One Week Later
I sit in my office and toy with the idea of making the one phone call that has been on my mind ever since Haley and Isabella first moved in with us a week ago. Do I call him? Do I let them work it out on their own? My mind struggles to find the right answer. Instead of dialing his number I dial the number to the house, hoping desperately that Brooke answers and not Haley.
"Hello?" I hear her calm, sexy voice answer and I quietly thank god that it was really my wife.
"Hey gorgeous." I smile, knowing that my calling will please her.
"Hey husband!" All at once she allows the cheeriness to take over her originally quiet tone.
"How's it going today? Is she doing any better?" I know this probably isn't what Brooke wants to discuss but I can't help myself. It's my best friend and my brother that we're talking about here.
"She's awful today Luke" she stops mid sentence, "I think it's because she finally got in to the doctor and it's all really hitting home now." My heart sinks for my best friend. I've never been through anything remotely close to what she's going through right now but I can't help but feel as though I have, just because of the closeness we've always shared. "We've got to do something..." Her voice strays off as if she's trying to think of something we can do to help.
I know then that I've got to do what I've been deciding back and forth between. "Uh... Brooke?" I don't wait for her to respond. It isn't necessary. "I gotta go. I'll be home for lunch today, okay?" I hang up the phone and glance at the clock. It's early still, only 10:30. I reach back for the receiver and fumble around in my Rolex looking for Nathan's phone number and dial it immediately, not wanting to give myself the time needed to reconsider.
"Hullo?" His voice sounds muffled, as though I've woken him up. But I realize immediately that I don't care.
"Nate?" I question, almost wondering if it's my brother on the other end of the line. "It's Luke." I pause momentarily trying to find the words I'm looking for. "We need to talk." I wait for him to respond and surprisingly he doesn't hesitate.
"I don't need to talk to you." He spits back at me angrily.
He infuriates me. How the hell could he possibly act this way? Doesn't he feel what she does? Or is he just too upset by the whole thing to let his emotions ring through? "Are you doing okay?" My voice softens and as much as I hate to ask him that, I almost feel sorry for the guy. He's lost the two best things that ever happened to him.
"What do you think?" I can hear the rage in his voice and I pray silently that he's not going to do anything stupid. "Would you be alright if Brooke and Nicholas just up and left like that?" I suddenly hear the sorrow in his voice and can tell that he's genuinely sorry for his actions and what happened as a result of his moments of weakness.
"I'm sorry man." Even though I hate to be the one apologizing to him- he physically harmed my best friend and my niece- he is my brother and I can't help but feel at least a little bit sorry for him. I give him a few seconds but he doesn't say anything. "Nate? I'm coming out there. I'll be there sometime tomorrow." I hang up before I give him a chance to tell me no, to refuse the visit. If I'm going to be able to make things right between those two I can't have hesitation on either of their parts.
The rest of the morning passed by in a blur. I gave Nicky his bath, putting him in clean overalls and a white shirt for his Daddy's visit home for lunch and started a few loads of laundry in the meantime before settling down on the couch, a book in my hands. Yes, a book. Lucas has officially gotten to me. Ever since he gave me that copy of 'The Grapes of Wrath' way back when we first met in high school he's managed to push off numerous literature works on me. I can actually say I enjoy the time I spend on the couch, reading and relaxing when Nicky's down for a nap.
I glance up as I hear the front door open and see Lucas appear at the door. "Hey." He says quietly, noticing his son asleep beside me in the bassinet. He leans down, planting a kiss on my forehead. "How are you?" I just nod. In all honesty I'm kind of worn out from the extra guests we've had in the house. Haley's great. She really is. But she's so torn up over Nathan and now the new baby that she isn't really doing the best job with Isabella lately. So I've been picking up the slack on that one and it's starting to wear me down, especially with my own son to look after too.
"Where's Haley?" He asks quietly.
I really don't know. "She put Bella down for a nap and borrowed the car. Said she was going out but didn't say where." I stand from the couch and he pulls Nicholas into his arms. Together we walk to the kitchen to get our lunch. "I made egg and olive. That okay?"
"Yeah. Sounds good." He tells me, pointing at the kitchen table. "You sit. I'll fix the sandwiches." I do as I'm told and take our son from his arms, watching while he quickly puts our sandwiches together. "I called Nathan."
"Oh?"
"I can't stand to see Haley like this." She agrees with me. We've had this conversation numerous times over the past week. "I'm going to fly out to Chicago and see if I can't knock some sense in to him. Make him go to rehab or something." I tell my wife, hoping she'll understand where I'm coming from. "I hope you don't mind." I notice her face fall upon hearing the news that I'm going to be gone for a few days.
"No, it's fine. I understand." She promises me quietly. "Besides, Haley's here. Nicky and I will be fine." I drop the sandwiches on the table in front of us, grabbing a Coke for myself and a bottle of Spring Water for Brooke. Caffeine is still off limits for her, with her still nursing the baby.
"Thanks baby." I say, giving her a peck on the cheek. "I just want to try something- anything to get things better for them. It's obvious how much they need each other."
I sit in my office and toy with the idea of making the one phone call that has been on my mind ever since Haley and Isabella first moved in with us a week ago. Do I call him? Do I let them work it out on their own? My mind struggles to find the right answer. Instead of dialing his number I dial the number to the house, hoping desperately that Brooke answers and not Haley.
"Hello?" I hear her calm, sexy voice answer and I quietly thank god that it was really my wife.
"Hey gorgeous." I smile, knowing that my calling will please her.
"Hey husband!" All at once she allows the cheeriness to take over her originally quiet tone.
"How's it going today? Is she doing any better?" I know this probably isn't what Brooke wants to discuss but I can't help myself. It's my best friend and my brother that we're talking about here.
"She's awful today Luke" she stops mid sentence, "I think it's because she finally got in to the doctor and it's all really hitting home now." My heart sinks for my best friend. I've never been through anything remotely close to what she's going through right now but I can't help but feel as though I have, just because of the closeness we've always shared. "We've got to do something..." Her voice strays off as if she's trying to think of something we can do to help.
I know then that I've got to do what I've been deciding back and forth between. "Uh... Brooke?" I don't wait for her to respond. It isn't necessary. "I gotta go. I'll be home for lunch today, okay?" I hang up the phone and glance at the clock. It's early still, only 10:30. I reach back for the receiver and fumble around in my Rolex looking for Nathan's phone number and dial it immediately, not wanting to give myself the time needed to reconsider.
"Hullo?" His voice sounds muffled, as though I've woken him up. But I realize immediately that I don't care.
"Nate?" I question, almost wondering if it's my brother on the other end of the line. "It's Luke." I pause momentarily trying to find the words I'm looking for. "We need to talk." I wait for him to respond and surprisingly he doesn't hesitate.
"I don't need to talk to you." He spits back at me angrily.
He infuriates me. How the hell could he possibly act this way? Doesn't he feel what she does? Or is he just too upset by the whole thing to let his emotions ring through? "Are you doing okay?" My voice softens and as much as I hate to ask him that, I almost feel sorry for the guy. He's lost the two best things that ever happened to him.
"What do you think?" I can hear the rage in his voice and I pray silently that he's not going to do anything stupid. "Would you be alright if Brooke and Nicholas just up and left like that?" I suddenly hear the sorrow in his voice and can tell that he's genuinely sorry for his actions and what happened as a result of his moments of weakness.
"I'm sorry man." Even though I hate to be the one apologizing to him- he physically harmed my best friend and my niece- he is my brother and I can't help but feel at least a little bit sorry for him. I give him a few seconds but he doesn't say anything. "Nate? I'm coming out there. I'll be there sometime tomorrow." I hang up before I give him a chance to tell me no, to refuse the visit. If I'm going to be able to make things right between those two I can't have hesitation on either of their parts.
The rest of the morning passed by in a blur. I gave Nicky his bath, putting him in clean overalls and a white shirt for his Daddy's visit home for lunch and started a few loads of laundry in the meantime before settling down on the couch, a book in my hands. Yes, a book. Lucas has officially gotten to me. Ever since he gave me that copy of 'The Grapes of Wrath' way back when we first met in high school he's managed to push off numerous literature works on me. I can actually say I enjoy the time I spend on the couch, reading and relaxing when Nicky's down for a nap.
I glance up as I hear the front door open and see Lucas appear at the door. "Hey." He says quietly, noticing his son asleep beside me in the bassinet. He leans down, planting a kiss on my forehead. "How are you?" I just nod. In all honesty I'm kind of worn out from the extra guests we've had in the house. Haley's great. She really is. But she's so torn up over Nathan and now the new baby that she isn't really doing the best job with Isabella lately. So I've been picking up the slack on that one and it's starting to wear me down, especially with my own son to look after too.
"Where's Haley?" He asks quietly.
I really don't know. "She put Bella down for a nap and borrowed the car. Said she was going out but didn't say where." I stand from the couch and he pulls Nicholas into his arms. Together we walk to the kitchen to get our lunch. "I made egg and olive. That okay?"
"Yeah. Sounds good." He tells me, pointing at the kitchen table. "You sit. I'll fix the sandwiches." I do as I'm told and take our son from his arms, watching while he quickly puts our sandwiches together. "I called Nathan."
"Oh?"
"I can't stand to see Haley like this." She agrees with me. We've had this conversation numerous times over the past week. "I'm going to fly out to Chicago and see if I can't knock some sense in to him. Make him go to rehab or something." I tell my wife, hoping she'll understand where I'm coming from. "I hope you don't mind." I notice her face fall upon hearing the news that I'm going to be gone for a few days.
"No, it's fine. I understand." She promises me quietly. "Besides, Haley's here. Nicky and I will be fine." I drop the sandwiches on the table in front of us, grabbing a Coke for myself and a bottle of Spring Water for Brooke. Caffeine is still off limits for her, with her still nursing the baby.
"Thanks baby." I say, giving her a peck on the cheek. "I just want to try something- anything to get things better for them. It's obvious how much they need each other."