A Way Through

Chapter Five

Haisley finished pulling the front of her hair into a braid and pinned it into her ponytail. She always tried to look a bit nicer on the weekends when she worked at the cafe, so she had a better chance at getting tips. After she got off at the cafe tonight, she would head over to the grocery store for some overnight stocking. Once she was happy with her reflection, Haisley grabbed her bag and headed downstairs. She had just enough time to whip up some breakfast for Elliot whenever he decided to wake for the day. 

But when she entered the kitchen, she was met with a sour-looking Finn looking through the cabinets. Haisley swallowed nervously as she set her bag on a chair. 

“Where did you move the coffee?” he asked bluntly. 

“We don’t have any,” she said. Haisley liked coffee but didn’t spend the extra money often. The coffee maker sat largely unused in the corner of the countertop. Finn scoffed. 

Haisley went to the fridge and pulled out the Starbucks Frappuccino drink that Addison had left the other day. “Here,” she said, handing it to him. He gave her a disapproving look. 

Haisley tried to ignore him as she grabbed eggs, spinach, and cheese from the fridge. “Are you hungry?” she asked her older brother. 

“Is there even enough for all of us to eat?” Finn asked her, looking at the six eggs left in the carton. 

“I am making Elliot some breakfast before I go to work. I can also make you some if you would like,” she tried to say as pleasantly as possible. 

“I’ll pass,” he said. Haisley set to work making her little brother an omelet. The kid ate a lot of eggs for breakfast, but they were cheap, and he didn’t complain. Finn watched her silently for a few minutes. 

Haisley beat a couple of eggs in a bowl, washed and chopped the spinach, then set a pan on the stove to warm while she found the small jar of bacon grease she kept for cooking. 

“Is this how you usually feed him?” Finn asked pointedly. 

Haisley paused as she watched the bacon fat begin to liquify. “Spinach and egg omelets?” she asked. “What is wrong with that?”

“There is almost no food in this house,” Finn said. 

“I just got paid yesterday, Finn. His game took precedence over grocery shopping last night. Then your arrival sort of changed my plans,” she said quietly. 

“I am holding up my end of this deal here, Haisley. I keep a roof over your heads, and you take care of him.” Haisley slowly poured the eggs into the pan and sprinkled some ground pepper over the eggs.

“I am doing my best, Finn,” she said, trying to keep her voice steady. His judgment ignited a mixture of anxiety and frustration in her that was threatening to spill out. She didn’t want to fight with Finn before she went to work all day. 

“And where will you be all day?” His tone told her he already knew the answer.

“I have a double shift at the cafe, then one at the grocery store. I have to pay for things, don’t I?” 

“And if you are working all day, how are you keeping an eye on him?”

“He is a Junior in high school. I don’t need to know where he is at every minute of the day. Plus, he has a cellphone,” she argued. Haisley sprinkled the chopped spinach and cheese over the half-cooked eggs and covered the pan with a lid. She turned around to face her older brother. His eyes were observing her carefully. “Maybe you should spend a few days with us before you jump to the conclusion that I am failing him.”

“Maybe I don’t need to,” he said, raising his eyebrow. 

“What exactly do you think I am failing to do?” Haisley asked her brother bluntly. 

Finn didn’t get to answer because Kai and Elliot came into the kitchen, wrestling with each other. “Hey, Hais!” Elliot said, Kai’s arm wrapped around his head. 

“Hey, E,” she said, smiling at her little brother. “Your breakfast is almost done.”

“Hae Bae, did you make me any?” Kai pouted, letting go of Elliot. 

“Did you want some? You weren’t awake, so I didn’t know,” she said quickly. 

Kai laughed. “It’s okay. I am going to pick my mom up for brunch. She has missed her little baby,” he smiled. Kai was the youngest of his siblings and the only boy. His mother doted on him and was very sad when he got orders to deploy. 

“Can you stop calling my little sister ‘bae’?” Finn groaned. 

“She has been Hae Bae forever, and that’s not gonna change just because she is all woman-like,” Kai told his best friend. Haisley rolled her eyes, but a small smile danced on her lips. Haisley turned around and finished preparing Elliot’s omelet. She grabbed a plate and slid the eggs onto it. Elliot came over and grabbed the plate from her hands, and affectionately kissed her cheek. 

“Thanks, sis,” he said. 

“E, can you wash the dishes today?” Haisley asked sweetly. 

“Can I go to Devin’s and stay the night?” he countered, raising an eyebrow. 

“Yea. Will you text me when you’re in for the night?” Haisley asked. 

Elliot smiled. “Yea! Can you wash my football cleats? They stink,” he said. 

“I’ll do it tomorrow morning. They will be deodorized before school,” Haisley told him. Elliot grabbed a fork from the silverware drawer and dug into his breakfast. 

“Well,” Kai said, clapping his hands together. “As adorable as this has been, a sweet old lady is waiting for her beloved child. I will be taking my leave!” He bowed dramatically and exited the kitchen. 

“I gotta go, E. Dishes before you go to Devin’s, okay? You can call Addy or me if you guys need anything,” Haisley said, grabbing her bag. 

“Thanks, Hais. See you tomorrow!” he said with a mouth full of eggs. 

Haisley made her way to the front door, grabbing her keys from the hook. “Haisley,” Finn’s voice said behind her. 

She stopped and turned to face her older brother. “Yea?” 

“I think we should talk later,” he said. 

“Um, alright,” she said.

“What time will you be home?” He asked. 

“I don’t know. Maybe four?” she answered. 

“Fine. I’ll go grocery shopping today.”

“You don’t have to. I can order the groceries for delivery later.”

“It’s fine.”

“Alright. Um, thanks.” Finn nodded his head and turned away from her, heading up to his room. Haisley sighed and headed out the door. It was going to be a long day; she already knew it. 

-

“Hey Haisley, you wanna grab the guy that’s just kind of standing in the doorway looking around?” one of the other waitresses asked. 

“Sure,” Haisley called from behind the counter. She finished restocking the shelf and turned around to see Kai looking around the cafe from the doorway. When his eyes landed on her, he smiled. 

“Hai Bae,” he said as he approached the counter. 

“Kai, what are you doing here?” she asked him quickly. She looked sideways to see one of the other waitresses giving her a curious look. 

“Finn said you were working all day, and he is being a grumpy dbag. Thought I would come see my favorite girl,” he said with a smile. He took a seat at one of the stools and pulled a menu from the condiment kraft they were tucked into. 

“Okay, well, I am working. You know I can’t hang out, right?” Haisley said. 

“I know. But, if I just keep ordering, you have to keep talking to me, right?” Kai said, wiggling his eyebrow. Haisley rolled her eyes. 

“Just wait here,” she said. Haisley walked through the double doors leading back to the kitchen. First, she headed over to the cooks and asked for a plate of fresh french fries and a side of gravy. While they were working on that, she found the manager and asked if she could take her break a little early. When Haisley explained that her good friend had just come home from deployment and she wanted to see him for a minute, her manager agreed. 

Haisley grabbed the plate of fries and headed back out to the counter. Kai was scrolling through his phone when she came around the counter and sat down next to him. Setting the plate between them, Haisley grabbed the pepper shaker and began adding a generous portion to their fries. 

“A girl after my own heart,” Kai said dramatically, looking up from his cellphone. 

“Shut up and eat your fries,” Haisley said as she grabbed one and dipped it in the gravy. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” Kai said. 

“There isn’t much to talk about,” Haisley said, shrugging her shoulders. 

“Hae, he is being cold. He told me he was surprising Elliot, but I didn’t know he truly said nothing to you,” Kai said. 

“Kai, he hasn’t called since Elliot’s birthday in February. Eight months, nothing. He has made it pretty clear he wants nothing to do with me,” Haisley said, eating more fries. She did not want to talk about Finn and his disapproval of her. Haisley knew she wasn’t redeemable in his eyes, and some days, she had to agree with him. 

“Hae Bae, this is just ridiculous!” Kai argued. 

“Why are you home?” Haisley said, stopping him. Kai turned his head away from her, staring down at the plate. He ate a couple of fries laden with gravy before he said anything. 

“Things happened. It was time to come home,” he said. Haisley could tell he didn’t want to talk about it. They both ate in silence for a few more minutes. 

“It’s not my house, but you can stay as long as you want. You won’t see me much, though,” she said. 

“How much are you working?” he asked. 

“To pay all the bills, my tuition, and keep Elliot fed?” Haisley said with a raised eyebrow. 

“Finn’s not helping?”

“He makes the mortgage p*****t,” Haisley said. 

“That’s it?” Kai asked, aghast. Haisley nodded. Kai gritted his teeth in frustration. 

“It’s fine. I work full-time here, but I am up for a promotion. If I get it, I can quit the other job as soon as I have money to get Elliot a car. I feel bad having to rely on his friends all the time,” she explained. 

“Why didn’t you tell me you are working two jobs while going to school and taking care of Elliot?” Kai asked, sounding a little hurt now. 

Haisley let out a small sigh and smiled at him. “Kai, it’s my mess. It isn’t your job to take care of me or E. Just having you home in one piece is enough, I promise.”