Chapter 17
It was unfortunate that the day had been so perfect. The sun was shining perfectly, and it was warm, which was great considering it was winter.
Usually, these days had been windy and cold. And what made it worse was that it wasn't even snowing. If it was going to be cold, it could at least snow.
It was now the best time of the year for Brooke Davis, though.
Because it was time for the Tree Hill Winter Parade.
Of course, the day would soon be ruined, but she didn't know that yet.
It was early in the morning, about ten, and Lucas, Brooke, and Kaylie all sat in the living room, watching TV. Kaylie was more interested in her dolls, then anything, but Brooke and Lucas were starring intently. According to the news, they would have at least a week of sunny-ness.
Brooke jumped up from the couch, doing a small happy dance. "Finally!" She pounced into Lucas's lap, who was laughing.
"Mommy, come play with me!" Kaylie called to Brooke.
Brooke nodded, and sat by the young girl, picking up a brunette Barbie doll.
That's when it happened, the incident that would change the lives of many people in the small town of Tree Hill.
The doorbell rang.
Lucas sat up, scratching his head. "I'll get that."
He walked slowly, and calmly. He expected to see Nathan, or maybe Karen at the door.
But as he opened the door, the sound that left his mouth, was more of an agonizing gasp, then a friendly welcome. Because standing on the other side of the doorway, was the one and only, Peyton Sawyer.
He stood motionless, glued to the ground. She had a soft smile on her face. Her curls were at their usual length, and still as messy as usual. Her face was the same as it had been on the day she had left.
"Hey Lucas." She said softly.
That was it. Proof she was really here. For the first time in years, he heard Peyton's voice. But it didn't give him the same satisfaction it had just a while ago. Now it made him somewhat angry.
He heard a voice from behind him. "Luke, Kaylie and I have been talking, and we both decided that you should totally be Santa on the main float thingy. It just makes the most se-" She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Peyton.
Another long and awkward silence.
"Hi, Peyton." Her voice was no longer strong, and confident, but weak, and strangled.
Suddenly, Lucas found words. "What are you doing here?" Angry ones, but nonetheless, words.
"Can I come in?"
"Why would you want to come in?"
"To talk." She looked down at her Converse shoes nervously.
"You can come in." Brooke spoke quietly.
"I wanted to talk to Lucas," Peyton told her, "Alone."
"No way. If you want to talk to me, then Brooke's staying."
Peyton shrugged. "Fine, then."
She stepped into the house, following both Brooke and Lucas to the kitchen. Kaylie was still in the living room, completely oblivious to the fact that her birth mother was in the house.
"How did you find the house?" Lucas asked.
Peyton shrugged. "Small town."
Peyton sat awkwardly at the kitchen table, followed by Lucas, then Brooke, who gave a cup of coffee, to the people next to her.
"Are you two together?" Peyton asked, gesturing towards Lucas and Brooke.
Brooke nodded, but Lucas ignored the question. "What are you doing here?"
"To win you back, and have a family."
"Too bad."
"I'm sorry, Luke! I was just so scared, and I didn't know what to do.."
"So you left. Makes perfect sense!" Lucas roared angrily.
"It was a mistake. Please let me love you again."
"I'm already loved by someone, Peyton. You know her. Your ex-best friend, Brooke. You know, you just left her, feeling like she'd done something wrong, after things had been perfectly fine with you.." He trailed off, as Brooke put her hand in his to stop him.
"What's her name?"
"Brooke Davis, Genius." Lucas rolled his eyes.
"No, our daughter."
"My daughter? Her name's Kaylie."
"I'm just going to ignore the whole 'my daughter' thing. Kaylie? You named her Kaylie? I thought something like Sarah would suit her more, or maybe-"
"Peyton.." Lucas warned, anger flaring in his eyes.
"Sorry." She mumbled.
Another silence ensued.
"Where did you go?" Brooke, who had been silent the entire time, asked.
"New York. I was there working, until I realized who was most important to me. Plus, I missed Kaylie like crazy."
"How would you know if you missed her or not? You don't even know her." Lucas spat.
"But I want too."
"Well, cry me a river."
"Come on, Lucas! You have Brooke, here, watching over our child, trying to be her mother, and your girlfriend or whatever! This is stupid! You should just forgive me, because I'm sorry, and I tried so hard to stay away, but I couldn't! I couldn't because I love you! And I keep the one and only picture of our daughter in my back pocket, all crumpled and ripped up, because I can't stop thinking of her!" She was now crying, but Brooke wasn't having it.
She was willing to feel sorry, or whatever, but did she say that Brooke had been trying to be her mother or Lucas's girlfriend? What the hell was her problem? Brooke had done nothing wrong to her!
"You know what Peyton? I don't know what you're getting at here, but you and I used to be best friends, and I did nothing wrong to you! Okay, it was you that left. You left me, and Lucas, and even your own daughter! So don't make it seem like I'm the bad guy!" Brooke was crying now, too.
"Daddy, what's goin' on?" The small child whispered to her father as she entered the room.
A small sound escaped Peyton's lips as she saw the beautiful little girl.
"Nothing, Honey."
Kaylie advanced towards her mother, arms outstretched. "Mommy, what's wrong?"
Peyton stood, outraged. "You know what? I'll talk to you when you're more rational. And alone."
She walked away, but not before turning to Kaylie and saying, "By the way, Honey, I'm your Mommy."