Dinner was quick and Deb didn't bother cleaning up, she could do that after Keith was gone. "I can't believe I missed close to the first two years of his life," she said to Nathan.
"Yeah sorry about that I didn't really have much control over that," he said.
"I know Nate, but things are looking up right," she asked. "I mean Haley dropped him off tonight that's a big step for you guys isn't it?"
"Yeah, but I don't know if it means anything," he paused. "My dealings with Daunte, that really messed her up and I don't just mean physically. She felt betrayed, she almost lost our son."
"I know Nate but you felt betrayed by her once, remember," Deb said kind of reassuringly.
"Yeah, mom but that was way different, she didn't put me and our child in danger," he said shaking his head and looking down
Deb didn't know what to say so she continued to play with Keith. They just hung out like that for a while.
Haley had gone to the café after she dropped Keith off at Nathan's. Lucas showed up shortly after.
"What's wrong with you," Haley asked Lucas.
"Oh, nothing, I was just a total ass with Brooke," he answered her.
Haley choked a little, "what? Why?"
"I kissed her," he said, "and Tim saw," he continued.
"What? Luke, oh my god! Wait, Tim saw," she said shocked.
"Yeah, did you know about that," he asked her.
"Yeah, sorry," she said, "but you knew she was seeing someone," she shot back.
"True, but Tim," he said still a little taken aback by this.
"He's different Luke. No more Timtime or stupid sayings like that, he's really grown up and she really likes him, I'm pretty sure she loves him,' Haley said.
"Wow," Lucas said shaking his head, "I suck."
"Yeah you do," Haley said kiddingly and put her hand on his shoulder, "you just made a mistake."
They sat there a moment before either spoke again. "So why are you here and where is Keith," Lucas asked.
"For dinner duh and at Nathan's," she answered as Lucas raised his eyebrows. She just gave him a don't say anything look and asked, "so wanna make me dinner?"
"Sure," he said laughing, "what do you want?"
"Um…grilled cheese," she said raising one eyebrow.
"Done," he said and went and cooked them some grilled cheeses and then sat and had dinner with her.
Haley pulled up to Nathan's it was five of eight. She got out and slowly walked up to the house and rang the bell. Nathan answered the door and Haley stepped inside. "Ma, ma," she heard Keith say and looked to the couch where he sat with Deb.
"Hi Haley," Deb said politely.
"Hi, Deb," Haley said uncomfortably. The last time she had talked to Deb she was a royal bitch and stoned.
Haley banged on the door and rang the bell until Deb answered. "Stay away from him," she yelled at Deb as Deb leaned against the door frame smiling. "For all I care you can go to hell but I won't let you take Nathan with you."
"Talk to me in a few years Haley," Deb said with a smirk, "when your dreams are dead and your child betrays you. Then we'll see what kind of mother you'll be."
"No, no-no. I will never ever be like you, Deb," Haley said and turned to walk away.
"You know," Deb said and Haley turned back around, "pretty soon Nathan's gonna realize that playing college basketball's a lot more fun than playing house, I'll save you some pills."
"Who you kidding Deb, junkies don't save pills," Haley said and walked away.
It had been years since then though, so Haley tried to be polite. In the beginning she really liked Deb and Deb her, she was sober then. When Deb was using she disliked Haley, blamed her for stealing her son and Haley wasn't too fond of her either because she was hurting Nathan. Times were different now. Deb was clean but still Haley felt uncomfortable. She looked to Nathan, he could tell she wasn't comfortable so he broke the silence, "so he had chicken, mashed potatoes, and he wasn't enjoying the peas," Nathan told Haley with a laugh. She stepped into their living room a little more and reached for the diaper bag as Nathan picked Keith up from Deb.
Haley didn't wait for Nathan to turn and hand Keith to her, she headed for the door hoping Nathan wouldn't say anything and follows her out to the car. She had kind of wanted to talk to him about this morning.
As Haley stepped outside, Nathan close behind her with Keith, she saw an unfamiliar car and Brooke standing outside of it yelling at the person in it.
"Tim Smith, you open this window right now or so help you God," she said. Tim stared in the opposite direction. "It wasn't what it looked like," she screamed. He turned the music, hip-hop, up so loud the ground shook.
Haley looked back at Nathan. He was grinning and she couldn't help but laugh a little too. Haley walked closer to Brooke who was now pounding on the window furious. "Eh-hem," Haley made the sound to get her attention. Brooke didn't budge she knew Haley's "eh-hem," probably better than anyone except maybe Lucas. "I thought he was more mature than he used to be," she said with a laugh. "I mean I even saw it with my own eyes in New York. Must be something about Tree Hill that makes him act like that," she said bending down a little to see Tim in the car he made a jukebox singing along to the music. "I'd say wow what did you do to make him act like this, but I don't have to ask. I saw Lucas," she said putting her hands on Brooke's shoulder and pushing her toward her car.
"Hales," Brooke said in an almost whine, "this isn't Peyton's car it's yours."
"I know but I saw angry Brooke and now your whining so I figure it's only a matter of time before you breakdown," she said opening the passenger side door for Brooke who climbed in. Nathan had opened the backdoor and was putting Keith into his car seat. Haley walked around to the driver side and stood there until Nathan shut the door.
"He's all set," Nathan said to her.
"Um, I had wanted to talk to you about this morning, but unfortunately I had other plans that I did not know about," she said to him. "Can you come over tomorrow," she asked him.
"Yeah, sure," he said trying not to sound excited.
"I'll call you when I'm free," she said looking into the car at Brooke.
Nathan smiled, "ok." Haley got in and drove home.