South Beach
The Peninsula
Mitchell and Lombardo Residence
Hailie Lombardo Mitchell and Colin Thackery Mitchell had been sitting up later than their normal bedtime because it was traditional, according to their babysitter. Hugs Stanfield usually watched them but she hadn't been expecting to babysit tonight. They were expecting Hailie's brother Jay, then he said he wasn't coming back so Hugs came over. They should have been in bed but had been allowed to sit outside by the pool until Hugs called them back inside. Hugs did not seem happy.
Without knocking Garrett from across the street opened the door and walked in. Her brother Jay was a few steps behind him in the dark behind the porch light, and he stayed a few steps behind.
"Come on in," said Hugs with a tone since they were already coming in. "What's going on?"
"He needed a ride," Garrett explained, and he was grinning. Jay and Garrett were not friends. If Garrett gave him a ride, her brother would owe him, and Hailie knew enough about the cost of favors to understand this was an expensive one.
Jay walked past Hugs, reached down for Hailie, wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly. "I'll always make sure you're okay Hailie, don't ever doubt that."
"All right," she said, her small voice muted against his shoulder. "You'll be safe too Jay. Don't worry."
Garrett winked at Hugs. "You need a ride too?"
"Not right now," she said and without the tone. Once Garrett had sneaked in when Hugs was babysitting; Hugs didn't care if Jay owed Garrett a favor.
He laughed, said, "later," to Hugs and "you're welcome" to Jay before he walked back out of the house and drove off.
Hugs crossed her arms and looked at Jay. "I thought you weren't coming back. That's why I'm here, and I wasn't planning on babysitting tonight."
"Plans change. Go home or wherever you're going. I've just got a couple of things to get out of the garage; I'm here for the night."
He looked at Hailie again then back at Hugs. "Start watching the sky for falling objects."
She did not exactly laugh. "You don't have to warn me about watching for falling objects. That's my superpower, staying out of the way of things."
He stood there, surveying her. "Hugs, get in the damned way of something important for once in your life. I've got something to take care of, so go home."
Jay stepped out onto the porch, Hugs standing there in the half-open door.
Jay paused, turned and suddenly just walked back and pulled Hugs into his arms and kissed her.
To Hailie it looked astonishing, it looked like the kind of kiss she saw in a movie when someone was going to war and maybe never coming back. It looked like fear and pain and hurt, like falling off the end of the cliff at the back of her house into deep water in the dark. It looked like when her father and mother kissed behind the lantern when they thought she didn't see them. It looked huge.
And Hugs kissed him back as hard as he was kissing her.
To Hailie it looked astonishing, it looked like the kind of kiss she saw in a movie when someone was going to war and maybe never coming back. It looked like fear and pain and hurt, like falling off the end of the cliff at the back of her house into deep water in the dark. It looked like when her father and mother kissed behind the lantern when they thought she didn't see them. It looked huge.
And Hugs kissed him back as hard as he was kissing her.
Then Jay turned around and went down the steps and walked away. "Say goodnight to Garrett for me," he called out over his shoulder, sounding like he was joking, heading toward the garage without a backward glance.
Hailie watched Hugs touch her mouth where her brother had kissed her. Hailie smiled; she liked Hugs, and she loved her brother.
The air around Hailie sparkled and twinkled as she stood in the dark corner and thought about the two of them together. She was used to the sparkles. When she was happy, she always saw them unless she blew them out like candles. It was an important thing to always remember to do, and she would do it now, once Hugs finally stopped watching her brother walking away.
The air around Hailie sparkled and twinkled as she stood in the dark corner and thought about the two of them together. She was used to the sparkles. When she was happy, she always saw them unless she blew them out like candles. It was an important thing to always remember to do, and she would do it now, once Hugs finally stopped watching her brother walking away.
Great idea to give us Hailie's perspective here. She seems like an insightful kid for her age.
ReplyDeleteHailie is something of a prodigy. She's definitely more insightful than a normal child that age, but very sweet and thoughtful with what she can sees, to the extent she knows what's sweet and thoughtful in any given situation. And she's learning fast.
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Wow, that was a kiss goodbye! Certainly wasn't expecting that to happen. Are they secretly dating? I thought Hugs and Garrett were a thing? I feel like there might a love triangle happening here. ;)
ReplyDeleteLOL no, they're not dating. Hugs doesn't like Jay, or at least didn't like in the past. He picked on her (and everybody else) when they were children. He's definitely not like Garrett who is a solid, protective presence in her life. Jay's not sympathetic. His kiss was more to provoke her and to yank on Garrett's cape than an expression of affection, but the chemistry between them is very strong. It would be an interesting and maybe inevitable triangle. Jay is a lot more like Gabe than he realizes.
DeleteThank you for reading and leaving a comment! It's been a rough few weeks, and this really helps.
Oooo.... Jay! What a way to say goodbye lol. Ever since that chapter with all the kids at the playground I've wondered about these two. I feel like there was always a thing, not necessarily romantic but a thing nonetheless. Hallie is so cute and very smart and seeing Camilla with a daughter is just so funny. I wonder if those teenage years are going to be hard lol.
ReplyDeleteI don't know how Camilla will act with a daughter, probably not as protective as I'd expect. Cam had kind of a tough time for a while and would consider it important for Hailie to be able to take care of herself no matter what or how she might be judged.
DeleteI just love Jay and Hugs together. The chemistry is electric although they really aren't all that well matched. Faced with a choice it's hard for me to see her choosing Jay no matter how powerful the attraction. Right now she still doesn't like him. Her opinion may be at least partially due to Autumn's opinion of him though. Kissing Hugs forced her out of her comfort zone. After she gave him the little speech about staying out of the way of falling pianos, he dropped one on her.
Your constant support means so much to me. Thank you!
Oh wow, I didn't see that one coming! Interesting that Jay would be affectionate with Hugs after bullying her as a kid. But it makes sense: he's always been interested in her, and their relationship has never been one of indifference.
ReplyDeleteI find it so fascinating to see all of this from the eyes of a child. It gives the effect of an unreliable narrator, because Hailie might be too young to understand what is really going on. And I really do think that there is something going on in the background here.
First, Hugs doesn't seem happy when she calls the kids in from the pool. Second, Jay greets his sister with this very ominous, grand statement - like he's going to leave for a long time. Third, Garrett openly flirts with Hugs, who seems to not mind it (she doesn't have the unhappy tone from before).
Then, Jay delivers some really cryptic statements, particularly: "Hugs, get in the damned way of something important for once in your life." It seems to me that he's annoyed with her for being too comfortable and ordinary (perhaps?)
Seems like Hugs is on Camilla's beck and call as baby sitter, and that could possibly irritate Jay, who wants her to make something out of her life, perhaps. It's a very interesting dynamic. It sort of seems like a last wish before he disappears, but it seems to originate in warm feelings for Hugs, since he turns around to kiss her passionately right after. It all really seems like a good bye.
If he's still pursued by the dragons, that might be why he's so desperate to leave, if he wants to keep the people he cares about safe.
And then there's that last statement: "Say goodnight to Garrett for me", as if he's telling her to go pursue Garrett rather than him. Perhaps, if Jay is leaving, he's not planning on coming back and is asking Hugs to not wait for him? It'll be interesting to see how this plays out.
Really interesting chapter! / Ani
This one opened something, more than one thing if I'm successful. Hailie herself is not just a little girl in a big house on the water. She tosses sparks of light up in the air when she's happy like she did in the last shot.
DeleteHailie doesn't understand what's happening with any of them. All she knows is that her brother is worried and that Hugs wasn't happy.
Jay sees Hugs as the little girl in the tower, the one whose parents adored her and kept her absolutely safe from all bad things. She didn't have to grow up with a mother who wanted her to be someone else. She didn't lose someone important to her like Kenley Dirac. She never steps out of line, never questions anything, lives a safe and happy life. If something bad did happen to her, she could never handle it. Or so he thinks. He's challenging her. Normally he wouldn't bother but this isn't a normal situation and he's emotional and he's known her all his life.
He thinks he doesn't like her. She thinks she doesn't like him. Just as you said, they have never been indifferent, and they're not children anymore.
Jay worries about his little sister. He sees her as vulnerable (which of course she is because she's a little girl) and feels he needs to protect her. He didn't grow up happy, he doesn't want that for Hailie. He doesn't know what the deal is with the dragons. He would have stayed there to make sure they weren't coming back if he hadn't met Fiona.
Does he connect what Kenley was working on with dragons? He connects her work with movements in spacetime, with energy being applied to change the shape and therefore the place of things. Fiona said what she said, and he's making a connection. He's afraid of what he might find and afraid he might draw danger home to Hailie.
Jay and Garrett are not friends. Jay wants Garrett to know that he saw him flirting with her but he's not going to ruin his game although he could because after all, he's a Lombardo and theoretically irresistible. He's yanking his chain. That's Jay. The kiss was an impulsive goodbye because he's afraid of bringing danger to Hugs who he considers innocent and vulnerable even though she annoys him.
He's kind of a hero even though he would never see it in himself.
This is long! This was one of those chapters I rewrote over and over and I think it still needs some work. Thank you for reading and commenting on it!