These Lines Were Never Established

“Dear god.” He whispered sinking into his couch. It was late and his mother had dragged him from one store to the next. Eyeing the room around him he took notice of all the bags and things he’d just bought for a child that might not even be his. Hayley was upstairs, sleeping, passed out cold and in her pajamas. “What am I getting myself into?”

“A lot. You may be getting duped kid.” Robert stated dropping print outs on his lap. “This disease isn’t usually deadly.” Travis frowned. “Unless its mixed with something else.” He sighed sitting in the recliner.

Lifting the papers Travis began reading.

“It attacks the organs but most people recover from it. Granted it says it painful and it feel like your dying according to some online blogs it’s rarely deadly. The only ones that are truthfully deadly are of the heart and brain, the rarest of the disease.”

“She said her mom’s heart was affected though.” Travis breathed.

“I think you’re getting duped. Still hope she’s yours, but think you’re getting duped.” Robert sighed heavily. He really did hope that Hayley was his granddaughter, after holding her he didn’t want to let her go for any reason. Nor did he want to let the possibility of having a grandchild in general be ripped away from him. It was one thing he wished Travis would be able to experience: The love of another person his age, to find a woman who made him feel like he was flying and he did the same to her, and to know the love and joy of having his own child. They were two things that couldn’t be compared to anything else in the world and he cherished both of those feeling while he had them. Hell he still felt that way about Travis, his own flesh and blood.

“But what if she is one of the few dying? And she has something else?” Travis asked gently. Reading over the papers he wasn’t sure if he was relieved that this was all a ploy and he could easily fix it or not.

“Then you’re not getting duped but the death rate for this is rare.” Robert mused. Travis licked his lips nodding.

“Thanks dad.” He breathed smiling at his dad appreciatively. Nodding Robert stood up heading for the kitchen. “Hey dad,” Travis paused giving his father a few seconds. “Do you think it’d be a good idea to get someone to find her for me?” He asked hesitantly.

“Yeah, I do. Figure this whole thing out and not leave it to chance.” Robert called. “What the hell boy…” He laughed. “You spend all day with your mom shopping and you still don’t have any food?” Travis began laughing as well.

“No, we just got stuff for Hayley and the house.”

“Just an FYI, to you and you’re mother, your house needs to be stocked with food for Hayley.” Robert laughed.

“I’ll go tomorrow. It’s too late now.” Travis yawned slowly. “You staying the night like mom?”

Robert pulled his head out of the empty fridge and stopped examining the condiments Travis had clearly been surviving off of. Frowning Robert looked around. He hadn’t seen Debbie in a few hours, he assumed she went home.

“She’s still here?” Robert called curiously and letting the fridge door close.

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

“She wanted to spend the night with her, and I quote, granddaughter before I make her suicidal.”

“How would you make a two-year….oh.” Robert laughed sitting back down in the recliner. “Motorcycles.” Grunting Travis sank into the couch.

“I don’t even get my bed tonight.” Pouting he looked at his dad for help.

“Good luck with that, I’m going home.” Robert stood and left leaving Travis to fight for his bed on his own.

“Screw it. The couch is fine.” He whispered laying down and pulling the blanket off the back of the couch onto himself. “This is stupid. I don’t even get my own bed.” he whined curling up and trying to get comfortable.

Grunting Travis swatted slowly at what ever was grabbing at his face, still trying to get more sleep. He hadn’t slept well on the couch it was far too lumpy and awkward to get several hours of sleep in a row. The plus side to that, he didn’t have a night terror.

“Stop.” He pouted trying to get it off his face.

“Eyes goz food.” Hayley giggled as she rubbed his cheek trying to wake him. “Tabis.” Travis smiled lightly at his name off her small lips. “Ugh, ‘iants.” Hayley huffed walking away eating the piece of bacon in her hand herself. “Eyes tied!” Hayley whined up at Debbie cooking. The two had left early that morning to go grocery shopping. “Eyes eeben tie ‘haring.” She added taking another bite of the bacon in her hand.

“You tried sharing with him?” Debbie cooed down at the seemingly self-dependant two-year-old.

“Uh-huh. I tied!” She told watching Debbie.

“Well all that matters is that you tried!” Debbie smiled making Hayley smile back

Skipping around the kitchen Hayley stopped next to the backdoor and pressed herself to the door, her hands on the small squares of the white country styled window paneled door. Her eyes focused on the white wonderland just beyond the cool glass. The large stone back deck was covered in several good inches of white powered she just wanted to touch, throw up in the air. Beyond the deck the grass and towering dirt mounds Travis practiced on where painted the same innocent, untouched, and heavily white. She wanted to track her dirty shoes through it and smile at her mark on the hills.

Bouncing slightly she pressed her nose to the cold glass staring outside. Her hands were starting too really fell the cold as she tried to focus on the glistening white blanket outside under the grey blanket of the dormant storm clouds.

“Hayley don’t lean on the door.” Debbie stated with out even looking over her shoulder.

Hayley pulled back from the door with a pout. Her body locked at the presence directly behind her. Timidly looking over her shoulder she sighed a breath of relief at Travis crouched behind her, a sleepy look on his face.

“Hed’o.” She whispered. Travis leaned towards the door over her, one arm wrapping around her miniature waist, and breathed on the glass. Lazily dragging his finger through the fog he left he made a smiley face in the middle.

Giggling Hayley pointed at it as Travis stood walking away with a yawn. She turned watching him leaving, frowning as he sat at the table with his back to her. Nibbling her bottom lip she looked at the fading smiley face.

She didn’t like being ignored or truthfully left alone. Bad things always seemed to happen when she was by herself. She broke things, she lost things, mommy ended up sick in the hospital, or Grandma came around when she wasn’t supposed to. Hayley grimaced at the idea of her horrifying grandmother.

With a whine Hayley ran away from the door towards Travis. He blinked startled as she quickly crawled up into his lap and hid in his chest.

“Whoa, whoa, what’s wrong?” Travis yawned. “What’s wrong?” He asked again, laughing slightly as Hayley looked up at him somewhat startled.

“I think she just wants to be held Travis.” Debbie laughed looking at the two and having seen Hayley’s run to him. “By the way why did you sleep on the couch?” She asked concerned.

“Because I was too lazy to walk up stairs and throw you out of my bed.” He mused wrapping an arm around Hayley carefully. She smiled up at him, cuddling into his chest.

“Your bed is big enough to share with five people and you’ve done so.” Huffing Travis waved a hand at his mother and cast his gaze to Hayley sucking her thumb in his lap. “You’ll be good at this.” She added referring to the two.

“Dad thinks I’m getting cheated.” Debbie frowned. “I’m going to hire a private investigator.”

“Pise’it intor’grater?” Hayley asked watching him interested. She’d never heard that before. “Wha dat?” Travis licked his lips.

“It’s a person who finds…special…things…” He tried. “Or people for you.”

“Yew wose somet’ing?” Hayley pressed. Travis nodded weakly.

“That I did. That I did…is that bacon?” His attention shifted at the smell filling his nose. “I thought I didn’t have food…?”

“You didn’t Hayley and I,” Debbie smiled, leaning towards the giggling little girl. “Went shopping while someone,” She looked over at Travis, causing Hayley to giggle more and look up at him. “Slept like the dead.” Hayley stop laughing.

Sniffling Hayley tugged on Travis’s shirt to get his attention. Worrying her bottom lip she tugged a little harder even once he was looking at her.

“Yew no dies right? No dies?” Travis frowned.

“I’m not going to die.” He whispered concerned. “Why would you ask that?”

“You no goes no where?” Travis shook his head.

“Hayley, why are you asking?” He mused down at her, his concern growing.

“Da ‘octars say mommy gonna go. Day say mommy dies soon.” Hayley sniffed. “No want ‘er go! Make ‘er no go!” She cried tears rolling down her cheeks. “Make ‘er no go!” She cried. Travis pulled her higher up into his chest hugging her close. “Eyes wants mommy.” She cried.

“I don’t think a child would lie.” Travis whispered into Hayley’s hair as he watched his mother. “It’s okay Hayley we’re not going anywhere. I promise. We’re not going anywhere. It’s okay. It’s okay.” He breathed into her hair. Debbie took a step towards them before back.

“Travis,” He hummed looking up at her. “Rock her.” Travis did as told, slowly rocking back and forth, rubbing Hayley’s back soothingly. “and Travis,” he hummed again, freaking out that he had no idea what to do to stop her from crying. “She’s too young to know how to lie or what a lie is.” Huffing he licked his lips still rocking her.