Brooke stood outside 646 Holland Avenue, banging on the door. After a
while, Brooke stepped back, looking for a hide-a-key. She knew that Tad
must have had a spare. It didn't take long for her to find it. Taking the
key and putting it in the front door, she entered the house.
"Tad!" Brooke called, closing the door. She stopped short, looking around the room. On the floor were a number of different sized cardboard boxes, each one labeled in capital letters... DIXIE.
Brooke walked further into the room and saw Tad sitting on the floor, his back leaning against the wall. "Tad," she said. He looked up at her as Brooke sank down to sit on the floor beside him.
"I had to pack some of these away," he said.
"You should have called." Brooke looked at him. "I would have helped you with this..."
"I needed to do this on my own." Brooke rested her head back against the wall. "I think it's time to move forward... to try at least."
"All of a sudden?" Brooke asked.
Tad shrugged, sitting in silence. After a moment, he reached his hand out, resting it on hers, weaving their fingers. He brought her hand up to his face. "I don't want to hurt you, Brooke."
"I know that," Brooke said.
"... But when you asked me about Dixie... I know that I hurt you when I..."
"Tad... I shouldn't have brought her up."
"You've had your heart broken before. You don't deserve that. You deserve to be happy. I want to make you happy. I don't want you to have to worry about anything."
"But you do make me happy," Brooke said. "Tad, with you... with you, I'm happier than I have been in a long time." She paused. "You've done so much more me through everything..."
"I love you, Brooke," Tad exclaimed, interrupting her. Brooke's mouth hung open just slightly. He paused, leaning his head back.
Brooke turned herself, facing him. "Tad."
"Brooke, I'm..." Tad trailed off as Brooke took her hand and brought it up, cupping his cheek. Tad lightly covered her hand. They gazed into eachother's eyes. She shook her head gently, telling him not to speak as she moved her hand to the back of his neck, pulling his head down. Their lips met and Tad took hold of her shoulders. Brooke pulled away from him with a smile on her face. Tad eased his fingers back through her hair, before running them over her face.
There was silence as Tad moved Brooke to sit on the floor in front of him. She leaned back, resting against him, her head on his chest. Tad wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing the top of her head.
After a while, Tad spoke. "You're OK with this?"
"I should be the one asking you that." Brooke paused. "Let's just agree that we're both facing a lot right now."
"We're jumping into this too fast?"
"No, no," she said. "I just don't want this to crash and burn... just like all of my other..."
"I'm here to stay, Brooke. I'm not going anywhere. You can count on that."
Brooke smiled, remembering back to Jake and Greenlee's wedding. "Right under my nose," she said.
Tad rested his chin on the top of her head. "The whole time." Brooke smiled, shutting her eyes. "I'm not going anywhere." Brooke took a deep breath, leaning forward and going into her purse. She handed Tad the plane ticket. "How are you about this?" Tad asked.
Brooke shook her head. "I don't know how well it's going to go over when I get on that plane."
"You'll be fine," Tad said. "You've flown since the crash. Nothing has happened."
"It's just the circumstances I guess."
"We can deal with the circumstances, OK?" Tad smiled and took her hands. "Edmund's taking Maria, isn't he?"
Brooke shook her head. "I don't know," she admitted. "They have some stuff going on with them right now."
"So it might be just the three of us," Tad said. "That would be OK, right?" Brooke nodded. "Don't worry, Brooke. Please don't worry, OK?" He kissed the top of her head. "I swear to you. Everything is going to be fine."
"Tad!" Brooke called, closing the door. She stopped short, looking around the room. On the floor were a number of different sized cardboard boxes, each one labeled in capital letters... DIXIE.
Brooke walked further into the room and saw Tad sitting on the floor, his back leaning against the wall. "Tad," she said. He looked up at her as Brooke sank down to sit on the floor beside him.
"I had to pack some of these away," he said.
"You should have called." Brooke looked at him. "I would have helped you with this..."
"I needed to do this on my own." Brooke rested her head back against the wall. "I think it's time to move forward... to try at least."
"All of a sudden?" Brooke asked.
Tad shrugged, sitting in silence. After a moment, he reached his hand out, resting it on hers, weaving their fingers. He brought her hand up to his face. "I don't want to hurt you, Brooke."
"I know that," Brooke said.
"... But when you asked me about Dixie... I know that I hurt you when I..."
"Tad... I shouldn't have brought her up."
"You've had your heart broken before. You don't deserve that. You deserve to be happy. I want to make you happy. I don't want you to have to worry about anything."
"But you do make me happy," Brooke said. "Tad, with you... with you, I'm happier than I have been in a long time." She paused. "You've done so much more me through everything..."
"I love you, Brooke," Tad exclaimed, interrupting her. Brooke's mouth hung open just slightly. He paused, leaning his head back.
Brooke turned herself, facing him. "Tad."
"Brooke, I'm..." Tad trailed off as Brooke took her hand and brought it up, cupping his cheek. Tad lightly covered her hand. They gazed into eachother's eyes. She shook her head gently, telling him not to speak as she moved her hand to the back of his neck, pulling his head down. Their lips met and Tad took hold of her shoulders. Brooke pulled away from him with a smile on her face. Tad eased his fingers back through her hair, before running them over her face.
There was silence as Tad moved Brooke to sit on the floor in front of him. She leaned back, resting against him, her head on his chest. Tad wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing the top of her head.
After a while, Tad spoke. "You're OK with this?"
"I should be the one asking you that." Brooke paused. "Let's just agree that we're both facing a lot right now."
"We're jumping into this too fast?"
"No, no," she said. "I just don't want this to crash and burn... just like all of my other..."
"I'm here to stay, Brooke. I'm not going anywhere. You can count on that."
Brooke smiled, remembering back to Jake and Greenlee's wedding. "Right under my nose," she said.
Tad rested his chin on the top of her head. "The whole time." Brooke smiled, shutting her eyes. "I'm not going anywhere." Brooke took a deep breath, leaning forward and going into her purse. She handed Tad the plane ticket. "How are you about this?" Tad asked.
Brooke shook her head. "I don't know how well it's going to go over when I get on that plane."
"You'll be fine," Tad said. "You've flown since the crash. Nothing has happened."
"It's just the circumstances I guess."
"We can deal with the circumstances, OK?" Tad smiled and took her hands. "Edmund's taking Maria, isn't he?"
Brooke shook her head. "I don't know," she admitted. "They have some stuff going on with them right now."
"So it might be just the three of us," Tad said. "That would be OK, right?" Brooke nodded. "Don't worry, Brooke. Please don't worry, OK?" He kissed the top of her head. "I swear to you. Everything is going to be fine."