LUCAS' POV
The morning after was a lazy Sunday. The night had tired all of us and we collectively decided to begin the day late. It was noon when the kids met me at the breakfast table, still in their pyjamas. I was still nursing my first cup of coffee, having woken up merely thirty minutes ago. I had put on some sweats and a tee, checked on the kids who were still asleep at that time and come looking for a caffeine fix. I had barely managed to get a few hours of sleep while I was keeping an eye on Brooke. Sometime while keeping an eye on her, however, I had managed to fall asleep.
"Hey dad, how is mom doing?" Jamie asked me going towards the coffee maker to get himself a cup. However, he changed directions when we heard the doorbell ring.
"Why are you not ready?!" I heard Victoria's shrill cry at the door, taking in Jamie's appearance in just his flannel pants.
I walked to the door, surprised to see Victoria standing there. The fashion show was over and the chartered jet was flying everyone back to New York that morning. I expected her to be on that plane.
"What are you doing here?" Jamie asked her instead, he was not happy to see her face first thing in the morning either, it seemed. Jamie's grim expression countered Victoria's exasperated demeanour and I couldn't help but notice how my son did carry Davis family traits.
"That incompetent forgetful girl! Didn't my daughter tell you? I agreed to spending the afternoon with you and your sister," she yelled.
"What? Wait, don't you know what happened last night?" Jamie asked, his eyes getting wide, completely ignoring the part that surprised me. Victoria wanted to spend time with the kids?
"The Fashion Show! I know it can be a tiring affair, but that is no excuse to slacken. Brooke knows that," she said, pushing Jamie aside and walking in.
"I mean what happened after the show! Mom almost died drowning," Jamie mumbled the last part, not wanting to say it out loud.
"Quit with the mumbling. Of course you get that ridiculous habit from her, speak up!" she commanded, like she had authority over my son.
"Victoria, you are a guest in this house. You better talk to my son with respect, or I will find no remorse in escorting you to the door. What Jamie said was that Brooke almost drowned last night. She was driving and she saw that the kids' friends were in an accident. Their car was wrecked and hanging at the edge of the bridge. The car ultimately fell into the water and the levee broke. She risked her life saving them. There was a point when we were convinced that she wouldn't make it. But luckily CPR worked. They had to drain her lungs at the hospital, she is currently resting," I said, my voice breaking as I narrated the tale.
Victoria's face softened immediately. I could see the worry lines on her forehead and near her eyes. "What! Wh- Why did nobody call me?" she asked, her voice heavy with emotion regardless of how hard she tried to hide it.
"Maybe because you only care about mom when she can multiply your dollar bills. We know the stories, grandma. We know how you sent her away to London so that Grandpa could get a promotion, we know how you cut her off and left her on the streets of a foreign country when you got to know she was pregnant with us, how she had to raise herself because you abandoned her! She almost died giving birth to us, but you never saw her, never saw us until you saw just how well she was doing with Clothes over Bro's.
The reason you don't know about this is because frankly, we don't believe that you care enough. After all, the only updates that you get about your daughter's life is through gossip magazines and clickbait articles!" Sophia yelled. I did not even know she had joined us. Her face was red and flushed as she defended her mother. I knew that Victoria scared the kids. Hell, she even scared me. She was a fierce woman. I was proud in that moment, the way Sophia stood up to her, although we must always respect our elders. I would just let this time slide.
Victoria's face shrunk further and further. She stared at the ceiling to try to keep her tears from falling. "God, I hate it when mascara gets into my eyes. I am going to sue the manufacturer. Anyway, why was Brooke driving? The storm came in quite late at night and I saw her and well, Logan here take the limo back home. I left at the same time as the two of you," she asked, dabbing her eyelids, trying to pretend that she wasn't afraid or emotional about her daughter. Sure, it was the mascara's fault.
"It's Lucas, but yeah, dad. I am with her on this one. We saw you come home. Why was mom out in the storm?" Sophia asked, raising her eyebrow. She looked so much like Brooke at that moment, it amazed me.
All eyes stared at me, expecting answers. Answers that I was afraid to give.
"Uhh, Brooke and I had a fight," I answered truthfully, hoping that the interrogation would end there. I did not know how I would explain everything.
"Please don't tell me it had to do with that stupid kiss you two shared!" Victoia said, rolling her eyes, not giving an iota of care to what she was saying or in front of whom she was spilling.
"KISS!" both the twins shrieked simultaneously. Their eyes were so large, they were bulging out of their of them were leaning in towards me and there was silence, even if for a few milliseconds, I felt it, the thick silence of expectation - expecting answers. It was ringed with a glimmer of hope.
I was a dead man walking.
"I'm gonna go check on your mom," I said, leaving them all, trying to sneak away.
"No! What Kiss! What does this mean!" Sophia asked, blocking my way.
"I will go check on Brooke. I want to see my daughter," Victoria said, cutting past me leaving me alone in the line of fire. That lady really did not care!
Both my kids looked at me expectantly. They had smiles on their giddy faces. Sophia looked like she was inching to jump up and down in fits of squeals. Even Jamie, my usually sombre child could not hide his smile. They were most definitely happy to hear about this. Yet, I struggled to get the words out. I wanted to do it right and with Brooke's permission. There were so many unanswered variables between us, so many things to discuss and figure out. Hell, I didn;t even know what to define us as? What do you call the girl you hooked up with, impregnated, married, divorced and got back together with?
"Guys, I am sorry. We will talk about everything. I promise you that. Just once your mom is better and up for it. Please, just can you wait until then?" I begged them, my eyes following Victoria up the stairs. "Wait here, I need to ensure that your mom is actually up for seeing Bitchtoria. I'm sorry guys."
"Wait, you did not say that she was wrong or that nothing was going on between the two of you. Does this mean that you are together?" my daughter asked me. I just rolled my eyes and bolted up the stairs, two steps at a time.
I heard Sophia squealing delightedly as I ran up. I rolled my eyes and hoped that we could do it right this time, even though I knew that it was going to be messy. We lived different lives in different states. There was so much upending to do, so many reasons why it could not work. Yet, I had to be hopeful.
I heard Victoria knock on our bedroom door and gently push it open. Brooke was still sleeping. She was still topless, but the duvet shielded everthing from view. Victoria sat on the bed, where I had slept and rubbed her shoulders slowly waking her up.
Brooke opened her eyes, but you could see drowsiness in them. "Wh-what, mom?" she asked, looking at the older brunette.
I quickly got onto the other side and held her hand. "She said that you invited her over to spend the afternoon," I said, rubbing her hand gently.
"Is it afternoon already?" she asked, blinking her eyes to try to get them to focus.
"Yeah, but you can continue to rest," I said, smiling at her and giving her palm a soft squeeze.
"No, I think I will get up. I will see you downstairs," she said, smiling at both of us, indicating that we exit the room so she could get ready. I could tell that she was a tad bit uncomfortable seeing her mom there while she was nude waist up and how she could also see just how free I was being with her that way. "Mother, why don't you go talk to the twins? I'm sure they would like to get to know you."
I saw her eyes, they were glimmering. She was so happy that her mom had kept her promise and had actually stayed back for the day.
"I will be downstairs. Hope you feel better," Victoria said sadly, her eyes running over her daughter's body, whatever was exposed which wasn't much. She was studying Brooke and all her features to find anything out of the ordinary. She looked weak and tired, but besides her chest which had a bandage and her leg which had some cuts where her foot had been stuck, there was nothing different about her. Victoria quietly got off the bed and left the room.
Brooke gave me a smile, a wide one. "She actually came!" she remarked, her eyes shining bright.
"Yeah and she was actually worried about you and bothered by the fact that nobody thought to give her a call last night," I said to her, fueling her hope.
"Yeah, she keeps tabs on me via articles on the internet ever since I got famous. It was to ensure that I did not do anything to damage my reputation as it was so intertwined with the Company. Yet, she did once tell me that if I had a drug problem, she could spin it in a good way and profit from that story," Brooke said, rolling her eyes. Then something on her face changed. "Wait a minute! Victoria didn't know about this! That means, there has been no news coverage about the accident. Atleast not yet! Wow! I have never had that kind of freedom in so long. I love Tree Hill. I get so much privacy here." Then her face drained of all colour.
"I know where your mind is heading, Pretty Girl. You are thinking about our future and how it won't work because of the location. But, we will figure it out. I promise you. We will make it work. We will ask advice from the therapist, anything you want. Hell, we will move to New York. We will discuss it at length and talk at length and debate at length, get Sophia and Jamie's input. We will do it right this time, together," I said, assuring her and kissing her forehead.
She smiled and sat on the bed, holding the covers up with one hand so that her breasts were not exposed. She put her head on my chest and leaned in. It was like a hug, but without any pressure to her chest.
"Does it still feel sore?" I asked her.
"No, but I was just being cautious," she said, her cheek still pressed to my frame.
"By the way, the kids know about the kiss, or one of the kisses. Victoria saw us I think. She mentioned it to them casually," I said, squinting my eyes and waiting for Brooke to yell at me.
"Actually, I accidentally told Victoria. I thought she had seen us too. How did the twins take it?" she asked.
I started rubbing my hands on her bare back, slowly massaging the length of her spine. "There may have been some squealing and jumping and some excitement too, you could say that they lost their minds. But, I asked them to hold off on the interrogation until you were better."
"Mmm," she moaned, feeling good due to the massage. "I need a shower, care to join me?" she asked, making me grin goofily.
I lifted the duvet away, letting it fall to the floor and grabbed her hand, helping her up. We entered the bathroom and I helped her take off her shorts and panties. Once we had the bandage out, I pulled down my own sweatpants and tee and followed her to the the shower.
She turned on the tap just as I closed the door behind us. The forceful droplets of hot water soaked our skins. She stood there under the water pressure, the body jets hitting her back. She held her hands in front of her chest as if she was praying and her eyes showed worry. Maybe the water was triggering her memories. Memories of the night before, how that same element had almost killed her or her chest incision hurt. One look at her eyes gave me enough intel to know that it was option one.
"Hey, you're okay now. You are safe," I said, enveloping her body in my arms. She nodded her head and looked at me, bringing her lips closer to mine. I followed suit and lowered my head, meeting her in for a kiss. Wrapping my hands around her, we continued to kiss her, almost forgetting the water and the shower. She continued to pull my lips, deepening the kiss. I met her back with the same energy. It just felt so right and so good. When breath became in issue, we parted, heaving from just how hot it was to be with her this way.
7 years. 7 long years, my lips had been deprived of her taste, my fingers of her touch and my nose of her fragrance. Never again. I knew how lucky I was. I knew how good I had it and I knew that this now, would be my forever.
"God, I absolutely love you," I said to her, grinning and blushing simultaneously. It was like I was a teenager again. I saw her blush as well as she wrapped her arms around my waist, letting them fall so they were resting at my butt and snuggled her face back into me. I held her for a few moments, swaying her in the water before grabbing her shampoo and lathering some into her hair. Once I had rinsed, repeated and conditioned her gorgeous locks; I grabbed the shower gel. She was silent the whole time, letting me do my thing. She just stood there and watched me, her eyes somehow shy and innocent. It baffled me how she could look innocent like this. It made me fall deeper in love with her. She looked so young. She never seemed to age. Her eyes were always playful and childlike and they somehow always held innocence.
I rubbed her body with the shower gel, taking care to avoid the incision site on her chest. She seemed to mimic my actions as she too took some of the soapy liquid in her palms and rubbed my body with it. She seemed a little clingy as even while I was mere inches away from her, she kept stepping closer to me and burying her face in my chest, not caring that her freshly washed hair were getting soapy gain. I could not tell why or how I knew this, but I knew that she was scared about losing me. I couldn't tell to what though… our circumstances or our horrid fate or events like that of the night before.
When my hands moved lower below her abdomen, I hesitated. I didn't know how she would feel about me touching her there. We really had hand no conversations about our new dynamics. Were we boyfriend and girlfriend again? Were we taking things slowly? Was I pushing her? I was ready to skip and go straight to her sexy legs.
She saw the hesitation when my hands froze. She gently grabbed my palms and lowered them below until the were directly at her centre. "I'm yours. I always have been," she smiled and once again, placed her head in the crook of my shoulder, wrapping her arms around me, squeezing me tight. My hand stuck was where she had left it, trapped between our bodies.
I used my free hand to gently rub her back, "I won't hurt you this time, Pretty Girl. I promise." She looked into my eyes, and she knew I meant what I was saying. We just looked at each other for a while until she got onto her toes to capture my lips again. I pushed her behind, until her back was firmly pressed to the cold bathroom tile. I put my hands on her waist to keep her steady and then attacked her lips with all the force I had. I kissed and sucked, trailing my tongue around them until she opened her mouth. I explored her mouth and felt like I knew all of it. Nothing felt new or different. It was like those 7 years had magically disappeared and we were right where we had always been. She responded to my kiss with deep passion as well. Her hands went up to my hair, tugging them ever so lightly. I moaned into her mouth, feeling myself getting erect. I moved away from her, not wanting to push her there yet.
She whimpered at the lack of contact, but even she knew. She gave me a small smile, a grateful smile before rubbing her hands there, taking care of me. Once we were clean, I turned off the water. All the soap had disappeared and washed itself out while we were busy making out. We stepped out of the shower area, the water dripping from our bodies.
"Thank you," she said to me before grabbing the set of towels and throwing one in my direction. I saw her dry herself and wrap it around her while I did the same. She grabbed another one and wrapped her wet hair in it as well.
"There's nothing to say, thank you for though," I told her, unsure why she felt this way. Then I realised that it was all because I had saved her. I had kept the promise I had made her when we were too young and stupid to understand the magnanimity of the words we had promised to each other.
We stepped out of the bathroom and into the closet. She went to pick a loose sundress for the day. Deciding against a bra, she slipped the thin material over her head and slipped up a pair of panties. I pulled on some pants over my boxers and a tee. She pulled the towel from her head and grabbed a hairbrush from the dresser to ensure that she had a neat appearance.
"Ready for Victoria?" I asked her, sensing that she was holding herself from going down, afraid that her mother would let her down again.
"Yeah. No expectations, no disappointments, right?" she said, giving me a fake smile and beginning to walk before I could argue my side.
We walked down to find Victoria and the twins lounging in the backyard. They were showing her a photo album, telling her stories about whatever picture they were pointing at. I saw Sophia and Jamie banter as each had a different version of the story in their minds. Victoria was looking at them, laughing and make elaborate gestures and she was smiling. Nay, grinning.
"Oh finally!" she said when she saw Lucas and I walk in hand in hand. "Took you long enough.
"Oooh! Jamie, look at the hand holding. Please, tell us the good news! Are you two together?" Sophia asked, cutting right to the chase.
Brooke and I looked at them and then looked at each other, our faces erupting into the widest of grins as we continued to hold each others hands. My girl let out a squeal as both of them walked up to us and engulfed us in large hugs.
"We're so happy for both of you goofballs!" Sophia said as she almost squeezed the life out of Brooke.
"Gentle Princess, she did have an accident only yesterday," I reminded her. Brooke squatted my arm away from where I was touching her back and hugged Sophia with the same energy.
"It was about time!" Jamie smiled and gave each of us a sideway hug. "Does this mean you move in here permanently, mom?"
"Uhh, it means that we discuss it as a family and collectively decide what is best for all of us, together," Brooke responded.
"Thanks, both of you," Jamie said, giving Brooke a bear hug this time. I could see a tiny streak of water glimmer in the corner of his eyes under the bright sunlight of the afternoon. He was letting his vulnerabilities out.
"When did this happen? How long have you two been hiding this from us? I mean, the two of you literally had so much sexual tension the whole time and the way both of ya'll behaved, I am surprised that this didn't happen sooner! You two are each others' soulmates!" Sophia began chatting, wanting all the details.
"Sophia, language," I warned. "And no, this happend only last night. So calm down."
"Brooke, you better keep in mind that I will not allow you to jeopardise the Company for a good lay. However, we will discuss this matter later, once you are feeling better and have your head on straight. Right now, the twins and I have plans, I am taking them to the country club. James can play some golf and Sophia and I can go to the spa. Then we are going to have tea. It has an outdoor setting so they will be fine."
"What!" Brooke yelled, flabbergasted. "Did you even ask them if this is what they want?"
"Mom, we said yes," Sophia answered, just as Brooke was ready to spit out some insults.
This time it was my turn to act surprised, "Wait, really. You want to go to the country club, with Victoria? Do you like her all of a sudden?"
"The jury is still out on that. But I do know that I want to get out of the house and go somewhere that isn't the hospital," Sophia said defiantly.
"If you're sure, then of course, honey. Victoria, if they feel even slightly uncomfortable, you get them back immediately, okay?"
Victoria raised her hand and shook it as if she knew what to do and asked the twins to continue the story that they had been reciting until we interrupted them. "Honey, why don't you get lunch ready, and we will join you in soon." With that simple command, she stopped paying attention to us.
I looked at Brooke whose face was picture-worthy. It was like all her inner rage was coming out. I quickly grabbed her hand and pulled her inside the house. I said no bonding.
"I cannot believe this! I told Victoria to keep her old-Lady talons away from the kids and here they are, having a freakin' trip down memory lane, catching up on life like estranged friends. Look at her face. She's so smug. I just want to throw something at her," she yelled, pacing in the kitchen,. Her eyes were roaming around towards the pots and pans before settling on the knife block.
My eyes quickly widened and I stopped her pace, grabbing her hands in mine to ensure that she did not go picking up any sharp objects,
"Okay, umm, maybe I am overstepping or maybe I am completely wrong, but is it the worst thing in the world for Momzilla to be nice to James and Soph?" I asked her, finding it sweet that Victoria was trying to turn over a new leaf.
"Yes, Lucas!" she said with a poker face, making me roll my eyes. She was always so stubborn, quite a lot like Victoria if one thought about it.
"Okay, what if she hated them? Wouldn't that be worse?" I tried to to show her the glass half full side.
"Yes, but...she never took me to the country club or anywhere," she whined almost like a child. There it was, the real reason she hated the idea of them going with her. She was jealous because she never got to do any of these things with her. It was unfair, that she had had to raise herself. It really broke my heart. Atleast I had my mom with me and we always did things together. Brooke had nobody.
"How about we join them then? You and her can do your spa things with Soph and Jamie and I can spend time golfing." I suggested.
"But does she deserve it? I want to give her another chance. But every time I do, both my parents make me feel like a fool," she said remorsefully. A glimmer of just how broken she was came to the surface.
"Well, you're not a fool. You're... listen, my mom used to say love means giving chances when there's no more chances left to give," I said to her. I did not know how Victoria was going to behave honestly. She could very much end up going back to her old ways. This time she would drag the twins with my wife - I mean't ex-wife, no wait, girlfriend? This was very confusing. Brooke continued to look wearlity towards where Victoria and the twins were.
"So, how about Spaghetti for lunch, your favourite?" I asked, trying to get her attention elsewhere. "Or rather, how about I make the Spaghetti and you go hang our with your mom?"
"No, they don't want me there," she said. Her face, on the other hand, told a very different story. She was inching to be there. No matter what they did or how they behaved, at the end of the day, Victoria was still Brooke's mom and she absolutely loved her.
"Babe, I've got this. Grab some sodas from the fridge and go hang out with your mom!" I smiled and beckoned her over.
"What do I even do? Or say?" she asked me like an excited child experiencing something for the first time, like a celebrity encounter. This broke my heart. Brooke didn't even know how it was to just talk and hang out with her mom. She had only ever discussed business with her. She had no idea how to talk about something other than that.
"Just sit besides her, love. They're telling her stories, why don't you tell her some of yours?" I said to her, walking towards the pantry to get ingredients out.
"Okay, but what if it gets awkward?" she asked me, her eyes getting smaller.
"Then you come here to me and we make out," I winked. This made her erupt into giggles and smiles. "You got this, Pretty Girl!"
With that final encouragement, Brooke walked up to them and took a seat besides her mother. Victoria smiled watching Brooke there which gave me some hope that maybe, just maybe, they wouldn't rip each others heads off. I put the spaghetti in a pot to boil and stood watching them for a bit. Brooke looked a little hesitant, yet she seemed to be easing in as the minutes went by.
It was at that moment that I looked up to the sky and whispered a Thank You to Almighty. Brooke and I were together again, she was reconnecting with her mother, the kids wanted to actually step out, we were all safe and together. Things were looking up everywhere and I was just so damn grateful.
I walked outside once the food was ready and the table was set, Brooke was laughing at the story Victoria was narrating, something about their time in New York. Everyone stood up and began walking in but Brooke stayed back, her arms going around my neck.
"So I take it that you're having a good time hanging out with your mother?" I asked her cheekily.
"Oh, yeah. Luke, I'm hanging out with my mother! Who would've though?" she said, beaming.
"Well I did. They have the most brilliant and kind-hearted person on the planet as their child. They were bound to succumb to your charm eventually," I said to her flirtatiously.
"Ha ha! Very funny. Now let's go, I'm starving!" she said before walking in.
"So how are Zack and Madison doing? His concussion getting better?" Brooke asked once we had said grace and begun eating.
"Yeah, but he is afraid to talk to Coach. With me and him out of the game, chances of the Ravens winning this Friday look pretty bleak," Jamie answered.
My face scrunched up. Being a former Raven, I knew just how big of a deal it was to those boys. "So do you still want to go to the game on Friday at school?" Jamie thought for a long moment before nodding his head.
"Soph?" I asked, who looked at her brother and then responded with a nod of her own.
Just then Brooke's phone began to ring. It surprised me when she actually went ahead to answer it. She was a stickler about the no phones at the table rule. However, all my confusion vanished with the smile she gave.
"Hii Maa!" she greeted, beaming at the phone.
"Oh Brooke! You look alright! Thank God! I just heard from Haley about what happened last night and I got so worried. Why did neither you nor my idiot son call me! Thank God Haley did! But, are you alright? Are you hurt? How do you feel honey?Do you want me to fly back earlier? Our tickets are booked for two weeks hence, but maybe I could come in early and Andy and Lilly can fly later on," she said, not giving Brooke a moment to respond.
"Oh mom, I am completely fine. I promise. Your son is taking great care of me. He just cooked me your spaghetti recipe, though I must admit, it still doesn't taste quite like yours," she said. I turned to look at Victoria who had an unreadable expression on her face. It was something I had never seen her wear. It took me a few moments to recognise it. Jealousy!
It made me want to capture it honestly, because Brooke wouldn't believe it when I would tell her that Victoria was actually jealous of the relationship Brooke had with my mom and how she called her mom despite them not being related or us being married anymore. Frankly, I didn't mind it though. Victoria needed a reality check on just how much she had missed out on with Brooke.
"Grandma! Guess what, mom and dad are together again!" Sophia blared into the phone, snatching it from Brooke's hands.
"Sophia!" Brooke screamed, slapping her head.
"What? It's true, isn't it?" she asked us, fluttering her eyelashes innocently at us.
"What? Is this really true? Lucas?" Karen asked aloud. I saw Sophia's hand stretch towards me and I came face to face with my mom.
"Heyyyy mom," I answered, unsure how she felt about it. She had warned us not to do anything that would cause ripples in the kids' lives.
"Are you and Brooke really back together?" she asked me. Her voice was cracking and her eyes were watery, shimmering with hope. I saw my voice falter as I steadied my nerves. Brooke grabbed my hand and gave me a smile.
"Yeah, we are," I said, with confidence as Brooke dropped her head in the crook of my neck, her face now visible in the screen for my mom to see.
"Oh my God! I haven't felt this happy in so long!" she said, flicking tears away from her eyes. "I wish you both all the happiness, God knows that both of you deserve it. Now don't be afraid of your past mistakes. I can see it in your faces and the way both of you are answering me. Both of you look afraid of history repeating itself, but it only can if you let it. Fight for each other this time and yourselves! You two were just too young back then, this time ya'll are ready and…. I am just so happy!" With that, she actually began to cry.
"Oh my God! Mom!" Brooke said, happy tears falling from her own eyes as well. "We love you so much, now come back soon so that we can talk all about it."
"Yeah, but are you sure you are alright, baby girl? I mean the way Haley described it to me, it sounded absolutely horrific! Lucas having to resuscitate you. I cannot imagine what that would have been like," she said, her face losing her smile.
"As I said, I am perfectly fine. Your son saved me," she said, making my smile very wide.
"I'm definitely telling Andy right away to book me an earlier flight. Also, how are Jamie and Sophia now?" she asked.
"Here, why don't you ask them? They are just about to go out for the first time to the country club with Victoria," I said, handing the phone to Jamie.
"Victoria? As in Brooke's mother Victoria?" Karen asked while the phone shuffled hands.
"Yeah, she is here actually." Jamie said, flipping the camera. Victoria looked up from where she was silently eating her meal and gave a tight lipped smile. She didn't know how this worked at all. It was too much and too new for her.
"I'm so glad you're there for Brooke right now. I can't even begin to think how it must have been for you. Even dreaming about losing Lucas or Brooke or Lilly makes my body shut down and we almost lost her. God, I am taking the first flight there. I need to see you in person," she said.
Victoria was surprised by what she was hearing. "I- I never actually thought of that. I almost lost you. Brooke!" She looked up towards my wife, her eyes so broken, her expressions torn and confused.
I saw Brooke try to contain her own emotions. "It's alright, mom. You didn't. I am right here and I am fine," she squeaked. Both the Davis women quickly steeled themselves. Vulnerability was not allowed. I hear my mom say her goodbyes and an awkward silence settled at the table. Both, Brooke and Victoria were in deep contemplation. I knew that they were both trying to figure out how to reconcile their differences in their own ways.
"Hey Victoria, is it alright if Brooke and I join you and the twins at the Country Club? Brooke can go to the spa with you and Jamie and I can hang out at the golf course. We can all have high tea together, as a family?" I asked.
"Why, I can't think of anything better," she smiled at the two of us. I was so happy. Brooke would finally get her dream of having a day out with her mom.
We quickly got ready and I drove us over there. I kept glancing back to where the kids were sitting but they seemed perfectly fine. Once we reached the entrance of the well kept reception building, they seemed a little hesitant. The valets opened the doors for us, but I quickly walked over and grabbed offered my hand for Sophia to take to come out of the car. Brooke was doing the same thing on Jamie's side.
The kids smiled at us weakly but got out nevertheless. I tipped the valet and we entered the club. I could hear Jamie's shallow breath, yet he didn't complain so we kept walking. Once we had signed ourselves in, we asked the kids if they wanted to split ways.
"Can we all just stick together?" Sophia asked, clinging to Brooke's side.
"Uhh sure, but I don't think Jamie wants a mani-pedi or that you're interested in golf," she said, matter of factly.
"We have an hour and half before tea… we could just stroll around the grounds, take the golf cart around," I suggested. "Or the two of you could play tennis. You both enjoyed that activity together, until ya'll got bored."
"Gosh, I'm so glad that ya'll used the membership even while I was in New York. Thank you Daddy for your lifetime hereditary membership," Brooke said, raising an eyebrow at the last part.
"See kids, being a Davis isn't so bad," Victoria said to the children.
"Actually I think I am fine now. Let's split," Sophia said.
"You sure honey? We can turn around right away if either of you want it. We take it at your pace, okay?" Brooked cooed to our girl.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Jame?" she asked, looking towards her brother.
"Oh, I'm ready to beat dad at golf!" he laughed.
We took two separate golf carts as the boys had their golf equipment in the back of their buggy. Yet, the boys followed us to the spa before leaving for the golf course.
"Meet us on time, okay? Don't get too lost in the sport," I whispered into his ear before giving him a kiss to his cheek whilst I was crouching besides his cart.
"Wait, are you two really going to be the cheesy couple?" Jamie asked, sitting besides his dad.
"Oh, so cheesy; you're going to miss the old days," I grinned before planting a chaste kiss on Lucas' lips, instantly making his eyes close and his face look as if he was in a trance.
"Eww, please no!" he complained. "We need to set some ground rules! Please! One - no PDA! God! Eww! I am going to have to sleep with headphones from now on!"
"Oh God no! We are going to take this nice and slow, right?" she asked, her hands resting on my shoulder.
"Sure," I said unconvincingly, making the kids burst out laughing.
"Eww dad," Sophia chimed. Brooke slapped my chest and widened her eyes at me as if I was setting a bad example for the kids.
"Okay, I am not having this conversation with my kids. Period. Bye you lovely ladies, we will meet ya'll for tea," I said before stepping on the accelerator of the golf buggy.
