linstead | secrets hurt

told you i'll be here forever

May 16th
"Mommy..." A little voice called out. Emilia was in her mommy's room and could see an empty bed. She wandered back into the lounge and saw her mommy and Jay on the sofa together. Emilia sat herself down on the carpet with her little grey bunny toy waiting for someone to wake up.

After a while of sitting there, Emilia was bored so she decided to wake her mommy up. "Wake up mommy." She said shaking Erin. "Hmm yeah." Erin mumbled. "Mommy I'm hungry it's brekkie time." She said. Jay's eyes fluttered open, "What time is it Er?" He asked. "I don't know." She replied. "Jay-Jay what you doing next to mommy?" Emilia asked. "I couldn't sleep, I had a bad dream so I came to see Jay and fell asleep again." Erin saved Jay. "Ok can I have toast?" Emilia said. "Sure." Emilia waddled off into the kitchen. "Erin it's literally half six." Jay complained. "I know she often does this." Erin got up from the couch and went into the kitchen.

"What do you want to do today?" Erin asked Emilia. "Go to the park." She said excitedly. "Ok, finish your breakfast first." Erin said. "What did you want?" "Coffee." Jay yawned. "Oh there's a nice little cafe on the way to the park, we can get one from there." Erin suggested. "Yeah ok."

Erin and Jay got their coffees on the way to the park. Emilia walked in front of them, skipping and singing along. Jay was happy he got to spend time with her and Erin again.

They got to the park and Emilia ran straight for the swings. "Mommy push me." She said. "How about I push you?" Jay suggested. "Ok." Jay walked over and started to push Emilia. Erin sat on a bench, watching them. She smiled and thought, 'Jay makes a great dad.' Erin still felt extremely guilty about keeping Emilia from him, even after he assured her it was fine. She hadn't told anyone from Chicago, not even Hank.

After a while on the swings, Emilia decided to go play on something else to give Jay a rest. He came and sat by Erin, they both watched their little girl play.

All of a sudden, they heard an ear splitting scream. They ran to Emilia and saw her on the ground, people surrounding her. "Look your mommy and daddy are here now." One woman said. "We're not together." Erin said. Jay heard it and couldn't help but think that Erin didn't love him anymore. Jay checked Emilia over, "You're okay, just a cut on your knee. Come on let's go home." Jay picked Emilia up and Erin walked beside him.

"This wipe is going to help okay, it's going to sting though." Jay said, he prepared the antiseptic wipe. "Hold my hand Emmi." Erin said, she only ever called Emilia, Emmi when she was hurt, upset, being protective or purely because it's a special occasion. Jay put the wipe on her wound and she let out a little scream of pain. Erin didn't like seeing her baby girl in pain. After Jay put a bandaid on and kissed it better. "Is that better?" Jay said. Emilia nodded.

Hours had passed and it was now getting close to seven pm. "Are you my daddy?" Emilia asked out of the blue. Erin froze, she knew this day would come but she didn't think it would come so soon. "I heard you talking yesterday." Emilia said. "Erin it's your call." Jay said. "Yes Emmi he is." Erin admitted. "Oh." Emilia didn't know what to say. "I thought mommies and daddies lived together." "They do but your mommy and daddy are different but that doesn't mean we don't love you any less." Erin said, this conversation broke her heart. "Will you live with mommy now because you're my daddy?" She asked Jay. "I-I don't know, it depends, it's up to your mommy. See I've got a job in a different place and we work in different places." Jay explained to her. "Come on you can go watch a film on my iPad if you want." Erin said, she wanted to stop this conversation before it went any further. Erin helped her off the sofa and took her to her room.

She came out, "We need to talk." "Yeah about earlier..." "Jay, what happened yesterday, when you asked me about going back to Chicago... I think I'm ready, I've never liked the job. I don't get on with anyone like I did in Chicago. My real family is there." Erin felt good after getting that off her chest. "That's amazing. I have something to say too." Jay took a deep breathe in. "This might come across strange but Erin I still love you with all my heart. I never stopped loving you, when you left and-" He was cut off by a kiss, his hands fell to Erin's waist. "So you feel the same?" He asked. "Yeah and I want to start me and you again." He kissed her again.

Jay and Erin were asleep when little footsteps came into the room, "Mommy." A little voice whispered. Jay shot up, "Emilia what are you doing?" "I had a scary dream, can I sleepy with you?" She asked clutching her grey bunny. "Yeah come on." Jay moved over so Emilia was in between him and Erin. He cuddled her until she fell asleep, Emilia looked so like Erin when she slept. Jay fell back asleep, with his two favourite girls by his side.