A Family Affair

20

Hailey entered the house to find Jay sat in the living room, staying in his position when she called his name from the archway leading into the room from the hall. She calls his name a second time and it makes him turn his head, giving her a smile when he spots her.

She furrows her brows as she takes a step into the room. "Everything okay?" She asks, a hint of worry in her voice.

Jay nods slowly, subtly looking at her making her way over to him from over his shoulder. "Yeah, everything's fine."

Hailey takes another hesitant step closer to him, perching herself on the back of the couch. "Where's Macie?" She questions after a moment of listening out for her daughter.

He sends a point behind him in the direction of the stairs. "She's in her room, I heard her playing with some of her toys. I was about to go up there and tell her to get ready for bed," he responds, leaning into the couch cushions, "I left a plate of dinner in the microwave for you."

"Thank you, sorry I couldn't make it back in time, Perry had us chase a lead before we could go, which was a huge waste of time because it turned out to just be a dead end," she sighed under her breath before looking in the direction to the kitchen but despite this, she doesn't move, remaining sat on the back of the couch, looking down to her husband with a curious glance. "Are you sure you're fine? You seem like you want to tell me something."

Jay shrugs, pausing for a moment before speaking up, a smirk upturning his lips again. "Olivia hugged me."

Hailey's eyes widen and she stood up quickly from her temporary seat on the back of the couch. "What?! Why didn't you tell me this straight away?"

"You asked me where Mae was." Jay responds with a straight face.

He watches her walk around the side of the couch, sitting down beside him with creased eyebrows.

"So how'd it happen?" She asks and she can't help but think back to when all her colleagues had first learned of her and Jay's relationship all those years ago, when they had asked the very same question with a similar hint of curiosity filling their voices and wide eyes on their faces at catching the two of them in the locker room, when she asks the question to her husband.

Jay looks over to her, the same smile appearing on his face as he thinks back to the moment. "She was leaving, Will had gone to get the car. We talked about why she had wanted to see me in the hospital and I told her that the next time Will got a call saying I was there it was going to be the last time, and as she saw Will pull the car around the corner she just turned around and hugged me," he said quickly, Hailey only just managing to keep on top of what he was saying, "But I still can't believe it happened, Hails, like it's been so long."

He brings his hand up, putting it against his hip. "She barely came up to here last time, and now she's here," he says after he brought his other hand up and put it up against his shoulder, "Like look at the difference." He instructs as he quickly gets to his feet, keeping his head down, focused on the height difference between the placement of both his hands.

Hailey nods before she has to pounce up off her seat when she sees Jay loose his balance, his knees giving in slightly underneath him. She wraps her hands around his upper arms, catching his weight in hers, just about managing to keep him standing up right. She calls his name frantically, making him hum in response. "Woah, what happened?" She asks.

Jay slowly manages to regain the balance and strength in his legs, standing upright after a moment. "I'm fine, I just stood up too fast."

Hailey eyes him hesitantly, not believing a word he said. "You ended up in the hospital the last time you were fine." She reminds him, causing him to slowly shake his head.