Northern Downpour

Haley was sure most people at the house would be standing around with beers in hand by the time she arrived. She opened the door and then promptly closed it behind her to see, easily, 50 or more sets of eyes staring at her. The whole crowd was nearly silent as Kevin strode to the door, his long legs making short work of the space between them. Haley tensed, looking between Kevin, the crowd, and Shaun.

"We're leaving." Kevin said in an angry huff, grabbing Haley's arm in one hand and his jacket by the door in other. "We're going for a walk."

Before Haley could even protest, the door had been slammed shut behind her and she found herself back out in the cold weather on the front porch. "Kevin, stop." She said as he continued to drag her along, only bothering to let go long enough to put on his jacket.

"What was so important you could tell him about us that you couldn't tell me, huh?" Kevin finally managed as he turned to face her, at the end of the snow-covered driveway. "Why is he so trustworthy?"

Haley felt so on-the-spot. However, she wasn't about to deal with Kevin when he was in one of his rage-y moods. "Because I don't know how to explain things to you after you hurt me." Haley was trying to keep her cool so she walked a ways ahead of him, away from the house. She looked back as Kevin followed her, desperate to keep out of earshot of anyone from the house that might have followed them outside.

Kevin followed along, "So that makes it his business?" There was a brief pause, "Someone you've known a total of just days means he's special enough to know our business? Plus, if I remember correctly, you told me you didn't want me coming around anymore."

Haley felt like she'd been through the ringer enough lately and this conversation wasn't going to help her feel any better. "Fine. You want to know what it was all about?" She stopped, digging through her purse long enough to find her wallet. Kevin watched her. Haley pulled out a small square folded piece of paper and unfolded it, sticking it in his hand. "You told me you never wanted kids Kevin." Haley's voice was hardly above a whisper.

Kevin looked down at the paper in his hand. It was crumpled, creased, and perhaps a little faded, definitely old. He wasn't dumb, as he looked over the ultrasound. He'd seen his nieces and nephews ultrasounds enough to know what the faded arrow was pointing to ("Boy"—>) . "So you just got rid of him, without telling me?"

Haley took a deep breath and looked up at the stars. The air was cold and the sky was clear, you could see all the stars up there. It helped her to keep her mind on the beauty before she turned to Kevin. She was trying so hard not to burst in to tears, especially after her fit in front of Shaun. "That's the last ultrasound I ever had of Ryan James when he was alive Kevin. That's 15 weeks." Haley was doing everything she could not to look at the older. "I miscarried him three weeks after that."

Kevin suddenly felt his heart drop in to his stomach. He felt like an ass, he felt guilty of accusing her of things (even if they had only been accusations in his mind). "You should have called. I would have come." Kevin stepped closer to her, his anger suddenly seeming to dissipate into nothing.

Haley reached out to take the ultrasound from Kevin, her hand shaking. "I was in the hospital. I couldn't tell you. You still had Ellery. You have a career. You had a life and, we," Haley paused, "I." She said, trying to collect herself. "I, was not meant to be a part of it."

Kevin was silent as he gave himself time to process things. He thought back to that time. He wasn't ready to be any kind of a father. He was still sleeping with random girls and dogging Ellery then. Who he was then, well, he couldn't blame Haley for not telling him. Kevin didn't know what to say or do, except pull Haley close and hug her. "I'm sorry." He apologized, "For whatever I, unknowingly, put you through." His voice was quiet, "I just wish you had told me, so you wouldn't have had to go through everything alone."

Haley now felt guilty that she didn't tell Kevin. He had deserved to know then as much as he deserved to know now. She couldn't help but feel more guilty as she wrapped her arms around the older. He was comforting her even though this had long-since passed. She knew he didn't have to do this, but it was the fact that he was doing it because he wanted to that made all the difference in the world to her.

For the first time, possibly even since she last saw Kevin, she felt safe.