Author's Notes: Hey everyone! How is everyone? Well, I am very sorry that I took so long to update, the Kentucky Derby was yesterday, and I went to it. Sorry about that. Hope you all like this next chapter.
It was two weeks after the funeral, and everyone was supposed to go over Nathan's house and they were going to take the things they wanted of his. They were supposed to go over there together, but Haley was extremely emotional and she knew she wouldn't be able to handle it. So, she told Peyton to bring her something, or she would go over there another day, she had to tell Deb that she was pregnant anyways. Haley didn't know how she was going to tell Nathan's mom. It was hard enough for Haley to think about it, much less his mom, who knew what Nathan looked like when he was little. This baby was going to be really hard to look at and not see Nathan.
Haley got up, took a shower, and got dressed. She had to actually get out of bed, and do something. The thought of even going to school again, or doing anything again made her exhausted all over again. Haley lay back down, showing her head under a huge, fluffy pillow.
***
Peyton called Lucas, and wanted to ask how he was doing.
"Hello?" Lucas answered, his voice sounding sad and depressed.
"Hey, what are you doing?? Are you busy? It's Peyton, if you didn't know." Peyton wondered if he'd want to come over, and talk about what they were going do about their baby.
"Busy? No, I'm just sitting here doing nothing. Thinking about you and Brooke and Nathan, and my mom. Worrying over everything. So, what are you doing?"
"Well, I actually got up today, and I thought about us, and Nathan, and Haley. And, I was wondering if you wanted to come over. We can at least worry together." She hoped he would say yes, but, then again, why wouldn't he?
"Sure, I'd love to. That would make both of us feel better. I'll be over in ten minutes, okay?" His voice sounded excited, and she was excited too.
"Great, I'll be expecting you. Bye."
"Bye."
Peyton wondered what she'd find out when he got there. She wondered who would have there baby first, her or Brooke or Haley. Who knew? Hopefully Brooke was doing okay, but she was really still mad at her and Lucas because she was pregnant. Even though Brooke got pregnant when her and Lucas were still going out, she was still mad. Her doorbell rang, and she rushed to get it, since her dad was still at work. It was Lucas, looking just as cute as usual.
"Hey, girl." Lucas gave her a hug, and held her for a long time. He walked into her house, and right to her room, sitting on the bed. He looked at her expectantly, like he was waiting for her to say something. Peyton sat on her bed beside him, their legs touching.
"So, how is Brooke? How is the baby coming along? What's been going on with her?" Peyton looked down at the floor when she asked that, because she really didn't want to hear the answer. She wanted the baby experience to be experienced just between her and Lucas, not with Brooke also. Even though Brooke was her friend, she still thought that way.
"I knew that would come up. Yeah, she's fine, but I think she doesn't want to have the baby. She's not ready, and she especially doesn't want to have the baby with me. I think she hates me." Luke looked at her, into her eyes. "How are you? Are you fine?" Luke looked panicked, or worried, or some emotion she had never seen from him before. And she had never seen him show that emotion towards her. That was surprising. Maybe he really did care about her.
"Yeah, I'm fine, I should probably start going to the doctor, and getting ultrasounds and stuff. I'm glad Brooke's doing okay. I hope she continues to do okay." The whole time she was talking to him, she looked straight into his eyes, searching for something. Some kind of reassurance that he really truly cared for their baby, and that he loved her too.
"Yeah, me too." He sat there for a second, his hands in his lap, looking down at the floor. Then, suddenly he sprang up, and looked at her. "Why can't we be normal again? Why is this so hard for us to just talk like normal, like we usually do? Or like we usually did, before…"
"Yeah, before me and Brooke were pregnant. Luke, I miss the way it was too, but we can never have it back, it's too different now. We have both changed, and we can never change back, but we can learn to love each other how we are now. We're going to have to, with this baby on the way," Peyton patted her stomach, looking down at it. Lucas looked at it too, and then hugged Peyton and they both lay down on her bed. Lucas stroked Peyton's hair, and looked up at the ceiling, thinking.
"No matter what, Peyton, I love you."