A Life Of Unkindness

The Best of the worst

After nearly fourty minutes of being by Peyton's gravesite, and sharing favorite stories of her and laughing as well as crying we said our goodbyes as we all do leaving someone we love behind.

"You okay?" Brooke asked brushing her hand between the back of my shoulder blades. As I was still kneeld over sending my unconditional love her way. "Yeah, yeah I'll be fine" I replied to her as I stood up and embraced her with a huge hug.  "It doesn't get any better does it?" She asked me looking blue in the face from the overwhelming emotions that came flooding back to her. "What?" I asked her stupidly as if I didn't know what exactly she was trying to ask me. "The pain." She said as we pulled away from each other. I shrugged my shoulders "The truth?.... No, but each day gets a little bit better, especially knowing that she is still with me... Us..." And I pointed to her heart and then back to mine. "She's right there Brooke Davis, and she's not going anywhere anytime soon". I said making smiles stretch across her face and mine. When I heard Sawyer out of the corner of my ear yell for me.

"Dad!" She said promptly standing over by Kieth and Dan's graves. "Come here!" She said waving her arm back and forth til' she convined me to come over there with her and Nathan. "Yes sweetie?" I asked inquistively as I got closer walking side by side with Brooke who was taking this day just as hard as I was. Amongst the other things going on in her life already.
"Did we bring any flowers for Grandpa Dan and Grandpa Kieth?" She asked with so much enthusiasm in her voice. "Don't you want to wait til Friday to bring them to them like usual?" I asked her knowing that was going to be the last visit we'd have with any of them for awhile after the move.
"Yes! Why wait? We can always bring more Friday too!" She said. "Fine go!" I said as her and Brooke's twins headed for my truck to grab the flowers.
I sighed, looking down at the two tombstones marked with "SCOTT" on them and looked towards the sky.

"It's crazy isn't it?" I heard from a voice standing next to me. It was Halie, "what's that?" I asked "how our children can have so much love for the people they have never gotten the chance to meet"
"Yeah...." I said shaking my head "but no matter how much of a better person Dan became in his last days, whether I forgave him or not. Kieth still won't get to meet my children, our children and it is still his fault." I said abruptly, turning away from halie to watch my daughter and Brooke's children placing flowers on the gravesites. Halie placed her hand on my shoulder and squeezed. "At least they don't have to know that side of him we all knew, the side of him that is shamefull." She said looking up at me and smiling wiping left over mascara from her under her eyes. "You're right" I said unwillingly admitting to everything she was saying.

"Who's ready to eat?" I shouted looking around at everyone, they all look famished. When Nathan chimed in "Is my name Nathan Scott" he said sarcastically laughing. I shook my head laughing as well, "Alright everyone I love you all and I am so blessed beyond measure to have you guys in my life, I'll see y'all at the house!" I said  giving the okay to leave. Looking back at Peytons headstone one last time. Before getting in the truck. When I heard a knock on my window, it was Brooke. "Whatcha need B Davis" I said as I rolled down the passenger side window. "I'm gonna let Sawyer ride with me, is that okay?" She asked sweetly. Looking back over to Sawyer who was looking over Brooke's shoulder. "Please dad?" Sawyer chimed in with the puppy dog eyes. Rolling my eyes, "yes go! I'll see you back at the house".

Everyone seemed to have a headstart seeing I was the last one to seem to be leaving. When a song came on the radio. I laughed, it was almost like a sign it was a song by the band NOFX "Me Inside you're Head" I hadn't heard since probably high school. I could feel it was somehow Peyton's doing seeing as she loved the band and it was one of the first things I had said to her to get her attention that afternoon when I picked up her car with Kieths wrecker. It made me feel a sense of relief that this was Peyton's way of telling me she loved me again. So I rolled down the other window and turned up the volume as loud as it would go and just rocked out and enjoyed myself for the first time in a long time. I felt okay, especially on today of all days I honestly felt alive again. Pulling up to the driveway everyone was outside having a good time the boys were playing basketball and the girls were trying to join in not having much luck.
As I shut off the engine of my truck, I muttered a sweet "Thanks Peyton" and exited the vehicle.

Halie walked up to me with Lydia close by. "Well someone seems to be in good spirits" she said smiling. "Yeah, I'm okay" I replied giving them both a kiss on the cheek. And darted for Nathan in just enough time to steal the ball from him and slam dunk a basket. "Whoa grandpa be careful now don't break anything" Nathan said jokingly. "Funny little brother real funny". "Now who's hungry?"