"Hey, Jamie! Your dad's on the phone. Come talk to him," Brooke called out to her son who was playing with his remote-controlled car.
"Hey Brooke," Lucas greeted her as her son dropped the control in his hands and walked up to his mother. "Wait, you look different."
"Huh, what do you mean?" Brooke asked as she tried to hide her face. "Here you go, baby." She was quick to hand her phone to her son.
"Hi Jamie, one second. Umm, can you hand the phone back to your mom?" Lucas asked him.
Jamie shrugged his little shoulders, "Dad wants to talk to you."
"Uhh, wha - what do you need, Lucas?" she asked him hesitantly.
"Something seems off about you. You look different. What's wrong?" he asked her, staring at her intently, trying to figure out what was happening.
"Huh, what? Nothing is wrong. Everything is fine. Should I give the phone to Jamie?" she asked him.
"Your eyes… what are you not telling me?" he asked.
"Luke, you're being weird. Just talk to Jamie. I have to… uh…. I have things to get to," she said.
"Brooke, was it the owner of the club? Did he say something to you when you told him that you were quitting?" he asked, trying to figure out what was different.
"What? No," she replied. "I'm fine. Everything is fine! What's causing you to be this paranoid."
"Your eyes are different. Something is off. You did quit at the club, didn't you?" he asked, assuming that had caused the impact of the weird space Brooke seemed to be in.
"Uh…. No, not yet," she whispered.
"Why?" he asked, raising his voice.
"Jamie, here," Brooke said, quickly handing him the phone.
Brooke walked into the kids' bedroom and realised that she was finding it extremely difficult to breathe. She checked herself in the mirror and sunken eyes looked back at her. She had been struggling ever since she broke her one rule at the club and stripped completely for Mr. Daniels. She hated herself. She felt like she couldn't be in her own skin. She hadn't slept well since it happened and making her way to the club was a constant battle between her body and mind. It was like she was suffering from PTSD or a deep phobia and every step in the direction of the club was taking her closer to the source of her biggest fear. She hated herself and what she had done. She had doubts whether she had acted stupidly or irrationally. She knew she had acted stupidly and irrationally. She wondered whether she could've enticed a few more people for blowjobs and made the same amount.
She was surprised though that Lucas had caught on. How had he been able to tell that her eyes were different? To her kids, she was just tired from overworking. How had Lucas figured out in mere seconds that something deeper was on her mind?
"Momy, Dad is saying that he needs to talk to you about the move and the new house," Jamie said, walking into the room with Brooke's phone.
"Oh, alright," Brooke replied, taking the phone from his hands.
"Yes, Lucas, tell me," she said to him, hoping that he would only talk regarding their arrangement.
"I have the house ready. I'm sorry that I didn't actually make it in a week and that it took me a little longer," Lucas informed her.
"That's fine. Umm, if you have any pictures of us from High School, put them around the house in some frames so it actually looks like we are a couple. You also have the pictures of Jamie that I gave you right? Put some of those out too. Just make sure that none of them have Sam in them. She can't know that Sam has been living with me for the better part of a year," Brooke advised.
"I've already done that, B," Lucas responded. "I found pictures and notes from high school. I also found the 82 letters you wrote to me."
Brooke's breath hitched in her throat. "You kept those?" she asked, honestly surprised that he had.
"Of course I did! I kept everything you ever gave me," he said to her. "But there is something wrong with you. What is it?"
"When will Lorelai give us the green light? Sam is getting impatient. She really is sad that she has to leave her friends but she just wants to be adopted," Brooke tried to change the topic.
"Uhh, there's something more. Lorelai said that you need to be here for the home visit as she needs to ask us both some questions. Also, they do background checks and family assessments. This means they ask about our past and our childhood and talk to our family members about how they parented us so that they can determine whether we are fit parents," Lucas informed me. "They also need references. I have already filled out the paperwork with all the details and that includes details of your family, Brooke."
"No! What if she calls my mother? I cannot have her call my mother! She - Oh God! Oh no!" Brooke began freaking out. "And where will Sam go? I really do not want her living with Mike and Norma! How long will all of this take?"
"Relax. The home inspection only takes one day. You need to be here for a day. We can fly you in during the day and you can fly back in the evening. Sam can stay home on her own during the day and she can manage things for Jamie, right? You drop them to school and get Jamie fixed for a playdate. Sam can get him after her school," he planned. "However, what I think we need to do is play it a little smarter."
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"If Sam can crash with her friends for a few days, then you and Jamie can fly down here and I can try to ask my mom to come here too. She can be there for Lorelai's interview, and back us up and Nathan and Haley can be our reference contacts and we can hope that my mom charms her enough that whatever your mother says becomes irrelevant" he suggested.
"Shit!" cursed Brooke, not liking her options. "Oh God, this is happening so fast. What do we tell your mom and Nathan and Haley? We cannot ask them all to lie for us! Lucas, I'm scared."
"We're doing this for Sam. Just keep her in mind. Why don't we start by telling them all about Jamie? Then we can tell them about our wish to adopt Sam," he suggested.
"You want to ambush them?" Brooke asked.
"Well, I think you're a couple of years too late for any other tactic. Come on! Quit your jobs, see if there is any place for Sam to go and get here. I am calling my mom after this call and asking her to fly down immediately. I respected you and did not tell her about her grandson, but she needs to know now."
"I don't have a choice here, do I?" she asked.
"You have a choice, Brooke. They're all just the cowardly ones and you're brave. I'm booking a flight for you and Jamie for the day after tomorrow. That should give you enough time to sort everything out. I'm going to get Lorelai to come visit us two days after your arrival so that we can get the family up to speed," he instructed.
"I can book our flights. You don't need to," Brooke stammered. The whole conversation had been too unpalatable for her.
"I have travel points and come on now. We're practically going to be family. You might as well get used to the idea of us pooling funds and while you're quitting your jobs, you better figure out a way to tell me what has you looking that way because I am not going to let it go," he made it very clear.
"I still can't quit them. I'll take days off. I mean what if things don't work out with the social worker? I will be returning to New York then," she told him.
"Yes, but you're not going back there Brooke. You said it yourself how bad it was for Jamie. Come on, stop prancing around like a pony. In your head you know what is the right thing to do and if Tree Hill doesn't work out, we will figure something better out for you in New York. Whatever the outcome is, there is one certainty that you're not going back to your old jobs. So just quit them while you're ahead," Lucas huffed.
Brooke was annoyed. She ended the call without any greeting and huffed deeply. A part of her was happy that she got to finally quit the club and her waitressing job but that meant leaving Sam alone and coming clean to her family. Well, she had never been embarrassed by Jamie and she wasn't going to start then.
"Hey honey, what time are you getting back by?" Brooke called Sam to enquire.
"Uhh, just in time for dinner, why?" she asked.
"Lucas just called to tell me that I need to be in Tree Hill to complete some formalities. It might take a few days which also means we need to figure out where you can stay. I don't want you spending the entire night by yourself. Can you crash at Liz's?" she asked her.
"Oh, okay. I'll ask her. Are things okay on the processing front?" she squeaked.
"Yes, everything is perfectly fine. You know more about these processes. They need to interview us together and do a home visit. Lucas finally has the house ready. I don't know how purchasing some basic furniture and kids toys can take that long for a fake room but he is doing this also for Jamie so he must have gone overboard for sure. He was pretty quick when he redid his room for me," she let it slip accidentally.
"What? What do you mean?" Sam asked, sensing the onset of another story, another piece of her fake mother's past that she was so inquisitive about. She was excited to move to Tree Hill and meet the infamous people and hear stories about Brooke because she was curious.
"Uhh, nothing. Junior year my parents tried to ship me to California because my dad found work there. I didn't want to go. At that time, Lucas decided to move in with his father to get to know him and find out why and how he was manipulating people. So his room was free. Karen, his mother, convinced my parents to let me stay with them. They were more than happy to not be burdened by my presence. So I lived with Karen and for the first time and perhaps the only time in my life, I had a mom. Karen is the best. She tamed me and for the first time, I wanted to be good because I had somebody who I could make proud of me," Brooke shared with her. "She is coming to Tree Hill. Lucas is trying to get her there while I go."
"Oh, wow. How freaked out are you on a scale of one to ten?" she asked.
"Eleven hundred," Brooke responded, her voice going high. "But never mind that. The more I will think about it, the more anxiety I am going to build. Just please see if you can sleep at a friend's."
"Yeah, I will be fine for a few days Brooke. I'm fifteen and I have lived alone on my own before," she reminded her.
"Just because you have, doesn't mean you should. Ask your friends or I will ask Mrs. Garcia if you can stay with her for the night," she figured.
"No, Brooke, please not her!" Sam whined. "I'm asking Liz right now."
"Thank You, get home soon," she replied and ended the call.
Just then her phone buzzed and she saw that it was Lucas emailing their tickets to her. She sighed. Tomorrow would be her last day at the club and Fiona's diner. She still hadn't put in Jamie's transfer papers for school as she wasn't sure whether things would work out with Sam but she would have to let him skip.
"Hey Jimmy Jam, I've got some big news for you. We are going to Tree Hill the day after tomorrow. You will get to meet your father and see his house. We can even go looking for a new apartment for you, Sammy and I. You will also get to meet some new people and we will fly in a plane! Are you excited?"
"Yay! We're going to dad's! He promised to take me to the River Court when we get there! Will you come too, mama?" he asked.
"Yes, but you have to promise me one thing. Mom and dad are going to have to meet some people so that we can get Sam to Tree Hill too. You have to be on your best behaviour out there, okay? That will make us get Sam quicker and if your dad and I tell you to say something, just please listen, okay? It's all for you and Sammy," she tried to explain to her son.
Brooke never wanted to be a hypocritical parent. She always tried to be upfront with Jamie. Yet, she did not want to teach him to lie to the State and commit offences. She knew she would have to as the social worker would think that they were all living together at Lucas' when they were going to be renting an apartment. She hoped that she could keep Jamie out of those meetings as much as possible. She just needed the judge to sign the adoption papers as soon as possible. She knew that what she was doing could go so horribly wrong, especially since she couldn't blame a two year old for failing to lie. She knew that she did not have a choice and she had to just pray and hope. She hoped that Lucas could come up with a better solution.
That evening Sam promised that she could crash at Liz's. Brooke called her mom and clarified whether it was okay as she needed to take an urgent trip to her hometown. Her mother reassured 'Norma' that all was well and Sam could stay there as long as she needed to. Brooke sighed with relief and started thinking about her next hurdle - Marty.
"What do you mean that you're quitting!" he yelled at her.
"I'm sorry but I'm leaving New York. I'm going back home so tomorrow will be my last day at the club," she repeated herself for the fifth time.
"You see all those men outside. They are here for you. They come here to see you and I've been good to you. I let you keep your panties on, I let you bring your child here when you need. What more do you want?" he said, as if he was actually a decent guy and not a scumbag.
Brooke's breath hitched at the panties comment. She wanted to exit the club that very moment. She felt her skin crawl and she wanted to get out of her skin so badly that it hurt. "I can't raise my son this way. I'm out."
"It's not easy cracking it on your own outside. Trust me, once a stripper.. Always a stripper. You know Melody, don't you? She used to be pretty back in the day. She tried to leave this life too. Nobody would give her any work. Her reputation followed her like a horrible stench. After a month, she came back grovelling for her old job again and she even agreed to go further with the clients. She still works here as you know," he warned. "I know that I can't stop you from leaving. Just remember that once you leave, I won't make it easy for you to come back and I guarantee you that you will come back. They all always do."
Brooke was scared. Yes, she knew Melody. Melody practically lived at the club. She was much older than all the other girls. She did not have that many clients anymore, just some older men. Yet, she always stuck around. She was always high on something so Brooke avoided interacting with her and kept Jamie away from her. She wasn't as gorgeous as the younger talents and her drug use had aided in diminishing her beauty, but Brooke could see the faded remnants of what she would have been back in the day and she must have been gorgeous.
Would that be her? Would that really be her life? No! She was not coming back! She gulped hard. "Thanks Marty but I will not be back. Now, it's time for me to go on stage. Tomorrow will be my last day." Saying that, she shimmied her way onto the stage as the cue of the song she was going to dance on began belting the first few bars.
Brooke did what she had to and luckily it was a night of no blowjobs. She had given plenty of lap dances and that was it. She sighed in relief and felt guilty at the same time as she had done what she had for money a day ago. Did she not need it suddenly? What had she done to herself? She began panting hard as she made her way back home. She was conflicted. She couldn't tell whether she regretted being stupid and agreeing to Mr. Daniels or she regretted not being able to deal with it after. Brooke was not feeling like herself after and that was obvious.
Once she got home, she checked on her kids again. Jamie had a new picture that he had drawn. It had stick figures that could only be her, Jamie and Lucas on a basketball field and wavy blue lines on the end that could only signify a river. Jamie was so excited to see the River Court. It made a weak smile cross her face. She quickly showered and then lay in bed wide awake as the night she had stupidly allowed another man to pull her panties off replayed in her head over and over and haunted her.
"Have you taken everything you need?" Sam asked as Brooke finished the last of her packing.
"Yes, at least I think I have. Sam, I will be coming back here once I sort things out with your social worker to come and get you. We can pack up the house then. I just need a few decent clothes to look presentable in front of the social worker and my family," she said. The word family took way too much effort to spill out of her mouth.
"Afraid to see Karen? Has she reached Tree Hill?" Sam asked.
"No, she arrives tomorrow. She should be on a plane. Lucas told me she was really worried because he asked her to fly down asap and didn't explain why she had to. I hate worrying her but this isn't a phone conversation. For all I know she thinks this has to do with Peyton. She is going to get her mind blown seeing me with a replica of baby Luke!" Brooke laughed.
"What about his godparents?" Sam asked.
"Lucas said that Nathan was in town so we would just go over. We plan on telling them all the truth so that they can all help with the social worker. Once they are in, then we fill out the forms as they are bound to call them," Brooke replied.
"And you're certain that these guys will help you? You're sure that they won't rat us out?" Sam asked sceptically.
At that moment Brooke understood just how difficult it was for Sam. She had to put blind faith in complete strangers for an outcome that could make or break her life. Her past trust issues resurfaced as she looked at Brooke for some validation. Brooke stared into Sam's big brown eyes as she searched for more hidden emotions that the teen could be masking.
"These people love me and although they haven't met you, they will love you from the moment they hear about you. They will be mad, very mad. I kept their nephew and grandson from them but they will be mad at me. They won't be mad at you, so obviously they will help you," Brooke explained.
"When Carla pissed John off, he would come after me. How will this be different?" she asked while stating the only reality she knew. The world didn't work by laws. There was nothing like an eye for an eye. The world was only out to get you and the only person you could trust was yourself.
"Sam, these people are like me and Lucas. You trust him, right?" she asked, knowing that Sam was secretly fond of him.
"I trust that he wants to live with his kid and that comes with a caveat - me," she stated matter-of-factly. Sam folded her hands at her chest and wondered how Brooke would say otherwise.
"Okay, but you trust me," she answered, not knowing how to gain Sam's trust.
"Yeah but you haven't met these people in years. People can change for the worse. You don't know them anymore! Horace was decent in the beginning until he wasn't. He let me be and do my own thing until puberty started hitting in and I grew a pair of boobs," she stated.
"You want to move to Tree Hill, right? We can still abort the mission if you want," Brooke asked her uneasily.
"Yes, of course. I want to get adopted. I want you to never have to do those shitty jobs but there are just so many untrustworthy variables," Sam sighed.
"If you can't have trust, have faith. You need one of them to make it. The world is always going to be filled with untrustworthy variables. Life would be boring without them. This is one variable I have faith in. I know these people. They will never jeopardise your life," she said.
"You do know that I am a stranger to them, right?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at her fake foster mom.
"Yeah, but you're important to me. You and Jamie are going to be their worlds when we get there. They are just those kinds of people. They have big hearts and they love Lucas and they did love me. Haley used to be my best friend after all Peyton and I did was fight and Nathan and I were the same with our lifestyles. He was the careless jock and I was the slutty cheerleader. When he wound up with Haley and I with Lucas, we both changed and did some growing up. These are good people who will do anything to help," Brooke replied.
"Then how come you didn't ask them for help all these years? How come you stayed here, hid Jamie and became a stripper? Why did you not ask these 'good people' to be by your side?" Sam asked, catching Brooke right where it hit.
She did not have an answer for her. Colour drained from Brooke's face so fast, she felt like she would faint. What was she supposed to say to that? Brooke looked everywhere but at Sam, trying to come up with a decent answer, but she had none. Had she been a coward or had she been strong? She could never tell.
"I thought so," Sam answered, seeing Brooke's demeanour change.
"No Sam, listen. I was dumb and naive and scared and I believed that I was better on my own. In hindsight I realise that was probably a bad idea. I don't have an iota of doubt about whether or not they would have helped me. I know that they would have. I know it with every fibre of my body. What I am unsure about is whether I wanted the help back then. I was stubborn. That is on me and I'm glad it went that way because otherwise I wouldn't have met you! Sam I know that these are big big changes but I promise you, it either remains the same, or it gets better," Brooke replied.
"What if you get caught?" Sam asked. "You could end up losing Jamie too!"
"We won't get caught," Brooke replied too easily.
"How can you be sure?"
"Because Lucas knows how to fool one into believing that he loves you, even when he is after another," she said. 'And the other one doesn't need to act.' Brooke didn't say the latter part to Sam but she thought it and she didn't like it. She did not want him to still have a hold over her. She would have to deal with a heartbreak without even being with him. Yet, some things were never going to be in her control.
"Are you ready to go?" Sam asked her as they zipped up her and Jamie's bags.
"Yes. No. Maybe," she answered, feeling everything all at once. "Anyway, time to go. Jamie, come on!"
They made their way to the airport and Jamie was curious as ever. He looked everywhere and when they finally took their seats, he couldn't help but stare out of the window. When the plane took off, it was another story. He was terrified. Brooke held his hand as the plane jetted off the runway and rose upwards, leaving their stomachs on the ground. Once they had steadied, Jamie's excitement came back.
The flight was short and when they got out of the airport in Tree Hill, Brooke was hit by a surge of nostalgia. Tree Hill Airport looked the same. It had the same tiny terminal and plastic chairs in the waiting area. Brooke remembered the last time she had been there. She really never thought that it would take that long for her to return for a visit. Then when she had Jamie, she was certain that she would never see the place again. Now, she couldn't wait to call it home again. When they exited the airport, Lucas was waiting to pick them. Brooke felt Jamie tug her hand so that she would let him go and he could make a run towards his dad.
Brooke smiled and let go of his hand and saw him scream and jump into his father's waiting arms. Brooke's gait was slow as she lugged their bags. She wasn't sure how long things would take. She hoped for Sam's sake that they would be quick. She did not like the idea of being away from her for so many days.
"Dad, I'm in Tree Hill! When can you take me to the River Court?" he asked immediately. "I made this for you!" Jamie handed him the drawing that he had made for his father of them on what he imagined the River Court would look like. Lucas fawned over the image. It was the first thing that he had received from his son. His eyes got misty at that.
I will keep this very close to my heart, Jamie. Thank you," he said. "Now, do you want to see your new home?"
"Huh? Lucas, we aren't going to actually live with you at Karen's. I am going to go apartment hunting while I'm here," Brooke reminded him.
"Yes, I know you're not going to live with me at my mom's," Lucas rolled his eyes and walked them to where his trusty red mustang was parked.
"Whoa, mom! Look at this car!" he yelled, enamoured by it.
Brooke giggled as Lucas put all their belongings in the boot. "Here, will you put his car seat in or should I?" Brooke asked him. She had him in one for the plane ride as well.
Lucas suddenly felt ashamed. He had never even considered that Jamie would need a carseat. He was glad Brooke had things under control. She had a huge bag with her as her carry on for things Jamie would need. She was just glad that Jamie no longer needed diapers.
Once they were strapped in, Lucas slowly took them out of the airport. They drove around and Lucas pointed at things, telling Jamie what those places were. Brooke looks at Jamie in the backseat and smiles. He looked happy and she felt content. For a brief second, she had forgotten what she had done. Then she remembered again all of a sudden and panic settled in.
"B, you alright? You suddenly look like you saw a ghost," Lucas asked her.
"Yeah, all good, but why are we on this road? Isn't your house on the other side?" she asked him.
Lucas only smiled and continued driving until he stopped the car in front of a majestic white mansion. Brooke's throat hitched as she viewed her former home. It looked exactly the same with the white walls, extravagant front balcony, grey roofs and the signature red door.
Brooke felt breathless for a moment. She couldn't help but stare at the past glaring at her. Wow, Tree Hill had still been a figment until she sat there and took in the sight of her former home.
"What happened? Why are we stopping?" Jamie asked, not realising that both of his parents were in another world altogether, the world of the past.
Neither answered Jamie as Lucas stepped out and opened Brooke's car door.
"Wh-what? No, we can't walk on someone's private property," Brooke said as Lucas offered her his hand to get out of the car.
"Shh," he said and helped Brooke out. Next, he unclipped Jamie from his carseat and saw him springing out of the red mustang. Brooke stood on the sidewalk and folded her arms, taking in the view.
"Mm, I always loved that house. It deserved better. It deserved a family. Why do people waste so much time fighting and where does it get us?" she asked no one in particular as she still continued to stare straight ahead.
Lucas smiled. "Come on," he said, beckoning her towards the door.
"What? Why are you taking me to my old house?" she asked.
"No, it's your new home. You told me that you really liked being the girl behind the red door and you said it now, that this house deserved better. That it deserved a family. Well, now it's got one. The best one," Lucas replied.
"No! No! Tell me that you're lying. Tell me that this isn't real," Brooke complained.
Brooke was scared and angry. How the hell had Lucas purchased a house, her former house, a mansion on a whim! She couldn't live up to that. She suddenly felt so small like Lucas believed that she was a bad mom who could not provide for her child.
"Wait, till you see the other surprise I have for you inside. Jamie, come on!" Lucas said, mistaking her words for enjoyment.
Jamie had only seen skyrises. He had never seen a house that large before. He was thoroughly enjoying himself. He followed his dad who walked up the white steps and opened the red door.
Inside just in front of the door, he saw a mini replica of the house. Brooke's eyes fell on it and bulged.
"Is that - no it can't be. Is it really my dollhouse?" she asked, walking in and bedding towards it.
"When I moved you into my house, that time I had got your dollhouse with me, remember?" Lucas asked her. Brooke smiled knowingly. She remembered everything, from the painted door to the pink wallpaper to the vanity with lights and a special place for her dollhouse. Lucas had given her a perfect room with a real mom.
"This dollhouse was still at my place. I was in the attic trying to see what all things from my childhood were with me so that I could build a room for Jamie, maybe pass them down to him and my gaze fell upon this dollhouse. It was collecting dust up there so I brought it down and gave it a fresh coat of paint to refurbish it. I knew just how much you loved this house and how much you used to pray that it turn into a home. So, I tracked down the owners. They didn't live there. They just owned it. I begged them to sell it to me and they agreed. I spent the next few days refurbishing it, designing rooms for you, Jamie and Sam," Lucas explained. "This is why it took me longer than a week to get things done."
"I was always quite surprised you knew how much the dollhouse meant to me. I thought only mouth and Felix knew about that because they had been there when I had to sell it. But Lucas, no! How do I pay for this? I - I can't! I told you that I was going to look at apartments. How did you even pay for this house?" she yelled at him.
"I used the advance from my book," Lucas replied honestly.
"You really blew up all your book money on a house!?" she yelled. Brooke was livid.
"I would say invested instead of blew up," Lucas replied angrily. "I did a good thing for you. I bought you your dream and you're angry at me!"
"Yes, I am because I didn't ask you to buy me anything! I told you that I planned on renting an apartment. We don't need a mansion! Lucas, why won't you just listen to what I am telling you?" she yelled.
Suddenly they heard snivelling. Both of their heads turned to see Jamie on the verge of tears.
"Baby, what's wrong?" Brooke asked, reaching his side in an instant. She crouched down and studied him. He didn't seem to be hurt.
"Mommy and Daddy are fighting!" he said and let out a loud languished sob.
Both parents immediately felt guilty for their actions. They had completely forgotten the little kid with them in the midst of their power battle.
"We're so sorry. We are really really sorry. We let our emotions get the better of us. That was wrong on our parts. Right, dad?" she asked, looking at him as she engulfed Jamie in a hug.
"Yeah, I'm sorry. We shouldn't have said those things," he replied.
Jamie's crying was not quietening down. "Hey, Jamie, do you want to see your new room?" Brooke asked in an attempt to distract him. The boy's ears immediately perked up. "Daddy designed a room just for you. Do you want him to show it to you?"
Jamie's sobs stopped instantaneously. He let go of his mom and looked at his father expectantly. Lucas lifted him in his arms and climbed the stairs.
Brooke sighed and gave another glance at her dollhouse. It looked like it had been constructed yesterday. Then curiosity got the better of her and she walked upstairs along the familiar staircase.
Jamie had already busied himself in his new room. Brooke stood at the door and took the scene in. The room was painted light blue and it had a similar setting with a raven's blue race car bed with a hoop fixed above it. Light poured into the room through the open blue and green sheer curtains. His closet was empty currently but there were hangers and things for Brooke to unpack. One corner had a kiddie table with shelves lining the wall which were full of art supplies. The chest of drawers and the nightstand had photo frames filled with pictures that Brooke had given Lucas. There was a reading nook with a beanbag, reading light and a carpet right beside a large bookshelf. The shelves weren't completely filled though they housed old books. Brooke knew that they were books from Lucas' childhood. A corner had a toy box with baseball equipment and a couple of stuffies. Jamie loved every bit of it.
"Wow, this is a pretty cool room," Brooke remarked.
"Brooke, let's never fight in front of him ever again," Lucas answered quickly.
"That I agree with," she replied.
"You want to see your and Sam's room?" he asked and didn't wait for an answer as he led the way. The room right opposite Jamie's was hers.
Brooke smiled seeing her room. It was simple. It held a large queen sized comfy bed. Wow, she did not realise just how much she would miss a bed. The lumpy couch had killed her back and the luxury of a large bed had her salivating. The room had a pretty wallpaper. There was a flat screen tv opposite the bed and standard furniture consisting of a dresser and some drawers.
"The previous owners had this room made this way. I didn't change anything. I didn't know what to do for you. When I redid my bedroom for you, I knew exactly what I had to do, but this time, I really didn't," he answered.
"The room is fine the way it is," she smiled.
"I did design an office for you downstairs. Since you're going to start designing soon, I figured you would need a place to sketch. I got you some supplies," he replied.
They walked to Sam's room and Lucas had taken some effort. There was a double bed with blue and purple sheets. The room had a large desk with cabinets to house her textbooks. He also had got her a cane swing that was suspended in the corner. A brand new laptop sat at her desk. Brooke knew that Sam would flip about it. She had wanted a laptop since forever. A large mirror with bulbs lining it made her white dresser and fairlights hung above her bed. He had also placed a photo frame of her, Brooke and Jamie on her nightstand. The space had plenty of throw pillows and a fur rug. Sam was going to flip out.
"Sam is going to love it and so will the social worker," Brooke assured him.
"Oh thank God. So, will you accept the place?" he asked. "I gotta keep the fiancé happy, am I right?"
"Hehe hmm.."
"Brooke I'm kidding," he said when Brooke didn't really laugh or smile at his fiancé joke.
"I know. I'm just overwhelmed. I wasn't expecting any of this. I knew that you would definitely go overboard with designing a room for the kids, but I really expected it to be at Karen's house. Never in my wildest dreams did I believe that you would buy my old house."
"My house is a two bedroom. Sam is a teenager. She deserves some space and privacy. You deserve better than an old worn out couch. This has always been your home, Brooke Davis. You were always responsible for filling this place up with love and warmth. Now, you can," he smiled.
Brooke suddenly walked downstairs and into a room that used to be her old bedroom. Since all her parents did was fight and scream and throw things at each other when they were around, she had chosen the room as far away from them as possible. The room was close to the pool.
She felt a pang of sadness as nothing of her old bedroom remained. Suddenly, she remembered something and walked to a corner of the room. She lifted up a floorboard and unearthed a box. It was covered with dust and cobwebs. Brooke blew hard and saw the dust blow away. She lifted it and books piled out from inside.
"These were my diaries. I used to tell everyone I didn't keep a diary, but it was just because I didn't want anyone to find them. My parents were unreliable and so they went to the bottom of the floorboards," Brooke sighed as she went through the pages of a red notebook with a sparkling black 'b' in the front.
"I did a lot of growing up in here. Wishing and dreaming, figuring out who we were going to be, you know?" she replied. She was so deep in her reverie.
"I'm proud of you. Those nights you were trying to figure out who you were going to be? You became a strong, kind and pretty great person," Lucas said. His voice grew deep as he said it, genuinely meaning his words.
Brooke on the other hand felt like a pile of poo. Her mind immediately went back to being in the room with Mr. Daniels.
"Lucas, I'm a stripper. There is nothing to be proud of," she sighed.
"Were," he corrected.
Brooke opened her mouth to say something but she was stopped as Jamie screamed for her from somewhere.
Brooke and Lucas ran outside to the living room where Jamie stood in the middle of the staircase. "What's wrong?"
"I couldn't see you or hear you or find you! This house is too large!" he complained. He was so used to his tiny apartment with paper thin walls and complete lack of privacy.
"Aw, honey! I know, but have you seen the pool this place comes with?" she asked as she opened the door leading to the backyard towards the pool.
"Whoa, but I don't know how to swim," he explained as if Brooke didn't already know.
"I know, but your daddy does. He will teach you," she eyed Lucas whose face lit up. Whoa, he was getting another first. Jamie's first time in a pool! He got to see him learn how to swim.
"Can we go now?" he asked, although he made no move to step near the water out of fear of slipping.
"No, we don't have swimming trunks or a floatie. Besides, wouldn't it be more fun to learn with Sammy?" she asked. "I am pretty certain that Sam doesn't know how to swim either."
"Okay! We can learn together," he smiled.
"Jaim, are you hungry?" she asked, noticing the time.
"I could eat," he replied sweetly, making both his parents beam at his cuteness.
"Okay, let's go get you some food!" she smiled. "Lucas?"
"Let's take him to that Italian place you loved and then we can go to Nathan and Haley's maybe?" he requested.
Brooke gulped but nodded her head. This was it. It was now or never and somehow, Brooke seemed to feel positive about it.