Chapter 20 : Burying the hatchet
Thanks for your suggestion may92. I think you're righ, so I will include Victoria in this chapter! Enjoy! And thanks a lot everyone for your reviews!
We were now in the middle of December. Sam went back to high school which pleased Haley. Victoria was in town again which didn't make Brooke happy unlike Sam.
Two days before, Victoria had received a text from the teen and she decided to come and visit her. The thing was, Sam "accidentally" omited to tell her foster mother about it.
Sam was standing at Brooke's bedroom door. "Hey Brooke, do you mind if I go out tonight ?" she asked.
Brooke looke-up at her teen. "Where are you going ? and with who ?" she instantaneously replied like a mother would have done.
Sam didn't have the time to answer that someone knocked on the front door. The teen grimaced. Brooke frowned. "with that person.." she responded nervously. Brooke got up and went to open the door without saying anything. When she opened the door she froze. Tell me it's a joke. She thought. She glanced at Sam and then at Victoria.
"Oh, I see. She didn't tell you, right?" Victoria said to Brooke.
"Nope." She answered, shaking her head.
"Are you crossed ?" Sam asked Brooke who sighed. "No." She answered a bit annoyed. "Well, don't stay there, come in and close the door, it's freezing outside." Brooke said to her mother who was greatly surprised. " Thank you Brooke." She replied politely.
"Where are you two going so early for a saturday morning ?" The 23 years old woman asked.
"I was thinking about a walk somewhere not too far." Victoria responded.
"Do you agree ?" Sam doubtfully asked to Brooke.
"Okay." She said sighing once again.
"Really ?" both Victoria and Sam excalimed which annoyed Brooke. "I said yes. Now get out of here both of you before I change my mind." She announced with a hidden smile. " Oh and Victoria, if something wrong happened, please call me that time." She gave a serious look at her mother who nodded in agreement. "Sure" she replied.
Then, Victoria and Sam were about to reach the front door and Brooke grabbed her mother by her arm. "It's your very last chance. Don't screw up with her." She threatened in a lower voice so that Sam couldn't hear.
"Thank you. I appreciated that second chance. I don't want to screw up with her and neither with you Brooke." She replied sincere.
Brooke somehow appreciated her honesty. She let go of her and went back to the kitchen.
(AT THE MALL)
"Okay, remain me again why you didn't give your answer to Brooke yet ?" Victoria asked sitting on a chair.
"I wanted to talk to you first." The teen announced and stopped playing nervously with her nodded. "and what can I do for you ?" she asked.
"You know Brooke since she was born, so you can help me. Do you honestly believe she needs me in her life ?" the teen asked a bit concerned.
"why do you ask me that ? You know my relationship with Brooke is like hell, I am not the one who knows my daughter the best." Victoria said.
"I know that and that's why I need your help. You won't back her up or anything and just tell me the truth that's why I wanted to have this conversation with you and not one of Brooke's friends. What's more, I know at first you didn't like me at all and you thought I was with Brooke for her money or something." She pointed out. Victoria looked at her quietly.
"I do think she needs you." She answered after a while. Sam was a bit surprised by her answer. Victoria noticed it and decided to speak. "Look, I am hanging-out with a 15 years old teenager who lives with my daughter and I kind of like being with you. So if me - the woman living with a big hole in her heart like Brooke could have said - can feel even if it is only a bit of affection for you, I can easily imagine what the woman with the biggest heart in the world – who is Brooke by the way – must feel for you."
Sam was amazed. Did she really do that ? I mean complimented Brooke or am I dreaming ?
"Don't be so shocked please! You make me feel uncomfortable." Victoria retorted.
"Sorry but it's a bit...unusual to hear that from you." She paused and then she spoke again. "I always know you love her otherwise why did you want to work with her when you can have so many others companies ? " Sam teased causing Victoria to roll her eyes. Victoria hated when Sam was being such a smart-ass.
"Whatever." She replied.
(AT HALEY'S)
"Oh hi Brooke! It's good to see you! Where is Sam I thought she was coming too ?" Haley asked her friend, opening the door.
"Hi, it's good to see you too. And no, Sam isn't with me because she is with Victoria." She responded with a hint of disapproval in her voice.
"Oh I see. You still don't like the fact your mother and Sam are, well...friends." Haley commented.
"No it's not the fact they're getting along which annoys me, well not completely anyway, but I don't want Victoria to turn Sam against me, you know? She has always wanted people I love the most to be away from me. I don't want her to give some speech or anything to Sam saying crazy things about me in order to put Sam off." Brooke explained, concerned.
"You know, I'm not sure Victoria wants to put Sam off she seems to really appreciate that girl. In my opinion she might be favorable for the adoption." Haley said.
"Maybe..I don't know. Anyway, what do you absolutely want me to come right now ?" Brooke asked smiling.
"Yeah, that's right! I have an idea which popped up in my head last night. I talked with Nathan and we both agree on the fact that can be pretty cool." Haley announced very excited which made Brooke laughed.
"Okay, care to share ?" she asked.
" What do you say about my family and yours having one week of holiday in a chalet for Christmas ?" she asked enthusiastically.
"That will be great but.." Brooke started to say. "No but." Haley cut her friend short. " I already have the chalet, the snow is right there waiting for us, I just need you to say yes." Haley declared. Brooke smiled. "Let me one minute." She said and Haley nodded in agreement. Brooke texted Sam.
Hey missy! Fancy a week in a chalet with the Scott family for Christmas ?Brooke sent.
Can be fun. The teen texted back.
"I think I have to say yes then." Brooke spoke to Haley who was completely thrilled with her plan. "Awesome! Can't wait !" she exclaimed.
(LATER AT BROOKE'S)
The young woman was searching her keys door in her bag when she saw a person's shadow causing her to looked-up.
"Victoria ?" she asked.
"Hi Brooke. I brought Sam home-and safe- I was leaving." She explained.
"Wait." Brooke stopped her. Victoria didn't expect that. Brooke neither. She didn't really know why she called her out. "What did you guys do ?" she asked.
"We went to the mall but didn't shop. We talked and chilled out, that it." She answered.
"Chill out ? Wow. I didn't even know you knew that expression. It is so...not you." Brooke commented. Victoria let escape a laugh. " Yes I know. Sam kind of turned me into it."
Brooke laughed. " I should have figured it out sooner." She announced. Both were smiling which was rare but mostly very weird.
"She's a good kid." Victoria said breaking the silence.
"Yes she is." Brooke replied, with some anxiety in her voice. Victoria noticed it. "You know she loves you. There is no doubt about it." She said trying to confort her daughter. Brooke didn't say anything, she just looked-up at her mother who was studying her face carefully. She didn't know why, but Brooke felt the need to speak to her, which was completely insane to her. "I'm scared." She confessed after a while with a crackle in her voice.
"I know, but don't." Victoria responded. "We talked a lot about you, you know? And today we were talking about the adoption." She said trying to catch her daughter's attention which has worked.
"Really ? she told you ?" Brooke asked a bit worried.
"No. She was asking questions about you. She wanted to have someone else's opinion I guess, someone kind of external at the all situation. Someone who knows you but is not often –or hardly ever in my case- standing up for you. " Her mother answered walking towards the young woman. Brooke didn't know how to react or what to respond. Instead, she just let all her fears out and cried in front of her mum who immediately wrapped her daughter giving her a hug. The hug she always has wished for.
"Sshh. It's going to be okay Brooke. She was sort of lost in her thoughts lately but you'll get your answer soon, very soon I promise and I'm sure it's going to be a positive one. Okay ?" she said, placing both of her hands on Brooke checks causing both of the women to look in each other eyes.
"Okay." Her daughter answered taking a deep breathe. She didn't know what happened to her mother but she decided not to argue and she was curious to see where this strange situation was going to be.
"Good. Now, dry these tears and go to your house and say hello to your daughter." Victoria ordered. The 23 years old woman nodded like if she was a child. "I love you Brooke." Victoria said, surprising Brooke and herself.
"What ?" Brooke asked frowning. Victoria was a bit embarrassed. "I'm sorry." She said.
"Why are you sorry for ?" Brooke asked.
"I don't think it's fair to tell you I love you after all I did to you, so I apologize for that because I don't want you to be angry tonight." Victoria explained. Indead Brooke was furious inside, how dare she telling me that! She's been a nightmare, a horrible mother all my life! But...why am crying ? Victoria hugged Brooke again, holding her broken-daughter tight in her arms. Instead of being angry and pushed her mother back, she just let her be a mother for the first time of her life.
"Do you know how much I wanted this ?" Brooke asked sobbing. Victoria didn't say anything, maybe because she felt too guilty or ashamed to reply. She rested her head on Brooke's and rocked her backwards and fordwards like if she was a child again. Brooke didn't fight back she let her mother soothed her enjoying this unique moment but both knew it wouldn't change a thing at their relationship. They knew they let their guard down and buried the hatchet only for one night, that night.
Okay guys, please review and tell me what you think of it ! Bye!