Author's Note: This story takes place about seven months after Where My Love Lies Waiting (on my author page). It was getting so long and involved that I've decided to make this one two chapters. The next part will come soon. Please review and enjoy!
Over the River and Through the Woods
Abbey wandered around the kitchen, dragging the long coiled phone cord behind her. She waved the thick shiny card in her free hand as she gestured excitedly while she spoke. "Millie, I still can't believe it took you guys so long. Is medical school really so much that you couldn't take a few minutes a day to plan your wedding?"
"No, I really couldn't. Not as one of three women in my class, Abbey. We started with five. One dropped out because she got pregnant, and one dropped out because she got married. I couldn't lose my edge for even a minute. I'm surprised Dave stuck with me this long," she admitted.
"I'm just so happy for you, Dr. Griffith. Well, soon to be Dr. Millbanks," Abbey said with a grin.
"Actually, I'll be staying Dr. Griffith."
"Oh really?"
"Yeah, Dave and I talked about it. I want to keep my professional name the way it says on my degree. So Mrs. Millbanks, but Dr. Griffith."
Abbey smiled. She couldn't help but feel proud of her best friend.
They spent the next half hour discussing all the plans for the wedding. Since her graduation, Millie had been doing nothing but wedding planning. There wasn't much for matron of honor Abbey to do until the week of the big day.
"Oh Abbey, hang on for a minute. Dave just got home."
Abbey waited while Millie put the phone down to talk to her fiancé. She eavesdropped the best she could.
"Hey there," she heard Dave say.
"What are you doing home, dear?" Abbey smiled. She hadn't seen Millie and Dave in so long, and they were even more sweet and perfect than they had been in college.
"Apparently the embargo with China was lifted, so we all got the afternoon off," Dave explained.
"And I find myself asking why?" Abbey put her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing at Millie's snarky retort.
"I work for the biggest marketing firm on the West Coast, Mill. The Chinese market is a huge game changer. The higher-ups needed to meet with key clients and figure out what we're going to do. So I'm home now. What are you up to?"
"I'm on the phone with Abbey. She just got the invitation."
There was a rustling on the line as Dave picked up the phone. "Hi, Abbey."
"Hey, Dave! How's the Stephens family doing?" she asked with a smirk.
Dave sighed loudly. "I hate Dick Sargent. He's…you know what? I can't even begin to explain how…" He continued stumbling over impassioned phrases to describe the casting change to his favorite show, Bewitched. Even in college, Dave had been obsessed with the show. It was one of the big reasons he wanted to go into advertising. Abbey loved making fun of him for it. Millie had hated his strange love of Samantha Stephens until Dave told her that Samantha reminded him of Millie. And apparently Endora reminded him of Abbey. Which she took as a compliment.
"I sent him in the other room. You can't tease him like that, Abb." Millie said, apparently having taken the phone from Dave.
Abbey just laughed loudly. "He's going to be your husband. And you tease Jed all the time."
"Well, that's true. Alright, listen I'd better calm my man down. I'll see you and Jed in two weeks, yeah?"
"Yep! We'll see you then."
"And I expect lots of pictures of your little Lizzie, since I know you won't be bringing her."
Abbey paused, not having thought that far through it.
"But I'm sure it'll be nice for you and Jed to have a whole week to yourselves, right?"
"Oh yes, of course," Abbey agreed, faking enthusiasm. "I'll let you go, Millie. See you soon." She hung up the phone and sat down at the large scrubbed wood kitchen table.
She stared off into space, thinking. What were they going to do with Liz? She had stayed in Massachusetts with Abbey's parents when they visited Kate in New York, but that had only been for two days. A week was very different. They had never been away from their daughter that long before. And if they told Elizabeth, she'd beg to stay in Exeter. She had developed a strange attachment to Jed's mother. Mary Bartlet was perfectly wonderful; everyone loved her, and for good reason. But Abbey did not want to admit, even to herself, that she didn't want to leave her daughter at the Bartlet house.
The front door opened with a loud creak and closed loudly. "Abbey?" Jed called.
"Kitchen," she yelled back.
He walked in, loosening his tie as he came over to her. "Hey there," he greeted, kissing the top of her head where she sat.
She looked up at him with an attempt at a smile. "How was your interview?" she asked. Best to wait to spring her concerns on him. Though she had no idea how she could possibly be honest with him about this topic.
Jed pulled out the chair beside hers and faced her. "Guess what?" He had a big smile on his face, and his bright blue eyes twinkled excitedly.
Abbey cocked her head to the side curiously. "What?" She couldn't help but smile at his expression.
"I got the job."
She jumped up. "You got the job!? Oh honey, this is wonderful!"
Jed stood and gave his wife a big hug. "Associate Professor in Economics at Dartmouth College!" As soon as the chancellor shook his hand, Jed had felt a weight lift from his shoulders. It had been almost six months since they'd moved back to America from London, and neither he nor Abbey had been able to get a job during that time. Abbey was busy with Liz and turning the Manchester farm into a permanent home for them, which was no small feat. But Jed had been applying to any and every school he could think of, traveling all around New England. Money wasn't tight yet, but they were starting to run on the fumes of his inheritance from his grandfather. He needed to get a job. And he couldn't be happier that it was at Dartmouth. The commute was going to be awful, but at least he could stay in New Hampshire.
Abbey squeezed him tight, beaming with delight. "I am just so proud of you, Professor!" she said, giving him a kiss.
Jed laughed. "Would you look at that? And here I was all excited that we'd get to both be Dr. Bartlet, but I guess I've got a title change."
"Well, for now we can make dinner reservations as Professor and Mrs. Bartlet. And in four years, we'll be Professor and Dr. Bartlet, and won't that throw people for a loop?" she replied.
He laughed once more and kissed her again. "Where's Elizabeth? I want to tell her that her daddy has a job!"
Abbey's happy expression faltered. "She's upstairs playing with Ladybug." They had gotten a kitten for Liz's birthday, and the three year old got to name their new little calico.
Jed rolled his eyes. He still thought that was a stupid name for a cat. Never mind that it was the New Hampshire state insect, it was a stupid name for a cat. But Liz loved her new friend, and she got along with Lucky well enough. Hopefully Ladybug would grow into a good mouser, because Lucky had proved useless in the barn.
When Jed went upstairs, Abbey immediately picked up the phone. But she paused before dialing. She thought for a moment and hung up again. No, it wouldn't be right to unilaterally decide to have Liz stay with Abbey's parents. Jed and Liz both deserved a say in where she stayed for a whole week. Nevertheless, it made Abbey extremely uncomfortable to contemplate discussing her problems with Jed. He didn't like talking about his parents, and even though she knew of his problems growing up in that house, she never voiced her opinions on the matter. How could she possibly say to her husband, the man she loved and respected more than anything in this world, that she didn't want their daughter to end up like him?
"You're right, kittens do look like aliens." Jed reentered the kitchen.
"See? They've got that weird fuzz and those big eyes and their paws don't look quite right. But I'm sure Ladybug will grow into a gorgeous feline," Abbey replied with a chuckle. She watched Jed get a glass out of the cupboard and fill it with water from the sink. Now was as good a time as any to start the conversation. "I talked to Millie today."
"You did? How's the bride doing?"
"She's wonderful. Keeping her maiden name for professional purposes."
"Dr. Millicent Griffith. Sounds good. I like it," Jed replied with a smile.
"Because I'm the matron of honor, we need to be there for a whole week. Two weeks from now."
He nodded. "Yeah, we discussed that. I don't start at Dartmouth officially until August, so the timing will be fine."
Abbey chewed on her lip momentarily before finally broaching the real subject. "What are we going to do with Liz?"
"She'll come with us, of course."
"No," Abbey sighed. "I'll be busy with Millie most of the time, and I think it would be good for us to have a little vacation to ourselves. Besides, she's three years old and she's only spent two nights away from us in her whole life. It's time."
Jed thought for a moment before responding. "If you think so, that's fine. We'll leave her with your parents again. Why don't you call and ask if they can watch her?"
Abbey's brow furrowed slightly. He sounded so sure of that decision. She did as he asked. "Hi, Mom…I'm doing well, how are you? … Oh that's good. And Dad? … Great. Listen, Millie is getting married, and Jed and I have to spend a whole week in California. Can you guys watch Liz the week of the twenty-fifth?" She smiled at Jed as she listened to her mother, and suddenly her face fell. "Oh…No, I should have remembered…Let me talk to Jed, and I'll let you know. Thanks, Mom…I love you too…bye." Abbey hung up and turned back to her husband. "That's the week of my dad's yearly conference in D.C. And since Dad is going to be gone, my mother is going to spend the week in New York with Kate. She offered to take Lizzie with her, but I wanted to know what you thought," Abbey explained.
Jed shrugged. "Well, you wanna ask Liz if she wants to go to New York with your mom? I know Kate would love to see her. She was kinda pissed we didn't bring her with us when we visited back in April."
"Yeah, let's ask Liz." But Abbey knew what Liz would say. She was only three, but she was a predictable little thing.
And sure enough, as soon as Jed asked her if she wanted to spend a week with Grandma Louise and Aunt Kate in New York, the first words out of her mouth were, "Can I go with Grandma Mary instead?"
Abbey sighed internally and picked up Ladybug to disguise the way she rolled her eyes.
Jed looked to his wife, but she was preoccupied with the cat. He turned back to Liz. "We'll see, sweet pea."
Abbey was quiet for the rest of the evening, busy keeping Elizabeth distracted from the possibility of spending a whole week with her beloved grandmother. Instead, she made sure the conversation focused on Jed and his new job.
He could see what she was doing. But for the time being, he was content to go on and on about his new job. "And now, Bartlet women, since we are now a Dartmouth family, I think we all need to know the basic facts about the college."
"Oh brother," Abbey complained under her breath.
Jed ignored her. "Dartmouth College was founded on December 13th, 1769. It was one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the Revolution. Abigail, can you name the other eight?"
She tried to be annoyed, but he was just so exuberantly joyful when he lectured, that she couldn't help but find his pompous quizzing to be endearing. He was going to make a wonderful professor. "Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Princeton, Penn, Brown…"
"All correct. There are two more. Neither of which are Ivy League schools."
Now she did sigh at him. "I don't know."
"Guess!"
"Jed, just tell me."
"William & Mary, and Rutgers. And only two of the nine still have their original names. Can you guess which?"
Abbey smiled. "Elizabeth, what do you think?"
The toddler hadn't been paying much attention. "Who are William and Mary? Is it Grandma Mary?" Her hazel eyes went wide. "Mommy, can I stay with Grandma Mary?"
"Lizzie, we'll see. Please don't ask again," Abbey told her sternly.
Jed moved the conversation back to its former topic. "The College of William & Mary is its original title. It was named after a king and queen of England. The other is Dartmouth. It was named Dartmouth College in 1769 and has retained its name for over two hundred years. It was founded by Eleazar Wheelock who wanted to create a charity school to educate the Indians, which is why the mascot for the Big Green is the Indian. Though, frankly, it does seem to be somewhat offensive to the Native American population nowadays, so I believe that will change relatively soon."
"Jed," Abbey interrupted, gesturing to Liz. She had folded her arms on the kitchen table and put her little head down to fall asleep.
He chuckled and stood up. "Alright, Lizzie, time for bed. Let's give you a quick bath."
Liz lifted her head up and looked at her father with a look of pure adoration. Abbey watched her husband pick up their daughter and carry her upstairs. She could hear his voice carry as he walked.
"Dartmouth is in Hanover, which is a long drive away. Longer than going to Grandma Louise and Grandpa Jim's house. But it's going to be great. Some incredible people have gone to Dartmouth. Nelson Rockefeller and Daniel Webster and Robert Frost and Dr. Seuss!"
"Red fish, blue fish?" Liz asked excitedly.
"One and the same."
Abbey laughed to herself as she cleaned the dishes from dinner. She let her mind focus on happy things. She knew she and Jed would have to talk once Liz was asleep.
After Jed made sure Elizabeth was bathed and had her teeth brushed and read her a story, Abbey came in to make sure she went to sleep. It was a ritual they started while Jed was in school to make sure that he would have quality time with his daughter every day, but Elizabeth never could fall asleep until Abbey sang to her.
Tonight, when Abbey came into her room, Liz had a question all ready for her mother. "Mommy, why can't I stay with Grandma Mary? Is it because Grandpa John doesn't like me?"
That took Abbey by surprise. "Why do you think he doesn't like you, baby doll?"
"He never wants to play with me. Grandma Mary lets me help her cook. And she draws pictures with me. And she reads me books. Grandpa John didn't like the picture I drew for him last time. He left it on the table instead of taking it with him like Daddy always does. And Grandpa Jim framed my picture I drawed for him at Christmas."
"Drew. You drew a picture," Abbey corrected. "But I don't want you to think that Grandpa John doesn't like you, Lizzie. He and your daddy and Grandpa Jim are all very different kinds of men. It has nothing to do with you," she assured her.
"Okay."
"Did you ask your dad about this?"
The little girl shook her head. Abbey was amazed at her perceptiveness. Even little Lizzie knew better than to talk to Jed about his father.
Liz was quiet for a moment before asking, "Mommy, will you sing me the plane song?"
Abbey smiled. "Yes I will. Close your eyes, Lizzie. Time for sleep." She began to sing. "All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go. I'm standing here outside your door. I hate to wake you up to say goodbye…"
When Abbey came into their bedroom a few minutes later, Jed was waiting with two snifters of brandy. "Liz asleep?" he asked, handing her a glass.
"Yep." She touched her glass to his and took a sip. "Wow, I needed that."
They climbed on top of the bed and sat side by side, quietly enjoying their drinks.
Jed finally broke the silence. "So she still wants to go with my mom?"
"Not surprisingly. And I don't really want her first trip to New York to be without us. But I also don't love the idea of leaving her in Exeter for a week," she admitted, hoping he wouldn't ask her to explain further.
"I completely agree."
Abbey waited for him to say more on the subject, but he just quietly sipped his brandy. "What are we gonna do, Jed?"
He frowned and turned to her. "What was it like when you two were here last year? After the funeral?" he asked, referring to the three week separation they endured after his grandfather bequeathed the farm to them.
"I never left her alone with him," she responded, understanding now that they were on the same page.
Jed nodded and went quiet again, thinking. Abbey just watched him, finishing her drink in the process. He took the last bit of his brandy in one big gulp. "My father is not a bad man, Abbey," he insisted.
"I know." She looked at him in a way that she hoped would convey her support.
"He's very strict and expects a lot from people. But he is not a bad man."
Something inside Abbey's chest constricted as she listened to him defend the man who had broken him so irreparably. "I know," she said again.
He turned to face her. "It's just…when I was a kid…me more than Jonathan…my father is a believer in discipline," he tried to explain. Jed didn't know how to say the words. He'd never said it out loud, and he never wanted to.
Abbey put her hand on top of his. "I know, Jed," she said once more, this time more insistently.
"You do?"
She gave him a sad smile, but she could feel the tears prick at her eyes. "The first day I met him, he threw you against a wall."
Jed averted his gaze. "Yeah."
Abbey squeezed his hand and scooted closer to him. He took her in his arms and held her tight. He hadn't realized the weight he had been carrying, keeping his experience with his father to himself. But Abbey knew. He wasn't sure for how long, or how she found out, but he shouldn't be surprised. His wife was brilliant and very intuitive. He should have known that she'd figure it out. He wasn't going to go into detail, because he was sure it would upset her, and it would reflect poorly on his father. But she knew and she seemed to understand. He'd never had anyone like that in his life before. Someone who just knew. Someone who was always on his side. Well actually, he did have someone like that.
"Mrs. Landingham."
"Hmm?" Abbey shifted to look up at him.
"I'll call Mrs. Landingham and see if Liz can stay with her. While she's at the school, Liz can stay with my mother. And everyone is happy."
"How are you going to explain to your mother that Liz can stay there during the day, but not overnight? For a whole week?"
He frowned. "She'll know what to do," he replied, confident that his surrogate big sister would have the answer.
Abbey nuzzled against him. "Okay. I trust you."
Jed kissed her forehead and held her for a little while. They'd have to get ready for bed eventually, but he was content to hold her for a little while.