Missing Pieces - Chapter 54
Hailey
Thursday
I threw up again that morning. And now I was standing in the drug store staring at all the different pregnancy test options. Even though I definitely wasn't pregnant.
The things Claire had said last night about love had really resonated with me.
People did crazy things for love all the time.
If I left this town, maybe I did have somewhere to go.
I could live near the Marine Corps training base.
I would be able to see Tyler more often.
And if I was really pregnant...I immediately shook away the thought. It wasn't possible. It couldn't be.
But I still pulled one of the tests off the hook and placed it in my basket.
I had driven out of town to get the test. If I had gone to the local pharmacy, everyone would be talking about it.
Word would probably still get back to town, but it would take a while.
Maybe I'd be in California by then. I just needed to wait for Tyler's phone call. Or his first letter back to me.
I checked out and climbed back in my car.
I turned on the ignition and started driving back to town.
Claire had spent all of last night helping me pack up the rest of the house.
It was easier to do it with someone else.
Especially someone who I hadn't realized how much I missed.
It truly felt like we were friends again.
She had sent Jack over to help this morning with moving boxes to the bar.
Which was the first time in years that it hadn't been awkward to see him.
And Anna had sent her son Billy to help move everything too.
I congratulated Billy on getting into college.
And he laughed for about five minutes and asked what the hell I was talking about.
Apparently he had already been taking classes at a local trade school and had known he wanted to be an electrician for years.
I had told him his mom asked for a raise just a few weeks ago because he had gotten into school.
Which made him laugh some more. He said she probably just said the first thing that she could think of so that I wouldn't suspect anything.
Apparently my dad and her had pretty much been in a relationship since I had gone off to school.
It made me feel better that they had never explicitly told Billy either, though.
Billy had just been a much better detective than me.
For the first time since my dad had died, I didn't feel so alone.
There were people in this town that still cared about me.
It was better to talk to people instead of shutting everyone out to grieve by myself.
Because really, this whole town was grieving with me.
This town was everything to me. But I was going to take a crazy chance on love.
After all, my dad wanted me to start opening up my heart.
I could feel him rooting for Tyler and me.
I pulled into the parking lot of the bar and put my car into park.
There were cars everywhere. Anna must have decided to open the bar for the night.
She had mentioned it earlier, but I told her I wasn't up for it.
I glanced down at my phone. That was my other new nervous habit.
Checking my phone constantly, hoping Tyler would call me.
He'd call me soon. I nodded to myself as I climbed out of the car.
When I walked into the bar, everyone started clapping.
For a brief second, I thought that Claire had told the whole town I was pregnant or something.
But she immediately ran over to me and hugged me. "We raised the money!" she shouted over the music.
"What?"
"To keep the bar open."
I'm pretty sure my jaw actually dropped. "What? How?"
"We all pitched in. I mean, it's just enough for a few months. But if business is good, it'll survive on its own." She was beaming.
"You guys didn't have to do that."
"We wanted to," Anna said as she gave me a hug too.
I was suddenly surrounded by everyone who had come out.
And it made my heart feel so full. But at the same time, it broke it too.
If my dad had told people he was sick, maybe they would have raised the money for his treatments.
Maybe he'd be standing here too. That was the thing about us Shaws. We were too proud for our own good.
***
Eventually, I was able to sneak away to the bathroom. I stared down at the pregnancy test as I paced around the bathroom stall. Slowly two lines appeared. Two. I glanced at the instructions on the box one more time. Two lines. I'm pregnant.
I'm pregnant?
I glanced at the instructions on the box again. I can't be pregnant. I couldn't even tell if I was happy or sad. I was just in shock. I pulled out my phone. Nothing. Tyler, where are you?
I needed to talk to him. I needed to see him.
I needed to tell him. I opened up the stall door, walked over to the sink, and stared at the reflection staring back at me.
My cheeks looked hollow. I barely recognized myself.
I hadn't been eating because I was too upset.
And then I thought I had a virus or something and wouldn't be able to keep it down anyway.
Now I had a reason to keep going though.
A reason beyond myself, which I think I needed.
I heard people laughing outside in the bar.
The reflection staring back at me smiled. I'm going to keep living, Dad.
And I was done waiting. I quickly washed my hands and made my way out the back door of the bar. There was a slight breeze. It reminded me of the pier in Santa Monica. The only thing missing was Tyler.
I pulled out my phone and brought up the website for the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego. I scrolled through the phone directory. Recruiters School? That might work.
I clicked on the number and put my phone to my ear. After a few rings a very serious sounding man answered the phone.
"Hi, yes, I was trying to contact one of your recent recruits. He just started training last week."
"Please hold and I'll transfer you."
"Okay..." but there was already light music playing.
A minute later someone with an even deeper voice answered the phone. "How can I help you?"
"I'm trying to get a hold of one of your recent recruits. He just reported for training last week. It's important."
"Name?"
"Hailey Shaw."
There was silence on the other end. "The name of the recruit, ma'am."
"Oh, right, of course. Tyler Stevens."
"One second, ma'am."
I closed my eyes as I waited. I wouldn't tell him over the phone. I'd come see him. He needed to hear it in person. But I needed to hear his voice. If I knew he was okay, it would give me the strength to be okay too.
The man on the other end cleared his throat. "Sorry, there are no records of a Tyler Stevens in our recent trainees."
What? "He just reported last Friday."
"Yes, I'm looking at that list, ma'am. Would you like me to pull up older records?"
"No, he just got there."
"Then maybe he reported to the Parris Island recruit depot in South Carolina then. Would you like me to transfer you?"
I shook my head even though I knew he couldn't see me. "Could you look again? I know he went to the San Diego recruit depot."
He was silent for moment. "There is no one by that name. I'm sorry. I hope you have a good night, ma'am."
The line went dead.
I pulled my phone away from my ear and stared down at it. If Tyler wasn't in training, where the hell was he? For a second it felt like the last few weeks had been a strange dream. Maybe I had made him up. I shook away the thought. My high was quickly turning back into a low.
He lied to me. He lied about joining the marines. I shook my head. That didn't make any sense. There was no reason for him to lie to me about that. There must have just been a problem with their records. That must be it. Tyler had no reason to lie to me. Unless he never wanted to see me again.