"So as explained, if you sign the documents right now, we can complete the transfer in four to six weeks," the Lawyer said, clasping his hands together like he closed a deal. Lucas looked at me giving me a befuddled look. He had been zoned out for a major part of the last hour.
We had come to the office, and he was all calm and fine. That was until the documents read out the name Daniel Scott. It was all downhill from there. He was fumbling with the collar button of his shirt, he was sweaty and his face was flushed red.
I had done most of the talking and read the papers myself to scan the contents. Lucas was trying, yet he just wasn't able to pay attention. He was looking at me, almost mirroring a little child asking his parent to make the decision for him because he was scared or confused. I gave his hand a squeeze as a reassuring smile graced my lips.
"Sign them," I whispered and with his left fingers curled with mine, he signed all the dotted lines.
"Well, that took all the energy out of me," Lucas said once we had exited the lawyer's office and were under the bright sun. I put on my sunglasses and tied my hair into a messy bun before checking my bag to make sure that I had all of my belongings and getting my phone out to check on the kids. They were alone at home for the first time, unless you count the time that Lucas was saving me from drowning. I quickly shot them a text to check on them and they responded with a thumbs up.
"Well the kids are okay and you did fine. It was never going to be easy," I said to him, walking towards our car.
"Yeah, I just can't wait to have mom over so we can get done with this ugly conversation and I can get rid of it. We can call Deb and Keith to dinner and just go over the contents, they can take whatever they want and then we just send everything that is left to charity the very next moment," Lucas said with panting breaths. I looked at him worriedly, silently asking him if he was okay. The worry in my eyes got him out of his train of thoughts as he did some deep breathing standing by the car door. Very soon, he had his breath under control and I exhaled with relief.
"You can talk to me about this, okay? Repeatedly if you need to," I reminded him, getting into the passenger seat. He gave me a grateful smile as he put his hand on my thigh and gave my knee a gentle squeeze.
We drove in silence for a bit, as I answered some of my texts. "By the way, Haley and Peyton are losing their minds. I asked for the contact of their ob-gyn which by the way is Dr. Crawfords! He is still working! Anyway, the I asked the girls for his number and now they are convinced that you have somehow impregnated me. They don't even know that we are back together yet! And somehow, they are so sure that we had an irresponsible hookup. Oh god, they are asking for details! This is so embarrassing. I can't even tell them that it is exactly to prevent that because well, then they will know that I want to…" I trailed off, getting embarrassed to finish the sentence.
"Want to what, Brooke?" Lucas teased, looking at me from the corner of his eyes.
I went back to texting the girls, not wanting to answer him. "I am just telling them that my Doctor in New York called and said that I was due for a health checkup and since I have no idea when I am going back there, I plan on just getting it over with out here," I informed him.
"No wait, but what was it that you wanted to do exactly that you're afraid to tell the girls about?" he continued to ask, being all cocky.
"That I want to dump your cocky ass and maybe see what all the Nick's on my list are up to?" I said, refusing to give him a straight answer.
"Nick's on your list?" he asked, his eyes squinting from confusion.
"Yeah, I had a list with you know all the famous Nick's like Nick Lachay and Nick Jonas, well Jonas from when he wasn't married, and I'd just pick one of the Nick's to take me for whatever event I needed a plus one for and let's just say, every single Nick on that list was upset when the night ended and the limo dropped him straight home without me," I whispered the last part.
"Well, all I am hearing is that you had your shot with every famous Nick and yet, you want…" he said, completely unfazed by my Nick list.
"Okay fine! That I want to, you know, be with you eventually…. After a long, long, long time, when we are both ready," I said, giving in. How was he so back to normal when he was a mess mere minutes ago at the lawyer's office. "When should we tell our friends though?"
"Soon, hopefully. It will be better coming from us then our Miss Princess Loudmouth. Remember the video call with my mom?" he said to me.
"Yeah, let's invite them to dinner for maybe tomorrow or the day after? I just have so much to get done today!" I sighed, not wanting to add another task to my plate. With that I got back to making calls.
"Hello, this is Brooke Davis. I wanted to book a consult with Dr. Crawfords. Could you let me know if there are any slots available for today after 4:00 p.m.? Yes, 4:30 works perfectly, I wanted to get a basic check up and get a prescription for birth control, thank you!" I said, ending that call.
"Hey Mills, have you spoken to our guys about remodeling the Tree Hill house? When can they fly down for schematics and things?" I asked her. I did not know how to get things done without Millie!
"Hey, I spoke to all of them and they are obviously very excited to collaborate with you. Their PR just wants to add one clause though, that you feature the final house in Elle Decor, cover and centre spread with an interview and photo op. I spoke to Elle, it's good money that they are offering for it. They love your dream team. It's good press for Home over Bro's too. Tori thinks that we should do it. Yet, I know that since it is Tree Hill, you might want to keep it private, so I was a bit hesitant. Which brings me to my main question. Why are you remodelling the house you share with Lucas?" the last part came in much more cheekily, making me blush a deep shade of scarlet.
"I guess our actions are very inconsistent with our silence. Well, if you must know. Lucas and I are together again." I was met my a series of squeals that she tried very very hard to stifle. "Yeah, yeah. We get it, go Team Brucas!"
"Wait, no!" she said, her voice filling with sadness, which got me worried. Was she sad that I was with Lucas. Luckily, she didn't keep me waiting too long. "No, that came out wrong. I am so very happy that you're back with him. You both deserve it. It's just, does this mean that you're moving there permanently?"
"Uh, we haven't had that big conversation yet. But, I cannot say that I am not inching towards it myself. It's not even been 48 hours yet that we have been together and I am personally not ready to have these hard conversations. I just want to lean into my happiness, just for a little while, until I can figure out how to make it work, which I will have to before the next Board Meeting so woohoo!" I said truthfully.
"Brooke, you know I love you, right? I will support you fully, whatever you decide," she said to me, making me tear up. "So, did you meet the realtor regarding the property?"
"No, I called her this morning and she was surprised with how serious I was about wanting to outright buy the place and requesting her to come meet us with the property papers. I am just headed back home to meet her. She did mention on the call that the plot is available for sale and Lucas and I don't mind the price she is asking," I informed.
"No! Brooke! You never negotiate. Please remember, quote 25% below whatever she asks!" she reprimanded me.
"Yeah, Millie! I will negotiate. I know that I tend not to, it's just annoying to me to do it. Fine, fine! I will fax the pacers to you today, show it to legal and if they approve, I will sign them and have them returned tomorrow. God, I wish you were with me permanently in Tree Hill! Mills, if this becomes my home base, how much of a raise will you need for me to convince you to move here? I'm honestly going crazy planning all of this myself. Victoria has Calliope to torment out there. She can't keep you too!" I whined.
"Have the difficult conversation with Lucas whenever you are ready for it, and then we will discuss this. I have your back. Also, don't forget, you have the meeting regarding ownership of the Bobcats at 12:30 p.m. sharp," she said.
"Yeah, I just need to wrap it up by 4:00 p.m. Please tell Vincent and our team that I will leave the meeting at that time sharp so they better time themselves." I instructed authoritatively.
"Okay, we can do that. What should I tell Elle Decor?" she asked, reminding me of that unfinished conversation.
"Wait a minute. Luke, a magazine wants to feature the new house. Will that be okay? Neither you nor the kids have to be a part of it," I asked him.
"Uhh, do whatever you feel is right. I'm okay with it and I know you won't take any wrong decisions regarding the kids," he said, scratching his head.
"Okay, Mills, say we will do it but on our terms. They get me and only me. Lucas and the kids will not be a part of it. They say I redid my house in my hometown, nothing about the house I share with my ex-husband and children and all that crazy messed up drama. They get all the public spaces like the living room, kitchen, dining room, all the outdoors stuff, add the master because everyone wants to see the master, the guest rooms, a couple of bathrooms and my study. All of that is okay. Any space to do with the kids or Lucas, like his study, Karen's cottage or the kids' bedrooms, the game room or whatever points to them is off," I put forth my conditions.
"Okay, I will talk to them and then legal and PR can handle the contracts. The house will take a while to get done but they want to boost it since it ties so well with the new home decor line. So they want videos of the work, torn down house with you in a hard hat perhaps, you picking tiles and colour schemes and things for their website and social media. It's the whole thing. Just you and your team. Elle will send their camera crew,"
"I guessed that since the magazine came to us before the work has even begun. Okay, so Orie is coming in day after, correct? Send in a cleaning crew the next morning and you fly down here too. I cannot supervise Mills. I need you. Make sure that the house is in order and the kids stuff can show a bit, I mean the world knows I have children, but nothing of Lucas'. It goes as my house in my hometown. Also, whatever they edit, make it clear with them that our team will vet and consent to the material before anything gets posted. They can own it, but nothing goes up without our explicit consent," I planned the wheels of my brain churning.
"I will get this done and book my flight tickets for Tree Hill. See you soon, boss!" she said before ending the call.
"Hey Haley!" I said, making yet another call.
"Hey Brooke, so how are you and the baby doing," she said, snorting and laughing on the phone. She was somehow finding this joke between her and Peyton hysterical.
"You and Peyton need a life. Anyway choosing to not hear your input, I have been here in Tree Hill for too long and perhaps will be here for longer. So, I need a car. Want to come test drive some with me? I am going to borrow one of the kid's cars and can meet you directly at the Audi showroom at 6:00? Free to come? I would ask Peyton too but she is so ready to pop baby Anna, I am afraid her water would break all over the shiny custom leather interior," I joked.
"Yeah sure. I'll see you there," she said. "If you want I can swing by your place and pick you up. It is on the way."
"Nah, I am not going to be home. I will be at Dr. Crawfords' getting my regular check up done. Anyway, before you begin whatever teasing it is that you want to do, we want to invite and host everyone for dinner tomorrow. The kids are doing so well at this point, we wouldn't have been able to do it without any of you so will you, Nate and the kids make it? Luke is going to call the rest of them and put it on the group text," I asked.
"Sounds fun! Although, there is no need to thank us. Your kids are my niece and nephew and my godchildren. Anything for you, sis," she said into the phone.
"Aww, Hales! Love you. But, I got to go. Meet you at 6," I said as Lucas parked the car into our driveway.
The realtor was already there, waiting for us.
"Hello Mr. Scott and Ms. Davis," she greeted us as we walked to the adjoining property.
"We're sorry, did we keep you waiting?" Lucas asked, checking his watch to see that we were on time.
"Oh no, I just parked moments ago. So you're interested in the property adjoining your home," she said, a giant smile plastered on her face.
"Yeah, we wanted to expand the house and build a guest cottage without compromising on backyard space," I said, holding Lucas' hand.
"Oh I see. I just wanted to ensure that you know that you will have to buy the whole lot, we aren't selling it in parts," she said, making me narrow my eyes.
"Did we ask for a partial lot?" I said, hating when people saw a pretty face and just assumed that I must be a total ditz.
"No, it's just that this lot is the exact size of your current house, you know, a four bedroom house with 4 garages, a pool, a large backyard, warehouse, poolshed, gazebo and deck," she said.
"Look ma'am, you already told me the size of the plot on the phone when I said that we want it. Do you want to sell it or not?" I asked, losing my patience.
"I'm sorry ma'am. Here are the papers that you wanted. Will you and Mr. Scott be purchasing the property jointly?" she asked, sweetly this time.
"Yes, we will be. I will have our people vet the paperwork and they will get in touch with you. We have your quotation. They will talk to you about it directly," I said, giving her a tight-lipped smile, not wanting to waste any more energy on her.
"Oh, that is great. When can I expect to hear from you by?" she asked.
"If all checks out, our people will give you our quote tomorrow itself and if you agree, we can sign the documents and give you the full amount tomorrow itself. We expect immediate use of the property, of course," I said, giving her my own fake smile.
"Of course, that can definitely be arranged," she said, this time she was genuinely startled. She did not expect a fully paid sale to go through in a day. We left the adjoining plot and walked her to her car parked in our driveway.
"You said our people," Lucas suddenly said, swinging his arm around my shoulder as we walked towards the house.
"Huh?" I said, not understanding what he meant.
"When talking to the realtor, you said that our people would get in touch with her. Not your - Brooke Davis' people," he clarified, making my fake smile turn into a genuine one that made my eyes glitter and my dimples get deeper than ever.
"Well, you see, I am yours. So whatever is mine becomes yours and by that logic… ours," I said, cradling my head in the crook of his neck as he unlocked the door.
"Kids, you alive?" Lucas yelled out to them once we were in.
"Yeah, doing school!" They yelled back simultaneously, making us both chuckle. I made all of us some tossed salads and sandwiches for lunch and locked myself in Lucas' office for my meetings for the day.
I was somehow beginning to feel that this might just work. I was living in Tree Hill with my family, surrounded by all my friends and I was working as well. Yeah, I knew I would have to fly soon. Not everything could be accomplished from Tree Hill, but a whole lot could, which wasn't possible all those years ago. Maybe I could… maybe I just could dream of being the one who gets the boy and the babies.
Lucas soon left to go with Nathan to Keith's Auto shop for some work while the kids went to the Riverwalk with their friends post school. I got a lot of work done regarding the Bobcats' ownership. The team would still have to do their audit checks and everything, but if all went well, I would be signing the papers soon and my team would begin the press coverage and social media campaigns about the sign.
I laughed when they asked whether I would agree to do a photoshoot with their leading player, the all-star Mr. Nathan Scott. I was also supposed to be at the banquet for the official start of the season. For once, I didn't mind the fancy galas and dinners because Nathan and Haley would obviously be there and I would get Lucas to be my plus one instead of a boring Nick. We could make a trip out of Charlotte with all our kids. This was all months away though.
Vincent was respectful of my time constraints and wrapped up the meeting by 4:00 p.m. Grabbing my things, I took Sophia's car which she had left home for me and drove to the clinic for my appointment. I filled out the forms and waited for my turn. I was sitting amidst a couple of pregnant women which oddly gave me a weird sense of deja vu. There was a young couple with a barely there baby bump, both their eyes fixated on it. They were definitely expecting their first baby. Then there was a heavily pregnant women with two toddlers that looked like her. She seemed calm and relaxed, it was obvious, this wasn't her first rodeo.
"Brooke Davis," one of the nurses called, making me clamber to my feet and follow her to the room. She got all my basic vitals and handed me a gown to change into. "Just change and wait, the doctor will be in in a minute." I followed her instructions and got onto the chair, waiting for the doctor.
"Oh wow, this is a sight for sore eyes. Brooke Davis! You have grown well," Dr. Crawfords greeted me. He looked much older than what I remembered him, but obviously his mind was as sharp as ever.
"Wow, how did you remember me? You have like a million patients," I smiled.
"It's not everyday that you get a scared emancipated teenager who is about to be a mother of two as a patient," he said to me, giving me a sympatheitc smile. "How are those children of yours doing?"
"They are doing very well," I said as he asked me for permission to begin the exam.
He asked me about my period and my family medical history, before asking me whether I was sexually active.
"Uhh, no. I haven't been in a few years. But, I might be soon. That's why I came here. To get a prescription for birth control," I responded.
"Oh, I always thought you would end up marrying that boyfriend of yours from back in the day," he said, sounding more like a sweet father to me than anything.
He began the physical part of my exam, checking my breasts for any lumps of cysts. "I did actually marry Lucas, my then boyfriend. Then we divorced and now I am back with him after 7 years, it's complicated." I laughed.
"Wow, sounds like a movie plot to me," he said, putting my feet on the stirrups of the examination table. He quickly checked my exterior vagina before using a speculum to open it up. He was sweet enough to announce exactly what he was going to do next so that I was prepared for how I was about to feel. I stayed silent the whole time, letting him check for cysts.
"All looks good, Brooke," he said, giving me a sweet smile.
"Uhh, Dr. Crawfords, just out of curiosity. Umm… if I were to, am I healthy enough to carry another baby?" I asked him, squinting my eyes. I did not know why I was even asking this question, it wasn't like we wanted more kids, right? It must have definitely been due to the waiting room outside. It had to be, right? Seeing those pregnant women out there.
"Oh, are you and Lucas planning more?" he asked me with a smile. "So no birth control then?"
"Oh, no. I definitely want the pills. I was just asking, for maybe in the future. I mean, most women have children in their late twenties, early thirties and I had two at sixteen and I had that cervical insufficiency issue and all those complications. It just made me wonder, am I still fit enough, just in case?"
"Let me have a look, alright," he said before letting me know that he was going to insert his fingers in and place his other hand my lower abdomen to feel my cervix, uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries.
"Yes, you are fit enough to have a good healthy pregnancy," he said, making an instant smile come to my face. Suddenly, my mind caught up with me and I toned it down. I wasn't pregnant, in fact I was here to prevent one.
He quickly got me back to normal, helping me get my feet down before handing me the prescription for birth control. He then left the room, allowing me to change back into my regular clothes. I left from there, sitting in my car for a couple moments, wondering where all the baby talk had come to my head from. I shook my overthinking away before driving to the drug store to purchase the pills and some condoms, in case Lucas had forgotten before meeting Haley at the Audi showroom.
I had got a text from her that she was running a little late, something about the kids and paint being everywhere and baths. That was one part of parenting that I did not miss! As soon as she got there, her voes and misery were forgotten. I began an pretending to be an extremely uptight ditzy lady and Haley followed my charade as the salesmen basically treated us like Queens. We browsed through the choices, nitpicking them as if we were extremely picky and could do a better job manufacturing cars than them. Haley seemed to be having a really good time doing it too.
We went on a wild test drive, testing the reliability of the car that the salesman was pitching. It was funny, with Haley sitting besides me and me driving like a novice stunt driver since I was one of those oddballs who paid for parking and took my car out in New York. I could handle a car well, I knew that, but the salesman didn't as he struggled to catch his breath while I cruised on the open road.
"Hmm, not as shock absorbent as you stated," I said once we were back in the showroom, before going into the detailed pros and cons of the engine and all the parts of the model we were test driving. And then stating a list of all the customisations I wanted in the car for me.
"Wait what? How do you know all of that?" he asked, heavily confused whether or not we were smart.
"I don't know, because I read," I said simply, giving him a coy smile and handing him a cheque for the quoted amount. I booked a black Q3 model with custom interiors and tinted windows in an attempt to try and remain inconspicuous, despite the Southern small town vibe of Tree Hill.
"That was fun, Brooke. That poor guy is never going to forget us. Anyway, better head home for dinner. See you tomorrow for dinner," Haley said as she hugged me goodbye and we both drove home. I was tired, but there was still one conversation pending in my task list for the night. Hopefully, it would go smoothly.
I entered the house, which was oddly silent. I found Lucas in the kitchen, making vegetarian chili for dinner. "Hey Pretty Girl, how was your day?" he asked me, giving me a joyful smile, the kind that reached his eyes.
"It was great, I got almost everything on my list done," I said, hugging him from behind and giving him a kiss on his cheek.
"Ooh, you had a hefty list, based on your calls this morning. What's left?" he asked, still stirring the pot of chili.
"Two things, going throw the presentation for the Sephora collaboration meeting tomorrow and talking to the kids about the reno and moving to the Davis house," I sighed.
"Well, we can finish the second one right now," he said and began to clear his throat. 'Kids! Dinner!" he yelled so loudly that my heart almost jumped out of my skin.
They came down and he asked them to set up the table. I helped them, grabbing glasses of water and placing them around. Once we sat and said grace, Lucas cut right to the chase.
"So, we have something exciting happening and we wanted to know whether the two of you were cool with it," Lucas said, his voice and eyes sparkling with elation.
"Wait, are you pregnant, mom!" Sophia cut in before Lucas could finish what he was about to say. I almost choked on my chili.
"What! No! How? Why would you think that!?" I asked, after drinking some water to help me swallow.
"Now, I thought you knew the how. I mean exhibit A and B sitting opposite you," she continued to joke.
"Cut the sass," Lucas warned her. "And no, there is absolutely no way that your mom could be pregnant."
"Then what else could you tell us that would be exciting?" Sophia shrugged her shoulders before taking another bite of her chili.
"If you ever let us finish, we would tell you that your dad and I are planning to expand the house. We are purchasing the empty plot besides us and well, my team will be here day after to begin working on the blueprints. However, this means that we will be moving to the house on Ocean Avenue for a while. The interiors will change completely, you guys can obviously remodel your rooms to the way you like and put in your suggestions. Is that okay with both of you?" I asked, explaining everything.
"Also, something that is trivial for the world where your mom comes from but not us… She agreed to get the housefeatured in a magazine. Now, we kept both of you as away from the public eye as possible for your own benefit as we wanted both of you to live normal lives. However, now both of you are old enough to make these decisions on your own. There is an interview and a photoshoot and things that only your mom can explain, having done this before. What I mean is, you get to choose whether or not you want to do the cover with her or get your rooms featured. Brooke and I want to keep our relationship with each other private. We don't want the world to have an input yet, so the house is simply pitched as her house in her hometown and not our house."
"This sounds cool to me. I want a game room and a movie room, like the basement in the Ocean Avenue house. The basement there is dope," Jamie said, getting on board.
"I need to get on pinterest! I have so many ideas for my new room!" Sophia remarked, equally happy.
"And check," Lucas whispered to me, making me smile.
"Now guys, there's going to be a vlog and a social media campaign once the team flies in. Clean up your rooms unless you want those featured in well, the leading home decor magazine in the world. And well, B. Davis as well. We will put it in there as well. Sneak Peek into B. Davis' refurbished Tree Hill Home." I said, laying emphasis on the headline.
"Yeah yeah, whatever. I'm just bummed that it's this and not something interesting about you guys!" Soph remarked, making both Lucas and I roll our eyes.
"It's like the only way to make them happy is if we decide to get married tomorrow," Lucas said sarcastically to me, giving the twins a death glare.
"Ooh, now that is a remarkable idea! Let's do that instead! But you see Soph, it is all a plan. Dad probably doesn't want to give up on his office and they don't have any more rooms for a nursery. So, they can only plan a baby after the expansion," Jamie said, getting on board with Sophia's banter.
"I absolutely give up," I said, holding my temples exhasperatedly making the twins roar with laughter.
"Mom, we love you, okay," Jamie said to me with a goofy smile on his face, making me smile as well.
"Ooh also, no plans allowed for tomorrow night. We are having the family over for dinner to announce us before you, Princess Loudmouth and Sir Mockalot let the cat out of the bag for us. So please, let us be the ones to tell them. Thank you," I said authoritatively. "You may invite Zack and Madison if you want, although Jenny will be there along with Jude and Lydia."
"Hey! We can keep quiet if we want to," Jamie said so unconviningly, that he couldn't even keep a straight face finishing that sentence.
"Yeah, and how many seconds did it take for Sophia to spill the beans to Grandma Karen?" I asked, giving them a poker face and raising one eyebrow.
"Okay, relax woman. We will allow you to make a big deal and have your moment as you announce it. Pro tip: Don't keep it till the end of the party, you and dad suck at pretending to not be into each other. We all have been watching ya'll pine for each other for years and since both of you are together now, it's even more insufferable. If either of you are worried of rejection, don't be. Every single one of them wants both of you together and happy. We all were a part of the Lindsey hate club."
"I'm not sure whether I'm supposed to say thanks or not," Lucas said, his expression a mixture of confusion and giggles. "So how was it at the Riverwalk?"
"It felt nice and normal. We hung out, had some snacks and sodas. Did homework on the benches together," Jamie answered."Or more like some of us did homework while some of us tried 50 different sunglasses at Sunglass Hut."
"Sophia," Lucas said warningly.
"Chill Dad, I'll get it done tonight post dinner. Relax," she said, her eyes widening as she tried to keep her tone from raising at her brother and relaxed for her father.
It was Jamie's turn to clean up so post dinner, I picked up my iPad to go over the Sephora presentation. I was so tired from the day which was odd because my days in New York were just so much longer. I went up and took a long nice shower. Feeling refreshed, I stepped out of the bathroom to find Sophia in my bed. It startled me for a minute, I was in work thoughts. I often took my work back home with me when I felt like I needed a break but had a mountain to accomplish yet. A shower and a glass of really strong coffee often did the trick for me. Yet, every single one of those times, I was alone.
"Hey baby girl, what are you doing here?" I asked, tightening the towel wrapped around my body and picking up my moisturiser from the dresser cabinet.
"Well, I am just not the greatest at trigonometry so I just am not motivated enough to do it and I know that you have to work as well. So I figured, maybe I could work here, so I don't end up watching tiktoks all night. I also am behind on some reading for History,," she confessed.
"Of course, sweetheart! Why don't you begin? I'll be right out," I gave her a wink before entering the walk-in closet. Putting on some fuzzy pyjamas, I placed my towel on the tack to dry and stepped out. Baby Soph was almost falling asleep over her paper.
Picking up my iPad from the the coffee table on the side of the room, I got into bed with her. My actions woke her up as she quickly began to concentrate on the paper in front of her. I began to read through the brief which wasn't all that brief that my team had put together but I couldn't help it. I stopped, stilled everything and took a deep breath. It was just a moment to appreciate this. I had my daughter leaning against my side as she tackled her homework.
"What?" she asked skeptically, catching me stare.
"Nothing," I answered, quickly shifting my gaze back to the rather long brief.
We stayed that way for a while. I chuckled when Sophia grumbled and erased her working over and over but also gave a sly smile when she huffed out a breath of relief that she managed to figure out the problem. Once she was done with Math, she lay herself in mY lap and perched her Histroy book on her belly to read. I shook my head, but didn't say anything.
"How much do you have left?" she asked me, two pages into her reading.
"Quite a bit unfortunately," I sighed. These kind of things always took forever. "I must confess, this isn't my strongest suit either. I am much better at designing."
"Wait, then why don't you just hire somebody to do this for you?" she asked, scrunching her nose.
"Because then I will never learn. You see Soph, as the owner of the Company, I am responsible for everything. If anything goes wrong, it is entirely my responsibility and I have to acknowledge it. I cannot just always do what I love and pawn off what I don't on other people and this approach has been rewarding. Look, my team gets me the best pitch that they can figure. Yet, I am the one signing the dotted line. I am the one hoping that this collaboration goes successfully. Girls of every colour deserve beauty products designed keeping them in mind." I smiled.
"So what I am hearing is school never ends," she sighed.
"No, learning never ends and thank God it doesn't. Now ponder over that after you finish History," I said, getting back to my brief.
"I'm done!" she said, stretching herself in my lap. How much is left?" she asked, taking a peek at the screen.
"Not much. I should be done in another thirty minutes," I said, growing tired as well.
"Can I just stay here and hang out until you get done?" she asked, grabbing her phone from her nightstand.
"I would love nothing more. Hey, I like the company too. I'm pretty certain I would have fallen asleep reading this alone as well," I winked, letting her settle in my lap once more.
By the time I was done, she was fast asleep. I could hear Lucas and Jamie playing basketball in the backyard. Yet, I had no energy. Shifting Sophia as gently as I could, I got her head out of my lap and onto a pillow before getting under the covers and welcoming sleep as well.
