Martha sits behind her palatial wooden desk studying her agenda for the day. Everything seems to be in order. Not even a hair on her head is out of place. She glances once more at the schedule, and finds an empty slot in her day. She is about to begin her descent into frets-ville when Abigail materializes in her doorway. She does not have any Merriwick intuition, but the early morning silence of the office makes ignoring Abigail's footsteps impossible. She greets her constituent with a smile. Abigail tries to read Martha's facial expression as she closes the heavy wooden door behind her.
"I am showing up first thing this morning without an appointment, and you are sitting behind your desk as cool as a cucumber as if you're expecting me. Did Cassie call you?" Abigail questions suspiciously as she lowers herself into the seat across the desk from the mayor of Middleton.
"I wasn't necessarily expecting you this morning, but the timing is fortuitous. I have an hour before I need to be in any meetings. To be fair I did know that you would be coming at some point."
Abigail furrows her brow, "Oh?"
"You have a little problem, and you require my diplomacy to remedy the situation?"
"What do you think I'm here for, exactly?"
"To ask me to lend a hand to figure out a way to communicate to Donovan about the impending arrival the pair of you are about to receive, that you have been trying desperately to conceal."
"How did you know?"
"Abigail sometimes I think people, including you that I am a human being outside of being mayor of Middleton. Also a few weeks ago when I came into the flower shop asking for lilies you pointed to the wall, and wandered off behind the counter gagging."
"My nose blindness to all of the smells suddenly disappeared one day. Every single fragrant flower in the shop makes me want to barf."
"Abigail I am happy to help you negotiate with Donovan. You do, of course have to tell him."
"He doesn't take my calls anymore."
Martha smiles, and turns her office phone towards Abigail. After only a couple of rings Donovan picks up.
"Martha if this is about the Blairsville…"
Martha interrupts, "It isn't. Donovan I need you to listen carefully. There is someone here in my office that needs to speak to you. I forbid you to hang up on her."
"I don't want to talk to Abigail," he argues.
"Want to or not, she has something that she needs to share with you. You do at least owe her the courtesy of hearing her out."
"Fine, but consider this a favor, Martha."
"Noted."
"Donovan, I'm pregnant."
"What?! Why are you calling to tell me that?"
"I just thought you would want to know since you are the other party responsible."
"I…" he stammers, "Thanks for letting me know." He hangs up.
Abigail sighs, "Well that went as I expected."
"We will work it out."
Abigail takes her sweet time walking to the flower shop from Martha's office. She arrives promptly on time, and flips around the sign. She's sulking behind the counter when none other than Dottie Davenport walks in. She inwardly groans.
"Abigail do you have any of those gorgeous white mums left?"
"How many do you need? I think that there are three left in the back."
"I think three would be perfect."
Abigail breathes a sigh of relief as she heads into storage to find the mums. She grabs the nearby cart, and loads them on. Dottie smiles as she wheels around the counter.
"Actually there are four. Do you want the fourth? I went ahead and threw it on there just in case."
"I'll take it. Nowhere else has them."
"I'm glad I could be of assistance," she offers a feigned smile.
At the counter as Dottie digs out her wallet she notices the look in Abigail's eyes as she rings her up.
"Are you upset that I am here? I hope it's not insensitive. I had hoped enough time passed that it wasn't."
Abigail shakes her head, "Not at all. I am glad you came to me. I don't want things to be awkward. I worry that there is no way to avoid the awkwardness moving forward though."
Dottie furrows her brow, "What do you mean?"
"Donovan and I are never going to make things work, and I don't think it's just because of some ridiculous curse. It doesn't stop me from wishing that we could for everyone's sake."
Dottie considers Abigail's response as she taps her card. In the moment of silence before the receipt prints she notices something she hasn't before.
"Abigail, what do you mean by everyone's sake?"
She shrugs, "Just all of the people that we care about."
"Even one we have yet to meet?"
Abigail's head hangs as she offers a subtle nod, "What was the giveaway?"
"I was waiting in my car when you walked in. I saw you retching in the bushes. Then I came in here to pick up the mums, and your non-verbal communication confirmed my hunch."
"I'm not sure it could be worse timing."
"Have you told Donovan?"
"I did. To be honest I've been putting it off. He wasn't thrilled. I'm sure he was just as caught off guard as I was."
"I can't speak for his actions. I am, however always just a phone call away."
"I appreciate that."