These Lines Were Never Established

Hayley held onto Travis’s legs as he moved down the hallway. She wanted to know what he was up to. The past few days he would wander off and she wouldn’t see him for a few hours or a days. That bothered her.

“Hayley.” Travis stopped where he was, laughing slightly. She’d been trying this the past two days and he wasn’t going to let her. “What are you doing?” He asked looking down at her hugging his right leg.

“Nuff’in.” She stated refusing to look up at him though an innocent smile lingered on her features like a dead give-a-way.

“Hayley.” Picking her up Travis rested her on his hip watching her. “Hayley Marie…” He stated gently, calmly. “For the past few weeks you’ve wanted nothing to do with me now you won’t leave me alone. Why are you following me?” She looked down guilty. Caught red handed.

Stupid giants.

“Eyes wanna nose!” She gasped tossing her little chubby arms up frustrated. Travis laughed.

“Know what?” He asked turning around and heading back down the hallway.

“Wh’as yews do in d’ere!” She gasped bouncing in his arms as they descended down the stairs. “Eyes wanna nose!” She huffed at him and sticking her bottom lip out at him hoping to get her way.

“I’m working.” He stated simply. “That’s it. Just working.” He smiled setting her down.

“Nuh-huh!” She gasped up at him, hands on her little hips. Travis kneeled down to her.

“Uh-huh!” He teased back.

“Nuh-huh! Yews ‘erk d’ere!” She pointed to his office door. “Eyes pay in d’ere!” Travis laughed at her. She was a smart girl.

“I don’t work in there. I plan in there.” Hayley stared confused. “I plan out when we see mom in there, and when I’m going to do other things like that. I plan. I work up stairs.” Hayley watched him warily. “You wouldn’t like when I work I wouldn’t even pay any attention to you! None!” Hayley eyed him again “When I plan,” Lifting a finger he poked her nose. “I still pay attention to you. There’s the difference. You wouldn’t like me working. I’m boring then.” Hayley huffed at him.

“Eyes wanna see!” Bouncing she smiled up at him. Travis shook his head still smiling at her.

“Nuh-huh!” He teased. Hayley pouted.

“Uh-huh!” She teased back. “Peas?” She pouted at him.

“I’m not going to be working long. I promise.” Hayley pouted at him. “I just gotta do one thing.”

“Eyes ‘elp!”

“No.” Travis laughed heading up the stairs quickly. Hayley chased after him, her short chubby legs making her far slower than him.

“Nose fa’!” She cried when she heard the door close. Sniffling she waddled down the hallway slowly bottom lip trembling. “Daddy...” She whispered watching the door closely. Sniffling back more tears she looked around the empty hallway. She knew down stairs there were more people and head that way with her eyes still on the closed door.

Turning around she headed back down the stairs to the others. She walked to Special sitting on the couch watching television and climbed into his lap. Special petted her hair watching her closely.

“What’s wrong little bird?” Special asked gently. Hayley didn’t respond just snuggled closer to him. “Uh-oh.” Special whispered. “Andy!” He called knowing the man would cheer her up.

“What?” Andy hollered from the kitchen.

“Some things wrong with the little bird and Trav is busy!” Andy put his cup down barreling into the living room and over the couch looking at the sad, pouting toddler.

“What’s wrong little bird?” He asked tickling her sides, only gets groans and swatting hands. “What?” He gasped picking her up she whined, trying to cling to Special. “What?” Andy gasped again hugging her close. “You don’t like me no more?” Hayley sniffled. “Uh-oh. What’s wrong?”

“Eyes wan’ mommy.” Hayley pouted. The group blinked confused. Travis had just gotten back from taking her on a week long trip to see her mother. That usually held her over for a few weeks before she was pouty and sad, realizing her mother hadn’t in fact been around.

“You just saw her!” Andy teased trying to tickle her sides again.

“Okay…what are you doing?” Travis asked as he hit the bottom of the stairs looking at the group.

“She’s sad.” Special pointed out. Travis sighed.

“Is it cause I wouldn’t let her in the room with me?” Hayley hid in Andy’s chest as Travis drew closer.

“She wants her mom.” Again Travis sighed and picked her up. Hayley began to squirm and whine as he held her against him.

“Hayley.” Travis tried to calm her as he tucked her into his chest. “You wanna go to the store with me?” She settled down slightly. Hayley loved going to the store. “It’ll be fun!” He tried to coax the little girl.

When she settled into his arms he knew he’d won. Turning he grabbed both their jackets and slipped her into hers before putting on his. With that they were gone. Pushing the cart around the store he laughed as Hayley looked at everything around her in aw.

Travis only stopped shopping when his phone rang. He paused to answer it. Hayley didn’t even seem to notice.

“Hello? …Hey Mike.” Travis began pushing the cart again. “I can’t.” He sighed. “I know I’ve been saying that, no I’m not hurt it just…have you even talked to Jen?” He asked referring his manager to his lawyer. “You should, like a told you… No. I can’t. I have things to do.” Hayley’s attention was now captured by Travis’s increasingly sharp tone. “Yes I know I only asked for three days off and had more than a month but…I don’t care Mike. No. No.” Stopping he listened to the man’s side of the story. “Still no. Goodbye Mike.” Hanging up he shook his head leaning down towards Hayley. “People are weird.” He breathed getting a smile and a giggle from her. Laughing he pushed the cart along.

“Eyes gets down?” Hayley asked part of the way threw the trip. Travis glanced around at the nearly filled isle. Hayley watched him hopefully.

Usually, if the store wasn’t too busy, he’d let her out of the cart because she stuck close to him; normally right on his pant leg or holding into the cart. She liked to ‘push’ it even though she wasn’t strong enough or big enough to do so.

“Not today Hayley.” He sighed seeing all the people around them. Her bottom lip stuck out. “There are too many people. I don’t want something to happen to you.” Whining she looked down at Tito clutched in her arms. “I’m sorry sweetie.” Hayley nodded weakly as Travis eyed all the traffic around them confused by it all. The store was always empty on mid-day in the middle of the week, but not today.

Travis glanced around the isles as Hayley weakly watched the colors on the shelves go by. He stopped at the large sign: Fresh Turkeys for Thanksgiving. Glancing around the store again everything clicked. Pulling his phone out, he called his mom.

“When’s Thanksgiving?” He asked gently eyeing the people around his warily.

“Thursday, why?”

“Just wondering...” He breathed. “Did we get a turkey?”

“Yes.” Debbie laughed. “You forgot about Thanksgiving didn’t you?” Travis licked his lips and took in a deep breath. “I went shopping the other day. Way to forget your first Thanksgiving with your daughter Travis!” She teased causing him to grimace.

“I know, I know. I’m sorry.” He mumbled into the phone. “Thanks. Bye mom.” Hanging up pocketed his phone as he watched Hayley pout. “What if,” Leaning is elbows on the handle of the cart he looked her in the eyes. She watched him closely. “I carried you?” She looked down at her lap before holding her arms up. “Okay.” Picking her up and setting her on his hip he laughed at her eagerness again. “If all these weird people leave I’ll let you walk around, okay?” Hayley nodded watching the people around her.

Walking up and down each isle he pointed to bright things on the shelves she hadn’t already pointed to. Laughing he moved to the check out with the few things he’d found interesting enough to buy, or realized he need once he saw it: RedBulls, candy, chips, a two pack of extra strength Febreeze to get the smell of Andy and Tommy’s feet out of his house, and a few other random items.

Shifting he stopped at Hayley sharp intake of breath and the cry that followed it. Looking at her tear feel eyes and the squeaks, which could easily turn into loud sobs and cries from her small lungs. Spinning he watched a boy, around ten probably, running off with Tito in his hand.

Pushing his cart to the side he quickly began following the boy threw the store as Hayley broke into loud cries catching other peoples’ attentions. Forcing a smile he turned down the isle the boy had and frowned at him and another pulling on either end of the stuffed animal.

“Excuse me.” He stated to the woman already watching him do Hayley’s cries, she hummed confused. “I believe that,” Pointing at Tito the two boys had. “Belongs to us.” The woman looked at the boys by the cart. She frowned snatching it from them with a deep glare.

“Did you take this, boys?” Neither one of them looked up at her. “Did you?”

“No. We got it from the toy isle.” One spotted off easily.

“This store doesn’t sell stuffed animals.” Smacking him up side the head she held Tito out which Hayley quickly gathered him up in her arms nuzzling her face in his short fur.

“Thank you.” Travis petted Hayley’s hair as she leaned into him. The woman nodded smacking both boys again as Travis walked away. He’d been smacked in the back of head plenty of times and it had done him good as a child. “See all better.” He breathed to her as he headed back to his parked cart. Getting in the back of the line he waited as Hayley talked to Tito gently in her little gibberish.

By the time they got home Hayley was out cold, exhausted from crying over nearly losing Tito and his phone was ringing off the hook.