Warning: PG-16
The Visit
Part One
Lucas, Mandy and Amber are waiting in the airport lobby for Kim’s plane to arrive. Mandy looks gorgeous dressed in a low cut maternity tunic and slacks with medium heels but wishes that at her stage of pregnancy that she looked more pregnant and less fat. This is the reason I wear maternity clothes so there is a distinction. She feels generally attractive with her brownish-auburn hair hanging loosely around her shoulders with her hazel eyes she always looks exotic. She needs little make up with her clear complexion, something that rarely happens during pregnancy.
Ever since they sat down at least four people had walked by and told them how cute Amber looks sleeping in her stroller. The comments ranged from she looks like an angel to what a beautiful baby. Mandy and Lucas beam and say thank you. Lucas is a bit overwhelmed from all the compliments and he smiles when Mandy turns to kiss him and put her hand on his knee. They are rarely publicly affectionate; mostly because of bad reactions over the years but today they are feeling confident.
Lucas is a little nervous too; it has been almost five years since he has seen Kim. They had tried the long distance “dating thing” after she moved but it didn’t work out and they broke up six months after she left town. I know being with Mandy was meant to be our dating relationship was long distance and it worked out so why can’t I relax?
Lucas is the first to see Kim as she walks toward them down the concourse.
There she is tall, wavy hair flashing brown eyes, she is still beautiful.
“Hi,” she says as she reaches him and gives him a big hug.
“Hi Kim, this is Mandy,” he says taking Mandy by the hand after she picks up Amber who is reaching up for her in the stroller.
“Nice to meet you,” Mandy says with a smile.
“What a cutie,” Kim says smiling at Amber.
Amber grins and leans on Mandy’s shoulder sleepily.
***
They meet Karen, Peyton, Jake, Andy, Haley and Nathan at Vinos, the local Italian, Restaurant that night. They had decided to have a dinner for Kim who is overwhelmed to see everyone. Haley and Kim chat almost exclusively but Mandy understands they used to be quite close so she concentrates on Karen and Peyton for a change, most of the time she and Haley are inseparable.
“So what do you think?” Peyton says enquiring about Mandy’s feelings for Kim.
“She seems nice enough,” she says unconvincingly.
“I thought she was nice when she dated Lucas,” Karen chimes in.
“Oh Karen you like everyone,” Peyton says grinning as she take as sip of her latte.
“I do not,” Karen replies defensively.
Mandy giggles and Lucas looks her way with a smile and a raised eyebrow. He and the guys had been chatting non-stop about basketball most of the night. They are now at Karen’s Café having dessert and coffees and they are still at it.
Karen gets up to offer refills to all who are interested and Haley automatically gets up to help her leaving Kim alone for the first time that evening. Lucas notices and goes over to sit with her. Mandy was right the old feeling never completely die.
“So I hope you have enjoyed this special night,” he says with a grin.
“It was great Lucas,” she replies putting her hand on his thigh and the familiarity is unwelcome in this setting.
He moves her hand away with out a comment.
“Well I am glad; when everyone found out you were visiting they wanted to get together and see you again. Sorry we have been so basketball obsessed tonight Tree Hill is finally in the playoffs,” he says as Haley walks up.
He excuses himself and heads back to the guys but he stops to give Mandy a peck on the cheek and a brief reassuring neck rub, more for his peace of mind then hers.
A little while later Karen declares the kids really should be in their own beds at this hour; Amber has long been asleep as well as Haley and Nathan’s baby, Luke while Karen and Andy’s boys have been playing games. The portable cribs came in handy on this long night.
In bed that night, Lucas is absentmindedly rubbing on Mandy’s tummy and thinking out loud.
“I was thinking I could take Kim to lunch tomorrow so we can have some time alone,” he says cocking his head to the side and leaning it on his shoulder to look at her.
“Do whatever you want I have to work tomorrow night so even if you wanted to take her to dinner you could I will be sleeping; just don’t forget your daughter is going with you.”
“My daughter?”
“Yea, Amber,” she adds irritated.
“That is the reason I am taking her to lunch; besides you know I prefer to be here with you when you are resting,’ he says turning her face to his.
“There is no reason to be jealous,” he says grinning and kissing her.
“Stop it and I’m not jealous,” she says shaking her head and trying not to laugh.
“And she is our daughter,” he says snuggling up closer to her.
The next morning Lucas wakes up to the smell of bacon frying; he turns over and sees that Mandy is already up. After dressing he wanders into the kitchen to see Mandy and Kim at the table eating and Amber experimenting with her Cheerios in her high chair. He walks over to give Amber a kiss and she puts three O’s on her fingers and sticks her finger into his waiting mouth. The affection between the two is obvious; she grins as he takes her offering and gives her a new kiss on the cheek. Mandy smiles at them.
“They can be such clowns,” she says to no one in particular.
“He seems very happy,” Kim says sadly.
“I believe he is,” Mandy adds getting up to put her dish in the sink.
After breakfast that morning, Haley comes to pick Kim up to go shopping and she hoping that Mandy will join them. While Kim is getting ready Mandy tells Haley she really isn’t as accepting of Kim as she hoped she might be.
“Something about her doesn’t set right with me, Hales, but I’m trying to be nice.”
“I’m sorry I hoped you would hit it off with her; I guess in my mind the two of you are alike but in reality she is more materialistic and you are an earth mother.”
Mandy laughs, “Don’t forget I was a model too.”
“I’m thinking more mentally, you are helpful and kind, you know, a nurse” Haley says giving her a hug.
“Well I am taking Kim out today because I will be in L. A. the next three days,” Haley adds.
“Oh well, lets go tell Lucas,” Mandy says as they head down the hall.
When they arrive at Amber’s room Kim is standing at the door watching Lucas change Amber’s diaper and he is talking to the baby as she is laughing up at him. Haley goes in the room to kiss her niece on the cheek and say hi to Lucas who has always been like a brother to her even before he was her brother in law.
“Hey, you ready?” Haley says to Kim breaking the spell.
“Oh sure, thanks,” Kim says as they leave.
Mandy tells Lucas about Haley leaving town as he turns and hands the baby to her so he can clean up the powder mess he made. They decide this is a great day to take Amber to the park since they rarely have the chance.
After the park and an afternoon snack they settle Amber down for a nap and Lucas and Mandy decide to make love. They have no idea how long Kim will be gone so they shut the door and turn up the baby monitor for their “afternoon encounter.”
“How long has is it been since we’ve done this in the middle of the day?” Mandy asks kicking off her shoes as Lucas attempts to keep her from talking by kissing her.
“Think long and think wrong,” he says unbuttoning her top.
She giggles.
Unfortunately they are in the “heat of things” when they hear a car outside. Lucas’ entire body stiffens at the sound.
Mandy holds him closer, “Hey, we're married why are you worried? Unless you are uncomfortable in your own home being yourself with your wife?”
“No, it’s not that,” he says to late.
She has already gotten up and begun to dress.
“Mandy, you know it’s not like that.”
“We had sex at my parent’s house when we visited them,” she points out.
She sits on the bed looking up at him, so he sits beside her and puts his arm around her.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to react that way, you know I love you.”
“Of course I know that.”
She runs her finger through his hair and pushes him back on the bed while undoing her blouse again. This time they don’t stop until they are both fully satisfied.
Kim sees the car in the yard and is surprised to not see anyone when she comes in the' house. She does notice the door to Mandy and Lucas’ room is shut and assumes they are napping with Amber until she sees Amber standing at the door to her room behind the baby fence. Kim picks up the baby and takes her to the living room to play in her playpen while she pours herself a soda. She and Amber watch TV for quite a while before Mandy and Lucas emerge from the room. They seem surprised to see Amber is awake.
“Kim, we’re sorry you should have knocked on the door for us to get Amber,” Mandy says picking up the baby.
“No, she's been good company,” Kim says looking at Lucas who has a silly grin on his face.
“That’s good she is a good baby,” Lucas says on the way to the kitchen.
After dinner Mandy has to go to sleep so she can be refreshed for work that night; everyone else stays in the living room watching television.
“I’m sorry about not taking you to lunch today; tomorrow I have to work but I can take you out to dinner tomorrow night if you like a chance for us to just talk or we can talk now,” Lucas says.
“What is there to talk about?” she says sitting beside him on the sofa.
Lucas moves to the chair, I’m way too attracted to her to be so close.
“I just mean we haven’t really had time to chat since you have been here the last two days and I go to work tomorrow and our time together will be limited,” he says.
Amber falls on her bottom in an attempt to stand up using the sofa as leverage and Lucas grins. She doesn’t cry just a little yelp and she tries again. He gets up to move the table farther away from the sofa so she won’t hit her head.
“Did you know I thought you broke up with me because we weren’t having sex?”
Lucas doesn’t hear the entire question because he is watching Amber he only hears the last few words.
“What?”
“Say that again,” he says.
When she does he doesn’t believe she could have ever though that.
“When did I ever make a big deal about you being a virgin? I just thought it was something you wanted to be, I’ve always considered myself more about relationships.”
“Did you sleep with Mandy before you married?” Kim asks.
“Mandy and I lived together but I asked her to marry me right away,” he says defensively.
“Before this minute I would have said it was the long distance that broke us up but now I think we were just too different. I would not withhold myself from someone emotionally because we weren’t physical.”
Lucas runs his finger through his hair. Why am I so emotional about this?
“I’m sorry, I should have known better you were so nice to me and your friends accepted me because of your attitude,” she adds getting up and sees Mandy standing at the door to the bedroom.
She shakes her head and goes in the room shutting the door.
“Excuse me a minute,” he says as he heads toward the bedroom.
“Are you okay, sweetie?”
“I’m fine I just didn’t expect to see her in your arms again anytime soon.”
She adds, “Lucas I’m not jealous but I don’t trust her; I know you can’t help caring for her its natural, but, that is the last thing I have to say about it.”
“You know that hugging her is like hugging Haley, its affection without the passion I have for you,” he tries to explain.
“I know, Baby, you don’t need to explain,” she says kissing him.
Back in the living room Lucas tells Kim maybe her visit was a bad idea.
“I’ll apologize to Mandy,” she says walking to the bedroom door.
Kim is knocking on the bedroom door before he can stop her.
Mandy opens the door and stands in front of it with her arms crossed once she sees Kim.
“You don’t need to apologize for hugging your friend, but let me just say I have wanted to think well of you, okay, before you came and after you arrived but I’m just not feeling it,” Mandy says putting her hands in the air in frustration.
“I understand I would feel the same way if I were in your position,” Kim says.
Then she adds, “But I am more than sure that Lucas loves you and I knew that before I came I really just wanted to see person that won his heart and I hope you know how lucky you are.”
Mandy smiles at Lucas and they decide that Kim should complete her week stay and Mandy promises to try to get past the awkwardness.
***
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