Chicago Love ✔️

Chapter 53: Hailey's Visitor

Hailey makes her way quickly from her desk to the stairs, opening the fenced gate in quick heist as she looks down the final four steps. A bright smile forms on her face as she lays eyes on the man sitting on the bench, heading down the steps as quickly as she could to reach him.

"Now there's the smile that was missing on your face this morning," Trudy comments as she watches Hailey and Alex embrace together. "Someone is certainly smitten."

"I'll make sure to come down to torture you the next time Mouch visits," Hailey offers, referencing Trudy's husband as she doesn't let up on her hug with Alex. She had to let him go eventually. She could not just stand there in the 21st district with her arms wrapped around him. The people heading in and out would get curious as to why he was there. It could create too much conversation, not only for him but for her as well. Besides, she was supposed to be working.

"You'll have to fill me in on this 'Mouch' dude so I can offer the same torture she gave me back," Alex suggests, only to earn an intrigued look back in response from Trudy in doing so. There were few that tested the limits with her, and even fewer that were able to push those buttons beyond their limits. If he was already looking for those on the first day meeting her, that just meant trouble in her eyes. "I missed you so much. I did not want to spend another minute without you. I thought I would come here and surprise you."

"I've missed you too..." Hailey wanted to say more, from questioning whether interrupting her work day was a good idea. She also wanted to ask whether he was doing the right thing in being here. Didn't he have a Chili Bowl to prepare for? Shouldn't he be relaxing with the season just finishing? Didn't he have a commitment to fulfilling? It seemed surreal that the first chance he had to get away, he chose to come meet up with her at the police station. "I am so glad to see you. I am almost in disbelief that you are standing right here in my arms right now. I don't want to le-"

"I am not going anywh-"

"Are you sure? Is there somewhere that you should be right now? Shouldn't you be at your shop or Hendrick right now?" He shakes his head no in return. The midgets were ready to go, loaded in the trailer for the Chili Bowl. He had no commitments with regards to the Cup Series until SIM times and meetings restarted in January. "What about your vacation? You normally take a vacation with the guys right now. Shouldn't you be in Colorado?" 

"I was supposed to go to Colorado with CJ and Jake like I always do, but I couldn't do it. I couldn't bare to be another moment away from you so I decided to come to Chicago to see you, be with you, spend time with you. We talked about having me come meet your family, so here I am. I figured I could meet everyone as we've discussed, and then you could show me around town. It's my vacation time, and I am going to spend it how I want - with the person that I love so much." He then leans in, lightly brushing a kiss on her lips. "I love you so much, Hailey. I want to be with you whenever I can and take advantage of the time we can get together." 

"I love you, too...." Why was it so hard to say anything else? Why was it so hard to stop this and return to work? Why was it so hard to just stop the visit from happening? She had to focus on the case that she was working on up those stairs. Why couldn't she bring herself to go back up those stairs quite yet? 

"Should I call up to Hank and tell him that you will be taking the afternoon off?" Trudy interrupts from her desk as she leans over the edge, smile firmly placed on her face in watching the scene before her. "I could let you slip in one of the interrogation rooms if you need a moment together." Part of her wanted to spite Hailey right now and taunt her just like any other day on the desk. However, she could not help but beam with pride in seeing the happiness shared between them. She absolutely adored how caring and sweet Alex was with her, in knowing Hailey truly deserved every bit of it for what she had been through. Perhaps she should give this man a chance. "It's obvious that he cares a lot about you..." 

"That is the absolute truth, ma'am," Alex comments as he looks back over towards Trudy for the first time since Hailey had come down the steps and slipped into his arms. He could not help but notice the change in her demeanour with the smile that was now on the sergeant's face. 

"If I take the afternoon off, Hank may throw a bit of a fit," Hailey adds as she looks towards the stairs and takes a deep breath. She knew Kim would be accepting of Alex. She knew Alex and Jay already knew each other from their history. She knew Erin had met Alex previously. Alex was used to teasing, so he could handle Kevin and Adam. But she began to wonder what Hank would say in finally meeting the cause of why she had taken every weekend off this past year. "Besides, like he said, he needs to meet my family." 

"Should I be worried?" Trudy chuckles a bit as she begins to wonder herself what the reactions may be from the team in seeing the pair walk up those steps together. "I clearly have passed your test, and you are probably the hardest of them all."