2016
Tree Hill, North Carolina
(The Day After The Funeral)
The marquee at the very front of the gated property read Casa Scott. The perfectly manicured green shrubbery and the paved black asphalt that led to the winding brick estate was a picturesque vision of the suburban North Carolina elite. But behind the four walls was anything but perfection. Deb Scott had often said the house was evil yet its powerful forces had not let go of her ever since she had been sucked in as a teenager nearly 30 years before. She had been unable to escape it…the house, the name, the family, the town. And with it had come unspeakable grief over the years, a beautiful woman with a sad, tired face who walked around with a proverbial black cloud hanging over her pretty blonde head.
If the divorce had ever been finalized, the courts surely would have awarded her the large house appraised at just over 2.5 million dollars, but sadly, it hadn't come to that. Dan Scott had perished in a fire before the marriage had been legally terminated. So she had inherited the house with the intent to move on with life and her newfound freedom. But the ghost of Dan Scott as well as the changes she saw in her own son had put the brakes on any chance of real happiness or normalcy. And just the year before when she had decided to take back control of her life, it was lost again when she was coerced into letting Royal and Mae Scott, her former in laws, move in.
More often than not, over the years meals eaten in the dining room had been done so silently with an eerie element of gloom lingering throughout the room. It was no different as Deb sat quietly at the head of the table just one day after her murdered stepson's funeral. Joining her for dinner were her brother in law, Keith, Keith's wife and Lucas' mother, Karen, Mae, Nathan and Haley. No one spoke a word as one of the hired help served them wine, fresh vegetables and roast quail.
"It would be appropriate to say grace before we eat", Mae stated before the diners could dig in.
"Why?" Nathan asked with a scowl.
"To bless our food, dear and give thanks for all our bountiful blessings."
Everyone stared at the old woman like she was a three headed alien.
"Grandma, I don't think we have a whole lot to be thankful for", Haley said softly.
Mae would hear none of it.
"Nonsense. We are here as a family. We must take care of each other. We're all we have left, you know. It's what our Lucas would have wanted."
The other five tensed visibly at the mere mention of the deceased.
"I called and invited Jake and Peyton and their family for dinner but I didn't hear back from them", Keith announced. "I left a message at the hotel."
"Why the hell would you go and do that?" Nathan frowned.
"Because they're like family. They were Luke's family and yours too at one time."
"Not anymore. Things changed."
"All the more reason to come together in times of crisis", Mae nodded. "Now who will say the prayer?"
Haley volunteered as the others reluctantly bowed their heads.
"Bless, O Lord, this food for thy use, and make us ever mindful of the wants and needs of others. Amen."
"Amen", they all repeated.
They began to eat their food, no one speaking a word or looking at each other until one of the female servants walked in and whispered something in Mae's ear. The matriarch's face lit up like a Christmas tree.
"Brooke is here!" she excitedly announced.
Everyone looked up. Mae was thrilled while Deb and Haley looked nervous. An anxious Keith tried his best not to react while the scorn and contempt practically dripped from the faces of Nathan and Karen.
"What is she doing here?" Karen asked angrily. "How dare she show her face! What a nerve."
Keith wrapped an arm around her.
"Baby, she's still family. We have to remember that. Brooke is still our daughter in law. Thank God, she's here."
Karen was adamant.
"I don't want her in this house."
But it was too late. Dressed in a simple lavender blouse, trendy black slacks and heels, the sides of her long straight hair pulled back with a butterfly pin, a gift from Harrods of London. She removed the sunglasses that touched her perfectly trimmed and styled bangs upon entering the house.
"How are you, my dear?" Mae pulled her in for a hug.
"Hello, Grandma", Brooke managed a smile.
"You poor thing. I don't know how you do it. It has been such a terrible time. I know this has been so hard for you. We haven't had a chance to talk. It must have been awful for you to receive that telephone call…"
"Mom, Brooke probably doesn't want to discuss that now", Keith gently reminded her.
"Yeah, Grandma", Nathan smirked, lifting the wine glass to his lips. "But I'm sure if you want to talk insurance policies, she'd be all up for that. How much will you clear on this, Brooke? Ten million, twenty…"
She frowned at her brother in law whose wife stood and punched him in the arm. Taking a deep breath and a few reluctant steps, she walked over to Brooke and hugged her. The embrace was awkward and somewhat mechanical, lacking the warmth and genuine good emotion of the years past.
"If you need anything…"
"Thanks, Haley", Brooke quickly pulled away.
"Won't you sit down and join us, my dear?" Mae invited Brooke.
Karen tossed her napkin on the table and stood abruptly.
"Keith, let's go."
"Karen…"
"Now!"
Brooke sighed as she found herself face to face with her angry and grief stricken mother in law.
"Karen, I know we haven't had a chance to talk and…"
"Don't speak to me!"
"Karen…"
"I just want to know one thing…did you have anything, anything at all to do with the death of my son?"
Brooke shook her head.
"I loved your son very much. Over the past 12 years or so, I think at times I may have loved him too much. But I did not kill Lucas. I had nothing to do with his murder and that's the truth. I am innocent and I want you all to know that."
Karen was unconvinced.
"We're leaving, Keith…"
"Don't bother", Brooke spoke up. "I'm not staying."
"Dear, you mustn't leave just yet", Mae begged. "You just got here."
"I appreciate the invitation, Grandma but I don't think my presence is wanted in this house."
"Don't say things like that."
"It's the truth. I understand. But I brought something with me that I need to give to Grandpa."
For the first time everyone noticed the folded material underneath one of her arms.
"Grandpa isn't feeling very well", Haley told her. "He's taking Luke's death very hard. I don't think he's up for company. If you leave whatever it is, I will be sure he gets it."
"No", Brooke insisted. "I have to give this to him myself."
"Haley is right", Keith agreed. "Maybe you should come back another time."
"No."
"Have some dinner", Mae offered again. "You don't look well, dear. You're too thin."
"No! Grandma, I appreciate you wanting to fatten me up and Keith you've always been kind and Haley, I don't know how to peg you right now and for the rest of you, it's more than obvious that you think I hired someone to shoot my husband. That's fine. As much as it hurts, I refuse to stand here and defend myself to you people. I came here for one reason and one reason only. I want to see Grandpa and I am not leaving here until I do."
"It's okay, Brooke. Come with me", said a voice who up until that moment had remained quiet. "I'll take you to see Royal."
The others looked on with silent protest as Deb extended her hand and Brooke accepted it. She led the young brunette up the familiar flight of stairs.
"Thanks", Brooke said softly. "I really appreciate this."
Deb nodded.
"Royal will be glad to see you."
Brooke rolled her eyes.
"He's probably the only one."
"I'm very sorry for your loss, Brooke. I, too, know what it's like to lose a husband unexpectedly to such horrible circumstances."
"I know you loved Dan but when he died, he wasn't exactly a prince."
"No, he wasn't. Neither was Lucas. Unfortunately my son downstairs is following slowly but surely in their footsteps. I pray that Landon is spared somehow. But I do sympathize with you. I know it isn't easy. Your story is very similar to mine. I also fell in love with a sweet, caring, considerate young man with the last name of Scott. Over the years events turned my Dan into a monster. I loved him very much and there were times I hated him as well but it doesn't mean I didn't mourn any less when he passed. He took a huge chunk of my life with him to his grave."
"It's hard. It's hard to love him, to hate him, to lose him…to miss him even. How did you do it? How do you do it? How do I do it? How are you supposed to feel for a man who made you happier and sadder than you ever thought you could be?"
"You love him because you remember the good times and the man you fell in love with in the first place. You hate him for all the wrong and the hurt and the humiliation. You miss him because for all your life, he's all you've known, good or bad. Despite the past and some of the dastardly things they both did, somewhere deep inside, I'd like to think both Dan and Lucas were still good men."
Brooke smirked.
"If they were so good, why did they hurt? Why did they destroy?"
"They were good man with reprehensible, horrific flaws desperately trying to escape their own demons. Yet we stood by them. We wanted to leave. We tried to leave. We planned to leave. Hell, we left and came back. Because those were our men and only women like us, women like you and Haley and myself can understand that type of relationship."
"Do you think Lucas ever really loved me?"
Deb smiled.
"Of course he loved you, honey. He loved you very much."
Brooke nodded before knocking once and entering the bedroom of Royal Scott.
"Thank you, Deb", she said as she closed the door behind her.
"No. Thank you."
The room was dark as the shades had been closed. In the center sat the grand old reclining chair. On it was Royal. Brooke smiled as she kneeled down.
"Hey, Grandpa. It's me. I just felt like seeing you. There is something I had to bring you. Um, Lucas is gone now. I know that hurts you very much. It hurts me, too. Now I have to figure out what to do with the rest of my life. It's hard, the whole situation is. I just know that I have to be strong and get through it somehow. A lot of people think I did it, or that I paid someone to kill Luke. That isn't true but no one seems to believe me. But I'm telling you and I know that you'll believe me. I didn't do this. I had nothing to do with your grandson's murder. But um, anyway, here is what I brought for you. It's Lucas' Chicago Bulls jersey. You know, it was his pride and joy. But I want you to have it to remember him by. Keep it next to you, keep it near your heart…always."
Her voice broke with emotion on the last word as she gave way to tears and buried her head in the blanket draped over the old man's lap. A single tear slid down Royal's face although he said nothing. The stroke that had nearly taken his life a year before had indeed impaired his movements and taken away his speech. The once respected and feared powerful patriarch had been reduced to a pitiful, feeble shell of a mortal man.
Clutching the material of the jersey in his weak grip, he used the other hand to pat Brooke's head. He had always liked the pretty, feisty brunette. He could remember when Lucas married her, he could remember the good old days. But the good old days of the past had long gone and with the deaths of his beloved son and one of his grandsons, Royal doubted he'd ever see them again. The Scott legacy, once proud and assured now rested on the shoulders of Nathan and five year old Landon. Nothing would ever be promised again.
