After dinner, I get up to help clean and wash the dishes but Mrs. Holt stops me just as I lift up the second plate. “You don’t need to tire yourself dear; we have someone to clean up after us.” She smiles almost warmly and I set the plates back down, following after her.

Of course they did.

I notice Hayden’s father call him over and they walk off somewhere so I have no other choice but to sit with his mother.

We take our seats in the spacious living room when someone sets down a tray of biscuits down, cups of tea beside it. “Thank you,” I say kindly to the woman and she smiles but before walking off, Hermione stops her.

"Hayden and David look busy so no need to bother them. Call Mr. Beckett to bring my husband's files in his office for later." The woman nods. "Thank you, Rose."

Mrs. Holt reaches for her cup of tea and sips on it slowly, her eyes watching me longer than necessary.

“I was surprised when David said Hayden and his girlfriend would be coming to dinner,” she starts off, setting her tea back on the tray again. “How did you convince him to come?” When she says this, there's a curious look on her face, as if there's more to her question.

“I just told him we should because his father asked,” I say simply, with a shrug, a little confused with how to answer.

Hermione Holt raises a perfect brow when I say this, a dubious look on her face. “That’s all?”
I nod slowly, my brows furrowing.

“How long has Hayden been away from home, I mean seeing you live right beside the city, he should visit you often right?”

Hermione doesn't answer for a while and just when I feel like I shouldn't have asked, she speaks up.

“Growing up in this house, Hayden was around many important people. He was expected to act like an adult at a young age. His father threw a lot of cocktail parties, so he’s probably seen things kids at his age shouldn’t have seen.” Hermione starts with a sigh. I reach for my tea but keep it to my lips; too focused on the words coming out of Mrs. Holt’s mouth to drink any.

Hayden never tells me anything so this is my chance to know more about him, and maybe even understand him a little better.

“During High school, he was sure of what he wanted to become, he was the heir of a multi-millionaire company and he was expected to take over. He and my husband had many disagreements because he was rarely home and being a teenager; he wasn’t acting very responsible.”

“My husband had many expectations of him and so did everyone else. Hayden obviously didn’t care about what everyone else thought about him, but David, David would be too hard on him at times.”

Hermione reaches for her drink and both of us take a sip as I process her words. So basically, Hayden’s whole childhood was taken away from him because of all these expectations.

“But David only expects so much because he knows, we know, Hayden is capable of it,” Mrs. Holt says sadly. “During the summer before college, he was never home; we didn’t even know where he would stay at first, he’d call me sometimes, but that was it.”

I can’t help but feel bad for them, it's clear they all care for one another but I guess it's difficult to control and secure million dollar companies as well as a confused teenage boy.

Mrs. Holt looks up to see me deep in thought before she smiles. “I’m sorry; I’ve probably made you uncomfortable with all this talk.”

“No,” I shake my head. “It’s nice to hear more about him, whatever it might be about.” I smile as I speak and for the first time, Mrs. Holt gives me a warm almost motherly look.

“Please, we would love it if you would visit more often; you seem to have a good influence on my son.” She says and I can’t believe the sincerity in her words. I was afraid Mrs. Holt would miss-judge my character and hate me.
So with her being so welcoming, I can’t help but feel happy.

“That would be great,” I say, smiling back just as sincere. I can tell she is nothing like my mother; she only wants the best for Hayden so I don’t blame her inhospitality at first.

“And I know Hayden might not be very open, but I can tell he really likes you, you’re the only girl he’s ever brought home.” She says and it makes my eyes widen.

“Um...Thank you.” I say a little shyly, not really knowing how to respond to that. She smiles and calls for the maid to clean up.

“Let’s go find the boys, shall we?” She suggests, standing up and I follow after her with a nod.

We walk down the corridor, past the many archways when she turns back to me. “They should be around here somewhere,” she tells me, turning another corner only for the both of us to halt momentarily at the sound of shouting.

“Son, listen to me!” Mr. Holt says when we follow the noises, turning the last corner. I don’t know where exactly we are but there are a lot of shelves and books in the room as Hayden and his father stand by the large glass window.

“No. I’m tired of listening to you!” Hayden shouts back and I’ve never seen him look so angry. His features aren’t as calm as usual, he doesn’t look like himself. “Do this. Do that. This is why I never come here so I don’t have to hear this bullshit!”

“Hayden,” his mother gasps through her fingers.

“Mom, don’t. You forced me to finish high school and act ‘responsible’ and now you don’t want me to even finish college. Not everything is up to you; I still don’t know what the hell I’m doing!”

“You do know what you’re doing. You’re my son, it’ll be natural.” Mr. Holt looks exhausted as he says this, speaking quietly and unable to overpower Hayden’s voice.

“How do you know that, is it because you just said so?” Hayden scoffs. Both father and son continue to stare down at each other as if it was a staring match, both of them with too much pride for either of them to look away.

"For once in your life, listen to your old man. I don't know what I've done but I'm sorry." Mr. Holt says sadly.

“Hayden, just listen to your father, what he has to say is importa—” Hayden cuts his mother off.

“No. We’re leaving.” He says sharply, breaking his gaze from his father to turn around and walk over to me.

“Hayden,” I start but I don’t finish when I see Mr. Holt struggling to reach his son again. David grabs Hayden by the shoulder to get him to halt.

“Hayden, please,” He begs but Hayden just pulls his shoulder back harshly, not stopping until he reaches me. Everything else seems to happen in slow motion.

Mr. Holt stumbles back weakly from Hayden, his feet dragging until he’s falling. I hear a scream coming distinctively from Hayden’s mother and my eyes widen when Hayden’s father hits the floor.

He’s not unconscious but he seems to have trouble standing back up as he grimaces in pain, coughing and spluttering.

Hayden leaves me so fast to run to his father, bending down to help him. “Dad, Dad. Mom, what happened? What’s wrong with him?” He sounds like a helpless child as his mother sobs, bending over her husband.

I stand there frozen for a moment before I fumble to quickly pull out my phone and dial for an ambulance.

When the ambulance gets here, they take his father away - things happening now in fast flashes. Hayden doesn’t cry, he looks lost and confused as his mother sobs on him, the paramedics asking what happened as I sit on the steps, running my hands through my hair.

I'm just praying Mr. Holt will be okay.

Mrs. Holt enters the ambulance with her husband before it drives away, there is flashing lights from the cameras and I have no time to even think as Hayden takes my hand and leads me to his car. “We’re going to meet my mom there,” He tells me starting up the car.

“Hayden,” I call and when he faces me I can’t see the emotions in his dark eyes, he hides them well, but I can feel them. “He’s going to be okay.”

Hayden’s eyes soften a bit as he reaches to interlace our hands, setting them on my lap as he drives with the other hand on the steering wheel and most definitely passing the speed limit.

…

We're waiting in the hall outside of Hayden’s father’s hospital room. Hayden is soothing his mother who cries uncontrollably, struggling to do or say anything. “H-Hayden, I’m so sorry we should have—” Mrs. Holt struggles to say.

“Mom, don’t speak. He’s going to be okay.” Hayden says, a calm look on his face as he rubs her back but this only seems to make her sob more.

My thoughts are interrupted when the doctor emerges from the room, making us all stand up on our feet with anxious and impatient looks on our face as we approach her. “Is my father going to be okay?” Hayden is the first to ask.

“Can I see my husband?” Mrs. Holt asks after.
The doctor looks a bit overwhelmed at their restlessness. “You can go in to see him,” is all she says.

Hayden pushes through, his mother and I following after him as well as the doctor, shutting the door behind her once more.

“Hayden,” Mr. Holt all but croaks and this is the first time I realize he is definitely not okay. I should’ve seen it before, for his age, Hayden’s father seems to be more exhausted and weak than normal. As I gaze at him lying still in his bed it leaves an unsettling feeling in my stomach.

Hayden bends down beside the hospital bed to look at his father and for the first time, I notice his eyes begin to water at his state. “Dad,” he whispers, reaching for his hand which he gently grabs. The sight makes my heartbreak.

I bite back the tears and look away.

Mrs. Holt walks over to the other side of her husband, and he weakly grabs her other hand before turning back to his son. “I’m so sorry Hayden; I invited you to dinner so I could tell you.”

“Tell me what?” Hayden asks, looking between his father and his mother and looking the complete opposite of calm for the first time. Hayden’s father opens his mouth to speak but the doctor interrupts him.

“Your father has cancer.”

The room goes still. The air has an undertone of bleach, making me slightly nauseated.

“C-Canc—” It looks like it pains Hayden to even finish that word as he looks away from the doctor and back at his parents, completely conflicted.

“We found out he’s had it for a while now and it’s been getting worse by the day,” his mother tells him. My eyes water when I see a tear slip out of his.

“Your father has Pancreatic Cancer,” the doctor continues solemnly. “It’s the most difficult to detect and fastest to spread. With all the tests we’ve run, it shows he’s had for about two years and we’re not sure how much longer he has to live.”

Hayden’s struggling to even speak, a look of anguish on his face. “That long and I’ve never known.” He whispers. His mother looks away, her shoulders shaking and unable to face her son as his father closes his eyes, probably feeling a different kind of pain.

“But can’t you guys do anything,” I practically plead, feeling helpless.

“We’ll give you anything, as much as you want for the treatments, just help my father,” Hayden adds.

“No Hayden…” His father speaks up once again, looking over to the doctor who simply watches his patient and his troubled family.

“There’s nothing more we can do.” The doctor finishes for him.

____________________________

A/N:

I know David Holt hasn't been here for long but it makes me sad that Hayden won't get that much time with him :( after everything. I'll go cry now.