Macie's Story

15

(February 19th, 36 days old)

Jay taped his knuckles against the door lightly, hesitating outside the room a beat before he slowly stepped inside, only going as far to peek his head around the curtain and he waited there until Hailey turned her head to meet his gaze.

She stared at him from across the room only for a moment before she moved her focus back onto Macie.

He took another step forward, coming into the room and when he's not stopped he makes his way across the floor, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Hailey," he whispers, getting her attention again. "Hailey, I'm sorry... I shouldn't've gotten involved or said anything to him."

"It's not just that, Jay, I told you what he's like, the more you fight him the more aggravated he gets, you know that, you knew what was gonna happen.. Look, if- if we were outside or at the house that's one thing, but that sort of stuff, that cannot happen in front of the baby, never in front of her because she picked up on it, Jay, all of it, it woke her up, she was nervous, you could see it on her face."

Jay quickly knits his eyebrows together. "Is she okay now?" He asks.

Hailey bobs her head once. "She fell asleep again not long after."

He pauses for a beat before coming to a stop beside her. "I'm sorry, I wasn't even thinking about whether or not Mae could hear us. It won't happen again, I promise."

"No it won't." She adds and the way she says it has Jay looking over at her with confusion. There wasn't a warning sound in her voice, it was as if she was confident in the fact.

"Why'd you say it like that?" He questions.

"Because he's never stepping foot near us or Macie again, I'll get a restraining order if I have to."

Jay's eyes widened slightly. "What? Hails that's just gonna annoy him more."

She shrugs her shoulders. "I don't care. He's showing up at the hospital, at the house, and he's certainly not gonna live today down. There's only so much I can do and I shut down every time he's near me."

"That's not your fault." Jay cuts in.

Hailey nods almost instantly but she doesn't say anything for a beat, and when she does it a small whisper. "I know," she says before she shakes her head. "But I can't risk that happening the next time he shows up unannounced. I can't risk putting Macie in any kind of danger, it's my job to protect her. If that means I have to get a restraining order then I will. I'm not letting him win anymore, I can't."

xxx

(February 20th, 37 days old)

Hailey was woken up by the soft nudge to her shoulder. She rolls over to the side she felt the push from and is met by a smirk on her fiancée's face.

"Good morning," he greets before extending his arms out slightly, moving the tray that was in his hands. "Happy birthday."

Hailey scrunches her face up a little and sends a look down to the plate of food on top of the tray as she sits up and rests her head against the headboard. "What's this for?"

Jay moved the tray so it sat over her lap. "I made breakfast in bed.. Although I can't take all the credit, Macie helped a lot."

"Oh yeah, how's that?" She questions.

"When you went out to the bathroom yesterday, I sat down with her and she told me what to make you, said she knew your favorite." He responds

Hailey nods, admiring the pile-up in front of her with a smile. "Chocolate chip waffles and strawberries, she really does know me," she says before looking up to meet Jay's gaze. "Thank you."