Chapter Forty Three

They headed home that night each happy and content with their lives. Annabeth went on and on about the weekend with Grandpa and playing with JJ, her true best friend. Eddie had been worrying about Annabeth not having many friends at school, the little girl was introverted.

There was the mother's tea party coming up and Eddie intended to take Annabeth and help her socialize a bit. She knew she must look intimidating to the kids, the chair, the dog and all that, so if they got to know her, they would perhaps be less judgmental of Annabeth.

"Are you sure?" Jamie asked as he put Eddie in bed that night. "You just had a huge blow and if this goes badly…"

"It's for my daughter," Eddie replied. "She needs to get out of this shy stage and I have no problem sticking myself out there for her and getting the kids to be more comfortable seeing me."

Jamie kissed her head and placed her pillows to keep the pressure off her legs. "Okay, you know best on that, mother knows best."

Eddie smiled up at him, "Don't you forget it. Oh, can you fix that pillow behind my neck?"

Jamie did fixing the pillow how she liked it. "Can I do anything else for you?"

"Get into bed and let's snuggle," she smiled. "I didn't tell you how sorry I was that I didn't talk to you about the doctor. I just didn't want this to be a loss for us, for Team Reagan."

Jamie smiled getting in bed immediately cradling her, "You had a reason. I just wanted to be there to support you."

"You do, you do support me, and my gut is telling me this school thing, that's going to be a challenge for us, honey. We need to be prepared for that."

Jamie kissed her head, "We will, we'll get through it together like we've always done."

"Partners first, partners always," she whispered. "Can we go tomorrow and find new dresses for me and Annabeth for the tea?"

"Of course we can and I can help you pick," Jamie smiled.

Eddie turned on her side a bid and gave him a kiss.

"What about this one?" Jamie asked Eddie holding up a dress. He felt the fall colors would flatter her.

Jamie studied it shaking it back and forth, "It's okay, try another."

Jamie held up the dress. "That one is nice, let's try that one." Trying on clothes with Jamie was always a chore they had to use the special dressing room to get the outfits on and off. Annabeth and Henry were getting sleepy as they waited for Eddie to make a choice. Annabeth's dress had already been chosen, a full skirt with blue bells on it, she looked adorable with the ruffles along the shoulder.

Jamie helped her with the dress stepping back, "You like this one?"

Eddie looked at herself, how the colors worked with her hair and eyes. "Yes, this is good perfect."

"You look beautiful," Jamie complimented smiling at her.

"Then this is the one," Eddie smiled. "Definitely."

Jamie agreed taken in at how the dress looked on her. "You look incredible." The dress Jamie picked, a similar color blue to Annabeth's with a long full skirt won the day.

Eddie changed back to her regular clothes, then smiled at Jamie. The trip was successful, they each got dresses for that tea the next week. "Are you excited?" Jamie asked his little one over burgers.

Annabeth shrugged her shoulders, "Yeah I guess so," she said looking at her food.

"You guess so!" Eddie replied. "It'll be fun Mommy will be there and you can bring your dolly."

Annabeth nodded, "Yeah I love dolly..." she took a bite of food quietly.

Jamie and Eddie shared a look, there was that shyness again. They hoped to combat that with this and other activities.

The next week, Eddie and Annabeth went to the tea. Jamie dropped them off down the street from the house as Eddie insisted. Eddie was dressed in the outfit they had chosen. The hues of blue in the dress brought out her eyes and the thin string of pearls that adorned her neck set the ensemble off just right.

Annabeth held her dolly in her hand, she kept her other hand on Eddie's wrist like she always did when out with just her Mommy. "Mommy, why are we going like this?"

"What do you mean honey? It's nice to look our best when we go out," Eddie coaxed.

"No," Annabeth replied. "No, why did Daddy put us down the street and not outside so we have to roll."

"Because that way we can go in like this honey," Eddie explained. Annabeth nodded and reached up to ring the bell. The house has three steps up in the front, they would be a problem.

The opened up smiling, "Hey, Annabeth, Eddie"

Annabeth was the only one on the porch, "You have steps," she said and looked back at Eddie

"Yes," she said thinking only a moment. "Oh, that's no problem honey. My husband will help your Mommy up."

Eddie went around to the back, and inside through the French doors. There were a few others there already around a beautiful table. The woman turned to watch Eddie enter and maneuver her way through.

Annabeth was going ahead of her mother and making sure that she had no obstacles. They settled at a table Annabeth sitting next to her mom putting the doll on her lap

Annabeth made a plate for Eddie, poured the tea, and did all the things she did at home. The moms watched this mumbling to each other but Eddie smiled. "Thank you honey."

"Why are you in that big chair?" another little girl asked Eddie.

Eddie smiled, "Oh because I got hurt very badly and can't sit in a regular chair anymore."

"A bad man hit Mommy's car," Annabeth said. "And she needs help to do stuff from me and Daddy and my brother."

The little girl nodded looking at Annabeth, "I like your dolly she's pretty." They started to talk and Eddie smiled, that was the point of this. The other moms watched as the six year old did her own thing and tended to Eddie's needs to eat her lunch as if it was second nature.

"Your daughter is welcome to come by our house for a playdate," Eddie told her

The mom smiled, "I think Kay would like that."

"I'll give you my number we can set something up Annabeth would definitely like that."

Eddie looked at Annabeth sighing, "She's been having some trouble finding friends in school."

"It's a tough group and she's so quiet," the mom empathized. "I'll ask Kay to keep her eye out

"That would be really nice thank you. Makes me feel less stressed worrying about her."

Annabeth went off with the other girls to play and Eddie watched her she went to the corner and played by herself. Sighing. she rolled over slowly, "Hey how come your not playing with the girls?"

"Cause they have their game, and I play like I do," she replied

"Oh wouldn't it be fun to try their game and maybe you can teach them yours?"

Eddie watched Annabeth stop playing with the doll looking up at her blue eyes round. "Don't want to, I'm okay here," she replied. "When can we go home?"

"Pretty soon honey maybe you'll get to play with them before we go." Annabeth didn't care, she didn't like these girls or their Moms. Annabeth reached up for Eddie to give her a hug.

"Come here honey. Do you want me to call Daddy and have him pick us up?"

"Look at that, she can't even give the little girl a proper hug," one mom gripped.

Eddie glared at her not responding to her. "Let's go home honey," she whispered

"Cookies are out now," their hostess announced. "Girls there is tea on the dolls table."

"Go ahead honey," Eddie encouraged. "Maybe some cookies and tea will help you feel better then I'll call Daddy."

Annabeth shook her head, "What about you?"

"I'll be fine," Eddie soothed with a small smile.

Annabeth did what Eddie wanted and Eddie went to the adult table. The hostess placed some cookies in her plate. "Thank you these look delicious, did you bake them?" Eddie asked.

"Oh yes I make my own all the time."

Eddie smiled, "You can tell, they look freshly made."

"I hope you enjoy them," she replied. "Do you take your tea a special way?"

"No like this is great thanks," Eddie assured.

She drank her tea and ate the cookies. She wanted to keep her promise and call Jamie to come get them but was a bit shy to command it to call in the presence of others

So, Eddie waited watching Annabeth eating her cookies quietly thinking

Kay sat next Annabeth, "Where did you get your doll?"

"Mommy got it for me at the store," Annabeth said

"It looks like you. You don't play with us at school. Do you have other friends outside school?"

Annabeth shook her head quietly, "No one will play with me at school."

"I'll play with you on Monday," Kay replied. "We can play hopscotch."

"Thank you, Kay, maybe you can come over my house and play. You want to see my dolly?"

Eddie smiled, the only girl and mother that had embraced them... Annabeth was coming out a bit

Annabeth talked about her doll letting Kay holding her letting her brush the hair

"Our girls are hitting it off," Kay's mom smiled. "Why is she so shy?

"I'm not sure actually it's just how she is but I'm glad she seems to be making a friend

"Kay is a good kid, she is the opposite so that might be nice. Did you want to call your husband? I heard you tell her you would. I can help?"

Eddie blushed, "Annabeth is having fun now I don't want to interrupt her."

The party lasted another hour, Jamie arrived to pick Eddie up the same time as a few other father's

"Tell your mommy to call mine we can play at my house. See you on Monday," Annabeth called

"Do you like Kay?" Eddie asked. "You let her hold your doll."

"Yes, Mommy, Kay is nice she's going to play with me at school and wants to come over."

Eddie was glad she might have made one friend

.

On Monday, on the playground the-same group of older girls that had been at the party approached Annabeth and Kay, "Look at the babies playing with dolls"

"We like dolls," Annabeth replied. "It's fun. You can play too or get lost." She was a little more empowered with Kay by her side.

"You shouldn't have to play with the baby doll, your mom is like a baby, you have to feed her and wipe her face." the meanest girl said. "Does she pee pee in her pants too?" "No," Kristyn replied. "She wears her pee pee..." They kept going at her making her angry and sad.

When Eddie came to pick her up with Baker, Annabeth was sitting with Kay. Kay had her arm around her crying friend, "Don't tell my Mommy, don't please..." she begged.

"I promise don't listen to them they're mean girls," Kay tried comforting her

"Come on, our moms are here, we can say you tripped and hurt your foot or something because you were crying...is that good?"

"Yes thank you you're really nice," Annabeth sniffled. Kay helped her up picking up the doll

Kay kept her arms around Annabeth until she got her to Eddie and Baker.

"Hey what's wrong Annabeth? Hi Kay how are you," Eddie asked

"I'm okay thank Mrs. Reagan," Kay replied. "Annabeth tripped and hurt her foot. She was crying."

"Thank you for being a good friend and helping make her feel better."

Kay smiled and went to her own mother, Baker picked Annabeth up, she and Eddie both knew the story was just that, a story...Eddie would press it when she got home.

Baker helped her into the car seat giving the little girl a little extra supportive hug

The drive home was a quiet one Annabeth hugging her doll tight.

Eddie tried to get it out of her, but Annabeth didn't want to talk about it she took out her homework

Sighing Eddie kept looking back at her daughter until they got home. When Baker took her out Annabeth went inside

"She probably got yelled at or something," Baker suggested. "Their little friends cover up for them.

Eddie sighed, "I know it's something just she won't tell me. I want to make it better."

"She's a lot like Frank, a lot like Jamie," Baker advised. "Give her a little space, just some love and she will crack"

Eddie sighed hoping Baker was right. "Thanks Abigail."

Eddie called Annabeth over when she went inside. "You want to sit on Mommy's lap?"

Annabeth looked at shrugging and climbed up on her lap quietly

"You know how much I love you," Eddie whisper. "So much, you can talk to Mommy and Daddy no matter what."

Annabeth nodded, "I know that Mommy."

"Good, do you want to tell me what's making you so sad?"

Annabeth took a deep breath shaking her head quickly.

Eddie gave her two firm kisses on the cheek and let her go, she would open up eventually.

Annabeth disappeared only coming back out when dinner was ready.