Carter pulled the green Rodeo into the parking lot and shut off the engine.
He turned his attention to Abby who was visibly nervous.
"Are you alright?" He asked as he took hold of her hand.
"Yeah, just peachy, I would be even better if I could have a cigarette right now." Carter's eyes widened with shock. "I'm kidding," she admitted he gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. She was lying to him, she wasn't alright, she was a nervous wreck, but she couldn't figure out why. She was just having dinner with two strangers, but one of them happened to be her father. Abby finally got out of the SUV and opened the backdoor where her son was. Joey took the toy he was chewing on and smiling handed it to her. Abby just shook her head and proceeded to unbuckle him from his car seat, while Carter helped Brooklyn out of the SUV. Abby grabbed the diaper bag and they all walked into the restaurant.
"Wow, this place is really." Carter began.
"Expensive." Abby finished.
"I was going to say nice." He turned and smiled at her.
"I bet you were." Abby took another deep breath, "I can't do this." She started to walk back out the door.
Carter went after her and grabbed her before she got out the door; he put his hands on her shoulders and tried to reassure her. "Abby, yes you can. You're stronger than you think. Tonight is just dinner. You don't have to make any decisions of what part you want him in yours or our lives, ok?"
She looked at Joey who was balanced on her hip, and playing with her necklace. She sighed, "You're right. It's just dinner."
"Remember I promised you, we're in this together."
"Oh, God they're here." Abby said as she motioned to the couple who had just entered from the far doors.
"That's him?" Carter asked.
"What did you expect?"
"Nothing, let's just go. They've spotted us." Carter said as he led Abby and Brooklyn over to the couple.
"Abby, thank you for coming, you look lovely."
"Thank you, um Dad, this is my husband John Carter. John this is my father, Charles." Abby said nervously.
"Nice to meet you Mr. Wyczenski," Carter said as they shook hands.
"You can call me Charles, and this is my fiancée Victoria. Victoria this is my daughter Abby and her family." Abby smiled politely at the woman. She was a slender brown haired woman, probably only a few years younger than her father she thought.
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you Abby. Your father has told me so much about you."
"Really? That's interesting because."
"Abby." Carter interrupted.
"Mommy, I'm hungry." Brooklyn said quietly to her mother.
"Um, and this is my daughter Brooklyn." Abby began.
"And that's my bubby Joey." Brooklyn informed them.
"She's adorable. It's nice to meet you Brooklyn." Victoria said as she tried to shake the little girl's hand, but Brooklyn quickly hid behind her mother.
"I'm sorry; she's a little shy sometimes." Carter explained.
"Well, how about we find a table."
"Are you alright?" He asked as he took hold of her hand.
"Yeah, just peachy, I would be even better if I could have a cigarette right now." Carter's eyes widened with shock. "I'm kidding," she admitted he gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. She was lying to him, she wasn't alright, she was a nervous wreck, but she couldn't figure out why. She was just having dinner with two strangers, but one of them happened to be her father. Abby finally got out of the SUV and opened the backdoor where her son was. Joey took the toy he was chewing on and smiling handed it to her. Abby just shook her head and proceeded to unbuckle him from his car seat, while Carter helped Brooklyn out of the SUV. Abby grabbed the diaper bag and they all walked into the restaurant.
"Wow, this place is really." Carter began.
"Expensive." Abby finished.
"I was going to say nice." He turned and smiled at her.
"I bet you were." Abby took another deep breath, "I can't do this." She started to walk back out the door.
Carter went after her and grabbed her before she got out the door; he put his hands on her shoulders and tried to reassure her. "Abby, yes you can. You're stronger than you think. Tonight is just dinner. You don't have to make any decisions of what part you want him in yours or our lives, ok?"
She looked at Joey who was balanced on her hip, and playing with her necklace. She sighed, "You're right. It's just dinner."
"Remember I promised you, we're in this together."
"Oh, God they're here." Abby said as she motioned to the couple who had just entered from the far doors.
"That's him?" Carter asked.
"What did you expect?"
"Nothing, let's just go. They've spotted us." Carter said as he led Abby and Brooklyn over to the couple.
"Abby, thank you for coming, you look lovely."
"Thank you, um Dad, this is my husband John Carter. John this is my father, Charles." Abby said nervously.
"Nice to meet you Mr. Wyczenski," Carter said as they shook hands.
"You can call me Charles, and this is my fiancée Victoria. Victoria this is my daughter Abby and her family." Abby smiled politely at the woman. She was a slender brown haired woman, probably only a few years younger than her father she thought.
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you Abby. Your father has told me so much about you."
"Really? That's interesting because."
"Abby." Carter interrupted.
"Mommy, I'm hungry." Brooklyn said quietly to her mother.
"Um, and this is my daughter Brooklyn." Abby began.
"And that's my bubby Joey." Brooklyn informed them.
"She's adorable. It's nice to meet you Brooklyn." Victoria said as she tried to shake the little girl's hand, but Brooklyn quickly hid behind her mother.
"I'm sorry; she's a little shy sometimes." Carter explained.
"Well, how about we find a table."