Chapter One
*Monday, July 15*
"I told you four times already, cancel all of my appointments for the next three weeks." Lucas told his assistant in an aggravated tone over his cell phone. "Yes I am sure...What part of being to best man at my brother and best friend's wedding do you not understand?...Thank you." He let out a sigh and walked into his house.
"Boys I told you to cut that out." Peyton yelled from the kitchen at Gavin and Ben. Luke heard a loud crash upstairs. "Get down here right now." She shouted. There was a rumble of tiny footsteps coming down the stairs and his sons flew right by him into the kitchen. He listened temporarily while Peyton lectured the boys about not playing basketball in the house and then casually strolled into the room. "You're home early. Did your patient cancel?" Peyton greeted and they shared a little kiss.
"That's disgusting." Cameran complained from her spot at the table before going back to reading her book.
"Anyway, why are you home?" Peyton continued.
"I cancelled my last appointment today. We need to start packing" Lucas told her.
"Why is that?"
"We have a flight to North Carolina at eight o'clock tonight."
"I thought we were going next month." She was bewildered.
"That's what I thought too until I got a phone call from Haley today. They are moving the wedding to the 29th of this month." He stated.
"What! That's only two weeks from now!"
"I know, but they said it was the only opening that the reception hall had this year and they took it. So I went online and bought five tickets for a flight back home." Luke explained.
"Well like you said, we need to pack." Peyton scurried upstairs. After packing up their stuff, each person had one suitcase in hand.
By the time they got to the airport, parked the car and got through security, it was seven o'clock. Instead of spending the hour waiting, Peyton and Lucas decided to bring the kids to one of the airport stands for some ice cream. On their way to way there they ran into Deb and her husband Tom. They had met him once at their wedding and they were glad to that Deb found a good husband. She deserved to be treated well after having to put up with Dan for all those years. Once the kids finished their ice cream and the adults chatted for a while, they made their way back to the terminal. As if it wasn't ironic enough that Deb and Tom were in the airport at the same time as them but they were also on the same flight, although both families were in different parts of the plane.
Finally after waiting half and hour, their rows were permitted to board. It was Cameran, Ben and Gavin's first time on an airplane and you could tell by the excitement in their eyes. They were fascinated by the way to trays came out of the seat and how you could tilt you chair back and forth. Lucas was sitting in the middle of one row with Cameran in the isle seat and Gavin by the window. Peyton was sitting directly behind them with Ben next to the window. The children didn't mind the take off process. Luke attributed it to the joy of chewing gum.
After half an hour into their two-hour flight, all of them were asleep and it was a perfect picture. Somehow Gavin had crawled into Lucas's lap and fallen asleep. Cameran was sleeping peacefully with her head on her father's shoulder clutching her stuffed tiger. Ben had laid his head on Peyton's lap and dozed off. Their serenity was interrupted by the blare of the captain's voice over the speaker commanding them to buckle their seatbelts and return their trays and seats to the upright position. Reluctantly they all complied.
Before they knew it, they were standing on the front steps of Karen's house. Gavin and Ben had fallen asleep and were being carried by Lucas. Peyton was holding Cameran's hand, although the little girl looked as though she was about to fall asleep any second. It was way past all of the children's bedtimes.
"They're here!" Karen answered the door and scooped Cameran into her arms. "I haven't seen you since last year."
"I'm six now Nana." Cameran told her before yawning.
"Look at how exhausted the kids are. Come one inside." She ushered them all in the door.
"Mom the bags are still in the car." Lucas told her, attempting to walk back out.
"They can wait. You let your own mother wait for a year without visiting, so you luggage can wait now." She folded her arms.
"I'm sorry mom. I've been really busy with work lately." Luke hugged his mother.
"I know. I'm so proud of you. My son is a doctor."
"Daddy, I'm tired." Cameran tugged at his sleeve.
"Okay sweetheart. Let's get ready for bed." Karen pulled out the bed from her couch and got out blankets and pillows for the children. Lucas snuck out and retrieved the bags from the car. Peyton dressed Gavin and Ben while they were asleep and Karen helped with Cameran. She was asleep next to her brothers as soon as her head hit the pillow.
Lucas and Peyton were absolutely drained by the day. They had the task of squeezing into Luke's old twin bed. Their excuse for keeping it at the time was valid; they couldn't fit anything bigger with the baby furniture. But now the decision came back to haunt them.
"We haven't done this in a while." Peyton stated, snuggled up close to Lucas.
"And I don't mind one bit." He gave her a little kiss on the forehead.
"At least I'm not pregnant this time. It was horrid. I could barely fit in the bed by myself."
"You think it was bad for you? I had to sleep on the edge of the bed, almost falling out every time you moved. Then you would freeze the room out with air conditioning, then take the blankets from me." He pouted.
"Oh I sorry baby. I'll make it up to you." Peyton gave him a kiss right on the lips.
"Having my children is enough of a restitution for me."
"You are so sweet. That's why I love you."
"I love you too."
*Monday, July 15*
"I told you four times already, cancel all of my appointments for the next three weeks." Lucas told his assistant in an aggravated tone over his cell phone. "Yes I am sure...What part of being to best man at my brother and best friend's wedding do you not understand?...Thank you." He let out a sigh and walked into his house.
"Boys I told you to cut that out." Peyton yelled from the kitchen at Gavin and Ben. Luke heard a loud crash upstairs. "Get down here right now." She shouted. There was a rumble of tiny footsteps coming down the stairs and his sons flew right by him into the kitchen. He listened temporarily while Peyton lectured the boys about not playing basketball in the house and then casually strolled into the room. "You're home early. Did your patient cancel?" Peyton greeted and they shared a little kiss.
"That's disgusting." Cameran complained from her spot at the table before going back to reading her book.
"Anyway, why are you home?" Peyton continued.
"I cancelled my last appointment today. We need to start packing" Lucas told her.
"Why is that?"
"We have a flight to North Carolina at eight o'clock tonight."
"I thought we were going next month." She was bewildered.
"That's what I thought too until I got a phone call from Haley today. They are moving the wedding to the 29th of this month." He stated.
"What! That's only two weeks from now!"
"I know, but they said it was the only opening that the reception hall had this year and they took it. So I went online and bought five tickets for a flight back home." Luke explained.
"Well like you said, we need to pack." Peyton scurried upstairs. After packing up their stuff, each person had one suitcase in hand.
By the time they got to the airport, parked the car and got through security, it was seven o'clock. Instead of spending the hour waiting, Peyton and Lucas decided to bring the kids to one of the airport stands for some ice cream. On their way to way there they ran into Deb and her husband Tom. They had met him once at their wedding and they were glad to that Deb found a good husband. She deserved to be treated well after having to put up with Dan for all those years. Once the kids finished their ice cream and the adults chatted for a while, they made their way back to the terminal. As if it wasn't ironic enough that Deb and Tom were in the airport at the same time as them but they were also on the same flight, although both families were in different parts of the plane.
Finally after waiting half and hour, their rows were permitted to board. It was Cameran, Ben and Gavin's first time on an airplane and you could tell by the excitement in their eyes. They were fascinated by the way to trays came out of the seat and how you could tilt you chair back and forth. Lucas was sitting in the middle of one row with Cameran in the isle seat and Gavin by the window. Peyton was sitting directly behind them with Ben next to the window. The children didn't mind the take off process. Luke attributed it to the joy of chewing gum.
After half an hour into their two-hour flight, all of them were asleep and it was a perfect picture. Somehow Gavin had crawled into Lucas's lap and fallen asleep. Cameran was sleeping peacefully with her head on her father's shoulder clutching her stuffed tiger. Ben had laid his head on Peyton's lap and dozed off. Their serenity was interrupted by the blare of the captain's voice over the speaker commanding them to buckle their seatbelts and return their trays and seats to the upright position. Reluctantly they all complied.
Before they knew it, they were standing on the front steps of Karen's house. Gavin and Ben had fallen asleep and were being carried by Lucas. Peyton was holding Cameran's hand, although the little girl looked as though she was about to fall asleep any second. It was way past all of the children's bedtimes.
"They're here!" Karen answered the door and scooped Cameran into her arms. "I haven't seen you since last year."
"I'm six now Nana." Cameran told her before yawning.
"Look at how exhausted the kids are. Come one inside." She ushered them all in the door.
"Mom the bags are still in the car." Lucas told her, attempting to walk back out.
"They can wait. You let your own mother wait for a year without visiting, so you luggage can wait now." She folded her arms.
"I'm sorry mom. I've been really busy with work lately." Luke hugged his mother.
"I know. I'm so proud of you. My son is a doctor."
"Daddy, I'm tired." Cameran tugged at his sleeve.
"Okay sweetheart. Let's get ready for bed." Karen pulled out the bed from her couch and got out blankets and pillows for the children. Lucas snuck out and retrieved the bags from the car. Peyton dressed Gavin and Ben while they were asleep and Karen helped with Cameran. She was asleep next to her brothers as soon as her head hit the pillow.
Lucas and Peyton were absolutely drained by the day. They had the task of squeezing into Luke's old twin bed. Their excuse for keeping it at the time was valid; they couldn't fit anything bigger with the baby furniture. But now the decision came back to haunt them.
"We haven't done this in a while." Peyton stated, snuggled up close to Lucas.
"And I don't mind one bit." He gave her a little kiss on the forehead.
"At least I'm not pregnant this time. It was horrid. I could barely fit in the bed by myself."
"You think it was bad for you? I had to sleep on the edge of the bed, almost falling out every time you moved. Then you would freeze the room out with air conditioning, then take the blankets from me." He pouted.
"Oh I sorry baby. I'll make it up to you." Peyton gave him a kiss right on the lips.
"Having my children is enough of a restitution for me."
"You are so sweet. That's why I love you."
"I love you too."