Take A Walk (A Hunter Hayes Fanfiction, Book 5 of The Hardships Saga)

Chapter Sixty

"Yes, darling?"

"I love you. Thank you for calming me down today. I... I need you."

She heard her favourite song beginning to go faster. The beat was quicker, the humming faster. "I- I love you, too," he breathed back, and with that sentiment, she fell asleep, her favourite song her forever lullaby.

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Hunter woke up blearily, his eyes tired and his mind fuzzy. But when he looked over, his beautiful wife was asleep beside him, and everything was okay. He smiled to himself, stretching and getting out of bed, beginning to make breakfast.

Spencer walked in, and Hunter smiled at her. "Good morning, sweetheart."

"Morning, Pa." Spencer, like her mother, had beautiful grey eyes, but the brown hair that she had inherited from Hunter. "Did Ma wake up yet?"

"No, she was asleep when I left the room," he said, grabbing toast from the toaster and handing a piece to her.

"Thanks. How's Adri?"

"Adri's good, y'know, she and Drew are doing well now. Expecting their third, actually."

"Oh, good for them!"

Lilly walked into the room tiredly, and Hunter smiled, giving her a quick kiss. "Morning, petal."

"Morning."

"What's your agenda today?"

"Work."

Lilly, despite her degree, hadn't gotten the job she had hoped for at NASA. She was a secretary for a dentist's office now, for lack of a better job, and she hated it there. Well, Hunter thought, she hated most things nowadays. But he still loved her. He'd always still love her.

Eleanor walked down the stairs as well, sighing and sitting down. "Good morning, Ellie," prompted Hunter, and Eleanor sighed.

"Mornin', Pa."

"What's got you so down?"

"I broke up with Chad."

"Good, he was a piece of fit," commented Spencer as she bit down on her toast.

"Fit?" questioned Hunter, as he served Lilly a piece of toast which she picked at.

"It's the mix between the f-word and sh-"

"Watch it, Spence," warned Lilly, and Hunter laughed, ruffling the fifteen year old's hair.

"Alright, fair. I didn't like him much either, Ellie, so maybe it's for the better."

"Yeah, whatever." She sighed. "There are literally no men in Nashville worth marrying."

"Maybe you should move out, considering you're twenty-nine."

"Maybe you should mind your own business, considering you're fifteen."

"You're literally thirty."

"Yeah, and my new house is getting built so I have to stay here. You got a problem with that?"

"Girls, no fighting. Spence, you've got school, and Ellie, you've got work, right?"

They both sighed. "Yeah," they said in unison.

"How's that teacher of yours, Spencer, the music teacher? She left a little while ago, right?" Hunter turned back to the toaster.

"Ryan?" Spencer sighed. "Yeah, she just... never came back. There are some rumours that she skipped town with her kid to get away from her husband, but I don't reckon they're true. Why would she marry someone she didn't love?"