Everlasting Love

Chapter Two

The following few days at work had been chaotic, I had left Izzy with my parents for a few days to allow me to focus. Being a single parent and business owner was not wasy, but it was so rewarding. I had enough staff to manage the business meaning I didn't need to be there constantly like I did when it first opened. The bakery is consuming my time at the moment as I am planning an expansion.

Once I finished yet another meeting with a different contractor getting another quote for the work I wanted done I made my way to the army base. It didn't take long as it wasn't too far away from the bakery and it wasn't peak time thankfully. I pulled up just before the security gate taking it all in. So many militray personnel buzzing around. It had been nearly five years since I was last here. I got out the car and made my way to the gate. I asked the guard if I could go in to see if he was here, I didn't even know if he was still based here or not. And I did not want to enquire beforehand incase he refused to see me. I was refused entry, security risk. I tried begging - nothing. "Hayley?" I turned hearing my name looking round to who it was. "Jeez, it is you. What are you doing here?" I smiled, almost relieved. Elvis. We both walked towards each other. "Is he here?" Elvis pulled me to the side out of ear wigging way of the security men. "What, no how are you? No hug?" He said laughing opening his arms. I laughed too forgetting my manners and hugged him. I had to stand on my toes he was so tall. "I'm well, but I really need to see him. Is he here?". Elvis looked awkward, he was stuck in the middle between two friends. When I realized Bone's wasn't coming home to me I cut all ties with everyone he had been connected too. "Hayley, does he know your here?" I stepped back looking round. "Elvis please, I need to talk to him. I'm not here to cause trouble and I don't care about what happened in the past. It's important". Elvis rubbed his forehead and sighed. "Come on, follow me. I'm so regretting this aren't I". He muttered at the end. He signed me into the base and I followed him through the front courtyard. I always had loved it here, the sandstone slabs with greenery and bushes either side leading to a war memorial in the middle creating a 'roundabout'. So peaceful and well looked after. We entered the building and made our way through the corridors. They were grey, basic and functional. Army style. "Wait in there, I'll go find him" Elvis nodded his head in the direction of a door. "Thank you". I went inside and waited. A few tables and chairs scattered round, looks like a classroom. Anytime I heard footsteps my heart stopped. I paced.

Turning immidately hearing the door open. I took a deep breath in. It's now. All for Izzy I reminded myself. He walked in backwards still talking to Elvis. "What the hell are we-" he stopped turning when he seen me. "I'll leave you two to it. Try not to kill each other" Elvis left closing the door behind him. We just stood silently staring at each other. His chest moved inwardly as he took a deep breath in. I couldn't help but look at him up and down. Wearing his combats, he looked amazing. Tanned skin, guessing he's just back from overseas. He hadn't shaved fully leaving stubble round him. His fit physique, I could feel my cheeks going red. But it's when I looked into his eyes. Izzy's eyes staring back at me. I looked away, God he was going to hate me. "What are you doing here Hayley?" I couldn't focus on anything but my breathing. Thinking Izzy might never get to meet her Father. That he might not actually care. Or what if it's the complete opposite. My head started spinning with different thoughts floating through my head. "I...I need you to promise not to hate me" I stuttered. He sighed. "What do you want?" He seemed so cold standing rigidly tall. I opened my bag and rustled through it grabbing the two pictures that I had brought with me. One of when Izzy was just born the other only taken a month ago. I stepped closer and closer until I was right infront of him. I looked up and got lost in his eyes. I remember when he would hold me in his arms. Both arms would hold me tight. The safest place in the world, anywhere with him. I held out the photos, his eyes not leaving mine. He took the photos and pulled his sight away to look down at the photos. His facial expression changed. "What is.. what.. who is this?" He stepped back, his breathing becoming more harsh. I didn't need to answer as he looked up at me angrily. "Jesus Christ Hayley! I have a daughter?" I nodded. "How could you not tell me?!" He shouted charging to the other side of the room staring out the windows. "Bone's, please. Let me-" "No Hayley! We were together for ten years! And you couldn't find the time in the last five years to tell me?!" He shouted so angry. "You left me! Ten years, and you left. No explanation, no goodbye! And I tried.. I tried to tell you, I phoned you one night weeks after I learned you weren't coming home. Twice I phoned, left you a voicemail and nothing. I was scared! I was scared and alone". I started it off by shouting but by the end I was crying. I looked back to him as we stood at opposite sides of the room. His anger had left and changed to something I couldn't recognize. As much as he looked the same, only older, wiser. Something felt different. He didn't respond just stared at the photos. I wiped my tears, took a deep breath and pulled myself together. I had to do this for Izzy. I walked over to him. "I don't expect you to forgive me for keeping this from you and I'm not after anything. But Izzy turns five on Saturday and all she's asked for her birthday is to meet her Daddy". When I said the word Daddy his eyes flickered and met mine. "I'm taking her to London Zoo. But Bone's I don't wanna muck her around. If you want to meet her and be in her life then be there. 11am under the clock tower. And if you don't show, you'll not see or hear from me again". I left him with the pictures contemplating his thoughts. "Izzy?" he called quietly. I stopped in my tracks and turned to face him as he had now sat on one of the desks. "Yeah, Isabella Grace McClyde. I only call her that if she gets into trouble, don't have to use it often". It sounded weird calling her by her full name. "You gave her my surname?" I nodded. "Tradtion isn't it. Having her Father's surname". "What does she know? About me?". He stood up walking over to me. "Not much, she's been too young to understand but it's starting to crop up. I told her you were a soldier, and you left me. Not her. Look, I've not told her about this. So I don't want you to feel obliged to do this if you don't want too. We were fine before and we'll be fine again".

With no more words left to say I exited the room and quickly scurried back to my car after signing myself off the base. I pulled away from the base and stopped in a car park and cried.