Never giving up on you - Completed.

5.

Caity

It had been over a week since I had texted Austin, and I hadn't replied to his message. Lillian had written me an email back, geeking out over her experiences, over Hailey's picture, over how much she missed us. Only her last few sentences sounded stern:

'Caity, I know it may seem like a good thing to meet Austin and talk things through, but just be careful you won't fall for him again and let him play with you like he did before. I've seen him dragging you down with him, I've seen how he's changed you. I won't let it happen again. Please be considerate in this matter, I'd hate to see you fall down after you've come so far. Besides, you have Hailey to care about. Don't let him get in your way.'

I knew she was right, but Austin really seemed to have changed a lot over the years, and only in a positive way. I would never take Lillian's advice for granted, because she always seemed to be right, but she hadn't seen him now. The Austin in her head only existed out of her memories from five years ago, which weren't that good.

I read her email a few times more, listening to Hailey play in the bedroom. Lillian was right about Hailey though, I couldn't throw myself into something like this as I could before.

Thinking about whether or not texting Austin, I grabbed my phone and it went off, making me shriek and drop it. I sighed at myself and pick it up, answering the call even before the phone was near my ear.

'Mom?'

'Caity? Hi! I was wondering if you and Hailey would like to come over for dinner tonight?' My mother's voice was hopeful, and I didn't hesitate and agreed immediately. 'Great honey, make sure you're here around five. I'm making roasted chicken!'

'Okay mom, see you in a few hours.' I smiled and hung up, feeling a pair of eyes stare at me.

'Are we going to grandma and grandpa?,' Hailey's high voice sounded from our bedroom door.

'Yeah, we're having dinner with them tonight. Grandma is making chicken, and I bet she'll have some Smile-O's with it.' Hailey grinned and ran up to me, jumping in my arms.

'I like grandma's food.'

'I know, me too.'

'It's better than yours.' Ouch.

'Well... Thank you, I guess?' I stared at my daughter, who giggled in her hands and I booped her nose before putting her down. 'Go find a nice dress you want to wear. I know there are some on your shelves in our wardrobe.' I picked up my phone again and waited for Hailey to disappear in our bedroom before opening Austin's last text and hitting reply.

Caity: 'Hey, let's go for coffee. Let's talk and just see where it goes. Nothing wrong can happen from that, right?' He didn't answer immediately, and I went to help Hailey change into her dress before dressing myself. Only when I was driving towards my parent's house, my phone went off.

'Mom, your phone!,' Hailey yelled from her car seat in the back.

'I know baby, but I'm driving.' I pushed my sunglasses higher on my nose and drummed my fingers on the steering wheel while humming along with the music from the radio. It was quiet for a while, and when I reached my parent's driveway, Hailey had already unbuckled herself and opened the door before I had even parked the car.

'Hey!,' I yelled and I looked back. 'Don't ever do that again! Do you know how dangerous that is?! What if you do that on the high way?!' Hailey stared at me in shock of my yelling and I got out of the car and walked up to her side, opening the door and taking her out. I set her in front of me and kneeled down to her level. 'You scared mommy! You can't unbuckle and open the door while I am still driving! Do you hear me?!' Her lip trembled and she nodded, her eyes filling with tears. 'I'm sorry! Don't cry princess, you just scared me!' I wanted to pull her into a hug, but she pushed me away and ran off to my father, who was waiting for us at the front door.