At This Point In My Life

Brooke rolled her neck and rubbed it as she sat down her pencil. Exhausted didn't seem to be exaggerated enough as to how she felt the past few weeks. She was completely swamped coming up with sketches for her children's line that she proposed to the board last month, and her deadline was creeping up increasingly fast.

She sighed and closed her sketch book as she looked at the clock on the wall. It was nearing 6 o'clock. "Shit," she mumbled as she began to collect her purse and keys, "Tutormom is going to kill me if I miss dinner." She locked up the shop and hopped into her new Lexus before speeding off to what she referred to as 'Naley's Mansion'. Sure, she was Brooke Davis, and if she wanted a house that big she could have it with a snap of her fingers. But, she was Brooke Davis, and over the years she had learned it wasn't about having a big house, just the family inside it that mattered, which is why she was more than happy in her three bedroom beachside home.

"Honey, I'm home," she joked as she didn't bother to knock.

"What are doing?" Nathan rounded the corner with feigned concern, "My wife will kill you! I told you we were a secret!"

Brooke smiled and jutted her hip to the side. "Oh yeah? Well who's going to tell her?" she replied with a perfectly manicured eyebrow.

"You two are too much sometimes," Haley laughed from her spot at the kitchen island, overhearing their playful banter.

Brooke patted Nathan's chest as she passed him to join her bestfriend. "My, my Tutormom, what ever are we having for dinner?"

Haley looked up with a smirk from dicing the tomatoes. "Spaghetti as a matter of fact. How would you survive without me Tigger?"

"Hey," Brooke held up her hands in fake defense, "not everyone knows how to cook a meal that doesn't have instructions on the box, and even I can screw that up from time to time!" She let herself in the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water before sitting down on the other side of the island.

Haley laughed and gave Nathan a peck on the lips as he passed by. "Even motherhood can't change some habits."

"Damn right," Brooke boasted her chest out as if to be proud. "Speaking of motherhood, where are the rugrats?"

Nathan slid open the sliding glass doors and nodded his head towards the pool. "They've been playing basketball for the past hour. BOYS! DINNER IS ALMOST READY! COME IN AND GET WASHED UP!"

"Aw man!" Brooke heard her godson complain. She smiled when she saw the two boys enter the kitchen all sweaty.

"Momma!" the boy with unruly dark locks exclaimed before bouncing towards her.

"Hi baby." Brooke cooed trying to flatten some of the curls down. "Did you have a good time with Jamie today?"

"Yeah! We went swimming and played basketball and Uncle Nate gave us ice cream!" his blue eyes widened with excitement.

"Oh he did, did he?" Brooke looked at Nathan accusingly.

"You weren't supposed to tell." Jamie tried his best to whisper as he nudged his cousin in the ribs with his elbow.

"Well," Brooke sighed, "I guess it's okay as long as your butt goes to bed on time." She tickled her son gently sending him into a fit of giggles.

"Dinner is done!" Haley wiped her hands on the kitchen rag. "Asher and Jamie, run upstairs and wash those hands!"

"Yes ma'am!" they replied in unison and started to race each other up the stairs.

The three adults laughed as they began to set the table.

"Thank you guys," Brooke said as she set the 5 plates on their placemats. "You two have helped me so much lately with watching him on the weekends. The deadline is Thursday so next weekend you can have some much needed adult time."

"Davis, you know how much we love Asher," Nathan shook his head. "We definitely don't mind having him over. He keeps Jamie busy and they're like bestfriends. But it is totally your turn next weekend!"

"Deal!" Brooke clapped her hands. She hadn't had much time with her son and godson as of lately and was very much looking forward to some time with them.

"I for one can't wait for you to have a little free time," Haley chimed in as she sat the large bowl of spaghetti in the middle of the table. "We haven't had girl time in a while."

"Oh Hales I know," Brooke said apologetically. "I promise as soon as I'm done starting this new line I am all yours! Pedicures and shopping galore!"

"Oh yay," Nathan rolled his eyes uninterested. "Where are all the males when I need them?"

"Right here daddy!" Jamie laughed as the two 5 year olds came bounding down the stairs.

"What did I tell you about leaving me alone with girls?" Nathan ruffled his son's spiky blond hair.

"To never ever do it!" Asher giggled hysterically as he was lifted over his uncle's shoulder.

"Alright, alright," Haley chuckled. "Can we all sit down and eat now?"

"Aye Aye Captain!" Nathan saluted as the boys copied his actions.

Brooke and Haley's eyes sparkled with amusement at each other as they sat down to eat.

..

"Alright mister! Teeth brushed?" Brooke asked her son.

"Check!" he replied.

"Your clothes in the hamper?"

"Check!"

"Toys put away?"

"Check!"

"Well then looks like you're all ready for bed!"

"Can you read me a story?" Asher asked putting his baby blues into full on puppy dog mode as he climbed into his transformers decorated bedding.

"A story?" Brooke pretended to whine. "Well, okay. What book do you want me to read tonight?"

"Goodnight moon!"

"Again? Oh alright." She went and slid his favorite book off of the bookshelf and Asher slid over to make room for her in the twin bed.

Brooke propped a pillow up on the headboard and slid her heels off before making herself comfortable and letting Asher lay his head on her chest.

"In the great green room there was a telephone and a red balloon and a picture of the cow jumping over the moon, and there were three little bears sitting on chairs, and two little kittens and a pair of mittens, and a little toyhouse and a young mouse, and a comb and a brush and a bowl full of mush, and a quiet old lady who was whispering 'hush'. Goodnight room. Goodnight moon. Goodnight cow jumping over the moon…"

She went to turn the next page and looked down to see Asher passed out cold. She closed the book and took a moment to stare at him in such a peaceful state. Her hand softly swept some curls off his forehead.

This was definitely not the life she expected 6 years ago. But looking down at this brown haired, blue eyed little boy with dimples to match her own, she wouldn't want it any other way. Things never went as planned, but she had a feeling this is exactly where she was supposed to end up. "Goodnight baby boy," she whispered before kissing the top of his curls and gently sliding out from underneath him. She pulled the comforter up over his body and took one last look at him before turning off the light and leaving the door cracked enough to let some hallway light shine in.

More than anything she wanted to get some shut eye herself, but she knew the sketches weren't going to draw themselves. She started a pot of coffee and turned on the tv to give her some white noise while she worked.

As soon as she made herself comfortable on the couch, her cell started to vibrate on the coffee table. She reached for it and the screen informed her that BROODY was calling. She smiled and hit answer. "Why hello there, what are you doing up? Isn't it like almost 11 there?"

She heard him chuckle and could imagine his face. "Yeah, just up writing. How are you and Asher?"

"Just got him asleep and about to work on my sketches," Brooke replied grabbing her cup of coffee from the end table beside her.

"You work too much."

"Yeah, well, a company can't run itself," she answered mindly drawing.

"There's actually a reason I'm calling…"

"Oh? And here I just thought you wanted to talk to me," Brooke playfully pouted.

He chuckled again. "Well, I've got some big news."

"Shoot!"

"I asked Lindsey to marry me."

"Wow, congrats Broody! About time! It's been like what 2 years now? She did say yes, right?"

"Yes she said yes!" he faked insulted. "But there's more. We both want to move to Tree Hill. It's home for me, y'know? And Linds really wants to see where I grew up and meet the people she's read so much about in my books."

"Well that's great news!" Brooke sat down her pencil and smiled.

"Yeah… except I haven't told her about Asher…"

"What? Luke, you asked her to marry you, you don't think she deserves to know you have a son?"

"It's just… it's complicated. Lindsey can't have children and if she knows I donated my sperm to my ex girlfriend so she could have a baby I feel like it's going to be horrible. I don't know how to tell her. I feel like it's going to break her heart."

Brooke sighed and rolled a few thoughts in her head around. "Listen Luke, you have to be honest. You can't move here without telling her. Just lay it all out on the table. There is nothing between us. I wanted a baby so bad and you were an amazing person to give me that. It was a very selfless act and says a lot about how good of a man you are to do that. You have to make sure she knows that I am not a threat and that you aren't raising him as your son. That nothing will change between the two of you. Reassure her. Asher was a gift to me and there is no baby mama drama strings in this situation."

"Thank you so much Brooke, you always have the best words."

"Says the author," she giggled and rolled her eyes.

"Seriously, thank you. I'm going to talk to her tomorrow."

"Good," Brooke resumed drawing. "Let me know how it goes and keep me updated."

"Will do Cheery!"

"Goodnight Broody."

"'Night Davis."

Brooke hit end and tossed her phone on the couch cushion beside her. Lucas Scott back in Tree Hill? God help her.

..

A/N: Please let me know if you guys want me to continue. I haven't read any stories quite like this one so I thought it would be refreshing. Reviews are very much appreciated.