One of the best things about small towns is the fact that very little changes over time. As Nathan drove them through town Haley noticed that there were small differences, but it still felt like home. They went past the high school, Karen's Café, her old house, the apartment building where they spent their first year together. It looked the same, which was somehow comforting to her. She had believed in her heart for so long that she would never see this place again but now, for a brief moment, she believed you really could come home again.
"You are awfully quiet," Nathan remarked.
"Just looking. It's a little surreal to be back here." Haley answered. She was deep in thought as they headed to the outskirts of town. She recognized the area to be where Nathan's parents had their beach house back in the day.
"Well, we're home." He said as they pulled into a driveway.
"I thought we were staying in a hotel?" Haley said.
"I told you we would stay at my place."
"You own a house in Tree Hill?" Haley was genuinely surprised.
"It's the first thing I bought with my signing bonus."
"Really?"
"Why are you so surprised?"
"I don't know. It just seems odd to me. Why Tree Hill?"
"Because it's home, that's why. Once my pro days are over, this is where I want to end up."
"I would have thought after everything you went through here that this is the last place you would want to settle down." Haley commented.
He grabbed their suitcases from the trunk. "It wasn't all bad. In fact, I think it was a good place to grow up. I want our kids to grow up where they can be out at night and I won't worry about them being robbed or kidnapped."
"I don't think I've ever heard you talk like this before Nathan."
"Well, as you pointed out the other day, we all grow up Hales. Come on, I'll give you a tour." He replied as he opened the front door.
For starters, the house was bigger than his parents place had been. It had a beautiful wrap around porch and a view of the ocean that was breathtaking. The whole house felt airy and light. The color scheme was very neutral, mostly whites and beiges. It didn't exactly feel lived in but it was homey. The one thing that really stood out to Haley was a room that faced the ocean on the back of the house. There were floor to ceiling windows that let in lots of natural light. The reason the room stood out was that it only had two pieces of furniture in it – a very broken in looking sofa and a white baby grand piano.
"What is this?" she asked. He put his arm around her shoulders.
"It's the piano room." He smiled.
"What do you need a piano room for?" She replied.
"I don't. It's for you." He said.
"But you said you bought this house when you got drafted?"
"I did."
"But I wasn't even in your life back then." Haley observed. Although the draft had happened eight months earlier, it felt like a lifetime ago.
"Call it a leap of faith." He replied. "Come on, let's get unpacked and then we'll phone around and see who else is home." He suggested, leading her out of the piano room.
They had put away everything they had brought with them and were looking for something to eat when the front door opened.
"Nate?" Lucas yelled.
"In the kitchen!" Nathan shouted back. Lucas strolled around the corner.
"Hey Hales. How was your flight?" Lucas asked, helping himself to a soda from the fridge.
"Good. When did you get here?" she replied.
"Yesterday. Peyton and Jake are coming tomorrow. Listen Nate, Whitey asked if we'd stop by the school this afternoon. You got plans?" Lucas asked.
"Haley and I need to get a tree but otherwise no. We are supposed to go to Mom's for dinner tonight. Hales, will you be alright if I go with Luke?" Nathan asked.
"If you leave me the car I will. I thought I might stop by the café and see Karen." Haley replied.
"You can come with me Nate and I'll drop you off at mom's when we're done." Lucas offered.
"I guess it's set then. Don't get in to trouble while I'm gone." Nathan smiled down at Haley.
"I'll do my very best to behave."
"OK then, we're out of here." Nathan picked up his gym clothes on the way out of the house and left Haley to her own devices. After the flight that morning Haley felt like she needed to freshen up so she took a shower and got changed before heading in to town.
She walked through the door of the café, hearing the familiar bell letting Karen know someone had walked in, and she was instantly transported back. A good portion of her childhood had been spent in this café. In some ways, Haley had been closer to Karen than her own mother and many a piece of sage advice had been given out at the counter.
"I'll be right with you," Karen called from the back.
"No rush." Haley responded as she took a seat.
Karen's head immediately peeked up from behind the counter. "Haley? Haley!" She smiled. Karen rushed around and enveloped her in a huge bear hug. "I'm so glad to see you! How are you?"
"I'm good. How are things with you?" Haley returned the smile and the hug.
"Great. When Deb said Nathan was bringing you home for Christmas I was so excited."
"Yes, it's true, the prodigal daughter has returned. So what does a girl have to do to get a cup of coffee in this place?" Haley teased.
The two of them sat down with their coffees and set about catching up on the past five years. They filled each other in on their lives to date. Haley had really missed talking to Karen.
Across town, Whitey was proudly showing off his NBA stars to his current line up. He held them up as shining examples of what you could become if you listened to your coach. They boys humored him and didn't point out that neither one of them had been very good at listening when they were in high school. After spending time at the school, Nathan and Lucas stopped by the rivercourt. They had the place to themselves, which was strange. Often once it got around town that Nathan and Lucas Scott were home, the court would be full of kids hoping to get a peak at the towns most famous exports.
"So things are going well with Haley?" Lucas asked as he picked up a ball.
"Ya, really well."
"Did you decide on a present yet?" Lucas asked as he shot.
"I think I'm still sticking with what I told you earlier." Nathan alluded.
"I can't believe you've waited this long. What would you have done if you two hadn't hooked up again?"
"I never really thought of that as an option. I guess I always believed that we would end up back here. You of all people should know that."
"Hey dude, I respect the fact that you had faith all these years, but sometimes I thought I might to have to institutionalize you."
"Whatever. So is Christmas dinner at the café again this year?" Over the past few years the head count had grown so big that no one had enough space to fit everyone. Karen had taken to opening the café and having dinner there.
"Probably. We've got like, twenty four people confirmed."
"We've got enough room at the beach house if Karen wants." Nathan offered.
"Maybe. Why don't you ask her when I drop you off?"
"Twenty four huh? Are all the grand parents coming?"
"I think so. It will be crazy like usual. You may need to protect Haley from the masses." Lucas teased.
"After her stunt in the locker room a few weeks ago, I'm pretty sure she can take care of herself," Nathan laughed.
"Ya, that was something to see. I never thought Haley would be like that. She's grown into quite a woman. You are in trouble man, cause she don't take shit from anyone anymore."
"Don't I know it. I kinda like it though. We should get going. If Haley and I don't get our tree soon, all the good ones will be gone." Nathan pointed out.
"You got it."
Nathan and Luke found Haley still deep in conversation with Karen when they arrived.
"Welcome home Nate," Karen said as they walked in.
"Merry Christmas Karen." Nathan answered.
"How'd it go with Whitey?" Haley asked.
"Good. Still rewriting history." Lucas replied. "So Mom, Nathan has offered up the beach house for dinner. What do you think?"
"Really Nathan? That would be OK with you?" Karen asked.
"Sure. We've only got the one stove, but the kitchen is all brand new. You are welcome to it." Nathan said.
"I'll talk it over with your mom and see what she thinks. So what are you kids up to now?" Karen asked.
"Tree then dinner with mom." Nathan replied.
"Well then, I won't keep you guys any longer. Come by again soon Haley." Karen got up and hugged her.
"I will. I promise."
Nathan and Haley had a blast picking out a Christmas tree. Nathan was still of the mind that bigger is better and he wanted a tree that filled the living room. Considering the livingr room had twelve-foot ceilings, the tree was massive. They arranged to have it delivered because there was no way it would fit on the roof of his Escalade. They then proceeded to the department store to stock up on decorations. They spent a fortune, but they did have an eleven-foot tree so they needed a lot. It was an afternoon filled with laughter and Haley didn't remember when she had ever been so happy. They were home in time to see the tree delivered and the guys were nice enough to set it up for them.
Nathan stood back, admiring his chosen tree when Haley started laughing at him.
"What?" he asked defensively.
"Sometimes you are such a guy. You have this look on your face like you chopped down the tree or something. I just think it's funny." Haley smiled at him.
"Well, I did pick it didn't I? And you thought it was too big." Nathan teased.
"I still think it's too big but you are right, it looks good."
"So should we start decorating?" he asked.
"We need to let it open first. Plus, we should get to your mom's. You told her we'd be there by seven right?"
"We have time..." he had a suggestive look in his eyes.
"Down boy." She grinned at him. "There'll be plenty of time for that later. We should pick up a bottle of wine before we go. So let's get a move on. The sooner we leave the sooner we can come back."
"Deal."
They had a nice dinner with Deb and her boyfriend Mark. Deb had loved the idea of having Christmas dinner at the beach house so it appeared that the plan was set. They stayed until about ten and then made their excuses. Deb and Haley had agreed to get together the next day to do some last minute Christmas shopping while Nathan was having lunch. Apparently, there was a tradition where all the guys from their high school basketball team who came home for Christmas would get together on the 23rd and have lunch. There were quite a few who were coming back this year so it promised to be a good time for the guys.
"So, do you think while you are out with Mom tomorrow you could pick up some dishes?" Nathan asked as they were lying in bed that night.
"For what?" Haley asked.
"Well, we've only got twelve of everything, and if there are twenty some people coming for dinner I don't really think it would be very Christmasy to use paper plates." He explained.
"I'm sure we could borrow some from the café." Haley suggested.
"I'm sure we could," he agreed, "but I kinda like the thought of having Christmas here. And if we make it an annual thing, then we need the plates."
"You really want me to pick out plates and silverware?" Haley teased.
"Why not? I'll give you my credit card...go crazy." He rolled his eyes.
"What should I get?" Haley asked.
"Everything. Go through the cupboards in the morning and see what you think we need. I was also thinking that maybe we should have everyone over tomorrow night for drinks." Nathan said.
"Ya. That's a good idea. Brooke arrives tomorrow right?"
"Yep and Tim too. I'll let the guys know at lunch and you can call the girls. It will be like a mini reunion." He smiled. "Plus, we can show off the house and my amazing tree."
It didn't escape Haley's notice that he used the word we consistently – we're having Christmas, we'll host a mini reunion party. Even him asking her to pick up some dishes for the house. It almost felt like they were married again and this was their home. Maybe it was a slip of the tongur for hinm or the nostalgia that was inevitably brought out during the holidays. Either way, Haley liked it.
"Why are you smiling?" Nathan asked.
"Have I told you how happy I am? And not just that I came home for Christmas."
"What exactly are you happy about Dr. Scott?" he smiled at her.
"I'm happy about being here with you. I love you so much, do you know that?" she replied seriously.
"I think so."
"Well, I do. You make me happier than I deserve to be." She said.
"Everyone deserves to be happy Hales." Nathan offered. "And I love you too."
The next morning over breakfast Nathan took out his wallet and handed her his Amex card.
"My mom is picking you up right?" Nathan asked as he pulled on his coat.
"No, I told her I'd meet her at the mall." Haley corrected.
"But I'm taking the truck to meet Lucas." Nathan replied.
"Then I guess I'm taking a cab. Maybe I should take this card down to the dealership and pick me up a car." She joked.
"My dad would love that." Nathan grinned wryly. "It's OK. You take the truck, you'll need it with all the packages. I'll just get Luke to come get me."
The thought of Dan wiped the smile from Haley's face. "Are you sure?"
"Hey, what was that face about?" He immediately asked.
"Nothing." She brushed him off. "I was just thinking about all the stuff I need to get today. Are you really OK with me taking the truck?"
"Absolutely. What time should I tell the guys to come tonight?" he asked.
"Say eight? That will give us time to decorate the tree before everyone comes."
"OK, I'll be home by four. Have fun with Mom today," He leaned down and kissed her and then she went to take a shower.
Deb and Haley had a great time spending Nathan's money. She bought a dinner set for twenty-four that matched what he already had. That way, she figured they'd have extras in case their group kept growing. She was grinning to herself when Deb caught her.
"What is that smile about?" She asked.
"You'll think I'm crazy." Haley answered.
"No I won't."
"I was just thinking about the Christmases to come. It's the first time in a long time that I've thought of my future with everyone in it again." Haley admitted.
"Don't you mean with Nathan in it?" Deb asked.
"That too." She kept smiling.
"I'm so glad you are back Haley, and not just in Tree Hill, but in Nathan's life." Deb replied.
"Thank you. I thought for sure everyone would hate me after..." she trailed off.
"We don't hate you honey. We are just happy that everything worked out. And if you had to go through what you did in the past to get to where you are today, well then it was worth it. I have to admit I am especially happy we got to shop together. This is the kind of thing you should have done before you got married the first time, picking out your dishes, getting ready for family dinners."
Haley simply smiled in reply.
She arrived home to find Nathan on a ladder decorating the top half of the tree. He helped her carry the boxes of stuff she had bought that day into the house.
"Did you buy out the store?" He teased.
"You told me to go crazy, so I did. Your mom also sent a box of your old Christmas decorations too. She said every tree needed a little history." Haley replied.
"Well, let's get the stuff you bought put away so we can finish the tree." He grinned. Haley was beginning to worry that Nathan had an unhealthy attachment to his tree.
They put away the new dishes without incident but trimming the tree got sidetracked as they were distracted by each other. They did manage to finish the decorating by the time everyone arrived, but just. About twenty people showed up for drinks and the house was full of noise. Everyone was in a festive mood. Nathan and Haley took turns giving tours of the house and mingling with their guests. At one point in the evening, Nathan was across the room bragging to yet someone else about his impressive tree when Lucas caught Haley watching him.
"What is that look?" He asked handing her a fresh drink.
"I'm just taking a mental picture." Haley replied. He gave her a puzzled look. "Don't you ever have moments that you just want to keep forever?" Nathan looked up at Haley from across the room and winked at her. She smiled in response. "Well, this is one of them for me." Haley said turning back to Lucas.
"You are really happy, aren't you?" Lucas asked softly.
"I am. Sometimes I wonder if I should be." Haley replied.
"You should. Everyone makes mistakes Hales. The only way we grow up is to make mistakes and learn from them. I think you two had to go through what you did so that you could appreciate what you have now."
"You really believe that?" Haley asked, a little surprised.
"Absolutely. Just enjoy it." He advised.
"I am. I really am Luke." Haley said.
The party wound down around two and Haley and Nathan fell asleep in each other's arms, blissfully happy.
Haley woke up the next morning to hear Nathan in the shower. He was actually humming a Christmas tune, which made Haley laugh out loud. She went downstairs to make some coffee and survey the mess from the party. It wasn't too bad, which she was thankful for. As she was gathering up some glasses, the doorbell rang. She figured it was someone from the night before picking up a forgotten item.
"Well, well, well...what do we have here?" Dan asked as Haley opened the door.
Haley pulled her robe tighter around her. "What do you want?" she asked.
"I'm here to pick up my son. We have plans for breakfast." Dan replied. He walked past her into the house.
"Nathan is in the shower." Haley explained as she closed the door. "I'll go let him know you are here." Haley couldn't get away fast enough. She wasn't sure how long she could maintain her composure.
"Wait, don't rush off." Dan said
"I have nothing to say to you Dan." Haley replied with a steely resolve.
"Look, if you are in Nate's life again, don't you think we should at least be civil?" Dan asked. Haley couldn't decide if he was being sincere, or just trying to manipulate her.
"Are you kidding me?" Haley asked incredulously. "I can barely look at your face."
"Hales, it's been almost six years. Surely you don't hold me responsible for your actions. I mean, come on, let it go already."
"First, don't ever call me Hales again. And secondly, I can't believe you just said that? Who else is responsible?" Haley's temper was getting the better of her.
"Look, I'm a different man now." Dan said.
"I find that hard to believe. You could apologize to me until the cows come home and I'll never buy it. You aren't sorry, you never were sorry. You may have been able to push a seventeen year old girl around, but don't think that I'll ever let that happen again."
"I never said I was sorry. I won't apologize. I did the right thing. We both know it."
"You did the right thing? You?" His sheer nerve flabbergasted Haley. "You made me do your dirty work. I will never be civil to you Dan. Not in this lifetime or the next. I've seen the real you."
"What does that mean?" he shot back.
"Ya, Hales, what does that mean?" Nathan asked. Haley had not heard him enter the room. They say that when you die your life flashes before your eyes. The only thing Haley could see was the mental picture she had stored the night before of Nathan smiling next to his tree. Haley's past didn't flash before her eyes seeing Nathan standing there, her future did. And she knew that what she said next would determine what that future would be.
A/N I know this is an awful place to leave you hanging, but you should be used to that by now..teeheehee. I am nothing if not a big fan of the cliffhanger. Have hope though, I do have a rough draft of the next chapter done and I'm feeling inspired so you won't have to wait long. Again, the reviews are keeping me going...they seem to get better and better with each chapter. I hope that's because the chapters are getting better. Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know what you think...as always, thoughts/suggestions. THANK YOU!!!! - Carys