Chapter Five: Late Night Conversations
Brooke sat on the floor in Hadyn's bedroom folding clothes. The day was finally over, every single little person was asleep. Hadyn had gone to stay with Jenny. Those two were attached at the hip. Brooke could remember when Hadyn was born. She and Lucas had just gotten married. Hadyn hadn't been planned, Brooke was only nineteen. Now she was almost six and so grown up it amazed Brooke and Lucas. Brooke closed the door and cut off the light. She walked down the stairs and looked at the family portrait. Hadyn had her dad's coloring, blond hair, blue eyes, and a half smile thing. Wyatt while having red hair had his dad's eyes. Then there was Paige. She had her dad's looks down to a tee. Only her dad happened to be her uncle. She was hands down the most gorgeous of the three kids, though any of them could've won a beauty contest.
"Hey babe." Brooke looked at her husband and felt her hands clam up. She didn't want to do this. And she wouldn't. Not today. First she had to do something. She followed him up to their room and got ready for bed.
Brooke sat straight up in bed and threw the covers off her. Paige was screaming in her room. She ran in and turned on the light.
"Hey angel, its okay. Mommy's here." The girl cried louder and turned away from Brooke. She did this whenever she had nightmares.
"I want my daddy!" Brooke heard Lucas get up and come in. He scooped the girl up and rocked her against his chest.
"Shh, baby girl. It's okay now. We're here." She quieted down and buried her snotty face in Lucas's bare chest. Brooke had to tear her eyes away from them. He was going to be so mad. And he had every right.
Brooke walked into the hospital lab and handed the woman a bag. It contained one of Lucas's razors, and Paige's hairbrush.
"Hi, I want to get a paternity test done."
The next day Brooke waited anxiously at the phone. The kids played outside in the sprinkler while Lucas watched them. He had the day off. Finally around lunch it rang. Brooke picked it up and answered in a shaky voice. The woman on the other end just told her what she already knew was true. Paige was Nathan's.
Lucas took all the kids out for dinner that night. Brooke climbed into her car and drove the half a mile to the place that it had all happened. Haley had gone with Peyton to the mall and took Micah with her. Nathan answered the door quickly.
"Brooke, hey. What's up." Brooke shook her head.
"Nathan, Paige is your daughter." The look on his face was far from shock.
"Brooke, I already figured. Look at her. And the timing is all right. But, that doesn't mean we have to say anything. One mistake Brooke. That was it." She shook her head.
"No Nathan. I can't have Lucas thinking he is her father. She will hate me if she finds out on her own and I don't want that. So, do you want to tell Haley or should I?"
Nathan ran a hand threw his hair.
"Look, Brooke give me a little while to process this. I'll come by tomorrow during lunch."
She nodded and closed her eyes.
"Do you love her Nathan. I don't want to risk Lucas abandoning us and not having anywhere to go."
He smiled softly.
"More than you know Brooke. Micah is mine and Haley and I love him and Haley so much. But he looks like her. When I look at Paige and see those eyes, I feel like I'm looking at a mirror. Of course I love her. When are you going to tell him?"
Brooke sighed and looked out at her car as it started to rain.
"Tonight." They exchanged looks as a crash of thunder almost shook the house. Looked like it was getting ready to storm.