Okay, okay, I know...it's been a while.

Truthfully, I hit a snag with this story. I lost count of how many times I tried to sit down and write this but ended up hating every single thing I wrote. I don't know what happened, but I just couldn't do it. So, I decided to just completely step away from it for a little while and focus on some other things. Then, hopefully, when I returned to it with fresh eyes, I could write it again. I'm still a little rusty and I'm not 100% thrilled with what I produced, but I decided to just stop overthinking and trust in my gut. So here we are!

On another note, one thing that I am really trying not to do with this story is rush Naley's relationship. This is probably the slowest burn I've ever written, but I wanted to make sure that Naley's relationship didn't fall victim to all of the trauma Haley is going through. I wanted it to be genuine and real. But they are getting there. As you'll see with these next few chapters, their feelings for each other are becoming more and more prevalent.

October 21, 2010

Nathan climbed the stairs two at a time. The fast beating of his heart was more a product of adrenaline than the force he was exerting.

He needed to hear it with his own ears. That's the only way he would believe it was true.

Reaching the familiar front door, he knocked loudly and rapidly. His foot tapped against the floor, the seconds ticking by agonizingly slow.

Haley opened the door, a smile spreading across her face. She greeted him a "hey", but he didn't respond. Without missing a beat, Nathan breezed past her, trying not to pay attention to grave confusion on her face. In retrospect, he'd probably feel bad for being so extreme, but right now his judgment was clouded.

"Nathan?" She asked, hesitation clear in her voice. "Is everything okay?"

"Why'd you do it?" He blurted out. He was sure that he had to look insane—he certainly felt insane.

When he walked into work that morning, he knew something was off. He could feel it in his bones. But the last thing he expected to hear was that Haley quit the night before. According to Keith's announcement, she showed up at her father's office late last night, right after she was released from the hospital.

"Why did I do what?" she asked, turning her back on his as she walked further into her apartment, towards the living room.

Her innocence made him want to scream. His head was spinning—question after question bouncing around in his head.

The look he shot her was pointed. "Quit your job."

"Oh, that."

She tried to keep her voice level—she was waiting for this to happen and as soon as she saw him at her front door, she knew why he was there.

Haley wanted to be the one to tell him, but she just couldn't bring herself to pick up the phone the previous night. She was emotionally spent, the adrenaline seeping out of her body and leaving her limp. Besides, even if she had called him, she wasn't sure what she would have said. This newfound sense of clarity was taking some time to navigate through.

Looking down at her hands, she picked at the skin around her fingernails. She didn't regret her decision—in fact, she'd never felt so…powerful and alive in her life. But that didn't mean it wasn't hard.

God, it was so hard.

Nathan's features softened at the sound of her weak sigh as reality came crashing down on him. Instantly, he regretted his approach to this conversation. He let his shock get in the way of his compassion. She didn't need someone busting down her door and demanding answers, she needed someone to listen. He wasn't about to break his promise of being whatever she needed.

"You love your job," Nathan said softly, sliding his hands into the pockets of his jeans. None of this made sense to him, but he didn't want to push her.

"I do," she replied tiredly, slumping into her couch.

That's what made it so hard. For almost all of her life, all she ever wanted to be was a cop. She had spent so much time researching and working towards her dream. And even more time day-dreaming about the life that she thought she wanted.

Somewhere along all of the excitement and preparing, she got lost. Her job was no longer a passion to her, but a chore that carried around a heavyweight that was dragged her down. It became more about the approval of her father than it did helping people.

"But I need to figure out if I still love it without the influence of my dad."

For the first time since Nathan arrived at her apartment, he noticed just how different she seemed. The bags under her eyes were still prominent and a grey film still lingered on her skin. But her eyes…were brighter, a spark of life in them again. He felt a tug on his heart at the realization.

Sitting down next to her on the couch, Nathan let out a slow breath of air. "I'm sorry."

Haley looked over at him, her eyebrows knitted together. "For what?"

He linked his fingers together, resting his elbows on the top of his knees. "For barging in here like that. It's just…I was caught off guard by the news and…I don't know."

She rested her hand on his arm and squeezed it, smiling softly at him. "It's okay. I would have done the same."

He matched her glance and returned her smile. Her hand lingered on his arm for a little while longer, warmth spreading through his entire body. He tried not to focus too hard on that feeling.

"Are you okay?" Nathan asked.

"No," she answers honestly. "There's still this…giant mess in my head that's probably going to take months to clean up. But for the first time in I don't even know how long…everything feels like it's going to be okay."

Nathan brushed a piece of hair out of her face, smiling at her. "You have no idea how good it feels to hear you say that."

"It feels good to say it," she mumbled, leaning into the brush of his fingers. Every time he touched her, tingles spread through her entire body. "I'm sorry that I didn't tell you. I wanted to, believe me. I—"

"You have nothing to apologize for," Nathan reassured her, cutting her off. "I get it."

"Okay, good."

"So, what's next?"

Haley inhaled slowly. She'd been asking herself that same question and out of all the possible answers, only one of them felt right.

"I think I'm gonna go back home," she revealed.

"To North Carolina?" Nathan's eyebrows shot up towards his hairline.

Haley nodded. As much as she loved New York, she missed home. She missed feeling the sun on her face and tasting the salt in the air. Everything was much slower paced in North Carolina. People didn't crowd the streets and the quiet wasn't swallowed by honking horns or loud music.

She needed peace, quiet, and a somewhere fresh that would allow her to heal. Not to mention, it'd been a long time since she'd been back home.

"For good?"

A lump formed in Nathan's throat, panic setting in. The thought of losing her never occurred to him and now that the possibility was dangling right in front of his face, he wasn't sure how to handle it. Could he even handle it?

Before his brain had a chance to run completely wild, Haley clarified.

"No, not for good. For a couple of weeks, just to…do some healing. It'll be a nice break, a chance to get away and clear my head. I think I really need something like that."

Relief washed over him before guilt punched him in the gut. This was supposed to be about her journey back to her old self, not his

"You have to do what you think is best for you," he mumbled, voice strained. "And if you think that that is what you need, then I'm all for it."

Haley studied the expression on Nathan's face, retracing every inch like a complicated calculus problem. She watched the panic flash across his face when she mentioned leaving and then the relief when she confirmed that it was temporary. Both of those things made what she said next seem like the most natural thing in the world.

"Come with me."

She didn't realize how much she wanted him to come until the request left her mouth. She needed this trip, but she couldn't do it alone. She couldn't do it without him.

"What?"

Nathan's eyes turned into saucers as his heart leaped into his throat. She couldn't be serious, but he found himself hoping that she was.

Her laugh was short and awkward as she looked down at her hands. She wasn't sure why she was suddenly nervous…the good kind of nervous

"This…this isn't easy for me, as you know," she started. "But I…I meant what I said when I said I needed help. I'm so…so tired of doing this alone and I'm starting to realize that even though I can, I shouldn't have to."

Nathan wasn't sure what to say. He was beaming with pride that she's finally reached this point of being able to ask for help. In the same breath, he was surprised that she was genuinely asking him to accompany her to North Carolina.

"I know it's a lot to ask and please don't feel obligated to say yes," Haley rushed out. It was hard to read the expression on his face. "But this is something that I don't know if I can do alone and…."

She trailed off, the intense way he was looking at her cutting her off. A knot formed in her stomach as she waited for him to answer, silently praying that he agreed to come.

Nathan didn't have to think about his answer. "If you need me, then there's nowhere else I'd rather be."

~x~

Haley popped the cork on the bottle of Dolcetto, pouring a healthy amount into a wine glass. Pushing the bottle back to the center of her counter, she walked over to Peyton and placed the glass in front of her.

"You're not gonna have a glass?"

Haley shook her head as she slid into the chair across from Peyton. "It's not recommended to mix alcohol with the antidepressants that I'm on."

"Right, I forgot about that," Peyton mumbled, taking a small sip of her drink. "How are you feeling?"

It had only been two full days since Haley was released from the hospital, but her time there felt like months ago. The whole train track incident felt like a different lifetime, a different her. She didn't think about it a lot, mostly because she couldn't remember that night. She remembered bits and pieces, but even those were fuzzy.

The only thing that stuck with her was the feeling in her chest. When she first stepped onto those tracks, it was a deep and harsh pain that was debilitating. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't think. All she could focus on was the pain.

But then it was gone.

She blinked and the next thing she knew she was staring in Nathan's eyes. An odd sense of comfort and relief swallowed her. She became hyperaware of the pounding of her heart and the sweat sticking to her body. It was like her world started to spin again.

Both of those feelings still visited her…several times a day.

"It changes by the hour," Haley admitted with a sigh. "Sometimes, I feel so…free, like no matter what obstacles I still have to face, everything is going to work itself out. Then I have these moments where I just feel so unsure of everything and like I'm slipping back under this safety net of misery."

She swallowed, her throat feeling dry. Talking about her feelings never came easy to Haley, but she was trying and the more she tried, the more that fog inside of her cleared.

"I've gotten so used to living in this constant cycle of self-sabotage and denial that everything but that feels…wrong."

"Well, you know, recovery isn't a straight line. You're gonna have good and bad days," Peyton reminded her, dragging her fingertips up and down the stem of her glass. "Plus, to me, it sounds like you're scared to let go of that cycle because it's familiar. You don't know what it's like to not be that way and well, ya know, the fear of the unknown."

Peyton tried to lessen the blow of her deep words by wagging her fingers and talking in a silly voice, but it still caused Haley to shift in her seat. It was like Peyton was reading her mind and it made her feel uncomfortable to be that…seen.

"You sound just like my therapist," Haley said with an awkward laugh, avoiding Peyton's claims. She was done with this conversation.

"You still seeing her?"

"Yeah. Honestly, I'll probably still go to her even after I feel more…stable. It's nice to have someone to talk to who has an outsider's point of view."

"You've come such a long way already," Peyton said with a smile. "I'm really proud of you."

Out of embarrassment, Haley looked away from Peyton's gleaming gaze. This whole process was…uncomfortable for her. She never thought she would be the person who needed to go through a recovery process.

"I just don't know how I let myself get to this point," she mumbled. "I always thought I had such a handle on things, but I guess I was wrong."

Peyton reached across the table to pat Haley on the hand.

"We all fall short sometimes, Haley. I know sometimes it's hard to believe…but you are just a human."

A small and loose smile formed on Haley's face.

"I know…it's going to take me some time to actually learn that."

"Well, don't forget that you have a whole team of people behind you who love you and want to help you, even if you don't want to ask for help."

"I'm working on that, too."

"Speaking of people, that love you…when are you and Nathan leaving for NC?"

Haley rolled her eyes at the coy look on Peyton's face. She knew it was a mistake telling her best friend about the vacation she and Nathan were taking. It was a big deal, but Haley didn't want to treat it like one.

"Tomorrow morning and don't start with that again."

"Come on, Hales, you can't deny that there is something between the two of you," Peyton implored. "I see the way he looks at you when he thinks people aren't looking, the way he was so worried about you through all of this. And I see how different you are with him. You just seem so at ease around him."

"I don't know," Haley sighed, digging her fingers in her hair.

Peyton raised an eyebrow, giving her an annoying smirk that Haley just wanted to smack off her face. Damn Peyton for always being a step ahead of her.

"Honestly, Peyton, I don't."

She was lying. She did know, she just wasn't ready to admit it to herself yet, nor was she ready to fully explore whatever the feelings she felt towards him meant. She was still so scared of letting herself go there, to completely abandon every aspect of the person who thought she had to be.

Besides, as she told Dr. Walter, she wasn't sure she even had any chances left with him.

"Well, you might want to figure it out sooner rather than later. The good ones don't wait around forever."

"Peyton!" Haley gasped, already feeling the slight panic from her words. "I have enough going on. I can't—"

"Chill, Hales, I'm just kidding," Peyton laughed, but there was a twinkle of truth in her eyes. "Now tell me…how mad was your dad when you dropped the bomb on him?"

~x~

"You still have time to back out, you know."

Nathan chuckled and shook his head as he slid his packed athletic bag over his shoulder. It was just a little past four in the morning and LaGuardia was unusually quiet. Nathan liked it better that way. During the prime flying hours, the airport was jam-packed with people, almost as packed as Times Square is during New Years, and it was more of a hassle that he would rather avoid.

"I would follow you anywhere, Haley James," Nathan teased.

Behind his teasing tone, there was grave honesty. Some people would probably call him crazy for dropping everything to follow his…friend to North Carolina, but he never was one for caring what other people thought about him. Haley needed him—that's all he needed to hear.

Haley rolled her eyes as she slammed the taxi door shut, waving at the driver as he pulled away from the curb. "It's too early in the morning for your cheesy lines."

She liked the way their relationship had changed over the last few months. The push-and-pull dynamic was still very prevalent, but there was a lightheartedness about it. It reminded her of their relationship when they'd first met and she found comfort in that reminder.

It felt like a step in the right direction.

She just hoped that this trip back home helped her piece the broken parts of her back together. Even if it didn't, she hoped it at least gave her the strength to try.

"I'm serious," Nathan defended. "Besides, it's been a while since I've been back there. It'll be a nice change of pace."

"Yeah, it's been a while for me, too," she said. "You're from Tree Hill, right?"

Nathan nodded. "Born and raised."

"I grew up in Charlotte. Kind of weird how we grew up three hours away from each other and never knew it, huh?"

"The world always has ways of surprising us, it seems," Nathan chuckled.

Their locked gaze lingered for several seconds before the heaviness became too much for Haley to handle. She cleared her throat and looked away, motioning for him to follow her inside. Once inside the airport, they headed over to Delta's kiosk to get their boarding passes printed and to check their luggage. After that was taken care of, they headed down the long corridor, lined with several different desks and kiosks for different airlines. Security was just beyond the airline counters.

The comfortable silence that rested between them as they walked allowed for Nathan's mind to wander. He'd been to this airport hundreds of times, but there was only one other time he was there with Haley. The panic on her face and the desperation in her eyes was an image that he would never forget.

He desperately wanted to help her then, but he didn't know how.

"Is something wrong?" Haley asked, noticing the intense look on his face.

Nathan jumped at the sound of her voice, his eyes widening like he'd been caught doing something he shouldn't have been. He quickly recovered when he noticed the concerned way she was looking at him.

"No," he said, clearing his throat. "I was, uh, just thinking about the last time I was here with you— when I dropped you off so you could go back home. Err, I…remember watching you walk away and wondering if I was ever going to see you again…if you were going to be okay and if I could have done more to help."

He rubbed a hand across the back of his neck. "It's just kind of bizarre…being back here with you again, ya know?"

Haley smiled sadly, the corners of her mouth tipped upwards in the smallest way. He was her saving grace back then, too, and she just never knew at the time. When she called him to ask him if he could take her to the airport, he didn't hesitate to say yes, just like he didn't hesitate to say yes to come with her now. Even though they had many ups and downs, he was always the one person she could depend on.

"I don't think I ever thanked you for that," she mumbled. "If it wasn't for you, I don't know if I would have seen my sister one last time and that meant everything to me."

Her hand, on its own accord found its way into his, their fingers slotting together like perfect puzzle pieces. Nathan didn't question it. It seemed so natural to hold her hand like he'd been doing it for years. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze as they walked the rest of the way to security.

Finally reaching their gate, Nathan and Haley settled into a secluded section of the waiting area. They still had about 45 minutes until boarding began, but only a small handful of people were in the waiting area with them. Haley hoped that it stayed that way. She hated cramped flights and with the way her nerves had suddenly shot up, she could use as much peace as she could get.

The knots in her stomach were almost painful and her throat felt dryer than the Sahara Desert. It was like the reality of her situation finally settled in and now she was questioning everything.

"I could go for a cup of coffee. Do you want one?" Nathan asked after setting his athletic bag down.

She swore that Nathan could read her mind sometimes.

"That sounds good."

"Caramel latte with extra foam?"

"Yes, please."

In a normal setting, Haley probably would have made fun of him for remembering her coffee order, but her mind was too preoccupied.

A couple of people had joined the waiting area while Nathan was gone, and she tried to focus on people watching, instead of the thoughts running wild in her head. It was no use.

"What are you thinking?" Nathan asked as he rejoined her moments later, handing her, her coffee.

"That I'm nervous."

"Why?"

Haley shrugged, her fingers drumming against the paper coffee cup in her hands. "All sorts of reasons—like what if I made a mistake by quitting? What if going back home makes me worse or doesn't help me find the answers I'm looking for? What if—"

"Hey, hey," Nathan stopped her, placing his hand on her arm. "You're letting your mind wander. Even if it doesn't seem like it, you don't do things impulsively. You do things with purpose and there's a reason that you felt as if going home was the right choice for you. Trust in that."

She knew Nathan was right, but rationality was never one of her strong points. Haley didn't say anything, she just took another sip of her coffee. She let the hot liquid slide down her throat and coax a comforting warmth through her bones.

"Have you talked to your dad since…you quit?"

Haley shook her head. "No. He's called me a couple of times, but I haven't answered. I'm sure he just wants to yell at me some more. And even if this was an alternate universe and he was calling to apologize, I'm not sure I want to hear it."

"I think that's fair."

Their conversation was cut short by a Delta employee coming on over the intercom, spewing directions about the boarding process. Since they were in the first boarding group, Nathan and Haley gathered their things and headed towards the podium.

The process of getting on the plane and settling in went smoothly. Just as Haley had hoped, their flight was fairly empty. As soon as Haley sat down and buckled the seatbelt, her nerves melted away. She was really doing this and as much as it excited her, it scared her to death.

Nathan was right—there was a reason she was being called back home and she needed to put her trust in that feeling.

Lifting the armrest between them, he motioned for her lean against him. "You look exhausted. Come here, I'll wake you when we land."

She smiled softly at him before curling her body into his side. His black sweater was a little scratchy against her cheek, but she didn't mind it. Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing to indulge in all of those feelings she was battling with.

His arm rested around her waist, his fingers dipping just slightly beneath the hem of her sweater. Her skin was warm and he couldn't resist the urge dragging his fingers over her in small patterns. He smiled when she sighed contently, leaning further into him.

"Thank you for coming with me."

"Like I said, I'd follow you anywhere."

That was the last thing she heard before drifting off to sleep, a smile on her face.

~x~

After a short drive from the airport, they pulled up to a small loft located in downtown Charlotte. The red and brown brick structure was sandwiched between a bakery painted bright yellow and glass plated real estate office. Vines of flowers and weeds clung to the length of the structure and twisted around the iron bars surrounding the windows. At the base of the building, there was a glass door, locked with a keypad. Just beyond the door was a steep staircase that Nathan assumed led to the front door of the loft.

It was a quaint little place, one that just felt like home and comfort. He'd assumed that they would be staying at a hotel or something of that sort, but he would take this instead.

"What is this place?" Nathan asked, turning the rental car off.

"This is where my sister used to live," Haley revealed with a shaky smile. "I used to stay with her on breaks or whenever I came to visit. I practically lived here the last two weeks…."

She didn't need to finish that sentence.

Nathan's eyes widened as he took another glance at the loft. It no longer looked like a comfortable place to sleep, but instead a place that held a rich history. Just by examining the cuts and curves of the brick, he felt like he was seeing a piece of Haley's soul.

"You never thought to sell it?" He pondered gently. Most people, when grieving, usually sell things that used to be owned by loved ones, like cars or houses.

"I did…but it just didn't feel right," Haley sighed. "There are so many memories here that I don't want to let go of. It kind of feels like it's the only thing that I have left of her."

For the first time since they pulled up, she allowed herself to take a peek at the loft. Everything was just as she remembered it, almost as she had never left. The flowers on the vines were more abundant and the brick was starting to fade, but those were the only differences.

Haley could still picture all of the times she and Taylor walked up that steep staircase, tumbling with laughter as they tried to carry heaps of groceries. Or, all the times Haley got caught in the rain, waiting for Taylor to come down the stairs to let her after she'd forgotten her spare key again. Taylor would always greet her with a teasing smile and throw a joke her way about how she was the more responsible sister after all.

Her heart ached at the memories and she embraced it. She wasn't going to allow herself to run away from that pain. She needed to work on not running away.

"Plus, I always said that I would move back here. Maybe after I've settled down and gotten married. It would be the perfect place to start a family."

Nathan nodded in agreement. He didn't think about his future all that often and when he did, he didn't think much passed getting married and having kids one day. He definitely didn't think of all the nitty-gritty details.

And he definitely did not allow his mind to conjure up images of starting a family with Haley.

"Shall we go inside?"

Nathan nodded. "Let's go."

Haley punched in the code without having to think about it, smiling when the red access light turned green. As they walked up the stairs, Haley was greeted with the familiar smell of wood and paint. She used to hate that smell, but now she was certain that it was one of the best smells in the world.

Her heartbeat reached new heights as she came face to face with the pine colored door she saw in her dreams sometimes. Every dream usually consisted of her knocking on that door and Taylor answering it with that contagious smile of hers.

She almost felt…a sense of excitement?

"Are you ready to do this?"

Haley hadn't realized that she spaced out until she heard Nathan's voice.

"Yeah…," Haley said, her nose scrunching. "I guess I just thought it would be harder."

"That's a good thing, right?"

"Yeah, I think so."

Pulling her keys out of her pocket, she sifted through them until she found the right key. Her fingers trembled slightly as the key slide into place easily, the click of the lock loud in her ears. The door stuck a little, but with a shove from her hip, it popped open.

A warm gust of air attacked them as the door swung open, bringing along with them a musky smell—one that probably formed from lack of occupants. Haley made a mental note to pick up some candles.

The door opened into a large living room, complete with a black suede couch and a matching loveseat. Next to the couch, there was a door locked with a deadbolt and glass covered by blinds, leading out to a small balcony. Next to the living room, separated by a deep-seated hallway, was an open kitchen. A half marble counter extended from the farther wall, lined with two small bar stools. A small kitchen table made of glass and iron sat in the center of tile with an empty glass vase as the centerpiece. Down the long hallway, there were several rooms with the doors shut.

With excitement and anxiousness pumping through her veins, Haley made the first move by stepping over the threshold. Just like when they first pulled up, she was hit was a slew of different memories and emotions.

"So, this is it," Haley muttered, gesturing to the area around them.

"It's nice," Nathan commented as he looked around. It was clear that someone hadn't occupied this space in a while, but there was still a natural home-y aura to it. The decorations consisted of plants, colorful and modern paintings, and string lights boarding the walls.

He could picture Haley living here. The style of decoration mimicked that of her current apartment back home. Even behind the smell of old books and dust lingering in the air, he could pick out remnants of the lavender and vanilla he often smelled at Haley's apartment.

Haley inhaled a deep breath, dropping her luggage by the doormat. Nathan followed suit. It was a strange feeling, being both content and a nervous wreck at the same time.

"Let me show you the bedrooms," Haley said, clearing her throat.

Nathan followed behind her as she led him down the long hallway. The walls matched the living room with dark grey paint and modern molding. He felt lucky—almost unworthy—walking through a place that he knew Haley held close to her heart. Every paint chip had a story behind it

"This right here," she said as she tapped on the closed door before opening it. "Is the bathroom—complete with a shower, double sink, a toilet, and a purple color scheme that I begged Taylor to change millions of times."

Nathan chuckled as Haley cracked a smile. He expected her to be…uneasy, weird even, but her anxiousness was minimal. He'd even go as far as to say that she seemed…joyful.

Before they moved to the next room, Nathan paused at a picture that was hanging on the wall in the center of the hallway. It was the only decoration on the wall, the white wooden frame standing out against the dark grey paint. It was a picture of Haley and Taylor—one that he hadn't seen before. They were hugging, the background a clean and bright beach.

Based on the thinness in Taylor's bones and the paleness of her complexion, he assumed the picture was taken after she'd gotten sick. The red bikini she was wear hung loosely on her body, her thin hair pulled back into a ponytail. Even so, she was beautiful—a striking resemblance to Haley. He'd seen several pictures of Taylor but had never gotten a chance to examine them like this one.

"She looks just like you," he mumbled.

Haley walked up next to him, glancing briefly at the picture. She always loved that picture as it was one of her favorites. That day at the beach was one of the last days they spent together before she got really sick.

"She was always the prettier one."

Nathan looked back at the picture. Haley's hair was wet, giving it a darker hue than normal. Small and almost dismissible freckles dotted her cheeks from excessive sun exposure. Her smile stretched from ear to ear, but there was a sadness in her eyes that cut through him.

"You're beautiful, Haley."

Her cheeks flushed at his compliment

The rest of the tour was quick. She'd shown him the room that she always stayed in, before showing him the guest room. For a second, she considered offering that they could stay in the same room—they'd spent countless nights together the last few weeks—but decided against it. It just seemed a little too presumptuous and…weird.

"And that room is…was Taylor's. I haven't been in there since she died. Everything is pretty much right where she left it, with the exception of a few boxes of her things my mom had packed."

Nathan didn't miss the way she breezed past Taylor's room, but he let her go. They had plenty of time to rehash everything and he wasn't going to push her. She had to do this at her own pace.

"So, what is our plan for while we're here?" Nathan asked as they walked back into the kitchen. Once there, he slid into one of the bar stools connected to the counter.

"I don't know," Haley answered sheepishly, drumming her fingers against the counter. "I mean, there's a lot of things that I want to do, but I haven't really…made a plan or anything."

"That's okay, we'll take one thing at a time."

He was so patient with her that it made her want to cry. The soft tone of his voice was like a cup of hot chocolate on a cold day. All of those fears she had about coming home dissipated. Everything she'd been through the last few months, hell years, had led her to this moment. And she was going to get through it, with Nathan by her side every step of the war.

"What sticks out to you the most?"

Haley didn't have to think about it long. She hadn't said anything to anyone, but there was one major thing…person that was drawing her back home.

"I think I'm going to go visit my mom."