"Absolutely not, there is no way Brooke Davis or anyone else for that matter is going to run my café, look at the sign out there Lucas...it says Karen's Café, I'm Karen no one else!"

"Mom please, give it a rest...and try to look at the positive side of this, Brooke just wants to help and be realistic here, you can't run this café by yourself especially not now"

Karen buried her head in her hands and cried because she realized that everything Lucas was saying was true. A million thoughts were running through her head and each new idea brought on more tears, She was losing her café, she was going to have to stay at the hospital, her son was having a baby at only 17 and she had a fatal disease...everything had taken a turn for the worse and she had no idea how to fix it all.

Lucas hugged his mom tightly, he could feel her back moving up and down as she sobbed into his shoulder. She had always been his shoulder to cry on, the one to support him and now he had to be strong for her when he wanted to break down and cry with her so badly.

Karen pulled away and wiped the tears from her face with the kitchen towel she'd been carrying around the café with her.

"Ok Luke, tell Brooke that I'll need her to come by tomorrow after school so I can show her around and how to do things"

A small smile creeped across Lucas' face "thanks mom, I know Brooke's not your favorite person and frankly, her and I aren't on the best terms yet either but, this will be good mom...for you and plus what would Tree Hill be without your café?"

Karen let out a small laugh, her heart swelled with pride for her café and angst that she had to hand it over...it was all so bittersweet to her.

"I'll go tell Brooke"

Lucas hugged Karen and left the café, when he got to Brooke's house, he found her outside at the mailbox.

"Mailman bring you anything good today?"

"The latest issue of cosmopolitan" Brooke giggled but, she quickly wiped the smile off her face...she loved how she could be herself with Lucas but, there was still that small piece of her that didn't completely trust him yet and wasn't ready to fully open up the way she had when they were dating.

"I talked to my mom today, she wants you down at the café tomorrow after school to show you around and to talk things over"

Brooke nodded "ok, I mentioned it to tutor girl today and she's happy to help, same with jake"

"Great, plus you always know where to find me"

"Yeah but, you should really be with your mom right now, no one expects you to be there 24/7 working your butt off"

"I know but, it takes me mind off things, life's kind of surreal at the moment...good things and bad things are mixing themselves together and I don't know how to process it all, how to feel"

Brooke sat down on the porch swing and Lucas followed her

"I know what you mean"

Lucas grabbed Brooke's hand and held it in his, Brooke looked down and eyed it...her hand look small and inferior inside his but, she felt safe and warm with just that one small attachment to him. Her heart did flips and her stomach had butterflies, shivers went down her spine and she stood up.

"I should go in... I'm not feeling well"

Lucas' heart fell...just when he thought he'd finally broken past her barrier that she'd built against him, she built the wall right back up.

"Ok" Lucas nodded and he got in his truck and drove off and Brooke watched him from the living room window, her head told her she did the right thing and her heart told her otherwise.

Please review! The more reviews the more I like to write! ;)

Madison