"Hey Aunt Millie. Is it ok if I took Bells for a walk?" Jaime asked when Millie answered the door to her apartment. She couldn't even answer before her dog bowled her over so excited to see her best mate, Jaime.
"Sure thing Jaime. Just don't be too long" Millie said as she handed her pup over to Jaime with leash attached.
Jaime was off, dog in tow before Millie could shout out any more instructions. He loved animals, and Jaime and Bella had bonded instantly. Millie and Mouth loved it as it meant that Bella was still getting out and about when they were unable to do so. Jaime headed down with Bella to his favourite place in the world, the River Court.
"Hey Andre"
"Hey Jaime, Hey Bella!!"
Jaime unclipped Bella's lead and she began to bark and run around the two boys. Andre and Jaime had continued to be firm friends over the years and were often inseparable. Their mutual passion for basketball, meant that they usually spent every waking moment at the river court, often with Bella in tow, to play a bit of 1:1.
Jaime began dribbling the ball "Ok are you ready Andre… Jaime vs Andre round 30. Jaime 17 to Andre 13…. Ladies and gentlemen we have quite a match on us again today…" Bella barked in agreement and ran around the boys.
They spent the next half hour sweating it out on the court and eventually all three of them collapsed on the benches. "Good game!" they both managed to say between breaths. Bella flopped next to them, exhausted from all of her running. She loved coming out with the boys and would chase the ball whenever it went out of grounds and roll it back to them barking for them to start again.
"So Big Brother, is this what we did when we said we were going to shoot some hoops" Jaime heard his father ask from behind them.
"Uhhh… nope, usually playing basketball certainly didn't involve lying on the bleachers!" Lucas teased.
"Nawww Uncle Lucas, we were just taking a break!" Jaime countered.
"Sure that's what my kids at school tell me all the time" Lucas joked
"Whaddya say Little brother, why don't we show these boys what basketball is all about?"
"Now that, is a good idea" Nathan said in agreement.
"Two on two –you're on!" Jaime said jumping down from the bleachers.
Bella barked in agreement.
"Wow Brooke, this dress is amazing! Sawyer is going to love it!" Peyton exclaimed looking at the silver fairy dress that Brooke had just pulled out from its box.
"You like it?!"
"Like it?! That's the understatement of the century! This is better than I even imagined!"
"What can I say – woman of many talents!" Brooke laughed.
"So you'll be there right?! On Saturday for Sawyer's party?"
"Wouldn't miss it for the world! After all the work I made on that pretty dress… I have to see it on the pretty girl!"
"She's really going to love it Brooke! Thank you so much!"
"It was a pleasure!" Brooke laughed
Peyton creeped into her daughters room and gently kissed her on the forehead. Lucas came by and stood in the doorway.
"Happy birthday baby girl!" Peyton whispered into her daughter's ears. Sawyer stirred in response, then remembering what day it was she smiled.
"Is it my birthday today?!" she asked excitedly
"It sure is!" Peyton said.
"I'm three?!"
"Yup – you're a big girl now!"
"I get to wear my fairy dress?" Sawyer asks as she jumps out of bed
"Yup – for your party tonight!"
"Daddy! It's my birthday!"
"So I heard!" Lucas said picking up his daughter and kissing her
"I'm three!"
"Yes, you are!"
With that Sawyer jumped down from her fathers arms and ran into the living room.
Peyton got up and wrapped her arms around Lucas.
"Our baby is growing up way too fast" she said
"Don't remind me… it makes me feel old" Lucas replied.
Peyton laughed and kissed her husband.
"So… three years ago today…." Lucas began
"I was looking very fat… albeit radiant… and there you were, looking gorgeous and waiting for me at the very place we met all those years ago"
"And you were walking over to me looking as beautiful as I'd ever seen you before…"
"I love you!" she said. "Happy anniversary"
"Love you too" Lucas replied. "Thanks for the best three years of my life so far."
Peyton smiled and kissed her husband again. She still couldn't believe how much she loved him. How complete life seemed with him.
Pulling away from the kiss, Lucas smiled at his wife before saying "We better follow our daughter because it's awfully quiet out there!"
"Mummy my dress is so pretty!" Sawyer exclaimed in awe. "I look like a fairy"
"You certainly do sweetie! Aunt Brooke did a good job didn't she?"
"Yup!"
"Well you better hurry up – people are going to start arriving soon!"
Peyton had spent ages planning and preparing for Sawyer's birthday party and in some ways she was excited as her daughter was. If anything it was helping her keep her mind off the whole baby thing. It was only going to be quite a small party. All of their friends were coming as well as a few young kids that Sawyer and Peyton had gotten to know at their outings around town. It had been fun organising this party with Sawyer, letting her help choose colours of the decorations and what food should be served. It certainly wouldn't be anything like Haley's parties that she threw for Jaime, but she was proud of what they had organised. It reminded Peyton of the type of kids parties she used to have before her mother had died.
Before they knew it, the doorbell rang, and Sawyer ran to the door. Brooke and Julian were standing on the porch.
"Aunt Brooke! I look like a fairy!" Sawyer exclaimed.
"You certainly do! That's a great dress you have on there!" Brooke replied bending down to give her niece a hug. "Happy birthday little one! You certainly are growing up fast!"
"I love my dress Aunt Brooke! It's so pretty!"
"I think that's Sawyer for thank-you-very-much and I'm not going to take it off for at least another week!" Sawyer said as she followed behind her daughter to greet their guests.
Brooke laughed. "Well if that's the case, I'm glad you like the dress little miss Sawyer-Brooke!"
"Now… lets get this party started!" Brooke said turning to Peyton.
Peyton laughed "Somehow I get the feeling this party will be a little different to the parties of our old days!"
"Sawyer honey, you need to take your dress off to go to sleep." Peyton whispered as she struggled with her exhausted daughter to undress her ready for bed. It had been an eventful night that was a big hit for all. Sawyer, had almost crashed from such an exciting day, although evidently felt that the dress must stay on for good.
"No Mama, I want it on!"
"Sweetie, if you sleep in it you'll crush it"
"I don't want it off!"
Peyton sighed. This was going to be a long battle to get her to take off her dress and she didn't know if she could be bothered.
"Ok then, c'mon get into bed then". With that she helped Sawyer climb into bed and settle for the night.
"Happy birthday big girl." Peyton said as she kissed her daughter. Lucas came in to wish his daughter happy dreams as Peyton walked out.
"Hey Peyton, I'm just going to go out with Sawyer for a little bit, we'll be back in a while!" Lucas called through the house.
"Ok – see you soon!" Peyton shouted back.
"Bye Mama!" Sawyer giggled. Her dad had filled her in about the weekend she will be spending with her Aunt Brooke and Uncle Julian. She was excited, and therefore found it very difficult to keep this a secret from her mother.
"So little Sawyer, what are you and your Aunt Brooke going to do this weekend?" Lucas asked as he walked with his daughter to Brooke's house.
"Lots of things!" Sawyer replied simply.
"Are you going to miss us?"
"Hmmm…. We'll be very busy Daddy" Sawyer responded seriously, pondering whether she would miss her parents or not.
"Ahhh – I see. Well if you are busy then!"
"Yup Daddy, very busy."
Lucas and Sawyer continued to walk on to Brooke's house, enjoying their mindless chatter with each other. Each day as Sawyer grew, Lucas was enjoying the time that he spent with her more and more. He was loving who his daughter was becoming, and the confidence in her that was blossoming. It made it all the harder for him to swallow the difficulties that he and Peyton were having to have another child. When they began trying for another baby, it soon became apparent to Lucas that he wanted this as much as Peyton did. Now, after months of trying, it was also becoming apparent that this was also worrying him as much as it was Peyton.
As they arrived at Brooke's house, Sawyer ran ahead to ring the doorbell. It didn't take long before Julian answered the door.
"Hey Sawyer!" he answered. "Are you ready for a big weekend?!"
"Yup! We've got lots to do!" Sawyer replied matter of factly. "Where's Aunt Brooke?"
"She's inside" Julian answered stepping aside to let Sawyer enter the house.
"Thanks again for doing this mate. It means a lot" Lucas said, standing a few feet away.
"Hey it's no problem buddy. Any time"
"Sure… well if there's any problems…."
"We have your number"
"Yeah… well I can't stay. Say hi and thanks again to Brooke for me."
"No worries. Hey Sawyer, are you gonna come and say goodbye to your daddy?" Julian yelled back into the house.
Sawyer came thundering from the back of the house where she was evidently making herself at home, ran out onto the porch and launched herself into her father's arms.
"Bye Daddy!" She said giving him a big hug. Without waiting to hear he's response, she ran back inside, to where she had far more important things to amuse herself with.
Lucas laughed. "You'll have to keep you eye on that one"
"Thanks for the tip!" Julian said as he farewelled Lucas.
"Hey – I'm home!" Lucas called out as he entered his house.
"Hey!" Peyton said looking up briefly from her work on the kitchen bench before returning to her work. It was a few seconds before she looked up a little confused.
"Um… Luke… aren't you missing someone?"
"Whaddya mean?!" Lucas asked in mock confusion.
"Oh you know, little girl, talks a lot, slightly annoying, kinda cute looking, about so high…" Peyton responded indicating her daughter's height with her hands.
"Ohhh… well I figured you wouldn't mind, but this crazy lady came up to me on the street and took her away…"
"Ahhh right… so who took her this time?!" Peyton asked. "Haley? Jaime? Brooke?"
Luke laughed and walked slowly over to his wife, smiling cockily. "Brooke and Julian have her for the weekend."
"The whole weekend? How come they want her for the weekend?!" Peyton asked full of confusion. She was used to her friends stealing her daughter for a few hours, a half day and occasionally for a full day, but nobody voluntarily took their whirlwind three year old daughter for a whole weekend without being asked!
Luke smiled and pulled his wife close to him. "Because I asked them to… I figured it was about time we really celebrated our anniversary for a change. We're always so busy because of Sawyers birthday and all that. But this time, I didn't want us to be forgotten"
Peyton looked up at him smiling, unsure of where he was headed. "Lucas…."
Without hesitating Lucas continued, removing tickets from his pocket. "So…. I have here a few tickets that will take us away for a nice country get-away from everything stressful and hectic, where we can just unwind and chill out.
"Really! You got us a weekend away?!" Peyton asked gently shaking him by the shoulders as she spoke.
"Sure did! So pack your stuff, we leave in about 2 hours!"
Peyton pulled her husband in for a long passionate kiss. "Lucas Scott, you know me so well. This is exactly what I need" she said quietly.
"It's what we both need"
"Thank you so much!" Peyton whispered, before letting go of Lucas to get ready for their trip.