Chapter 742: Wilmington International Airpot
Wednesday, March 22nd, Evening
The plane had landed, and it was already dark out. The three-hour time difference was going to take some getting used to. After disembarking the aircraft, she headed to baggage claims and got her small bag that went with her carry-on. She found her bag after waiting for the luggage to arrive at the carousel.
Candi turned and found her dad waiting, holding a cardboard sign that read "Dr. C.L. Scott."
She raises her brow at him, torn between rolling her eyes at him and breaking into laughter, "Really, Dad?"
"It is perfectly in my rights as your father to embarrass you whenever I get the chance," Lucas said, with the trademark Scott smirk on his face.
She fires a matching smirk back at him, "I missed this."
"I missed you," Lucas said and embraced his oldest child.
She gently throws her arms around the family patriarch, "If you only knew..."
After they broke off the hug, he looked her over. "What are you made of steel?" Lucas asked, laughing.
She smiles warmly in reply, "Hardly superwoman, Dad, but I've been sticking to the workouts."
"How you find time for it all, I will never know," Lucas said, reaching for one of her bags.
"It's more about making the time," she smiles, allowing him to assist with her bags.
Lucas led her to the waiting, idling Veteran SUV he always drove. He opened the back hatch manually and, with some effort, put her bag in the back. Candi climbed into the front seat, and Lucas got behind the wheel. He pulled away from the curb and headed towards the airport exit.
"You know, you didn't have to come out here; I can manage myself," Lucas said, looking at Candi from the corner of his eye.
"We're not doing this again, are we?" She raises a brow, daring him to challenge her.
"Doing what?" Lucas asked.
"Trying to keep me away so I don't worry?" She said a displeased look on her face.
"Don't give me that look," Lucas said.
"What look? The one that reminds you of both of our mothers?" She's sighing, shaking her head.
"Well, yes, and your grandma doesn't give me that look; that's solely a Strauss look," Lucas said.
"You know, I do love you, but it's warranted. If I had not come out, I would've worried anyway. It would've been harder to focus," she rubs her temples.
"Candace Lynn, you know you've always overdone it," Lucas said.
"I would've been too worried. I'm glad I'm here," she said.
"You know, I do have Brooke looking after me," Lucas said, "And Keith is back soon."
She just runs her fingers through her hair, "good to know."
"Good, maybe you can spend some time with your sisters while you're here and not looking after me," Lucas said.
"I'm telling Brooke to double down," she sighs.
"Double down on what?" Lucas asked.
"Looking after you," she smirks.
"I am just mentioning it would be nice for you to spend time with two of your sisters," Lucas said.
"Yeah, the two that actually don't hate me," she snorts.
"Kay doesn't hate you," Lucas said.
"Oh look, Daddy has his blinders on. Remember the Zoom call?"
"What about the Zoom call?" Lucas asked.
"You saw how she acted, Dad," Candi said.
Lucas sighed, "Kay has always had issues with emotions. Peyton wanted to get her tested, but Kay refused," Lucas said.
"No further comment about the sibling who can't stand me."
"Well, what about the two sisters that do?" Lucas asked.
"Looking forward to seeing them," she nods, "I've wanted to check on Sawyer too."
"Sawyer seems bored; the cheerleading season is over, and well, you know Sawyer," Lucas said.
"I think it's deeper than that," she whispers.
"You were a teenager once, and how did you reach out when your dad asked you a question?" Lucas asked.
"That could be referring to a lot; what do you mean?" She furrows her brow in confusion.
"When I approached you about something, were you always forthcoming?" Lucas asked.
"It depends on the topic," she admits, "what do you think Sawyer is hiding?"
"I don't know, it could be she spent money on something crazy, too," Lucas said and sighed, "God knows what."
"Or it could be a father's worst fear, something related to a boy," Candi shrugged.
Lucas rolled his eyes, "God, I hope not; been through that enough already," he said.
"Just saying," she shrugs.
"So, what's new in your life?" Lucas asked.
"Just school, clinical work, and concerts when I can," Candi smiles softly.
"Not much of a personal life, I see," Lucas said.
"I've got plenty of time," she said.
"So, you play basketball, work out, and sometimes get free tickets from your aunt; what else do you do?" Lucas asked.
"Study, it's all I have time for," she admitted.
"Okay, at least one of my daughters has her nose to the grindstone," Lucas said.
"It'll be worth the sacrifice in the end," she nods, smiling.
"Yes, it will be," Lucas said.
She noticed the familiar entryway approaching, and she smiled.
"So, Brooke has a room for you in the East Range," Lucas said.
"That doesn't surprise me," she's exhaling in relief.
"Izzy will be late tomorrow night, and Ellie is still bopping around," Lucas said.
"Glad to hear," something about being at Beaulieu centered her. Sure, she's planning to avoid certain people and places, if possible, but time will tell how that plays out.
"It would be nice if you visited your aunt and uncle as well," Lucas said.
"I'll make it a point to do that," she promises.
"You know the staff at the label? They would love to see you as well," Lucas said.
She just nods.
"What's on your mind?" Lucas asked.
"Sometimes I still struggle with all that happened," she admits.
Lucas nodded, "Have you been seeing your therapist?" Lucas asked.
"On and off," she admits with a soft sigh.
"Candi, it doesn't help if you're not consistent; you said so yourself," Lucas said.
"Remind me what the priority is. Not flunking out of medical school," Candi said.
"You could take it slower; you're already a doctor; this is your second specialty," Lucas said.
"I seem to have some more things to contemplate," Candi said.
"I don't want you to end up alone; that's all, Candi," Lucas said.
She takes his free hand, nodding in understanding. She may not have gotten along with her stepmother initially, but it was apparent how much Peyton and Lucas adored each other.
"I'm still mostly working, so what are you planning on doing when I'm not seeing doctors, Doctor?" Lucas asked.
"There's a lot I can do," she grinned.
"Still being a teenager and not sharing?" Lucas asked.
"Let's see, a ball and the infamous court, a certain bookstore... hitting the books, as I said, there's a lot I can do."
Lucas sighed, "You certainly learned your sarcasm from your step-mom," Lucas said.
"That was me being serious," she tried to hide her smile.
"You can be sarcastic and serious simultaneously," Lucas said, his vision distanced for a minute before pulling it back in.
She rests her arm on his shoulder in concern; they'd been sitting in the car outside Beaulieu for a while.
"So, we should be getting in. Brooke will be her normal self, and Lurch will show you to your room," Lucas said.
She nods, heading out. She reached in the back for her backpack and smaller bag. Lucas gets out of the car, retrieves her last bag, and they head inside.