H E R

Chapter 12

Paisley p.o.v

*3 years and 6 months later*

I'm so late oh god my grandmother is going to be so angry. I speed walk down the street, by the time i'm on our street i'm full on running home. I burst through the doors and head straight to the kitchen where i hear the crying.

"I'm so sorry i'm late granny thank you so much for watching him." I say as soon as i walk in, running over to my little boy who is currently sobbing in the arms of my extremely angry granny.

"It's fine Paisley just watch the time." She reminds me walking behind the island getting ready to prepare dinner. I take him upstairs into my room and set him down on the bed while i change out of my work clothes. He stopped crying when i started bouncing him when we were walking.

I sit down on the bed and put him on my lap looking at my little boy.

"Hi Floyd!" I say excited, he looks back just as excited "Hi mama!" He says adorably.

He is so cute just a second with him brightens my day.

"Do you want to have a bath bubs?" I ask him, he smiles and waves his hands excitedly making me laugh, "i'll take that as a yes."

I walk into the bath room and start filling up the tub enough for him. When i get him in the water he immediately starts to splash and play around.

I put a song on softly on my phone for me to hum along to, I chose Brain Damage by Pink Floyd the same place my baby got his name from. Pink Floyd is my all time favourite band and i'd been writing in my journal forever that was going to be that name of my son if i ever had one. Floyd loves Pink Floyd too so thats a bonus, i used to have to play their song Money in the car to get him to sleep.

After his bath i quickly get him dressed in pj's before i go downstairs to see if granny needs any help finishing up.

"Set the table." Is the first thing she says to me as soon as i walk into the room.

I set Floyd down in his chair and start setting the table. When everything is down we sit for dinner, there is a tense silence.

"Granny-" I try to start a conversation but she cuts me off.

"Darling." She sighs, "She's my daughter Paisley, you expect me to deny her my help? where would you be if i had done that?" She asks me. I look down in shame.

"Granny i am just asking if i can stay here with Floyd we have built a life here, i have a job, friends." I try to explain my side of the story without straight out saying i don't want to help my dying mother.

"She deserves to meet her grandson before she dies Paisley. Goddammit." Granny says smacking the table, i go silent. Mother used to do that.

"We can come back here Paisley but until your mother has...." She drifts off.

"We're going and that's final. I've bought the tickets. We leave in 4 days." She says getting up from the table and her half eaten meal.

Maverick p.o.v

"Her mother called her sir." A nervous voice stuttered out to me.

"You said her mother was dead?" I say trying to sound calm and failing.

"I t-thought she was sir." his voice wavers as he tells me this. "She's been living in korea for almost a decade now with no outside contact really except for a week ago. She called Mrs. Henley for 8 minutes and right after she bought 3 plane tickets to the nearest airport."

I shoot him.

I Stand up from my desk and fix my suit before standing up to leave. Walking out of the building no one looks at me, everyone either looks down or away. Ever since Paisley left I have been different. I have always been angry but this was different this was like overwhelming waves of anger and when they struck it was for days on end of throwing, yelling, firing people and shooting.

When i get in my car i sit there and debate on going home. I decide against it, i hate it there i just have memories of Paisley. Its dark and cold there now without her, The only time i am ever there is when i'm drinking a concerning amount of scotch after work. Instead i drive to the park, it's still nice out so i can just sit under the willow and try and imagine that Paisley is there next to me laughing and enjoying herself.

When i get to the park i walk quickly to the tree not looking at anyone around me. I'm about to turn into the entrance of the tree when someone crashes into me.

"Watch where you're-" I start angrily, i look down glaring and am faced with a miracle.

Paisley Henley.

She looks just as beautiful as before, older more mature her hair is a bit longer and she has glasses on.

"Paisley." I say breathlessly wrapping my arms around her in a tight grip and holding her to my chest, she makes no move seemingly in shock before she hesitantly wraps her arms around me too.

"Mav." She whispers into my chest.

Something runs into our legs and i feel it hold onto Paisley.

"Mama!" It tries to whisper but i obviously hear. Paisley gets out of my hold and picks up the kid taking a step back. She looks like she's about to walk away so i grab her arm and pull her to me again, so the child is pressed between us.

I look at the child and see a small little boy. He has dark hair and a chubby face, but the thing that stops me short are his eyes.

My eyes.

Sometime when i was looking at the boy in her arms she started talking, more like apologizing and crying her shoulders shaking with her sobs.

Without thinking i gently grab the kid from her arms and hold him in one arm the other holding Paisley to me. She grabs my shirt in a tight grip and cries. I slowly lead her into the cover of the tree and we sit down against the truck. She straddles my lap hugging the child to my chest but making sure he's still alright.

He seems quite content sandwiched between us.

I pull her away from my neck and make her look in me in my eyes.

"I want you to explain everything from the beginning baby. I'm not mad, I'm just happy you are here with me right now." I tell her and she softly nods taking deep breaths and trying to calm herself down.