The Up Hill Battle

21. 11 am -Tree Hill, North Carolina- January 24th

A/N: Sorry its been a while. I've been really busy and stressed as of late.  Here's the next chapter. I was wondering, if you would like for there to be something, have an idea, or  for something to come up, leave a comment or send a message. I'll totally look at it, and who knows it might end up in the story. 

MIA POV

Lucas has this insane idea that we should talk to someone. I have no idea why we need to talk to someone. I mean everything is fine. It's fine. Well, not really because here we are sitting in front of a psychologist with my mom waiting outside. Apparently, they want to do the whole co-parenting thing while my mom retains physical and legal custody.

"Evelyn," I looked from the window to the psychologist.

"Hmm...Sorry, what?" I asked. Lucas sighed. "I was thinking a lot. I'm in a pensive state."

"Why? What about?" She asked.

"Zeb, my boyfriend. My mom...the woman I saw outside my school the other day...this," I said.

"What woman?" Lucas asked.

"I don't know. She seemed familiar, but I couldn't put her face to a memory...She probably just reminds me of the someone," I said thinking about that woman. She did seem familiar.

"Evelyn, your dad said he regrets his choices and wishes he had been there, for everything," the psychologist Dr. Carol Verani said.

"Cool, okay. I already know that," I answered looking out the window.

"I know this is hard and I know you don't like this, but I'm trying," Lucas said.

"I'm aware that you're trying," I stated looking at him. "And honestly, I just don't understand why? Why now? I mean it must be because of convenience. I'm living in the same town as you so it must be harder to ignore the fact that I exist. But let's be honest here." I turned to look at Lucas. "If I was still living in New York, you wouldn't care about me. You wouldn't bother to try to know me or be a part of my life."

"Evelyn, is that how you feel?" Dr. Verani asked.

"Feel, it's what I know," I stated.

"And how do you know?" she asked.

"I'm an observant person. Lucas likes his cocoon, the safety of it. Me being here was unplanned and rocked his little boat...Besides he saw me as a kid and left once, and never came back so...yeah."

"Lucas," Dr. Verani.

"I don't know if I would have gone to New York if you still lived there. I don't know what I would have done. I know I didn't go back. I want you to understand that I was scared," Lucas said, "Not of you or anything, but of failing you. I was scared that I wouldn't be a great father and that I would somehow ruin your life like mine did."

"You're seriously going to use Grandpa Dan as your excuse," I said looking at him. He seemed shocked that I called his father Grandpa. "Grandpa was there. He was amazing, he was awesome, he was in New York for a few months, saw my mom, and he stayed longer. It took some time for my mom to trust him, but eventually she did and he was there. When he came back here, he still called. We had video calls, phone calls, and he visited. He was the best."

"You know him?" Lucas asked surprised.

"Knew him, your father died years ago," I said. "You know he's the one who gave me your book. He told me all about his son, The captain of his pee wee football team, co-captain of the basketball team. The guy who would drop everything to be there for his friends and family when they needed him. The man who chased after his brother into a school that was on lock-down. The guy who carried his future wife out of the school to get help after she was shot. The guy who stood up for the people he loved...He said he was so proud of the man you had become and that he knew deep down that you cared about me even if you had a crappy way of showing it."