The second daughter of Cheryl and James Bennett came in the form of Haylee Moira. Her birth was met with mixed reviews; to her mother, she was another failure in the mission of ensuring the security of her marriage to her wealthy and making more everyday husband. To her father, she was another girl in the long line of daughters that he seemed unable not to produce. But she was also his little girl. His last little girl. He hoped.

As a child, Haylee had a front seat to the crumbling of her parents’ marriage. She watched as her father appeared less in their household, always away on a project, filming, some kind of shoot. Her mother was never a woman to let things go without a fight and she could see the wheels turning in her head every time his absence was noted. It was clear she knew that her hold over her husband was slipping away; even if she was the mother of his two children, she wasn’t giving him what he wanted, what she promised him. Cheryl eyed every woman that was near her husband with suspicion wondering if that would be the woman to bring her marriage to its knees, would be the one to cut her off at the pass.

Haylee herself reached a casual indifference to her parents’ drama very early in life. She wasn’t ignorant to it, even as a child, but she didn’t let it affect her to the part that it did her older sister. She loved her parents, didn’t understand why even when they were around it felt like they were still gone, but she still loved them dearly. She didn’t have to be close to them to love him, she reasoned, and the mindset stuck with her.

More than a year after she came around, her mother announced that she was pregnant once more. The entire household went into a frenzy, another Bennett was about to come into the world. Her parents seemed to find a second wind to their marriage and her father was around more. Though pleased at his more frequent appearance in their lives, Haylee think much of it. She was more excited at the thought of having another sister around, a baby to play with and love like Melissa did to her. Even though her parents cooed and babbled about her being the big sister to a baby brother, there was no doubt in her mind that she would be having a little sister. There was no other way.

Around the fifth month of her pregnancy, Cheryl had the appointment that put the final nail in the coffin of her marriage. The news was out and everyone knew what was coming, she was having a baby girl.

There was almost a hush that fell over the household. The staff tiptoed around Cheryl and James, making the point to usher the children away from their parents because they were liable to explode any moment now. It was in the air. Everyone could tell.

The birth of Roman came a month after her father had ‘unofficially’ moved out of their house. It was the greatest day to Haylee, she had another sister and even if she could feel the tension around her family, she had to take joy in that. And though the elder Bennett ladies were thrilled with the newest addition to their family, Mrs. Bennett was dreading what would come from it. Staring at her youngest, wailing at the world in the hospital bassinet near her bed, she knew it was the end.

When her parents divorced a year after Roman came home, no one was really surprised. Haylee was sad in an abstract way, she knew this meant she would see her father even less than she already did, but she wanted him to be happy. From what she could tell he was very happy—with his new wife and unborn son.

Out of the three daughters produced in the marriage between Cheryl and James, Haylee was the only one who kept in regular contact with her father. Melissa was gone from the house by the time she was 16 and Roman was perpetually disgusted with both of their parents. But to Haylee, there was another side of the matter, one she wouldn’t ignore. She was a Bennett and that had heft in their line of business.

Acting, was something that was practically in their blood. For Haylee, she started young because she knew young that it was what she wanted to do. Her mother was her manager but her father was strangely invested in her career. She understood, she was the only one of his children, aside from his son, who was in the business and had no qualms about being around him. Her father’s name was the thing to get her face beyond the door and Haylee understood that about the world. She had no shame it in because even if his name might have gotten her the attention, her ability was what kept it on her.

As Haylee stands today, she has kept her ability to face the world and focus on what makes her happy. She’s made a name for herself as a strong actress, particularly because of her roles as Evie Zamora in ‘Thirteen’ and Fiona Gallagher on Showtime’s “Shameless”. Her ability to jump head first into the skin of a character completely unlike her is a trait she has been commended for numerous times. Her number one goal has always been, to be happy with what she’s doing and do what makes her happy. She will continue to do so, no matter what happens in her life because that’s what has gotten her thus far and has been working for her. No drama from her past or uncertainty of her future will stop her.