Abby sat up in her bed and cleared her throat. "Uh, yeah, I guess,"
she said.
Carter came in and closed the door behind him. He looked around for a chair but there weren't any. So he sat on the edge of Abby's bed. "Big day, huh?" he asked.
"Yeah," Abby said.
"So. . .um, are you gonna keep in touch with your dad?" Carter asked, looking at Abby. She didn't look back.
"I dunno. Maybe. I guess so. I dunno." Abby's mind was reeling. Had he really come in here at mid-night to talk about her father?
"I think you should," he said. "It seems like he really loves you and missed you a lot." Carter's eyes had not left Abby's face but she still couldn't look at him. She was afraid he'd be able to see the love in her eyes.
"Yeah well, he shouldn't have left."
Carter looked down at his hands. He knew she was talking about him too. "Leaving isn't easy, Abby. Especially when you're leaving someone you love. But sometimes it's the only thing you can do." He lifted his eyes to her face again. "And in your father's case, I think he regrets it." Carter paused, scared to say what he wanted to. But he did anyway. "I know I do."
Finally, Abby's eyes met Carter's. "You do what, John?"
"Regret leaving you. I needed time. . .but I wish I hadn't left. I wish I'd stay and we could have worked things out."
"Do you think we could have?" Abby's heart was beating faster. 'Say it,' she thought to herself. 'Say you still love me.'
"I don't know. But I would have liked to try," his eyes filled with tears but he held them back.
"I would have liked that too," Abby said, taking hold of his hand. She leaned forward to kiss him but stopped herself.
He looked at her, puzzled. "Why'd you stop?" he asked her. But he didn't let her answer. He kissed her gently, and ran his hand through her hair. When he pulled away, Abby started to silently cry. "What's wrong?" he asked her, holding her face in his hands. She didn't answer. She just threw her arms around him and cried.
*******************
Carter woke up and yawned. He looked over at Abby, sleeping next to him. He smiled and kissed her forehead. She opened her eyes and smiled back at him. "Hi," he whispered. She stretched her head up and kissed him softly on the mouth. Then she frowned. "What?" he asked.
"I feel guilty," she said, tracing the outline of his face with her finger.
"For what?"
"Being happy. Right now. I should be sad. . .and I am sad but happy too. I missed you."
"I missed you to. And don't feel guilty. You're entitled to be happy." Carter wrapped his arms around her tighter. "Besides, just 'cause you're happy right now doesn't mean you won't get sad again or miss Eric. You will. For the rest of your life you're gonna miss him."
"Yeah." She snuggled against him and fell back asleep.
*********************
Carter and Abby's drive back to Chicago was slightly more interesting than the drive to Minnesota. They talked about everything. Carter told Abby all about Africa and Abby told Carter about her decision to go back to med school.
"I'm proud of you, Abby. I really am," he said as they pulled up in front of her building.
"I'm proud of me too," she said.
Carter walked Abby to her door. "You gonna come in?" she asked, biting her lip.
He thought about it. "I have to work in the morning," he said.
Abby looked hurt. "OK," she said and turned to go inside.
"You didn't let me finish," he said, stopping her. "I have work in the morning so as long as you don't mind me making lots of noise in the morning."
Abby grinned and led Carter to the bedroom.
I'm not sure where to take the story from here. If anyone has any ideas. . . please let me know. Thanks.
Carter came in and closed the door behind him. He looked around for a chair but there weren't any. So he sat on the edge of Abby's bed. "Big day, huh?" he asked.
"Yeah," Abby said.
"So. . .um, are you gonna keep in touch with your dad?" Carter asked, looking at Abby. She didn't look back.
"I dunno. Maybe. I guess so. I dunno." Abby's mind was reeling. Had he really come in here at mid-night to talk about her father?
"I think you should," he said. "It seems like he really loves you and missed you a lot." Carter's eyes had not left Abby's face but she still couldn't look at him. She was afraid he'd be able to see the love in her eyes.
"Yeah well, he shouldn't have left."
Carter looked down at his hands. He knew she was talking about him too. "Leaving isn't easy, Abby. Especially when you're leaving someone you love. But sometimes it's the only thing you can do." He lifted his eyes to her face again. "And in your father's case, I think he regrets it." Carter paused, scared to say what he wanted to. But he did anyway. "I know I do."
Finally, Abby's eyes met Carter's. "You do what, John?"
"Regret leaving you. I needed time. . .but I wish I hadn't left. I wish I'd stay and we could have worked things out."
"Do you think we could have?" Abby's heart was beating faster. 'Say it,' she thought to herself. 'Say you still love me.'
"I don't know. But I would have liked to try," his eyes filled with tears but he held them back.
"I would have liked that too," Abby said, taking hold of his hand. She leaned forward to kiss him but stopped herself.
He looked at her, puzzled. "Why'd you stop?" he asked her. But he didn't let her answer. He kissed her gently, and ran his hand through her hair. When he pulled away, Abby started to silently cry. "What's wrong?" he asked her, holding her face in his hands. She didn't answer. She just threw her arms around him and cried.
*******************
Carter woke up and yawned. He looked over at Abby, sleeping next to him. He smiled and kissed her forehead. She opened her eyes and smiled back at him. "Hi," he whispered. She stretched her head up and kissed him softly on the mouth. Then she frowned. "What?" he asked.
"I feel guilty," she said, tracing the outline of his face with her finger.
"For what?"
"Being happy. Right now. I should be sad. . .and I am sad but happy too. I missed you."
"I missed you to. And don't feel guilty. You're entitled to be happy." Carter wrapped his arms around her tighter. "Besides, just 'cause you're happy right now doesn't mean you won't get sad again or miss Eric. You will. For the rest of your life you're gonna miss him."
"Yeah." She snuggled against him and fell back asleep.
*********************
Carter and Abby's drive back to Chicago was slightly more interesting than the drive to Minnesota. They talked about everything. Carter told Abby all about Africa and Abby told Carter about her decision to go back to med school.
"I'm proud of you, Abby. I really am," he said as they pulled up in front of her building.
"I'm proud of me too," she said.
Carter walked Abby to her door. "You gonna come in?" she asked, biting her lip.
He thought about it. "I have to work in the morning," he said.
Abby looked hurt. "OK," she said and turned to go inside.
"You didn't let me finish," he said, stopping her. "I have work in the morning so as long as you don't mind me making lots of noise in the morning."
Abby grinned and led Carter to the bedroom.
I'm not sure where to take the story from here. If anyone has any ideas. . . please let me know. Thanks.