"Are you ready, Abby?" Eric called through her bedroom door. Abby looked up
as the door opened and stood up from sitting on the bed. She smiled
slightly.
"Yeah," she answered, quietly. Eric was dressed in an all black tuxedo.
"Are you ok?" he asked concerned. Abby nodded and straightened her black jacket, smoothing out the creases on her black shirt.
"I'm fine. How about you?" she replied. Eric hugged her.
"Well I guess we'll be ok." Eric told her. Abby buried her head in his jacket and immediately felt guilty for trying to pretend that he was Carter. She sighed and pulled away from him. She was meant to be the strong one. She was supposed to be there for him, just like she had promise her mother. She forced a brave smile.
"Come on then," she picked up Nathalie, who wore navy, as Abby didn't have the heart to dress her daughter in depression. Eric nodded and they left the apartment.
As they got to the car park, Eric was heading towards his car when Abby suddenly stopped.
"That's Carter's car." She commented, breathlessly. Eric turned and Abby ran towards the car parked at the other end of the car park. Sure enough, Carter got out of the car and held his arms out to her. He, too, was dressed in a black tux. Abby flung herself into his arms.
"Hey, Abby," Carter murmured. "How are you holding up?" Abby turned and looked up at him with shining eyes.
"Maggie is dead. But at least we made up." Abby answered. "But, John.how did you.I mean.you said that." Carter smiled slightly at her and stroked her hair, as if to try to make sure she was real.
"I told you, baby." He replied. "Anything is possible."
"Hey," Eric called from the other side of the car park. "We have to go," Carter nodded and escorted Abby across to Eric's car.
"Is it alright if I come, too?" Carter asked, gently, not wanting to spoil what might be just a family occasion.
"Alright?" Abby said, incredulously. "Of course it's alright. I've needed you here for so long." Carter beamed and took Nathalie from him.
"And how are you, angel?" he smiled with relief when Nathalie smiled and held her small arms out to him. She remembered him; Weaver was right. He felt so grateful to her, as she was the one who finally let him go after seeing him falling apart in his family's absence. They got into Eric's car and made their way to Maggie's funeral.
* * *
The four of them stood by the grave in a solemn silence. The coffin was lowered and buried. Carter put his arm around Abby's waist and, sensing that maybe this was the time to leave Abby and Eric together, whispered in her ear:
"I'll go wait in the car," Abby looked up and nodded. Her eyes were full of tears and Carter wondered why he wasn't surprised to see them there. He sat in the car with his daughter and looked out of the window upon the sight of the ordered gravestones and two solitary black figures standing, heads bowed, over the grave. The skies were grey and calm, almost as though the whole world was paying a silent respect. Just two mourners over the grave; it just didn't seem enough for the woman who made his wife who she was. He shook his head. Sometimes he just didn't understand the way the world works. Another less-deserving soul might have hundreds of people weeping over them, but for Maggie, just her two children, no-one else. Yet, though he didn't altogether know Maggie, she would probably have been pleased that they both turned up at all.
* * *
The car rolled along road after road. Carter and Abby sat in a comfortable silence as they journeyed home. As ever, the movement of the car had lulled Nathalie into a deep sleep and it was just quiet. However, in contrast to the couple's previous week, this was a nice type of quiet. Carter glanced at Abby who stared out of the window. She turned and noticed his glance and smiled. Her smile faded when she remembered all those things that needed explaining and confessing.
"Carter, those times when I phoned you and told you about..." Abby began to explain those times she lied to him on the phone.
"Abby," he cut her off, sensing her apprehension. "Tell me later, ok? We've got time."
If there was anything Abby had learnt all week, it was that there always seemed to be time for everything important to happen. There would be time to fix things as long as she took up the chances she was offered. The car lapsed back into the soothing silence. There were so many things they weren't telling each other, but it didn't feel right to let it all out now. They needed time to think about how to put their feelings into sentences.
The clouds stirred above them and Abby looked up into the deep, vast sky and smiled. Still, they didn't talk. There would be plenty of time to talk when they got back. After all, they had their whole lives ahead of them.
(Thanks for reading ( hope u enjoyed it! If u have the time could u please review it, but hey, u don't need to if u really can't be bothered. Just hope you liked that. Love LJ xXx)
"Yeah," she answered, quietly. Eric was dressed in an all black tuxedo.
"Are you ok?" he asked concerned. Abby nodded and straightened her black jacket, smoothing out the creases on her black shirt.
"I'm fine. How about you?" she replied. Eric hugged her.
"Well I guess we'll be ok." Eric told her. Abby buried her head in his jacket and immediately felt guilty for trying to pretend that he was Carter. She sighed and pulled away from him. She was meant to be the strong one. She was supposed to be there for him, just like she had promise her mother. She forced a brave smile.
"Come on then," she picked up Nathalie, who wore navy, as Abby didn't have the heart to dress her daughter in depression. Eric nodded and they left the apartment.
As they got to the car park, Eric was heading towards his car when Abby suddenly stopped.
"That's Carter's car." She commented, breathlessly. Eric turned and Abby ran towards the car parked at the other end of the car park. Sure enough, Carter got out of the car and held his arms out to her. He, too, was dressed in a black tux. Abby flung herself into his arms.
"Hey, Abby," Carter murmured. "How are you holding up?" Abby turned and looked up at him with shining eyes.
"Maggie is dead. But at least we made up." Abby answered. "But, John.how did you.I mean.you said that." Carter smiled slightly at her and stroked her hair, as if to try to make sure she was real.
"I told you, baby." He replied. "Anything is possible."
"Hey," Eric called from the other side of the car park. "We have to go," Carter nodded and escorted Abby across to Eric's car.
"Is it alright if I come, too?" Carter asked, gently, not wanting to spoil what might be just a family occasion.
"Alright?" Abby said, incredulously. "Of course it's alright. I've needed you here for so long." Carter beamed and took Nathalie from him.
"And how are you, angel?" he smiled with relief when Nathalie smiled and held her small arms out to him. She remembered him; Weaver was right. He felt so grateful to her, as she was the one who finally let him go after seeing him falling apart in his family's absence. They got into Eric's car and made their way to Maggie's funeral.
* * *
The four of them stood by the grave in a solemn silence. The coffin was lowered and buried. Carter put his arm around Abby's waist and, sensing that maybe this was the time to leave Abby and Eric together, whispered in her ear:
"I'll go wait in the car," Abby looked up and nodded. Her eyes were full of tears and Carter wondered why he wasn't surprised to see them there. He sat in the car with his daughter and looked out of the window upon the sight of the ordered gravestones and two solitary black figures standing, heads bowed, over the grave. The skies were grey and calm, almost as though the whole world was paying a silent respect. Just two mourners over the grave; it just didn't seem enough for the woman who made his wife who she was. He shook his head. Sometimes he just didn't understand the way the world works. Another less-deserving soul might have hundreds of people weeping over them, but for Maggie, just her two children, no-one else. Yet, though he didn't altogether know Maggie, she would probably have been pleased that they both turned up at all.
* * *
The car rolled along road after road. Carter and Abby sat in a comfortable silence as they journeyed home. As ever, the movement of the car had lulled Nathalie into a deep sleep and it was just quiet. However, in contrast to the couple's previous week, this was a nice type of quiet. Carter glanced at Abby who stared out of the window. She turned and noticed his glance and smiled. Her smile faded when she remembered all those things that needed explaining and confessing.
"Carter, those times when I phoned you and told you about..." Abby began to explain those times she lied to him on the phone.
"Abby," he cut her off, sensing her apprehension. "Tell me later, ok? We've got time."
If there was anything Abby had learnt all week, it was that there always seemed to be time for everything important to happen. There would be time to fix things as long as she took up the chances she was offered. The car lapsed back into the soothing silence. There were so many things they weren't telling each other, but it didn't feel right to let it all out now. They needed time to think about how to put their feelings into sentences.
The clouds stirred above them and Abby looked up into the deep, vast sky and smiled. Still, they didn't talk. There would be plenty of time to talk when they got back. After all, they had their whole lives ahead of them.
(Thanks for reading ( hope u enjoyed it! If u have the time could u please review it, but hey, u don't need to if u really can't be bothered. Just hope you liked that. Love LJ xXx)