I'll be There for You

Chapter 5: Dumbstruck

A week after she crashed Klaus' engagement party, Hayley was walking out of her second job interview. Both of the catering companies were nothing that a good baker would complain about working for. However, Hayley had just been in the middle of running her own bakery and now she was supposed to be someone else's employee? This was not pretty. Altogether it was a nightmare.

Sighing heavily, Hayley sat down on a bench and pulled out a phone. She dialed a familiar number. "Hi, Davina. Oh. I'm sorry. I forgot. Okay. Good luck." Wincing, Hayley hung up the phone. She had forgotten that it was Josh who had taken Hope at three because Davina had a mid-term in her drawing class. Somehow Hayley was not sure how you could have a mid-term in drawing. But apparently you could.

Dialing Josh's number, Hayley rolled her eyes toward the bright blue sky as the phone rang. After the fifth ring, Josh answered. "Hey, Hales, sorry. I was just buying Hope some ice cream and trying to answer the phone with two dripping cones is not an easy task. You know that D's the multi-tasker and I'm the one thing at a time guy." Hayley smirked at Josh's joke.

"Yes, I know. Tell me that you didn't drip on those new shoes you just bought," Hayley teased.

Josh began to chuckle. "I'm surprised you noticed with all the stuff you've been up to lately."

"Yeah, I haven't exactly been paying as much attention as I used to," Hayley told the babysitter as she sat back. She was in a world of guilt. Neglecting the kid, her friends, her life in general just because the bills were everywhere. This was becoming out of control. Hayley really wanted for this to all be over. All she wanted was a new start. This time she would do things right. She would get a partner to help her out with the business part of the bakery. All she needed was a second chance. There were plenty of people who got that every day.

"Can I talk to Hope?" Hayley asked Josh. She heard him telling Hope that her mother wanted to talk to her.

"Hi, Mommy. Josh got me chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream," Hope said excitedly. "And we're going to the zoo later."

"Good. I'm happy that you're happy, baby. I'll see you soon. 'Kay," Hayley told her daughter who was humming to herself with the contentment of a child with an ice cream cone in hand. "I love you plus a billion."

"And to the moon and back," Hope replied with their usual silly nonsense sayings to each other. "Bye, Mommy. Have fun hunting jobs. I hope you get one soooooonnnnn."

"I hope so, too. Bye, baby," Hayley murmured, she did not hang up until her child did first. Allowing her head to fall backward, she stared up at the sky and daydreamed of a better life for two minutes before she forced herself to her feet. Walking down an unfamiliar street, Hayley was shocked when she noticed the name "Paper and Things" scrawled across the window of a shop.

Stopping in front of "Paper and Things," Hayley peered into the shop. It was small and there was nothing odd about it. It looked like an ordinary stationary store. A bit old fashioned but other than that there was nothing that made it stand out. On a whim, Hayley reached out and wrapped her hand around the front door handle and pulled it open. Entering the store, she began to examine the inventory. Nothing out of the ordinary there either.

"Hello, can I help you find anything?" A young man asked, coming to stand beside Hayley.

"No, thanks. I'm just looking," Hayley replied, flipping through a set of sample business cards. They were all very tasteful but she couldn't have afforded to buy a set even when she had her bakery.

"If you change your mind I'll be behind the counter," the man told her with a smile before he walked away.

As she opened her mouth to reply, Hayley heard the sound of a young man yelling from the back room. "Screw you, Lijah. You can keep you're bloody job and stuff it. I'm done filling out papers and dressing like one your bloody suits. I look ridiculous," the young man yelled, his voice moving closer to the outer room where the customers would be.