I grab the last plate out of Hadley's hands. "Hadley will you sit down, work for you today is to be a minimum." I start to scrub down the plate and run it under the water.

"Dustin you can't do it all." She huffs crossing her arms and pouting.

"And neither can you." I say putting the plate on the drying rack beside the sink. I turn to Hadley and see her face with a hint of a frown her eyes lost in thought.

"Hey," I said, "it's okay to admit you can't do it on your own. It's alright to ask for help."

Hadley sighs loudly. "It's the least I can do, I mean after.." her words get lost in the air.

I know exactly what her words mean. I can see the lost in her eyes and the hurt and guilt in her voice. I glance over to Hadley's dad and he looks focused whatever is playing on the screen. I get closer to Hadley and hold her face in the palms of my hands. "Hadley you are not responsible for anything that happened with your mom."

She can't meet my eyes. I know she thinks she needs to be the mother of the house. "It's just not fair for Oliver to not have a mother." Her voice is shaky.

"It's not exactly fair to you either, it's not fair that you skipped the whole teenager thing and jump right to being an adult."

"I had to..." I bush a pice of loose hair behind her ear.

"Well it's never to late to be a teen, even a mature one. But one condition, you gotta let me help."

She takes a second, as though processing the words before nodding her head. I kiss her gently on the forehead.

"Alrighty, now what do you say to a little grocery outing?" She smiles and nods her head again.

* * *

"Okay first item in the list?" I ask pushing the cart in through the market doors.

Hadley unfolds a pice of paper and stares at it. "Oh you know the usual, bread, milk, cereal." She says, in much higher spirits then before we left.

I push the cart through the isles Hadley stoping me every so often to look at some stuff and placing things in the cart. A loaf of bread, some apples. Then we stop on the cereal and cookies isle. Hadley takes two boxes and is trying to decide between the two.

"Which one do you think Oliver would like more?" She presents me with two choices, frosted flakes or cinnamon toast crunch.

"Does he like them both?" I ask resting my arms on the cart handle. She nodes. "Frosted flakes." I say to her. "I'm surprised you're not getting like shredded wheat or something healthier." I laugh out.

"Hey." She says playfully hitting my arm and placing the box in the cart. "He's been doing well in school so I though he could have a treat."

I look at her with amazement. "That's how you reward him? A box of sugary cereal?"

"Actually yes. It's better then a chocolate bar in my opinion, because then he gets a small sugary reward each day. Longer reward."

That's actually a really good idea. She always knows how to celebrate even in the simplest of ways.

"Plus it's better for the bank." She smiles.

"You make the most out of simple." I tell her as we pass a variety of crackers and rice cakes.

"I try to." She smiles placing some rice cakes in the cart. "Alright that's all we need."

The two of us continue pushing along to the cash. I help put the items on the conveyor belt. Frosted flakes, milk, bread, granola bars, rice cakes among other items.

"Hi, how are you?" The cashier, an older women with greying hair, asks Hadley as she starts to scan the items, each one showing up on the screen as it passes.

"Good, good. How are you?" She responds as I put the last few things on the conveyor.

"I'm great." She smiles. She finishes scanning each product. "That will be $102.73." She smiles, before Hadley can even take out her card I pull mine out and spin the machine so it's facing me more and tap my card on the screen making sure it goes through.

Hadley looks at me surprised. "Dustin, you didn't.."

"I wanted to, don't worry about it doll, it's not just for you it's for Oliver and your dad too." I say

Taking the recite from the lady behind the register.

"Ah, you two are just the cutest." She smiles. Hadley's cheeks turn a light shade of pink.

"Thank you ma'am. Have a nice day." I smile at her and lead Hadley down to the end of the conveyor so the two of us can start to bag the groceries.

"Dustin..." Hadley starts as she places a packed bag into the cart, "why are you doing all this?"

I sigh, "because I care Hadley." She doesn't look up from her arranging of a bag. "Hadley... I'm sorry for what I did."

"I know." She says at barely a whisper. "I am too."

"I.. Hadley, there's nothing for you to be sorry for." I say taking the bag she was endlessly arranging to keep from looking at me. "You were right, I should have just tried harder to do something that could protect you and instead of running away I should have been there for you."

As we wheel the cart out to the car there is a intense silence between us. I load the bags into the back, wheel the cart back to the store then get in on the drivers side. We sit in silence until Hadley breaks it with her words.

"Well," she says, "you're here now and I've never been more thankful." She flashes a smile at me.

"So you're not still mad at me?"

"Oh I'm stilled pissed that you just dumped me like that, but you're the best things that ever happened to me, other then Oliver of course."

This makes me smile. "You know what? You're the best thing that's ever happened to me too, other then gizmo of course." She rolls her eyes playfully and turn to me leaning over the centre console slightly.

"And if you recall, you only have gizmo because of little old me." She grins.

I smile at her and close the distance between us. My face just a sliver from hers. "Hadley... is this okay?" She nods met head slightly. I connect our lips, just as sweet as I remember. I know it's cheesy but it's like a fire that was put out in me enlightened again. We just fit.

Hadley pulls away, at first I though she changed her mind, regretted saying she was okay with it. Then I see her face, grinning like a kid was given all the candy in the world.

"Just don't do it again okay?" She said putting her hand over mine.

"Cross my heart," I say putting my other hand over my heart. "Now how about I get you to Jess, for some much needed R&R and I'll head out to pick up Oliver?"

She nodded her head happily. I turn on the engine and Cruze over to Jessica's.

When I pull into her driveway she's excitedly waiting. When I stop Hadley squeezes my hand then gets out. I roll the window down and she leans in the window. "Any idea what she's got planed for me?"

I shrug." No clue some girly stuff."

Jessica comes and leans in the window beside Hadley. "So are you two like back together now or?"

Hadley looks away her face blushing. "None of your business." I say to her causing jessica to jump for excitement.

"Oh yes you totally are! God you guys! Honestly the best couple I've ever met! Other then Eric and I of course. We have to double some time." She smiles.

"Yeah yeah, now you two go have some fun and a nice relaxing time." I say. "I'll text you when I'm back at your place with Oliver okay, so you won't worry."

"Sounds great, thank you Dustin, really." She smiles to me before Jess is pulling her away chatting to her about the plans she has made.

"Hey Jess!" I yell out the window just before leaving. The two girls stop and stare back at next. "I want her back by dark." I say laughing.

Jess waves behind her and continues to pull Hadley with her. "Whatever Dustin, there's no school tomorrow I'll keep her as long as I want!" Hadley is full of laughter as the two walk away.

I pull out of the driveway and head to the elementary school to pick up little Oliver.