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It had been six magical weeks since Gil had first met Jackie, and whilst it might not have been love at first sight, it was certainly a feeling that was growing and blossoming between the two. Admittedly, he'd been heartbroken when Jessica had turned him down, especially when she'd told him it was because they were from two different worlds and that nothing could ever happen between them. It had made him feel like he was somehow lesser, like he wasn't good enough or rich enough to be with her, and that he'd only be an embarrassment to her if anything did happen. Logically, he knew most of that was just his own insecurities and feelings of heartbreak, but Gil also had a nagging doubt that at least some of it was true. Jessica Whitly might have been shunned by most of her friends, but she was still 'royalty', and she couldn't exactly be seen chumming it with some cop now could she? Even if he had gained a lot of recognition for putting 'The Surgeon' behind bars.
That was another thing that had made the possibility of a relationship between them a challenge. She was still technically married to Martin; though she had been in the midst of getting a divorce, and anything that could happen between them would have to wait till after she got divorced. Gil was a religious man, and he would not make an adulterer out of either of them. There was also the fact that he'd arrested her husband to factor in, and no matter how much she hated Martin, it would still have been a conflict of interest and grossly overstepping his boundaries if anything had happened so soon after. Over the course of Martin's trial, he had stuck by her, keeping things strictly professional, but it had been hard to deny his feelings for her over the year it had taken to finally see Martin get his verdict. There had been so many moments where something had almost happened, when comforting her had nearly lead to something more than it ought to have done.
In the end, it had all worked out. He had been heartbroken for a few weeks before he'd met Jackie at a bar when he'd been having a few drinks with some of his co-workers. He had been drawn to her, but too nervous to say anything. Luckily for him, she'd approached him; and the rest, as the saying went, was history. Gil felt truly blessed to have met her, and thanked God every day for bringing such an amazing, funny, beautiful and intelligent woman into his life. He didn't want to jinx anything, but he could see a real future with this woman, the whole package; marriage, kids, grand kids, maybe even a cat. They still had to get to know one another a lot better before any kind of discussion of that nature came up, but Gil honestly thought he'd found 'The One', just like in those romantic movies she was always getting him to watch.
Fixing his tie in the mirror, Gil heard the doorbell go and checked his watch, frowning in confusion. If that was Jackie; then she was an hour early, and he wasn't on call tonight, so it couldn't be work related, and even if it was, they knew to call him. "Just a minute." Doing a last check of his appearance (just in case it was Jackie), and finding nothing too horrendous, he went to the front door and was surprised to see Jessica Whitly standing there with her two kids, and an overnight bag in the crook of her elbow. "Jessica?" He asked, confused why she was here and wondering if perhaps he'd forgotten that Malcolm was supposed to come over tonight. "Is everything okay?"
"Gil." She sounded exhausted, she looked it too, which only further worried Gil. "I'm so sorry to just drop by like this unannounced, but Malcolm he...." Her voice trailed off as she looked down at her son who somehow looked even more exhausted than Jessica did; which was unsurprising given his night terrors, but even with that, Gil had never seen Malcolm look this exhausted before. "He's not slept for almost a week now, and I'm scared Gil, you hear all these things about what can happen when people don't sleep for extended periods of time, and he's never been this bad before." Gil nodded, taking care not to interrupt Jessica. "He always seems to get some sleep when he's with you, so I was wondering if you could take him tonight? Or perhaps over the weekend? I wouldn't ask unless I was desperate, and I know, I should have called first but I just-" She stopped rambling and finally noticed Gil's smart attire. "Oh, were you planning on going out tonight?" Before Gil even got a chance to answer, Jessica was scolding herself. "How stupid of me, I should have called, or known you had plans, of course you have plans, you're a busy man and I've been taking advantage of your kindness for so long, I just assumed that-"
"Jessica stop." Gil cut in before Jessica could derail any more, earning a shocked look from Jessica which seemed to scream 'how dare you interrupt me', luckily she quickly covered that with a look of gratitude. "You know I'm always happy to have Malcolm, and Ainsley too. Do I wish you'd called first? Of course I do, but you're here now, and I'm not about to turn you away and have Malcolm go another night without sleep." Knowing how much Malcolm hated being talked about like he wasn't there, he crouched down before Malcolm and smiled. "Hey kid, how you feeling?" Malcolm shrugged his shoulders, staring down at his feet. "Fancy a night in watching movies and slugging it out on the couch? We can watch that old western you asked me about?" Malcolm finally looked up, a small hint of a smile on his lips. "Come on kid, let's get you inside." Taking the bag from Jessica, he stepped to one side to let Malcolm find his way in. "Need me to take Ainsley as well?"
Jessica sighed, a visible weight lifting off of her shoulders. "No Gil that's fine. Thank you so much for this, it really means a lot that you've opened your home to Malcolm....to all of us." Bending down, she picked up a tired Ainsley and held her close. "I'm sorry I ruined your evening."
"You didn't ruin it at all Jessica." He reassured. "I'll give you a call in the morning and we can work out whether Malcolm stays for the weekend or goes back home to you. In the meantime, get some rest yourself okay?" Jessica mouthed a thank you before turning on her heel and walking back over to her driver, waving goodbye before disappearing inside and getting driven off by Adolpho. Gil watched the car disappear around the corner before finally closing the door and focusing his attention on Malcolm who was still standing in the hallway, staring at him silently. "So, why don't we get you get into your pyjamas and I'll make you a warm glass of milk? I just need to make a quick phone call." Obedient as ever, Malcolm picked up the overnight bag and headed to his room, the usual bounce in his walk nonexistent due to how tired he probably was. Gil's heart went out to the kid, it wasn't right that Malcolm was still suffering from the things he'd seen, and no doubt heard since Martin had been arrested. Boys Malcolm's age weren't supposed to be suffering with crippling anxiety or PTSD, he should be laughing, having fun, and causing just a little bit of trouble as he transitioned into a teenager. It wasn't fair that Malcolm's childhood had been ruined by that monster, but if Gil was able to give Malcolm even a slither of happiness, he owed it to Malcolm to do that.
Going to the kitchen, he poured a glass of milk into Malcolm's favourite mug and stuck it in the microwave, putting it on for ninety seconds to get it to the temperature Malcolm liked. Whilst he waited; he pulled out his phone so he could give Jackie a ring and try and see if they could rearrange tonight's date. He hoped; no...he knew she would understand. She might not have met Malcolm, but he'd told her a little bit about the kid and his friendship with the Whitly family, just in case emergencies like this ever happened. She'd never pressed him for more information, telling him he could talk about Malcolm once he felt comfortable to do so, and more importantly, when the family were happy for him to share information. It was just one more thing that made Jackie so incredible.
Luck however, was not on his side tonight, and despite ringing twice, Jackie hadn't picked up the phone. The cop in him worried something must have happened, but he also knew Jackie often had her phone on vibrate, so often missed calls the first few times around. He just didn't want her to waste a journey when they wouldn't be able to do anything, and he doubted she'd want to stay at home looking after someone else's kid, nor did he want to make Malcolm uncomfortable when the whole reason Malcolm was here, was so he'd feel safe and comfortable enough to finally sleep. Sighing, he put his phone down and retrieved Malcolm's drink from the microwave, setting it down on the coffee table whilst he tried Jackie one more time, but before he could even hit dial, his doorbell went again and something told him that this time, it really was Jackie on the other side of his front door. "Hey Malcolm?" He tucked his phone into his pocket and headed towards his front door. "Milk's all ready, you can start the movie without me if you like, I'll be there in a minute."
Opening the door, his jaw fell slack as he was greeted by Jackie looking drop dead gorgeous in the most beautiful dress he'd ever seen her in. Her hair was tied back, with a loose curl on one side, and subtle make up that highlighted her best features. It was almost like the universe was playing a cruel trick on him for having to cancel their date. "Jackie hi." Leaning over, he planted a tender kiss on her cheek, sighing when he got a whiff of her perfume. "I tried to call you." He looked at her sheepishly as she asked him if everything was okay. "I'm really sorry, but I have to cancel tonight." It felt wrong to be messing her around like this, but he had to put Malcolm first, the kid needed him, and after saving his life, Gil owed it to Malcolm to be there for him when Malcolm needed him. The kid looked up to him, and had become quite reliant on him ever since Martin had been taken away, and whilst Gil worried it could be unhealthy for Malcolm to become too attached, he was too fond of the kid to do anything about it. "Jessica needed my help with Malcolm, and I can't leave him at home alone. He's not been sleeping, so I really need to be there for him. I hope you can find a way to forgive me and understand that I have to do this."
A flash of annoyance swept across Jackie's features, and for a moment, Gil wondered if he'd made a terrible mistake; not about cancelling, but about getting involved with someone who'd get so upset about needing to take care of a kid. "Gil Arroyo, you idiot." Jackie scolded. "Of course I understand, how could you even entertain the idea that I wouldn't?" Gil stood there, stunned, unsure of how to respond. "I know he's not your son, but I also know how important he is to you, and you to him. Even if you haven't told me much about him, you talk about him a lot, so I know how much he means to you. I can't believe you thought I'd be bothered by this." They'd never argued before, Gil wasn't even sure that this was an argument, but he felt like he was being told off, and not for the reasons he'd worried about. "And just so we're clear, I don't forgive you, because there's nothing that needs forgiving." Still stunned, Gil didn't even notice Malcolm appearing beside him, not until Jackie crouched down in front of him. "Hey, you must be Malcolm right? I'm sorry if I disturbed you, I was just telling Gil off for being silly." She smiled at Malcolm with such ease, almost like they'd known one another for years.
Malcolm was quiet at first, and Gil worried the kid might be on the verge of an anxiety attack, Malcolm didn't like meeting new people, and had trouble knowing what to say or do, but to his surprise, Malcolm smiled and let out a quiet laugh. "Yeah, he can be silly sometimes. Mother always says he needs a woman around to tell him what to do." Malcolm looked up at Gil, one of his rare cheeky smiles on his lips. "I think we finally found you one Gil."
Laughing, Gil ruffled the kid's hair and turned his attention back to Jackie. "Well, that's me told then." He smiled at Jackie, glad that the first initial meeting between two of the most important people in his life had gone well. "Do you want me to pay for the cab ride home?"
"What are you talking about Gil?" Malcolm asked. "Isn't she going to stay over and watch a movie with us?" Gil gave Malcolm a quizzical look, not expecting the kid to want someone else around. "You were going to go on a date right? I don't want you to have to cancel that because of me." Gil could see the weight of guilt on Malcolm's shoulders, it was a weight he had become familiar with recognising, and one he tried to make Malcolm see he didn't have to carry. The kid blamed himself for far too much that wasn't his fault, Gil wasn't about to let one ruined date add to that. "I don't mind Gil, really."
Gil looked between the two, feeling like he was stuck between a rock and a hard place. He didn't want to invite Jackie in and then make Malcolm feel obliged to put up some sort of front around her, especially when he was supposed to be getting some sleep, but he also didn't want to send Jackie away and risk Malcolm feeling like it was his fault. Plus, he hadn't even discussed Jackie meeting Malcolm with Jessica, and that was a whole other factor to consider, especially when Malcolm wasn't even his kid. "I'm not sure how your mother would feel about all this. Maybe some other time eh kid? Something tells me Jackie here is a keeper, so you'll get to meet her properly some other time eh?"
"Please Gil? I want her to stay. I promise I'll be good."
"Oh I'm sure you're very well behaved." Jackie replied warmly. "What movie were you thinking of watching?"
"This old western, The Man from Thunder River." Malcolm replied, bouncing on the balls of his feet.
"Really? I've never seen that one but I've always wanted to!" Gil knew for a fact that Jackie wasn't a fan of westerns, he'd tried on several occasions to get Jackie to watch one of the films with him, but he was touched that she was making an effort for a kid she didn't even know. "But it's Gil's decision whether I stay or not." Both of them looked at him at the same time, somehow having the same pleading expression on their faces. It was an unfair advantage and a war he knew he had lost before it had already started.
"Fine, she can stay for the movie." Gil relented, stepping aside to let Jackie in. Malcolm seemed to have had new life breathed into him, and now bounded down the hallway to the living room to start setting up the movie. "Hey." He pulled Jackie to one side and planted a chaste kiss on her lips. "Thank you for doing that, I know it's not the evening we had planned, but it means the world to me that you're willing to do this for him."
Smiling, Jackie swatted him on the shoulder. "Of course I'm happy to do this, I think it will be lots of fun, and I can already tell Malcolm is a great kid." Giving his hand a squeeze, Jackie kicked off her high heels and went to join Malcolm, already talking casually with him about what snacks they were going to have with the film, and whether or not to have the lights off for the full movie experience. Watching the scene, Gil felt more assured now than ever that Jackie was the woman for him. It took a special kind of woman to open their hearts to a kid, especially so early into a relationship. But instead of leaving like most women might have done, and understandably so, Jackie had instead embraced the opportunity, and Malcolm seemed to appreciate the gesture as well.
"Come on Gil! The movie's starting without you." Malcolm shouted. "Remember the rule, no pausing." Jackie whispered something in Malcolm's ear, causing him to laugh and Gil thought his heart might break at the sound. He'd never heard Malcolm laugh like that before, not with such unburdened joy and with such ease. He wished he could have captured the moment to show Jessica. For now, he'd just have to settle with the memory of the moment and hope that this was a step in the right direction for Malcolm's recovery.
"Alright you two, make room for one more." Grabbing himself a beer, he nestled into the sofa; Malcolm sitting in between him and Jackie and rested his arm on the back of the sofa, fingers brushing the back of Jackie's hair whilst they all sat together to watch the movie. Anyone looking in might have thought they were a family, and in a strange way, it felt like they were. The scene just felt right, it felt comfortable, and in years to come, this would become a regular evening for the trio; Malcolm only learning later in life that Jackie didn't actually like westerns, and had only ever agreed to watch them because Malcolm had wanted to.
But for now? Malcolm was just content to watch the movie, and by the time it ended, he was fast asleep in between them.
"Thank you for this." Gil whispered as he carefully picked Malcolm up and got him tucked into bed. "I'll admit, I was nervous about you two meeting, but now I see I had nothing to worry about." Sitting on the edge of Malcolm's bed, he smiled down at his surrogate son. "I know he isn't my kid, but he means the world to me, and I didn't want to scare you off by having you meet him so early into our relationship."
"Gil, for someone so smart, you can be so dumb." She chastised again. "Malcolm is a great kid, I can see why you care so much about him, and after meeting him, I share that feeling." Gil looked up at her, unsure how to respond. "I falling in love with you Gil Arroyo, and I love Malcolm too. I know he comes with the package, and I know I only just met him, but I can't think of anything more amazing than getting to spend more time with both of you." Sitting down beside Gil, she leant over and planted a kiss on Malcolm's forehead. "Goodnight Malcolm, I hope you get some good rest." Jackie looked over at Gil, a slight nervousness about her. "That wasn't too forward was it?" Gil broke into a smile and laughed quietly, shaking his head as he lead Jackie out of the room. "You were great." He reassured her. "I'm just sorry tonight didn't go as planned."
"Well, I'll admit, it was a bit unconventional, but I wouldn't have had it any other way."