Sometime during that night Jake did leave his loved ones behind, leaving his note lone in an envelope un-addressed.

Brooke laid beside Peyton in her bed as Peyton rubbed her eight and a half month pregnant belly.

"I can't believe that there are two of them in there." Peyton whispered to her best friend whom she had little time left with unbeknownst to her.

"Yeah." Brooke said with a smile. "I mean, at first I thought that this was the worst thing that could happen to me, but I don't know. It might not be so bad. All that I need is to hold each of them for even a second, and I'll know that my life was worth something." Brooke said seriously

"Well you'll get to hold them for the rest of your life." Peyton said ironically

"Are you sure that you are ready to take care of Jenny alone, full time?" Brooke asked

"I'm not sure I have much choice. She's my little girl. And Jakes parent's will be around to help and stuff too. We can take them all out to the park and stuff together when you have yours."

And the irony kept flowing… Peyton's phone rang.

"Who's calling this late?" Brooke asked struggling to sit up

"Jake…" Peyton said as she knew that his life just slipped away.

Brooke picked up the phone.

"Hello?" She said, her voice quivering with anticipation. Moments later she hung up the phone. "Peyt, we need to go to the hospital."

Peyton broke down sobbing in her best friends arms which would fade away only a month or so later.

"It's alright baby. It's going to be okay!" Brooke said kissing her blonde curls softly

Right then Jenny began crying. She knew that there was something wrong.

"Jenny." Peyton said picking up the little girl whose crib now sat beside her bed. "I love you baby." She bounced her gently "Your daddy loves you so much baby girl."

That night on the way to the hospital Peyton drove. Brooke was now too big to fit behind the wheel. She came to a red light, instinct told her to run it, but then she looked at the sleeping baby in the backseat and her pregnant best friend in the seat beside her. Right then she knew that it was time to grow up.

Peyton tightly clutched Jenny to her chest as they entered the waiting room where Lucas, Karen, Whitey, Haley and Nathan already were along with Jakes parents.

"I am so sorry." Haley said first standing and giving Peyton a hug

Peyton couldn't respond if she tried. As Jenny slowly awoke she clung to Peytons shirt and began to fuss. Mechanically Peyton pulled a pacifier out of her bag and offered it to the child. She handed Jenny to Haley silently as she went to Jakes room.

Peyton entered Jakes room just as the priest was leaving. He was lying there in the middle of the bed, all of his monitors now turned off. He looked more peaceful than he had in a long time…

"Jake…" She said kneeling beside his bed as her body wracked with sobs.

She didn't know how long she was there clinging to Jakes body before Lucas came in.

"Peyt." He said from the doorway. "Peyton." He tried again. His voice was soft and gentle "It's time to go." He said "Come on." He said extending his hand towards her

"No!" She said swatting Luke's hand away. "I can't!"

"Yes you can. Come on Peyt." Lucas said gently taking her hands away from Jakes

Peyton collapsed in his arms in tears.

"Come on, it's going to be alright." He said kissing her forehead repeatedly.

All eyes were on the two as they returned to the waiting area. Jakes mother was now holding Jenny.

"I'm sorry." Peyton said as she approached his parents. His mother just nodded as she handed Jenny to Peyton.

"This is yours." She said handing Jenny to Peyton. She nodded understanding.

"We can't do this anymore." His mother said. "After the funeral we are going to move down to Florida."

This was a shock to Peyton at the time, but as the days, months, years progressed she came to learn that everyone dealt with their grief in their own ways… some never did.

She watched Jakes parents as they left the hospital, Jakes father carried a box of what must have been Jakes belongings in the hospital. And atop the pile sat a white envelope that Peyton only remembered in memory.

Present

Peyton shot up in bed. Had Jake left her a note? She ran as fast as she could to Corey's room.

"Corey!" She said shaking him awake

"What? Is everything okay?" He asked sitting up so fast that they bumped heads.

"SHIT!" Peyton said holding onto her head. "Cor, I think that Jake left a note, and I think that his parents have it!"