled with nothing but hurtful memories, from his mom doing chemotherapy, him spending months being stitched up after the humvee explosion in Afghanistan, his dad's heart attack, and then Camila's relapse.

And, yes, Vanessa told him nothing serious had happened to Hailey, but still, he couldn't help but feel worried and anxious.

He felt no need or desire to listen to music during that drive, not even to calm his nerves or distract himself. He just wanted to go to his Hailey.

"What happened?" Jay asked Vanessa as soon as he spotted her.

She huffed in response, "Your girlfriend is stubborn as hell, that's what happened…" She mumbled as they walked towards Hailey's room, "We're lucky she didn't faint."

"This show thing is…" She trailed off, shaking her head, nervously scratching her arm, "She's restless."

"Yeah, I know," Jay murmured quietly.

The walk to Hailey's felt longer than it actually was, a sense of guilt getting the best of Jay with each step he was taking.

He knew Hailey had been stressed about the show, the money that wasn't really there, and everything, but he didn't think she would end up in a hospital because of it.

And he felt bad. He should've paid more attention.

When the two finally arrived in front of Hailey's room, a loud groan escaped the blonde's lips.

She had just interrupted her chat with Will, who stepped outside and patted his brother's back. "IV needs to be over, then she's all yours," he whispered to him, giving his shoulder a squeeze.

"I told you not to call him!" Hailey scolded her friend, crossing her arms on her chest and rolling her eyes.

She regretted it immediately, because it only caused her throbbing headache to become more intense.

"As if I'm ever gonna listen to you again after this," Vanessa retorted back in an annoyed tone.

Hailey needed to understand that it was okay to let go of her Wonder woman costume and allow other people to look after her sometimes.

"And I'm telling Adam, too!" The brunette added before taking her stuff and patting Jay's shoulder, knowing the couple needed some time alone.

Jay was staring at his girlfriend with a serious look on his face, his hands in his pockets. "So, you told her not to tell me? Good to know this is how it goes now…" He mumbled sarcastically.

Hailey was well aware of how overprotective he tended to get, especially with her, and she didn't think it was necessary.

"I just slipped, it's not that serious," she retorted.

"It's not that serious but you still ended up here, didn't ya?" He asked rhetorically, baffled by her words, then started mumbling something under his breath but his voice was too low for Hailey to hear.

Hailey held back a groan, letting out a huff instead and glaring at him, "I don't need this right now, Jay."

He sat next to her on the bed, and then rested his legs too when she scooted over to leave some room for him.

He sighed and just "Okay," he simply muttered.

They stayed in silence for a few minutes, Hailey could see Jay's shaky hands playing with the thin necklace he always had with him.

Hailey suppressed a huff and bit her lower lip, staring at him with guilt in her eyes. He was visibly worried and it wasn't fair for her to minimize the situation or dismiss his feelings just because she thought it wasn't a big deal. 

So, she reached for his hand and squeezed it. "Look, I'm sorry I worried you," she mumbled to him, fiddling with his fingers and entwining them with hers.

"You're gonna give me gray hair," Jay murmured back, sending her a knowing look, a tiny smile curling up the corner of his mouth.

She rested her head on his shoulder and hugged his side. "You'd still be hot," Hailey laughed it off, causing him to shake his head and roll his eyes.

"Oh my gosh, you're such kiss-ass!" He exclaimed with a small chuckle, but then the expression on his face switched into a more serious one. "You're still on my bad side though," he glared at her dramatically.

Hailey tightened her grip around him and hummed, figuring he had every right to be annoyed. But, "You don't have to worry about me," she replied.

Jay arched his brow as if to tell her that he couldn't not worry about her even if he tried. It wasn't a possible option at this point. 

"I mean it. I promise I learned my lesson," she went on, pointing at the band-aid that Will put on the small cut on her temple, "They don't even have good snacks here…"

"And, Vanessa threatened your brother so… I'm on sick leave for a week," she went on, reaching for her purse and taking her sick leave papers from it, "A full week of relax and power naps."

"Good," Jay leaned forward and kissed the top of her head, and "You got yourself a real friend," he commented, not surprised to hear that Vanessa had threatened Will.

(He would've paid to see the scene.)

Hailey sighed, "Yeah," she nodded, "She's scary sometimes, but she's a good one," she added with a soft smile.

Then, "Where's Solána?" She asked, "I wanna see her," she added, letting out a small yawn.

Jay checked her saline drip and saw that it was almost empty. "You'll see her soon," he told her, massaging her scalp to help her relax.

Jay pressed his thumb on his doorbell and waited for his friend to come open the door.

He glimpsed at Hailey and saw the visibly tired look on her face. He took her hand and softly pressed his lips onto its back, earning a tender smile from her.

That smile only grew wider when the door finally opened and Hailey found Solána standing in front of her, with Kevin being just a couple of feet behind her.

"Mom!" Solána immediately went to give her a tight hug, happy to see her. "Are you feeling better? Uncle Kev said Daddy said you're not feeling great," she explained, a slightly concerned tone behind her voice.

Hailey caressed her dark hair and hugged her back. "I feel a looot better now," she picked her up, trying her best not to lose her balance — again — and kissed her cheek as they all walked inside the house.

"I missed you," the blonde added.

"I missed you too," Solána repeated before wiggling her legs, a sign that she wanted to be put down.

She hurried towards the living room and then came back to the kitchen, where Hailey and Jay were greeting Kevin and thanking him for taking care of Solána.

"I did this for you," the four-year-old handed Hailey the drawing she'd been working on for the last half-hour.

Solána had drawn herself, a red heart, and then Hailey.

Solána loves Hailey.

"Aw, thank you, you're always the best, Princess!" Hailey stared at the drawing, a big smile lighting up her eyes, "I love it."

Crazy how that simple gesture had turned her day for the better in an instant. Solána was truly the best.

"Where should I put it?" Hailey asked her.

"Next to your bed so I'm always with you!" Solána was quick to reply, nodding her head vehemently and smiling proudly.

"That's a great idea," the blonde winked at her, making the little girl clap her hands in excitement.

She put the drawing somewhere safe so it wouldn't get all wrinkled, and then announced that she was going to take a very needed shower before disappearing into the hallway.

Solána went into her room to put her crayons away, leaving her dad and Uncle Kev alone. 

"Thank you again, man," Jay patted his friend's shoulder after he told him he was going to head home.

Well, not exactly home, but to Vanessa's apartment.

"You know it's no problem," Kevin replied with a shrug as they walked towards the door.

When he opened it, "Have fun," Jay mumbled to him, raising his brows in a knowing look.

Kevin rolled his eyes but couldn't help but smirk. "Shut up," he retorted, shaking his head at him, and wishing him goodnight before walking away.

Jay locked the door and went back to the kitchen with a sigh, feeling himself getting a bit tired.

He found Solána standing in front of her countersink, her sleeves already rolled up. She was clearly waiting for him.

He tilted his head at her, his eyes slightly squinting. "What are you up to?" He asked her, crossing his arms on his chest.

"We gotta cook for Mom, she needs comfort food," Solána said matter-of-factly, looking at Jay as if he'd just asked the most absurd question in the world.

He softly smiled at her thoughtfulness. His little girl was on a mission tonight, her one and only goal was to help Hailey feel better.

Jay felt so lucky to have a daughter like her.

"Did you wash your hands already?"

"Jay..?"

He hummed when he heard Hailey's voice, looking to his left and noticing that she had her eyes closed.

"S'agapó," she mumbled absentmindedly, sleepily entwining their arms together.

Jay smiled when he heard her. He had now learned that Hailey would start talking in Greek whenever she was out like a light, and he liked the fact that most of the time it was her telling him she loved him.

"I love you too," he whispered back to her, even though he was pretty sure she was already deep in her sleep and couldn't hear him.

He turned to shut the lights off and changed his position, laying down, his mind going over the events of the last hours.

Jay blindly reached for Hailey's hand, feeling relieved that nothing bad had happened to her.

Then a thought came to his mind, something he'd been thinking of ever since they were at the hospital and Hailey told him she was going to take some days off.

So, he took his phone from the nightstand and opened a text chat with Kevin.

Jay:
Hey Kev. Pls don't kill me but I might need another favor🙆♂️

Chapter Text

"You know I hate surprises!" Hailey mumbled to Jay when she blindly reached for him and found his arm.

Jay chuckled at her statement and helped her put her seatbelt on. "You're gonna like this one, I promise," he replied before turning the engine on.

They were in his truck, Solána was asleep in her car seat with her arms tightly hugging Mr. Ko, while Hailey was in the passenger seat next to Jay with the sleeping mask he gave her this morning.

She'd woken up totally clueless about what was going on, finding Jay already awake and packing up some clothes in a bag, telling her that they were going on a trip.

Now, Hailey truly loved Jay and his spontaneity, but that seemed to be a little too abrupt even for him.

And, he didn't want to tell her the destination of that trip.

She was even more surprised when the bell rang and she found her best friends staring at her: Vanessa and Adam were standing there with mischievous grins on their faces, and then the brunette handed her a bag full of clothes before Adam wished her to have fun on her trip.

So, everyone seemed to know what was going on except for her apparently.

Hailey knew it was something good and fun, she couldn't lie and say she wasn't excited, but still, she wouldn't have turned down a little more information.

She tried to pull the sleeping mask away so she could at least peek and have an idea of where they were headed but Jay caught her just in time, swatting her hand away.

"Hey, we have a deal!" He protested, glimpsing at her.

"But I wanna know!" Hailey retorted, crossing her arms on her chest and pouting her lips.

"Didn't know I had two kids…" Jay commented, earning a punch in his thigh from her.

"Patience, Hailey Anne. Patience," he trailed off while he kept driving down the highway. He smirked when he read the sign on the road ahead of him and "Ten more minutes," he muttered, slightly raising the volume of the radio as soon as he heard the round of guitar at the beginning of Californication by Red Hot Chili Peppers.

"Fine," Hailey gave up, figuring she just had to wait. "It better be worth it," she sighed, bobbing her head to the song.

Jay kept driving to their first destination when, suddenly, "Hello," Solána said sleepily.

He glanced at her through the rearview mirror and smiled at her. "Good morning, Sol Sol. D'you sleep well?"

"Yes," she nodded eagerly then noticed the sleeping mask on Hailey's face.

Solána frowned in confusion and tilted her head. "Mom, why are your eyes covered?" She asked.

But, before the blonde could answer her question, "Papi, that's a plane!" She exclaimed, her eyes lit up in excitement. "There's so many of them!" She went on.

"Wait, what?!" Hailey asked too, then finally took the sleeping mask off and looked outside the window, recognizing O'Hare International Airport from afar.

"You two are trouble together," Jay commented with a sheepish grin on his face, glimpsing at his girlfriend. He could basically see her gears turning, actually realizing where they were headed.

Then, "You can tell me now," Hailey turned to look at Jay and eagerly patted his leg, her eyes full of hope.

Jay glanced at her with a smirk but didn't say anything back, focusing his eyes on the road.

"Annoying," Hailey mumbled with a huff.

He cleared his throat when he got in the queue for the highway exit, then comfortably rested his back on the seat, staring at Hailey, his signature lopsided grin lifting up the corners of his mouth.

She noticed it and blushed hard. "Don't look at me," she muttered quietly, holding back a shy smile and trying to avoid his piercing gaze.

Jay let out a chuckle, amused by her impatience. "Okay," he sighed, reaching for his phone to choose a song to play.

A random one.

Maybe not a random one, Jay knew exactly what he was doing when he put California by Phantom Planet. He immediately glanced at Hailey and saw her gasp in surprise, putting two and two together.

He showed her a smug smile, a knowing look on his face.

"You're kidding…" She chuckled at him. "We're going to LA?" she asked just to be extra sure.

Jay nodded and sent her a wink. "Been texting Niko a lot these past few days…" He trailed off as if it was nothing.

Before she could ask questions about the store (he could see it in her eyes), "Kev is in charge of everything there," he made it clear.

That was the big favor he'd asked Kevin a few nights ago. He was going to take care of The Rising Sound while Jay spent a few days out of town with his two girls.

Hailey shook her head in disbelief, a big grin on her face.

"Sol!" She turned to look at Solána, who was busy staring outside the window, fascinated by the multiple planes that were taking off or landing.

"Did you hear that! We're going to LA!" She told her, "We're gonna see Niko!"

At the mention of Hailey's brother, a wide smile appeared on Solána's face, her green eyes lighting up.

"¿De verdad?"

Hailey moved her head in a nod, and the little girl started cheering, swinging her legs in contentment.

The blonde then turned to look at Jay and cupped his face, her thumb brushing over his stubbly cheeks as she stared at him.

That was the sweetest thing someone had ever done for her, and she knew thanking him wasn't enough, but she really was thankful for having Jay in her life — it felt like she'd been gifted, rewarded somehow.

(Maybe she used to be a really good person in her previous life.)

And so, "Thank you," she mouthed to him, a soft smile curling up her lips.

Jay winked at her, his heart doing the backflips in his chest as he looked at the dimple forming on her right cheek.

He wished he could make her smile like that forever.

He took her hand and gave it a light squeeze before leaving a small peck on her knuckles, then focused his eyes back on the road when the cars in front of him started moving again.

They had a plane waiting for them.

Solána had her eyes glued on the small screen in front of her, moving her head and lip-syncing to yet another song from the movie Encanto.

Her grip around Hailey's arms tightened when small turbulence occurred, but the blonde was quick to calm her down by caressing her head and sending her a reassuring smile.

"It's okay," she murmured, taking her hand.

Hailey knew how she was feeling, she remembered being very scared the first time she got on a plane.

Well, it wasn't the first time, her father had already taken her and her brothers to Greece a few times before, and it was the first time she recalled being on a plane.

It was exciting, yes, but she also was old enough to be aware of the fact that she was on a flying machine, and that a lot of things could potentially go wrong.

And, she was pretty sure Solána shared those same concerns, but she was there to remind her that everything was going to be fine, hold her hand just like she had when the plane took off.

Solána took her headphones off and paused the movie. She glimpsed at Jay and let out a small giggle when she saw he was asleep.

She then turned towards Hailey and leaned in her direction, peeking through the window.

"We're inside a cloud," she stated, a look of awe painted on her face.

Her Aunt Kim had told her so many stories like this, and now she was experiencing it.

Then, "Are you happy you're gonna see Uncle Niko?" Solána asked Hailey, focusing her green eyes on her.

Gosh, Nikolas was going to be so shocked when he'd start hearing that 'Uncle Niko'.

Hailey couldn't wait to see his face.

"Yeah," she smiled, "I missed him a lot. And his wife, and their son."

Solána nodded, a pensive look on her face.

Hailey noticed it and tilted her head, wondering why her mood had changed so brusquely.

"Hey," she put her arm around her small shoulders in a half hug. "What's wrong?"

She took note of her hesitance for a few seconds and, "You know I love you and you can tell me anything you want, right?" She made sure to remind her, "Anything."

"I miss my Mamá sometimes," Solána muttered quietly, her lips curled up in a pout. "She doesn't come to see me anymore. Maybe she's mad at me," she went on with a sad yet confident tone.

"Hey, no, Sol, why'd you say that?" Hailey asked frantically, letting the little girl rest her head on her chest.

This was bad. Terrible.

How could someone, a parent, a mother, make her child feel like they weren't wanted. It was sick and twisted.

Disturbing even.

"I lied. I told her I will always eat veggies, but I didn't, maybe she's mad at me," Solána kept talking, each word she was saying felt like someone was stabbing Hailey's heart.

"But I really don't like veggies!" She concluded with a sigh, staring at Hailey to see if she'd get her point.

"Solána…" Hailey trailer off, trying to figure out what was the right thing to say. "Your Mamá loves you, so much, and she's not mad at you," she clarified, staring into those green, heartwarming eyes.

"She loves you even if you don't always eat veggies," she repeated, seeing the relaxation wash over Solána's features. "But, I think she has some things to take care of…" Hailey tried to make something up because, really, she didn't know, and neither did Jay.

Ever since their rough encounter at Jay's apartment, Camila had made herself pretty much unavailable. She'd often not answer phone calls, only leaving a few voicemails for Solána to hear, and that was it.

Face-to-face meetings didn't seem to be a priority for her at the moment, and work seemed to be the reason for that.

"But… But Papi always has to take care of things too but then we spend time together," Solána explained, so simply, probably not even knowing the deeper meaning behind her words.

"Yeah," Hailey smiled, quickly looking at the window and using it as an excuse to wipe her eyes, "You're right, Princess," she mumbled after clearing her throat.

Solána was so painfully right.

There was no place for but when it came to the bond between a mother and her child. It didn't even need to be pointed out, and yet…

"And I'm sorry that it makes you sad, Sol. I really am," Hailey murmured, not really knowing what to do.

She wished she could take Solána's sadness away, forever, and never let her experience that feeling of rejection again, but there was so little she could do about it.

To Hailey's surprise, though, Solána changed demeanor almost instantly. 

In fact, "It's okay," she shrugged her shoulders, figuring she couldn't change the situation. "I have a big family!" She emphasized the word big . 

"I got you, Daddy, Owie, Uncle Will, Aunt Nat, Daideó, Uncle Kev, Aunt Kim, Uncle Niko, Vanessa, Adam even though he's a silly man, and Daddy said that my Nana is watching over me," Hailey couldn't help but smile as she heard that long list.

She was right, she had a lot of people in her corner, a lot of people who would do their absolute best to make sure she was happy, loved, and protected.

Hailey stared down at Solána while absentmindedly caressing her hair, a look of admiration in her eyes.

She wished she had Solána’s ability to always see the positive side of things.

"I'm good," Solána concluded, smiling at the thought of having lots of people that loved her.

The blonde nodded at her, a soft hum escaping her lips. "And you're always gonna be good," she repeated the words she'd always find herself telling Jay whenever he was in a crisis.

Now though, it was Hailey's personal promise to Solána.

"I'll make sure of it."

The Californian hot weather hit them the instant they stepped foot off the plane, a heatwave washing over them, and making them look at one another in shock.

As much as they loved Chicago and its cool temperatures, they had to admit that the warmth and a nice breeze that Los Angeles offered was a good change.

"It's like summer," Solána had pointed out, trying her best to keep her excitement at bay.

They were now at the LAX and strolling towards the exit with the bags that they had just fetched.

Jay had insisted that Hailey and Solána would go sit somewhere else and relax while he took care of everything, but the little girl didn't want to leave his side, overwhelmed by the multitude of people surrounding them.

Plus, she'd seen a few men in dark uniforms with guns (guns!) on them, that was yet another reason why she was clutched to Jay.

They finally got to the exit but before they could take a single step outside, "Uhm, sorry to bother you guys, I'm looking for Princess Solána..? Ever heard of her?" A voice that Hailey immediately recognized asked, making the three of them turn around.

"Uncle Niko!" Solána screeched loudly, handing Jay her beloved Mr. Ko and hurrying to go hug the man standing in front of them.

Hailey was able to detect the slight shock on her brother's face as soon as he heard those two new words, but then he started smiling, big, even bigger when he picked Solána and she tightly hooked her arms around his neck.

Solána slightly pulled back and blushed when her eyes met Niko's, "Where's Akhil?" She immediately asked, making everyone chuckle.

Of course, the first thing she would ask was about his son.

"He's waiting for you at- at home," Niko told her with a wink, watching her nod in excitement.

He then went to greet his sister, engulfing her in a tight hug and leaving a soft kiss on top of her head. "He's waiting for you both," he clarified with a knowing look, earning a soft smile from her.

When it was Jay's turn, "Hey, man, good to see you again!" They shook hands and shared a brief hug. Niko patted his shoulder and sent him a grateful smile.

After letting out a tranquil sigh, "Ready to go home? Isha is in total Masterchef mode," he chuckled.

"With bigger portions, we're not freaking pigeons," he added amusedly, rolling his eyes.

"Pigeons are not nice," Solána chimed in, resting her head on Niko's shoulder.

He patted her back, "I know, right? And they're kinda ugly too. Like, how are you gonna be mean and ugly?!" He commented, making the little girl giggle loudly.

Niko then checked if everything was okay with Hailey and Jay and asked if they needed help with their bags, but the blonde shook her head (they literally had one bag each, along with Solána's small Rapunzel trolley that Jay was carrying.)

After nodding at their answer, he "Let's go then," he started walking outside, Hailey and Jay following him.

They settled in Niko's car and before turning the engine on, "Gotta give you a proper welcome," he mumbled, choosing a song to put on.

California love by Tupac and Dr. Dre started playing and he proudly smiled at himself when he looked through the rearview mirror and saw Jay slowly move his head in a nod of approval.

That definitely sounded like a proper welcome.

"Here we are," Niko announced with a sigh as he parked his car in his driveway.

"You got a cat now?" Hailey asked him when she hopped off the vehicle and saw a white cat standing on his porch and staring at them.

"That's Albus," he chuckled, helping Jay get the bags out of the trunk. "He lives three houses down but he's always wandering around here. I think he likes us better," he explained with a shrug.

Solána immediately ran towards the cat and started petting him as soon as Jay helped her get off the car, smiling when Albus started purring at her.

The grown-ups started walking towards the main door, led by Niko, and a loud gasp of excitement escaped Hailey's lips when the door opened before they could ring the bell, revealing Ishani with one-year-old Akhil standing right next to her.

The toddler started wobbling towards them but Ishani had to stop him before he could take the stairs and possibly (definitely) hurt himself.

"Oh, he's a troublemaker," Jay commented with an amused grin.

Niko turned to look at him, "You have no idea," he scoffed dramatically.

Hailey went to embrace her sister-in-law in a tight hug. She started giggling when Ishani whispered something in her ear.

"He's hot. Good job," she muttered, clearly referring to Jay.

Hailey winked at her, "I know, right?" She chuckled, before focusing her gaze on her nephew, who was staring at her with widened eyes as if he was studying her figure and trying to remember where he'd seen that face before. 

 "Hey, Akhil. You recognize me?" She asked, her heart broke e a little when she uttered those words.

She hated that they lived so far away. Phone calls and FaceTime were great tools, but it wasn't the same as being face-to-face with one another.

Akhil glimpsed at his mom and then back at Hailey. He reached for her blonde hair and smiled widely at his aunt, letting out a loud squeal, and then outstretched both his arms, signaling that he wanted her to hold him.

"I think you do! You definitely do!" Hailey cheered, peppering his face with kisses, which caused him to become a giggly mess. "I missed you too, little rascal!" She exclaimed with a high-pitched voice.

Hailey then turned towards Jay and Solána and saw that they were already behind her.

Ishani invited them all inside, then closed the door behind them.

"Jay, Sol, this is Akhil," she smiled at them. She then looked at her nephew, "Say hi, say hi," she gently lifted his chubby arm and grinned when he started waving at them.

"Hey buddy," Jay pinched his round cheek, observing him. He looked a lot like Niko, but you could also see some of Ishani's features on him, like his dark hair or his light brown eyes.

"Hi!" Akhil screeched, then started babbling at Solána specifically, happy to see there was another kid around.

Hailey let him on the floor and he started running around. He too seemed to be pretty thrilled to have people over.

"I'm Jay, nice to meet you," Jay outstretched his hand with a smile.

"Ishani," the brunette replied, ignoring his hand and going for a hug instead.

"She's a hugger," Niko mumbled.

"I am," Ishani confirmed with a small chuckle, then looked down at the little girl standing next to them. "And you must be Solána!" She exclaimed, watching a wide grin form on her face.

"You have a cool name," Solána murmured after nodding at her. "My name is not English," she went on.

"Neither is mine!" Ishani sent her a wink. " We have cool names," she reiterated and saw the four-year-old proudly smile at herself.

Niko cleared his throat and looked at the guests. "Now that- Now that we know who's who, do you guys wanna eat or take a shower first?" He asked, sending them a warm smile.

He hadn't spent actual time with his sister in so long and he was so excited to have them there, he really couldn't hide it, it was written on the features of his face.

Solána raised her hand. "I can't be stinky," she muttered with a serious look on her face, making everyone snort at her words, Akhil too.

"As you wish, Princess," Ishani replied, taking her hand and leading her towards the bathroom.

"Guess we can't be stinky too, right?" Hailey commented with a chuckle, patting Jay's arm and walking towards the guest room, which had its own bathroom.

When Ishani came back into the living room, "They make a cute trio," she muttered, turning towards her husband, who was tickling their son's feet.

With a small sigh, she looked around the room and found Akhil's pair of antiskid socks (he'd always find a way to get rid of them somehow), forcing him to put them on while he was too busy laughing out loud.

Niko glimpsed at her and nodded at her words, "Yeah, he's a good guy," he murmured confidently. "They're good for her," he said with a tiny smile.

"Can I see?" Solána asked Nikolas, watching him crouch down in front of the variety of plants in the garden.

He glimpsed at her, "Yeah, of course. Come here," he motioned for her to get closer.

Jay was sitting on the rocking chair on the veranda, a pair of sunglasses protecting his eyes as the Californian sun shone on his face.

He gulped down some of the cold beer he had just taken out of the small fridge and bobbed his head to Quarterback by Wallows.

Niko had placed his boombox outside, next to Jay, so he could listen to some music and relax.

Lunch went by quickly, Hailey, Jay and Solána didn't waste time and devoured what Ishany had cooked for them — Solána totally went head over heels for the samosas and Jay couldn't be happier about it. It was a smart way to have her eat her veggies and he sure was going to try that one out.

"Wanna help me?" Niko glanced at the little girl, who nodded eagerly, curiosity filling her eyes.

"Perfect," Niko muttered. "I'm gonna plant these seeds and you're gonna water the spot just a little. Here," he handed her a sprinkler.

"It's yellow!" Solána pointed out with a smile.

Niko chuckled at her, nodding his head at her statement.

He loved kids and the way in which they managed to find enjoyment out of the littlest things.

"You love yellow," he winked at her.

"I do. Because my name's Solána and Solána means sunshine and sunshine is yellow so that's my color," she rambled, running out of air.

Jay chuckled when he heard her words, amused by the emphasis she put on her thorough explanation.

"Yellow is a nice color, it gives me joy," Niko commented before starting to instruct Solána on what exactly she needed to do.

He was proud of his garden and the things they were growing.

Ishani was the one who came up with that idea: it started as a hobby (she'd get extremely bored at times when she was pregnant), and then it turned out to be very functional.

They had access to a wide variety of vegetables without even needing to turn the car on. It was pretty smart and inexpensive.

Niko planted one seed and watched the little girl pour a bit of water on the spot.

"Like this?" She asked after she was done.

He hummed. "Good job!" He cheered, giggling when she started doing her happy dance.

They continued taking care of the garden while Jay kept listening to music — now playing: Bloom later by Jesse Rutherford.

Then, out of the blue, Jay felt a tiny hand pat his bare knee.

He took his sunglasses off and looked in front of him, finding Akhil's big brown eyes staring at him.

"Hey, man," Jay smiled at him, waving his hand at his face.

Akhil looked absolutely precious and funny. He was only wearing his diaper, and his dark hair was all sprawled in different directions.

He was definitely having fun.

He showed Jay a red toy car, his favorite one. "My!" He told him.

"Oh, it's yours?! It looks pretty cool, I want one for myself," Jay mumbled along.

Akhil nodded, then pointed at his chest. "My," he repeated. "Voom!" He started making car sounds while using Jay's leg as a car track.

They played together for a bit, while the music kept blaring, a nice breeze caressing their skin.

The two then were joined by Solána and Nikolas and as soon as Akhil saw that she was available to play, he ditched Jay for his new friend.

Niko sat on the other rocking chair inside the veranda, a small sigh escaping his lips.

He took a cold beer from the small fridge and glanced at Jay.

"Want another one?"

"Yeah, sure," Jay took the beer and they clinked the bottles together after opening them.

Niko took his first sip and then, "Thanks for- for bringing her out here," he said, clearly referring to Hailey.

"Of course," Jay nodded. "She needed some time off," he went ahead, "Scared the hell out of me when she got into the hospital the other day," he kept rambling.

Niko almost choked on his beer at the news, "Hospital?!" He whispered-yelled, his blue eyes suddenly widening.

Jay purses his lips together. "I guess she didn't tell you…" He trailed off, scratching his neck in embarrassment. "Nothing happened though. It was just stress, work… That kinda stuff."

Niko sighed heavily then let out a small dry chuckle. "Don't even know why I'm surprised, she's stubborn as hell."

A low hum escaped Jay's mouth, "Oh, she definitely is."

"But, seriously, thank you for looking out for her," Niko repeated. "Gives me some peace of mind to know someone has her back."

He'd always been very protective of her and was always going to be.

Jay sent a smile his way. "No need to thank me," he said with a shrug. "I love Hailey," he went on, his cheeks slightly turning red.

(He was going to blame it on the sun.)

Niko briefly turned to stare at him, mentally replaying the words he'd just heard. Then, "I know you do," he breathed out, sending Jay a knowing look and grinning when he started blushing even more.

Solána and Akhil joined them a few minutes later.

She sat on Niko's lap, tracing her fingers over the outline of the tattoos she didn't get to see the first time.

As for Akhil, he first attentively observed Jay, then tried to climb up his legs.

"Akhil, leave him alone," Niko sighed, shaking his head and rolling his eyes.

But, "It's okay," Jay picked up the kid, who immediately began touching his own ear as he looked for a comfortable position to be.

"You're sleepy, huh?" Jay mumbled, recognizing the gesture. Solána was to do it too a few years ago.

Akhil's eyes were captured by the shiny necklace Jay was wearing and promptly reached for it, starting to play with the item.

"Now, that's funny!" Niko commented, having witnessed the whole thing.

Jay furrowed his brows in confusion, a questioning look on his face.

"This guy"—Niko pointed at his son—"I love him to death but he's hella mean," he explained, watching Jay chuckle.

"No, I'm serious!" He laughed, "I'm surprised he's so calm with you."

"Maybe it's because he's tired," Jay murmured, lightly brushing his thumb back and forth over Akhil's forehead to help him relax.

It seemed to be working; the one-year-old let go of the necklace and his eyes started fluttering closed in no time.

Jay proudly smiled at himself when he saw it. Apparently, his magical touch still worked.

In the meantime, inside the mansion, "So so glad to finally have another woman here!" Ishani exclaimed after she finished putting the dishes in the dishwasher.

Hailey had offered to help her so it'd be quicker, but the brunette had categorically said no , pouring them a glass of red wine each instead.

She hummed, sitting on a chair and taking a sip off her glass. "I thought your mother flew here a couple of months ago..?" She tilted her head at her.

Ishani raised eyebrows and pursed her lips, "Yeah, and that week felt like a whole year," she mumbled, rolling her eyes and making the blonde snort in amusement.

After letting out a small sigh, "I'm glad I'm here. I needed some time off," she admitted with a nod.

Ending up in the hospital had definitely taught her a lesson.

"I usually hate surprises," Hailey went on, "But…"

"He nailed this one," Ishani continued for her.

"Oh, yeah. He really did," the blonde chuckled, blushing and glimpsing outside the window to see where Jay actually was.

Her heart melted completely when she looked outside and saw Jay sitting in the rocking chair with Akhil in his arms.

It was the first time for her to see him holding a kid that small and she couldn't help but feel like she'd just fallen in love with him all over again.

Jay was a kind-hearted man and he was good with kids too, his bond with Solána showed it perfectly, and Hailey felt like she'd really won the lottery with him.

Ishani had noticed the way her sister-in-law was staring at her boyfriend, eyes soft and a tender smile lighting up her face, making her cheeks turn red.

She'd known Hailey for a while now, and it was the first time seeing the love radiate from her like that just by looking at someone.

"You look like you wanna give Solána a sibling," the brunette teased her, causing Hailey to snap out of her daze and focus on her.

She laughed it off and the red shade tinting her cheeks became more intense. She shrugged her shoulders, not really knowing how to answer that.

And so, "Hailey Anne!" Ishani yelled in amusement after taking another sip of wine.

Hailey smirked at her and dropped her gaze, then let out a soft sigh. "Can't say it never crossed my mind, but"—she stopped, eyeing Ishani who had just gasped out loud—"But! First, we haven't been together for that long, and… We never had that conversation yet," she explained, nervously biting her lips.

Ishani hummed in understanding. Her response was valid and made sense, but what was really surprising to her was the fact that "I never thought you would like to have that conversation, to be honest," she countered.

Every time the two had addressed the ‘kids’ topic, she'd always noticed how Hailey wouldn't really say too much about it, and she never really understood if it was because she didn't want kids or if there was another reason behind it.

Niko had told her everything about their rough childhood, and she knew it could be a possible deterrent to wanting to become a parent in the future.

Hailey could tell that Ishani was thinking about something, very fast, and to clarify any doubts, "I never found someone who would make me wanna have that conversation," she mumbled shyly.

"Until now..?" Ishani hazarded that question.

The blonde let out a nervous giggle but, "Until now." She stated with a nod, staring outside and watching Jay converse with her brother.

Ishani took one last sip of wine and "Guess you found your Prince Charming, then," she commented with a wink, glad to see that Hailey could finally taste a piece of that big cake called happiness.

As soon as she heard the words, "Flynn," Hailey corrected her.

"Huh?"

Hailey chuckled. "He's Flynn, I'm Rapunzel," she told her quickly, and when Ishani raised her eyebrows in disbelief, "Solána's words," she added.

"Okay weirdo," Ishani snorted, "I mean, Rapunzel." 

Dinner went by smoothly: they'd opted for regular pizza while watching a movie that Solána had picked.

To everyone's surprise, it wasn't Tangled nor Encanto: this time she chose Luca — still one of her favorites.

Hailey had just exited the bathroom when she heard loud cries coming from Akhil's room.

"Mama," she heard him say between whimpers, and she saw Ishani walk out of her room, an exhausted look on her face as she approached her.

"He's teething," she rolled her eyes, letting out a long sigh.

"Hey, I got him if you want..?" Hailey suggested with a shrug.

She hadn't seen her nephew in so long, she didn't mind some more bonding time with Akhil.

Ishani tilted her head, "Are you sure? You had a long day," she retorted, but Hailey waved her hand at her, dismissively.

"Don't worry about that," she shook her head, "Goodnight," she winked at her with a chuckle, and before she could get an answer from her, she hurried into Akhils's room.

Solána was sleeping on the spare bed, too tired to be bothered by the noise around her.

As soon as Hailey picked Akhil from his crip, "Oh, wow, okay, I know why you're crying," she whispered with a chuckle, smelling the reason why he was fussing so much.

"I kinda wanna cry too now," she went on, exiting the room and bouncing him. She gently patted his back to calm him down as they walked toward the bathroom, leaving small kisses on his forehead.

She had him lay on his back on top of the changing table and started wiping him clean, getting him into a new diaper.

"All clean," Hailey cheered, picking him up again and bopping the tip of his nose.

She saw him pointing at something on a shelf, squirming his body to get ahold of it, and the blonde turned in its direction.

"Gotcha," she mumbled, taking his pacifier and rinsing it before handing it to him.

Akhil put it in his mouth and then started playing with her hair. He seemed to be pretty much awake, so she decided to go downstairs to the living room, and enjoy his company until he would fall asleep again.

"Can you say ‘Hailey’? Hailey," she talked to him, tickling the palm of his hand to grab his attention.

The one-year-old stared at her with a grin on his face that made him look exactly like his dad, and continued threading his chubby fingers through her hair.

"C'mon, let's try. Hailey," she repeated, and Akhil started babbling and giggling at her.

She hummed and shrugged her shoulders, "Fine, you win," she murmured, watching him rest his head on her lap, smiling softly when Hailey began caressing his scalp.

The blonde didn't know they weren't the only two people in the living room.

Jay had grown concerned when he didn't see her come back from the bathroom and decided to quietly follow her downstairs.

(Kind of stalker-ish but he meant well.)

He was sitting on the first step, leaning against the wall and silently observing his girlfriend playing with Akhil, telling him stories and reminding him how much she wished she could see him more often.

It wasn't hard for him to envision a similar future scenario, in a home bigger than his apartment, with a large backyard, and Hailey holding a little kid just like she was doing right now.

A kid with blond hair and blue eyes, a copy of hers, and maybe a few of his freckles on their nose, like Solána had them.

That image was so vivid in his mind that it almost scared him, causing his heart to start beating so fast that he feared it was going to jump out of his chest.

It was scary, uncertain, but all those feelings eclipsed anything else if he thought about the happiness that that simple wishful thinking instantly brought him. Jay would've been honored if Hailey gave him the chance to experience it someday.

Hailey turned around, feeling a piercing gaze staring at her and smiling when she found Jay's tender eyes, a soft smile curling up his lips.

"Hey, you," she whispered to him, keeping her voice low since Akhil seemed ready to fall asleep again.

Jay walked to them and sat down on the couch.

"Hey," he mumbled back, keeping his eyes focused on the little boy in Hailey's arms. "He's cute," he commented, watching him take his pacifier away like he always did whenever he'd start sleeping.

"He is," Hailey agreed with a small nod, then focused her eyes on his face.

She started giggling when she noticed that the bridge of his nose was covered with a thick layer of soothing cream.

"You got sunburnt," her tone made it sound like a question but it was more of a statement.

Jay let out a small grunt, "I look like that clown from McDonald's," he nodded dramatically.

Staying out in the sun without wearing sun protection knowing he was prone to getting sunburns hadn't been a smart idea.

Hailey cackled at his comparison. "Hey, I'm the one who's supposed to roast you!" She protested with a soft smile, then quickly put her hand over her mouth when a long yawn escaped her lips.

"Want me to take him back to his room?" Jay asked, his fingers fiddling with her hair.

She hummed in response, "Please," she mumbled with a chuckle.

"Gotcha," he left a soft kiss on her lips. "Go to bed, I'll meet you there," he whispered to her ear, before getting up and carefully taking Akhil from her.

Hailey watched them go up the stairs until they disappeared from her sight, leaving her with a lopsided soft smile on her face.

If she thought she couldn't love Jay more than she already did, seeing him with her nephew had definitely proved her wrong.

She could feel her chest swell with that love and wished it would never stop.

Chapter Text

Hailey hummed in pleasure when she felt Jay's hands slip under the hem of her shirt and touch her body, her back slightly arching up as a shiver ran down her spine.

"Hail…" Jay trailed off, slightly pulling away to look at her.

She didn't seem to hear him though, because her lips were back on his in no time, too caught up in the moment to know what was really going on.

It was around three in the morning, maybe four, and they were doing everything but sleeping, eager hands wandering on each other's bodies and hearts beating fast in their chest.

"Hailey," Jay tried again, patting her bare thighs to get her attention.

"What?" Hailey breathed out, boring her blue eyes into his, a tiny smirk lifting the corners of her mouth.

Jay mirrored her grin and left a small peck on her cheek before clearing his throat.

"What if they hear us?" He asked in a whisper, his lips still brushing over her flushed skin.

The house was dead silent, everyone seemed to be righteously asleep, and the last thing Jay wanted was to make things awkward — Niko and Ishani really didn't need to hear them having sex.

Hailey snickered at his question. "Do you wanna stop?" She retorted, arching her brows in a challenging way, already knowing the answer she was going to obtain.

It was pretty obvious in the way he had just tightened his grip around her body, or the way his fingers kept fiddling with the back of her bra, or just the way he was staring at her, eyes lighting up as if he was admiring perfection at its finest.

"Of course not," he muttered quickly, "But-"

She shook her head at him. "No, but," she kissed him under his lobe, knowing how weak that gesture made him, turning him into putty in her hands.

Jay closed his eyes at the blissful sensation, enjoying the feeling of her warm mouth burning his skin.

"They won't hear us…" she whispered to him, hooking her fingers to the waistband of his underwear, proudly grinning when a soft exhale escaped from his lips.

"...If we keep it quiet," she went on with a cheeky grin, adjusting her body on top of his.

Hailey had really missed this, they both had.

Between her stressing out about the school show and him being busy with the renovations at the store and then coming home to take care of a kid, they'd barely had any time for intimacy.

But now… Now they were in LA, they didn't have to worry about school, the store, or anything else besides taking time for themselves, and Hailey really wanted to take her sweet time to make love to Jay, even if that meant lowering their voice a tiny bit more than usual.

(Plus, the possibility of getting caught made things a little spicier, and Hailey was definitely down for that.)

And Jay shared the same exact sentiment, in fact, "I'll do my very best," he replied to her with a small nod before capturing Hailey's lips with his, his fingers threading through her blonde hair so he wanted to taste her more, better, deeper.

"I know you will," Hailey breathed out before attaching her lips to his neck and following an imaginary trail down his body, lulled by the soft grunts coming from Jay's mouth.

It was almost ten in the morning when Hailey and Jay decided it was time to finally leave the bed and get ready for the day.

As they climbed down the stairs, they could hear Akhil's loud squeals as he played with Solána in the living room, soft music playing in the background.

Jay was pretty sure it was Lisa Sawyer by Leon Bridges.

"Good morning, lovebirds," Ishani greeted them with a smile as she entered the living room.

Hailey and Jay exchanged a look and started blushing heavily, convinced that the same thought must've crossed their minds.

They did their best to try and be as quiet as possible during their late-night fun activities, but they couldn't really tell if their attempt had been successful or not.

And the way Ishani had just called them was kind of confusing, leaving them a bit in the dark.

Anyway, they silently agreed on ignoring it.

If they had actually been loud, maybe pretending that nothing happened could be the right move.

"Morning," the couple replied at the same time, sending the brunette a smile.

"Daddy, we're building a castle!" Solána exclaimed from where she was playing, taking one of the lego pieces that Akhil had just handed her.

Jay glanced over her and smiled tenderly. That thing they were building looked nothing like a castle, but of course, he wasn't going to tell her that and break her little heart.

After squeezing Hailey's arm, he walked to Solána and crouched down to inspect her work. "That looks sick, good job!" He praised her, watching the little girl smile proudly.

He reached for her hair, smoothing it down gently. "Did you sleep well?"

Solána nodded, her green eyes never leaving her lego castle . "And I ate pancakes, they were sooo good!" She muttered.

"Oh, really? I wanna try them too!" He commented.

"Working on it, Jay!" Ishani yelled from the kitchen, making him chuckle and yell a thankful remark back in return.

Solána then patted her dad's hand to earn his attention. "Uncle Niko said he's got a surprise for me," she whispered to him.

"¿De verdad?” Jay raised his brows. He didn't know anything about that.

She nodded, smirking at him before focusing back on her toys.

Jay stayed there looking at her for a few more seconds but then checked his surroundings, noticing someone was missing.

"Where's Niko anyway?" He asked aloud, his brows slightly knitted together.

Ishani heard him as she stepped foot into the living room. "He went out to run some errands, should be here any minute now," she explained. Then, "Breakfast's ready if you want," she added, giggling when Jay nodded vehemently at her invitation.

"Please," he breathed out dramatically. He left a quick peck on Solána's forehead and ruffled Akhil's hair before getting on his feet and following Ishani into the kitchen.

Jay was cutting up his third pancake into small pieces when he felt a now-familiar little hand pat his knee.

"Now isn't that my new best friend?" He mumbled, looking down and seeing that it was in fact Akhil who was in front of him.

He was staring at him with wide hazel eyes, then started moving his mouth, mimicking Jay as he was eating.

"Hmmmm!" He started humming as if he was actually tasting the food and enjoying it, continuing to open and close his mouth.

Jay chuckled at him, glimpsing at Hailey and Ishani who were observing the two with an amused look on their faces.

"I think you want some, don't ya?" He asked Akhil, handing him a piece of pancake and watching him immediately pop it into his mouth and eat it.

When he was done, he showed Jay his palm again, clearly asking for more, his gesture making everyone laugh.

"You don't have to give it to him, he's just being silly," Ishani rolled her eyes, even though she was happy that Akhil was getting along with his new uncle (it was only fair to call him that, right?)

"Nah, we're having breakfast together," Jay protested, actually picking up the one-year-old and letting him sit on his lap, his small back resting against his chest.

Hailey, who was watching them with her heart eyes, made sure to take Jay's knife and put it away so Akhil wouldn't try to reach for it.

Jay sent her a wink to thank her.

"Mama," Akhil waved his sticky hands to get his mother's attention.

When Ishani glimpsed at him, "Hmmmm," he repeated with a smile, taking another piece of pancake from Jay's plate.

"Jay, I'm so sorry, I can make you some more," Ishani sighed, shaking her head even though she found the situation hilarious, even more, if she considered the fact that her son usually wasn't that easy-going with people he wasn't familiar with.

(Maybe there was just something about Jay that the toddler liked particularly.)

Jay shook his head. "Nah, we're good here. Let the guy enjoy his food," he murmured, handing Akhil another piece of the pancake while drinking some coffee.

Akhil was stuffing his face with the food and he was absolutely adorable with his cheeks looking puffier than they were already

"We're bonding over here," Jay added, causing his girlfriend to gasp dramatically.

"Oh, really?!" Hailey arched her brows, sending him a challenging look.

"Damn, Akhil you're ditching me for him? That's not cool."

Akhil's loud giggle was her answer, which caused Hailey to gasp dramatically, even more, when her nephew started handing Jay the small pieces of pancakes.

So now he was feeding Jay. Awesome.

"Well, I'm super offended," Hailey commented with sarcasm, shrugging her shoulders, "You found your favorite uncle, huh?"

Jay arched his brow, "Peter won't be too happy about that…" He said.

Hailey and Ishany exchanged a look and then started laughing out loud. 

"He was never his favorite uncle to begin with. He had no chance," the blonde muttered, trying to hold back an amused snort. 

Jay hummed at her words, then focused on Akhil: "Want another one?" He asked him, handing him a piece of pancake, but he shook his head vehemently.

Instead, he rested his head against Jay's chest, figuring it would make a nice pillow for the moment, and the two looked so adorable that Hailey couldn't help but snap a few pictures of them (she'd been taking a lot of those ever since they got there).

The four of them were soon joined by Niko, who stepped foot in the kitchen with Solána on his back, her arms carefully hooked around his neck so she wouldn't fall.

"Good morning, people," he greeted everyone, setting the grocery bags on the countersink before helping Solána get down too.

"Are we seeing the surprise now?" She asked excitedly but Niko shook his head.

"There's still time for that," he replied quickly, seeing a small pout appear on her face.

"But," he said again, "It's pretty hot outside, we could go to the beach and have- and have lunch there?" He suggested, winking at Solána when her lips curled into a tiny smile.

Niko then turned towards the others, "What do you guys say?"

Hailey moved her head in a nod, "Sounds fun to me," she replied.

"You guys have sunscreen?" Jay asked, staring at Niko and Ishani. "Like, lots of it," he went on, "I'm white white. The sun hates me."

The brunette nodded with a snort.

"Then I'm down too," he declared. "Sorry, but yesterday was"—he pointed at his still red nose—"traumatizing," He trailed off, making everyone laugh.

Venice Beach wasn't very crowded when they arrived.

There were a few families and groups of friends here and there, but everyone had their space and privacy, without having to share too much with too many people.

And it was exactly like Hailey liked it, she said it after they'd finished their lunch (they'd opted for quick, easy sandwiches and a few snacks for the kids just in case).

Solána had a concentrated look on her face as she tried to carve some windows on the unsteady surface of the sandcastle she was building.

She was helping herself with a stick she had found randomly, but she had to keep her movement small and attentive if she wanted it to look good.

Akhil was lying on his father's chest, a pacifier in his mouth as he enjoyed his nap.

There was Niko's boombox, he'd suggested bringing it along, and Jay of course didn't protest, in fact, as West Coast by The Neighbourhood softly played in the background, the song mixed with the sound of the waves crashing, he was more than happy they brought it with them.

Niko seemed to have fallen asleep too, cradled by the hot sun, while Jay and Ishani were engaging in some small talk to get to know each other better (it was mostly Jay asking her a hundred questions about her childhood in India).

As attentive as he was to Ishani's answers, Jay had also noticed the way Hailey would sometimes glance at Solána. It seemed like she wanted to be extra sure that she was okay, though she never actually said anything.

Maybe it was just his impression, but she looked slightly concerned, which made him concerned, and he wanted to be positive that nothing strange was happening.

So, he subtly reached for Hailey's hand, stroking his thumb over the back of it and earning her attention with that small gesture.

In fact, Hailey glimpsed at him, boring her eyes into his, silently asking him if he needed anything.

Jay gave her hand a small squeeze and then looked in front of him before staring back at her, slightly tilting her head.

The blonde nodded slowly, then turned to look at Ishani. "Hey, we're gonna take a walk, watch her for us, please?" She asked her, referring to Solána, who was too busy building her royal sandcastle to pay any attention to them.

"Yeah, no problem," Ishani was quick to reply, watching the couple get up, and start slowly walking side-by-side.

Jay waited until he and Hailey were isolated enough to open his mouth and talk.

They were closer to the sea, they could feel the sand wasn't as dry in that spot, and the breeze coming from the water was making Hailey's blond hair wave.

It wasn't cold though, she didn't mind the feeling.

With a silent agreement, they decided they'd found the right spot, and sat down.

"Everything okay?" He asked, immediately replaying the furtive glances she was shooting Solána just a few minutes ago.

He felt like he was reading too much into it, but he couldn't also tell that something wasn't exactly right. He really couldn't shake the feeling off his shoulders.

Hailey knitted her brows together, a bit taken aback by his question.

That's why he wanted to talk to her privately? To ask her if everything was okay?

"Yeah, why not..?" She giggled nervously, not knowing what he was really aiming at with his question.

Jay arched his eyebrows at her, sending her a knowing look. "Everything okay with Sol too?" He checked again, "You seem worried about her or something…" He spilled it out.

Hailey smiled in understanding, moving her head in a nod. "When we were on the plane yesterday," she started, " She told me she misses Camila."

"Oh, okay," was all Jay was able to say, not expecting that revelation at all.

Well, it made total sense, that poor girl hadn't seen her mother in weeks for no valid reason, and it happened so fast and abruptly… He would've asked questions too, had he been in her shoes.

"I mean," Hailey huffed, hiding a few strands of hair behind her ears, "At first she thought she was mad at her because she promised her to eat veggies and she didn't, but I told her no way! It has nothing to do with it, it's not your fault," she tried to summarize what happened.

"Sol says she's still happy she has a big family but I won't lie to you, Jay… She feels kinda rejected," she went on, sharing her take on the situation.

Then, "Have you heard from her?" She asked Jay, clearly referring to Camila, a heavy sigh of frustration escaping her mouth when he shook his head.

"Nothing in the voicemail?"

"Nope. Nothing."

What the hell is wrong with that woman? Hailey asked herself.

Jay let out a small groan as he closed his eyes, running a hand down his face.

"This is bullshit," Hailey heard him mumble under his breath.

She let him calm down for a few moments and when he was ready to talk again, "My dad gave me the contact of a lawyer," he began, watching Hailey's blue eyes widen a bit. "Told me I should have it on me just in case, ya know," he continued, his fingers absentmindedly digging into the soil.

Hailey bit her lips, uncertainty taking upon the features of her face. "You wanna take her to court?"

Jay didn't look at her, just picked a random feeble he found and tossed it in front of them, into the sea.

"I don't know," he breathed out. "Maybe I should talk to this guy and see what's the best move. I mean, it's clear that whatever I'm doing isn't working," he stopped, letting out a bitter chuckle, though Hailey could detect the pain behind it. 

He took a deep breath, "It's time I ask for help," he murmured, and Hailey knew how much it cost him to admit that. 

Jay took pride in being a father, he always tried to better himself for Solána, and he felt like he was failing at that somehow. It broke his heart to know his little girl wasn't getting the best from him even though he swore he was trying.

He cleared his throat, staring at the blue sky above them. "I just- I can't have Camila popping in and out of Solána's life as she pleases… This is not a game. You can start, press pause, and get back to it when you feel like it," he concluded, the tone of his voice now sounding a lot harsher.

Jay was done playing by Camila's rules. He'd allowed too many things to slide, but Solána was growing up, and she was smart, and she could tell her mother was refusing to see her. The last thing he wanted was for her to feel guilty for something like that.

Because she wasn't.

"Yeah…" Hailey huffed, wishing she could be more helpful in the situation.

Then, "What do you think?" Jay asked her, looking straight into her eyes, blinking rapidly.

She almost gasped, "Me?" 

Jay chuckled briefly, "Yeah, you."

Hailey hummed, buying some time to find the right words, "I think you're right. That lawyer… Let's hear what he says first, then we move from there," she muttered.

It was the wiser option, to ask a professional, and act in everyone's best interest.

Jay nodded at her words then went back to staring at the sky, watching the seagulls fly, their wings caressed by the warm sun. 

A few minutes of silence ensued before Jay reached for Hailey's hand just like he did earlier. "Thank you," he muttered quietly, training his gaze on her face.

Before she could ask why he was thanking her, "I know this… All of this, everything… It wasn't part of your plan and-"

"Hey, don't," she interrupted him, sending him a look. "I'm glad I'm part of this, and I want what's best for Solána," she murmured.

"No need to thank me," she added, opening her arms and wrapping them around Jay's torso in a tight hug.

Jay slightly pulled back to properly look at her face, palming her jaw and attaching his mouth to hers in a small, quick kiss. "I love you," he mumbled with his lips still touching hers, and couldn't help but mirror the smile that formed on her face when she heard those words.

The effect they created every time was just indescribable, they made her feel a different rush down her spine every time she heard them, and… She knew it wasn't just a matter of words for Jay.

He was a man of action after all, and he showed her he loved her every chance he'd get: he did it this morning when he was making love to her, silently telling her how precious she was to him, and he was doing it now, taking into consideration that this was new for her, that maybe she'd rather deal with something less heavy.

Hailey had already given him her answer though, and he knew better than to try to change her mind.

And so, "I love you too," she made sure to remind him.

He was stuck with her.

"Are we there yet?" Solána asked Niko as they kept walking. She was on his back, head resting on his shoulder and one of his black ties covering her eyes so she wouldn't see where they were headed.

There was a loud chatter coming from the copious crowd around them, most of them were kids, and that was what was making Solána even more curious to find out what was going on.

"We're here," Niko told her and the little girl obviously started squirming so she could walk.

"Easy, Sol," Jay reprimanded her, rolling his eyes at her lack of manners.

He and Hailey were walking behind them side by side, Ishani was pushing Akhil's stroller, while the little boy kept pointing at anything and everything his eyes saw.

Niko undid the tie around Solána's eyes and the minute she realized where she was, she gasped in amazement, a bright smile on her face as she looked around.

"This is Disneyland Park," she whispered in disbelief, feeling like she was dreaming.

"Yes, it is," Niko replied with a wink, then turned around to glimpse at Hailey and Jay, the two of them quietly observing Solána's priceless reaction.

"Hope you like the surprise…" he went on, seeing a grin appear on the little girl's face.

Solána nodded vehemently and looked at him before wrapping her arms around his waist. "I like it," she confirmed, "So much!" She added, and of course pulled back from him to make her usual happy dance.

(She couldn't not do it.)

Once she was done, she gave Niko a high-five and then ran to Jay and Hailey, taking their hands and holding them tightly.

"Are you happy?" Jay checked while they were in line before they could walk through the gates.

Niko and Ishani were now shoulder-to-shoulder, the brunette praising him and teasing him that they could start thinking of a number two since he seemed to be handling two kids pretty well.

Solána nodded at the question. "Yes," she said, then turned to Hailey and told her that "Uncle Niko is a cool uncle," causing the blonde to laugh at her statement.

Hailey glanced at her brother, her head tilted and a tiny smile on her face. 

With the short notice he'd had, he'd still managed to surprise Solána to have her experience something he knew she was going to like.

She still didn't know how he found those last-minute tickets to Disneyland Park (he said something about knowing people that knew people), but yes, Hailey agreed with Solána: Niko made a cool uncle.

Solána had just finished eating her cotton candy when, "Papi, my hands are sticky," she told Jay.

He quickly reached for his backpack and grabbed a pack of wet wipes from it, handing them to her.

They had just finished walking through the Sleeping Beauty Castle and were now taking a break before visiting other attractions.

Solána wiped her hands clean and then started looking around to find a trashcan where she could toss everything away.

Her eyes were caught by something else though — someone else — and she couldn't help but freeze on her spot. 

"It's her…" She mumbled in total awe, rapidly blinking her eyes to make sure she wasn't just imagining things.

Jay knitted his brows in confusion, "Who?" He asked, following Solána's gaze, and immediately understood why she was shocked.

"Oh, yeah, that's her," he murmured even with a smile.

Hailey joined them too and an expression of excitement appeared on her face.

They were all staring at Rapunzel — well, someone impersonating her — and she could tell Solána was completely overwhelmed by joy at that moment.

She loved Rapunzel so much, she was basically obsessed with her, and Hailey knew it meant a lot for her to see her in real life.

So, "Wanna go say hi?" She suggested. She took Solána's hand and squeezed it gently.

The little girl nodded slowly and so, after telling Ishani and Niko what was going on, they all started walking to meet the Disney princess. 

Apparently, she wasn't the only one who saw her because there was a line (not too long, thank god) in front of "Rapunzel', plenty of kids wanting to say hi or take a picture with her. 

As they waited in line, Hailey and Jay could tell how nervous Solána was, but decided to just let it be and let her live that experience in the most authentic way possible.

Once it was their turn, Hailey noticed panic suddenly washing over Solána's face. She immediately froze, not really knowing what to do or say, and not even replying when 'Rapunzel' greeted her with a bright smile.

Hailey decided to take care of it though, in fact, "Hi," she returned the smile, "My daughter here really really loves you. It would mean the world to her if she could say hi and maybe take a picture too if that's possible..?"

The word she used didn't go unnoticed by anyone there: Ishani squeezed her husband's hand, while Jay and Niko exchanged a quick glance. No one dared to utter a single thing though.

Solána… Well, she couldn't think straight. A lot of things were happening at the same time, and she didn't know which one was exciting her the most.

But, when she heard Hailey call her her daughter, she couldn't help but snap her head towards her and train her green eyes on her face, a soft smile curling up her lips as she tightened the grip around her mom's hand.

The only person who didn't seem to realize what had just happened was Hailey; it was like the word had just naturally slipped out of her mouth as if it was always meant to be somehow. 

She looked down at Solána and caressed her dark hair when 'Rapunzel' asked her what her name was and she didn't respond, suddenly becoming shy.

"Hey, it's okay, you can tell her," Hailey encouraged her, moving her head in a small nod.

"Solána," the little girl found the courage to reply, nervously fiddling with the zipper of her sweatshirt. "Tangled is my favorite movie ever," she went on, "I watch it every Saturday with my Daideó and my cousin Owie."

'Rapunzel' sent a grateful smile her way, "I'm very happy to know I have the support of another fellow princess," she said.

Solána glimpsed at Hailey and, "She called me a Princess," she whispered, green eyes wide as she still couldn't believe everything was really happening.

It truly felt like a dream.

Hailey winked at her and sent her a smile. "Takes one to know one," she replied before squeezing her hand.

Solána was in shock, at loss for words, still processing what was happening.

Not only had she just met her idol, but Hailey had just called her her 'daughter' for the very first time, and she honestly didn't know which one of the two made her happier.

It was crazy how that simple little word had just changed everything, any feeling of rejection or fear that her Mamá didn't love her had now been completely overshadowed.

She was Hailey's daughter too and Solána could feel her heart swell in her small chest as she thought about it, overwhelmed with love and affection.

She had no doubt that this was the best day of her life.

"If Isha sees you, you're a dead man," Hailey commented, watching his brother lighting up a cigarette.

It wasn't like he smoked a pack every day, more like two or three cigarettes per week, but still, his wife wasn't a fan of it and that bad habit of his had often been the reason for most of their arguments.

They were out in the dark of the backyard with little to no lighting, sitting on the ground like two kids, and admiring the few stars that the sky allowed them to see.

"That's why I'm- I'm hiding," Niko replied cheekily, and before Hailey could add another valid point, "So… Guess I really am an uncle now…" he trailed off, glimpsing at his sister.

Hailey tilted her head in confusion. She had already told him Solána had started calling her 'Mom', she didn't know why he had to make it a big deal now .

"You called her your 'daughter'," Niko explained, though he thought it was pretty obvious.

She narrowed her eyes then widened them again when she started remembering that moment at Disneyland, her cheeks turning an intense shade of red.

"Well," Hailey shrugged, "Maybe it's not the usual, conventional way, but she is my daughter too."

"And thanks for what you did, it really means a lot," Hailey added, referring to the surprise he made to Solána, "To all of us."

Niko shrugged it off, "It was my pleasure," he muttered,  watching her with an enthusiastic smile as he continued smoking. Then "I'm really happy for you," he said shyly, sniffling a bit.

Hailey glanced at her brother, seeing that he had suddenly dropped his gaze on his shoes. "Niko…"

"I know, I know" he chuckled, glancing at her and quickly wiping his eyes. "The smoke went in my eyes, I'm not really c-crying," he chuckled, trying to lighten up the mood.

"It's just…" Niko huffed, giving himself a few seconds to find the right words.

"I'm glad we're not those scared little kids anymore," he stated, after clearing his throat.

Hailey looked at him and moved her head in a nod, sliding closer to him and resting her head in the crook of his neck as soon as she felt his arms wrapping around her shoulders.

"We made it," she whispered, but then "Do you think Peter made it?" She asked Niko with a tiny smile.

He let out a huff (he always did that whenever Peter was involved), "Maybe in his own w-weird way..?" He chuckled.

"He's definitely a weirdo," Hailey laughed along, then raised her head and looked at her brother. "But maybe next time I'm out here, it can be the three of us, right?" She suggested.

Despite having different opinions on the way their parents raised them, Hailey loved her brothers, and yeah, maybe she was closer to Niko, considering he was the one who took care of her as a father would, but she loved Peter nonetheless.

Niko waited until he was done smoking and then, "Yeah, that doesn't sound too bad," he agreed, killing the cigarette on the ashtray.

"Niko…?

He glimpsed at her and hummed.

"You know you literally smell like a chimney on Christmas day, so hiding out here has been completely pointless, right?"

Jay put the brush away after he was done detangling Solána's hair.

He took a tail comb and parted her hair into two sections, starting to braid one.

They were in the bathroom, Jay's back pressed against the sink. After Solána's bath and changing into her PJs, it was now time for hair braiding.

When Jay was done with the second braid too, he cleared his throat, figuring now could be the right time to have a conversation, the two of them.

And so, "You told Hailey that you miss your Mamá, is that right?" He began, making his daughter turn around to look at him.

Solána blushed heavily when he asked her that question and reluctantly moved her head in a small nod.

"It's okay if you do, I miss mine too," he replied with a sad smile.

"Is that Nana?" She asked, and Jay responded with a nod.

Solána just sat there, her legs crossed, staring at him and not really knowing what to say.

"Here," Jay gently took her hand and pulled her towards him, having her sit on his lap.

"Hey, I want you to know that you did nothing wrong, okay? Mamá is not mad at you, in fact, she loves you so so much, and she always will. No matter what," he muttered quietly, looking into her eyes.

"Then why she don't spend time with me?" Solána pouted, reaching for his necklace.

His heart completely broke when she uttered those words, feeling the sadness they carried along.

He hated Camila for what she was doing to Solána, and he hated that he didn't have a proper answer for his daughter.

"I don't know, baby," he sighed, dropping his gaze and fiddling with the buttons of her PJs. "I wish I could give you another answer but I really don't know."

Jay had come up with so many excuses for Camila's behavior throughout all that time, that he honestly had none left — I don't know was the best he could give Solána at this point, and he knew it wasn't enough, or fair.

But, "Papi, don't be sad," she whispered to him, pressing her palms on his stubbly cheeks and leaning to leave a soft kiss on the tip of his nose.

Now she was the one giving him reassurance, how ironic.

"I'm not," he pecked the top of her head. "I just want you to be happy," he went on, holding her tight against him.

Solána pulled away and "I am happy, Papi!" She retorted, widening her green eyes. "I met Rapunzel today. The real one!" She continued, a big smile curling up her lips.

Jay chuckled at her enthusiasm, admiring her for quickly getting distracted from the whole Camila topic.

Before he could say anything, "Mom took a lot of pictures of me with her, I'm gonna show them to Benji!"

"Severide?"

"Yes."

Jay nodded, letting out a soft hum. "It's been a long time since you two had a proper playdate, yeah?"

Solána tilted her head and shrugged her shoulders. "We have busy lives," she replied, causing her dad to snort at her response.

"I bet," he played along, smiling. "How about we arrange something when we get back home?" He suggested.

The smile on her face widened even more, making her round cheeks stand out. "Yes! And Mom can make loumádes for us!"

"You really love those, huh?"

She nodded eagerly. "They're my favorite!"

Jay gasped dramatically. "What about waffles? I thought you loved waffles!" He asked because last time he checked, waffles were her favorite food, nothing else could top them.

"I love waffles," Solána clarified, "But I love Mom's loumádes more ."

He hummed, tickling her neck and making her giggle, "Gotcha."

A small yawn escaped her mouth before she could cover it. "Oopsie!" She started laughing out loud, her face turning red as she watched Jay squint his eyes at her.

"Alright, silly girl, time to go to bed," he said, wiggling her arm and getting up.

"Okay," Solána didn't protest, feeling the tiredness of the long day they'd had.

They exited the bathroom and Jay followed her into Akhil's room, where the little boy was already sound asleep.

Solána got into bed and "Besito," she whispered to Jay, who leaned towards her and, as usual, gave her two kisses on the cheeks and one on the tip of her nose. 

"Sleep tight," he whispered back, tucking Mr. Ko closer to her. "I love you."

"I love you too," Solána mumbled, "And Mom. And Mamá, I'm not mad at her." She added, squeezing her stuffed koala to her chest and letting out another yawn before covering her face with the blanket.

"Hey, you," Hailey winked at Jay as soon as he entered their room. "How did it go?" She asked, knowing he was having a serious conversation with Solána.

Jay sighed, getting rid of his shirt and tossing it on the closest chair before getting in bed next to her, his back resting on the headboard.

"It went… Okay, I guess?" He crossed his arms on his chest, "I don't know," he huffed, letting out a bitter chuckle and scratching his stubble, "Definitely didn't give her the answers she wanted but she seemed fine? I guess she only cares about meeting Rapunzel today," he concluded, sending Hailey a knowing look.

"Oh, she won't stop talking about that for a while," she chuckled.

Jay nodded eagerly, "Yeah…"

Then, "You and Niko? Everything okay?" He asked, remembering the two had gone outside before he would give Solána her bath.

Hailey hummed, laying on her back and turning towards Jay's side, staring at him.

Funny how that man looked handsome from every angle.

"It was your usual brother-sister bonding time," she replied, "Said he's glad to see me so happy," she added, blushing when Jay looked down at her and their eyes met.

She was never going to get used to the effect those eyes had on her. Never 

"And," she started again, "He pointed out that I used the word 'daughter' while talking about Solána today," she explained.

Jay took her hand and entwined their finger, tilting his head down at her. "Yeah, I heard that. Solána did too," He muttered, the corner of his mouth slightly curled up.

Hailey's eyes widened at the revelation, her heart beating fast in her chest. "She did?!"

He nodded, gently squeezing her hand. "You'll see in the pictures…" He trailed off casually.

Her brows knitted together in confusion, which made Jay chuckle in amusement.

He reached for his phone and opened the photo app. "Look at the first few pictures of you girls with Rapunzel," he suggested, handing her the phone so she could see herself.

Hailey started going through the first photo, zooming in, and letting out an almost inaudible gasp when she looked at Solána.

The little girl had an excited smile on her face but she wasn't staring at her favorite princess, the one she wouldn't ever shut up about. She was looking at Hailey almost in disbelief, shocked that that word had actually come out of her mouth.

It was clear that she was thrilled that she had met her idol, but what had really made her day was knowing that Hailey considered Solána her daughter.

Hailey swiped to see a few more pictures, her thumb shaking and her eyesight getting blurry, then she locked Jay's phone and handed it to him before burying her face into his chest as small tears started staining her cheeks.

She felt so overwhelmed and loved and… Happy — there really wasn't another way to describe it.

"I love you guys so much," she mumbled, though her voice came out a bit muffled since her lips were pressed on Jay's skin.

Jay gently ran his hand through her hair, his long fingers tracing shapeless figures on her scalp. 

"We love you too, Hailey Anne," he whispered to her, shifting his position and laying down as well.

"S'agapó," he added, softly pressing his lips on the top of her head.

Hailey snapped her head towards him, a look of surprise on her face.

How did he..?

"You talk in Greek in your sleep when you're dead tired," Jay explained to her, answering her silent question, a tender smile on his face as he wiped her tears away with his thumbs.

And, "You know, technically, you're the one who said ' I love you ' first," he went on with a knowing look, a proud smirk taking upon his features, "You were already so whipped, so head over heels, so obsessed with me, so…" He couldn't finish his teasing because Hailey pressed her hand on his mouth.

"Shut up."

But when she felt Jay's tongue lick her palm, "Gross!" She exclaimed in disgust, causing him to start laughing out loud.