More than best friend ( private)

[Hya123]

Hailey had just woken up from her very long night.  She had gotten a promotion at  her job it was stressful getting the promotion so much extra work. Now was her day off and she decided she wanted to have a nice lunch with one of her friend she hadn’t talk to in a long time. 

She decided to text her friend james she knew he would love to have a nice lunch. She sent him a quick text Hey james  i was wondering if you would like to get lunch later around noon.  

She sent the text then went to shower getting ready for the day. Hailey is 24 years and recently graduated college with a degree in business she made a huge investment and a beauty and next thing she new she was partner and that’s why she wanted to celebrate today. 

[Ketcher]

James had been up all night. Scratch that, he had been up for two days. Two days no sleep, twelve days no break, and who knows how long without a home cooked meal. If he didn’t think about it he’d forget how to breathe. The last few months he’d been struggling to pull together a dying business, the product of everything he’d worked for at the cost of countless close relationships. Married to coffee, in love with his phone, his vocabulary stuck on marketing and distribution. 

A notification on his phone steals his attention from his office computer. He flicks it away and turns his focus back to the big screen. A pang of guilt draws him back. He types a hasty message.

Sorry Hails, can’t do today. Waiting on a very important call.

His finger hovers over the send button. He checks the time. Then he taps the backspace button and starts again. 

Can we make it 12:30? 
Rogerio’s. 
My treat.

It’s 12:40 when James arrives. He’s dressed like he’s coming from a meeting, his handsome features sullied by exhaustion. Despite this, he smiles at the sight of her, closing the distance to embrace her with a kiss on the cheek and a quick check of his phone over her shoulder. “Hi. Sorry I’m late. It’s been a crazy week. This guy was supposed to call me at eleven and I haven’t heard back and- Sorry. You look great.”

[Hya123]

Hailey was happy to see her friend she got all dressed in up in a lovely red sun dress and she did her brown wavy in a nice bun. Of course she has her company make on as well. 

She got the restaurant exactly 12:30 she didn’t see james so she got them a table on patio away from everyone else. She sat and aired for james to come. “ Hi james it’s okay i’m happy to see you. “ She said happily she took one look at her friend and she could tell he was stressed and needed sleep. “ James what’s going on have you been over working “ She said getting straight to the point. She sat down taking a sip of water waiting for him to explain. 

[Ketcher]

“You could say that.” James musters a smile as he sits down across from her and sets his phone face-up on the table. He quickly turns it over to be polite. “You could say I’m doing nothing but work. Hit a bit of a rough patch with the uh… you know what, let’s leave it. How are you?”

[Hya123]

Hailey wasn’t buying any of what james was saying. “ Jamey come on it’s. hails your talking to. “ she said softly setting her drink down. She could whatever phone call james was waiting for was stressing him out. “ Come you know you need to give your self a break. You over work when’s the last time you slept “ She asked knowing she would have to force it out him. She didn’t answer his question about she was doing. 

[Ketcher]

“I don’t have time for breaks. I don’t have time for sleep. Barrister has put the company on turnaround and we have thirty days to find an investor to reimburse them for the money paid or turn it over altogether. If this flops I get eighty grand and I’m out. Out, Hails. What am I supposed to do?” His voice grows tense the more he speaks before he finally throws up his hands and shakes his head. “No, I said we’re leaving it. Come on, let’s have a nice lunch. Answer the question.”

[Hya123]

Hailey felt bad for her friend and knew he needed to relax. “ Oh jamey it’s going to be okay. You know you always have me and i don’t mind helping you “  she said to him seeing how worried she was this reminded he of the time before they took the Sat for school james really stressed himself. That’s what he needed a day like before when they use to cuddle on the couch and she use rock james to sleep. “ Jamey i been great actually i bought into my company so now i’m the partner” She said to him before thinking more of her plan “ jamey how about instead of lunch we go to my house we can watch a movie and snuggle like old times while you wait for you call “ Ehe said they didn’t order yet so she would pay there drinks. 

[Ketcher]

“Oh, ‘Jamey’, I must be really bad.” He tries to make light of it, knowing she only called him that when he looked upset. It all started when they were kids. Hailey always knew how to squeeze the tenderness out of him. Their parents would recount at family dinners how they met in daycare, and Hailey would push him around in a stroller and call him her baby. He can’t count the amount of times he had fallen asleep in her arms.

”Hailey, that’s great. I couldn’t be happier for you, really.” He reaches across the table to touch her arm and lifts his phone for a quick check as he takes it away. Then he pockets it altogether. “You know what? Yeah. That’d be great. I can’t stay long! But- yeah. Let’s go.” Standing, he pushes in his chair and takes his keys from his pocket. “I’ll follow you.”

[Hya123]

Hailey smiled she was happy james agreed to go to her house and relax. She knew james always felt his safest with her she was like his mother She was always there to care for him.  She smiled and left some cash in the table grabbing her purse. 

“ Okay follow me to my house “ She said. She got into her car and drove home. Once she got there she led james to the living room. “ i’m going to get changed into something comfy. i still have your old jammies i want you change into when i get back then we can watch a movie “ She said going upstairs to change quickly into a shorts a oversized t shirt she then dug threw her closet and found james old jammie set that had bears on it. She brought downstairs “ Come here james get changed while i get snacks” 

[Ketcher]

“You still have those?” James’ voice trails after her while he takes off his shoes, sneaking another peak at his phone as he heads into the living room. “Doubt they’ll even fit me.” Turns out he was wrong. James sets his business clothes to the side, neatly folded on a chair but keeps his phone in his hand, collapsing onto the couch to check his notifications once again. “As soon as Garett calls I’ll have to head out. God I missed this place.”

[Hya123]

Hailey leaves james to change quickly while she gets them some snack. She quickly made turkey sandwiches and chips and got them a glass of coke. She brings and the food and smiles at james in his cute pajamas she couldn’t help but gush. “ Aww your almost as cute as when we were children. “ she said setting the food down. She grabbed a fuzzy blanket and draped it over the top of them she snuggled into james. “ What movie did you pick buddy. Nothing scary you know you can’t watch stuff like that “ She said reaching for her sandwhich. 

[Ketcher]

“That was one time.” James picks up the remote and turns on a drama, then leans against Hailey and reaches for his sandwich. He takes a bite and lets out a sigh. “You always come in at the right time, don’t you? Always know what to do.”

Halfway through the movie his phone goes off. James is on his feet in seconds. “That’s him. I gotta take this. Keep going, no need to pause.” He snatches his phone and hurries off down the hall, turning into the spare room and shutting the door.

Minutes pass. He doesn’t come out.

[Hya123]

Hailey sighed and finished off her sandwich. “ Yea i know exactly what you need. “she said snuggling close to him watching the movie he had put on. She watched washe nervously jumped up and went into the room to have his phone call. She sighed she knew he need to relax more and get sleep this job was to streesful for him. She waited a couple of minutes before she got up and went to check on him. “ James it’s hailey let me in” Ehe said she could heard sobs through the door so she pushed it opened. letting herself in the room. “ Oh jamey what’s wrong “ she said seeing her friend super stressed. 

[Ketcher]

“It’s over.” The man is seated on the edge of the bed, hunched over with his face in one hand and his phone in the other. “They backed out. 80k. Everything I worked for. God! I worked so hard!” His shout is punctuated by a series of quiet sobs. 

[Hya123]

Hailey knew how important this was to james she went over and hugged him. “ It’s going to be okay jamey “ She cooed to him gently. She rubbed his back to try and get him to relax some. “ How about we go finish our movie and take alittle nap “ She suggested to james. “ Come on your feel better after some sleep and cuddles “ she said softly to him. 

[Ketcher]

The moment he’s in Hailey’s arms, James’ cries grow louder. He nestles into Hailey, pitifully sobbing into her chest as she tries to soothe him. “I don’t know what to do!”

[Hya123]

Hailey runs james back knowing he was super upset. “ It’s okay i got you just relax “ She cooed to him rubbing his back she guided his thumb towards his mouth knowing he liked to suck on it when he was super stressed. “ There you go relax sweets “ She kept rocking and coong to james knowing he always fall asleep to that before. 

[Ketcher]

“I can’t believe it’s over. I can’t. I can’t…” He trails off as his thumb is gently pushed into his mouth, stifling his cries and replacing them with a final muffled babble, his lips closing around his thumb to begin rhythmically sucking it. Soon, exhaustion takes hold and James’ eyes grow heavy, and he finds himself unable to stay awake any longer.

[Hya123]

Hailey watches the poor boy in her arms go to sleep she could tell he was exhausted and needed this. She stayed rocking him for awhile thinking of what to do next. She knew james was to stressed to care for him self right now so she would need to do it but how. Then she remember when they were kids and she would baby james and feed him bottles and he loved it. That’s what’s james need to be her baby again to relax. She knew james was not taken care himself like not eating or sleeping and who knows the last time he went to the doctor. She decided that she would put james on healthy schedule to make he got enough sleep and food. She laid him in the bed making sure he was nice and safe taking his phone not wanting him to be stressed about work. 

She left the house and went to the store to get a few things knowing james would stay asleep. On her trip she got diapers wipes baby powder and a changing mat she also got james a pacifier a blue baby blanket and bottles.  She only got couple things not wanting to over whelm james. She went home and back into the room to find him still sleeping she decided it would be easier to diaper him while he was asleep so she gently started to change him not wanting to wake him up yet. “ there you go now you can relax “ She said softly letting james sleep some more.  Hailey thought about james and knew he couldn’t back to work after this. She made a good dinner for the two of  them while she waited for james to wake up. once she heard him stir she went upstairs 

[Hya123]

bump

[Ketcher]

After being soothed to sleep, James was out like a light. He hardly stirred when Hailey put him to bed, nor did he wake when she returned to diaper him. All he offered was a groggy whimper of protest as his bottoms were removed and some muffled babble behind his thumb. The cold from the baby powder briefly caused his eyes to open, then he was back to bed.

Some time later, James woke up. He blinks, turning onto side, and pulls his thumb from his mouth to reach for his phone. No phone. His heart skips a beat. “…Hailey?” It’s not on the nightstand. “Hailey?” It’s not on the floor. “HAILEY?!” He throws back the covers and finds, only after a couple seconds of scavenging for his beloved cell, that there’s extra padding between his legs, and his pants have been replaced with a colourful printed diaper. And it’s already wet.

[Hya123]

Hailey heard james moving around the room she went in the room. “ Jamey how was your nap “ She asked him looking at the stressed boys faced she sat on the bed and moved james so she was in her lap. “ James buddy let’s talk.  i know you are  very stressed and needs some help taking care of yourself. So i decided i would help you. I just want to relax a little you work to much and now since the deal didn’t go threw you don’t have to worry about that anymore. “ She said to him rocking gently  she could feel that his diaper was a little damp. She knew the diapers would come in handy and james couldn’t fight her on them because he needed them. 

[Ketcher]

“Yes I do have to worry about that. I need my phone.” James was easily lifted into Hailey’s lap. He searches the room, reaching behind himself to feel up the covers once again before he starts to squirm with growing desperation. “I still have so much to do. I have to close the sale, transfer ownership, there’s meetings- Hailey I need my phone! I need- I neeeed—!!”

In that moment of stress, James realizes the position he’s in. Small, cradled, diapered. He remembers the days when they were little and Hailey would be his mommy. He remembers being given her brother’s pacifier and rocked to sleep, and consoled when he’d have to wear a pull-up to bed, even into his teens. James had no idea he’d had a little accident. All he knew was he needed a break.

“I need a mommy.” 

[Hya123]

Hailey felt super bad for the little boy in his arm he was to stressed and worried about his phone.  she rubbed his back while he complained about needing his phone back.  She watched him search knowing he wouldn’t  find it. “ Jamesy listen i’m here to take care of you sweets no need to stress about your phone. It’s in a nice safe place  “ she cooed rocking him in her arms once he said he needed a mommy hailey knew this was the break james needed. 

“ Don’t worry  baby mommy here now. just relax “ Hailey said she pulled out one of the many pacifier she brought from the store and teased it against james lips hoping he would latch on soothing him of his stress.  “ There you go baby your nice and safe with mommy “ She cooed rocking him gently in her arms watching as his face soften.    

Hailey decided not to say anything  about james damp diaper yet not wanting him to become more upset 

[Ketcher]

After blurting out the most pathetic and embarrassing thing, James’ face grew red and he opened his mouth to take it back and preserve his dignity. What he received instead was the nipple of a pacifier, gently placed in his mouth to shush him and drive it home that this was really happening. Slowly, James closes his lips around the nipple and looks up at Hailey as he begins to suckle. A chorus of little sucking sounds replace the whimpers he had been making and his face softens as a wave of relief washes the tension from his body.

Something about giving up control made the stress start to melt away. No more decisions, no more expectations, no more responsibility; represented by the padding between his legs and the binky in his mouth.