Chapter Nineteen: The Love You Never Expected
Author's note: Dedicated to Davis. You could say I'm returning the favour. Get it?
Peyton groaned in frustration as one of the babies began to cry and almost immediately set off after her sister. Distantly she could hear Jenny groaning in her sleep, and Haley springing up from the chair she'd managed to have a ten minute nap in.
"I'll take Ava, you take Davie, then we'll switch?" suggested Haley, reaching down into one of the two bassinettes and picking up a howling baby. Peyton smiled to herself.
"Haley, that one's Davie, but whatever. I'll take Ava and switch when she's done," said Peyton, immodestly taking the elder of the twins and putting her to her breast while Haley jiggled the younger and attempted to quiet her.
"And you thought that one baby was hard!" mused Haley, over Davie's screams.
"I didn't know the meaning of hard. And why are you so much better at this than me, anyway?" whined Peyton, as her daughter's screams began to still.
"I'm not. I don't have to feed, remember? And I think I got a whole four hours of sleep last night," said Haley.
"I think I was too tired that I couldn't sleep. You know?" said Peyton sleepily, Haley nodded as Ava continued to drink.
"I know. Hey, Davie's going to sleep," said Haley in surprise, gently placing her in her bassinette as Peyton finished with Ava.
The two wandered into the living room and collapsed onto the sofa after both twins finally fell asleep.
"I can't believe it's been almost a week and Jake still isn't back yet and I still can't tell them apart," mused Haley.
"Don't remind me," said Peyton.
"He'll be home tomorrow. I have to say, I'm really glad Jenny and Gabby have each other right now, when I we have so little time for them," said Haley.
"Yeah. Jenny hasn't had such a good friend since she excelerated. Haley…" said Peyton. Her more formal tone made Haley sit up straighter and lazily open her eyes.
"Yeah?"
"Uh, yeah. So you know that before he left we decided we'd call one of them Ava Madison, and call the other one Davis," said Peyton.
"Right, because you wanted to call her after Brooke but Brooke wouldn't let you call her Brooke, because it would make her feel too old or something," finished Peyton.
"Something like that. Anyway, we thought we'd give Davie two names like Ava but we couldn't think of one until last night. Then Jake suggested…" Peyton faltered and cast her eyes downward. "He suggested we call her Davis Haley."
It took only seconds for Haley's eyes to fill with tears. Without Peyton having to tell her she knew that it hadn't really been Jake's suggestion to call the baby Davis Haley. It had been Peyton's, but even a softened Peyton wasn't emotional enough to admit this to Haley.
Peyton gasped when Haley reached forward and hugged her, instantly breaching the gap that had been growing for years.
"I'd be honoured," she whispered.
XxxxxxX
"Jake!" called out Peyton in the early hours of the next morning, as soon as she heard his footsteps into the hall. Haley looked on and smiled as she ran out to greet him and threw herself into his open arms before hugging her son tightly.
The two immediately proceeded to Jake and Peyton's room, where Davie and Ava were living. Haley wanted to stare as Jake's eyes smiled as he caught sight of the new additions to his family, but she knew she had to leave. It was a moment they had to have for themselves.
Haley took Gabby home that evening.
"How was it?" asked Taylor, coming in to the hall to greet them.
"Fun. They're adorable," replied Haley, hugging her big sister.
"I guess it's a good idea to get experience," said Taylor wryly.
"Don't worry, he'll come through," said Haley, as Gabby ran off to get the phone when it rang.
"If you're sure. You look like you haven't slept in days," said Taylor.
"I haven't. You'll understand, when the time comes."
"I'm sure I will.
"HALEY! PHONE!" yelled Gabby. Haley picked up the extension nearest. Taylor stared as her face paled dramatically when she answered it.
Haley's several minute conversation gave no clue as to who the caller was.
"What's wrong?" asked Taylor in concern, as Haley clicked off the phone. Haley stared at her sister, as though she'd forgotten she was in the room.
"We'll be having a visitor," she said simply.