-Lucas and Anna's Thanksgiving was spent with very little celebration. Lucas made an effort to prepare food that he wouldn't prepare normally, but other than that it was very much a normal dinner.
-His mother's visit a few days before had taken more out of him than he had expected. He knew that he had hurt her when he had asked her to leave and told her that he hadn't changed his mind about Thanksgiving, but he felt that at least now she understood his reasons, that had to count for something, right?
-Anna had loved the time that she had spent with Karen and he was glad about that. Anna deserved to have someone like his mom in her life and as long as she would leave him be, he wanted Karen to be in Anna's life.
-Thanksgiving was hard. As Lucas had told, or instead yelled to his mother, he didn't really have anything to be thankful for this year. He loved Anna more than anything, but still the fact that he had gotten her from losing Peyton, kind of put a dent on his thankfulness for her presence. He was thankful for Anna still, she was the only thing keeping him from losing himself completely in his sorrow. He didn't know what would have happened to him the past 5 months if he hadn't had Anna with him. She was the reason why he got out of bed in the morning, the reason he did pretty much everything, she was his lifeline, and he was very grateful for that.
-During dinner that night, Anna had been particularly quiet but he had expected it, when she was hurting more than usual she was always more quiet, so he let her be. He told her that he loved her and that he was happy that she was there and that was all that was said between them until later than night when she was the one to start the conversation.
-He was in his office working on his computer when she had showed up in the doorway fidgeting with her fingers. Lucas looked up at her.
-"What's wrong Ann?" He asked concerned.
-She walked up to him and he pulled her up on his lap.
-"Want to talk about it?" He tried again.
-She nodded and then was silent for a few minutes before speaking again.
-"Do you think that mommy can see us?" She asked softly.
-Lucas sighed. "Yes sweetie I think she can."
-"Do you think she's proud of me?" Again very softly as her face is buried in his chest.
-He backs away a little so that he can look at her in the eyes. "I know she is." And he meant it.
-"I miss her daddy." She says as she once again buries her head in his chest, tears starting to fall from her beautiful green eyes.
-"I miss her too baby, I miss her too." He said emotionally as he kisses her head reassuringly.
-That's the last they spoke that night as Anna fell asleep on his lap and Lucas carried her to bed before once again setting himself up for another restless night.
-The next few days after the holiday are pretty busy as he starts to prepare for the launching of his book and Anna goes back to school. On the following Wednesday he's about to leave his apartment to go pick up Anna. He flungs the door open and almost has an heart attack when he finds Brooke, who's about to knock, on the other side.
-They two look at each other for a few seconds not saying anything. Brooke's eyes are puffy and she looks like she hasn't slept in days.
-He knows. She looks up at him and right away he knows, she knows.
-"How?" He asks.
-"You're mom." She's knows exactly what he's talking about.
-"Oh!" He's angry. He had asked her not to tell anything and now Brooke's here, he feels slightly betrayed too but he has more pressing concerns now. He's trying to figure out what she wants from him.
-"She told us that you didn't want us to show up here and the others listened, it's only me." Her voice is small, indecisive, so far from the Brooke he's known for years.
-"Oh!" Again he's at a loss for words.
-"I want to see her Luke." Now her voice is stronger, almost angry.
-"Who?" He knows who she's talking about, who else could she means, but he's buying time, he doesn't know if it's a good idea.
-"You know who, I want to see her." The way she looks at him when she says it, makes it clear that she's not going to go away.
-"Brooke, I…"
-"She was my best friend Luke. We lost touch and every thing but she was still my best friend. I want.." She recollects herself as tears are threatening to fall from her eyes. "I need to see her Luke."
-"Okay." He gets it. Anna's the only link she has left to her best friend. He can't deny her that, even if he wanted too, but the truth is, he doesn't.
-"Thanks." She's about to move past him into the apartment when Lucas stops her.
-"She's at school. I was about to go pick her up."
-"Oh." This time it's her who doesn't know what to say as she's embarrassed for not thinking that Anna could in school at that time.
-"Want to tag along?" The pain evident on her face at his announce that Anna wasn't home yet is the reason why he asks her.
-"Sure." And with that the two of them leave the building and get into a cab.
-The cab ride to the school was silent, neither of them in the mood for small talk. When they finally get there and exit the cab, Brooke cannot help but be impress.
-"Wow." He had to say he had had the same first impression when he had came to register Anna. The school was beautiful and very imposing.
-"I wanted her to have the best." He explains simply.
-Brooke nods her understanding as they start making their way toward the entrance.
-"Brooke just…"
-"Let you make the introductions, yeah I figured."
-"Thanks." He's happy that she gets it.
-They walk in and Lucas sign the registry writing his name and the time. It's school policy. Before any child walks off the building it must have been filled in. That way they can insure that each child leaves safely.
-Brooke stands back and watches as Lucas walks into a room filled with children, that she assumes must be Anna's class, and a little blonde girl jumps into his arms.
-Brooke holds her breath for a few seconds, Karen was right, she looks exactly like Peyton. She watches as Lucas makes his way toward her with Anna in his arms while the little girl babbles about something that Brooke can't make out.
-Anna doesn't really notice Brooke until she enters the cab with them. But once she did notice her, she doesn't take her eyes from her for all the ride back to their apartment.
-Brooke feels somewhat exposed under the little girl's scrutiny as Lucas too notices the way Anna keeps looking at Brooke.
-She doesn't say a word though, doesn't address Brooke in any way until they've reach their apartment building and walked into the apartment. Lucas offers Brooke coffee as he hands Anna her snack and the little girl sits at the table with them to eat it.
-Lucas finally makes the introductions.
-"Anna this is…" He doesn't get to finish.
-"I know." Two sets of eyes flash to the little girl who has just spoken in a quiet voice.
-"You know what Ann?" Lucas asks, unsure of what she's talking about.
-"I know who she is." She explains not taking her eyes away from Brooke who's frozen on her chair, unable to move an inch.
-She must have seen the complete shock on both adult's faces because she spoke again.
-"You're Brooke, my mommy she told me about you." The little girl says more assured this time.
-Brooke gasps as tears start falling from her eyes. Peyton had told Anna about her, that meant so much that she couldn't even express in words how much.
-Lucas was speechless, Anna had recognized Brooke. He didn't know how he felt about that.
-"What did she say?" Brooke finally managed to ask once her tears had rescinded.
-Lucas' head snap back to her and he sends her a glare. Brooke's going into uncharted territory and he's worried that she's going to upset Anna, but apparently she doesn't upset her that much because Anna answers her relatively quickly.
-"She said…" The little girl takes a deep breath and Brooke finally realised why Lucas had been glaring at her. It's hurting Anna to talk about Peyton.
-She's about to argue that she doesn't have to say anything when Anna continues speaking.
-"She said you were her bestest friend and that when I was older maybe you were going to be my friend too."
-The tears that she had just managed to control are flowing out of her eyes again. She felt like shit. She had been horrible to Peyton so many times and yet Peyton had still said those awesome things to her daughter about her, it wasn't fair. Peyton shouldn't have died, Anna shouldn't have lost her mother so young.
-Lucas could see that Anna was confused as she watched Brooke cry, so he stood up and took her into his arms.
-"Why is she crying daddy?" The little girl didn't know what she had done wrong.
-"She just misses your mommy Ann, just like we do."
-Anna nods understandably before speaking again.
-"Does it mean that she doesn't want to me my friend?" She asked a little worried.
-Brooke's head shot up off her hands in which she had been crying.
-"Of course not kiddo, you and I are going to be great friends I promise." She was going to make this right, she thought determinably. She was going to be to Anna what she had failed to be to Peyton.
-"Really?" Anna asked hopefully.
-Brooke stood up and walked close to the pair. "Really." She said smiling to the blonde little girl.
-"What do bestest friends do Brooke?" She asks confused on what the difference was with her other friends.
-"Anything you want, if it's okay with your daddy though."
-All of a sudden Lucas has both girls looking up at him expectantly.
-"How about you two start by playing in your room, then we'll see." He's giving Brooke a chance, she better not screw it up. Brooke gets the message and mouths a thank you to Lucas.
-Anna smiles at Brooke and then extends her little hand to her while still in the protective hold of Lucas' arms.
-"Friends?" She asked.
-"The bestest." Brooke smiles shaking the little girl's hand.