WANTED TO UPLOAD FOR XMAS DAY BUT FANFIC POSTING IS DOWN- ALSO THE OTHER A/N WILL BE A DAY OUT!
A/N: Merry Christmas to all my amazing readers! It's taken me a while (yes a few years!) to build up my group of readers but you are all such a big part of my life and I appreciate you all so much!
I did plan to update FAME too for Christmas but didn't get around to it!
Enjoy:
Chapter 1- Five minutes in a Walmart parking lot.
Brook POV- A little while ago….
"El, you ready sweetie?" I asked, opening the door to my six year old daughter's bedroom.
"Yep," she said, moving out the way so I could see her suitcase, which was stuffed with all the cuddly toys that were usually on her bed.
"Ella you can't take all of them," I said putting the laundry basket I had on my hip down and going to see what else she had packed.
"But I won't know which one I'll want tonight, and if I don't have the right one I won't be able to sleep," she reasoned.
I lifted the toys up and sure enough all the essentials that were supposed to be there were packed as well, I didn't really have reason to complain.
"Ok," I said running my fingers through her hair, "as long as you can close it."
"Yes!" she squealed, getting to work.
"Five minutes, Ella," I said picking up the basket again and going into the bedroom next door.
I smiled as I saw Cody sitting on his bed with his bag next to him, and jacket on ready to go.
"Are we going yet?" he asked, making me smile.
"Nearly buddy," I said. "Why don't you go and help Ella close her bag. You can sit on the suitcase."
Cody jumped off his bed and ran past me into his sister's bedroom instantly, in excitement.
I turned around and headed down the hallway, pushing stray toys to the side before anyone tripped.
"Hey," I said walking into Talia's bedroom, and setting the basket on her bed.
"Hey," she mumbled, not taking her eyes off the computer screen.
"You don't look ready to go," I said putting a pile of ironed clothes on her drawers for her to put away.
"That's because I'm not going," she said.
"You haven't gone the last three times," I reminded her.
"I don't really care," she said.
"Talia," I warned.
She swivelled around her in her chair and looked at me pleadingly.
"Please Mom, don't make me go," she said.
"You can't avoid this forever," I told her.
"I know," she said. "I just can't right now."
I knew letting her get away with this was wrong, but I knew it would be much worse if I forced her.
"Ok," I said, giving in, and she smiled. "I suppose we could do with a girly weekend."
"Thanks Mom, I love you," she said.
"I love you too Natalia," I said kissing her on her forehead, then leaving the room.
In the end it took much longer that it needed to actually get going. The first time we sat in the car, Ella remembered she forget Ballerina Bunny, so I had to go back inside to get it. The second time, we made if half way down the road before I realised Cody had snuck his pet turtle Baxter in under his jacket, and had to turn back to put him back in his tank.
Eventually we made it into the parking lot of the Mini Mart half way between the old house where Nathan was, and the new house where I was with the kids. Sure enough, Nathan was already there, standing against his car with his sunglasses on. Why did he always look amazing? I suddenly wished I'd made a bit more effort, rather than just coming out in what I was wearing.
I swallowed hard, feeling the flutter in my stomach, an automatic reaction to whenever I saw him, and wondered if it would ever go away.
As soon as I parked, Nathan walked over and Ella let herself out, running into his arms. Cody whined, wanting to be let out of his booster seat, and as soon as I unclipped him, he ran past me to Nathan.
I could hear their excited voices as they told Nathan everything they possibly could, and his happy reaction to their stories.
I opened the back of the car and took out Ella's bag and put it on the floor, but before I could reach for Cody's, Nathan took it out the car and slung it on his shoulder.
"Hey," he said coolly. I looked past him and saw Cody and Ella already strapped into his car.
"Hi," I replied, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear.
"How are you?" he asked.
"Fine. You?" I asked, closing the trunk.
How did we ever get to this point exchanging pleasantries in parking lot? I so badly wanted things to be normal again but I knew that wasn't the right thing for kids. I had to be the adult here and remember why we broke up in the first place.
"I'm fine," he said nodding. "Where's Talia?"
"She wanted to come but she had a report to do for school," I said, the lie slipping out, not wanting to hurt him.
"Again?" he asked looking disappointed.
"Yeah, well, she's pretty busy. Sophomore year is nearly over, and assignments and stuff," I said.
"Brooke, it's ok, you don't have to lie," he said sighing. "You can tell me she didn't want to see me."
"Nathan, that's not true," I said.
"Then why is it every time I see her at school she avoids me and turns the other way?" he asked.
My silence gave him his reply.
"Just give her time," I said, and he nodded. "I'll try talk to her about it."
"Thanks, but I probably deserve it," he said.
"Na—" I started but was interrupted by one of the kids hitting on the horn impatiently.
"So I'll see you Sunday?" I asked.
"Yeah. Seven ok?" he asked like it wasn't the routine we had gone by since our break up last year.
"Yeah," I replied.
"I can drop them home if you want," he said. "Stop you coming out."
"That's ok, I'll just meet you here," I said. Nathan hadn't been to the new house yet and I hadn't been back home since I moved out. Right now I just wanted to keep the new house and my old house separate.
"Ok," he said.
"I put Cody's asthma inhaler in the front—"
"Pocket of his back pack," Nathan finished for me. "we'll be fine, don't worry."
"Ok, "I said nodding.
He tapped on the back window of his car, and Ella rolled it down.
"Did you both say bye to Mommy?" he asked them.
"Bye Mommy!" they both called out at the same time, realising they forgot something.
"Be good," I told them both, kissing them through the window as Ella put the window up again. I tried not to feel hurt at how quick they were willing to leave me, knowing they were just excited at seeing Nathan.
I gave them a small wave before getting back in my now silent car and headed back home.
"I love you," I mumbled as I watched him get smaller in my rear view mirror.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Nathan POV
I watched as she said bye to the kids through the window, telling them a few last minute things. It was only at this five minute exchange that I got to experience one every two weeks that it really hit me just how much I missed her.
She was wearing faded light denim shorts and a loose button up shirt that I knew she only wore when she was planning to lie on the couch and have a relaxing night in. I knew this because she used to lie on the couch and have a relaxing night in with me.
She stood on her tip toes, as she kissed Cody through the window, and I had to grip her door handle to force myself not to touch her. That wasn't my place anymore.
She gave me a small smile as she walked toward her car again, and I felt the familiar feeling of dread as I watched her drive away. This small window of time was the highlight of my fortnight, and what I looked forward to for two weeks, but seeing her drive away from me always made my heart break knowing I'd broken hers.
More than anything I wanted everything to be ok, and make my family whole again, but I knew it was my fault that it was torn apart in the first place and I didn't know how to begin making it alright again.
Each time I saw her I tried to make our meeting last longer, but there was only so much you could draw out moving kids and their bags from one car to another. So many times I'd wanted to tell her how much I loved her but firstly I couldn't say that in front of the kids.
I got inside the car, and started the engine, watching both kids in the back arguing over something or another.
Other than getting to see Brooke, the next best part was getting to see the kids. Ella and Cody were still too young to fully understand what had gone on, and were used to having Mommy and Daddy living in two different houses now. Talia on the other hand was old enough to figure out there was a reason her parents separated and it didn't take her long to figure out what had happened or rather what I did.
It killed me that Talia hated me and refused to see me the only chance she had. I knew I deserve it for hurting her but she was still my baby girl and I hated how she was disappointed in me.
"Daddy?" Cody asked.
"Yeah?" I replied.
"Are we going?" Ella asked.
"Yeah, we are" I said, reversing out the parking lot, making the most of having at least some of my family with me.
A/N: Let me know what you think. Just in case you're confused this is the order of how things happened:
-The flashback when they're 17 and Brooke is Pregnant.
-Then this chapter in the parking lot
-then the scene at the jail.
(The story will now continue filling the gap until it catches up with present day which was at the jail.)