September 23rd, 2013
Tree Hill, North Carolina
Haley and Nathan Scott's House
The chicken, hamburgers, hot dogs and steaks were ready in the fridge, as they always were. The salads of all types were pre-made in the fridge by the pool, and the amount of paper plates, napkins and silverware that lay in the cabinets of Nathan and Haley Scott's house could probably have stocked a small grocery store.
But Haley Scott was incredibly thankful for this ready supply of food, which she always had on hand in case one of her friends (or all of them, which happened more often than just one family stopping over), decided to stop by, which was exactly what had happened when Brooke and Chase had showed up an hour ago with both kids in tow. Twenty minutes later, Peyton, Lucas, and "the brood", had shown up, minus Lindsay, who according to her faithful husband, was on her way, with Rachel and Owen at their heels with Maddie. And in as long as it took for Haley to say hello to everyone, Lindsay was there, chatting happily with Peyton and Lucas as she held a screaming one month old.
Which, Haley realized, once again, was about the last thing she ever would have thought of happening, but then again, the last few years had been so completely filled with "the last things you'd ever think of happening", that it rarely shocked her that the foursome had become so close.
Haley shook her gaze from the chatting couple and grabbed her drink, and her daughter, and headed out to the deck, where she happily accepted the chair that Lucas gave her, or more accurately, she happily stole the chair from him when Nathan finally told him that he wasn't eating unless he and D got off their asses and helped to cook.
Laughing, she sat down in the comfortable beach chair that Karen and Deb had gotten them for their anniversary, it was the last gift that Karen had gotten them before the accident, and Nathan and Haley took better care of these seats sometimes, then they did their kids.
"Can you say 'Hi aunt Peyton and Aunt Haley' Karli?" Lindsay said, shifting the infant on her lap into her arms, and talking to her. It was no surprise when the little girl said nothing.
"God, she is just like her mother." Haley sighed, looking at the girl. And it was true. She had her jet black hair, and the same eyes, and Peyton liked to pretend that they had the same attitude too.
"I know. They're both stubborn as hell." The blonde said, laughing as she reached out and took Karli from Lindsay, and then turned her attention to the little girl in Haley's arms, still sleeping. "She's beautiful Hales."
"Yeah, I know." Her daughter was gorgeous, and the exact opposite of Jamie. Where he had bright blue eyes and beach blonde hair, his little sister already had her fathers dark chocolate colored locks and eyes that were such a deep brown it was shocking.
"Aren't you too cute Kaylee? Just like your twin sister." Haley laughed; it was funny how often people thought the Karli and Kaylee were twins. They did have the same birthday (Actually, they were born within ten minutes of each other), and they both had dark hair, and the same color eyes. But even though they weren't actually related (well, there was some term for what they were to each other, but it was long and full of confusion), they acted like sisters, and there was no doubt in any of theses adults minds that they would be raised like sisters.
Just as Haley was coming to the end of her sentimental thought train, Nathan and Lucas came down with the food, leaving the other two men to clean up. The kids seemed to have some internal sensor (you know, or a nose and eyes), and came running to the long set up picnic tables even before Nathan was there.
And there they all sat a few hours later, no one near ready to leave. Lucas and Peyton, Brooke and Haley and Nathan, and the several dozen people that they'd picked up along their lives, all together, happy, despite all the odds.