*****
Lucas unlocked the door to his house with one hand. Brooke's hands were against his chest under his shirt. As soon as he closed the door behind him, she pulled the shirt off and tossed it on the kitchen table.
"Hold on, cowgirl," Lucas said as she started to kiss him as she worked with her own shirt.
"Your uncle's on a call so I figure we need to go ahead and get started…" Brooke replied, following him as he made his way to the flashing answering machine.
"Let me make sure that these aren't important," He said but her fingers deftly unbuttoned his pants and he lost his train of thought.
"What did I say about a bath?" She teased, pulling him into the bathroom.
Later, Lucas walked Brooke out to the street where her car was parked.
"I told you we'd have fun together," Brooke teased as she pushed him against the hood of her car and kissed him deeply.
"I wish you could stay…" Lucas whispered. "Maybe we could have some more fun…"
"I don't want you to get in more trouble with your uncle, Luke. How about my house tomorrow? My folks are leaving town in the morning," She responded.
"I'll call you in the morning."
"How about I just meet you at the court? I heard you invite Nathan…" Brooke breathed into his ear.
"Sure. In the morning," Lucas replied between kisses. A passing car honked the horn and Brooke actually blushed. She gave him a final deep kiss and got into her car.
Lucas was tired. His bath had quickly turned into his first time and he wasn't disappointed. Brooke, more experienced and not ashamed of this fact, had made it an adventure. She didn't make him feel inadequate, instead thanked him for letting her be his first. He really liked Brooke now. He stepped back into the house and saw the blinking messages again. He walked over and hit the button on the machine.
The first message was in Italian. Lucas couldn't decipher anything from it except his mother's name. The next message was in english. A nurse calling from an Italian hospital. His mother had been in an accident.
Lucas lost his breath as the nurse continued in broken english about the failed surgery to try and save his mother that failed. The next message was from another interpreter from the cooking school detailing the same thing the nurse had said with contact numbers.
Lucas gathered his thoughts and dialed the first number from the message. He reached an English speaking person on the third transfer. His mother was dead.
*****
Keith heard the phone in his office ringing as he dropped the wrench he was using to adjust a car's axle. He glanced at the clock, midnight, as he got to the phone.
"Scott's garage," He answered.
"Keith. It's Lucas. Can you come home?"
"What's going on, kid?" Keith asked, wiping the grease off his face. Lucas' voice was low like a whisper.
"Something happened to Mom," Lucas replied. Keith froze.
"What? Did she call?"
"There was a couple of messages on the machine. She's dead."
Keith let himself gasp. "Lucas, are you sure?"
"I called. It's true," Lucas replied.
"Are you okay?"
"Um…is that a rhetorical question?"
"I guess so. I'll be right there, Luke. Have you called anybody else?" Keith asked before he hung up.
"No. There's no one else to call, Keith. I…we're her only family…" Lucas whispered.
"Hang tight, kid, I'll be right there."
"Thanks, Keith…" The phone went dead.
Keith stopped in his tracks. This was going to kill Lucas. He shouldn't be alone right now. He pulled out his wallet and looked at the numbers left with him by Karen. He picked up the phone and dialed.
"Hello?"
"Can I speak to Haley?" Keith asked.
"This is her…who's this?" She was smiling according to her voice.
"This is Luke's Uncle Keith," He started.
"Keith? What's going on? Are you looking for Luke, 'cause he's not…"
"No. I know where he is. He's at home. Can you do me a favor and go by and check on him? I'm at the shop and it's going to be at least half an hour before I get back and…"
"What's going on?" She asked, alert now.
"Luke just called and said that something happened to Karen. He said she's dead…" Keith paused as she gasped. "And I know you're his best friend…"
"I'm on my way, I'll see you as soon as you get there…" Haley interrupted.
"Thanks, Haley…"
"Are you sure, Keith?"
"Luke sounded sure. Can you get into the house?"
"I have a key. I'm on my way," Haley replied.
*****
Nathan and Haley were curled up on the downstairs couch when the phone rang.
"Must be the parents checking up on me," Haley said to Nathan as she reached across him to answer the phone.
"Hello?" She answered. Nathan teased her by tickling her back as she listened to the phone.
"This is her…" She started. Nathan stopped tickling her as she sat up stiffly, pale. She lowered her voice and Nathan couldn't hear her voice.
"Are you sure, Keith?" She asked clearly.
"Haley…" Nathan said as soon as she hung up.
"I have to go. That was Keith, Luke's uncle…" Haley started.
"Yeah?" Nathan urged. "Is everything okay?"
"He needs me to go check on Lucas…Karen's dead…" Haley said, not moving.
It took a second for Nathan to realize what she said. "What?"
"Lucas' mom…she's dead…" Haley restated.
"God…" Nathan realized.
Haley was fumbling with her jacket, still pale. "I have to go over there…Lucas is going to lose it…god…"
"I'll come with you, Haley…" Nathan said immediately.
"Are you sure, I mean you and Luke…"
"You shouldn't be driving and my car's right outside. I can take you faster," Nathan responded. He knew that she was right, he would probably be the last person that Lucas would want to see but he couldn't sit back and let one of his friends go through this alone. Even a friend as tentative and new as Lucas. He was still a kid that just lost his mother. His family.
Nathan shook off his shock and helped Haley put her jacket on. He urged her to the car with his hand on her back. She was shaking. She didn't speak on the short ride to Lucas' house.
Haley rushed to the door before Nathan even turned off his car. She knocked but there was no answer. He joined her by the door as she was trying to push a key into the lock with trembling hands. He took the key from her and unlocked the door.
Haley walked inside. "Luke? Lucas?" She called.
Nathan followed her inside slowly as he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. He knew that he should call Brooke, she was officially Luke's girlfriend but his first thought was of Peyton. He dialed his ex-girlfriend's number as Haley left him alone in the kitchen to look for Lucas.
*****
"Luke? Lucas?" Haley's voice snapped him out of his daze but he didn't answer. Keith must have called her.
"Lucas, where are you?" She called.
He could tell by her voice that she knew. He wanted to answer her but he didn't have a voice. He didn't have any tears. He couldn't even cry for his mother.
"Lucas," Haley whispered as she found him. He was sitting in the corner of the hallway between the bathroom and his bedroom. He had lost his strength when he went to wash his face and was sitting here.
Haley wrapped her thin arms around him and started to cry. He put his arms around her and rubbed her back consolingly. She loved Karen, too. She was sobbing but he couldn't even cry. He wasn't even sure that he was still breathing.
*****
