Waking Up in Vegas

Weeks passed since Donna and Jake's party in Vermont. As the season began, Haley found herself more and more alone, which, she knew would happen as Kevin's season ultimately began. Still, she pressed on, looking for work however there wasn't much to be found. Before she knew it, December had come and she was on her way home to Colorado. She would be staying for a few weeks with her parents before surprising Kevin at a competition.

Haley quietly slid her wedding ring off her finger and slid it into her purse. It wasn't that she was ashamed of her marriage or Kevin, as of lately, it was quite the opposite. She couldn't be happier. Her and Kevin, after the party, seemed to have suddenly clicked. It seemed that the majority of the drama was behind them. Haley knew though that her mom would notice the ring the moment she walked in and she at least wanted to wait until dinner to discuss her marriage.

As the car came to a stop, her brother having graciously picked her up, "You know, you can't keep your marriage from them forever." He said, looking at his younger sister, "They're going to find out. Don't you think it better that you tell them instead of someone else?"

Haley rolled her eyes and then gave a nod, "I'm going to tell them. I just want to be home for a minute first before I suddenly spring this whole, "Hi, I've been married for four months but we're just now going to tell you." Haley fidgeted, "I don't want them to hate me—"

"—They won't Hales. They love you, you know that." Her brother said as he grabbed her bag from the trunk of the car.

"Mom!" She shouted, throwing open the front door of her parents' ranch-style home. "I'm home!" She exclaimed proudly. Haley was indeed glad to be home, in the snow.

"Is that my little girl?" A voice called from the kitchen, that Haley followed greeting her mom with a huge hug and kiss. "Look at you, you look so skinny? Are they feeding you out there in California? I know it's all that new-age hippie stuff out there."

Haley spun round for her mother, laughing, "No mom, I eat plenty, I promise. I've nearly eaten my roommates out of house and home."

Haley's mother looked at her daughter and sighed, "Haley James... you are growing up and becoming such a gorgeous young woman before my own eyes."

Haley blushed and shook her head, "Nah." She said quietly, "But um, I've got.. a sort of a surprise for you." Haley said, "at dinner. I'm going to go up and get settled in."

Haley bounded upstairs and left her mother in the kitchen, wondering what the surprise was that her daughter had in store for her. Maybe Haley had won the lottery and was about to give them her earnings (ha!). Haley was terrified. She was afraid they wouldn't understand. She was afraid they would give her the Spanish inquisition like Kevin's parents (though she certainly knew they had meant well).

As dinner time came, she headed downstairs to see her brother and his family had joined them for dinner. He gave her a tight hug and then a look that Haley didn't even necessarily have to totally read to understand. As everyone sat around the table and the fabulous dinner of meatloaf with mashed potatoes and gravy with Brussels sprouts that Haley's mother had prepared, Haley couldn't hardly contain herself.

Haley set her knife and fork on her plate, just as her mother cleared her throat, "OK Haley dear, you said you had a surprise for us."

Haley gave a brief nod as she looked around the table, six sets of eyes all locked on her. "Well, you guys know that I moved out to California a while ago and I've been steadily looking for work." Haley paused and bit her lip. "Well, prior to that I was working in Vegas for an event for a dear friend of mine." Haley paused to take a deep breath, "I've met someone."

"Well that's great dear." Haley's mom announced.

"Great, when can we meet him?" Her dad asked.

Haley smiled a little, "Well, uh, I hope you can meet him soon as he's working right now." She paused, "He travels a lot, for work." She said as she got perplexed looks from everyone but her older brother. "There's uh, one. more. thing." Haley sputtered as she reached in to her purse and gingerly pulled out her wedding ring and slid it on her finger. "We, we sort of got married."

Haley's mom had a look on her face that was complete and utter shock, "When? How could you not tell us? Haley James!"

At that moment, Haley wanted to die. She wanted to sink into her chair and just wither away into nothing. "I wanted to." She muttered after she somehow found her voice as she looked at her father, who just sat and shook his head. "Look, at first, I wasn't proud. We were completely drunk and I don't even remember saying "I Do" and we just woke up."

"So get an annulment. All the celebrities do." Her mother spat. "We are your family and you just eloped in Vegas, drunk to boot."

Haley was starting to get angry, "You don't even know him!" She half-raised her voice. "We decided to give it a shot. We didn't want to spend our lives wondering if we did the right thing by getting it annulled right away. So far, honestly, it's been a bumpy ride but lately it's been pretty good." Haley admitted, "We have our problems. But it's not like we don't know each other.. I think it's forcing us to really give this a try and not keep it behind closed doors."

Haley's mother rolled her eyes, "You are young, you don't have any problems—"

"—Now you wait one minute here Darlene, she has a point and reason she didn't want to tell us. Same why she didn't tell us about the baby." Haley's father said. "She's a grown woman and she has no option but to figure out this world on her own terms." Haley's father said. Her dad was standing up for her, which was a bit of a first. Usually he was the one that was the hardest on her.

"Jim, Be serious. She eloped in Vegas and didn't even have the courtesy to tell us. To tell us, her parents, the people who birthed her!" Her mother said.

"I didn't tell you because I knew you'd react like this. Like some holier than thou person. You don't trust me to make my own decisions."

"Not after you come home from New York pregnant from some random guy Haley and then hole yourself away after you miscarry."

Haley frowned, "So because I made a mistake once, you're going to penalize me for that and claim I can't be trusted to make my own decisions? I'm sorry that you feel like I'm not capable of handling myself and my decisions, I'm sorry you feel this way mom but you don't even know him." Haley said.

Haley's mother shook her head, "I don't want to know him Haley." Her mother stood across the table, "This.. this man you married has taken you from us without a shred of decency and respect toward the family and I think you'll resent this marriage Haley." her mother said, turning away from the rest of the family at the table.

Haley understood that her mother was hurt. It hurt her that she'd hurt her mother but what was she supposed to do? How else was she supposed to go about this? She could have not told them at all, not one bit. She could have just never came home from California with Kevin ever, but none of that was any adequate solution to any of this.