"So how are those cuts doing?" Hilda teased once again at work."They're healing," she said, nicely. Another brawl today was all Hailey needed.
"What happened to your old fling, Dick?"
"He's out touring. Maybe he's fucking a relative of yours," Hailey said. She wasn't sure if that was an insult towards Dick or Hilda. Either way, Hailey knew she was gonna get hit.
But no hitting. Instead, "How do you sleep at night?"
"Deep and on my stomach. What about you?" Hailey inquired, still looking at her laptop.
"You have some guts." Hilda swiped Hailey's ponytail.
"Why are you always bothering me? I have done shit to you," Hailey stook up and faced Hilda. "I'm not scared of you. I know all about you. You push people around just like your husband. That's why no one likes you. And since you're so overpowering, your husband didn't like you. So you didn't get any. He's gone now, and who's replaced him?" Hailey stared at Hilda, who was now shrinking down to a powerless child. Her bottom lip quivered and Hailey repeated, "Who replaced him?"
"Bently," she mumbled.
"Louder, Bitch! They can't hear you!" she exclaimed, knowing fully well that the whole office was listening in.
"Bently!" she hissed.
"That's right! Hilda gets stuffed better than a 400-pound man at an All-You-Can-Eat buffet! Now get away from me before I tell your little secret about your first job."
Hilda left, stung and whimpering. All eyes of the office building stared at Hailey. Aware of the hundred plus eyes, she yelled, "What the fuck are you looking at? Get back to your work!"
She sat down and never looked up from her laptop until the end of the day. Never again did Hilda tease Hailey.
While she was driving home, her cell rang. "Hello, Brian," she said, "I'm on the way to the house."
"Oh, okay. I was worried," he said. "Did you get in another fight today?" Without meaning to, Brian sounded like a mother hen clucking over her chick.
"No. Hilda is no threat to me anymore."
"Oh...okay...How are those cuts doing?"
"Lip's healed. Most of them are gone."
"Good."
"How was your case?"
"Good. Nick was there. He made it for this one, and is for the rest of them. I told him about you wanting to meet him. He said it was possible."
"Could I come with you tomorrow?"
"I guess..." He paused. "Y'know, after the accident, I wished I'd never see a hospital again. They torture you and you can't do anything about it. You don't know what it's like being stuck there."
"I do."
"How?" Brian asked. It came out more bitter than it should have.
Memories came rushing to her. "I watched my father struggle to live. I watched him as he fought and eventually lost. I saw him take his last breath. And I don't know what it's truly like. But it feels real as hell when my dreams replay that day."
Hailey pulled into her driveway and saw Brian sitting on her porch steps.
"Honey..."
She walked urgently up to him and embraced him. Her tears, which came from nowhere, rolled down her face as sobs blubbered out her mouth. "He was only 45. With a heart of gold."
"Shh. I'm so sorry for bringing it up. It's gonna be all right." He picked her up and brought her inside. He laid her down on her own bed. He sobs turned into hiccups.
Brian kissed her forehead. "Sleep."
"No. I'll dream about him."
Brian climbed on the bed next to her. Her long arms looped around him and brought him closer to her. She felt his arms close the remaining space between them. His breath prickled the hairs on the back of her neck, making her shiver.
"I know it's horrible. But it happened, Hailey. He probably loved you like mad, I'm sure."
"I can't forget him."
"And I don't doubt that. But don't think of the bad things, think of the good times."
Hailey thought back and smiled despite those tears that still traveled down her cheeks. "My dad and I used to dance around the house. He'd play my grampa's old record. He used to tickle me all the time."
"Keep remembering that," he cooed to her.
"He used to -" She yawned. "He used to sing me to sleep." She stopped. "Brian?"
Yeah, Hailey?"
"Sing me a song."
Brian put his mouth next to her ear and hummed a song his mom used to hum when he was little. Hailey kissed his chin and fell asleep, her head nuzzle in his neck.