As promised here's part b – hope it's up to scratch.
Part 3 b
"So where we going?" Abby asked. He was driving, he still had a jeep though he'd bought a newer model, and they seemed to be heading away from the city.
"You'll see." He grinned mysteriously.
Laughing at his playfulness, she then reached down to the radio. He had it switched to the soft rock channel and Slide by the Goo Goo Dolls was playing. Sitting back, she closed her eyes and relaxed. Smiling slightly whenever she heard Carter humming along to the songs he knew.
This is how it should always be she thought to herself, then stopped this is how it used to be before.
*
The restaurant was beautiful, a quaint little old English style place. The dim lighting and small coves were great for providing the illusion of privacy and intimacy.
The waitress showed them to their seats and Carter pulled Abby's chair out for her to sit down. She'd been quiet for most of the journey and he was concerned that maybe she wasn't ready for this.
He watched as she thanked the waitress for the menu and began searching through. Finally she looked up and caught his eye, confusion in her eyes when she realized he hadn't looked at the menu yet.
"You know what you want already?"
"I'm going to take the steak." Carter paused before answering. Then before he could say anymore the waitress appeared with their drinks.
They gave their orders and then sat looking at each other, neither of them knowing what to say, or rather how to start.
"This place is beautiful, John." Abby smiled as she spoke, which reassured him that maybe she was okay, but that didn't stop the niggling feeling at the back of his mind. "How did you find it?"
Carter smiled back, starting with small talk seemed a good idea. "Gamma and I used to come here."
"How is she?"
"Not good." He didn't want to go into any more details; this night was for them. Her eyes told him that she wouldn't leave it at that. "She's slowly drifting away from me and there's nothing I can do. Nothing the doctors can do, we just have to wait and make sure she's comfortable."
"I'm sorry, John." Reaching out she placed her hand over his and squeezed it reassuringly.
Shaking his head at the earlier memory of his grandmother in bed, hardly being able to talk and only barely remembering who he was.
"Me too." Forcing a smile. "This isn't the right time or place to talk about her."
"You look like you need someone to talk to though."
"Maybe tomorrow. I want tonight to be about us."
"Tomorrows good for me." Abby smiled at him. They seemed to be on the same page at last.
And then the silence came again, followed by nervous giggling.
"This is going well, isn't it?"
Carter raised his head up cautiously, and then noted she was laughing. And he had to smile with her. "I guess it's hard to know where to start, right?"
Abby nodded, there was so much to say and talk through. So much was at stake and neither wanted it to go wrong again. But things still needed to be said, so she figured she would start at the root. She knew he wouldn't bring it up first; he was too much of a gentleman to even broach that subject without knowing how she was going to react.
"Maybe we should start at the beginning…" Carter nodded in agreement. "Okay… um…"
And that was it they began talking, slowly at first. Like a first date – when you barely know the other person and then when you realize what you share in common the uncomfortable silences occur less often.
Carter told Abby how much the miscarriage affected him, how much he hurt, and how he felt he had to mourn the loss of his child in silence because he wasn't sure how to react around her. "The pregnancy may have been an accident" He finally addressed the sorest part of the subject. "But it was an accident I could have happily dealt with, and I know you didn't want children – but I could see how happy you were when you found out. You were practically glowing." He teased.
She giggled slightly at this; a child wasn't something she ever felt would complete her life, but having part of him inside her made her feel, whole.
"I just wanted to make you feel better, I guess I didn't do a good job of it though." Carter trailed off at the end, sounding like he regretted what he'd done. Wished he could have done better, something more to help.
Reaching across the table Abby took his hand in hers. "I didn't deserve you, I was selfish and I never even imagined what you were going through…"
"Which was my fault." He interrupted, but she shook her head.
"No, I was in my own world. Angry because I lost a child I wasn't even sure I wanted. So I felt guilty." Abby swallowed slowly, she'd shouted this at him the other night, but only now realized how true it was. "I didn't do it on purpose, I just wanted the place to look nice for you…"
Abby trailed off as the tears in her eyes began to well up, taking her hand back she wiped them away and gave Carter a small smile to try and show him, that really, she was fine. Not that he bought it – when she wasn't trying to hide, he could still read her so well.
"Abby, I don't blame you. I never did… Accidents happen every day – we see them happen every day."
"But…"
"No buts Abby. If you can't believe me on this, then there's not really any point us being here." He didn't want to be a hard ass about this, but it was the only way he could get through to her.
And it did, momentarily she was stumped. "Oh." She said somewhat shocked; then she smiled. "I guess it's something I'm gonna have to get used to."
"I guess it is." He raised his eyebrows and grinned at her.
The waitress interrupted them again, to bring their food.
As they ate, Abby brought up her friendship with Colette. "She's been so good to me, I think we helped each other when we were both at a sore point in our lives. She wants to get to know you though."
Carter raised his eyebrows curiously. "Yeah she wants to make sure you're good enough for me!"
"She does know we're already married right?" He laughed contagiously.
"Yes, she knows we're married… She also knows you asked me for a divorce." Abby watched his face drop and could have kicked herself at that comment. "I didn't mean it that way… I'm sorry."
"No, there's no need to be. I did ask you and," he sighed when he realized what he must continue to say. "I still think we should."
"Oh." Abby whispered, downtrodden.
"But I want us to start over, from scratch. It's not like we had a perfect marriage anyway." He looked at her, but she was focusing on her plate as she moved the last few morsels around.
"Abby? Look at me please." He couldn't say this to the top of her head, so he waited for her to look back up. When eventually she looked up, she placed her hands under her chin and watched him. "I want us to start again, dating, friendship – the whole deal. Then when we're ready we can think about an engagement and do it properly. Not the rushed secret that we had before."
His eyes spoke to her hopefully. Abby had always found it difficult to resist those eyes, especially when it was something she also wanted. A small smile formed on her lips, which he must have seen, as his face slowly started to light up.
Abby was first to speak. "So we're getting a divorce then?"
"I guess we are… And you're okay with that?" He was still nervous of her feelings.
"Yes." Abby nodded. "I just better get a proper engagement ring next time."
"Come on?" He whined jokingly. "You're telling me that the ring I gave you. The ring that is hanging round your neck!" Busted! Abby grinned at the realization that he'd seen the necklace and it's adornments. "Isn't good enough for you?"
"Well…" She said mock serious tone. "With those Carter millions, people are going to be expecting diamonds."
"Careful." He laughed. "I might begin thinking all you want me for is my money!"
"Hmmm." Abby put her head to the side and looked him up and down. "I think it's more for the delectable body you hide under those scrubs!"
The waitress returned at this point to clear away their forgotten plates. "Can I interest you in our dessert menu?"
"We could share." Abby offered.
Carter nodded and knew that he would come out worse in this, but it would make her happy.
"Do you have you any hot fudge sundaes?" Abby asked with a childlike innocence and was pleased when the waitress nodded and went to the kitchen to get the dessert.
"You really going to share it?"
"Of course… I never said how much of it I was going to share though."
Carter just laughed, he was used to this game.
"So how are Eric and your mum?"
"They're good, some might say great… Well they would say great." Carter looked at her, slightly confused by her response, so she continued reluctantly.
"They have this pact." Abby gestured the ridiculousness of it with her arms. "They both have to stay on their meds and if one goes off then the other would also."
"Are you serious?"
"Yep – they told me that they cared about each other and me too much to mess it up this time. I don't think they realized the consequences if it all goes wrong." The last sentence held an edge of bitterness to it.
"Abby…"
"Screw um." She said over him. "Their lives not mine, I've dealt with it to many times… Anyway." Abby forced a smile. "This night's supposed to be about us… Desserts here!"
The hot fudge sundae was placed in the middle of them and as soon as the waitress was out of site Abby pulled it over to her side and picked up a spoon.
"You want some?" Abby asked reluctantly.
"You did say you were going to share."
"I know." She loaded up the spoon and took a bite and then loaded it up again, though not quite as fully. "Okay open up."
Leaning across the table she fed him the small morsel and then continued to eat.
"Um Abby?"
"Yeah?" she replied innocently.
"Share?" Carter saw her pout a little then she reluctantly she fed him another small morsel. "You know if you didn't want to share I could have ordered my own."
"You want to finish it?"
Carter looked at the last few dregs in the bottom and declined. This was the way it always was and the way it should always be.
"What are you grinning at?" Abby asked after she'd finished eating.
"Us."
"Oh."
"Are you ready to go?"
Abby nodded.
While Carter paid the bill she went to the ladies to freshen up.
*
"I had a really good time tonight." Abby said as they pulled up to her apartment building.
"Me too."
"You want to come up for coffee?" She asked, not quite ready for the evening to end.
"I think I'll just walk you to the door."
She nodded in understanding, they were taking things slow and he was respecting her boundaries.
Carter got out of his side and walked round then helped her out of the car. Taking her hand in his, they walked inside and up to the 2nd floor. As they reached her door he pull her into his arms and whispered goodnight into her hair.
Pulling away, Carter leant down and kissed her softly on the lips, then said. "I'll call you tomorrow."
"Goodnight," she called after him as he walked away.