How It Should Have Been

Chapter 9

The next few weeks went by surprisingly fast. Jay officially ended his rent contract and moved in with Hailey for the time being until their new apartment was ready. Ever since Jay asked Hailey to move in, the two of them had been looking for apartments during their spare time. After a long and exhausting search, they found their future home. A beautiful 2-bedroom apartment with a huge kitchen and a gorgeous view of the Chicago cityscape. It was close enough to work, and the amenities in the building were incredible; a 24-hour gym, pool, and garage parking. But what really got Hailey's attention was the coffee shop, literally 2 minutes away. They had most of the things packed up, ready for shifting, and would get their keys to their new apartment in a few days. Hailey was excited to move into a brand-new place, and Jay was simply excited to move in with Hailey. The couple were at their happiest, enjoying time together without the added drama.

Kim had finally gotten the approval to get back to full duty, and she was excited to get back on the streets. Adam was more involved in Makayla's life than ever, picking her up from school, taking her out for ice cream, and even hanging out with her after work. Although they hadn't figured out their relationship yet, they had found a way to be a family for Makayla. Kevin's love life was definitely a shock. He had surprised the unit one night at Molly's by introducing his girlfriend, Celeste, to them. She is an art teacher at a local boys and girls club. The team was shocked to know that Kevin had been secretly dating for a few months but was still happy for him.

Things were returning to how they used to be before Roy, maybe even better. Some days, someone in the unit felt down, but the team was a family, and they were always there for each other.

It had been a long week, the team solving a double homicide. A territory dispute case. It was tough, Adam almost getting shot in the process, but they were able to apprehend the gangbanger behind both murders. Jay and Voight were staying late to wrap up the case. Voight had been letting the two detectives take charge on some of the cases, but this one, Voight specifically asked Jay to lead.

Hailey didn't want to go to an empty apartment quite yet, so she decided to have a drink at Molly's. It was oddly quiet, as most of the firefighters of firehouse 51 were on shift. Surprisingly, Stella was behind the bar serving drinks.

"I thought you were on shift today?" she asks Stella as she settles onto a barstool at the end of the bar. There were a few other customers at the bar, but no one she knew. "Isn't 51 on call right now?"

"51 is, but I took the day off to handle a 'Girl on Fire' event. It ended early, so I decided to help out here. Didn't feel like going home to an empty house." Hailey nods as Stella places a glass of whiskey in front of her. Hailey doesn't drink often, but a whiskey sour is her usual order. 

Everyone knows that. "What about you? No Jay? Where is everyone from 21?"

"We just finished a case, so Jay is stuck at the district finishing paperwork." Stella snorts. "Adam and Kim have a daughter to get home to, and Kevin is probably hanging out with his girlfriend." Hailey says, taking a sip from her drink. "So, it's just me today."

Stella smiles and leans forward. "Let me guess, didn't want to go home to an empty house?" Hailey smiles and nods.

Hailey and Stella don't hang out too often. With busy careers and serious relationships, they had never found time to hang out and talk. If they ran into each other outside of work, they might share a quick hello, but that's it. But Stella was super chill, and she loved their brief conversations at Molly's. Hailey considered Stella a friend, and it helped that Jay and Kelly were close friends as well. They constantly hang out after shift or watch the Blackhawks game over drinks.

"I haven't seen you around in a while. For a minute I thought you were avoiding me."

"Stella, it's very hard to hate you. You know that. I mean you might be the most lovable person I know."