Haley had just finished college and was meeting with her agent, about starting her music career back up. She had kept in touch with Chris of the years, and he was a good friend to her, and Nathan Junior, Nathan and Haley's son, whom Nathan knows nothing about. Haley and Nate Jr. live in a New York apartment, Nate Jr. is five, and is becoming quite the basketball star. Haley had just gotten a call from her agent about a way to go back into the music world, do the national anthem at the beginning of every Knicks game, some nights a special duet after the game, if they win, with Chris, or other promotions, then record some, and put out a single by the end of basketball season, to keep everyone wanting more. The first game was tonight, and she worked it out that Nate Jr. could have a courtside seat to watch the game, since the Knicks were his favorite team.
Nate Jr. sat just behind the bench with his basketball in his hands, it was leather, and he loved it, his first leather ball. He was also wearing his Knicks jersey of his favorite player, number 23.
It was game time, the lights dimmed and a spotlight went on at center court where Haley and Chris stood. They we're singing the national anthem together before the game. Surprisingly, they were good together, having not actually sung together in over a year. The crowd applauded and they took their seats next to Nate Jr.
Haley once looked down at Nate, and he was so into the game, it made her happy that they let him come, but also a bit guilty that she knew over half of the players, and he didn't know that she did, because he could easily meet them all. It was like watching the Ravens play at Tree Hill High, sitting next to Keith in the bleachers, and Mouth, who had made it big on some News channel as the sports caster.
At the end of the game, Chris offered to take Haley and Nate Jr. out for pizza, and they gratefully accepted. Nate Jr. was still in awe about the game. He got to see the famous Scott brothers in action. Haley had also recognized Brooke in the stands with a small boy, and an even smaller girl. This was like high school. Fun, fun.
Haley sat down at the table in the pizza place, Nate Jr. next to her, and Chris across from her.
"Mommy, I want extra cheese, mushrooms and sausage on my pizza, please mommy," Nate begged for his favorite pizza, though Haley didn't know how he could eat such a horrendous thing, reluctantly, however, she let him get it, a personal pan, then a regular cheese pizza for her and Chris. Nate wolfed down his pizza, as if he inhaled the thing. "Mom, I'm gonna go play the basketball game, okay, right over there, you can still see me," Nate pointed a few feet away at the arcade game.
"Okay, baby," she gave him some quarters, "have fun, don't go anywhere else, okay."
He took the quarters, "okay mommy, thank you," he hugged her and walked away. Haley smiled, he was such a nice boy, raised right, even without a dad.
"You okay?" Chris asked Haley, shaking her out of it.
"Huh? Oh, yea, just thinking."
"You do that a lot."
"You have a problem with a girl thinking?"
"Well, it depends on what she's thinking about." She give him a look, don't go there. "So," he said changing the subject, "enjoy the game, just like high school?"
"More than you know, like high school."
"So, do share."
"Watching Nathan and Luke play, with Jake, and Tim, and even river court guys, just like high school, I even missed Whitey, he was always angry at something, but now I miss him, I'm starting to miss Tree Hill, after five years of New York, I got to one Knicks game and want to go back to where I fled from, ironic huh?"
"Yea, so what are you gonna do, I mean, you take Nate there, you tell him some, you'll confuses him and leave him asking for more, 'Why are we in Tree Hill' 'What's in Tree Hill' 'I like New York better' and many more, Haley, don't confuse the poor kid, he's five, he's happy, and doesn't know anything else, you want to tell him something, you better be ready to tell him everything."
"I know, I know, when did you get to be so smart anyway, and I don't think he's old enough to understand yet, so I'm not going to tell him."
"Are you sure that's what you want to do? You're going to have to tell him."
"I will tell him… eventually."
"When is eventually Haley? You're going to every game to open it, okay, staying at the same hotels, in rooms right next door to the team, what if he starts talking to him, because after all, Nathan is Nate's favorite player, and once Nate tells Nathan his name, and your name, he's not that slow, he'll put it together, and Nate isn't stupid either, he'll figure it out, too, you want him to know before you tell him, and him think you're a liar?"
"No, I'll tell him, when he asks, happy?"
"No, but it'll have to do."
"Good," Haley said as Nate walked over from playing his game.
Nathan sat in his apartment after the first game of the season, and they won of course. He was thinking how he hadn't played that well, since, well high school, when Haley sat in the crowds watching him play. He flipped on the news and saw recaps of the game. The news caster was reviewing the opening singer, and they showed her performance. A super skinny, young blonde, fresh out of college, a year. Nathan thought she was hott, but he missed her name. Then he heard she would be singing at all the Knicks games, and figured he'd see her around. They moved onto the game, Nathan Scott, player of the game. He saw himself all over the court, scoring baskets. Then a segment on the Scott Brothers. He flipped off the T.V. and went to his to go to sleep.
Haley tucked Nate into bed and read him his favorite story. She read it him every night, since he was a baby. "Good night baby boy," Haley said, kissing his forehead when she finished the story and turned out the light. She took one last look and closed the door. She walked down the hall to her room to go to bed herself.
Nate lay down in bed and picked up the photo frame with the picture he looked at every night, Haley, it was a single picture of Haley, and she was smiling. He looked at it every night, remembering the good times.
Haley lay down in bed and picked up the picture that sat on her bedside table, well one of them, the one of Nathan. She loved that picture. It was of only him, and he took it especially for her. She kissed it, put it back on the table, and went to sleep.
Nathan kissed the picture of Haley and whispered into the darkness of the empty room, "I love you."