Chapter Two Hundred and Thirteen

With a bad start to our morning, everything just continued downhill. Hailey remained sitting in front of the mirror without so much as a sip of water.

For once Caleb couldn't coax her into getting involved with the files he brought over, for us to have proposals updated and new proposals from potential clients.

I silently pleaded for Caleb to remained longer than he should have, sending a quick message to dad and Mel to hold down his desk.

After a quick look at his phone message, Caleb glances at Hailey quickly before turning to me.

"Man my knee's acting up again," Caleb mutters in grimace. "And I am hungry," he continued with both our eyes on my wife, whose become a ticking time bomb, since the miscarriage.

"Hailey Knight, would you get me some lunch before I leave for the office?" He asks casually, but she didn't pay him heed. Thankfully, he didn't stop there.

With both our eyes on her, "boss, would you help a guy out here?" He asks me instead and we could see her immediately tensing up. "Get me something to eat, while I finish up here." He says, his head turned in her direction. "If I leave now, it will cut my concentration." He adds, nodding for me to join in.

"Uh, sure." I agrees, as Hailey lifted her head from the mirror, where she has been leaning all morning. "I'll be right back," I stood up meeting Hailey's beautiful grays when she quickly turns around.

Nodding to Caleb, I moved towards the doorway.

"I'll bring you something," I smiled at Hailey while walking away.

"Wait" I heard Hailey yell before I walked out the room.

I turned to see her standing now, the same fear evident in her eyes, her lips quivering nervously. "Um," she says softly, her eyes darting quickly to Caleb, whose head was bent, reading a file. "Can I go.. with you?" She stutters softly. Nodding because I'm too choked up to speak, I reached for her hand.

Rejecting my outstretched hand, she runs ahead of me, stopping at the top of the stair looking back at me. With one hand on the banister, she turned to look down the flight of stairs.

"I'm here," I whispered softly, keeping my distance, in case she panicked with me to close.

The edge of her mouth twitches, as if she wanted to speak, but she didn't and started walking slowly down the long stairway, with me on the opposite side, making the same amount of strides as her.

When her feet landed at the bottom of the stairs, Hailey held her tummy and bent over, her loose hair falling to the sides of her face as a curtain, blocking me out and keeping her hidden.

As I gently placed a hand on her bent back she jerks up with tears running down her cheeks, she threw herself into my arms.

"You didn't fall," Hailey whispers softly. "You didn't fall." She cried, wrapping her arms around my neck.

Hugging her tightly, "I'm so sorry, Adian. I'm so sorry, I failed you." Hailey whispered against my neck, her feet barely touching the ground.

"You're not a failure, in spite of all you have been through, you have brought love into my life and that's just one of the proofs, that you didn't fail me." I whispered, lifting her of the floor.

"Now what do we have here?" Mrs. Har chuckles from behind Hailey.

Turning in my arms, Hailey opened her arms towards Mrs. Har. Releasing her, she rushes to hug Mrs. Har as her feet touched the floor.

"I'm sorry," I heard Hailey whispered to Mrs. Har.

Patting her back gently, she hugged Hailey, "you've done nothing wrong, silly girl." Mrs. Har playfully chastises Hailey. "I'm just so happy to see you in my kitchen once again." She responded to Hailey.

Pointing over her shoulder at me, "uh, we.." she paused, then turned to smile at me. "Uh, he came to get lunch for Caleb" She turns back to Mrs. Har.

Mrs. Har walks into the kitchen, "yes I have it already dished out here." She chuckles. "He never slacks when it come to his meals." She lifts the tray, nodding at me, "would you do the honors?" Raising her eyebrows, she waits for me to take the tray from her hand.

Hailey's shoulder tenses, but she turns around to smile at me.

"Uh, maybe he can come down and we" Hailey turned and points to the kitchen table. "We could eat here?" She asks, but before I could respond, Caleb butts in from behind me.

"Now why am I still hungry?" He whined, glaring at me. "Is that for me?" He asks Mrs. Har.

"Since you're downstairs, we can eat in the kitchen." Hailey suggested nervously.

Moving quickly to take the tray from Mrs. Har's hands, "works for me," Caleb chuckles taking a seat at the table and patting the chair next to him. "Come join me," he invites Hailey, with a mouth full of noodles, a special dish that was prepared for Emmy.

Hailey moves backwards, bumping into my chest.

Turning, she frowns at me. "Is it okay?" Hailey asks and I nod in agreement, even though I am confused.

"Of course," I tell her. "I am actually hungry too." I chuckle, pulling out two chairs opposite Caleb, for Hailey and I.

I dished the fried chicken, noodles and macaroni salad, which was requested by a jubilant Emmy, earlier this morning, before she left for school. Mrs. Har added a green salad for the adults.

Frowning at the food on her plate.

"Is Emmy coming over today?" Hailey suddenly asks, causing Caleb to look up from his plate, giving me a questioning frown.

Clearing my throat, "actually" I started to explain. "She never left," I watched for her reaction but she was still frowning. "I decided it would be easier for her to attend school from here and Sister Ally thankfully, agreed."