Carter and Abby Day
"So," Susan said, pulling herself up to sit on the counter next to where Abby was making coffee. "What did Carter get you for Valentine's day?"
"Nothing," Abby replied matter of factly, reaching into the cupboard for a mug. "You want one?"
"Please." She grabbed a second mug, and began to pour the coffee. "I bet he's got something really great for you this evening." Susan smiled happily. "I can just picture it.a romantic meal for two, only light from a candle in the middle of the table.he'll probably get a butler or something to serve you!"
"I doubt it." Abby passed Susan her coffee, and made her way to the sofa, sitting down.
"Do you really know Carter?" she laughed, sliding off the counter and making her way towards where Abby was sat. "He's such a romantic! And he's mad about you." She took a sip of the coffee. "Ooh!" she exclaimed, as if she'd suddenly thought of something amazing. "A single red rose."
"Nope."
"Oh come on Abby! Are you like a Valentine's day scrooge, or something?"
"Look, we're not doing the Valentine's day thing." She stared down into her coffee. When Susan didn't respond she looked up at her friend. "Valentine's day doesn't exactly hold great memories for Carter."
"Was it Valentine's day when.?"
"Yeah." Abby shrugged. "I always wondered why bad things happen on special days."
"Does it bother you? I mean, about Valentine's day." Abby shook her head.
"No, I want us to be happy." She smiled coyly. "He takes so much care of my feelings, the least I can do is return the favour. And Lucy was great. I remember standing with her at the end of my first shift in the ER, throwing money off the roof." Susan raised an eyebrow. "Long story!" she laughed. "Well actually, it's not that long, but I can't be bothered to tell."
"Were you good friends?"
"I hardly knew her. But I think we could have been." Abby smiled sadly. "Although, I swear there was something more between her and Carter than a normal doctor-med student relationship. I heard the rumours when I was first at the hospital." She giggled. "Not that Carter would ever admit it!"
"I really can't believe you and Carter sometimes," Susan said, with a hint of jealousy. "You're so amazingly perfect for each other. And I don't know how you put up with each other!" Now it was Susan's turn to giggle. "No offence."
"None taken. It's not all that big a deal anyway. Valentine's day doesn't exactly hold great memories for me either. I had one screwed up marriage." she sighed sadly, and stood up to take her used mug to the sink.
"You and Carter are going to be different." Abby turned to stare at her friend.
"What are you implying?"
"Nothing!" Susan laughed, standing up to join Abby. "I just thought that one day, maybe."
"You thought, huh?" Abby turned back towards the sink, trying not to think about how appealing the idea sounded. She turned the tap on, and splashed some water towards her friend, who squealed.
"Abby!!"
"Serves you right," she shrugged. "Shouldn't make assumptions about my love life."
***
Carter let himself into Abby's apartment after a long day at work, only to find the lights off. He was tired, and stressed, but he knew that as soon as he saw her everything would be fine. Except now he wouldn't. Where was she?
"Evening," a voice said, as a candle was lit on the other side of the room. He looked across the dark room to where Abby stood behind a table, on which the candle stood. As he walked closer he could see that the table was set out with a meal - expensive looking, too - and a bottle of sparkling apple juice. He smiled, wondering what was going on.
"Erm, what's the date?" he stuttered.
"February 19th," Abby provided, smiling in the candlelight.
"Okay, I'm sure that's not a significant date." He wracked his brain for what else could be going on. "You're not leaving me for another man, and trying to soften me up before you tell me?"
"No!" she laughed cautiously.
"Right.about to kill me?"
"Carter."
"You're not about to propose?" She shook her head, laughing. A quite serious thought struck him. "Are you going to tell me you're pregnant?" he asked, not sure what to think.
"I certainly hope not!" she rolled her eyes.
"Well then what?"
"Today," she began, making her way around the table and coming to stand in front of him. "Is the first annual Carter and Abby Day."
"The first annual.what?"
"Carter and Abby Day. You know, we have so much crap in our lives, I think we deserve our own day." He grinned widely.
"This was your idea?"
"You wondering what's happened to the old cynical Abby?" she laughed. "Well, for Carter and Abby Day she does not exist. She is no more." She punched the air with her fist, punctuating her statement, and making Carter laugh.
"Abby, I'm sorry about Friday. I know Valentine's day's supposed to be." she placed a finger on his lips, warning him to stop.
"Today is Carter and Abby Day. No cynical Abby. No grovelling apologies from Carter. Understand?" He nodded. "Good, now I think it's time for dinner."
"Do you know how much I love you?" he whispered, pulling her close to him.
"I love you too." He lowered his head, and kissed her gently.
"Happy Carter and Abby Day."
***
"So," Susan said, pulling herself up to sit on the counter next to where Abby was making coffee. "What did Carter get you for Valentine's day?"
"Nothing," Abby replied matter of factly, reaching into the cupboard for a mug. "You want one?"
"Please." She grabbed a second mug, and began to pour the coffee. "I bet he's got something really great for you this evening." Susan smiled happily. "I can just picture it.a romantic meal for two, only light from a candle in the middle of the table.he'll probably get a butler or something to serve you!"
"I doubt it." Abby passed Susan her coffee, and made her way to the sofa, sitting down.
"Do you really know Carter?" she laughed, sliding off the counter and making her way towards where Abby was sat. "He's such a romantic! And he's mad about you." She took a sip of the coffee. "Ooh!" she exclaimed, as if she'd suddenly thought of something amazing. "A single red rose."
"Nope."
"Oh come on Abby! Are you like a Valentine's day scrooge, or something?"
"Look, we're not doing the Valentine's day thing." She stared down into her coffee. When Susan didn't respond she looked up at her friend. "Valentine's day doesn't exactly hold great memories for Carter."
"Was it Valentine's day when.?"
"Yeah." Abby shrugged. "I always wondered why bad things happen on special days."
"Does it bother you? I mean, about Valentine's day." Abby shook her head.
"No, I want us to be happy." She smiled coyly. "He takes so much care of my feelings, the least I can do is return the favour. And Lucy was great. I remember standing with her at the end of my first shift in the ER, throwing money off the roof." Susan raised an eyebrow. "Long story!" she laughed. "Well actually, it's not that long, but I can't be bothered to tell."
"Were you good friends?"
"I hardly knew her. But I think we could have been." Abby smiled sadly. "Although, I swear there was something more between her and Carter than a normal doctor-med student relationship. I heard the rumours when I was first at the hospital." She giggled. "Not that Carter would ever admit it!"
"I really can't believe you and Carter sometimes," Susan said, with a hint of jealousy. "You're so amazingly perfect for each other. And I don't know how you put up with each other!" Now it was Susan's turn to giggle. "No offence."
"None taken. It's not all that big a deal anyway. Valentine's day doesn't exactly hold great memories for me either. I had one screwed up marriage." she sighed sadly, and stood up to take her used mug to the sink.
"You and Carter are going to be different." Abby turned to stare at her friend.
"What are you implying?"
"Nothing!" Susan laughed, standing up to join Abby. "I just thought that one day, maybe."
"You thought, huh?" Abby turned back towards the sink, trying not to think about how appealing the idea sounded. She turned the tap on, and splashed some water towards her friend, who squealed.
"Abby!!"
"Serves you right," she shrugged. "Shouldn't make assumptions about my love life."
***
Carter let himself into Abby's apartment after a long day at work, only to find the lights off. He was tired, and stressed, but he knew that as soon as he saw her everything would be fine. Except now he wouldn't. Where was she?
"Evening," a voice said, as a candle was lit on the other side of the room. He looked across the dark room to where Abby stood behind a table, on which the candle stood. As he walked closer he could see that the table was set out with a meal - expensive looking, too - and a bottle of sparkling apple juice. He smiled, wondering what was going on.
"Erm, what's the date?" he stuttered.
"February 19th," Abby provided, smiling in the candlelight.
"Okay, I'm sure that's not a significant date." He wracked his brain for what else could be going on. "You're not leaving me for another man, and trying to soften me up before you tell me?"
"No!" she laughed cautiously.
"Right.about to kill me?"
"Carter."
"You're not about to propose?" She shook her head, laughing. A quite serious thought struck him. "Are you going to tell me you're pregnant?" he asked, not sure what to think.
"I certainly hope not!" she rolled her eyes.
"Well then what?"
"Today," she began, making her way around the table and coming to stand in front of him. "Is the first annual Carter and Abby Day."
"The first annual.what?"
"Carter and Abby Day. You know, we have so much crap in our lives, I think we deserve our own day." He grinned widely.
"This was your idea?"
"You wondering what's happened to the old cynical Abby?" she laughed. "Well, for Carter and Abby Day she does not exist. She is no more." She punched the air with her fist, punctuating her statement, and making Carter laugh.
"Abby, I'm sorry about Friday. I know Valentine's day's supposed to be." she placed a finger on his lips, warning him to stop.
"Today is Carter and Abby Day. No cynical Abby. No grovelling apologies from Carter. Understand?" He nodded. "Good, now I think it's time for dinner."
"Do you know how much I love you?" he whispered, pulling her close to him.
"I love you too." He lowered his head, and kissed her gently.
"Happy Carter and Abby Day."
***