By the time Saturday rolled around, the temperature had started to drop little by little, going back to a normal degree for the time of year. A late summer day, Grace and Peyton were sitting in the back yard together. Peyton was drawing while Grace ran through the sprinkler giggling. It still amazed Peyton how much joy kids could get just from a hose and a little plastic attachment. Hours of entertainment.

Peyton hadn't seen Lucas since the day he showed up and things got heated in her kitchen. She was glad. She knew that every single time she saw him, they should have been talking about what was going on, not...well, doing what they were doing. There was so much to say and she was sure that neither of them knew where to start. So she didn't seek him out, and he didn't seek her out, and that was alright for the time being. She wasn't going anywhere, and so they had plenty of time to work it out.

She didn't expect, when she was lost in her sketch and music and the sound of her daughter's laughter, to see the Scott brothers, plus Jamie, walk around the side of her house. If she had expected it, she wouldn't have been lounging in just her bathing suit.

"Do you have a problem with clothes, Sawyer?" Nathan teased. "Every time I see you, you're in a bikini."

"It's hot out!" she cried, laughing as they all watched Grace running towards them.

"Hi!" she said happily, wrapping herself in the towel Peyton held out for her.

"Hey Grace, what's up?" Lucas asked.

"Nothing," she shrugged. "Just playing."

"School starts soon, huh? Better get all your playing in now," he pointed out, making both Jamie and Grace grimace.

"Yeah," she muttered.

"Well," Nathan chimed in, "Luke and I are taking Jamie to Wilmington to see a Slamball game today, and we have an extra ticket. If it's okay with your mom, you want to come with us?"

"What's Slamball?" Peyton and Grace asked at the same time.

"It's so cool!" Jamie insisted. "It's basketball with trampolines and you can hit and stuff!"

"That sounds...ridiculous," Peyton laughed, standing from her chair so she could meet Lucas and Nathan's eyes.

"It's pretty awesome, actually," Lucas said, laughing as Nathan nodded enthusiastically.

"Well, what time do you have to go?" Peyton asked.

"Game doesn't start till 4:00, so we were just going to leave whenever and just kind of hang out. Maybe grab some food and stuff," Nathan explained.

"What do you think, Grace?" Peyton asked, turning to her daughter. "You want to hang out with the boys today?"

"Can I?" she asked excitedly.

"If you want to, it's okay with me," Peyton insisted. "But we need to get you some proper clothes and do something with that crazy hair of yours."

"It is pretty crazy, Gracie," Lucas teased, watching as the girl's jaw dropped and her eyes went wide, making him laugh.

"Yeah, well, Jamie said you had a mohawk once," she retorted, putting her hands on her hips.

"What?!" Peyton cried before turning to Nathan. "Tell me you got pictures!"

"Of course I did! How else was I supposed to blackmail him?" Nathan said, watching as Lucas shook his head in embarrassment.

"Awesome," she said as they started up the steps and into the house. "I expect to see those at a later date."

"Okay look, in my defense, I was..." Lucas started.

"No excuses, man," Nathan said, shaking his head.

"Okay, boys, try not to kill each other. We'll be back in a few minutes," Peyton laughed. "There are drinks in the fridge if you want. Just help yourselves."

The boys took places at the kitchen counter after grabbing apple juice boxes from the fridge. Peyton could tell how excited they were to see this game by the boyish looks on all their faces. Lucas and Nathan looked like the 16 year old boys she knew once upon a time. Smiling and laughing like they didn't have jobs and responsibilities. She had to say she was a little bit jealous of that. She wished she could just let everything else go and enjoy something so simple.

"What do I wear to a basketball game?" Grace asked, standing in front of her closet.

"Whatever you want, kiddo," Peyton laughed. "There's no dress code."

"What would Brooke wear?"

"A cheerleading uniform," Peyton said half-seriously.

"I don't have one of those," Grace pointed out.

"How about...your Beatles tee shirt and these jean shorts," Peyton said with a laugh, pulling the items from the hangers and giving them to Grace. "Get changed, and I'll do your hair when you're done. I'm going to go put something on, too."

"Okay mom," Grace said as Peyton made her way out of the room and tugged the door closed.

She went to her own room and reached for a simple black cotton sundress to put on over the green bikini she was wearing. She certainly didn't need Lucas' lingering looks, and if he'd thought she hadn't noticed his staring when they'd shown up, he was mistaken. She took a moment to check her hair and makeup, and then Grace stood in her doorway with her hairbrush in her hand. She brushed the girl's wavy hair and pulled it in to a ponytail before they went downstairs again.

They both laughed when they walked into the kitchen and saw Jamie and the two grown men sipping from juice boxes, all lined up as they waited at the counter.

"What?" Lucas asked obliviously.

"You Scott men are all so cute," Peyton said, not really teasingly at all.

"You ready?" Nathan asked Grace, brushing off the comment.

"Yup. Let's go," Grace said, starting towards the front door.

"Hey!" Peyton cried, putting a hand on her hip.

"Oh. Sorry mom," Grace said, rushing back to Peyton and giving her a hug. The two of them exchanged words that none of the men could hear, and then Grace headed for the door again with Nathan and Jamie in tow.

"Luke, you coming?" Nathan called.

"Yeah, give me a minute," Lucas answered before turning to Peyton again. "I just wanted to tell you that I know we need to talk before anything else happens."

"Yeah, we do," she nodded. She was thankful that he brought it up, because she didn't want to have to be the one to do it. "Listen, buy whatever for her, and I'll just pay you back later, okay?"

"Peyton," he said with a smile. "Stop dodging me."

"I'm not dodging you!" she said, swatting at his arm. "Nathan's waiting for you. We'll talk. I promise."

"Tomorrow? I know Brooke is taking Grace," he said, watching as she narrowed her eyes, wondering how he knew her plans.

"Alright. Tomorrow. Go watch Slamball," she said, smirking as he headed out of the house and towards the car where three very excited people were waiting for him.

She stood in the doorway and waved as the car pulled away from the curb, seeing Grace and Jamie laughing in the back seat at something Lucas said. He was certainly making it easy for her to think that just maybe they might have a future together.

She stepped back into her empty house, and took a quick look around. She suddenly had the whole day to herself, and had no idea what to do with it. She couldn't say she hated the idea of just spending the entire day with Grace, sitting in the sun and hearing her laugh, but she knew there were still a few boxes she'd put off unpacking, and if she was being honest, the quiet sounded almost as good as anything else.

About two and a half hours later, she had emptied the last of the boxes. She was just putting the rest of the photo albums onto the shelf in her living room when there was a knock at the door. She was actually thankful. The one thing she'd learned after having a child was, yes, alone time was wonderful, but she found she got bored or restless really quickly.

She walked to the door to find Haley standing on the other side.

"You know, you don't have to knock," she laughed as she ushered Haley into the house.

"I didn't want to just jump to conclusions," Haley said with a shrug. "I was going crazy at home by myself, so I thought you might be doing the same thing over here."

"I was, absolutely," Peyton laughed. "Since the guys highjacked the kids."

"You know," Haley started, smiling, "the way you say that makes it sound like Luke is..."

"Don't!" Peyton said with a laugh. "Please! Don't even go there."

"Oh come on, you are so already there," Haley scoffed as they walked through to the kitchen. "Nathan said you had a hickie the other day. So either you've been making out with Lucas, or you've been making out with someone else, and either way, I want to hear all about it."

"Your husband is far too nosey for his own good," Peyton said with a raised brow, reaching for the refrigerator door.

"Maybe so, but I didn't hear you say that you didn't, in fact, have a hickie that Lucas gave you," Haley said, smiling widely.

"You feel like a margarita? I feel like a margarita," Peyton said, reaching for the bottle of tequila from the top cabinet.

"Peyton Sawyer! Come on!"

"What?" Peyton asked, feigning oblivion.

"You know what? Yes, make margaritas, because a few of those, and you'll tell me everything," Haley laughed.

"Ugh," Peyton groaned as she started filling her blender. "Sometimes, all I want to do is just look at him and say, forget everything else, let's just do this. And then I think of everything that's happened and it's like..."

"There's too much to ignore," Haley finished sympathetically.

"Exactly," Peyton said.

"Well, don't kill me for saying it, but you might want to dial back the make out sessions," Haley said with a smirk.

"I know! But..."

"But when have you and Lucas ever been able to resist each other," Haley said knowingly.

"Something like that," Peyton nodded. She turned the blender on and a few moments later, was pouring their drinks into glasses. She pushed one across the counter to Haley.

"Mmm," Haley mumbled after taking a sip. "Honestly, you are the queen of alcoholic drinks."

"Not bad for a mom, right?" Peyton laughed.

"Pretty impressive," Haley said. She raised her glass and clinked it against Peyton's, and they shared a quiet glance, each thankful to have the other around again. "But back to you and Luke. What are you gonna do?"

"We're going to talk tomorrow. Brooke's taking Grace out for the day, so I guess he's going to come over," Peyton said nervously. "I don't know what's going to happen."

"Just be honest with each other, Peyton," Haley said sweetly. "There's nothing more you can really do. But you have to be honest or things are just going to get worse, not better."

"I know," Peyton nodded. "It's just...Why does it always have to be so hard with us. Shouldn't it be easier?"

"Love's never easy, Peyton. Look at Nathan and I," Haley said, shaking her head. "If we just walked away any time things got a little tough or tense, we'd never have even gotten married in the first place."

"Why didn't I just say yes, Haley?" Peyton asked desperately, running her hands through her hair. "Eight years ago in L.A. Why didn't I just say yes?"

"Because that wasn't the path you were meant to take. If you had said yes, sure, you'd be married to Lucas by now, but you wouldn't have Grace. You wouldn't be this amazingly strong working mom who has just about everything she ever wanted. And I get it, you want love, and you might want Luke, but I think you two just needed to grow up and do your own things before you could get it together."

"I guess," Peyton mumbled. "I mean, I wouldn't give Grace up for anything."

"Your guys' love was always just so...huge. Maybe you just needed to kind of...grow into it," Haley said seriously.

"Maybe."

The two of them sat for a couple hours, moving on to lighter topics. Haley explained that she'd help her with whatever teaching stuff she might need advice on, and would help her navigate through her first week of dealing with teenagers and faculty alike. Haley left after the two of them had ordered and eaten Chinese food and just spent the day catching up.

Peyton was in her pajamas watching a Terms of Endearment on television, crying like a baby, given the subject matter, when she saw Nathan's SUV pull up in front of her house. She wiped her eyes as she watched Lucas lift Grace out of the car and set her on her feet. He said something to Nathan, then shut the door and followed Grace up the walk to the house as Nathan drove away. Lucas stepped into the house and took one look at Peyton and his entire demeanor changed.

"What's wrong?" he asked worriedly.

"Nothing," she said, waving off his concern as she wiped at her cheek again. "Just watching a sad movie. How was it?"

"So fun!" Grace said excitedly. "It was so cool. Nathan knows one of the players, and we got to go onto the court and jump on the trampolines and stuff!"

"Whoa! Cool!" Peyton said enthusiastically, watching as Lucas laughed. "We should get you to bed, though. It's pretty late."

"Can Luke tuck me in, too?" she asked innocently.

"Oh, sweetie, I don't know if..."

"Sure I can," he said with a smile before turning to Peyton. "If that's okay, I mean."

"Of course it is," Peyton said softly. "Why don't you go up and get your jammies on and brush your teeth, and call us when you're ready."

"Okay," Grace said as she made her way to the stairs.

As soon as Grace had disappeared, Lucas turned to Peyton with a worried look on his face. "What movie?" he asked.

"Terms of Endearment," she admitted sheepishly.

"Peyton," he said quietly, shaking his head. "You can't watch that."

"I know. But it was on, and I haven't seen it since I watched it with you when we were... and...yeah. Won't be doing that again," she admitted.

"Well, it's a good thing The Notebook, A Walk to Remember or My Girl weren't on," he said with a smirk, knowing that those were the only movies she'd ever admitted to crying over.

"Add P.S. I Love You to that list," she said quietly.

"Good to know," he laughed.

"So thanks for taking her with you guys today. You really didn't have to do that." She was just desperate for a subject change, and she figured that was the safest one.

"Oh come on, it was fun," he insisted. "We had a great time. She's just like you, you know."

"Uh oh," Peyton muttered self deprecatingly.

He was just about to say something when Grace's voice called them. As Lucas followed Peyton up the stairs, he felt like he was getting a taste of the life he could have had. Following his wife into their child's bedroom to say goodnight, before the two of them went back downstairs to cuddle and talk on the sofa until their own bedtime. It was what he'd so desperately wanted - still wanted - and he was beginning to feel like maybe someday they'd get there.

Grace was already laying in bed, waiting for them to come and say goodnight. Lucas watched from the doorway as Peyton pulled the elastic from the girl's hair to let it loose, and fixed the pillows and blankets just like he assumed she did every night.

"Luke, come on," she demanded sweetly, making him smile as he stepped into the room and sat on the side of the bed opposite Peyton. "Thanks for taking me with you guys today."

"Any time, sweetie," he said sincerely. "I'm glad you had fun."

"Okay sleepyhead," Peyton said, noticing that Grace was doing her best to stifle a yawn. "Get some sleep. I love you."

"I love you, too mommy," she said as Peyton leaned down to kiss her forehead before standing from the bed. "'Night Luke."

"Goodnight Grace," Lucas said softly. He kissed her cheek as Peyton looked on, on the verge of tears again at how attentive he was to her daughter.

Peyton flipped on the night light in the hall before Lucas joined her and she tugged the door three-quarters of the way closed. She smiled at them as they started down the stairs again, and she turned to him when they reached her front door.

"Walking home?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yeah. I kind of like these muggy summer nights, you know?"

"I remember," she said softly.

They used to spend these nights together on the beach or at the River Court. They'd hold hands and talk and tease each other. Or they'd just sit in silence and enjoy each others' company.

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow," he said, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"Right," she sighed. "See you tomorrow."

As soon as he'd left and she'd locked the door behind him, she started to cry again. She couldn't shake the feeling that their conversation wasn't going to go well. At all.

----

Sunday morning, Brooke picked up Grace early enough that Peyton could shower and get herself ready for whatever was going to happen when Lucas showed up. She tidied her kitchen and living room just for something to do. She wasn't sure what time Lucas was going to get there, and she knew she needed to keep herself busy so she wouldn't go crazy.

Lucas strolled through the door around 1:00 to see her sitting on the sofa with a bowl of ice cream in her hands and a magazine in her lap, wearing jeans and a tank top. Her hair was pulled up into a haphazard bun, and she smiled when she saw him come in.

"I see you still don't knock," she teased, making him laugh as he joined her on the couch.

"I see you still don't lock your door," he countered. She nodded in defeat. "How's it going?"

"You mean since you saw me last night? Pretty good," she said with a smile. "I'd offer you some ice cream, but this is the last of it, and I kind of don't want to share."

"Mean!" he cried. She just shrugged her shoulder innocently as she spooned some ice cream into her mouth. "It's okay. I just had lunch anyway."

"No dessert for you," she shrugged, making him laugh again. "Can I get you anything? Water or...anything?"

"I'm alright," he said with a nod, watching her walk into the kitchen. She returned moments later with two glasses of water and he looked at her quizzically.

"Just in case," she said, smiling. "Okay. Talking."

"Not wasting any time, huh?" he laughed.

"Well, we've avoided it for two weeks, so..." she said quietly.

"Right," he sighed. "Well, where should we start?"

"I think we both know," she said with a raised brow as she tucked one leg beneath her and turned so she was facing him.

"L.A.," he said softly, watching as she nodded. "I don't really know what to say about it."

"Why'd you leave?" she asked. "We fell asleep, and you didn't say anything about us being over, and then I woke up and you were gone."

"I was heartbroken," he admitted, though she already suspected that to be true. "You have no idea what it felt like when you didn't say yes."

"And you have no idea what it felt like when I realized you'd just walked away," she countered, doing her best not to get angry. "I just...I thought we would have talked about it."

"I didn't know what to say," he told her, looking down at his hands. "I never thought you'd say no."

"I didn't say no," she reminded him. "I said I wanted to marry you."

"I know," he sighed, shaking his head. "I've had eight years to think about it. Replaying that day in my head every day. I just wish I would have realized that at the time."

"So do I," she mumbled before realizing that she had a part in all that, too. "I'm sorry. I...if I had known that that would have been the end of things, I would have said yes. Of course I would have."

"Why didn't you?" he asked quietly, looking at her again.

"I told you," she said. "I didn't think that getting married was what we needed to keep us together."

"Why couldn't we just have been engaged for a while? I didn't ask you to go to City Hall the next day," he pointed out, shaking his head as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"It just felt like...desperation or something," she said, hoping that wouldn't sound insulting. "I didn't know if you really wanted to get married, or if you just wanted something to hang onto."

"I don't understand how you could ever doubt that I wanted to marry you," he scoffed. He was actually a little pissed that she still didn't understand that. Of course, his actions after that proposal gave her cause to doubt him. "God, Peyton, you know how much we went through together, and I didn't...I just..."

"Exactly," she cried, unable to keep her voice from raising. "We got through so much, and then you just gave up! Why didn't you think we could get through that?"

"I was stupid," he admitted, closing his eyes as he shook his head.

It was then that he realized just how stupid. It took him talking to her about it to really understand how stubborn he'd been, and how that stubbornness was what had torn them apart, not what he'd interpreted as a 'no'.

"Shall we move on to your next proposal?" she asked, attempting to break the tension with a joke. Judging by the sigh he let out, it wasn't a very funny one.

"Lindsey," he muttered. "Right. Well after you didn't show up at my book signing..."

"I was there," she told him.

"I know," he said with a nod. "Brooke told me. But, I didn't know you were there, and I thought you were just...over me."

She could only let out a laugh, because all she wanted to say was that she wasn't over him, and she'd never be over him. But she couldn't say those words, and so the breathy laugh she let out, she assumed, would imply exactly those sentiments.

"Well, that's when Lindsey and I kind of...started things," he continued.

"That's when Julian and I started things," she informed him, making him shake his head again.

The thought of her with another man still, somehow, though they hadn't been together in 8 years, still made him jealous. He especially didn't want to know that she'd started things with this other guy because she thought he was over her - even though he'd done the same thing.

"We were together for about two years and she was...she was drifting away from me," he said softly.

He didn't want to tell her that the woman had accused him of still being in love with Peyton, or that the reason she'd almost left him was because he'd spent an entire evening out questioning Brooke for information after the brunette had received a call from Peyton while he was sitting next to her. Just the sight of her name on a cell phone screen had left his mind racing. And, though he hadn't wanted to admit it to anyone at the time, his heart was racing, too.

"I didn't really mean to propose," he admitted, averting her gaze so he wouldn't see the hurt that statement caused.

"What do you mean, you didn't mean to propose?" she asked with a furrowed brow.

"She...um...she found the ring in my drawer one night and I came home. We'd had this fight and she had a bag packed and I just panicked. She started talking before I could explain that it was your ring, and..."

"Wait a second," she said, holding up her hand to stop his talking. "You proposed to her with my ring?" She would have felt bad about claiming it as such, but he'd just done the same thing. If she hadn't been so pissed off, she might have taken more time to love that. "God, Lucas..."

"Peyton, it was irrational, I know. I just couldn't let her leave."

"So let me get this straight," she started. "Brooke has worn the ring, Lindsey has worn the ring - almost permanently, might I add. But I have not worn the ring that was apparently meant for me."

When she put it all out there like that, he realized just how horrible that whole situation was. He wished he'd known ahead of time that she knew about that night in New York. When he and Brooke talked about it years later, she'd said she never told Peyton about the kiss, and he'd just assumed she hadn't told her about anything.

"I told you, she found it," he explained in an attempt to defend himself.

But then, he thought, she could have said yes. She could have worn that ring and had a wedding and worn the perfect dress, but she didn't. He hadn't wanted to leave her in L.A., but she hadn't really given him a reason to stay. And yes, he regretted that he'd left her in that room, but she didn't say yes. He told her he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, and she hadn't said yes.

"And if she hadn't found it?" she asked quietly, looking to her hands. He paused for a moment, thinking of his answer, and she looked back up at him with pleading green eyes.

"I don't know," he replied honestly.

"God, Luke, you almost married her. You would have!" she explained.

"But it wouldn't have been right," he insisted adamantly. "I was just...out of touch with who I was. Who I am."

"Well who are you?" she asked.

Her frustration came through in her voice. The thought of him marrying someone else just about made her sick, especially after finding out that he hadn't even intended to propose. It made her wonder if maybe he had felt the same when he proposed to her. Was it a desperate attempt to hold onto her like he'd desperately tried to hold onto Lindsey? Had he even wanted to spend his life with her? Of course, he'd said it at the time, but maybe that was irrational on his part, too. She had always thought that his proposal was done out of an insecurity in himself or her or their relationship, but now she was the one who was insecure. She worried that she never meant as much to him as he did to her, no matter what he had told her just minutes before.

"I'm who I've always been around you," he explained delicately. "You know me better than anyone."

He wanted so badly for her to understand, but he was getting the feeling that she just wouldn't. He knew he'd made mistakes. A lot of them. But he'd somehow assumed that she'd just know, like she had always seemed to, that they were mistakes, and that he hadn't known he was making them at the time. It wasn't until he looked back on them that he realized just how confused and naive he'd been to his own feelings. He realized that no matter who he tried to give his heart to, he would never be able to, and that was because he's given it to Peyton and she'd never given it back. In truth, he'd never asked.

"You know what, Lucas? I'm not really sure what that counts for," she said sadly.

"Peyton, come on," he pleaded. He didn't even know what that meant, but it felt right to say it.

"I don't really know what you want me to say," she sighed as she shrugged her shoulders. "It seems like you've been playing kind of fast and loose with your forevers, here."

He felt like she was giving up, and it was killing him, though he wasn't sure what there was to give up at that point. All he knew was that it felt like he was losing her again, and it was killing him.

"I'm sorry, okay?" he said quickly. "I'm sorry that we ever broke up. I'm sorry that I didn't try harder to get you back when I realized that's what I wanted. And for Lindsey, and...everything."

"I don't doubt that you're sorry, Luke. But I have more to think about than just you and me, alright? I have Grace, and I'm basically starting our entire lives from scratch here. I really don't have any time or space right now for all the drama that comes with us," she said sadly, turning away from him so that he wouldn't see how much it hurt her to say it. She was sure he'd know anyway.

"So why does there have to be drama?" he asked. He was trying not to be defensive and angry, but it was difficult. All he wanted was for her to forgive him and for them to be together. The more they talked, it seemed, the further away they got from any resolution.

"Because there is. And there will be," she said, throwing her hands up in frustration. "We've never been able to get it together, Luke, and...maybe that's the way it's supposed to be."

Even as she was saying the words, she knew they weren't the truth. Well, at least she hoped they weren't the truth. But she had more to consider than just her own heart. They'd be working at the same place, and would have to maintain a professional relationship. And Grace was too young to have people coming and going from her life, especially given her history. Peyton just couldn't risk getting into a relationship again and having it all go south. And she didn't think she'd survive another breakup from Lucas. She honestly didn't know if she could take it.

Her words hit him like a ton of bricks, and he wanted to call her on it immediately. He knew the opposite was true. They were supposed to be together, and everything that told them otherwise had been a lie. Any other signs telling them they weren't destined had been wrong. Any other people who came and inevitably went from their lives were wrong because the only thing that was right was the two of them together. Lucas and Peyton. Always.

"You don't mean that," he said, shaking his head adamantly.

"It's too hard," she whispered, indicating her defeat.

"So!" he said in a raised voice. He still couldn't believe what he was hearing. "It'll be hard. So what? You get through it. We can get through it."

"I really think it's best for right now if we just be friends," she said sadly. It was breaking her own heart to say it, but she felt it was the only way. "Just...take it from there."

He took an audible breath and raked his fingers through his hair in frustration. He hadn't expected things to be easy, but he hadn't expected her to give up. Everything up to that conversation had indicated that she wanted him, too. She hadn't pushed him away when he kissed her. She'd been playful and coy and flirtatious. He wondered how talking about his failed relationship could change things so dramatically. And sure, she was saying things like 'best for right now' and 'take it from there', but he wanted it all, everything, forever, with her.

"So what, now I'm just supposed to pretend like I don't want to be with you? When I see you, I'm supposed to act like I feel nothing? You can't ask me to do that."

"I'm not asking you to do anything," she said quietly. "I just have too much to risk. I have to protect my daughter."

"I think that's a cop out," he stated boldly, locking eyes with her. "I think you're scared, and I understand that. But I think you're hiding behind Grace, at least a little bit."

"Lucas..."

"But fine," he interrupted. "I'll be your friend if that's what you need me to be. And I'll help you with whatever you need help with. But I'm not going anywhere, and the way I feel about you isn't going to change. And some day down the road, you're going to realize that you need me, and I'll be waiting."

"Luke..."

"Because I'm not going anywhere," he said with finality.

He stood from his place and she watched in awe as he walked to the door and left without another word. Once he was on her porch, he felt as though he might collapse. He couldn't believe he'd just said all that to her, but it had all been true. He wasn't going to fall out of love with her now, and he'd all but said the 'L' word.

She was left on the sofa in her living room wondering where that speech was eight years ago.

----

As Peyton tucked Grace in for the night, she couldn't ignore the way the girl's little brow was furrowed, or the way her lips twisted, like she was trying to piece something together and figure something out. Peyton normally didn't press Grace to tell her anything, knowing that they had a close enough relationship that if her daughter needed her for anything or had any questions, she'd just ask. But after the day she'd had, packed with such honesty, she couldn't bear not knowing what was going on in that little head.

"What's on your mind, kiddo?" Peyton asked, far more nonchalantly than she wanted to.

"Just thinking."

"Thinking about what?" Peyton sat at the edge of the bed and pulled the covers up to Grace's chest, just like the girl loved.

"Luke," Grace stated. Peyton looked at her, waiting for more of an explanation. She was also seriously wondering if Lucas Scott just got into the head of every girl he'd ever met. "How long have you known him?"

"A long time," Peyton said with a laugh. "Since we were 16."

"That's like, forever!" Grace said in awe.

Peyton just smiled and nodded her head. "It's a long time," she repeated. "Why do you want to know?"

"You laugh lots with him," Grace noted, like it was an obvious thing she was pointing out. The truth was, of all the things her friends had said to her about the situation, no one had put it as plainly as that.

"He's kind of a funny guy."

"How come you never had any boys in L.A.?" Grace asked innocently. Peyton almost laughed again at how kids' minds worked.

"I guess there just weren't any boys I really liked in L.A.," Peyton answered diplomatically.

"But you like Luke?"

"Yeah, sweetie, I like Luke," Peyton admitted. She couldn't lie, not to Grace.

"Maybe he could be your boy," Grace suggested, smiling sleepily. She was obviously tired out after her day with Brooke. "Like Nathan is Haley's."

Peyton laughed softly, but she didn't know what to say because she honestly felt like she was on the verge of tears. If Grace only knew. Lucas could have been hers, if only she'd answered that question correctly all those years ago. Or if only he'd heard what she was really saying. Or if only he'd stayed and they'd talked it out. There were so many what ifs, and Peyton honestly wished she was as innocent and blunt as Grace still was. In her mind, Lucas was a nice guy who was funny and did sweet things, and that was enough.

The more Peyton thought about it, the more she thought it might be enough for her, too.

"'Night, mommy," Grace said, before Peyton could say anything in response.

"Goodnight, Gracie," Peyton whispered.

She turned out the light, went to her own bedroom, and not for the first time, shed a few tears, thinking that once again, she might be making things a hell of a lot harder with Lucas than they really needed to be.

----

A/N: Don't hate me. You didn't honestly think it'd be that easy, did you?