Abby smiled as she watched Carter drop his fork in his lap. His
clumsiness had always been one of her favorite qualities in him. He looked
up and grinned sheepishly. "The ever-graceful John Carter," Abby giggled.
"I know this is gonna sound awful. . ." he started. "But it feels really good to get out of the house without Sarah. Just have some adult time."
"I know what you mean. I never knew parenting could be so utterly exhausting."
They had left Sarah with a baby-sitter, Jessica. Jessica had said with Sarah many times and Sarah was always very happy to see her.
*********************
Carter and Abby walked hand in hand by the lake in silence. It was a clear night and the full moon provided adequate light. Carter stopped suddenly. "What's wrong?" Abby asked.
"Nothing," he said, pulling her into a kiss. "I just love you, that's all." He kissed her again. "And, um. . .there's something I've been wanting to ask you."
"Shoot."
Carter started walking again. "I know we haven't had the easiest time together. But we've gotten through it. We've gotten through everything. I don't think there's anything else anyone can throw at us."
Abby laughed. "You're probably right."
"I've never known anyone like you Abby. You're my best friend and the love of my life. I wouldn't want to ever be without you." Carter stopped again. "So, um, I was wondering . . ." Carter got down on one knee and pulled a small black box out of his pocket. "Abigail Rose Lockhart . . . will you marry me?"
Abby started to cry. "Yes. Yes. Yes." Carter stood up and placed the ring on Abby's finger. "I love you," she whispered as he hugged her.
*****************
"Maggie's gonna be thrilled," Abby said. She and Carter were on there way back to their apartment. "She's always liked you."
"My dad's gonna be pretty happy too." Carter stopped. "Do you smell that?" he asked.
Abby inhaled. "Smells like something's burning," she said. As they rounded the corner they saw what it was. Their entire building was on fire.
*************
"Sarah! Jessica!" Carter and Abby searched through the crowds of people for their daughter.
"Dr. Carter!" Jessica ran up to them. She was in tears.
Carter placed both hands on Jessica's shoulders. "Jessica, calm down. I need you to tell me where Sarah is."
"I couldn't get her. I tried but they pulled me out. They wouldn't let me get her." Jessica collapsed in tears on the street.
Carter took off running towards the burning building. "Where are you going?" Abby screamed after him.
"To get Sarah!"
Abby stopped. "John, no. Don't go in there, John. Please . . ." but he had already disappeared into the smoke. She ran up to the nearest fireman. "Please, you have to help me," she pleaded. "My boyfriend just ran into the building."
The fireman stared at Abby. "No one's stupid enough to run back into a burning building," he said.
"But our daughter's in there."
This seemed to grab his attention. "I'll try to get them out," he said.
Abby returned to where Jessica was sitting and joined her. "It's OK, Jess," Abby said. "Everything's OK." But it wasn't OK. And she knew that was never going to see Sarah or John alive again.
Eek! See, you'd think that I work all this out before I write it but I don't. I sit at the computer and just let my fingers do whatever they want to. So I don't know what's gonna happen. You'll have to wait and see . . .
"I know this is gonna sound awful. . ." he started. "But it feels really good to get out of the house without Sarah. Just have some adult time."
"I know what you mean. I never knew parenting could be so utterly exhausting."
They had left Sarah with a baby-sitter, Jessica. Jessica had said with Sarah many times and Sarah was always very happy to see her.
*********************
Carter and Abby walked hand in hand by the lake in silence. It was a clear night and the full moon provided adequate light. Carter stopped suddenly. "What's wrong?" Abby asked.
"Nothing," he said, pulling her into a kiss. "I just love you, that's all." He kissed her again. "And, um. . .there's something I've been wanting to ask you."
"Shoot."
Carter started walking again. "I know we haven't had the easiest time together. But we've gotten through it. We've gotten through everything. I don't think there's anything else anyone can throw at us."
Abby laughed. "You're probably right."
"I've never known anyone like you Abby. You're my best friend and the love of my life. I wouldn't want to ever be without you." Carter stopped again. "So, um, I was wondering . . ." Carter got down on one knee and pulled a small black box out of his pocket. "Abigail Rose Lockhart . . . will you marry me?"
Abby started to cry. "Yes. Yes. Yes." Carter stood up and placed the ring on Abby's finger. "I love you," she whispered as he hugged her.
*****************
"Maggie's gonna be thrilled," Abby said. She and Carter were on there way back to their apartment. "She's always liked you."
"My dad's gonna be pretty happy too." Carter stopped. "Do you smell that?" he asked.
Abby inhaled. "Smells like something's burning," she said. As they rounded the corner they saw what it was. Their entire building was on fire.
*************
"Sarah! Jessica!" Carter and Abby searched through the crowds of people for their daughter.
"Dr. Carter!" Jessica ran up to them. She was in tears.
Carter placed both hands on Jessica's shoulders. "Jessica, calm down. I need you to tell me where Sarah is."
"I couldn't get her. I tried but they pulled me out. They wouldn't let me get her." Jessica collapsed in tears on the street.
Carter took off running towards the burning building. "Where are you going?" Abby screamed after him.
"To get Sarah!"
Abby stopped. "John, no. Don't go in there, John. Please . . ." but he had already disappeared into the smoke. She ran up to the nearest fireman. "Please, you have to help me," she pleaded. "My boyfriend just ran into the building."
The fireman stared at Abby. "No one's stupid enough to run back into a burning building," he said.
"But our daughter's in there."
This seemed to grab his attention. "I'll try to get them out," he said.
Abby returned to where Jessica was sitting and joined her. "It's OK, Jess," Abby said. "Everything's OK." But it wasn't OK. And she knew that was never going to see Sarah or John alive again.
Eek! See, you'd think that I work all this out before I write it but I don't. I sit at the computer and just let my fingers do whatever they want to. So I don't know what's gonna happen. You'll have to wait and see . . .