Chapter 89

Hailey glanced over at Phil and gave him a small smile. They were in the Saturn on the way back to SouthPointe and Hailey had smiled for almost 30 straight hours.

“That was fun,” she said, shifting slightly in the passenger seat to relieve the soreness in her tush. “I’m glad we don’t do that very often. That’s what makes it special, I think. It’s not as nice as just you and me – or just Molly and Tiffany, I think – but it’s fun for something different.”

“Are you sure that’s how you feel?” Phil wondered. “I mean, you were really into it.”

“So were you,” Hailey said. “Well, you were really into all of us. I can’t believe Tiffany let you put it up her ass. That really shocked me.”

“It sort of shocked me, too,” Phil admitted. After Hailey’s initial insertion, Tiffany let everyone take a shot at her anally. Molly had let all three into her backdoor, too, but Hailey only let Phil play there.

The foursome fell asleep late both nights. Saturday had arrived a little too early – and the contractors did, too. The group exchanged hugs and kisses. They would see each other right after Christmas. Molly, Tiffany and Katelyn were coming up the day after and staying until New Year’s. Bob was coming over from Cutter’s Crossing. It would be tight but Beth assured Phil they would make room.

Scott and Lisa were coming over for New Year’s Eve and so were a few others. They were going to come back on New Year’s Day to watch Terrence Grant and Wisconsin play Washington State in the Rose Bowl. Only an early-season loss to Michigan kept the Badgers out of the BCS National Championship Game. Terrence was still being touted as an early first-round draft pick in April’s NFL Draft.

“I’m looking forward to this,” Hailey told him, reaching over to hold his hand. “I have really enjoying living with you. I like having our own space. It’s going to be better when everyone has an apartment. We’ll be more like neighbors than roommates and that’s the way it needs to be. Katelyn and Bob are getting serious. Tiffany and Molly are serious. I honestly don’t think Katelyn will move back downstairs. I would imagine that Bob will start spending more nights now that she’ll have a place they can share breakfast without everyone else. I really like him. He is so sweet and he treats her so well. I wish her mother would get with the program. It sucked that she was so standoffish at Thanksgiving.

“The way she acted sort of pissed me off. I know she got on your nerves. Marcus was even worse. He was a total peckerhead. I thought Bob was going to kick the shit out of him.”

“I was a little worried that I was going to have to pull Katelyn off of him,” Phil said with a laugh. “I’m not sure it’s a good idea to invite them out any more.”

“We’ll have to talk about it,” Hailey replied. “They are Katelyn’s family. By the way, have I mentioned that I really like your parents?”

“Why, no,” Phil said. “I’ll be sure to pass along to my mom how remiss you’ve been in expressing your appreciation for them.”

“Just behave,” Hailey told him with a chuckle.

“Do you plan to try to call your mom?” Phil asked, glancing over.

“I’m not sure,” Hailey admitted. “A part of me thinks I should but I’d be pretty pissed off if she was nasty.”

“What about your dad, Hailey?” Phil asked quietly. “We’ve never really talked about him. I mean, you’ve told me he’s not in your life but nothing more.”

“There isn’t much to tell,” Hailey said with a shrug. “I remember him, of course. He was around until I was about seven or eight then he was gone. Mom still got child support until I was 18 and he put money into my college fund when I graduated. He sent a card but that was it.”

“Where does he live?” Phil asked.

“Calder City,” Hailey said. “Well, he works there. He’s an attorney at one of the big firms there. I’m not sure where he lives.”

“So you were what ... seven, when they split up?” Phil wondered.

“I was three,” Hailey answered, staring out the passenger window. “The house in Stony Ridge was his. Mom got it in the divorce because this is a no-fault state. It doesn’t matter who is to blame for the divorce. The assets are split. My father kept the majority of the money and she kept the house. I know he moved to Rollins. I went to his house every other weekend until the year I started third grade.”

“Wait!” Phil said. “You’re telling me this guy saw you every other weekend for five years and just stopped? That doesn’t make sense to me.”

Hailey shrugged.

“Have you spoken to him since?” Phil asked.

“No,” Hailey admitted. “I’d get cards on my birthday and for Christmas. I got a graduation card but I haven’t spoken to him.”

“Did he get remarried or move away?” Phil asked.

“No,” Hailey said. Her face was still facing outward.

“Hailey, I might be wrong but I’m a guy,” Phil said. “No guy I know would just walk away from a kid after five years – particularly if he was still paying child support.”

“He did,” she answered.

“Did you ever think your mom might have intervened in some way,” Phil said. “Maybe she had something over his head or maybe she told him you didn’t want to see him any more. Hell, maybe she just cancelled a bunch of visits. It just doesn’t make sense to me. I mean, was he a jerk or something?”

“No,” Hailey answered again. “He was funny. We would do all sorts of things. The summer before kindergarten he took the entire time I was with him off work. He taught me to read and tie my shoes. When it came time for me to start school, he walked me there. He took my hand and walked me into school. Then he was gone.”

“I think you should talk to him,” Phil said. “Maybe he has an explanation. Christ, given what you know about your mom, maybe he just got tired of her shit.”

“He could have gotten in touch with me if he wanted,” Hailey said.

“That’s true,” Phil admitted. “I mean, I guess it’s true. Are you sure? I mean, he would have to go through your mother to talk to you at home. I don’t know, Hailey. It just doesn’t make sense to me. I just can’t see someone walking away from you.”

“I was probably a bitch when I was eight, too,” Hailey said tonelessly.

“Hey, I’m sorry I made you upset,” Phil said. “I was just curious.”

“I’m OK,” Hailey said. “It’s just a part of my life I don’t understand. It really hurt me when he stopped coming by. Mom got married again that year, too. It was like my father decided since there was some other guy in my life he wasn’t necessary any more.”

“What was your stepfather like?” Phil inquired.

“I don’t know,” Hailey said, shrugging again. “They were married for less than a year. I barely got to know him before he was gone, too. That’s the way it was my whole life. I’d just get used to seeing the same face and a new one would pop up.”

“I am sorry if I’ve brought up something that hurts you,” Phil said, squeezing her hand. “I won’t mention it again.”

“There is nothing I can’t talk about with you,” Hailey replied. “Maybe I will give him a call while we’re there. I just don’t know.”

They rode on in silence for a few minutes before Hailey spoke again.

“You know we’re going with you on Spring Break, don’t you?” she asked.

“I sort of figured that you’d be nearby,” Phil replied with a laugh. “There isn’t going to be a lot of time for me to visit with you. We’re going to Florida and we have 16 games in nine days. We’ll be all over the Coast. Did Bob get the schedule to you?”

“It’s not out until January,” Hailey giggled. “As soon as we know, we’re going to schedule our trip. We’ll be at every game – unless you play at seven in the morning or something. Bob said there isn’t a lot of travelling. You play within 50 miles of wherever you start. He said your coach is trying to get you into a tournament so you’ll be in the same place for every game. That would be cool. You’re not playing all the time, are you?”

“I won’t know until we get there,” Phil admitted. “Either way, you should have some fun. Rent a place on the beach and come to a game or two. I don’t want you to spend your whole trip following me around. I’m not even sure I’m going to be playing. I know Katelyn will want to see Bob play but you don’t need to come to every game.”

“I want to!” Hailey said. “Do you know how much fun it was to watch your games last fall? I learned so much baseball and, by the end of the season, you had 200 students coming to games. I know what the infield fly rule is. I know what a sacrifice bunt is. Not the last game – I didn’t pay attention to that one much – but the one before I actually predicted a sacrifice bunt. I knew when Bob got on second base that the guy who hits ahead of you was going to bunt him to third. Then that dumb coach sent that other guy to hit for you and he completely fucked everything up.”

“I knew I was only playing four innings,” Phil said. “It’s Fall Ball. It doesn’t mean anything.”

“It still sucked!” Hailey insisted. “So, we’re all planning to go. Stacy and Emma are coming with us. It’s going to be so much fun. We’re all looking forward to it.”

“If you’re sure,” Phil said. “I mean, I won’t make them turn you away at the gate. I still think you’ll have more fun sunning yourself on the beach.”

“If you were there, I’d be all for a beach trip,” she said. “Maybe we can actually take a vacation this summer – just you and me. How would you like that?”

“I’d enjoy it a lot,” Phil admitted. “The apartment has worked out so well and I think you’re right about our friendships strengthening because we all have something that is all our own. You got your Beta Club fundraising committee. I get to spend time with my teammates. Tiff gets to spend time with the legislative committee. Katelyn hangs out with the math group. I was so tickled when I found out Molly was going to be inducted into the music honorary. It was all I could do to keep that information quiet.”

“Quiet even from me,” Hailey pointed out with a mock pout.

“Please, if you knew everyone was going to know,” Phil said with a laugh. “I had the trojan bring up anything that had our names in an email. That’s the only way I knew. I wanted to keep that away from you so I didn’t mention it.”

“Uh-huh,” Hailey said with a smile. “Maybe we should take our vacation to Hollywood. You can call Courtney and Ryan Boatwright and we can have a double date.”

“Uh-huh,” Phil replied, mimicking Hailey’s tone. “She actually did invite us out there.”

“This is going to be so much fun,” Hailey said in a bright voice. “I’m really looking forward to working with you a couple days a week. You realize that I’ll have seniority, right? You remember that.”

“I suppose I can expect some serious sexual harassment,” Phil said with a sad nod.

“You better believe it,” Hailey replied. “It’s bad enough I have to share an office with you.”

Phil and Hailey pulled into his parents’ driveway just as David came around the corner carrying a stepladder.

He smiled broadly at the kids and gave them both hugs after he put the ladder against the house.

“Let me guess,” Phil said, “you want me to put up the lights.”

“I timed it just right!” David replied. “Don’t worry. I’ve already got them sorted. I figured it would be a good family project.”

“You put lights outside?” Hailey asked. She couldn’t keep the smile from her face. The homeowner’s association in her old neighborhood wouldn’t permit outside decorations – not that her mother would consider it.

“We’re not the Griswolds but we like to be festive,” David told her.

“He’d be the Griswolds if we’d let him,” Phil said with a laugh.

“Who are the Griswolds?” Hailey asked.

“Oh no, you didn’t!” Phil said. “Do not tell me you’ve never seen ‘Christmas Vacation’!”

“Christmas wasn’t a big deal at our house,” Hailey admitted.

“Then you are in for a treat!” David told her. “We’ll put the lights up today but we won’t turn them on until tomorrow night. That’s because we have to go find a tree tomorrow. We’ll decorate it tomorrow and unveil everything on Sunday night. It’s sort of a tradition. We’ll have half the neighborhood out front at dusk so Phil and I will make some cookies and eggnog tomorrow afternoon. Once it gets dark, we’ll turn on the lights and sing a few carols before everyone goes home.”

“A real tree?” Hailey asked excitedly.

“Oh, yeah,” Phil replied. “There is a tree farm about 10 miles from here. That’s why I had you bring your boots. We’ll be hiking up the hillside looking for that one perfect fir tree. It’ll be fun.”

“It’ll be more fun because it won’t just be you this year,” David laughed.

“You’re right,” Phil told his father as he put his arm around Hailey.

“Oh, yeah,” David said, shaking his head. “Sorry, Hailey, I forget that it’s your first year. It seems like you’ve been part of the family forever. I was talking about Danielle and Madison. They’ll be in about seven.”

“Grandma and grandpa, too?” Phil asked with a wary tone.

“Yep,” Davis told him. “They will be here until after New Year.”

“Danielle and Madison?” Hailey wondered. “Are they your cousins?”

“Yeah,” Phil said. “That should make for an interesting break. Did they bring boyfriends this time?”

“Not that I know of,” David said. “I only know they’re flying in and they’re staying at your grandparents’ house. Your mom made all the arrangements.”

“I will kick the shit out of them this time,” Phil warned.

“Duly noted,” David said with a laugh. “I don’t give a shit if you do.”

“Phil?” Hailey asked with interest.

“One of them brought a guy a couple of summers ago,” David answered. “He got a little pissy because Danielle and Madison treat Phil – well, the way the four of you do. He put the moves on the girl Phil was going out with. Phil was not pleased.”