"Thanks for helping me close up, Brooke." Karen said as she left the back room. " I really appreciate it."

"Of course, anytime." Brooke replied as she finished wiping down the counters. " Besides, Lilly won't leave until she finishes coloring that picture for you."

Brooke glanced at her daughter, who was coloring at a table nearby. Karen smiled and asked, "So would you like to finish off this pot of coffee with me?"

"Sure." Brooke climbed up on a stool. "Thanks."

Karen poured the rest of the hot coffee into two mugs and turned off the coffee maker. She set one mug in front of Brooke and walked around the counter and sat up on a stool next Brooke with her own mug. Brooke poured cream and sugar into her coffee as Karen sat next to her.

"So no plans with Mouth tonight?" Karen asked as she stirred cream and sugar into her own coffee.

"No." Brooke sighed. "Noelle is sick, so he had to stay home with her and take her to the doctor in the morning. But we are planning on having dinner and going to a movie on Saturday night."

"So I take it things are going well with you two?"

"Yeah, they are. We've been dating for a little over a month now and it feels really good, really right. I was afraid to trust my feelings at first because I felt like I was betraying Lucas, but Haley and Peyton helped me see that this is something he would want me to do. He would want me to move on in this way."

"Well they were right," Karen agreed, thinking of her son for a moment, "Lucas wouldn't want you to be alone. He'd be happy that you and Mouth found each other. As long as you are happy?"

"I am." Brooke replied, with a wide grin. "I am very happy."

"We're home." Haley said as Andrew pushed open the front door and walked inside with his brothers.

Nathan entered the living room as Haley walked inside carrying three bulging shopping bags. He furrowed his brows as he rushed over to take the bags from her.

"Haley," he said concernedly, "you're almost six months pregnant. You shouldn't be carrying heavy stuff like this."

He set the large bags on the floor as Haley returned with, "Nathan, I am very well aware of just how pregnant I am, but the bags weren't going to walk inside on their own."

Nathan sighed and Haley said, "I'm sorry. I'm a bit cranky today. I'm tired and my back is killing me."

"Well come and sit down then." Nathan said, coming closer to her.

"Actually, I think I'll go take a bath and have a nap. Could you help the boys put their new school clothes and supplies away?"

"Of course. You just go relax."

Haley smiled and kissed Nathan before walking down the hall to the master bedroom.

"Hey Dad, look," Andrew said, pulling a black book bag from a big paper bag, "I found the coolest Steelers book bag for school. I had to get a real cool book bag for second grade."

"That looks awesome buddy." Nathan said as James ran over with his book bag.

"Look Dad," he said, "Mommy got me a Jimmy Neutron bag! It's so cool."

"Jimmy Neutron is so stupid James." Andrew taunted. "That show is for babies."

"Is not! You're stupid Andrew!"

"Hey guys," Nathan interrupted, "that's enough. We don't call each other stupid. It's not nice."

"Fine." Andrew said before looking back at James and stating, "You're a dork then."

"Andrew Lucas!" Nathan said sternly. "Stop that right now! No calling each other names. Why do you have to be so mean to your brother all the time lately?"

"'Cause he is a pain."

"That's no excuse." Nathan said as he picked up the last big bag of clothes. "Sometimes I think you're a pain, but I still love you. Now both of you take your bags down to your rooms so we can put it all away."

Pouting, Andrew started dragging his bag down the hall and James followed happier with his bag. Nathan lifted Cooper's bag and said to Cooper, "C'mon pal, let's go put your stuff away."

"But I wanna watch Sponge bob." Cooper replied.

Nathan chuckled and said, "We can watch it in your room.""

"Yay!" Cooper raced down the hall.

"Thanks for taking me shopping today, Mom." Jenny said as Peyton pulled out of the Tree Hill Mall parking lot. " I had a lot of fun."

"I did too." Peyton replied with a smile. "And I wasn't about to pass up your dad's offer to watch your sisters all day. Now he should know how it feels to juggle both of them for the whole day."

Jenny chuckled and after a minute said, "Man, I can't believe I'm starting Junior High next week. Seventh grade is going to be awesome."

"Yep, you are about to start the best years of your life."

"Really?"

"Well, everybody says high school is supposed to be the best years of your life, but they weren't for me. But I really hope they are for you."

"How come they weren't for you?"

"For lots of reasons I guess. I was lonely a lot. My mom died when I was young and my dad had to travel a lot for work. And I had my friends…you know, Brooke, Lucas Nathan and Haley. But I just didn't enjoy school that much until I met you and your dad."

She smiled at Jenny and Jenny smiled back. Peyton continued, "You know your dad played basketball and I was a cheerleader, so we knew of each other a little. But we never really became friends until the open mic night at Karen's Café."

"What's an open mic night?"

"Oh, it's when people gather somewhere and anyone can showoff their talents by singing or playing piano or guitar or something. And your dad walked into the café carrying two things…a guitar case and you."

Jenny smiled again and Peyton went on to tell her about how she and Jake became really good friends and eventually fell in love. Jenny enjoyed the story and after Peyton finished, she said, "Wow, so you and dad are like high school sweethearts, huh?"

Peyton thought about the term before answering, "Yeah, I guess we are."

"So then high school can't be all that bad, right? You met dad and fell in love. And you are still friends with Brooke and Haley and Nathan. Maybe I'll make good friends like that too when I get to high school."

"Maybe you will. I hope you do."

"Goodnight boys," Haley said as she and Nathan left James and Cooper's bedroom, "sleep tight. Don't let the bed bugs bite."

She closed the door and followed Nathan into Andrew's bedroom next door. He was lying in the top bunk of his black metal bunk bed, playing his game boy.

"Hey pal," Nathan said as he reached the bed, "are you ready for bed?"

"Yeah." Andrew replied as he turned off his game.

"Good. But before we tuck you in and turn out the lights, we want to talk to you about something."

"Uh, oh." Andrew returned. "Am I in trouble again?"

"No sweetie," Haley answered, "we just want to talk to you."

Nathan lifted his eldest son off the bed and sat him on the couch-like bottom. He and Haley sat on either side of him. They all stared at each other for a minute before Haley finally spoke.

"Honey," she started, "why are you so angry at everybody lately?"

"I'm not angry." Andrew replied innocently.

"Then how come you've been picking on your little brothers so much?" Nathan wondered.

"I don't know. They get on my nerves sometimes."

"Does it have anything to do with the baby?" Haley asked.

"No, I don't know. Maybe." Andrew looked down sullenly. "How come you guys gotta have another baby?"

Nathan and Haley glanced at each other, not really sure of how to respond.

"Well, because we love kids." Haley finally answered. "And we wanted to try and have a little girl, a little sister for you guys. And I grew up with a lot of brothers and sisters and your dad and I want to have a big family too."

"Why does it bother you so much, Andy?" Nathan wondered.

"'Cause the new baby is gonna take up lots of time just like James and Cooper do. Pretty soon you won't have any time or love left over for me and it won't be fair 'cause I was borned first."

"Andrew Lucas Scott," Haley said sternly, "what on earth made you think we wouldn't love you anywhere?"

"'Cause there is gonna be too many kids. And you don't hardly any time to play with us anyway. And when the new baby comes, you'll be all busy again and I'll have a sister who will probably get on my nerves like James and Cooper do now."

"Oh honey," Haley, said, putting an arm around her son, "just because we're having another baby doesn't mean we'll love you or your brothers any less."

"Yeah," Nathan agreed, "we'll always love you, all of you. Nothing can ever change that. There will always be enough love and time to go around. You know your mom and I may be busy sometimes, but we'll never be too busy for any of you."

"For real?"

Nathan and Haley both chuckled and Nathan said, "I promise."

"And do you know what's really cool about being the oldest?" Haley said and Andrew returned with, "What?"

"You get to do everything before your brothers and your sister will. And you get to be their big brother and watch out for them. You'll be like their big protector like my brothers were for my sisters and me. Doesn't that sound cool?"

"I don't know." Andrew answered, still unconvinced.

Nathan and Haley glanced at each other and Nathan tried again.

"You know Andy, having a baby sister isn't going to be the same as having brothers. Having a sister may be fun and sometimes she may get on your nerves like James and Cooper do. But she will always love you and look up to you, just like your brothers do now."

Andrew stared at his father curiously and asked, "But what about after we go to heaven like Uncle Lucas did? Will we still be brothers and love each other?"

Nathan thought of his dead brother and tiered up a little. He replied, "Yep, even then. Lucas was a great brother to me and I will always miss him and love him. Brothers are forever. There is no way anyone can change that."

Andrew smiled and Haley smiled at her husband. She rubbed his back and said to Andrew, "And you know we will always love you too."

"Okay," Andrew said with a cute little boy smile, "I believe you."

"So do you think you can be nicer to your brothers please?" Haley asked as she pushed back Andrew's straight, dark brown hair.

"I'll try, Mom. I promise."

Atta boy." Nathan said with a smile.

"Thanks, baby." Haley said. "I love you so much."

Andrew smiled and asked, "How much?"

"Too much to count." Haley said smiling.

"And I love you all the way to the sky and back down to the dirt." Andrew stated.

Nathan and Haley both laughed and hugged their son. Then Haley, said, "Okay, now it's time for bed."