SIX
* * *
Kevin was a regular now; I watched the season premiere and giggled every time he came onscreen. He was such a hunk, and he loved Lucy so much. She was so lucky. And he was a good strong man, the kind of man every girl should want.
A man like Vick.
#
Abby was quieter now, when I saw her. This wasn't often and I missed our Saturday nights; in those last weeks of high school they had become more than just a review of the last episode; we had begun to pull out tapes of the earlier seasons and watch them too, watch as our favorite family grew, as Mary and especially Lucy became young women, and their lives became filled with boyfriends and fiancés and romance.
God, Ben and Kevin were hunks! Where were all the guys like them?
I sat alone in the den wondering.
I thought of Vick.
Handsome. Unemotional. He didn't say much but when he did you listened.
Does he have a brother?
I giggled. It couldn't hurt to ask.
#
Abby met me at the door. She looked a little tired, but she let me in.
"What's new?" I asked her.
We were drinking coffee now, in the kitchen of her house.
"Not much," she said.
"How's Vick?"
She shrugged. "Fine."
I smiled. She was so lucky. A lot of guys just went with you to the prom, then went off to college and got new girlfriends. Vick had stuck around; he was going to community college too, and I saw him once in a while. I said hi to him occasionally, and he always answered with a smile.
"Did you catch the latest 7th Heaven?" I asked. "Captain Jack's dad showed up. He was threatening the Camdens."
She nodded. She looked tired, and I wondered if she was coming down with something.
"Who's Captain Jack?" she asked.
#
I just stared at her for a moment.
"You know," I said. "He's that new guy that's dating Mary. The one who's too old for her."
She nodded half heartedly. Then she sighed, looked away.
"I'm leaving Vick," she said softly.
"What?"
She nodded again.
"How can you do that?" I asked. "He's perfect. I can tell he loves you. How can you leave a perfect guy?"
Now she sighed, said nothing. It was odd, to see her this quiet.
"He looks at other women," she said then. "I've seen him. And ...."
Her voice trailed off. I shook my head. "Just because he looks, it doesn't mean anything. Guys look, but it doesn't mean they don't love you. You and Vick were meant for each other."
She looked back at me now. "You really think so?"
"Sure. Maybe if you just work harder and make him see how much you love him, he'll see what a great catch you are. You have to work hard to keep a man, especially a hunk like him."
She nodded. We finished our coffee.
* * *
Kevin was a regular now; I watched the season premiere and giggled every time he came onscreen. He was such a hunk, and he loved Lucy so much. She was so lucky. And he was a good strong man, the kind of man every girl should want.
A man like Vick.
#
Abby was quieter now, when I saw her. This wasn't often and I missed our Saturday nights; in those last weeks of high school they had become more than just a review of the last episode; we had begun to pull out tapes of the earlier seasons and watch them too, watch as our favorite family grew, as Mary and especially Lucy became young women, and their lives became filled with boyfriends and fiancés and romance.
God, Ben and Kevin were hunks! Where were all the guys like them?
I sat alone in the den wondering.
I thought of Vick.
Handsome. Unemotional. He didn't say much but when he did you listened.
Does he have a brother?
I giggled. It couldn't hurt to ask.
#
Abby met me at the door. She looked a little tired, but she let me in.
"What's new?" I asked her.
We were drinking coffee now, in the kitchen of her house.
"Not much," she said.
"How's Vick?"
She shrugged. "Fine."
I smiled. She was so lucky. A lot of guys just went with you to the prom, then went off to college and got new girlfriends. Vick had stuck around; he was going to community college too, and I saw him once in a while. I said hi to him occasionally, and he always answered with a smile.
"Did you catch the latest 7th Heaven?" I asked. "Captain Jack's dad showed up. He was threatening the Camdens."
She nodded. She looked tired, and I wondered if she was coming down with something.
"Who's Captain Jack?" she asked.
#
I just stared at her for a moment.
"You know," I said. "He's that new guy that's dating Mary. The one who's too old for her."
She nodded half heartedly. Then she sighed, looked away.
"I'm leaving Vick," she said softly.
"What?"
She nodded again.
"How can you do that?" I asked. "He's perfect. I can tell he loves you. How can you leave a perfect guy?"
Now she sighed, said nothing. It was odd, to see her this quiet.
"He looks at other women," she said then. "I've seen him. And ...."
Her voice trailed off. I shook my head. "Just because he looks, it doesn't mean anything. Guys look, but it doesn't mean they don't love you. You and Vick were meant for each other."
She looked back at me now. "You really think so?"
"Sure. Maybe if you just work harder and make him see how much you love him, he'll see what a great catch you are. You have to work hard to keep a man, especially a hunk like him."
She nodded. We finished our coffee.