Pieces of the Heart

Kevin frowned at the seemingly never ending traffic in front of him. Traffic wasn’t good because it gave him time to think and his mind only seemed to want to focus on one thing; that being the look of disappointment on Hailey’s face as he left her earlier.

Resting his head on the steering wheel he sighed. Sleeping with Hailey had been a mistake, one that he deeply regretted. She was his best friend and had been there for him through so much and he risked losing her for what, sex?

Looking up he ran a hand through his hair and groaned. With everything in his life seemingly changing at once her friendship was one think he never wanted to risk, yet he did and now thing were going to be awkward. He couldn’t lose her, not now not ever.


Setting his cup on the table in front of him Kevin smiled at the girl across from him, “So how have things been Hailey?”

She laughed as she played with the lid of her coffee cup, “Things have been great. I would ask you the same but I think the answer would be obvious.”

Kevin smiled, “I can’t complain. How are your parents?”

“They are doing well; you know Richard and Linda, nothing changes.”

“What about you, are you still seeing Eric?” Kevin asked, referring to her high school boyfriend.

Hailey let out a loud laugh, “Um no, I haven’t spoken to him since he dumped me for Laura Littleton, two months after you left.”

Kevin’s cheeks tinged red, “Well are you seeing anyone now?”

Hailey shook her head, “Nope, I’ve been too busy to really worry with any serious dating. What about you? How is married life treating you; you’re going on what three months now?”

Kevin looked down at his cup in thought, “Oh it’s great. You know just still trying to settle in to everything.”

“Uh oh I know that look; what’s wrong.” Hailey teased.

Kevin looked up at his friend and sighed. She always did know how to call him on his bullshit.

“It’s nothing really it’s just everything has been so stressful. I mean between the world tour, camp rock, recording, the wedding planning, the wedding, the one off’s, the album release, the move and now with the baby, things have been a bit rough between us.”

Hailey frowned, “How so?”

Kevin sighed as he sat up a little more, “Well for example we released the album in June and we are supposed to tour this winter but now with the pregnancy Danielle doesn’t want me to go and I mean I don’t want to leave her either but I sure as hell don’t want to put it off until after the birth and miss the first few months of my baby’s life. And bringing an infant on the road isn’t the safest idea so I just really don’t know what to do.”

Hailey looked up at him in shock, “Wow, Kevin that sounds like a lot to deal with.”

Kevin ran his hands through his hair, “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have unloaded that on you. It was unfair of me…”

“No it wasn’t; I mean I’m your friend right, that’s what I’m here for. Besides it sounds like you really needed to get that off your chest.”

He sighed, “Yeah, I mean we’ve just been fighting about this a lot and I’ve been talking to the guys and we’re trying to work it out but I just don’t want to tell her anything until I know for sure ya know.”

Hailey nodded, “I think you’re doing the right thing; don’t worry yourself so much, things have a way of working themselves out.”

“Still ever the optimist.”

“Hey I learned from the best,” Hailey joked.

Kevin laughed, “So what have you been up to?”

"Me?" Hailey shrugged and considered the question. "Well, after you left I doubled up on course work and finished a year early. Picked Seton Hall for their Early Childhood and El Ed program, got my B.S. then moved to Louisiana and just finished up my masters in library and information science at LSU."

“Louisiana?” Kevin asked in surprise.

Hailey laughed, “Shocker right? No I just really needed to get out on my own for a while so I started to look at different colleges and LSU happened to have what I was looking for so I figured why not.”

“So you moved to Louisiana for the hell of it?”

“Pretty much.”

Kevin laughed at his friends antics, realizing for the first time how much he had truly missed her.

As Kevin closed his car door he smiled at the sound of his daughter’s laughter drifting from the backyard. Unlocking the Kitchen door Kevin made his way through his parent’s home and silently joined his parents and Joe on the back patio to watch Mackenzie and her cousin Alyssa chase each other around the yard in a rousing game of tag.

“Wonder how long it takes her to notice you’re here?” Joe asked keeping his eyes on the girls as Kevin took the seat beside him.

As if to answer his question Mackenzie squealed, “Daadddy.” She yelled as she ran to him.

Kevin smiled as he scooped her into his arms, “Hey Sweetheart, did you have fun with Grandma and Grandpa?”

Mackenzie nodded, “Uh huh they took me and Lyssa to Rita’s and then we got to go to the park to play.”

“That does sound like fun; are you ready to go home and see mommy?”

Mackenzie nodded as climbed out of his lap.

“Okay well why don’t you and Alyssa go gather your things and then we’ll head that way.”

She smiled, “Okay daddy; come on Lyssa I’ll race ya to the stairs.”

“To the stairs not on them Gracie,” Kevin yelled as the screen door slammed.

Kevin smiled as he heard his daughters cry of, “I know daddy,” echo from the hallway.

“So?” His father asked.

Kevin sighed, “The papers have been filed.”

His mother sighed, “So there’s no hope of working it out?”

Joe scoffed, “What do you think he’s been doing for the past nine year’s mom?”

“Joseph,” their father warned.

“No dad Joe’s right. I have been trying to make it work and it’s just not. I’m just giving Danielle what she wants.”

“Well where will you stay?” His mother asked.

Kevin looked over at his brother, “With Joe and Becca; like I did last night.”

Joe looked at his older brother in confusion but nodded regardless, “Right he’s going to stay with us until he can find something more permanent. Just like last night,” he added pointedly letting Kevin know that he wanted an explanation later.

“Well if you ever need any thing son you know we are here for you,” His father added as the girls footsteps echoed through the hallway once more.

“Alright Daddy, I’m ready” Mackenzie called as she pushed open the screen door while adjusting her backpack.

“Okay sweetheart, just tell everyone bye and we’ll be on our way,” Kevin said as he stood up and stretched.

“Okay daddy,” Mackenzie replied as she made her way over to her grandparents.

Kevin unlocked the garage door and let Mackenzie in before grabbing her bag and following.

“Mommy, we’re home,” Mackenzie yelled as she made her way towards the family room where she heard the TV playing.

Kevin followed his daughter at a slower pace stopping in the doorway to watch the mother daughter interaction.

Danielle looked up and gave him a sad smile, “Hey.”

Kevin cleared his throat, “Hey, I’m just gonna take this upstairs,” He added motioning to Mackenzie’s bag.

Danielle nodded before returning her attention to their daughter.

Silently Kevin made his way up the stairs and to Mackenzie’s room. Placing the bag on her desk he sighed before slowly making his way to her bed and sitting down. Chuckling lightly he picked up the white stuffed bunny lying on her pillow that she had so lovingly labeled Mr. Floppy and turned it in his hands.

He knew he was putting off the inevitable but Lord help him he did not want to go down those stairs and break his daughter heart.
“You know I would never take her from you right?” Danielle asked as she sat beside him.

Kevin looked up at her in question.

She sighed, “Look Kevin I’m sorry I acted the way I did last night but we both know that things aren’t working out, in fact they haven’t been for a while and we were just fooling ourselves in trying to stay together.”

Kevin sighed, “You’re right things haven’t been working out; I just really didn’t want to be the one to say it.”

“I may not be in love with you anymore but I do still love you Kevin and I would never ever keep Mackenzie away from you; I want you to know that.”

“I know that Danielle but what’s killing me over everything is that we are going to have to break our baby girl’s heart and I really don’t want to do that.”

Danielle sighed, “Neither do I Kevin, but it’s better to tell her now then to let her think you’re away on business; it’ll just make it harder on her to prolong it.”

Kevin blinked trying to keep his emotions in check, “I know,” he whispered.

Danielle brought her hand up to touch his shoulder but hesitated, “Look I’m gonna go down stairs with Mackenzie and when you’re ready we’ll tell her together okay.”

Kevin nodded as he watched her walk out; taking a shaky breath he followed.

“Alright Mrs. Jonas, just one more push and well have a baby.”

Danielle sobbed as she clung to Kevin’s hand, “Kevin I can’t do this. I just can’t do it anymore.”

Kevin brushed her hair from her forehead he leaned down and kissed it, “Look at me Dani, yes you can. You heard the doctor, just one more push and our beautiful baby will be here. You can do this baby.”

Danielle looked up at Kevin through tired, terrified eyes, “It hurts so bad Kevin; I just want it to stop.”

“I know baby, I know. Just one more push.”

Danielle nodded breathlessly, “Okay one more; I can do this.”

“Here comes a contraction on the count of three I want you to push. One, two, three push.”
“Come on baby almost, push. Alright Dani you’ve got this.” Kevin yelled excitedly as he watched his child come into this world.

“It’s a girl!” The doctor yelled as a cry filled the room .

Kevin laughed as tears streamed down his face, “Did you hear that Dani; it’s a girl, we have a daughter.”

As Danielle cried Kevin bent down and kissed away her tears, “I love you Dani, so much. Can you believe it, we have a daughter .Oh Dani; she’s beautiful.”

“Alright dad are you ready to cut the cord?” the nurse asked.

Kevin nodded wordlessly as he took the scissors from her and cut his daughters umbilical cord. He watched as she cleaned, weighed, printed and wrapped his daughter in a blanket.

“Would you like to bring her to mom?” She asked.

Kevin nodded and took his daughter into his arms for the first time. As he looked into her tiny face he felt his heart soar. Nothing could ever top this moment for him. With tears running down his face he placed her in Danielle’s arms.

“Welcome to the world Mackenzie Grace,” he whispered as he kissed her tiny head.

With tears running down his face Kevin banged on her door.

“Please be here,” he whispered.

He felt like his heart was breaking into a million pieces; he had never needed someone as much he felt like he needed her right then.

He could still hear Gracie begging him not to go, swearing that she would act better, or do anything as long as he wouldn’t leave and it broke his heart every time.

Bringing his fist up to knock again he gasped as it opened.

“Oh my God, Kevin?” She gasped.

Kevin felt a sob break from his chest as he fell into her arms, not able to hold it in any longer.

Hailey held onto him rubbing soothing circles on his lower back, “Come on lets get you inside.”