A Family Affair

19

Jay knew they were coming today, Will had called him this morning before the older one's shift to tell him, but he was quite surprised at how soon they were actually at the door. He had just gotten back from picking Macie up from school - there was no reason for her to get the bus when Jay was still at home - and he half expected Will not to show up for at least another hour, it was unlike him to be early.

He had quickly set Macie up on the dining table with her homework so he'd be able to talk with Will and Olivia without being interrupted when he heard the door go, explaining to her what she needed to do in case she didn't understand it before he rushed over to let them in.

He's surprised to open the door and find just his niece standing on the other side, looking intensely over her shoulder. "Olivia?" He calls her name, making her turn her head to look at him.

She points over her shoulder quickly. "Dad's just parking the car, he had to go around the block."

As if on cue Will could be seen making his way up the stairs to the door, giving Jay a frustrated smile. "Sorry, fricken cars were in the way, I couldn't park outside the house." He apologizes, Jay able to hear the annoyed tone of voice, knowing that that only happened when Will got really mad at people on the road - the frustration being something he picked up from their father.

Jay shakes his head, stepping to the side to allow his brother and niece into the house, shutting the front door behind them. They all stand awkwardly in the hall, each of them waiting for some one to say something, but the words never come. After a beat Will looks up to his younger brother curiously, furrowing his eyebrows slightly. "Where's Mae?" He asks.

Jay points in the direction of the kitchen. "She's in there," he says and watches his brother begin walking into the room so he calls out his name to get his attention and stop him in his tracks, "She's doing homework."

Will shrugs, as if finding any way to avoid the conversation that was about to happen between Olivia and Jay or leave them alone for the aforementioned conversation. "I'll go give her a hand." Will mutters, already through the door way into the kitchen.

Jay rolls his eyes at his brother before walking into the living room directly in front of him, hoping for Olivia to follow suit behind him. When he turns around he finds that she had come into the room too, and he can't form anything on his tongue for a beat, leaving them stood in another awkward silence.

Olivia fiddles with the sleeves of her hoodie, pulling them over her hands, avoiding eye contact with her uncle as much as possible before he speaks up, getting her full attention.

"Your dad said you wanted to see me." Jay begins, "When I was in the hospital."

Livvy nods, looking around the room slowly before planting her gaze back on to Jay. "Yeah, I did."

Jay can't help but furrow his brows in her direction as he raises his arms, putting his hands against his hips. "How come?"

She shrugs, pausing for a beat, but that beat felt like minutes for Jay as he waited for her to talk. He watches her open her mouth once before snapping it shut, as if she wasn't sure on what to say at first. The second time she opens her mouth it's accompanied by words, quiet and slightly mumbled. "I had found out you were in the hospital, I wanted to make sure you were okay, you're still my uncle despite what you did. If you died it would affect my dad, I didn't want him to be hurt or upset, I had to make sure that wasn't gonna happen."

Jay tried to hide the way his face sinks, looking down to the floor to conceal the disappointment that had come over him. Maybe it was far fetched that she'd want to see him, to check in on him. Maybe he hadn't given her enough time to think about what he had told her a few weeks back.