A/N This chapter is dedicated to Claddagh Ring, who never fails to leave me
more praise than I probably deserve. Thank you.
Chapter 22
Lucas looked at his brother and best friend embracing and decided it was his cue to leave. "It looks like I'm no longer needed here. I'll call you tomorrow Haley."
Haley turned away from Nathan for a moment to look at Lucas. "Yeah, ok. And Luke?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks."
"Like I told Nathan, no problem. Behave yourselves."
"No promises." Nathan chuckled.
Lucas groaned. "Yeah, uh don't wanna know. I'll see you two later." He walked away smiling. Everything was working out.
"There's more." Nathan whispered in Haley's ear.
"What do you mean?"
"The movie, that wasn't all of it. I have more."
"Mmmm I like the sound of that." She stroked his face with her fingertips.
"Uh uh, not that kind of more, at least not until later. Come on?"
"Where are we going?"
"You'll see."
Ten minutes later they were at their special place, the docks. A table cloth disguised the cement table which was set with fine china and crystal glasses. A vase filled with orchids stood in the center."
"Oh my.Nathan. How did you?"
"I had a little help. Do you like it?"
"I love it. It's beautiful."
"Good. Just don't tell my mom I used her dishes. She'd kill me."
"You're secret's safe with me. So what's for dinner?"
"Macaroni and cheese. It's your favourite and besides that, it's the only thing I know how to make."
"Haley laughed. It's perfect. Reminds me of our first date. Nathan, you didn't have to do this."
"Yes I did. And there's more."
"What? Nathan."
"Here." He handed her a small rectangular package wrapped in gold paper.
"What is this?"
"Open it and see." She proceeded to carefully peel the wrapping paper away, as Nathan watched impatiently. She knew it drove him crazy that she insisted on unwrapping things without tearing the paper. The task completed, she pulled out a notebook. "What's this."
"My journal. I started keeping it the day you told me you were pregnant. I had so much going on in my head and I needed an outlet for it. Then once I got over the shock I thought it'd be nice to keep a record of what I was thinking and feeling during this whole process so that when our children are grown up and graduating and getting married, we can look back on this."
"That's so sweet. And you're giving me this?"
"Well no, because I don't want to stop writing in it but I do want you to read it."
'Are you sure? I mean a journal is a really private thing."
"Yes but there is nothing in there that I don't want to share with you."
"Thank you. This means so much to me."
"You and our babies mean everything to me."
***
Late that night
Haley and Nathan were in his room, wrapped up in each other's arms. He was sound asleep, the quiet sound of his breathing filled the room. Haley, on the other hand, was wide awake. Thoughts of the days events were running through her mind at a frenetic pace. She couldn't get over how much had happened. How much Nathan had done to make her see that he loved her. She glanced at the nightstand where the journal lay. She hadn't had a chance to read it yet. She slowly got out of bed and picked up the journal before moving to a chair in the corner of the room. She opened the plain blue notebook and began to read.
April 10th 2004
Exactly five hours and twenty-three minutes ago, my life changed forever. I feel like I've been thrown onto a roller coaster that's going 1000 miles an hour and I can never get off. I don't even know where to start. Haley's pregnant. How did that happen? I mean I know how it happened; I took sex ed but.I don't know. Everything was going so great. We were together; we were solid; we were happy. I was getting back into basketball; my dad was still out of the house. Life was good. You know just this morning I was thinking about how in control I feel now then WHAM! She didn't come to class so I called her house. Peyton told me to come over there, still not sure what she was doing there but I guess it doesn't matter much does it. When I got there Hales was on her bed, hysterical. I thought maybe something had happened to her parents or one of her brothers and sisters. Then Peyton showed me the pregnancy test and in about half a second, my whole life changed. I don't even know what to think right now, what I'm supposed to think. After Peyton left I tried to comfort Haley, you know, tell her that everything's going to be okay but I don't know that myself. All I can think of is we're in high school. We're teenagers, kids ourselves. What are we supposed to do now? Haley doesn't want to get an abortion, and I don't want her to either. That kind of surprises me honestly. Peyton had a scare last year and before we found out the results of the test, I figured if it was positive that's what we'd do but now, faced with this reality, I can't imagine it. Maybe it has something to do with me being unplanned. I mean, what if my mom had decided not to have me? What are we going to do?
April 11th 2004
We told our parents tonight. It wasn't an easy thing to do. I don't think I've ever been more scared then when I was sitting across from Haley's dad. He's never really liked me. I thought he was going to kill me when Haley told him. Her mom was pretty cool though. My dad was, as expected, a jerk. He thinks I should walk away like he did but I'm not him and I can't do that. Haley is the one constant in my life and I'm standing by her. My mom was great. She's the one person who's been fully supportive of our relationship from the get go and I appreciate that. We're going to need all the help we can get if we're going to get through this. We've decided to keep the baby. What it came down to is neither of us is comfortable with terminating the pregnancy or giving our baby to someone else. I'm going to be a dad. Wow, that seems a lot more real now that's it down on paper. Me, a father. I have to admit I'm really scared. I mean, I haven't exactly had the best role model growing up. What if I screw up? I can't screw up. This is too important. I'm going to be a dad.
April 14th 2004
Our first doctor's appointment was today. You know, I thought I'd come to terms with the idea of being somebody's dad but you know, when the doctor showed us the baby on that screen it really hit me. This is real. That baby is real and it's mine and Haley's. I couldn't believe how small it was. It's hard to believe that in a relatively short amount of time, that dot on the screen is going to be a living, breathing person that we're going to have the responsibility of raising. I'm still really scared but I also feel kind of settled, like this was supposed to happen now. Some how, some way, Haley and I are going to get through this, together.
Tears were rolling down Haley's face as she read Nathan's words. It wasn't just that he really did want the babies, even in the beginning but in given her access to his most private thoughts, he had completely opened himself up to her. She wiped her eyes and kept reading.
Chapter 22
Lucas looked at his brother and best friend embracing and decided it was his cue to leave. "It looks like I'm no longer needed here. I'll call you tomorrow Haley."
Haley turned away from Nathan for a moment to look at Lucas. "Yeah, ok. And Luke?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks."
"Like I told Nathan, no problem. Behave yourselves."
"No promises." Nathan chuckled.
Lucas groaned. "Yeah, uh don't wanna know. I'll see you two later." He walked away smiling. Everything was working out.
"There's more." Nathan whispered in Haley's ear.
"What do you mean?"
"The movie, that wasn't all of it. I have more."
"Mmmm I like the sound of that." She stroked his face with her fingertips.
"Uh uh, not that kind of more, at least not until later. Come on?"
"Where are we going?"
"You'll see."
Ten minutes later they were at their special place, the docks. A table cloth disguised the cement table which was set with fine china and crystal glasses. A vase filled with orchids stood in the center."
"Oh my.Nathan. How did you?"
"I had a little help. Do you like it?"
"I love it. It's beautiful."
"Good. Just don't tell my mom I used her dishes. She'd kill me."
"You're secret's safe with me. So what's for dinner?"
"Macaroni and cheese. It's your favourite and besides that, it's the only thing I know how to make."
"Haley laughed. It's perfect. Reminds me of our first date. Nathan, you didn't have to do this."
"Yes I did. And there's more."
"What? Nathan."
"Here." He handed her a small rectangular package wrapped in gold paper.
"What is this?"
"Open it and see." She proceeded to carefully peel the wrapping paper away, as Nathan watched impatiently. She knew it drove him crazy that she insisted on unwrapping things without tearing the paper. The task completed, she pulled out a notebook. "What's this."
"My journal. I started keeping it the day you told me you were pregnant. I had so much going on in my head and I needed an outlet for it. Then once I got over the shock I thought it'd be nice to keep a record of what I was thinking and feeling during this whole process so that when our children are grown up and graduating and getting married, we can look back on this."
"That's so sweet. And you're giving me this?"
"Well no, because I don't want to stop writing in it but I do want you to read it."
'Are you sure? I mean a journal is a really private thing."
"Yes but there is nothing in there that I don't want to share with you."
"Thank you. This means so much to me."
"You and our babies mean everything to me."
***
Late that night
Haley and Nathan were in his room, wrapped up in each other's arms. He was sound asleep, the quiet sound of his breathing filled the room. Haley, on the other hand, was wide awake. Thoughts of the days events were running through her mind at a frenetic pace. She couldn't get over how much had happened. How much Nathan had done to make her see that he loved her. She glanced at the nightstand where the journal lay. She hadn't had a chance to read it yet. She slowly got out of bed and picked up the journal before moving to a chair in the corner of the room. She opened the plain blue notebook and began to read.
April 10th 2004
Exactly five hours and twenty-three minutes ago, my life changed forever. I feel like I've been thrown onto a roller coaster that's going 1000 miles an hour and I can never get off. I don't even know where to start. Haley's pregnant. How did that happen? I mean I know how it happened; I took sex ed but.I don't know. Everything was going so great. We were together; we were solid; we were happy. I was getting back into basketball; my dad was still out of the house. Life was good. You know just this morning I was thinking about how in control I feel now then WHAM! She didn't come to class so I called her house. Peyton told me to come over there, still not sure what she was doing there but I guess it doesn't matter much does it. When I got there Hales was on her bed, hysterical. I thought maybe something had happened to her parents or one of her brothers and sisters. Then Peyton showed me the pregnancy test and in about half a second, my whole life changed. I don't even know what to think right now, what I'm supposed to think. After Peyton left I tried to comfort Haley, you know, tell her that everything's going to be okay but I don't know that myself. All I can think of is we're in high school. We're teenagers, kids ourselves. What are we supposed to do now? Haley doesn't want to get an abortion, and I don't want her to either. That kind of surprises me honestly. Peyton had a scare last year and before we found out the results of the test, I figured if it was positive that's what we'd do but now, faced with this reality, I can't imagine it. Maybe it has something to do with me being unplanned. I mean, what if my mom had decided not to have me? What are we going to do?
April 11th 2004
We told our parents tonight. It wasn't an easy thing to do. I don't think I've ever been more scared then when I was sitting across from Haley's dad. He's never really liked me. I thought he was going to kill me when Haley told him. Her mom was pretty cool though. My dad was, as expected, a jerk. He thinks I should walk away like he did but I'm not him and I can't do that. Haley is the one constant in my life and I'm standing by her. My mom was great. She's the one person who's been fully supportive of our relationship from the get go and I appreciate that. We're going to need all the help we can get if we're going to get through this. We've decided to keep the baby. What it came down to is neither of us is comfortable with terminating the pregnancy or giving our baby to someone else. I'm going to be a dad. Wow, that seems a lot more real now that's it down on paper. Me, a father. I have to admit I'm really scared. I mean, I haven't exactly had the best role model growing up. What if I screw up? I can't screw up. This is too important. I'm going to be a dad.
April 14th 2004
Our first doctor's appointment was today. You know, I thought I'd come to terms with the idea of being somebody's dad but you know, when the doctor showed us the baby on that screen it really hit me. This is real. That baby is real and it's mine and Haley's. I couldn't believe how small it was. It's hard to believe that in a relatively short amount of time, that dot on the screen is going to be a living, breathing person that we're going to have the responsibility of raising. I'm still really scared but I also feel kind of settled, like this was supposed to happen now. Some how, some way, Haley and I are going to get through this, together.
Tears were rolling down Haley's face as she read Nathan's words. It wasn't just that he really did want the babies, even in the beginning but in given her access to his most private thoughts, he had completely opened himself up to her. She wiped her eyes and kept reading.
