Cineplex Theater, Tree Hill

A few days later

All the time I wondered why I even had agreed to go to the movies. Tracy also seemed anything but to enjoy this. And Davis and Lydia had spent hours doing nothing but making out, which was annoying and embarrassing. I looked at the clock and stifled a sigh of relief. The last 5 minutes started. At last the long movie night came to an end. When the credits started rolling, I nudged my brother to notify him to remove his hand from under Lydia's blouse before the lights would go on. Reluctantly he took his hand away and sat upright.

"Is it over already?" He exclaimed in surprise.

I looked at him in disbelief. We'd been sitting in this theater for six hours straight and he still didn't have enough of making out with his girlfriend? Unbelievable! I tried to remember what it was like with me and Lydia when we were together. Except for holding hands and a bit of smooching, nothing had happened between us. Even though I knew she wanted more than that.

"I'm really hungry," Lydia said, rubbing her stomach.

"It's 4:30 in the morning," I said, rolling my eyes. "There is no restaurant open at this time."

"We could drive to the Drive Inn," Davis suggested. "That's open for 24 hours."

"Oh yes, please." Lydia's eyes lit up. "I could die for a double hamburger with french fries and a big coke!"

"Um... if you want to drive to a Drive Inn, could you drop me off at home first?"

It was the first time that Tracy spoke and I could see how uncomfortable she felt. But I didn't want to let her go that easy either. Who knew when we would get the next opportunity to meet. "Okay," I suggested. "First to the 'Drive Inn', so Davis and Lydia can order their food, then I'll bring them home and after that I'll drive you home. Is that okay?" I asked, looking at her expectantly.

"Well, I think we have pizza in the freezer at home," Lydia suddenly interrupted. "Just drive us home."

She exchanged a meaningful glance with Davis and I understood that she was only doing that to help me. "Do you agree?" I asked Tracy. When she nodded hesitantly, I turned and drove to our home. I watched my brother and Lydia as they walked to the front door laughing and hugging each other. The two just couldn't keep their hands off of each other. I smiled apologetically at Tracy and then drove on. We stopped in front of her house and I got out to take her to the front door.

"That was fun," she said and smiled. "Thank you for the invitation, Jude!"

"You called me and asked for this date," I said with a frown.

"Yes, but you bought the tickets and paid for the popcorn and the drinks," she replied.

Actually, it had been Lydia who had bought the tickets, but I didn't tell her that. "I enjoyed our date." I smiled tightly. For a moment we were just standing outside looking at each other.

"I should get inside now," Tracy said, stepping nervously from one foot to the other, as she fumbled with her keys.

"Yeah, okay." I waited for her to go in, but she stared at me full of expectation that I wondered if she wanted me to say anything else. I cleared my throat. "I apologize for the behavior of my brother and Lydia," I said softly. "It was so embarrassing the way they were making out with each other in the theater."

"They are in love," Tracy said with a shrug. "And it was kind of cute how he caressed her belly."

I stifled a sigh of frustration. Apparently, Tracy was no different from other girls who thought that things Davis did were 'cute'. From earliest childhood it had always been Davis the girls had wanted, never me. No idea why that had been, because although we weren't identical twins, we still looked pretty much alike. But maybe it wasn't the look. Maybe it was really his personality. My brother and I were as different as chalk and cheese.

"Jude? Is everything okay?"

My head jerked up. "What?"

"I said maybe next time we'll do something that you like," she repeated again. "I know you didn't enjoy the movies."

"No," I reluctantly admitted, grinning embarrassed. "I've seen the movies more than a dozen times. My dad bought the DVDs when we were still in kindergarten."

"Why didn't you say anything?" She asked indignantly. "We didn't have to go."

Yes, we had to go, I thought quietly. Because Lydia had arranged this double date for Tracy and me. "Do you like roller-skating? I could teach you," I suggested.

"Perfect." She laughed happily. "That's a great idea. When do we want to meet?"

"We have holidays. Anytime you want," I said smiling.

"How about sometime next weekend?" she suggested.

"Perfect." I grinned. "I'll call you and we'll make a date, okay?"

"Great."

She took a step towards me and looked deep into my eyes. "Is there anything else?" I stuttered in confusion.

"Yes, this..."

I didn't know what was happening when she suddenly stood on tiptoe and quickly put her lips on mine.

"Thanks for bringing me home!"

I stared after her as she opened the door and disappeared inside. Tracy was, besides Lydia, the only girl I had ever kissed. And I had to admit that the kiss, as brief as it had been, had really felt good. Whistling cheerfully I got into my car and drove home.

Mother & Baby Store, Tree Hill

It's been a long time, since I went shopping to the 'Mother & Baby Store' the last time. Back then, I had been pregnant with Izzy, which was almost 16 years ago. When Lydia had asked me if I could help her choose clothes for her and the baby, I spontaneously agreed. She was now 4 months pregnant and not any of her clothes fit anymore. I was a little surprised that she hadn't asked her mom for help with that, but she probably thought that a fashion designer could advise her better than a teacher. As we entered the store, which was as big as a Walmart store, Lydia stopped for a moment in awe and let her eyes wander around.

"Wow, that's huge!" She exclaimed.

I looked around and had to agree with her. The store has changed a lot in the past 16 years. There was just about everything that expectant and young mothers needed for their baby's first years. The store was crammed with people. Everywhere you could see pregnant women and young mothers, who pushed their babies in the stroller through the corridors.

"I don't even know where to start," Lydia sighed in frustration.

I pointed to a counter with 'Information' in large letters. "We go over there and ask. The lady behind the counter can certainly help us."

Lydia nodded and we went to the counter. The saleswoman welcomed us friendly and smiled.

"Welcome to the 'Mother & Baby Store'. How can I help you?"

I pointed to Lydia. "My..." I stopped abruptly and wondered how to explain my relationship with her. She wasn't my daughter, but I also didn't want to say 'my son's girlfriend', so I decided on another term. "My... future daughter-in-law needs new clothes," I said, noting how Lydia looked at me flabbergasted.

"Maternity wear is upstairs," the saleswoman said and smiled again. "By the way, you can also find baby clothes there. In the basement you can find everything else you need for the baby, such as strollers, playpens, cots, changing tables, blankets, as well as toys, music boxes..."

I quickly looked at Lydia, who appeared a little overwhelmed by the range of products. "Thank you," I interrupted the saleswoman. "We'll just take a look around."

"Of course. Take your time."

I gently grabbed Lydia's arm and quickly led her away from the counter. "Phew," I blurted out. "She wanted to sell us the whole store."

"I think when you're in here, you can't get out that fast," Lydia said with a grin. "Look around. The place is jam-packed."

"Where do you want to go first?"

"Buy clothes," Lydia decided spontaneously. "I'm tired of wearing my leggings."

We took the elevator and Lydia went to the various stands to gather her clothes. As she entered the dressing room with her new maternity pants and wide tops, she looked questioningly at me as she saw that there were different sizes of belly pads in the shelves.

"You can put it around your waist and can see what you'll look like when you're 8 months pregnant, for example," I said smiling, picking up one of the pads. "Do you want to give it a try?" When she nodded, I put the pad around her middle and closed it with a Velcro strap. "Now you can put on your new clothes." It took what felt like an eternity before she finally left the dressing room.

"Is that really realistic?" Lydia asked skeptically after looking at herself in the mirror.

I nodded mechanically. Seeing her with this 8-month belly suddenly made it very real for me, that in a few months she would really look like that. And a few weeks later on she and my son would be parents of a tiny baby.

"That's amazing!" Lydia blurted, rubbing her fake belly. "I can't even see my feet anymore!"

"And that's only the 8th month," I said with a smile. "Most babies stay a little longer in their mothers' womb."

"I'll go change."

I frowned after her as she quickly disappeared back into the dressing room. I waited and waited, and started worrying at some point when she still didn't show up. Carefully, I knocked on the door. "Lydia, are you okay? Do you want me to help?" When I didn't get an answer, I pushed the door open and entered the cabin. Lydia sat in a chair, her hands pressed against her real belly, tears streaming down her cheeks. Startled, I bent over her. "Everything okay? Are you in pain?" I breathed a sigh of relief when she shook her head.

"No, I'm fine. It's just... I'm scared," she sobbed. "I can't do this! I'm only 17!"

I crouched beside her and hugged her. "Of course you can," I said softly. "You're not alone. We are all there for you."

"What... what you said earlier... future daughter-in-law...," she said reluctantly. "I totally screwed that up. He will never ask me again!"

Confused, I looked at her. "What do you mean by that?"

She wiped the tears from her cheeks. "The day you met my parents to talk about the baby's future, Davis asked me if I wanted to marry him," she confessed. "But I said 'no' because he asked me for the wrong reason. He said he wanted to prevent my mother from taking over the guardianship of the baby. I didn't want him to marry me just because of that. But that's over 6 weeks ago and he hasn't asked me since that time."

When she started to cry again, I hugged her and stroked her hair reassuringly. "Would you like to marry him?" I asked softly.

"Since we've been living together, I've imagined what it would be like to be his wife," she said quietly. "I've always wanted to marry first before having a baby." She looked up. "Yes, I think I'm ready to marry him now," she said firmly. "But now that I'm ready, he doesn't want me anymore."

I had to smile involuntarily. "You are both so young. Don't rush things. You still have so much time to get married."

"How old were you when you got married?" She asked curiously.

"22." I smiled as I remembered how Julian and I had flown head over heels to Las Vegas to marry. It had been a spontaneous idea. And not many people had been happy about our decision. I wanted something different for Lydia and my son. "I think you should just take your time. Nowadays, a baby doesn't automatically mean you have to marry." I brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm sure Davis will ask you again when he's ready and then hopefully for the right reasons. Just be a little bit more patient."

"You're right." Lydia rose and picked up the hangers with the new clothes she had chosen. "Let's take this and then keep looking for baby clothes."

I was relieved when she changed the subject. The thought that my 17 year old son and his girlfriend of the same age would get married caused pains in my stomach. I stifled a sigh and then went with Lydia to the baby clothes department.