Haley

“Are you the Jenkins boys?” he asked. Jerry and I both nodded. “Are you Haley?” Haley nodded, her eyes wide. She knew why he was here. We all did. “I’m sorry to be the one to inform you of this,” he said. “But…”

“No!” Haley shouted. “God, please, no!”

“Your parents were killed last night…it was a drunk driver…I’m so sorry kids.”

Haley’s scream made us all jump. From where I was standing, I could tell that she was about to collapse. I ran to her and caught her and we both sank to the floor of the porch. I held her close to me while her body shook with sobs. Tears ran down my cheeks. Jerry was frozen in place. It seemed like he was unable to speak. The officer left and jerry stood there for a moment. I watched him. He was never good at showing his emotions. I was waiting for him to go and get into his truck and drive away, like he did when he was upset. He’d come back hours later, sometimes not until the next day, looking as if nothing had happened.

“They can’t be dead,” Haley sobbed. “They just can’t be. They were good people. They didn’t do anything to deserve to die.”

“I guess God didn’t do His job, Jerry,” I said, looking at him.

“I guess not,” he said. He stood there for another moment and then he turned and walked toward his truck. He pulled away from the house moments later.

“Where is he going?” Haley asked through her tears.

“For a ride,” I replied. “He does that when he is upset.”

“What are we going to do now, Johnny?” she asked. “I have nowhere to go and I can’t stay here.”

“Why not?” I asked her.

“You’ve got enough problems already without adding me to your problems, as well,” she said.

“Don’t talk like that, Haley. I love you and you are going to stay here with Jerry and me. It’s just the three of us now and we have to stick together.”

We sat in the family room for a good while, holding each other. Jerry came home shortly after midnight. When he entered the house, he didn’t look like himself. He looked overly tired. Haley stood up and went to him. I got to my feet as well.

“Are you all right, Jerry?” she asked him.

“Yeah,” he said. “I’ll be fine. What about you?”

“I think it’s still setting in,” she said, with a small laugh.

Jerry smiled and brought his hand to her face. “Johnny, I think I was wrong,” he said. “Keep this one.”

I smiled. “I intend to.”

He went upstairs to his bedroom. Haley and I looked at each other, in shock, wondering what caused his change of mind so quickly.

The day of the funeral had to have been the most dreadful day of our lives. That night in bed, I couldn’t help but think about the three of us. We’re orphans now. I tried to sleep, but couldn’t. I rose and intended to sneak over to Haley’s room. She must have read my mind, because we met in the hallway.

“Can’t sleep either?” I said, taking her into my arms and holding her tightly.

“No,” she replied.

We went back into her bedroom and we climbed into bed. She rested her head on my chest.

“I love being this close to you, Johnny,” she said. “I feel so safe.”

“You really feel safe with me?” I asked her.

“I’d trust you with my life,” she swore. “I love you so much.”

The next day, I went into my parents’ room. I went to my mother’s jewelry box. Inside was my grandmother’s ring. My mother received it after she died. It was beautiful. It was gold, with a heart-shaped diamond, inside a blue velvet box. I took it downstairs and went to find Jerry. He was outside on the porch. I walked out and sat beside him on the porch swing. I sat beside him. I didn’t say anything for a moment. He looked at me.

“What is it?” he asked me. I was quiet. “What are you thinking?”

“Remember Grandma’s ring?” I asked him. “The one Mom always said would belong to us one day?” I asked him.

“The old engagement ring?”

“Yes.”

He was quiet for a moment and then, in realization he looked at me quickly. “You aren’t thinking…”

“I am, Jerry.”

“Are you sure this is what you want?” he asked.

“I’m positive,” I said.

“I just don’t want you to get hurt, Johnny,” he said.

“I know, Jerry.”

He looked at me for a moment and then he smiled. “You’ve got my blessing, Johnny.”

I smiled. “Thank you, Jerry.”

“You’re welcome,” he said.

I went up to Haley’s room and tapped lightly on the door. “Haley?”

“Yes?” cam her reply.

“May I come in?” I asked.

“Of course, Johnny.”

I opened the door. She was sitting on her bed. Her face was wet from tears. I sat on the bed next to her.

“What’s wrong?” I asked her. She glanced at me and then at the floor. “Haley? Talk to me, baby.”

She looked at me for a moment. “Johnny…”

“What is it?”

“I’m pregnant,” she said, with some hesitation.

I stared at her for a moment. “Are you sure?”

She nodded. “Positive.”

I stared at the floor for a moment and then I looked into her eyes. I wiped her tears away with the back of my hand and then I kissed her. She pulled away.

“You’re not angry?” she asked.

“No,” I replied. “Shocked, yes, but I’m not angry.”

“Why?”

I took my grandmother’s ring out of my pocket. I held it up for her to see. “Haley, will you marry me?”

She stared at me for a moment. “Johnny…are you sure?”

“I’ve never been so sure of anything in my life, Haley,” I swore. “I want you to be mine even more now that…you know.”

She smiled. “Yes.”

“Yes?”

“Yes,” she repeated.

Later that night, while Haley was taking a bath, Jerry and I were standing in the kitchen.

Jerry looked at me. “I can’t believe this,” he said. “My little brother is getting married before me.”

“You sound jealous,” I said, sarcastically.

“I am,” he admitted and we laughed.

“You know, there is one thing that makes this situation a whole lot better.”

“What’s that?” I hesitated. “Johnny?”

“Haley,” I said. “She’s pregnant.”

He stared at me for a moment. Then he laughed. “Congratulations…again,” he said. “We need a little excitement around here. It’s starting to feel like a funeral parlor.”

“I know what you mean?”

“Making me an uncle already,” he said, sarcastically. “Jeez, Johnny.”

I smiled. “I’ve never been so happy, Jerry.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so happy.”

Weeks went by and we were soon married. We never told anyone that Haley and I were distant relatives. Just that they were close friends of the family. They bought it. Eight months went by pretty quick and Haley was getting closer to her due date, while I was becoming both nervous and excited. We fixed up my old room for the baby, while Jerry let us have my parents’ bedroom.

Two weeks Haley was due, Jerry and I had to rush her to the hospital. We waited for a good two hours before we heard anything.

“Hello, I’m Doctor Wiser,” he introduced himself. “Are you Johnny?”

“Yes,” I replied. “How is she?”

“Well, Johnny, you’ve got a beautiful baby girl…”

“Haley?”

“Uh…we lost her, Johnny,” he said, his voice soft and low.

My breath caught. “What?”

“She lost too much blood and there were other complications,” he said. “We did all we could. I’m so sorry, Son.”

I stood there for a long moment. Jerry was watching me closely. Haley was dead? How can that be? We were going to be together and have a family. We were so happy. Why would God do this to me?

I looked at the doctor. “Where is my daughter?”

“Right this way,” he replied.

I nearly cried when I saw her. In fact, I think I did. She was Haley all over again. The resemblance shocked both Jerry and I.

“She’s beautiful,” Jerry said. “Have you got a name?”

I thought for a long moment. Grace was Haley’s middle name. What could be more perfect? “Grace,” I said and looked at Jerry. “It was Haley’s middle name.”

“It’s perfect,” he said. “It fits, too.”

“Yeah,” I said. “It does.”