Three Years and One Lifetime

13

A/N: There will be a more intimate scene at the end of this chapter. Excuse my crappy writing skills for that part. I have no idea what I'm doing since I'm only in high school. If you want to save yourself from the cringe, I advise you to stop reading when you see *** and start reading again when you see another ***.

"This is the last one", Adam says as he and Kim maneuver a large cardboard box through the front door. The box is labelled 'Hailey's Room', so they head down the hallway to set it down in the former guest room that's been recently designated as hers.

"Hey Jay" Hailey calls out, unsure of his current whereabouts.

"Yeah?" she hears his voice echo from Jaiyana's room, presumably unpacking their daughter's belongings.

"Kim and Adam just unloaded the last of the boxes. I'm going to call Natalie and have her bring Jaiyana over in an hour, give us time to eat and relax for a bit" she says, watching him pop his head out from the little girl's closet. 

"Okay" he says, wiping his hands on his old jeans. "I'm going to get Will to help me put up the mirror in your room, then I'll go find something for dinner. Any requests?"

"Not really. Just something simple. It's been a long day" she says. Truthfully, she's so tired and hungry she would probably eat just about anything Jay puts in front of her. "I'm sure Natalie has fed Jaiyana  already, so anything's fine."

"Ok then. I'll be back soon" he says, making his way to the room nearby. She walks back into the living room and practically melts into the couch. She can hear the muffled sounds of people down the hallway. Will, Kim and Adam had been a godsend in helping them move at the last minute. She'd told Jay there wasn't a big rush, but once the decision had been made, he'd been determined to make it happen as soon as possible. 

It has only been two weeks since that initial decision. 

She's a little taken back by how quickly it all happened, but she's infinitely grateful to Will, Kim, Adam and Natalie for making it easy on them. 

Kim and Adam (plus the rest of the unit) hadn't questioned them too much about it, only raising a few eyebrows and asking them if they were sure. Will was a little concerned, but let it go. Natalie, on the other hand, had plenty to say about it, and understandably so. She's the one person who had pretty much a front row seat to the train wreck that was Hailey's life the last time things fell apart between her and Jay. 

She has faith in them though. She knows they can make it work. At least, she really hopes they can.

By the time Natalie arrives with Jaiyana (and Owen in tow), it's quarter to 8. Will had left half an hour ago for an emergency call at Med, Kim and Adam had just went to pick up Brayden from a friend's house, and it's 15 minutes till Jaiyana's bedtime. When Jay suggests they hold off on bath time and let her stay up late just this once, Hailey gives him a look that clearly says are you really trying to start a fight with me on my first night in this house? He wisely decides that he should probably just give Jaiyana a quick bath and get her ready for bed. 

Jaiyana launches herself at Hailey the second Natalie is through the front door, but it's Jay she clings onto while the three adults stand in the doorway to catch up on the day's events. Natalie had taken Jaiyana and Owen to Navy Pier since the weather was pleasant and warm, and she recaps their day before asking how the big move had gone. Hailey tells her that her room is a slight disaster zone, but at least Jaiyana's is finished and ready to go.

Natalie and Jay's interactions are slightly cautious, but civil, which Hailey is thankful for. She chats with Natalie for a few more minutes, knowing she needs to get home for an early night since tomorrow is a work/school day for her and Owen. Her eyes keep subconsciously drifting back to Jay and Jaiyana though. She can't help but be drawn to their obvious adoration for each other.