Chapter 38

            Mommy and Daddy look happy."

            The little girl smiled down at her brother. "Yeah, they are happy. I told you this picnic was the perfect idea. Now we're all going to be happy together," she said, a contented smile on her face.

            Her brother wasn't really old enough to understand what she was talking about, but he smiled and nodded anyway.

            It had been a long time since Mommy and Daddy had looked that happy. It seemed like lately, all they did was yell and fight. Mommy cried and threw things, Daddy yelled and slammed doors.

            She knew they needed something, something that would make them a happy family again, make things like they used to be before Daddy started drinking and Mommy started acting funny. That was when she had come up with the idea for the picnic.

            It hadn't been easy convincing them to go. They had still been mad at each other, and didn't even want to talk, much less go on a picnic together. But she had persuaded them.

            "They're kissing," said her little brother, giggling. She squeezed his hand. He didn't want Mommy to get mad because she heard them. She didn't want to ruin this perfect moment, when her mommy and daddy actually loved each other.

            "Eat your sandwich," she ordered him, pressing the peanut butter and jelly masterpiece into his hand.

            Mommy and Daddy came back to the blanket. They were both smiling, holding each other's hands. "Well, I guess maybe this picnic wasn't such a bad idea after all," Daddy said, ruffling her hair.

            She smiled up at him and put her arm around her brother. "We're a perfect family," she announced, looking around at the happy family gathering. At for that one moment, they were perfect. No one was screaming, no one was fighting, no one was threatening to leave. She wished that moment could last forever.

            But it didn't.

             "Where's the bottle of wine I packed?" Mommy asked, and she cringed. She knew what was coming: another fight.

            "I put it back. This is a family gathering; you don't need to be getting drunk in front of the kids."

            Mommy was mad. "Who are you to tell me what I need to do? If I want to drink wine in front of my kids, I will!"

            And it started again. One minute, they were perfect, peaceful, happy. The next minute they were fighting yet again. She grabbed her brother, held him in her arms, as if she could somehow protect him from the spectacle that was their parents.

            Then Daddy left. Again. The little girl felt tears on her face as she watched her Daddy drive away. She didn't know it, but that was the last time she would ever see him.

            Then she dried her tears. Crying didn't fix anything. She had her brother to take care of; she couldn't be a baby. She held his hand as they cleaned up the mess from the picnic, wishing she could promise him that everything would be alright. But she couldn't; who knew what would happen when they got home? But she promised herself one thing: that someday, when she had kids of her own, she would give them a perfect family.

Thirty years later

            It was a cool, breezy day in the park. A perfect day for a picnic.

            "Right there!" Jill said, pointing to a spot right next to a fountain.

            "Great choice Jill," Carter groaned, slamming the heavy picnic basket to the ground. He rubbed his shoulders. "Gosh, what'd you pack in there, Abby? Cement sandwiches?"

            "Nope, just my special chunky lemonade. Spread the blanket out over there, Riley," she said, tossing the blanket to him.

            "Jill, don't get in the" SPLASH! "fountain, nevermind," Carter said, as Jill paddled merrily in the four inches of water.

            "Ooh, can I get in too?" Riley asked, seeing all the fun Jill was having.

            Carter looked around the park. "I don't see any security guards around, so sure, why not?"

            He heard a laugh from behind him. "You find this funny?" he asked Abby, sitting down next to her on the mat. "I think I've got this Dad thing down pat."

            "Just wait til Jill asks you for her pony," Abby muttered under her breath. They both turned to look at Jill and Riley, who were playing happily in the fountain.

            "They look so happy," Abby said quietly. "My perfect family."

            "What?" Carter said.

            "Nothing." Abby turned to look at him. "You know, the last time I saw my dad, we were in a park just like this one. That was the last time I had anything close to a normal family." She was silent for a moment. "When I was a little girl, I always thought that if I could just do the right thing, my family would be perfect. And I didn't even need perfection, really; just a few days without a knock-down fight.

            "It's been thirty years since my dad left, but I've still been searching for that perfect family. I guess old habits die hard," she said, a wistful smile on her face.

            Carter gestured towards Jill and Riley playing in the fountain, then turned his hand so that it was pointed at himself. "Well? What do you say? Do you have your perfect family now?"

            Abby smiled. "You seem to think pretty highly of yourself," she commented.

            Carter nodded confidently. "Only the best for you," he said.

            Abby looked down, playing with the fabric of the blanket. "I guess I do," she said. "Or at least as close to perfect as you can get." She looked up, her eyes locking with his.

            "Well, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were paying me a complement," Carter said, not breaking her gaze.

            Abby smiled back at him. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say I was too."

            From the fountain, the little boy giggled. "They're kissing," he said, covering his mouth to smother his laughs.

            His sister squeezed his hand. "Be quiet," she said, silencing him. She didn't want to ruin this perfect moment.

            And as Mommy and Daddy held each other in their arms, she was sure: they were a perfect family.

THE END

A/N: Well, nothing like wading through 37 chapters of angst to get to a happy ending! After more than three long months of writing, my masterpiece is complete. A hearty "Thanks y'all!" to all the folks who have been with me from the beginning, and worried about the welfare of Abby, Riley, Jill, and Carter, in that order. Nothing I love more than a story that makes you panic again and again and again...

And an equally hearty "Thank you muchly" to those who reviewed, begged me to spare the lives of Abby/Jill/Riley/Carter, and threatened my life and limb if I didn't. Strangely, I find threats inspiring...

Finally, a slightly heartier "Gee, thanks pal!" to Emily, Icy, and Jordan for helping me brainstorm for various chapters. I know it looks easy, but this is not a one-man operation. I get by with a little help from my virtual friends...

Now that this story has finally come to its natural end, I feel so...empty. Seeing as Christmas break is right around the corner, and I have nothing better to do, I'll probably be starting another story soon. I don't know who/what it's gonna be about, but it's coming...

~Taz

THE (real) END