Felicity handed Abby a pint of chocolate ice cream and a spoon.
"A pint? There must be a lot that you need to talk about." Abby commented, taking the two away from Felicity.
"No, not really. I just feel with all that's been going on in the last couple of weeks, I deserve it." Felicity said, sitting down at the kitchen table and taking a spoonful of ice cream.
"So what's he like?"
"Big, smart, and serious. I could tell that we shocked him speechless, though." Felicity said, standing up and getting a bottle of water from the fridge.
"Anyone would be shocked speechless with the news that you presented him." Abby said, licking off her spoon.
"Yeah, but I could tell that this was a first for him." Felicity said after taking a sip.
"Way to go, Lissy. Anything else? Physical attributes?"
"He's around six-four, black hair, brown eyes, big feet, strong yet gentle. Kinda like Hagrid."
"But obviously not half-giant."
"Obviously. So what did he say to Ben's news?"
"Other than offering his condolences, after being shocked speechless a second time? Not much. His cell rang and he needed to leave--apparently a tip had come up that he and his partner couldn't ignore. Ben said that either he or his secretary would call to schedule a follow up meeting for one-on-one time. He left. Ben told me to go home, wait for him there and if possible get a hold of you. Clearly, I couldn't because you were on vacation."
"Yeah, well, the one-on-one time ought to be delightful."
"Tell me about it."
"So what's your un--the guy's name?"
"Abby, it's okay for you to say 'uncle'."
"Didn't know what to say, since you didn't say anything."
"Abby, I met the guy yesterday. You think I'm gonna call the guy 'uncle' when I don't even know him and I don't even call Ben 'uncle'?"
"Good point. So what is the guy's name?"
"Detective Robert Goren, but he goes by Bobby. He's a detective in the Major Case Squad."
"Hmm, I'll ask Dad what he knows about him."
"Thanks."
"Anything else from what you told me?"
"Nope."
"So when do you think I should meet him?"
"I don't know! God, Abby, I only met the guy yesterday."
"Geez, sorry."
"It's okay. I've just been under a lot of stress."
"It's fine. Just let me know when you want me to meet him."
"Okay. Moving on, has Mrs. Schmidt gotten back to your position?"
"No. I told her I didn't know where I would be when the information would come out, so I would just pick my letter up at the school. They said that they would call when they mailed the letter out."
"Well, Kristy got hers yesterday. She made second chair."
"Good for Kristy. She deserves it." Felicity said happily. " I'll have to call and congratulate Kristy. Maybe Ben listened to the machine and forgot to tell me that Mrs. Schmidt called. But that wouldn't make sense since Jane was suppose to be here today."
"Jane?"
"The hospice nurse that Social Services sends over."
"Ah," Abby stated and glanced down at her pint of chocolate ice cream. "Well, I've eaten of this as humanly possible without barfing. You done?"
"Yeah. Hey that movie about the eyeballs from space is supposed to be on tonight."
"When?"
"In about five minutes."
"I haven't seen that movie in forever. Jackie took my copy of it to college."
"That sucks of your sister to take your favorite movie."
"I know. And every time I go up there, I look for it and it's not there. She says that she's hiding it."
"That's just plain mean of your sister. Where you do want to watch it?"
"My room, cause Ben said so."
"That's a good reason why."
"Yeppers."
When Ben came in Felicity's bedroom the next morning to check on them, he found Felicity and Abby asleep in Felicity's bed, fast asleep with their heads touching.
Flashback
Patrice walked in Henry and Charlotte's room, only to discover Felicity sitting in the bedroom's window seat, knees together, staring out the window.
"Felicity." Patrice called softly. Felicity turned and the look in her eyes broke Patrice's heart. She walked and sat down next to her.
"Felicity," Patrice said again, this time blinking back tears, "it's time to go."
Felicity looked up at her and asked quietly, "Do I have to go?"
"Yes, sweetie."
"Will you and Ben be there?"
"Ben and I will be there every step of the way with you."
"Promise?" Felicity's voice came out as a broken whisper, tears running down her cheeks.
"Promise," Patrice stated and brought her baby brother's little girl into her arms. "I promise," she whispered into Felicity's hair.
The funeral and the rest of the day Felicity could only remember images-- riding in the hearse with Ben and Patrice, holding onto their hands tightly throughout the service, her parents' flowers were tulips and lilies--her mom's favorite flowers--feeling the tears run down her cheeks as she followed her parents' caskets out of church, looking down at the two open graves with her parents' caskets resting in them, and for an odd reason the smell of peppermints.
"A pint? There must be a lot that you need to talk about." Abby commented, taking the two away from Felicity.
"No, not really. I just feel with all that's been going on in the last couple of weeks, I deserve it." Felicity said, sitting down at the kitchen table and taking a spoonful of ice cream.
"So what's he like?"
"Big, smart, and serious. I could tell that we shocked him speechless, though." Felicity said, standing up and getting a bottle of water from the fridge.
"Anyone would be shocked speechless with the news that you presented him." Abby said, licking off her spoon.
"Yeah, but I could tell that this was a first for him." Felicity said after taking a sip.
"Way to go, Lissy. Anything else? Physical attributes?"
"He's around six-four, black hair, brown eyes, big feet, strong yet gentle. Kinda like Hagrid."
"But obviously not half-giant."
"Obviously. So what did he say to Ben's news?"
"Other than offering his condolences, after being shocked speechless a second time? Not much. His cell rang and he needed to leave--apparently a tip had come up that he and his partner couldn't ignore. Ben said that either he or his secretary would call to schedule a follow up meeting for one-on-one time. He left. Ben told me to go home, wait for him there and if possible get a hold of you. Clearly, I couldn't because you were on vacation."
"Yeah, well, the one-on-one time ought to be delightful."
"Tell me about it."
"So what's your un--the guy's name?"
"Abby, it's okay for you to say 'uncle'."
"Didn't know what to say, since you didn't say anything."
"Abby, I met the guy yesterday. You think I'm gonna call the guy 'uncle' when I don't even know him and I don't even call Ben 'uncle'?"
"Good point. So what is the guy's name?"
"Detective Robert Goren, but he goes by Bobby. He's a detective in the Major Case Squad."
"Hmm, I'll ask Dad what he knows about him."
"Thanks."
"Anything else from what you told me?"
"Nope."
"So when do you think I should meet him?"
"I don't know! God, Abby, I only met the guy yesterday."
"Geez, sorry."
"It's okay. I've just been under a lot of stress."
"It's fine. Just let me know when you want me to meet him."
"Okay. Moving on, has Mrs. Schmidt gotten back to your position?"
"No. I told her I didn't know where I would be when the information would come out, so I would just pick my letter up at the school. They said that they would call when they mailed the letter out."
"Well, Kristy got hers yesterday. She made second chair."
"Good for Kristy. She deserves it." Felicity said happily. " I'll have to call and congratulate Kristy. Maybe Ben listened to the machine and forgot to tell me that Mrs. Schmidt called. But that wouldn't make sense since Jane was suppose to be here today."
"Jane?"
"The hospice nurse that Social Services sends over."
"Ah," Abby stated and glanced down at her pint of chocolate ice cream. "Well, I've eaten of this as humanly possible without barfing. You done?"
"Yeah. Hey that movie about the eyeballs from space is supposed to be on tonight."
"When?"
"In about five minutes."
"I haven't seen that movie in forever. Jackie took my copy of it to college."
"That sucks of your sister to take your favorite movie."
"I know. And every time I go up there, I look for it and it's not there. She says that she's hiding it."
"That's just plain mean of your sister. Where you do want to watch it?"
"My room, cause Ben said so."
"That's a good reason why."
"Yeppers."
When Ben came in Felicity's bedroom the next morning to check on them, he found Felicity and Abby asleep in Felicity's bed, fast asleep with their heads touching.
Flashback
Patrice walked in Henry and Charlotte's room, only to discover Felicity sitting in the bedroom's window seat, knees together, staring out the window.
"Felicity." Patrice called softly. Felicity turned and the look in her eyes broke Patrice's heart. She walked and sat down next to her.
"Felicity," Patrice said again, this time blinking back tears, "it's time to go."
Felicity looked up at her and asked quietly, "Do I have to go?"
"Yes, sweetie."
"Will you and Ben be there?"
"Ben and I will be there every step of the way with you."
"Promise?" Felicity's voice came out as a broken whisper, tears running down her cheeks.
"Promise," Patrice stated and brought her baby brother's little girl into her arms. "I promise," she whispered into Felicity's hair.
The funeral and the rest of the day Felicity could only remember images-- riding in the hearse with Ben and Patrice, holding onto their hands tightly throughout the service, her parents' flowers were tulips and lilies--her mom's favorite flowers--feeling the tears run down her cheeks as she followed her parents' caskets out of church, looking down at the two open graves with her parents' caskets resting in them, and for an odd reason the smell of peppermints.
