"Lucas! We all overslept! The kids had zoom classes!" I yelled, swatting his arms to wake him up. He opened his eyes at the sudden intrusion but was not too joyful about being woken up.

"Brooke!" he whined. "We did not sleep until after 6 and the kids were up at all hours. Let them skip, they'll make it up eventually."With that, he fell back onto the bed lazily.

I looked around, Sophia was curled into my side like the perfect pup, her long brown hair falling on Lucas' muscular arms. Jamie was almost falling off the bed, his arms dangling down, but his feet were on top of mine, keeping him steady. Lucas had his arms going from Sophia and reaching all the way to my flat stomach. It was like they were all connected to me and I relished that feeling. There was no space to move, no way I could get out of bed without waking everybody, so I just caved, more sleep never hurt anybody. Sorry Universe, but it's skip day at school. It was such a stark difference from New York where I lived alone, worked in the office, most days till late in the night all alone only to return to an empty house.

Eventually it got too hot and all of us began to stir. "Guys, the two of you are sleeping in the big bed tomorrow in Dad's room if this is going to be a recurring thing. It has more space," I complained, twisting my back to loosen the knots.

"As cramped as that was, I think that was the longest I have slept in days," Sophia mumbled. She was still in a sleepy haze to know that she was babbling.

"Yeah, the two of you missed your morning classes. Why don't you try to get into your next one and I'll get breakfast ready. What do you guys want to eat?" Lucas asked.

"Chocolate Chip pancakes and coffee please," she asked before getting out of bed and walking to her own bedroom.

All of us fell into a smooth morning rhythm. The kids went to take their showers while Lucas began to stack pancakes for us and I decided to go ask the kids' therapist for an appointment.

I walked into the kitchen and was instantly transported back in time. I remembered the days when Lucas would cook breakfast for all of us, shirtless, his hair still tousled from just waking up. I would go behind him and snake my arms around his waist, kissing the back of his neck, eliciting soft moans from him in the process. It would be just before the kids joined us and it was pure marital bliss.

Letting out a small grunt, I emptied my head of all the wrong thoughts racing through it as I entered the kitchen. "So, I spoke to their therapist. She was grateful we got in touch with her to discuss. She wants to meet with the two of us at her office at 3:00 p.m. Now, our biggest challenge is what do we do with the kids? I'm sure Nathan, Haley, Peyton, all of them would be more than willing to help out, I just want them to get out of the house too. I was hoping you could push them to maybe agree to going to Peyton's? They could help her get the nursery ready for baby Anna."

"Do you really think they're ready?" he asked me, unsure with my decisions.

"No, but I think it is needed. They are getting less and less agitated every time we leave to go to the hospital or therapy. Or it's fine. Maybe it's too soon. I will ask which one of them is free to stop by," I said quickly, doubting all my decisions.

"Wow, I never thought I would see Brooke Davis unsure. You have been a lot of things, but unsure has never been one of them," he smiled.

"Maybe I have just been good at hiding it," I answered cryptically.

"I don't like that, Pretty Girl. I-" he began to say but we were interrupted by Jamie walking in.

"Hey bubs, what do you have in mind for today after the remainder of school? Any plans?" I asked him, taking a seat by his side at the breakfast table.

He gave a grunt in response, but I continued to stare him down, expecting a verbal response. "I have some Math homework and then it's video games with the boys," he shrugged.

"Alright," I answered, not seeing any way to coax them out.

"We were wondering if you and Sophia would like to go hang out at Aunt Peyton's post zoom school, whatever is left of it. You two could help her get the nursery ready," he suggested very casually, trying to not make a big deal over the fact that they refused to step out or stay away from us.

"Uhh, I don't know," he answered. We could see his wheels churning as he tried to make up his mind.

"Come on, it's Aunt P! She is the fun one. It wouldn't surprise me in the least bit if that poor baby's nursery is painted all black," I laughed.

"Or red," he responded with a chuckle of his own. "You guys are such hippies. I'll go if Soph's game."

Never did I ever think that my son willing to leave me and go out of the house would give me such relief. Just then the doorbell rang. I proceeded to get the door, but Sophia beat me to it.

"Hey Uncle Nate!" she smiled, hugging him.

"Hi baby girl, how are you feeling?" he said, hugging her back and lifting her over his head, leading my teenage daughter to squeal.

"Uncle Nathan! Put me down!" she laughed, as he continued to pretend to drop her, making her spin around crazily.

"Hey Nate," I smiled, meeting him as he entered the kitchen. "Luke is just making pancakes. Sit, join us."

Nathan put Sophia down on a chair and took the one beside her, sliding some pancakes onto the plate I put in front of him.

"So what brings you by, little brother?" Lucas asked, smiling at him.

"Grocery run," he answered. "Brooke sent Haley a list of things you were out of. I had gone to get some things for us too. Who knew how many cheetos packets two kids could go through!"

"Yeah, who knows how much food two kids can go through," I laughed, eyeing the twins.

"Don't diss us Mother! We are growing children!" Sophia laughed, stealing a bite out of Nathan's plate while she waited for Lucas to cook up some more pancakes.

"Thank you so much! You eat, I'll get the bags out of your car," I smiled. "Also Soph, you and Jamie are going to Aunt Peyton's this afternoon to help her with baby Anna's nursery. We will drop and pick you guys up."

Without waiting for her response, I ran out to where Nathan had parked his car to get the grocery bags out. When I returned, I was pleased to see no panic or anxiety on Sophia's face. We really dodged a bullet out there.

I began putting the vegetables and snacks in place while Lucas, Jamie and Nathan discussed NBA statistics. Sophia seemed to know enough as well, living with her dad and brother and having an uncle in the NBA to offer her two cents. I on the other hand was clueless. I had never made it to any of Nathan's games and I only knew how much Haley would share about Nathan's games which wasn't much.

My phone rang once more. It was Victoria again, I cut her calls and tried to focus on the boy's discussions. I missed having Haley here with me, she would be bored too.

"So Nate, when do you go back to training?" I asked, taking sips out of my coffee. Lucas still knew exactly how I liked mine.

"Next month. Then it's going to be a while before I can be here longer than the weekends. Haley is already sulking. Although Charlotte is not too far so it is good," he smiled.

"You know my Investment Manager suggested I put my money in a team and I said I trusted no team other than the Charlotte Bobcats. They were in talks to get me as one of the team owners, some celebrity endorsements on social media, maybe some ads, C/B designs your jerseys and cheerleading outfits, while obviously we sponsor everything" I informed him with a wiggle of my eyebrows.

"So finally, Brooke Davis will actually own me," he laughed.

"Hey, I will be the one signing your paychecks. I'll be throwing a lot of money at you, you better win the trophy for me!" I laughed.

Nathan shook his head and smiled at me, "You really have a business head, Penny! All I know is how to play the game."

"Yeah, when you are attracting investors, you need to see and look at what they are responding to. What they want, what they see so that you can give them that. I learnt what to look at, and the celebrity status demands things, like attending Banquets, Galas, Award Nights, talk shows and most important - celebrity endorsements. They make so much money, partnering companies that you're willing to work with, sell your products in. It's a lot. I have a team to help manage my portfolio," I explained.

"Well, it's a privilege to be owned by you, Brooke Davis!" he smiled.

Soon, we had the kids on their laptops, doing school and Nathan left to go to his own place. Lucas and I were lazing around in the kitchen, still nursing our morning coffees.

"Victoria keeps calling me. I have been dodging her calls for weeks now. I don't know what to do?" I asked him for advice.

"Why don't you answer the call and ask what it's about?" he responded like it was the most obvious thing to do.

"It's not that simple and you know it. I am afraid to get back to any work with the Company because I have no idea how deep a pit I am going to find myself in. Plus it's you know, it's Victoria," I said, a crushed expression on my face.

Lucas slowly inched his hand closer to mine, the one that was resting on the counter. He placed his hand on top of mine, his fingers casually playing with my rings. He didn't say anything but kindly reassured me that he was there for me and everything would be just okay. I responded with a weak smile of my own, allowing myself to be reassured by him, letting my hand stay and his linger, keeping that contact, that touch. We silently continued to have our coffees, neither one ready to move their hands away. We stayed like that much longer than needed, both our coffee mugs empty a while ago, but we were just enjoying the silence and the company. "You're Brooke Davis, you will figure it all out," he smiled when the silence was getting a little too palpable.

"I was thinking about working out for a bit. I will be in the garage," he said before taking both our mugs and washing them in the sink.

I felt myself whimper at the loss of his touch and his presence. No, this was not good. I checked on both the kids before I walked into Lucas' room and into the walk-in closet. Picking out a bikini, I slowly slipped into the small fabric and made my way to the pool. I turned on the jets in the hot tub and waited for the water to heat and come alive. Once I was satisfied, I slowly put my hair into a bun and eased in, the jets working wonders on my aching back. The night had really done a wonder on my back and the jets felt so relaxing.

I sat there, enjoying my time alone as I texted Peyton the latest developments with the children. I could nap here, I felt so relaxed. That was until somebody canonballed into the pool!

"Lucas! What are you doing?" I yelled!

"I saw you having too good of a time alone. Couldn't help myself, had to join you!" he laughed, entering the jacuzzi and sitting next to me.

"Hey! How dare you two have fun without us!" Jamie yelled from his window on the first floor. Sophia bopped her head too and before we knew it, the two of them were in their swimwear and in the hot tub!

I rolled my eyes, "Mi Famiglia! The kind that never ever leaves me alone!" I laughed and said but secretly loved. I never wanted to be alone, ever again.

Sophia hugged me in response, "Mom, I know we don't say it, but it's just so so so great having you home with us and that you and dad are doing okay together, so much that you drew that witch Lindsey away!"

"Likewise Princess, except let's keep the Lindsey joy on the down low. I don't want to offend your father," I winked. "Also, school? Weren't you two supposed to be in class?"

"It's lunch. Then we say that the wifi was down. I could get used to this!" James said like he had just cracked the biggest mystery in the world.

"Hell no! This is not a vacation. If you are going to slacken this way, I will start sending you to physical school! Or worse, Lucas and Haley can home school you until both of you graduate! No Basketball, no cheerleading, no friends, just books!"

"Good God no!" Sophia looked horrified. "We'll join post lunch break."

"Much better," I said, patting her bum. "Soph, please tell me Zack does not see you in these kinds of bikinis."

"Jeez mom! We are not having this argument again!" she answered, mortified.

"No, Sophia! You cannot dress this way in front of your friends! Especially your boyfriend! You are sixteen years old!" I reminded her.

"Dad, what did mom dress like when she was sixteen?" Sophia asked, both of us snapping our heads towards Lucas.

"I-uh-I," he said, dumbfounded.

"Lucas! You better tell our daughter that I did not dress this way!" I commanded him, not giving him a chance to weigh his opinion.

I knew where his mind was. We had spent much of our time in the Davis jacuzzi, naked, doing unmentionable things at their age and that the bikini that Sophia had on was much much more than what I used to wear in there and show Lucas, not that my daughter would know anything about it.

"Luke, use your words!" I ordered.

"Sophia, your mom is correct," he said simply and tried to get out of the conversation by going into the pool area with Jamie to play volleyball.

"I take it back, it was better with just dad and his complete lack of fashion sense," she quickly added, rolling her eyes and sitting on my lap, the water making her weigh nothing. She had become very clingy since the attack.

I smiled, pulling her into my chest, "I love you my girl! You're a pretty girl, I would hate for you to be stuck in a difficult situation. You're way too hot for your own good and the thing is, you don't even know it. Stay this way forever though."

"Do you miss being young or are you trying to call yourself hot?" she joked.

"I am young, miss," I said, arching an eyebrow at her "And no, I just worry. That's all. You're my baby! I want you to stay little forever!"

"Also, you said that I was a Pretty Girl. Wasn't that Dad's nickname for you?" she asked me.

"Yeah, it is," I answered, not knowing where she was taking the conversation.

"Is? He still calls you that?" she asked.

"Well, sometimes. It's more of a habit at this point. No matter what, we always end up calling you Princess, not even realising it most of the time. He has been calling me Pretty Girl a lot longer than we have been calling you Princess," I smiled.

"Then why did you call me that? It must mean so much to you, right?" she asked.

"Yeah, it does mean alot to me. It is a term of endearment given to me by someone special to me. I called you a pretty girl because you are, but I was his pretty girl," I answered. "It's just different."

"Do you miss Dad?" she asked me, vulnerability shining through her baby blue eyes.

"He's right there in front of me! What's there to miss?" I replied with a chuckle.

She rolled her eyes at me but I did not want to get her hopes up. I knew what she was praying for and I did not know if I could ever give her that.

"Come on goonies! Back to class you go!" I yelled, pushing Sophia off my lap and out of the jacuzzi.

We got the kids back into class, just in the nick of time and Lucas and I finally took our morning showers. I don't know what was wrong with me, but I began to feel bold. After my shower, I walked out with just my towel wrapped around me. Going to the dresser, I began to apply lotion to my arms and legs. I could see Lucas staring at me, his breath hitched as his eyes followed my every move. He was already dressed in a button down shirt and dark washed jeans. He was frozen on his spot however. Once I had put on my lotion, I sat down and began to blow dry my hair, taking my sweet time. He sat on the bed, mesmerised as he saw me dry each wet curl. Then I walked into our walk-in closet to find something to wear, taking his view away.

— — –

"Hello Mr. Scott, Ms. Davis," the therapist greeted us as we took a seat in her office.

"Hi Mrs. Pruitt," I greeted back. "We are so glad you could meet with us."

"Call me Olivia," she smiled. "So, how have the kids been behaving, your version."

Lucas and I looked towards each other, baffled about how to answer her. "The kids are okay," he began. "Well, not okay okay, but they are definitely doing better than before. They agreed to leave the house today. We dropped them at our friend's place before we made it here to meet you. This was the first time that they left the house to not go to the hospital or here. They were less anxious during the car ride as well."

Lucas spoke of the entire matter looking at me and I nodded at the right moments. We both felt as if we were the ones being evaluated, as if we were fit enough to take care of them.

"But yet, some things aren't fixed. They have more or less become versions of their toddler selves. They refuse to be alone. They always need us around them. We are sleeping in the same bed with them, Sophia constantly wants to cuddle, sit on my lap. Jamie talks less and less everyday. Yet, when he gets a nightmare, he is mush. Nobody in the house is getting a full night's sleep. It's back to when they were infants, crying and screaming at all hours of the night. They keep getting nightmares and waking up screaming in cold sweat" I answered, painting the grim picture.

"Okay so from my initial sessions, this is what I know. Sophia thinks that it is her fault that Jamie got hit. She is so scared that she is carrying the shame and blame for the two of them. She wants to constantly lurk around all of you to make sure that you guys are still standing. She is afraid that she will close her eyes and one of you will be taken away from her. She is very afraid of losing one of you or all of you.

James on the other hand, is suppressing. He makes quips about what happened, tries to joke and mask his true feelings. He wants to get past the situation but he lacks the tools to realise that the only way is through. He is trying to run and hide, but he needs to deal with it mentally and emotionally. He also really wants to protect Sophia and you two at all costs. He thinks it is his responsibility to, especially with regards to his sister. Twins just have that bond sometimes. He thinks that he failed at being a good brother and that if he shows his emotions, he will fail at being a good son too."

I began crying as I listened to each word that the therapist had to say. "They are making the climb, slowly and steadily, but it felt important that you know how deep they actually were affected."

"What do we do? How can we help make things better?" I asked in a pleading tone, desperate to make things better.

"What you have been doing. You love them, care for them, wake up at night, shower them with love, affection and reassurance while trying to coax them out of their shells as gently as you can. Try to get them to share their real feelings with you. It will be hard as they will not want to talk about what happened. The memories are painful, but as I mentioned, the only way is through. Have the difficult conversations, when they crack, that's when the healing begins. Also, I am there on your team. The kids know they can call me at any given time and I am extending the same courtesy to you two. Call me regarding any questions or doubts that you might have," she said.

She further went on to give us tips on how to start conversations with them, tell us how much progress they were already making and assured us that we would make it to the other side. "You're one of the good families. The kids have stable lives, they have love from both their parents even though the two of you are separated."

"Do they carry baggage from that? The split? We maybe should have put them through therapy then? Maybe if we went to therapy ourselves, we would still be together? I'm sorry, we were just so young, we lacked the tools, the information, everything," I spoke my mind aloud.

"I personally believe that both of you are in need of some therapy yourselves," she answered with a knowing look on her face. "It's never too late to sort out your mental trauma."

"Uhh, I think that it is a little too late for us. We've been separated for 6 years now. I think we're way past our expiration date," I answered.

"Now Brooke, why did you automatically assume I meant Couple's therapy? Why not assume that I suggested you work on an individual level?" she asked me, arching one eyebrow.

"Okay, I don't see me winning here," I laughed.

"Who said anything about competition?" she further asked.

"Look, you're obviously great. I can see it from the number of degrees and accolades hanging on your wall, but I don't need therapy. Lucas here might, he was abused as a child by his dad and it was his father who shot the kids," I ratted him out, trying to get the shrink off my back.

"Says the one whose daddy issues ran so high she was sleeping with men three times her age to feel like she was loved and even today works like a dog and runs a company just to hear her parents say that they are proud of her," Lucas snapped. "Spoiler Alert, they still don't say it!"

"Lucas!" I hollered.

"What, you started it!" he replied, folding his arms against his chest.

"Wow, okay. I want both of you to schedule appointments with me. Try it out, if you still feel that therapy is not for you, you're free to quit at any given time," she smiled. "And I will be scheduling you two individually and together. I have a feeling that even though it has been 6 years, there is a lot that both of you need to unpack."

"Please, no," I was already crying. Having to relive all the pain all over again was traumatising. It was so much easier to keep it buried deep deep deep down and try everyday to just forget about everything.

"Brooke, the only way is through. I assure you that you will feel a whole lot better after talking," Olivia reassured me. "Lucas, how do you feel about this?"

He shrugged his shoulders, silent as the hills. "I see," she answered with a deep knowingness, like she knew a secret about us that we still didn't know.

"Why did we do this?" I asked once we were out and Lucas was opening the car door for me.

"I don't know. Maybe it will be good," he replied optimistically, shutting the car door for me. "Besides, let's go back to the kids. When do you want to try to converse with them, get them to open up about what happened?"

"Any day but today, please," I answered, feeling a headache coming. I don't know why, but I was just so afraid of all my monster's resurfacing and going back to my old ways, when I could not sleep alone, or needed validation from others all the time, giving my body to men as I felt that was all I was worth.

We silently drove towards Peyton's place and rang the doorbell once we were there. It was Jenny who opened the door, making me squeal seeing her! "Jenny bear! When did you get here?"

"Just this morning actually. Dad is here from LA too," she smiled, inviting us in. "It was so good hanging out with Jamie and Sophia."

"I'm sure it must have been great for them too! Having their cool cousin come from college," I swooned.

"Haha! Yeah, college is okay. It loses its hype once the parties settle down and you have thesis after thesis to read and prepare," she said, rolling her eyes.

We entered the kitchen and met with the children.

"Hey guys, did you have a good time?" Lucas asked. "Hope they helped you and didn't wear you out, Peyton."

"Oh, these two knuckleheads were alright," she answered, pouring us both a glass of lemonade.

"Did y'all work on the nursery at all? All of you look too clean to have," I commented.

"No, we just hung out actually. Jenny was telling us college stories and Aunt Peyton was talking about all the bands that she has seen and met, stories about tours and recording albums," Sophia answered with a spark in her eye.

"You missed it, P. You missed your opportunity at free labour," I joked, hugging my best friend from the back.

"No, B. You forget that I always have you for free labour," she winked.

"I'll bargain one me for the rugrats and Lucas," I traded. "I'll even convince Nathan to help."

"It's a deal," she laughed. "So how was the meeting?"

"Horrible," I wailed. "Now I have to go there." I rested my head on the counter in a moping manner to show just how upset I was.

"Aw Brooke! Did she manage to make you realise just how screwed up you are!" she mocked me.

"It's all Lucas' fault. He ratted me out," I answered smugly. Lucas rolled his eyes at us, quietly sipping his drink. "He has to do it too and we have to do it as a couple and a family, it's all so much!" Peyton laughed and brushed her hand against my hair as I pouted.

"Well, both of you need it, ya screw ups! Maybe, who knows, the two of you will work it out and baby Anna will have a cousin in close age to her!" she joked.

"Peyton!" I screamed.

"What, when you go at it, both of you are rabbits. I am surprised that you only got pregnant one time," she laughed.

"Lucas, please help," I begged. I was grateful that the kids were outside and not a part of this really crazy conversation.

"Peyton, we know how to use protection," Lucas said, making me sit up and smack him across the head.

"You're supposed to say that we are not together and we are most definitely not sleeping together, ya idiot," I answered for him.

"Yet…" Peyton said, enjoying herself a little too much.

"Kids, say bye to everybody. We are leaving!" I announced with a shake of my head.

Peyton came over and hugged me tightly, "I love you, okay, BP Davis?" she reminded me.

"Oh alright," I answered when she would not let go of the hug. "I guess I love you too, PE Sawyer Jagielski."

Once we got home, I quickly set to preparing dinner. Lucas locked himself in his study, I guess inspiration finally struck. He would definitely weave this into a bestseller. The children were on their phones and all was quiet in the Scott house.

We had a simple dinner and saw a Disney movie together per Sophia's request. The kids sat at the table to tackle their homework which they had to email their teachers and Lucas went back to his study to continue to write. I watched them work as I cleaned up the kitchen, washing, drying and putting away the utensils.

"Mom, your phone is ringing. It's grandma - Victoria not Karen," Sophia called out to me, breaking me out of my reverie.

"Just cut the call," I responded calmly.

"Why is she calling?" she asked, scrunching up her nose.

"She's taken over Clothes over Bro's while I'm here. It must be for that, but I am sure that she can figure out what she needs without my help," I said, giving her a tight lipped smile.

"You sure you don't want to just check what she wants?" she asked once more.

"Yes, I am sure," I sighed, working around the kitchen at a much faster pace as if she was here watching me and I somehow had to prove my efficiency to her.

Once the kids finished their homework, both of them went to their rooms to hang out, most definitely to talk to their significant others. Around midnight, I knocked on each of their doors.

"Honey, it's time for bed. Zoom school tomorrow, you start on time which means breakfast at sharp 7 a.m. Change, brush your teeth and come to dad's room," I said to each of them warmly.

They both tried to act brave, put up ridiculous arguments, but I didn't bother listening. I only further instructed both of them to be there in ten minutes. I was taking the therapist's advice and giving them all the love and cuddles that I could. Besides, they were so much easier to deal with for these kinds of things. Within ten minutes, I was sitting against the headboard with both of them on my either side. Sophia was snuggling into me and my hand was in her hair while I rubbed Jamie's back. He was rolling his eyes, not really liking the attention, but I knew that he would want me there as the night progressed. Within thirty minutes, both of them were fast asleep. I kept waiting for Lucas to come up, finding it difficult to fall asleep.

'Are you going to write all night?' I shot him a text.

'Hey! Sorry that I just left. Are the kids okay? I didn't hear anything,' came his quick reply.

'Yeah. Both of them just fell asleep. I was wondering when you were coming up to bed,' I answered and bit my lips.

I saw the three dots come and go, come and go. God, why was I expecting him to sleep with us? I was being ridiculous.

'I'll be up in 10 minutes,' he replied finally, making me heave a sigh of relief.

"Hey, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to disturb your flow," I said to him once he emerged in the bedroom.

"No no, I was done writing for the night anyway," he answered, entering the closet and coming out in just a pair of sweatpants.

"You didn't plan on sleeping down in the office, right?" I asked, still sitting resting against the pillows.

"Actually, I wasn't sure. I didn't want to assume anything," he said to me.

"Stay, everyday," I answered, feeling a flutter in my heart when I said that.

"You had to keep these hogs in the centre of the bed? Now there is no space on either side," he complained, seeing no space for him.

I got out and helped push both the twins to one side, leaving ample space for the two of us. Joys of a big bed!

"This is nice," I said once both of us were under the covers. I was wearing a tank top and boy shorts, and my hair was tied in a loose bun on top of my head.

"Yeah, there is actually space to move," he answered, getting to his side as his fingers traced around my waist, finding the spot where the fabric went up, leaving direct contact with my bare skin. I wanted to moan just feeling his fingers on my bare flesh, his mouth so close to mine to kiss.

I turned around to face the children, before closing my eyes. He pulled me closer to him, wrapping his arms around me as both of us welcomed sleep, knowing that soon the twins were going to need us and wake us up.

— — —

It was morning but it was early. I could tell because my alarm had not gone off yet. However, somebody thought it was okay to draw the curtains and let the bright light in.

"Lucas! Cut it out! We barely slept last night," I yelled, hoping that he would draw them back.

"Well, well. Look at you playing house with this plebeian again!" I heard the voice say.

"Oh my eyes!" I complained as I opened them to see who was interrupting my sleep.

"It's called sunlight. And it's not that bright," the person responded.

"It is not the sun. It's your face. Wha ... What the hell are you doing here? Last time we talked was the last time I wanted us to talk, ever!" I yelled, waking Lucas and the children in the process.

"We need to discuss the business." Victoria answered in a tone of entitlement.

"I've taken a step back from the business, which is exactly what you wanted. You got a company. You lost a daughter. Now get out!" I yelled out.

"Whatever. You pull yourself together. I'll be back," she answered, completely ignoring my previous remarks.

"Why?!" I scoffed, before turning and looking at the kids, "Oh, no, kids. Hey. Are you okay?"

"She frightens me," Sophia answered once Victoria had left the room.

"Yeah. Me too," I answered honestly, rubbing her shoulders.

Ten minutes later, all four of us walked down to see Victoria sitting on the couch, sipping a ginger ale.

"We don't like you," Sophia spat at her, before joining her dad in the kitchen.

Victoria just smiled at her and continued to sip her drink like no words had been exchanged.

"Wait, how the hell did you even get inside?" Lucas asked her from the kitchen.

"I got Brooke's key from her apartment," she answered like it was obvious.

"What could possibly be so important that you'd bother someone who hates you?" I asked, giving up and cutting directly to the chase.

"I'm here because of the business," she said, making it almost sound like it was not a bad thing which surprised me.

"Is it in trouble? It's tanking, isn't it?" I asked, afraid of the actual answer. "Wait, you actually flew all the way to Tree Hill to ask me for help! Looks like you're not the one who spins the straw into gold after all," I answered in a smug fashion, looking at the bright side of it all.

"It's just a little difficult to find decent straw these days. It's time for the fall fashion show. You have taken a long enough vacation. I need you back," she instructed like she was asking me for nothing.

"No, absolutely not! I told you I would be gone until the kids were better. Why don't you hire the second runner-up from "project runway." to be your face?" I answered her smugly. "Besides, how did you not have a plan for this? You wanted the Company and no daughter. You got your wish, Ma! Go live that life!"

"I did want the Company because I knew that I could run it better. Yet, I wasn't exactly expecting my daughter to quit on me," she retaliated.

"To quit on you? One, I am still owner, you're just filling my shoes. Two, You told me you wished I'd never been born!" I yelled.

"Stop bringing your childhood into this, Brooke. It is very unbecoming. Look, we both said things. We both were wrong," she began.

"It doesn't matter anyway. I'm not gonna help you. You're on your own. Sorry," I responded smugly.

"Fine. You know, it's one thing to refuse to help me. But what about all those other people that used to work for you? Those people who made you who you are ... they'll all be out of work. But you could change that. It's a shame," she said swiftly. That made me stop dead in my mental tracks.

"I will meet you at the Diner on the corner of Front and Grace at 7 p.m. We will discuss the matter then. Right now, please leave," I answered her, feeling extremely conflicted.

She gave me a smile, like she knew she had won and then walked out of the house. I on the other hand put my hands on my head, already feeling the onset of an intense headache.

"Oh thank God she is gone! She still scares me," he said, feeling relief wash over him. I just gave him a menacing look in return.

We had a simple breakfast with cereal and milk, but I refused to eat anything. Once the kids were attending school, Lucas went to his office and began to work on his novel again. My phone began to ring again, but this time, I had a smile on my face.

"Hey Maa!" I answered cheerily.

"Hey sweet girl. How are you?" she asked me lovingly. "How is that son of mine and my grand babies?"

"Lucas is good. He is writing again! It's so good to see him inspired. The kids are attending online school. They are doing much better though. When are you coming to visit again?" I whined.

"Soon! I promise. How are you holding up?" she asked.

"Well, let's just say you're the second mom I've spoken to today and the first encounter was not so nice," I answered icily. "Bitchtoria is back in town. She wants me to come back and save the company."

"Victoria? Seriously?" Karen asked me, surprised to hear that the lady who despised everything suburban was there.

"Yeah. She doesn't even care about the kids! It's all company for her and the thing is, if I don't help her, all those people who work for Clothes Over Bros are gonna lose their jobs. I mean... what do you think I should do?" I asked, feeling so conflicted.

"I mean, I don't know what you should do. I know what you will do, though," she answered thoughtfully.

"And that is?" I asked, playing dumb. I just really needed to hear it from someone elses mouth to know that I was not stupid.

"You're gonna help "Vic-whoria." And you're gonna help all those people because you always sacrifice to help everybody else. That's why we love you," she said, her hand on her heart.

"But, that means going to New York for fashion week. It means being busy all day and all night. It means no time for the kids who clearly need me right now," I struggled to see how I was going to make it work.

"You're Brooke Davis. You will figure it out!" she assured me. "You always managed to figure out a path for you. Without a college degree to your name, you set up an empire. You run a company and a house. I have complete faith on you, honey!" she said assuringly.

"Thanks, mom," I answered.

"Anytime Brooke. Call me whenever. I promise to visit soon. Love you!" she said before ending the Facetime call.

I reached the diner on time. Breathing for a few minutes in my car, I saw Victoria already sitting at the diner with a disgusted look on her face. Steadying my nerves, I got out and treaded towards her as slowly as I could.

"Hey, I'm here," I answered, switching on business mode. I dropped my bag on the counter with a heavy thud and slid into the booth. "So, you need me to be the face. I will be the face. I will fly in, come directly an hour before the fashion show. Hair, make up and straight on stage. I will do the final designer's bow and private jet back to Tree Hill."

"Brooke, it's called Fashion Week! There is press to do, you know how important that is and the after party, the meet and greets. You're too emotional. You need to remove emotion from business. That's why I'm here," she answered, getting mad at me.

"Now. You're here now. What about all of those years I was growing up? You never wanted to be a part of my life until I started this company!" I growled.

"What? Cheerleading, School president... Stop being childish. You're the face of a company, and you took your company as far as you could on your own. Then you came to me when you needed help," she said, making all my achievements sound trivial. "Now, you have earned my help, so I am willing to let your childishness slide-"

"I earned it? A daughter is not supposed to have to earn her mother's help... or her love. It is supposed to be unconditional!" I spat back, losing my temper quickly.

"Whatever Brooke. At the end of the day, you are the designer and owner. You own 51% stake in the Company. I am just the President. But do keep a speech ready for all your employee and shareholders, of how you selfishly chose to vacation at their expense, causing them to lose their jobs and their money. I will be in town for another two days. You know how to get in touch with me," she answered before exiting the diner.

— — –

It was a dark night. There was no moon in the sky and the twinkling stars did little to provide any semblance of light. I sat there at the all too familiar strip on the beach. I was so conflicted, I did not know what was the correct way to handle the situation. Both cases were important and both demanded complete attention from me.

I sat there on the cold sand, trying to make out where the dark night sky ended and where the cascading waves began, instead of trying to find a solution to my dilemmas. It seemed easier to squint to find the thin distinctive line separating the two shades of navy blue.

A lone figure slowly crept up towards me. He sat down softly besides me, immediately pulling down is jacket and perching it on my bare shoulders. I let out a heavy sigh and leaned into him, allowing my head to rest against his shoulders. Closing my eyes, I just sat there, trying to breathe out and let go of all the tension in my body.

I had questions - how did he find me? Who was with the kids? How did he even know to come look for me? Yet, in that moment, I chose to give more importance to the silence. There was just something about the sounds of the beach that were so stilling and so perfect.

"It will fail without me. People will lose their jobs and their livelihoods. Not doing it can question our freshness, our style, push us out of the market and basically jeopardise the company. Yet flying to New York, leaving the kids when they are at their most vulnerable could make them feel like I am abandoning them or that the company matters more to me than them. I really am getting pulled out of my wits here," I said, getting everything off my chest.

"We will figure it out together. I promise," he said to me.

We sat there for some more time, staring at the ocean until he stood up and offered his hands for me to grab and stand up.

"Drive ahead of me, I will follow you home," he said to me, helping me into my car.

"Wait, how did you know where to find me?" I asked, truly baffled that he had so easily.

"I know you Brooke. I also know that you're worried I left the kids alone. I did not. I have Maddison and Zack and Samantha at home with them and to ensure that they are doing no funny business, we have them babysitting Jude and Lydia. Nathan and Haley asked us to babysit them so that they could have a romantic dinner before Nathan leaves for training next month. They will be back to pick them up at midnight," he said to me.

"Wow, okay," I said with a laugh. "Thank you so much Broody!"

"Always for you, Pretty Girl," he said and kissed my cheek gently. I closed my eyes immediately, feeling his soft lips on mine. He lingered for a few seconds before closing my car door and entering his.

We made our way back home shortly only to me sucked into the craziness that could be expected with teenagers and kids high on sugar. There was music blaring in the living room with all the kids dancing crazily. The couch had been moved back to make more space in the centre. Lydia and Jude were sticky from what I could assume was candy and soda and the lights had been dimmed, the smart controls on party mode. Lucas and I looked at each other before joining them. Of course James and Sophia booed us, but we just threw our heads back and laughed while I grabbed Jamie's hand, expecting a dance from him. They all quickly gave in and we had a party until until Nathan and Haley returned, expecting to find two sleeping children, but finding them buzzing with energy instead. It was a funny sight, being reprimanded by our two best friends and being taught the correct ways to parent, like we didn't know how to keep seven and four year olds alive! The horror! Despite everything, I chalked the final outcome to a good day.

"Luke, we will figure it all out, right? I can't have the kids hate me," I asked him, waking him up in the middle of the night.

"Yes, Pretty girl. Now shhh," he replied, putting his head into my neck and hugging me tight.