Chapter 23- Taking Care of Business
"Are you…"
"Maybe, I mean…"
"What do you mean maybe?"
"Well, I don't know anything certain yet. I have been moody lately, and I've really been craving raisins. I hate raisins. With Nate, it was slim jims, nothing better than dehydrated beef jerky. I was moody then, too. I cried all the time, really emotional. Somehow Taylor understood and was there. The funny thing is, is she claimed to have gone to see you, to tell you, so you could see your son, and be there for me, but she claimed that you blew her off."
"Well, Taylor was right, I did blow her off. I told her she was lying, and I told her I didn't care. But, now, I do care. I didn't know then, I was stupid, and angry, still angry that you would leave me."
"I understand. It's not like I actually expected you to come to New York to see you're wife that walked out on you. But, can we not fight now, though. I want to see the rest of the house. Obviously if there's a staircase, that means there's an upstairs," Haley smiled.
"Yea, sure, we can look upstairs. Whatever you want," Nathan smiled back at her, thinking of that night that Taylor came back.
Flashback
It was senior year, the last basketball game of the main season. He had just gotten home from winning, and breaking yet another of Dan's impossible records. He was on fire and couldn't wait until they played the county and state for the state championship. They were having a party at his apartment. People would be arriving soon. He heard a knock at his door. He figured it was Tim, Tim always came early, with beer, and lots of it. Nathan happily jogged over to the door and answered it. It wasn't Tim at the door, but Taylor.
"Listen Taylor, I don't have time for this right now, people will be coming soon."
"Wow, could your ego get any bigger. Don't want to rain on your parade, but," her cell phone rang, "Hold on," she answered her phone. "Hello, Taylor James at your service, what can I do for you?"
The person on the other end said something that Nathan couldn't hear, and Taylor talked again. "A boy?" "Seven pounds, 20 inches long," Taylor said into the phone, probably repeating what she heard, "What's his name?" Nathan wondered at that, who's name, "Oh, that's so pretty, I- uh mean handsome," Taylor let out a laugh, "Okay Chris, I'll see you later tonight, early tomorrow, depends on traffic. I love you, and tell Haley I love her and baby Nathan," Taylor said into the phone, "oh, okay, baby Nate, bye," she made a kiss sound and closed her phone.
"Who was that?" Nathan asked suspiciously.
"My boyfriend, Chris Keller," Taylor said, like she was on cloud nine.
"You're with Chris?"
"Yes, get with the program."
"So why are you here?"
"Well, I came to tell you Haley's pregnant, but that's not necessarily true anymore."
"What?"
"Congratulations, daddy," Taylor smiled, "You are now the proud father of a baby boy named Nathan Scott Jr. Seven pounds on the dot, 20 inches long, ten fingers, ten toes, perfectly healthy. And from what Chris said, he looks like an old wrinkled you."
"You're lying."
"Am I?"
"Whatever, go back you your little boyfriend and your nephew and your sister and leave me alone, I have a party to throw, I beat another of Dan's records," Nathan said shoving her out the door and stepping out to see in the parking lot Lucas and a pregnant Brooke making out. He shook his head and walked back inside.
End Flashback
Nathan could hear Haley happily rambling on about something in the second bedroom. Something about how the window over looked the big backyard, and maybe she could give gardening a try, since she actually had a yard.
"Yea, great idea Hales, you go for it," Nathan said, not really paying attention.
"Are you listening to me?"
"Yes."
"Then what did I just say?"
"You wanted to plant a tomato garden in the back yard, by the back fence."
"No, I just said I think we should put a swimming pool in the back yard."
"Really?"
"Yes!"
"Okay, so I wasn't listening very closely, but wasn't I right about the tomatoes?"
"No, I said we could plant tomatoes by the house and tulips by the back fence."
"Oh, okay, that works too."
"Nathan!"
"Sorry, Hales, it's just as longs as I have you, and Nate and out health and a couch in front of the T.V. I'm good, everything else is bonus," Nathan smiled.
"Yea, well we have a lot to do, and by we, I mean you. You get the wonderful job of moving all the stuff in, and I'll worry about registering Nate for first grade. I already picked out the school, its about a fifteen minute car ride, Franklin's Institute for Young Gentlemen, he'll love it."
"Another private school?"
"Yes, until he's sixteen."
"You know you're scaring him for life, right?"
"Nonsense, have you seen the kids in public schools these days?"
"Yea, my little nephew, and Jake's daughter Jenny and my little brother, which reminds me, my mom asked me if I could watch him, well if we could watch him."
"You mean like for the weekend?"
"For a year, both her and my dad want to go on separate vacations or 'work' and don't want to bring him, but my mom has enough sense to not want to leave him home alone."
"Did you already answer?"
"No, but I was hoping it'd be a yes."
"I don't know, we already have my sister staying with us, because of what she did, and I made a promise to Nate on his birthday last year."
"What kind of promise?"
"I promised him when we moved into a real house, he could get a dog. He's always wanted a dog, and he's real excited about getting one now."
"A dog?"
"Yes, he wants a dog."
"Well, I don't see anything wrong with getting him a dog."
"Great, you can tell him, and your brother can stay with us, we'll figure it out, but he's going to go to private school, like Nate, and I will treat him equally as Nate."
"I wouldn't ask anything else, this is why I love you so much," he kissed her, "I'll go call my mom now."
"Okay, I'll see who gets which room," she smiled and he could tell she was happy.