Back To The Start (One Tree Hill)

Chapter 44

Brooke's POV

Four months later

My speech to Julian seemed to have made a real difference, because he had stopped making comments on my health and tolerated when I did something he thought was wrong. Although he had stepped back a bit, I also knew that he still kept an eye on me in the background. Especially now that there were only three weeks before the expected date of our baby girl's delivery. This time it was indeed a little girl. With this my greatest wish became true, and I knew that Julian could hardly wait to hold our baby in his arms, too. Haley had called the previous day and had asked if I would like to have coffee and cake with her and Peyton for the last time before the delivery, and I had agreed. Placing my big belly behind a steering wheel hadn't been that easy but fortunately the ride had been short, so I hadn't stayed in that position for long. I was about to knock on the front door when Haley opened it.

"Brooke!" She exclaimed. "How nice to see you."

I frowned in confusion. "Why are you so surprised to see me? You invited me," I reminded her.

"Yes, that's right." She tapped on her forehead. "Sometimes I'm a bit forgetful." She quickly stepped out of the door and closed it. "Are you all right?" She asked worriedly.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I mumbled, pointing to the locked door. "Don't you want to go inside?" I saw her pacing back and forth, looking at the door nervously.

"Oh no," she said quickly. "I'm so stupid! I forgot to take my keys outside."

"Is anybody at home?" I asked, frowning. "Jamie, Nathan, or is Peyton already there?"

She shook her head quickly. "No, I'm alone," she said curtly.

"But I can hear that someone's there," I said, moving closer to the door. And indeed I could hear voices and suppressed laughter from inside. I put my hands on my hips. "Haley, what's going on here?" I demanded to know.

Embarrassed, she grinned and then knocked on the door, which was opened promptly. "You almost messed up our surprise," she said, letting me enter.

For a moment I held my breath surprised. Haley had redecorated the living room. Everywhere you looked, you saw pink balloons, stuffed animals, and on a line, stretched across the room, were baby bodysuits and huge pacifiers made of plastic. On the table were packages, all decorated with pink and white bows. I couldn't believe it. Haley had actually given me a baby shower party! And all of my friends had come, including my mother and Sylvia.

"Where are the twins?" I asked her startled, because we had actually agreed that she should take care of the twins, while I was at Haley for coffee and cake.

"They're upstairs, sleeping, with Lydia in the nursery," Haley explained reassuringly. "Sylvia wanted to attend the baby shower party, and since you asked her to take care of the twins, we had to find another solution."

Relieved, I exhaled and then let myself be hugged by everyone. "That was a great surprise," I said, after we had all sat down on the sofa and in the armchairs. "Thanks a lot! I can't believe I didn't find out before."

"We had already planned a baby shower party when you were pregnant with the twins," Peyton interjected. "But then they were born premature. And this time, we were hoping you'd be a little longer pregnant." She grinned. "And it worked."

I stroked my belly and smiled. "Yes, my baby girl is fortunately not in such a hurry as her brothers."

"Don't you want to unpack your gifts?" Sylvia asked pointing to the table, where several packages were piled up.