"Are you depressed?"

"What?"

"I asked if you were depressed."

Brooke wrinkled her nose and smiled. Sometimes Gran could say the weirdest things out of the blue.

"No, I'm not depressed, Gran, and why do you ask?"

The two women sat on the front porch snapping fresh string beans picked right from Gran's personal garden.

"You just seem tired and a little sluggish. When you were little you were one big bundle of energy now you just seem to drag your feet and mope around. And you don't even get up before eleven! That's unheard of."

"Gran", Brooke laughed. "I am fine, really. Besides, eleven is early for me on a day off."

Gran nodded and concentrated on the beans. Tree Hill hadn't changed much and Brooke just enjoyed its peace and beauty. Nostalgia was all around her... she hadn't touched a string bean since she was a little girl.

"So how is that job going?"

"Great. I love it. The people are nice, the work is interesting. I'm having a really fun time."

"That's nice, baby. I'm proud of you. You've done very well for yourself."

"Well, thanks, Gran."

"Speaking of people doing well for themselves, guess who I ran into the last week before you came?"

"Who's that?" Brooke asked with minimal interest.

"Nathan and Lucas Scott."

Brooke's heart raced at the very mention of those names.

"Oh?"

"Yes. They were home and decided to stop by to check on your grandfather and me. They're such thoughtful boys. I swear they haven't changed a bit. Stardom sure didn't go to their heads."

"Oh", was all Brooke could repeat.

"Lucas asked about you..."

Brooke sighed and rolled her eyes. She knew fully well exactly where the conversation was headed and she didn't like it.

"Gran, please. I do not want to talk about Lucas Scott."

Gran rocked back in her chair.

"That's fine. Just what do you want to talk about?"

Brooke grinned.

"Woman, you are impossible! I want to talk about normal stuff. Work, your garden, food, the weather...Please just stop giving me the third degree. I don't want to hear one more question about why I don't have a boyfriend or why I haven't left this house."

"Speaking of which", Gran continued, "you sure haven't left this house. Fresh air would probably do you some good. I actually need a few items from the market if you wouldn't mind."

Brooke nodded in agreement. There was no use protesting and starting an argument nearly impossible to win. She retrieved a grocery list from her grandmother and got in her car, headed for the store. Tree Hill was small but less rural than Brooke had remembered. She hadn't visited in years and had never driven there. Several times she almost got lost and was relieved to find the local Food Lion.

Eggs, cheese, milk, sugar, flour...Brooke searched the aisles for what she needed. She smiled to herself as she saw a container of cottage cheese. A bowl of cottage cheese mixed with pineapple seemed like heaven to her but Gran would have a fit if she saw her eating that "bird" food. As long as Gran had anything to say, she would be munching on pigs' feet, country ham, turnip greens, chicken and dumplings, and candied yam. The food was great but Brooke worried the all that home cooking was going straight to her hips.

"Brooke? Brooke Davis, is that you?"

Brooke turned in the direction of the familiar and friendly voice.

"Oh my goodness! Ms. Rowe?"

Karen Rowe smiled and hugged her.

"How are you doing? It's been a few years, I almost didn't recognize you."

"I'm doing fine. How are you?"

"Pretty good."

"Wow. It's so nice running into you. You look great."

And Karen did. She had always been pretty and youthful and the years had remained kind. She was trim and healthy looking, her carefully made up face accented by a short stylish bob.

"Thank you, honey", she smiled. "How long have you been in town? When are you heading back?"

"I've been here about a week now and I'm going back to Florida next Tuesday."

"That's a shame. You barely missed Nathan and Lucas and you'll be leaving before they get back."

Brooke tried to force a smile. Lucas was always a touchy subject.

"That's too bad", she managed to say. "It's been about six or seven years since I last spoke to them. I watch them on television when I can."

"Yeah, they've done pretty well for themselves", she said proudly.

Brooke and Karen talked for a few more minutes and Brooke promised to stay in touch. As she made the drive to her grandmother's, she just couldn't shake that uneasy feeling she'd had when talking to Karen. It brought back too many memories and the memories were almost too much to bear.