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Chapter 19: Jaylyn

Chapter 19: Jaylyn~2 weeks later~

"Axel! C'mon you're so slow!" I shout up the stairs. Jane had asked Axel and I to go to the supermarket this morning, and we've been awake for an hour. Axel is taking ages to get dressed and ready for the day while I, the actual pregnant one, took only half an hour to get ready. I get on my blue jacket and grab the car keys while waiting for Axel. A few moments later, Axel emerges from our room hopping on his good leg while trying to pull on the other pant leg. He had put his shoes on before putting the pants on, so it looked rather difficult for him. "You're an idiot, Axel," I say, laughing.

"Shut up, Jaylyn," Axel says, coming down the stairs.

"I'm the pregnant one, and yet you take an hour to get ready in the morning. This is all backwards."

"Let's get going, Jaylyn," Axel says, taking the keys from my outstretched hand.

"I wanted to drive!" I say, following after him.

"You know what mom would say if I let you do that, Jaylyn," Axel says, opening the passenger side door for me. I get in the car and buckle the seatbelt as Axel shuts my door and goes to the other side.

"I know, but I haven't been able to for forever!" I whine, crossing my arms.

"As my mother would say, it's for your own safety. She just doesn't want her grandkids to get hurt by your reckless driving," Axel replies, putting the keys in the ignition and starting the car.

"Can we at least put on some good music?" I say. Axel taps my hand when I reach for the dial. "What? Jane's not here."

"Yes, but all the same. You know better. Do you have the list?" Axel backs out of the driveway and onto the road. 

I put my hand into my overstretched pocket and produce a small piece of paper."Yup. Our first shopping trip as a couple," I say, waving the list in the air.

"Well don't lose that list or else this will end horribly," Axel replies. 

We arrive at the supermarket a few minutes later, and Axel parks the car. He goes around to my side and opens the door for me like a gentleman, and we intertwine our hands as we walk into the store. Once inside, we go to the carts. I take one out and start to push it when Axel exclaims, "I'm going to do it!" and takes the cart away from me. I sigh and follow him to our first stop, the produce aisle. 

When in the produce section, we get a bag of cortland apples, a bunch of bananas, a bag of grapes, and, my favorite, pineapple. We also grab a head of lettuce, two tomatoes, a bag of salt potatoes, baby carrots, and spinach. Then, it's off to the dairy where we get two percent milk, coffee creamer, orange juice, and eggs. We go to toiletries and get paper towels, toilet paper, napkins, paper plates, plastic forks, and women necessities. We wander over to the chip and candy section and grab some salt and vinegar chips for Axel and I, and plain chips for the rest of the family. I get a bag of Jelly Belly jelly beans and banana chips, my favorite healthy treat. We also get drumsticks and fudgesicles from the frozen aisle, along with chicken nuggets, fish sticks, and curly fries. 

While looking at the expiration date on a bag of frozen waffles Axel picked out, I hear a loud noise come from the right of me. "Galaxy, you know momma doesn't want us to get those! She's allergic to gluten!" a man exclaims. I look over to see a tall man with cropped brown hair and a nice tan talking to a little girl who looks to be around three.

"You know there's gluten free food over in that aisle, right?" I ask, pointing to the aisle behind me.

"Thanks," the man says, taking the bag away from Galaxy. "My name's Cha-" He cuts off, looking at me with deep green eyes in wonder and... love? "Jaylyn? Are you Jaylyn?" 

"Who wants to know?" Axel asks, standing in front of me.

"It's me! It's Chad! Your brother? Man, you're pregnant? I'm gonna be an uncle?"

"I said, who wants to know?" Axel says, his voice getting tight and low.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I'm Chad. Chad Sean Hope, son of Marie and Sean Hope, brother to Jaylyn May Hope. This is my daughter, Galaxy," he says, and Galaxy waves to us.

"Brother?" I ask, stepping out from behind Axel who gives me a look like I had two heads.

"Yeah! You were real little when I left with Grandma, dad's mom anyways. After dad's accident, mom couldn't stand to look at me. I reminded her of him THAT much. I'm surprised you don't remember, you cried for ages before I left. You should meet Monica! She's my wife. You'd make great friends."

"I just met you. It's not like I'm gonna meet you and everything's happy happy joy joy, Chad. I don't remember you at all, I remember having a sibling, but mom said he died with dad."

"How is mom anyways? I haven't heard from her in a few years," Chad says, leaning forwards on his cart. I turn to Axel and bite my lip, trying to keep tears from flooding.

"That's a touchy subject Chad, and you're already pushing the limit," Axel says, taking me into his arms and hugging me. Since my mother's death had been so sudden and unexpected, it scared me for life. But then again, who's mother's death wouldn't scar them? 

"I'm sorry again. I didn't mean any harm. I can leave if you want," Chad says.

"No, it's fine," I sniffle. "I want to know more. How about you follow us back to Jane's house and we can talk there." I look up at Axel whose jaw was set in a firm line. 

"Okay, sure. I have to check out though."

"It's okay, so do we," I reply.

"Let's go!" Chad says, racing to the checkout lines.

Once he was out of earshot, Axel stops and turns to me. "Jaylyn, this is a horrible idea. You just met the guy. What if he's like Carl?" 

"Axel, you worry too much. He isn't going to be like Carl, and even if he was I have you to protect me."

"You know I know that, but I can't help myself. I put you in danger once before, and if that ever happened again, I don't know what I'd do," Axel says, resuming his walk to the cash register.

"If anything were to happen, we're all home and Sawyer's there, the police are a phone call away. We're going to be okay." I say as we get to the register. We, mostly Axel, put the groceries on the conveyer belt, and check out. We walk out to the car, get in, and start on our way home.

A/N Hello lovely! So sorry it took THIS long for us to update, I had my wrist two weeks ago, and this past week I've just kinda neglected my writing. So, here's a nice little chapter for you, be sure to vote and comment if you enjoyed, and we'll be back within the next two weeks with another chapter! (If @meleatowsley remembers to write it lol)

Love you all!

<3 R + M