Chapter Four

"Mom, the pot is boiling over."

Abbey jolted out of her reverie. "Damn! Thanks, Zo."

Zoey sat down at the kitchen table and watched her mother. "Are you okay? You've been kinda out of it lately."

"Oh, I'm fine. I've just been thinking a lot."

"About what?"

Abbey smiled sadly. "A lot of things."

Something told Zoey that now as the right time to get some answers. "Hey, Mom?"

"Yeah?"

"Why did you and Dad get divorced?"

Abbey turned to face her, surprised at the question. Zoey had never really asked about her father. He'd been gone for almost twenty years. Abbey hardly ever thought about him. But she had recently. Zoey's timing was a very strange coincidence. "He wasn't very nice to me," she finally replied.

Zoey frowned. "If he wasn't nice, why did you marry him?"

"He loved me. And he was very good to me," Abbey said with a slight shrug. But her tone turned cold. "Until he wasn't."

"Mom, did he hurt you?" she asked, almost afraid to hear her mother's answer.

"No, sweetheart. He never hit me. Or you. Thank god," Abbey assured her. "But he did get very jealous and controlling. He didn't want me to go back to work after you were born. He didn't trust me. He would get very upset and yell. And when I told him to knock it off, he shut down."

"So that's why he didn't want me?"

Abbey reached out to stroke her baby girl's cheek. "It wasn't that he didn't want you. He didn't want me. And in his mind, seeing you was seeing me. And he ended up hating me so much for being my own person that he couldn't even see what a wonderful person you are."

Zoey hugged her mother. "I'm sorry," she said, her voice muffled against Abbey's shoulder.

"Why are you sorry? You have nothing to be sorry for. Not for this."

"Yeah, but I'm sorry you had to go through all of that. You don't deserve that. You're great!"

Abbey kissed her forehead. "You're great too."

"I know," Zoey replied with a big smile.

Abbey chuckled. "Alright, enough of this. Let's have dinner."

As soon as they finished eating and clearing the dishes, Zoey rushed upstairs to call Charlie.

"Hey!" he answered happily. "So, did you ask her?"

"No, I didn't get to that. It would have been too much," she replied.

"Zoey, you said you were going to talk to her today!"

"I know, but I did ask her about my dad."

Charlie frowned. "You did? How…how was that?" he asked awkwardly.

"Better than I expected. I've never really asked about him before. I barely remember him, so I don't miss him. And Mom's given me everything I could ever need and more. So he's never really been an issue in my life."

"So what did you mom say about him?" Charlie prompted.

"Well, we don't have to worry about her having any lingering feelings. She's super done with him. He was never violent, apparently, but he got really jealous and controlling and mean after I was born because Mom went back to work, so she basically left him. And he ended up hating her, which is why he's never come around. Which sounds pretty good to me," Zoey replied.

"That's good, then! We don't have to worry about anyone else, I guess. Right?" Suddenly Charlie realized that his girlfriend might have some kind of Parent Trap fantasy hidden somewhere in her mind.

"Honestly, I'd be happy to never think or hear about my father ever again. He doesn't matter to me, and now we know he doesn't matter to Mom either."

"But we still don't know how to proceed, because you were supposed to bring it up to her today, Zoey!" Charlie reminded her.

"I know! But like I said, I couldn't bring it up because that would be too much. I couldn't ask her if my father abused us and then turn around and change the subject to ask about her dating habits!"

Charlie sighed. "Sorry. I won't push anymore."

"No, it's my fault. But I'm right there with you. Now that I've met Professor Bartlet, I totally agree with what you said the first time you met my mom: they'd be a great couple." Zoey smiled to herself, picturing how the two of them had looked together at Dean Fiderer's party. She'd seen her mother flirt before, but there was something about the way she looked at Professor Bartlet that made her immediately intrigued by Charlie's idea to set them up.

"I don't want to start things on my end until we know where your mom is at. Do you know if she's the type to make the first move or if she'd want him to call her or…"

"Charlie!" Zoey interrupted. "I have no idea how my mom dates. I'm sure she has dated during my lifetime, but I honestly have no memory of it. She never really told me anything."

"But could you…"

"I am going to hang up on you if you don't stop," she interjected sternly.

"Fine, I'm sorry," Charlie grumbled.

Zoey happily continued chatting with her boyfriend about their upcoming plans. But while he was talking, she couldn't help but be a little worried about how to bring up this topic with her mother.

But Zoey's worries were unnecessary; the work was done for her. While they were working in the lab together the following day, Abbey brought up the subject on her own accord.

"You heard from Charlie lately?"

"Yeah, we talked last night after dinner. We're going to the movies tonight."

"That will be nice. Has Charlie mentioned anything about his Econ professor?" Abbey asked casually, not turning her face away from the slides she was examining under the microscope.

"What do you mean?" Zoey did her best not to appear eager.

"Well, I enjoyed meeting Professor Bartlet. So I was just wondering how he was doing."

Zoey could have squealed. But she wouldn't push just now. She'd report back to Charlie and they'd plan what to do next. "I'm sure Professor Bartlet is doing fine. I would have heard if he weren't."

Abbey nodded and didn't respond. First she'd concocted a reason to have coffee with CJ Cregg to ask about Jed Bartlet, and now she was fishing for information from her daughter. This was stupid. Abbey couldn't recall when she'd last acted so desperate. But she also couldn't recall any time in her life when just seeing a man laugh had made her breathless. Looking into his blue eyes had almost made her go weak at the knees, and when he'd called her Zoey's 'lovely mother,' she'd nearly blushed. When had that ever happened Abbey Barrington? And a feeling like that wasn't something she took lightly. So she wouldn't let this opportunity slip away.

Later that night, Abbey found herself restless and frustrated. Ever since she'd let herself think about Jed Bartlet that afternoon, she hadn't been able to focus on anything else. Her mind would wander to him every time she tried to read anything—a book, a student essay, or even a magazine. There was nothing good on TV. Zoey was out with Charlie, so she didn't even have her daughter to distract her. Finally, Abbey changed into a cocktail dress and put on some makeup and drove over to the one place that never failed to lift her spirits.

She parked in front of the formal restaurant and smiled to herself. She hadn't been here since her birthday. In fact, she only ever came her for her birthday. But this would be good. Waiters and bartenders in tuxedos were always good. Being here was like stepping back in time to an idealized version of mid-century glamour.

"Professor! It isn't your birthday, is it?" the hostess asked with a bright smile.

"No, I'm afraid I was just in the mood to come in for a little while. Is there anything available?" Abbey asked politely, realizing that showing up here without a reservation was probably rather stupid.

"I'm afraid we don't have any tables, but you're welcome to sit at the bar. We can serve our whole menu to you."

Abbey smiled. "I'm sure I don't need the whole menu, but the bar will be fine, thank you." When the hostess moved to lead her, just as the phone rang, Abbey stopped her. "Oh I know where it is. You take care of this."

Feeling a thousand times better already, Abbey made her way around the tables and booths to the back of the restaurant to sit at the enormous marble and dark wood bar. But before she got there, she noticed a familiar face at one of the tables. "Professor McGarry?"

Leo was startled to hear his name. But he smiled when he saw Abbey. "Professor Barrington! What a nice surprise!" He stood up to greet her. "Are you here alone?"

"I'm afraid I am. My daughter is out with her boyfriend, and I was in the mood for a little elegance. This is my favorite place in the whole city, though I don't make it over here as often as I'd like," she admitted. It took her a moment before noticing Leo's somewhat surprising dinner companion. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I'm Abbey Barrington. I teach Biology at the University," she said in introduction.

A very small blonde woman stood up and shook Abbey's hand. "Annabeth Schott. I actually teach in the Communications department," she replied with a smile as bright as the sunshine and a tone of voice to match.

"It's so nice to meet you. I'll leave you to your dinner. I'm going to the bar. It was nice to see you both," Abbey said to the pair before hastily leaving.

Leo was visibly shaken as he sat back down with Annabeth. "Do you need a minute?" she asked him with kind understanding.

He glanced over to the bar where Abbey had just sat down. "Actually, yeah." He turned back to Annabeth. "I promise this has nothing to do with you or our night together. But that woman…"

Annabeth sat and waited for him to continue, her brows raised in anticipation.

"I just met her recently, and she's very important," Leo finished cryptically.

Annabeth nodded. "Go. I'll still be here when you get back," she promised.

Leo got up and did up the button on his suit jacket as he approached the bar. The bartender immediately asked him if he needed something. "No, I'm here to talk to her," he told the bartender as he gestured at Abbey.

"Something I can do for you?" she asked with a small smile.

"Can I call you Abbey?"

"I'd prefer if you did. Is that all you wanted?"

"No, sorry. Listen, Abbey, could you not tell anyone on campus about seeing me here with Annabeth?"

Abbey frowned. "Are you married? Is she married?"

"No, nothing like that, I swear."

"Alright, then I suppose whatever is going on is your business. I wouldn't have told anyone anything anyway," she added with a slight shrug. "I don't have many on-campus friends I'd bother gossiping with."

"It's just that she's a new teacher. And we kinda clicked right away. But I sorta ignored her for a long time. I mean, my god, she's a good ten years younger than I am. She had to convince me to go out with her. And I really like her. I just don't want to ruin it with the rumor mill," Leo explained. He couldn't believe he was confiding in a woman who was only slightly more than a stranger.

Abbey nodded. "I understand. Your secret is safe with me."

Leo thanked her and left. Abbey watched him take his cellphone out and dial as he ducked around the corner to the hallway where the restrooms were located. A moment later, he walked out and put his phone back in his pocket. Abbey was grateful for the mysterious interruption. It took her mind off of other, less productive things. She shook her head and went back to looking at the bar menu.