the soldier | linstead story

chapter two

APRIL 18, 2013

The daylight passed through the curtains and woke up Jay early morning. He rubbed his blue eyes before got out of bed. It was 8 AM.

-God, stop with your light, I need to sleep, muttered Jay, exhausted.

He went into the kitchen and kissed her mother and say hello to Ryan, his big brother.

-You're not working today? Asked Jay.

-Not today. I worked all night.

-You're up early.

-Yeah, always ... Did you sleep well ?

-No, not really. Some nightmares. He whispered.

-Hey, forget all you saw during three years. It's okay, now. He smiled to his little brother.

Erin Lindsay lived with his boyfriend, Jake. They are in love since nine months and two weeks ago, he proposed to her and she accepted. She's happy with him, but since they are together, they try to make a baby and it doesn't work, and when she met this guy yesterday, she had an appointment with a doctor for some tests. She got results quickly and she didn't sleep well because of that. When she learned she was infertile, she cried a lot. "It's impossible. I can't be infertile." she thought. This new haunted her thoughts since yesterday afternoon.

Jake is a great firefighter since five years at the firehouse 51 and his biggest dream is become a lieutenant like Kelly Severide or Matt Casey for who he works. Jake is older than Erin, he is thirty years and Erin, twenty-four.

Jay decided to go walking at 10 AM. So, he took his jacket and left his house. He walked during twenty minutes when he saw a familiar face out of the bakery. He stopped his walk to watch her. It was Erin Lindsay. He hesitated to go see her. He thought she doesn't remember him, so he walked and ran beside her.

- Jay Halstead, how is your head ?

He stopped and smiled before turning to her.

- You recognized me, I'm honored.

- Shut up, idiot. She laughed.

- My head is okay. Thank you. He smiled.

- And you, how are you ?

- Not good, I had a bad night. So, you know...

Erin understood Jay because she was exactly in the same position.

- Hey, I bought two cupcakes, we share ? Originally it was for me and my fiancé, but he works so.

- Your ... Fiancé ? He asked surprised.

- Yeah. Let's go for a walk in the park.

The two news friends (?) went to the park. Erin spoke about her fiancé and her life. She is a nurse at the Chicago Med, where she met Jake.

- So you're work together, that's cool.

- In some ways, yes. When the paramedics bring a victim at the hospital, he comes to see me, sometimes.

They sat on a bench in front of a pond. Erin opened the box of cupacakes and gave the blue cupcake to Jay. He thanked her and she took the rose cupcake.

- We try to have a baby, Jake and me, but it doesn't work. She confessed.

- Why ?

- I'm infertile. She sighed.

- I'm sorry, Erin. Really.

- Thank you. What do Jake think about that ?

- He doesn't know yet. But, I know he will be sad.

Jay was sorry for Erin and he didn't know what to think. He couldn't imagine a life without child, but he knew if he had a girlfriend who was infertile, he would adopt.

- What would you do if you were Jake ? She asked, curious, maybe she asked for reassurance.

He looked at her and saw she was a little bit sad. She couldn't have her own baby and this, touched her more than she showed it.

- I'll be there for you, no matter what. The adoption exists and offer to a child, who lives in a poor country, a real family who always be there for him, is beautiful, magical and all you want. So, look on the bright side, you can't have your own baby, but you can make child's life more beautiful ... And it's pretty cool.

Erin listened Jay with attention and smiled, but she knew Jake wasn't like Jay, he wouldn't think like him.

- Jake will be furious, not comprehensive, like you.

- I'm pretty sure he will. I can't promise you, but he will.

- Thanks, Jay. Talk about you. I know nothing about you.

He laughed gently and finished his cupcake. Erin insisted.

- I'm shy, you know ?

- Oh, really ? She asked ironic. I had noticed that. I mean, you don't talk much, you dont look me in the eyes, all these little things ... You know ? They betray you.

He blushed, nervous. She has totally right and she knew him better than he thought. She noticed he was nervous and she didn't insist. She just asked his age, his address, about his family and he answered.

They spent the morning together and Erin went at the firehouse to see Jake and announced the bad new.

- Jake ... We should talk.