This update is longer than my others. You would have been able to figure
that out for yourself but I thought I'd tell you anyway. Keep reviewing!
Carter stared at her in a stunned silence. "Pregnant?" he said finally. Abby nodded. "How. . .when?"
"I just found out this morning," Abby told him. "I didn't wanna tell you until I knew for sure." Then she started to cry.
"Abby, what is it?" He put his arms around her. "I know you're worried that the baby will bipolar but there's such a slim chance that will happen. . ."
"It's not that," Abby sniffed. "It's just that. . ." she paused. "I'm gonna look fat at our wedding!" she wailed.
Carter laughed. "Oh, Abby. Don't be silly. We can get married before you start to show or after the baby's born." He kissed her head. Carter smiled back. "I love you, Abby."
*************
Abby was staring at the blank TV screen when Carter walked through the door. "What's up?" he asked, sitting down next to her.
"Nothing," she said. "Sarah's asleep," she said, smiling.
"Oh really?" Carter asked as he leaned over to kiss her. Abby pulled back. "What?" he asked.
"I've been worrying about something," Abby said. Carter brushed a strand of Abby's hair out of her face. "This new baby. . ." Abby swallowed. "What if. . . oh, John, what if I love the new baby more than I love Sarah?"
"Why would you?" Carter asked.
"Because Sarah's not really mine and this baby will be. I'll carry this baby inside me for nine months, we conceived it, I'll give birth to it, and it'll be part of me."
Carter sighed. "To tell the truth, I've been worrying about the same thing. I've been worrying that I'll show favoritism towards the new baby. But then I saw Sarah this morning and she smiled, held out her arms to me and said 'daddy,' and I realized that I could never love any child more than I love her. And I think the same is true for you. So she's not your flesh and blood. Who cares? You are her mother in everyway except for the one way that doesn't matter." Carter put his arm around Abby. "And she adores you. You can tell by the way she looks at you. And, judging by the way you look at her, you adore her too."
"Yeah, I do," Abby smiled. "She's such a little devil. You know what she did today? I put her down for her nap and then I went to take one also. When I woke up she had climbed out of her crib and was sitting in the kitchen with a colander on her head."
Carter laughed. "Did you get a picture?"
"Of course."
*************
Abby straightened her veil. Maggie smiled at her. "You look so beautiful," Maggie said, tearing up.
"Thanks, Mom." Abby turned to Susan. "I can't believe this is happening," she said.
Susan hugged her. "Me neither."
Abby looked at her father. "You ready, Dad?" she asked.
Larry nodded. "Let's go."
*******************
Carter stood, fidgeting, at the front of the church. "Calm down," Luka whispered.
"I'm nervous," Carter said.
"I can see that."
"Well, you're the best man. Shouldn't you be helping me out right now?" Carter asked.
"I did," Luka said. "I told you to calm down." Carter rolled his eyes. "Look at it this way," Luka said. "You have to stand here for twenty minutes and then you get to spend the rest of your life with the woman you love. Relax. This will all be over before you know it."
As Luka finished speaking the organ started to play. Susan and Rosie, Abby's friend from high school, were walking simultaneously down the aisle wearing rather tasteful lavender dresses. They took their places across from Carter and Luka. Then came Maggie, wearing a blue silk dress she'd made herself. She was carrying Sarah who was smiling and wearing a pink dress, also made by Maggie. Carter straightened up as Abby and Larry started walking down the aisle.
Abby looked beautiful. Her hair was swept up at the nape of her neck and she was wearing a string of pearls. Her dress was made up of a sleeveless red top and a flowing white skirt with a train in the back. Along the train were a few red silk roses. She smiled shyly as she continued towards Carter. When she reached the front of the room she kissed Larry on the check and took Carter's hand. Together they turned towards the minister.
The minister went through the usual stuff about the sanctity of marriage, loyalty, and honesty. Finally, they began their vows.
Abby started. "John, I love you. You've been my best friend since the moment I met you and things have just gotten better since. You saw what I could be and you wouldn't let me be anything less. You've been there for me every time I've ever needed anything. You've saved me from myself and forced me to become the best I could be. I owe you everything but all I can give you is my life and my love." She slide the gold band onto his finger and looked up at him expectantly.
"Abby. . .when I was a kid I used to think about the woman I'd marry. When I said I wanted a wife who was beautiful, smart, funny, and caring I never imagined I'd find someone who is the embodiment of all those things. The first time I saw you I knew that you not someone to cross. And I was right. You do your own thing, dance to your own beat, and you never let anyone get in your way. You're the most amazing woman I've ever met and I love you with all my heart." He placed the ring on her finger and they smiled at each other.
"And now," the minister said. "I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."
Carter stared at her in a stunned silence. "Pregnant?" he said finally. Abby nodded. "How. . .when?"
"I just found out this morning," Abby told him. "I didn't wanna tell you until I knew for sure." Then she started to cry.
"Abby, what is it?" He put his arms around her. "I know you're worried that the baby will bipolar but there's such a slim chance that will happen. . ."
"It's not that," Abby sniffed. "It's just that. . ." she paused. "I'm gonna look fat at our wedding!" she wailed.
Carter laughed. "Oh, Abby. Don't be silly. We can get married before you start to show or after the baby's born." He kissed her head. Carter smiled back. "I love you, Abby."
*************
Abby was staring at the blank TV screen when Carter walked through the door. "What's up?" he asked, sitting down next to her.
"Nothing," she said. "Sarah's asleep," she said, smiling.
"Oh really?" Carter asked as he leaned over to kiss her. Abby pulled back. "What?" he asked.
"I've been worrying about something," Abby said. Carter brushed a strand of Abby's hair out of her face. "This new baby. . ." Abby swallowed. "What if. . . oh, John, what if I love the new baby more than I love Sarah?"
"Why would you?" Carter asked.
"Because Sarah's not really mine and this baby will be. I'll carry this baby inside me for nine months, we conceived it, I'll give birth to it, and it'll be part of me."
Carter sighed. "To tell the truth, I've been worrying about the same thing. I've been worrying that I'll show favoritism towards the new baby. But then I saw Sarah this morning and she smiled, held out her arms to me and said 'daddy,' and I realized that I could never love any child more than I love her. And I think the same is true for you. So she's not your flesh and blood. Who cares? You are her mother in everyway except for the one way that doesn't matter." Carter put his arm around Abby. "And she adores you. You can tell by the way she looks at you. And, judging by the way you look at her, you adore her too."
"Yeah, I do," Abby smiled. "She's such a little devil. You know what she did today? I put her down for her nap and then I went to take one also. When I woke up she had climbed out of her crib and was sitting in the kitchen with a colander on her head."
Carter laughed. "Did you get a picture?"
"Of course."
*************
Abby straightened her veil. Maggie smiled at her. "You look so beautiful," Maggie said, tearing up.
"Thanks, Mom." Abby turned to Susan. "I can't believe this is happening," she said.
Susan hugged her. "Me neither."
Abby looked at her father. "You ready, Dad?" she asked.
Larry nodded. "Let's go."
*******************
Carter stood, fidgeting, at the front of the church. "Calm down," Luka whispered.
"I'm nervous," Carter said.
"I can see that."
"Well, you're the best man. Shouldn't you be helping me out right now?" Carter asked.
"I did," Luka said. "I told you to calm down." Carter rolled his eyes. "Look at it this way," Luka said. "You have to stand here for twenty minutes and then you get to spend the rest of your life with the woman you love. Relax. This will all be over before you know it."
As Luka finished speaking the organ started to play. Susan and Rosie, Abby's friend from high school, were walking simultaneously down the aisle wearing rather tasteful lavender dresses. They took their places across from Carter and Luka. Then came Maggie, wearing a blue silk dress she'd made herself. She was carrying Sarah who was smiling and wearing a pink dress, also made by Maggie. Carter straightened up as Abby and Larry started walking down the aisle.
Abby looked beautiful. Her hair was swept up at the nape of her neck and she was wearing a string of pearls. Her dress was made up of a sleeveless red top and a flowing white skirt with a train in the back. Along the train were a few red silk roses. She smiled shyly as she continued towards Carter. When she reached the front of the room she kissed Larry on the check and took Carter's hand. Together they turned towards the minister.
The minister went through the usual stuff about the sanctity of marriage, loyalty, and honesty. Finally, they began their vows.
Abby started. "John, I love you. You've been my best friend since the moment I met you and things have just gotten better since. You saw what I could be and you wouldn't let me be anything less. You've been there for me every time I've ever needed anything. You've saved me from myself and forced me to become the best I could be. I owe you everything but all I can give you is my life and my love." She slide the gold band onto his finger and looked up at him expectantly.
"Abby. . .when I was a kid I used to think about the woman I'd marry. When I said I wanted a wife who was beautiful, smart, funny, and caring I never imagined I'd find someone who is the embodiment of all those things. The first time I saw you I knew that you not someone to cross. And I was right. You do your own thing, dance to your own beat, and you never let anyone get in your way. You're the most amazing woman I've ever met and I love you with all my heart." He placed the ring on her finger and they smiled at each other.
"And now," the minister said. "I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."