Peyton and Brooke stepped into the New Brunswick County airport, "are you sure Haley is picking us up Brooke? My dad said he'd do it no problem."
"Yeah, P. Sawyer we've been over this a million times Tutorgirl is picking us up. I called her before we left 'cuz you thought we should give someone a heads up. We're gonna have dinner at the café and hang with her and Keith for a bit. You don't mind do you? I mean Luke will probably be there, is that why you keep asking me if she is really picking us up?"
"I dunno," Peyton replied, "maybe. I haven't seen him since we broke up and I know it's been like a year and a half but still."
"It'll be fine," Brooke reassured her, "you were always good friends."
"Brooke," the girls heard Haley's voice but couldn't see her through the crowd. Then there was a clearing and there she was.
"Oh Tutorgirl, you look…" Brooke paused.
Peyton finished for her, "good, Hales." It wasn't what Brooke was going to say though.
"Is it Nathan," Brooke asked as Peyton slapped her arm, "ouch."
"Yeah," Haley replied. "Lucas took Keith to see him last weekend and all week he's been 'da, da this da, da that,' can't really tell what the 'this' and 'that' are yet but boy is the 'da, da' part clear."
"Awe, Hales," Brooke said, she tended to call her Hales or Haley in more serious moments. The girls loaded the car and headed out.
"So is Lucas gonna be at the café," Peyton asked as they drove.
"Yeah," Haley answered. "Is that gonna be a problem for you?"
"No," Peyton responded quickly, "just wondering."
"Yeah he's there now watching Keith and Kaitlyn while Karen fixes us dinner and gets ready to close down. They were busy when I left though," Haley said.
"So how is little Keithy," Brooke asked. "Still look like--?"
"Brooke," Peyton interrupted shouting with an angry undertone.
"It's ok Peyton, Brooke's been my therapist these last few years, and yes he looks more and more like Nathan everyday." They pulled up to the café it was still busy. "Guess Karen isn't going to be able to close early for our little reunion," Haley said.
Peyton and Brooke walked in first and saw Nathan standing at the bar talking to Karen. They both turned quickly and Haley bumped into them. "What," she asked.
"It's just really busy maybe we should just go somewhere else," Brooke said quickly.
Peyton followed with a, "yeah." Haley pushed her way through the two of them and saw why they wanted to leave. Nathan with his back to the girls hobbled to the end of the bar to where the hallway was. They could all hear the pitter patter of little feet coming down the hall followed by Lucas.
"Here he comes," Lucas said from the hallway.
Haley just stood there and stared at the back of him. Nathan bent down and reached out his arms and scooped up Keith. Haley heard his little voice, "da, da." Nathan just hugged him. Haley could see the joy and love in her son's face.
It all happened so fast. Nathan turned and before he saw Haley, he adoringly said to his son, "daddy loves you." For a split second Haley looked into Nathan's eyes and saw it. It wasn't what she thought she would see though. It wasn't what she almost lost; it was what she had lost. It was a fulltime father for her son, the love in his eyes was so pure and radiant. Nathan looked over and saw her when his eyes met hers Haley still saw all the love but this wasn't for their son it was for her. She turned and ran out of the café and ran and ran.