Haley Marie

Haley's eyes looked at me through the small window in the middle of our front door. Before my eyes realized the two bright, brown circles were the curious eyes of our 5 year old neighbor, Josie walked up next to me and screamed, "Haley!"

I opened the door and Haley politely asked, "Can I come over and play?"

"Sure. Does your mom know?" I asked, having done this dance with her several times before.

"Uh huh," she said walking into the playroom. "Where should I put my shoes?"

Since Josie and Owen were otherwise fascinated, I stuck my head outside the door and looked for Haley's mom.

She was walking down the street screaming, "Haley! Haley! Haley Marie - where are you?!?"

"She's here, Lola," I yelled out the door.

Lola dropped her head back and walked briskly towards my house. "I just told her not to come over there. I am so sorry."

"It's fine," I said. "Is it okay if Haley comes over for a half an hour?"

"Sure," she said. I could see the exhaustion in her eyes turn to excitement.

"OK. I will bring her back myself," I said, remembering the time Haley came over, walked back herself and kept on walking-back-herself to another unsuspecting neighbor.

Haley, Josie and Owen played together with amazing ease and cooperation. I was both thrilled and terrified that this complex child had captivated them.

I always knew a day would come when Haley would stop coming over to play with me and start interacting with my children. I always wondered how it would feel when the girl who jumped out of a second story window became my children's friend.

Over a year ago, just after Haley's 4th birthday, I noticed that she was gone for a few days. A day rarely passed when she didn't come running out of her house in plastic heals and a fake fur coat. And when I didn’t' see her, I heard her screaming my name across the fence. "Jennifer...Jennifer...Can I come over and play with you?"

Every 50th time she asked I'd give in and let her come over. In the early days of taking care of newborn Owen and 1 year old Josie it was nice to have a break in the routine, even if the break pumped her legs on the swing so hard that she flew 10 feet in the air and landed with such precision she'd make Kerri Strug jealous.
She was a lot of work, a lot of energy and a lot of liability. But she was fun, enthusiastic and very entertaining. Josie watched her in awe. I watched too. Diligently.

So I couldn't help but notice her absence and wonder where she'd gone. One day I saw her older brother and sister outside with a woman I didn't know.

Just as I was about to ask what happened, her brother Mikey said, "Haley is in the hospital." My first instinct was to wonder if something had happened on one of our play dates. Did she hurt her ankle jumping off the swing? Did she bang her head trying to do handstand on Josie’s bike?

"She jumped out the window." Mikey said pointing to the window on the side of the house. The second story window.

"Is she OK?" I managed to get out feeling bad that my first thought wasn't about her well-being but about whether it was somehow my fault.

"She's fine." Janelle said. "After the fall, well after she jumped out, she landed on her feet. I guess she bumped her head a little, but the doctors say she is fine. She just has to stay in the hospital a little longer."

Janelle and Mikey went inside. The woman they were with was taking them to her house for a few days. She filled me in that Haley jumped out the window because she didn't want to go to bed yet. She sat there after she fell but no one heard her calling so she crawled around to the back of the house and knocked on the sliding glass door.

The story was shocking. Almost as shocking as seeing Haley riding her princess scooter down the street in plastic heels and a fur coat two short weeks after the jump.

Haley was all of the things you worry your child will be. Mischevious. Fearless. Disobedient. But she was also many things you hope your child will be. Strong. Imaginative. Tenacious.

As I watched her ride passed my house on her princess scooter, I wondered if I should try to keep her from influencing Josie, who was already eyeing the window in her own bedroom in our fortunately one story home. Did the Haley's risky behavior outweigh her bright spirit? I wasn't sure.

For a few months after the jump, I made a point of limiting contact with Haley. But today when her eyes peaked through the windows and Josie and Owen pushed past me fighting over who could get to her first, I realized I probably wouldn't have a choice.

We played with Haley for about an hour and everyone, including me, enjoyed the entertainment. Just like before. At one point I felt comfortable enough to leave Haley and Josie in the room alone while I got Owen some juice. As I poured his juice, I heard the door slam. I poured faster. I left Owen in the kitchen with his juice while I raced the down the hall. I opened the door. Correction. I tried to open the door. It was locked.

"Sorry," Haley said immediately after hearing my failed attempt. She unlocked it. I walked in the room. Josie safe. Haley safe. Windows closed.

I was about to lecture them, but I realized I was talking to a two year old who didn't know the door had been locked or hopefully how to lock it and a five year old who knew she wasn't supposed to lock the door, or jump out second story windows, but did it anyways. I saved my breath.

Either way, the play date was over. Much to Josie’s dismay. The only way I could get Josie to agree to stop playing with Haley was to remind Josie we were going to the park

"I love the park!" Haley squealed.

"Not today, Haley." I said.

Haley ran down the hall and put on her shoes. Very cooperative, I thought. Maybe she had changed.

I watched her run towards her front door as I put Josie and Owen in their car seats. As I walked around the car to get to the driver's seat, I heard Haley yell, "Mom, Jennifer wants to know if I can go to the park with her."

I jumped into the driver’s seat, fired up the engine and drove to the park in record time, keeping my eye on the review mirror for Haley Marie chasing after us on her princess scooter.