"Are you sure you want me to be here?" Abby asked. She was sitting
on the bed, watching Carter comb his hair.
"Of course I do." He put the comb down and stared at his reflection.
"No matter what you do, you're still incredibly good looking so stop worrying about it." Carter laughed. "Seriously, John. . .it's the first time you're meeting your daughter. If you want to do it alone, I'll understand."
Carter took her face in his hands. "I want you to be here." He kissed her briefly. There was a knock on the door. "They're here," Carter said. He bit his lip. Before he opened the door he turned to Abby. "Is it strange that I'm nervous about making a good impression on a one-month- old?" he asked. Abby giggled.
"Hello John," Debbie said, smiling. She turned to Abby. "You must be Abby."
"Um, yeah, that's me." Abby shook Debbie's hand and smiled back.
"Uh, come on it," Carter said, holding the door wide so that Debbie could come it.
She placed the baby carrier of the couch and lifted the baby out of it. "This. . ." she said grinning, "is Sarah Jane Carter."
John and Abby stared at the baby. She was beautiful. Her blue eyes were bright and alert, her nose was tiny, and the wisps of hair on her head were light brown. John reached for her. "Can I. . .?" he asked. Debbie placed the baby in his arms. "She's so small . . .she's so. . ."
"Beautiful," Abby said, looking down at the baby in Carter's arms. "She looks just like you, John."
"She does, doesn't she?" Debbie said proudly. "Except the nose. She has my nose."
Abby nodded in agreement. "Look. You can see flecks of brown in her eyes." The baby gurgled and looked up at the two people smiling down at her.
"I don't think it'll be a good idea to have her switching homes very often while she's so young so I was hoping you could keep her while I get settled," Debbie said, staring intently at Carter.
Carter looked at Abby. "Well, we'll have to go do some serious shopping," he said, grinning.
*****************
Abby yawned. "The baby's crying again," she whispered to John.
"Mmmmmph," he replied. He dragged himself out of bed. "It's two o'clock in the friggin' morning," he muttered.
Abby chuckled softly. "No one said this was gonna be easy."
Twenty minutes later, when Carter still hadn't come back to bed, Abby went to look for him. She found him in Sarah's room, sitting in a rocking chair, singing to her. "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are grey. You'll never know, dear, how much I love you. So please don't take my sunshine away." He rose and placed the sleeping baby in her crib.
Abby smiled at him. "You're just a big softy, ya know that?"
Carter pulled her into a hug. "I know." The phone ringing interrupted their hug. And then the baby started crying. "You get the baby, I'll get the phone," Carter said.
Abby walked back into Sarah's room and rocked her, trying to get her to go back to sleep. Just as Abby was placing Sarah into her crib, Carter came in again. He motioned for Abby to follow him into the living room. "Are you OK?" she asked him. "You've gone all white."
Carter walked over to the window and rubbed his forehead with his hand. Then he turned back to Abby. "Uh. . .that was Susan. There was a car crash. Debbie was, um, Debbie was driving home from work and she was hit by a semi and, uh. . .she's dead, Abby."
*******************
"Of course I do." He put the comb down and stared at his reflection.
"No matter what you do, you're still incredibly good looking so stop worrying about it." Carter laughed. "Seriously, John. . .it's the first time you're meeting your daughter. If you want to do it alone, I'll understand."
Carter took her face in his hands. "I want you to be here." He kissed her briefly. There was a knock on the door. "They're here," Carter said. He bit his lip. Before he opened the door he turned to Abby. "Is it strange that I'm nervous about making a good impression on a one-month- old?" he asked. Abby giggled.
"Hello John," Debbie said, smiling. She turned to Abby. "You must be Abby."
"Um, yeah, that's me." Abby shook Debbie's hand and smiled back.
"Uh, come on it," Carter said, holding the door wide so that Debbie could come it.
She placed the baby carrier of the couch and lifted the baby out of it. "This. . ." she said grinning, "is Sarah Jane Carter."
John and Abby stared at the baby. She was beautiful. Her blue eyes were bright and alert, her nose was tiny, and the wisps of hair on her head were light brown. John reached for her. "Can I. . .?" he asked. Debbie placed the baby in his arms. "She's so small . . .she's so. . ."
"Beautiful," Abby said, looking down at the baby in Carter's arms. "She looks just like you, John."
"She does, doesn't she?" Debbie said proudly. "Except the nose. She has my nose."
Abby nodded in agreement. "Look. You can see flecks of brown in her eyes." The baby gurgled and looked up at the two people smiling down at her.
"I don't think it'll be a good idea to have her switching homes very often while she's so young so I was hoping you could keep her while I get settled," Debbie said, staring intently at Carter.
Carter looked at Abby. "Well, we'll have to go do some serious shopping," he said, grinning.
*****************
Abby yawned. "The baby's crying again," she whispered to John.
"Mmmmmph," he replied. He dragged himself out of bed. "It's two o'clock in the friggin' morning," he muttered.
Abby chuckled softly. "No one said this was gonna be easy."
Twenty minutes later, when Carter still hadn't come back to bed, Abby went to look for him. She found him in Sarah's room, sitting in a rocking chair, singing to her. "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are grey. You'll never know, dear, how much I love you. So please don't take my sunshine away." He rose and placed the sleeping baby in her crib.
Abby smiled at him. "You're just a big softy, ya know that?"
Carter pulled her into a hug. "I know." The phone ringing interrupted their hug. And then the baby started crying. "You get the baby, I'll get the phone," Carter said.
Abby walked back into Sarah's room and rocked her, trying to get her to go back to sleep. Just as Abby was placing Sarah into her crib, Carter came in again. He motioned for Abby to follow him into the living room. "Are you OK?" she asked him. "You've gone all white."
Carter walked over to the window and rubbed his forehead with his hand. Then he turned back to Abby. "Uh. . .that was Susan. There was a car crash. Debbie was, um, Debbie was driving home from work and she was hit by a semi and, uh. . .she's dead, Abby."
*******************