After shopping for a while, Brooke and Peyton took the kids over to the play area while Jenny caught up with some friends at the food court. While they watched and Lilly and Emma play, Brooke and Peyton finally had a chance to sit down and talk one on one.
"Okay," Brooke began once they were sitting down on a bench, "So earlier you said something about Jake not being home or something like that. What were you talking about? Are you and Jake having problems?"
Peyton thought about the question for a second before she replied, "I don't know that I'd say we're having problems because we get along great. We hardly ever argue and when we do, it's never really big. I love him so much and I know he loves the girls and me. It's just…lately he's spending more time at work then he is at home and I don't think he realizes it."
Brooke maintained eye contact with Peyton while she listened.
"Jake has been with Tyler Construction since about a month after Emma was born, remember? And it is his dream job. I know he loves his job there and he's great at what he does. And the job makes Jake happy and it does bring quite a bit of money and benefits to us, and I love that. But what I don't like about the job is how it takes up all his time. This job has all ready started consuming even the time he's supposed to have off, the time he could be spending with me and the kids and helping me get ready for the baby. And I'm starting to wish he never took the job because it's starting to affect the girls. We all want him home more. So what I'm wondering is, am I really selfish for wishing Jake would just quit his job and stay at home with us?"
"No." Brooke replied sensitively. "You're not selfish for wanting your husband home with you and your family. Have you talked to Jake about this?"
Peyton shook her head and said, "Huh, uh. I haven't had the chance. There's never a good time. During the week, he's up at 5 a.m. and out the door before even wake up and on the weekend he is home for a little while, but out the door for work by noon. And Jenny is really beginning to miss him as much as I am, and now Emma has noticed Jake is home very little. When he kissed her goodbye this morning and tried to pass her to me, Emma clung to him, Brooke. And she screamed and cried louder and longer than I have ever heard her cry.
"He hasn't spent much time with them in a long time. And my biggest fear is that his spending more time at work than he does at home is going to have a big impact in their lives and on our lives. You know, he keeps telling Jenny and me that he's only gone so much because of this promotion he's up for. He says that if he gets it he'll have a higher salary and he'll be able to be home more. But it's been my experience that a higher salary usually means longer hours."
Tears fell from Peyton's eyes as she continued, "I don't know what to do, Brooke. I feel so selfish saying this, but I really want him to just quit this damn job and be with the girls and me more. But how could I ask him to give up the job he's been dreaming about since he was a little boy. I miss him so much. I don't even feel like I'm married anymore. And I don't know how to fix this. I just…I don't know what to do."
"I'm so sorry, Peyton." Brooke said, hugging her best friend. "I'm so sorry you've been hurting like this and that I haven't been here for you to talk about this with. Maybe you need to talk to Jake and tell him everything you just told me. Maybe knowing how his working so much is affecting his family will convince him to take a break from work and spend more time at home with you and the kids."
"I want to, but I don't know how I can do that? How can I ask him to give up his dream job?"
"You said you know Jake loves you and the girls, right?" Brooke said and Peyton nodded. "Then if he loves you all that much, he won't want to take that risk of losing you or his kids because of work. He'll choose you over work. You should tell him how you feel Peyton. He may not know exactly how much his working is affecting his relationship with you or the kids. So talk to him. That's the only way you're going to be able to fix this and be happy again."
Peyton nodded her head, then looked over at Emma while she thought about what she needed to do now to make things better.
Once they returned home later that night, Brooke unpacked her and her daughter's suitcases while Lilly played in her room. When she finished unpacking, Brooke looked through the mail Karen had been collecting for her. She found a small envelope and opened it. Inside was an invitation to her ten-year high school reunion.
"Wow," Brooke said to herself. "Ten year high school reunion, June 14th. Geese, I feel so old."
She threw the card on the coffee table and continued sorting through mail.
"Mommy," Lilly said when she entered the living room in dress up clothes and wearing smeared lipstick and too much blush. "When are uncle Nathan and James coming over?"
"I don't know honey." Brooke replied as she opened the last piece of mail. "Whenever they get here."
"But when are they gonna be here?"
Brooke sighed and, smiled and looked up at Lilly. She noticed the make up on her face and asked, "Lilly, did you get into my make up again?"
"I'm sorry, Mommy. I needed to look pretty for uncle Nate."
"I told you before, Lilly," Brooke said as she snatched a tissue from the decorative tissue box holder on the end table and wiped the make up from her daughter's face. "You do not need make up to look pretty. You are all ready the most beautiful, most adorable little girl on the face of the planet."
"But I like wearin' make up, Mom. I look like you when I wear it and you are very pretty."
"Well thank you. But you look like me without makeup anyways. Except for your eyes. You have your daddy's beautiful eyes."
"I do?"
"Yep. And do you know what he would say if he were here right now? He would say that you are way too young to be wearing make up, ladybug. And I think so too."
"Fine." Lilly pouted as she climbed off the couch.
"Where are you going?"
"To take my dress off. If I can't wear make up, then there is no way I'm going to wear this dress."
Lilly continued down the hall to her bedroom. A few minute later, the doorbell chimed. Brooke smiled and ran over to answer the door. She opened the long oak door and pushed open the white screen door to let Nathan and James inside.
"Hey Brooke." Nathan said smiling as he hugged her. They held on to the hug for longer than a minute.
"Boy, did I miss you." Brooke replied.
Nathan finally pulled away and said, "I've missed you too. Where's Lilly?"
"Yeah, where's Lilly?" James repeated as he pulled off his blue and red superman backpack.
Before Brooke could reply, Lilly came dashing down the hall to where they were all standing in the living room.
"Uncle Nathan!" She yelled as she ran over to Nathan and jumped into his arms to hug him. Brooke smiled.
"Hey Lilly." Nathan chuckled, smiling at his niece in his arms. "How's it going?"
"Good." Lilly replied sweetly. "I missed you, Uncle Nathan."
"I missed you too. I have a present for you."
"Ooh, what?" Lilly asked excitedly as Nathan put her down. From his son's blue and red back pack, Nathan pulled out a stuffed dog with floppy ears and dressed in a pink shirt and denim skirt with a pink bow next to an ear.
"A doggy!" Lilly shouted excitedly as she gladly accepted the present.
"James, Haley and I made it for you at Build-A-Bear when we heard you were coming home. It's a welcome home present."
"Thanks, Uncle Nate." Lilly hugged her uncle again. Then she turned to her cousin and said, "Thanks, James."
"You welcome." James replied. "Now you have a doggy like mine."
"Yeah, 'cept you have a boy dog and I have a girl dog. Too bad they aren't real though, I want a real one. Come on, let's go play with them in my room."
"Okay." James followed Lilly down the hall to her bedroom.
"You spoil her too much, Nate." Brooke said as she and Nathan moved over to the couch.
"Yeah, but I'm her uncle, not to mention her godfather. I'm supposed to be the one spoiling her.
"That's probably why she's so crazy about you."
"Well, I am a crazy guy."
They both laughed, and then Brooke replied, "I can't argue with that."
"So are you glad to be back?"
"Oh my gosh yes. This past month in California with my parents was the longest month ever."
"That bad, huh?"
"No, it's just that I never planned on staying there as long as I did. The only reason I went was to make sure my dad was going to be okay."
"So what made you stay as long as you did?"
"Well…"
Brooke closed the door to the guest bedroom of her parent's house where Lilly was sleeping. She walked down the winding stair case right into the living room. She walked over and plopped down on the couch and went back to working on another fashion design in her long sketchpad. After a few more minutes, around midnight, the front door opened. Brooke looked over and saw her mother close and lock the door behind her.
"Hey." Brooke said as she put her sketchpad on the coffee table and stood up. "How is he?"
"He's doing better." Her mother sighed. "The doctors say he can come home this weekend as long as he agrees to start eating healthier, exercise more, and work less."
"Good…wait, work less? These doctors don't know dad, do they?"
"Apparently not. But if he wants to live, he will have to do what they say he needs to do."
"Yeah." Brooke agreed and silence fell again. After a minute, she spoke again, "So if dad is okay to come home, then I think Lilly and I will probably head back to Tree Hill afterwards."
"All ready?" Brooke's mother asked disappointedly. "But you only got here a few days ago. Don't you want to stay awhile longer?"
"I can't, Mom." Brooke turned and picked her sketchpad up and headed for the stairs.
"Why not?"
Brooke stopped walking when she reached the stairs and turned to her mother and explained, "Look, Mom. This trip here is not a vacation for Lilly, and me okay? We only came out here to make sure dad was okay and he is. It's time for us to go home. I have a life to get back to and a new business to manage and my family and friends. Lilly and I still have family in Tree Hill."
"Well your father and I are your family as well."
"Yes, but our life is in Tree Hill. That is where we belong. It's where Lucas is. I feel like I'm with him more when I'm home in Tree Hill."
Suzanne Davis stared at her daughter sympathetically.
"Okay," She replied, "I can understand that. You are happier in Tree Hill with your friends and Lucas's family, which is why you went back after leaving. And I know you still hold a huge grudge against your father and me because we didn't spend much time with you when you were growing up. We both regret that so much now and we are so sorry."
Brooke listened seriously while her mother spoke. She had never, in her entire life, heard her mother give a speech like this before.
"I know we have no right to even ask this of you Brooke, honey, but your father and I both need you and Lilly right now. We both want and need to spend time with you two some more. And I know you really want to get back to your life in Tree Hill soon, but can't you stay with us a little while longer? Can't you stay, at least until your father gets back on his feet, please?"
Brooke stared at her mother, trying to decide if this was enough to keep her there.
"I had never heard my mom make a speech like that before, or look so serious." Brooke said to Nathan once she finished telling him what made her stay in California. "And I guess her admitting that she was sorry for not spending time with me when I was still with them was what made me stay. I think I was feeling that if I stayed for awhile and spent time with my parents, that it would make up for the years they chose not to spend time with me."
"And did it?" Nathan asked.
Brooke thought about the time she had just recently spent with her mom and dad. The trips to the mall, to the beach, and even the time spent at the house, talking and laughing and helping her dad. She smiled a small smile and replied, "I think, maybe, in a small way it did. It feels like it brought us a little closer."
"That's great, Brooke." Nathan said smiling. "I'm glad you had that chance to change your relationship with them."
Brooke smiled and glanced down at the coffee table. She saw the invitation again and picked it up.
"Hey, check out what I got in the mail." She said as she showed him the card.
Nathan took the card and read it out loud.
"Tree Hill High School presents the Class of 2010 high school Reunion. Wow…ten years."
"I know it's crazy isn't it?"
"Yeah, I think we got our invitation yesterday. So are you going to go?"
"Of course." Brooke chuckled. "Why wouldn't I go?"
Nathan hesitated, "Because being at the high school and seeing all of yours and his friends might bring back memories of Lucas."
Brooke's smile faded. She bowed her head and thought about what Nathan had just said. He was right. Going back to the place where she had first become a part of Lucas's life would bring back so many memories of him. But wasn't that the point of a reunion? Weren't you supposed to have memories?
"You're right, Nate." She said, smiling over at him. "But that's not a painful thing to me anymore. Sure, I miss him a lot and I cry sometimes, but having memories is what keeps him alive for me. Besides, the reunion will be fun."
"Okay." Nathan said, smiling. "We can all go together then."
"Great. I can't wait. It's in about two weeks, right?"
"Yeah." Nathan replied after glancing down at the card. "Well I should probably get going. I have to get up early and run some errands before I pick up my mom and my new step dad from the airport tomorrow."
"Oh that's right." Brooke remembered. "Your mom and Aaron are coming back from their honeymoon. Are you excited?"
"Yeah. I miss my mom and Aaron. He's a really great guy for my mom and he makes her really happy. They deserve each other."
Brooke smiled and Nathan continued.
"Well, I should go. So you're sure it's okay that James stays overnight?"
"Oh, of course. I invited him. Lilly really missed her best friend. It's no problem, really."
"Okay. Hey James!" Nathan hollered. "I'm leaving!"
James
and Lilly came running out to living room. James threw his arms
around Nathan's legs.
"Bye Dad." He said. "I wove you."
"I love you too pal. You have fun with your cousin, but be good for aunt Brooke. Your mom and I will pick you up after I pick up your grandma Deb grandpa Aaron from the airport."
"Okay."
"All right. Give me five."
Nathan held up his hand and James high-fived him. Then Nathan looked at Lilly and said, "Okay Lil, your turn. Where's my kiss?"
Lilly walked up and kissed her uncle's cheek. Then Nathan hugged Brooke and left.
