*Chapter 18*
Baby Shower
"Hello?" Karen answered the phone that morning.
"Hi, its Haley."
"It's 8:00 in the morning; you don't have to work today. What are you awake so early for?" Karen asked.
"Actually I've been awake for a while. Anyway, did Deb tell you about the baby shower?" Haley inquired.
"Yeah, I think it's a wonderful idea." Karen replied.
"Well I was wondering if you could get Lucas and Peyton out of the house for a while." Haley requested.
"You're in luck; they just went out to get breakfast, so if you hurry up you can come over now." Karen told her.
"Okay, thanks, bye." Haley rushed off the phone. Immediately she called Nathan and told him to come and get her. Within minutes they were in the living room with Karen hanging balloons and ribbons. Nathan still felt uncomfortable in Lucas's house but he endured it for Haley's sake. They hid the presents in the corner and when Luke's car pulled up the driveway Nathan and Haley stood to the side of the doorway not to be seen.
"What is this about? Why is Nathan's car in the driveway?" Lucas asked coming in the door while Peyton struggled to take her shoes off.
"Surprise!" Haley jumped out nearly scaring them half to death.
"Oh is this a baby shower?" Peyton squealed. "You didn't have to do this."
"But we did so come in and enjoy it." Haley dragged Peyton into the living room leaving Luke and Nathan standing in the hallway alone. They glanced at each other and shrugged before following the girls.
They walked in and found Peyton already opening one of the presents. It was the stuffed tiger Haley had picked out. By the time they were through there was a pile of baby clothes on the table.
"Looks like you got right to it." Karen noticed the open boxes. "I have a present too." She handed Peyton a box with an envelope attached. Inside the box was a blue blanket with frayed edges.
"That was Lucas's blanket." Karen explained.
"You kept that?" Lucas questioned.
"Yeah, when you told me you were too old for a blanket I just couldn't bring myself to throw it away."
"What's in the envelope?" Peyton asked already tearing it open.
"You'll see." Karen seemed eager for their reaction. Peyton's eyes grew when she saw the contents.
"A thousand dollars?" Lucas looked over to see the check in Peyton's hand. "Are you sure?"
"You guys need it." Karen insisted.
"Thanks mom." He hugged Karen.
"My work here is done." She left satisfied.
"So do you know if it's a boy or a girl?" Haley brought the attention away from the money.
"No, we don't want to." Luke told her.
"Everything in the last year has been a surprise so we're just following the trend." Peyton added.
"What about names?" Haley was full of questions.
"We have the baby name books and the whole nine yards but no ideas yet." Peyton sighed.
"Whose last name are you using?"
"Definitely Scott." Peyton said quickly. She looked around at everyone staring at her. "What? It doesn't matter if we're not married. Lucas will always be the father of my child."
"Like Dan will always be my father." Lucas sneered and smiled coldly at Nathan who had been sitting quietly the whole time. He glared back at Lucas but Haley caught the looks they were throwing at each other and frowned. Although she had managed to step an all out fistfight she couldn't stop the tension from building in the room.
"Let's go put this stuff away." Peyton changed the subject.
"That's a good idea." Luke helped Peyton up and grabbed the boxes.
"We have to get going too." Haley rushed out with Nathan.
"What was that about?" Peyton asked while folding the baby clothes.
"What was what about?" He tried to avoid the subject.
"Your comment about Dan. Nathan was nice enough to spend his afternoon here and that's what he gets?"
"He didn't even want to be here!" He defended.
"Honestly you're probably right but he did it for Haley just like you should have dealt with it for Haley. I'm not Nathan's biggest fan but I don't pick fights with him." Lucas, realizing his mistake, hung his head.
"I just feel like anytime I'm with him I have to defend myself. I know he didn't do anything to me but it's payback for all those times I didn't get in his way but he came after me anyway." He explained.
"It's a never-ending cycle. You will get revenge now and then he will do something tomorrow then it comes back to you turn again. Be the better person, take the first step." She sat down next to him and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"You're exactly right. I need to make the effort." He kissed her and laid back on his hands. Peyton flopped down next to him.
"I'm exhausted." She turned on her side then back on her back. "It's burning up in here."
"I seriously think you have lost your mind." Luke laughed climbing under the covers for warmth.
"I think you're right."
Baby Shower
"Hello?" Karen answered the phone that morning.
"Hi, its Haley."
"It's 8:00 in the morning; you don't have to work today. What are you awake so early for?" Karen asked.
"Actually I've been awake for a while. Anyway, did Deb tell you about the baby shower?" Haley inquired.
"Yeah, I think it's a wonderful idea." Karen replied.
"Well I was wondering if you could get Lucas and Peyton out of the house for a while." Haley requested.
"You're in luck; they just went out to get breakfast, so if you hurry up you can come over now." Karen told her.
"Okay, thanks, bye." Haley rushed off the phone. Immediately she called Nathan and told him to come and get her. Within minutes they were in the living room with Karen hanging balloons and ribbons. Nathan still felt uncomfortable in Lucas's house but he endured it for Haley's sake. They hid the presents in the corner and when Luke's car pulled up the driveway Nathan and Haley stood to the side of the doorway not to be seen.
"What is this about? Why is Nathan's car in the driveway?" Lucas asked coming in the door while Peyton struggled to take her shoes off.
"Surprise!" Haley jumped out nearly scaring them half to death.
"Oh is this a baby shower?" Peyton squealed. "You didn't have to do this."
"But we did so come in and enjoy it." Haley dragged Peyton into the living room leaving Luke and Nathan standing in the hallway alone. They glanced at each other and shrugged before following the girls.
They walked in and found Peyton already opening one of the presents. It was the stuffed tiger Haley had picked out. By the time they were through there was a pile of baby clothes on the table.
"Looks like you got right to it." Karen noticed the open boxes. "I have a present too." She handed Peyton a box with an envelope attached. Inside the box was a blue blanket with frayed edges.
"That was Lucas's blanket." Karen explained.
"You kept that?" Lucas questioned.
"Yeah, when you told me you were too old for a blanket I just couldn't bring myself to throw it away."
"What's in the envelope?" Peyton asked already tearing it open.
"You'll see." Karen seemed eager for their reaction. Peyton's eyes grew when she saw the contents.
"A thousand dollars?" Lucas looked over to see the check in Peyton's hand. "Are you sure?"
"You guys need it." Karen insisted.
"Thanks mom." He hugged Karen.
"My work here is done." She left satisfied.
"So do you know if it's a boy or a girl?" Haley brought the attention away from the money.
"No, we don't want to." Luke told her.
"Everything in the last year has been a surprise so we're just following the trend." Peyton added.
"What about names?" Haley was full of questions.
"We have the baby name books and the whole nine yards but no ideas yet." Peyton sighed.
"Whose last name are you using?"
"Definitely Scott." Peyton said quickly. She looked around at everyone staring at her. "What? It doesn't matter if we're not married. Lucas will always be the father of my child."
"Like Dan will always be my father." Lucas sneered and smiled coldly at Nathan who had been sitting quietly the whole time. He glared back at Lucas but Haley caught the looks they were throwing at each other and frowned. Although she had managed to step an all out fistfight she couldn't stop the tension from building in the room.
"Let's go put this stuff away." Peyton changed the subject.
"That's a good idea." Luke helped Peyton up and grabbed the boxes.
"We have to get going too." Haley rushed out with Nathan.
"What was that about?" Peyton asked while folding the baby clothes.
"What was what about?" He tried to avoid the subject.
"Your comment about Dan. Nathan was nice enough to spend his afternoon here and that's what he gets?"
"He didn't even want to be here!" He defended.
"Honestly you're probably right but he did it for Haley just like you should have dealt with it for Haley. I'm not Nathan's biggest fan but I don't pick fights with him." Lucas, realizing his mistake, hung his head.
"I just feel like anytime I'm with him I have to defend myself. I know he didn't do anything to me but it's payback for all those times I didn't get in his way but he came after me anyway." He explained.
"It's a never-ending cycle. You will get revenge now and then he will do something tomorrow then it comes back to you turn again. Be the better person, take the first step." She sat down next to him and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"You're exactly right. I need to make the effort." He kissed her and laid back on his hands. Peyton flopped down next to him.
"I'm exhausted." She turned on her side then back on her back. "It's burning up in here."
"I seriously think you have lost your mind." Luke laughed climbing under the covers for warmth.
"I think you're right."