Thank you for this, Hope. This turned out to be almost 500 words, so I'm going to place it under a read more thingy. I hope you like it!
(I’m gonna tag you @claryxjackson because tumblr is a bitch™ about notifications)
Jay frowned at the darkness that met him as he walked through the door to his apartment. Willa was supposed to be there waiting for him with takeout like they'd agreed, so to find his home devoid of light and sound was strange.
He slipped off his shoes, placed his keys in the tray by the front door, and hung his coat on the rack. "Willa?"
No answer.
He walked down the short corridor and flipped the switch at the end to find his kitchen and living room as he left them that morning. He looked back down towards the front door and saw Willa's shoes and coat, so she was definitely there.
"Willa?" He tried again, entering the bedroom but found it in complete darkness, though the curtains weren't drawn. The sound of ruffling covers made his eyes turn to the bed, where a figure appeared to be nestled under them. He approached, leaning down to turn on the lamp on the bedside table.
In the bed, he found Willa curled up underneath the covers, her blonde hair splayed out around her. She didn't look happy. In fact, she looked like she wanted to murder him.
"Babe, what are you doing?" He knelt beside the bed, placed a hand on her hair, and a featherlight kiss on her forehead.
"I'm mad at you."
His brows drew together. "Why?"
"I'm nauseous," she stated. "I don't want Chinese food anymore."
"It's all you've been talking about for three days now," he tried, knowing he was approaching the dangerous territory of setting her off even more.
Her blue eyes bore into his. "And now I don't want it."
He rolled back on his feet and rolled his eyes. "Stop being grumpy," he told her and stood. "It's lame."
That got her attention, and she threw the covers off her. "No," she thundered, trying her best to get off the bed. "What's lame is what you did to me."
She gestured at her extended belly, which wasn't really that big yet, but big enough that getting to her feet was more effort than usual.
"I believe," he started, trying hard not to smirk at his struggling girlfriend. "That it takes two to tango."
"I'm gonna kill you, Halstead," she grumbled at him. "But I have to pee, so I guess I'll let you live."
She put her arm out for him to take, which he did, and helped her up from the bed. On her way to the bathroom, she elbowed him in the ribs for good measure.
"You better sleep with one eye open," she mumbled as the bathroom door closed.
“You just give me the impression that you want to murder everyone you look at,” for will squared
Plot. What plot? There's not supposed to be any plot in these, is there? Enjoy Willa roasting her brother-in-law because I enjoyed writing it. Thank you for sending this, Jess!
"Did you scare the patient in 3 off?" Will asked as he joined Willa at the nurse's station, where she was updating a chart.
Her hands stilled on the keyboard, and she looked at him. "No," she replied. "Why do you ask?"
He shrugged, leaning his forearms on the counter next to her. "He's crying," Will clarified.
"And you think that's my fault because...?"
Will shrugged. "You just give me the impression that you want to murder everyone you look at," he said.
"Nope," Willa muttered. "Just you."
His brows furrowed. "Why?"
Willa groaned, facing her co-worker and brother-in-law for the first time since their conversation had begun. "Because every time you open your mouth, only stupidity comes out, and your bedside manner is bordering on criminal."
"Okay, alright, Willa," he grumbled, putting his hands up in defense. "Tell me how you really feel."
"Trust me, Dr. Halstead," she began and saved the changes on the chart she'd been working on. "I will."
“I still find myself falling asleep with you on my mind.” for my babies willa and jay. pls and thanks
Just know that you asked for this, and I wouldn't have made it this sad if you hadn't started mocking me. This is on you. Enjoy, darling!
***
Willa sat in her car, listening to the raindrops drumming on the roof, splashing on the windshield. It was only a drizzle, but it sounded like a hurricane in the confines of her car.
She felt like a hurricane.
She wasn't sure why she decided to visit him on the one day it rained all summer. Maybe it was some twisted sense of irony, knowing the weather matched the storm brewing in her lungs. She could have postponed it a day, but she felt compelled to go today.
She hadn't slept for a week. She knew this day was coming, and it had left her tossing and turning. No matter how many years passed, this wouldn't get easier.
With a sigh, she finally got out of the car.
Willa pulled the hood of her raincoat up to protect her hair. She wove in and out of the headstones spread across the graveyard behind the church. All the way in the back, she found the stone adorning his name.
Her chest tightened at the sight of fresh flowers that she assumed Will had been by to drop off. Probably before the rain. He'd always been better at letting things go than her, even his own brother.
Willa kneeled before his gravestone, reading the text she'd seen a hundred times before.
Jay Halstead
Beloved husband and father
"She looks so much like you," Willa whispered as if he could still hear her. "She has your eyes and your stubbornness."
She chuckled to herself, grasping a fistful of wet grass to try and anchor herself to something. Anything.
"She's starting high school next week," she told him. "She's so excited, won't stop talking about it, but she's been quiet this week. She misses you."
The memory of his casket being lowered into the ground while she held her eight-year-old daughter's hand was still vivid and overwhelming. Every part of her had wanted to scream and cry and beg for him to come back to her. To not be dead. But she had to be strong for her daughter. Their little girl needed her mom to be strong, so they could grieve together.
Willa sighed again, feeling her rain mix with the tears running down her cheeks. "You were the love of my life, Jay," she sobbed, letting all the tension in her body go. "You're still right here," she said, pointing to her heart. "And sometimes I still fall asleep with you on my mind because it's the only thing that'll help."
She forced herself to stand, brushing the mud off her knees as best she could. She didn't know her body could ache this much, and the sight of his name carved in stone still tore her apart.
"I love you," she whispered to his gravestone and turned to leave. She needed to go home and hug her daughter; the only tangible thing she had left of him that was hers alone.
"Why does it sound like you’re saying goodbye?” break my heart with willa and connor pls
This turned out less angsty than planned, but it's still pretty damn sad if I do say so myself. Willa and Connor's friendship is so precious to me, and writing this shows how in tune they are. I hated writing this for them, but you asked me to, so here we are. Enjoy, my friend.
Willa knew something was wrong the moment she saw him. He didn't carry himself with the same confidence that she'd grown accustomed to, and a dazed look was in his eyes.
Their eyes met, and she knew. She knew exactly what Connor was planning to do, and if she hadn't understood why he was doing it, she would have screamed at him.
He went into the doctor's lounge, and Willa followed. His shoulders really did slouch, making his jacket look too big on him, and there was a faint hint of grey in his beard. The past week seemed to have aged him.
"You're leaving," she said matter-of-factly, hands fisted in the pockets of her lab coat.
He nodded. "I can't stay, Willa."
"I know," she told him. "But why does it sound like you're saying goodbye for good? You're not leaving Chicago, are you?"
By avoiding her eye, he had given his answer.
"But," she began, finding it hard to catch her breath. "I need you, Connor, and my daughter needs her godfather."
"Don't," he warned, his voice shaky and uneven. "Don't use Ada against me, not like this."
Willa took a moment to collect herself and thought of what he'd been through in the past week, month, and year. This wasn't about her, but about what he needed to do. If that meant leaving, then so be it. She didn't have to like it, though.
Her bottom lip quivered. "I'm gonna miss you."
"I'm gonna miss you, too," he said as his own tears fell to match the ones now streaming down her cheeks. This was goodbye, and her entire being longed for him to stay.
"You have to promise to come back and visit," she said. "And call me whenever you can. Don't you dare forget us."
He chuckled and spread his arms out, offering his best friend a hug that she accepted. "I wouldn't dream of it."
You know who I'll ask for lol 🎭, 👻, ☔️ annnddd 🍰 for Willa!!! ^_^
YOU'RE AN ANGEL
🎭 A Former Friend
Willa's shit at maintaining friendships, so there are plenty of former friends in her past. One such friend is Kim Burgess, who's a few years younger than Willa, but they went to the same elementary school before Willa left Chicago with her dad. They weren't close but close enough that they remember each other. This hasn't been touched on in ELB yet, but it will be in future chapters.
👻 Someone they don't see often
Her aunt, uncle, and two cousins. She lived with them for a while when she was a teenager but hasn't had much contact with them since then because of her father's illness. It wasn't her choice per se, but grandpa Atticus is an asshole and more or less forbid Aunt Vicky from having contact with Willa and her dad.
☔️ Someone who Can "Turn Lemonade into Lemons."
Her friend Emma Carter. She's a real party pooper and very disapproving of Willa's budding relationship with Jay.
🍰 Someone Who Loves Food
This ties in with the answer above because Emma Carter's fiancé, Jack Marple, is a food lover, and the family business is restaurants!
Hey, Hope! Thanks so much for sending these. Any opportunity I get to talk about Willa and Jay is an opportunity I'll take.
1. How do they fall asleep? Wake up? Any daily rituals?
With busy and constantly changing schedules, it's hard to have a set ritual, but Willa is known to be the first to go to bed and the first to get up. She'll make coffee in the morning and leave it on, so there's hot coffee for Jay when he wakes up.
2. How's their teamwork? Do they share well?
They are incredibly in tune with each other and can read each other like an open book. Willa and Jay are also great communicators, but it's something they've had to work on, especially Jay, in the early stages of their relationship. Down the line, though, they are a well-oiled machine.
3. Are they open about their relationship? How do they feel about public displays of affection?
It's an open secret at first. Everyone knows they're into each other, but both of them have challenges in relationships, so it takes them a while to get there, but once they do? Adorable and pleasing to our eyes.
Willa is not one for public displays of affection, and neither is Jay to some extent, but he's definitely more willing to publicly show her off. Some days are easier than others, though, and it's on those days their friends will tease them about how disgustingly adorable they are.
4. First impression of each other? Was it love at first sight?
I hate love at first sight and don't believe in it, so I would never write it. For Willa and Jay, it's attraction at first sight. They're comfortable and relaxed around each other from the get-go. Jay's first impression of Willa is that she's intelligent, kind, capable, and very level-headed. Willa sees Jay as brave and bold, a little flirty, too. So yeah, they're instantly attracted to each other, but it is NOT love at first sight.
Thanks so much for sending this. Have a Willa and Jay gif I made as an extra treat
Hey BINGO buddy! :) Please share 5 facts about your current muse. :)
Oh, hey Kass, my fellow Bingo buddy!
Your wish is my command, so here are five facts about my darling Willa Atticus.
Her birthday is November 17th (next week in ELB verse)
Her love language is acts of service (duh)
She's a decent cook but barely has the time with her busy schedule
She went to college to study biochemistry but did two years of pre-med simultaneously
She wanted to be a paramedic for a while. However, she didn't like the idea of not knowing if patients were going to be okay or not, so she decided to become a doctor instead.
