Sarah crawled across the floor and picked up a piece of popcorn. She
popped it in her mouth. "No, no, no, no, no," Abby said, picking up the
baby and fishing the popcorn out of her mouth. "Life was so much easier
when you couldn't crawl." Abby kissed the squirming ten-month-old on the
head and placed her in her playpen.
Larry chuckled, "she sure is willful," he said fondly.
"Just like her father," Abby muttered under her breath. Abby and Carter hadn't spoken more than was absolutely necessary since Debbie died. Her death hit Carter harder than anyone expected, especially him. And it had torn him and Abby apart. But since Abby had grown attached to Sarah she still spent loads of time with her.
Larry had been visiting for a couple of days and had fallen head over heels in love with Sarah. He'd been cuddling her and buying her every single toy he saw. Secretly Abby thought it was sweet but her apartment was becoming increasingly cluttered. She was in the process of clearing toys out of the living room when someone knocked on the door. She opened it. "Hey Carter," she said casually. She still pretended that she didn't ache every time she saw him.
"Hey." Carter looked around the room and smiled at Larry. Sarah smiled and looked up at the sound of her father's voice. He picked her up. "Hey baby girl," he said as he lifted her over his head. He blew a raspberry into her stomach and she shrieked with laughter.
Abby watched silently, trying not to cry. They had been a family. For one short month, they had been a family. And then it was gone. She had been angry at Carter's reaction to Debbie's death. How could he get so upset? He barely knew her. And yet he acted like he'd lost the love of his life. He pushed Abby away and now they weren't even friends.
As Carter turned to leave Larry stood up. "I'll help you get everything to the car, John," he said.
As Larry buckled Sarah into her car seat he studied John's face. He looked miserable. So John was miserable and Abby was miserable. Larry decided he couldn't make things worse than they already were so he spoke. "She loves you, John."
"That's good. Little girls should always love their daddies."
"Not Sarah. Abby. Abby loves you."
"She has a funny way of showing it," Carter said.
"You seem to be showing it in the same way," Larry said.
"Excuse me?" "Well, you're in love with her too, aren't you?"
Carter opened his mouth to deny it but the look on Larry's face stopped him. "Even if I do, I'm not gonna be the one to step up and fix things. I mean, we keep breaking up. That has to mean that we're just not meant to be."
Larry shrugged. "I don't believe in 'meant to be.' I believe in working to make things work."
"You didn't," Carter shot back. "You left. You gave up. Why shouldn't I?"
"Because every single day after I left I regretted it. I loved Maggie with all my heart and leaving her broke me in two," Larry sighed.
"So why didn't you go back?"
"Pride," Larry said. "Which I assume is what's keeping you standing here instead of running upstairs and taking Abby in your arms and never letting her go."
"She wouldn't take me back. I wouldn't take me back." Carter climbed into the jeep.
"You'd be surprised," Larry said as he shut the door.
I can't stop updating! I've become addicted..ahhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Larry chuckled, "she sure is willful," he said fondly.
"Just like her father," Abby muttered under her breath. Abby and Carter hadn't spoken more than was absolutely necessary since Debbie died. Her death hit Carter harder than anyone expected, especially him. And it had torn him and Abby apart. But since Abby had grown attached to Sarah she still spent loads of time with her.
Larry had been visiting for a couple of days and had fallen head over heels in love with Sarah. He'd been cuddling her and buying her every single toy he saw. Secretly Abby thought it was sweet but her apartment was becoming increasingly cluttered. She was in the process of clearing toys out of the living room when someone knocked on the door. She opened it. "Hey Carter," she said casually. She still pretended that she didn't ache every time she saw him.
"Hey." Carter looked around the room and smiled at Larry. Sarah smiled and looked up at the sound of her father's voice. He picked her up. "Hey baby girl," he said as he lifted her over his head. He blew a raspberry into her stomach and she shrieked with laughter.
Abby watched silently, trying not to cry. They had been a family. For one short month, they had been a family. And then it was gone. She had been angry at Carter's reaction to Debbie's death. How could he get so upset? He barely knew her. And yet he acted like he'd lost the love of his life. He pushed Abby away and now they weren't even friends.
As Carter turned to leave Larry stood up. "I'll help you get everything to the car, John," he said.
As Larry buckled Sarah into her car seat he studied John's face. He looked miserable. So John was miserable and Abby was miserable. Larry decided he couldn't make things worse than they already were so he spoke. "She loves you, John."
"That's good. Little girls should always love their daddies."
"Not Sarah. Abby. Abby loves you."
"She has a funny way of showing it," Carter said.
"You seem to be showing it in the same way," Larry said.
"Excuse me?" "Well, you're in love with her too, aren't you?"
Carter opened his mouth to deny it but the look on Larry's face stopped him. "Even if I do, I'm not gonna be the one to step up and fix things. I mean, we keep breaking up. That has to mean that we're just not meant to be."
Larry shrugged. "I don't believe in 'meant to be.' I believe in working to make things work."
"You didn't," Carter shot back. "You left. You gave up. Why shouldn't I?"
"Because every single day after I left I regretted it. I loved Maggie with all my heart and leaving her broke me in two," Larry sighed.
"So why didn't you go back?"
"Pride," Larry said. "Which I assume is what's keeping you standing here instead of running upstairs and taking Abby in your arms and never letting her go."
"She wouldn't take me back. I wouldn't take me back." Carter climbed into the jeep.
"You'd be surprised," Larry said as he shut the door.
I can't stop updating! I've become addicted..ahhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!