Chapter Four
"I still can't believe it about Haley," said Jake as we cleared up the breakfast dishes.
"Yeah. I mean she's only seventeen!" I said. She'd told me about the reception, as had Jake-Nathan had tried his best to keep his cool, totally blew it, ended up at a bar and then came back to be a totally perfect Nathan. Thoughtfully, I wondered what it would have been like if it had been that way when we'd gone out. Then, he never would have turned out that way without Haley. Haley was widely acknowledged as the reason he wasn't the jerk he used to be.
"I'm happy for them, but no one could understand how much this is going to change their lives," he said. I smiled sympathetically at him.
"It's different. They have each other, and they're both out of school," I pointed out.
"Yeah, I've got you and it's still pretty hard," he said. As if on cue, Jenny wailed from the living room. He kissed the top of my head.
"I know. Oh, she's grown-we need to go the baby store and get her fall clothes," I said.
"Yeah. And we have to get you new stuff too," he added.
"What?"
"Pey you're starting school in two weeks and you've done nothing to prepare for it," he said.
"I'm not sure I want to go," I said softly. I'd been avoiding thinking about it for weeks.
"You have to go. I'm not going to have you stay home on my account," he said.
"Well, Jenny's account too! And why not? You're my husband, it's supposed to matter more," I countered.
"Yeah but what are you going to do without an education?"
"You sound like my dad. And I'll be an artist, and there's Tric nights. I can ask Karen if she'll let me take on more now that I'm old enough. Do you know how much money I make from Tric per month?" I asked him.
"Yes, I know exactly how much. But is it really what you want to do for the rest of your life?" he asked.
"I don't want to think about the rest of my life. I have the rest of my life to do that," I said stubbornly.
"If that's way you want it, it's what we'll do. But hopefully we can get the deposit back from Duke," he said.
"I think that that can be arranged," said a voice from the door. I spun around.
"Daddy!" I said excitedly, throwing myself at him. He caught me and set me down lightly.
"How's my little girl?" he asked. I smiled at him.
"Not so little. You know Jake, right? And Jenny?"
"Yes. Hey Jake. Last time I was here you weren't, however," he said, pseudo-sternly.
"I went on a road trip with Brooke. We brought Haley back home," I said.
"Haley? The one married to Nathan who's the half brother of Lucas, who you used to be in love with, who's mother is involved with his uncle after years of longing?" asked Dad dramatically. I giggled.
"Yeah. Haley's back. And she's got news," I said mysteriously.
"She's pregnant," volunteered Jake from the stove. I took three steps back and leaned against him.
"Already? Isn't she sixteen?" he asked, alarmed.
"Seventeen. She'll be eighteen in time."
"Do me a favour and don't do that," he said jokingly. I rolled my eyes but shot Jake a nervous glance.
"Mommy!" came an insistent voice from the living room.
"Coming sweetie!" I called back. Dad raised his eyebrows.
"What? She's my daughter," I said innocently. He smiled and the two of them followed me into the living room.
Jenny, who had been playing joyfully with a plastic drum suddenly grew shy. As I sat on the sofa she ran to me and allowed me to pull her onto my lap, burrowing her head into my shoulder.
"Well, this is our Jenny," said Jake, laughing.
"So you're not going to school?" asked Dad.
"Maybe."
"Your choice, but I'd advise against it," he said mildly.
"How long are you staying?" I asked him. He sighed and I narrowed my eyes. "Dad?"
"Until tomorrow."
"Tomorrow! You haven't been back since May and it's September! Luke and Brooke are both away at school now!" I said in annoyance.
"Come on sweetie, you know I love to be with you but you've made me irrelevant. You have a family now, and I'm just a guest here," he said. I winced-this was true, although painful.
"That's not right. You still live here," I reminded him.
"Come on. Last time I was here the sofa was here and the walls were green," he said.
"Dad, the walls were always cream," I pointed out. He laughed.
"Yeah. So how pregnant is Haley?"
"About two months in, we figure," said Jake.
"Yeah, about that. She's going to tell Nathan's parents tonight," I said.
"Brutal. What about her parents?"
"Oh, they travel. She just has Karen," I said lightly, avoiding his eye.
"Enough for anyone. But I know Deb and Dan Scott-telling them something like this would be no picnic. Haley's even younger than Deb was…" he said.
"So weird. The same age as Karen though," I said grimly.
"How could you be such a jerk with something like that on your shoulders?" wondered Jake, voicing something I thought of so often.
"Peyton's mother was a cheerleader-she was a freshman when Karen and Dan were seniors, and Karen was captain of the cheerleading squad and he was lord of the basketball team. She said everyone had a crush on Dan Scott-he had a bit of evil to him, but he was charming and athletic and handsome," said Dad reflectively.
"Nathan was like that. Remember when he used to be arrogant and horrible to Lucas and he first started flirting with Haley to get to Lucas? He was horrible," I said. Jake and Dad snickered. "What?"
"Sweetie you went out with him for months," said Dad.
"Yeah, well, he was hot."
"Compared to..?"
"Compared to all!" I said, annoyed at their retaliation.
"Ouch! I'm wounded," said Jake.
"Me too. She's sharp, this one," said Dad. They both laughed. Jenny laughed as well.
"Traitors. All of you!" I said.
We went to the baby store and bought her more overalls and shirts, some jeans and sweaters. She grew like a weed, but was by far the cutest baby at the store. When we were done Dad took the four of us out to dinner-something Jake and I hadn't done in months. Jenny, so shy in public behaved admirably at the restaurant.
I was embarrassed as my cell phone sang out, and ran to the bathroom to answer it.
"Haley?" I said.
"Hey."
"How'd it go?" her voice had the odd, hysterically laughter filled tone of someone who could only look brightly at a terrible situation by seeing its humorous angle.
"God, wait till I tell you…"
