Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or plots from the TV show on ABC called Ugly Betty.
A/N-Just a one-shot to pass the time until September 27.
Just Another Day
Routine. That's what Betty's life had become since that pivotal day last May. Hilda had slipped into a mild depression, only getting out of bed for work and to pick Justin up from school. Her father was still stuck in Guadalajara, unable to get his Green card and return home. But work wasn't any better. Since the accident, Wilhelmina had been in control and the only reason Betty even still had a job was because Daniel had told his father that he would check into drug rehab if she could keep her job.
Yes, as she sat quietly on the E train in her blue coat, clutching her knock-off Gucci purse to her chest, she realized that her life had become little more than routine.
She woke up every morning and made breakfast for Justin, jumped on the E train and went to work, going about her business as quietly as possible. Nights were even worse. Betty made dinner, helped Justin with his homework and then filled her time with reading alone in the living room.
What bothered her most of all was that all of these terrible things weren't what hurt the most. The worst part of her day was when she held her breath in anticipation as her elevator passed the 3rd floor, hoping against hope that it would stop and Henry would walk in. Or when she sat alone at lunch but still half expected to hear an excited "Betty!" from across the room.
The worst part of her life since that day had been the absence of Henry.
She felt the familiar pang of guilt as she realized that the worst part should be the death of Santos or the absence of her father or boss, but if she were truly honest with herself, the person she missed the most was Henry. It was made worse by the realization that Charlie's baby might not even be Henry's.
She had considered multiple times jumping on a plane to Tucson and trying to win him back. But the reasonable part of her always stopped her before she had even dialed the Travel Agent's number. Her family needed her. Without Betty, Hilda and Justin both would be worse off. Also, she couldn't just up and leave her job without fear that it would be filled by the time she got back.
And then there was the prospect that even though Charlie had cheated on Henry, the baby still had a good chance of being his. The realization that Dr. Fargas might be the father had been a dim bright spot that had given her hope that perhaps one day she and Henry might have a chance again. She wasn't sure how she would handle it if she flew to Tucson, made a fool of herself and the baby turned out to be Henry's anyway.
And the worst thought of all was that Henry might just stay with Charlie anyway. Betty's worst fear was that Henry's past, a fatherless childhood, would bind him to Charlie whether it was his child or not. After all, as Christina had pointed out, Henry was a good guy. He always did the honorable thing. He stayed with Charlie when she moved to New York even though he knew he could have Betty.
As the train pulled into the station and Betty walked out onto the chilly New York street she couldn't help but think about what might have been. Would her life be that much happier if Henry were still around? Yes, they would be together, but Santos would still be dead, Daniel would still be in rehab and her father would still be in Mexico. Would Henry have made that much of a difference?
"Yes," she muttered as she walked up to the bagel stand.
Henry would have been in her corner. He would have been something to break up the monotonous work day with a smile or a quirky fact. And he would be someone who filled her lonely nights with movies or dates or even someone to talk to instead of an endless mound of books and telenovelas.
Betty sighed as she stepped into the empty elevator and lit up the "27" button. She began to mentally prepare herself for yet another day of worthless tasks and either being ignored or taunted by Amanda, Marc and Wilhelmina.
She felt the elevator slow to a stop and looked up anxiously to see the bright number three lit up as the doors slid open.
A/N- grins
Just some musings about poor Betty. I can't wait for season two to start. I know that Henry will be back this season (as they've signed Chris Gorham as a staring character) but I have absolutely no idea how in the world they are going to get him and Betty together, or even if they will. So, I decided not to write about what I think will happen because I don't have any original ideas at all.