I knocked lightly on the door and it sung open. Great. Abby's too
stupid to even lock the door. I sighed and stepped into the apartment.
There were a couple of toys on the living room floor but other than that,
the apartment was surprisingly clean.
I had talked to my lawyer and set a court date. Now I just had to Abby. I was not looking forward to that. As I walked through the apartment I noticed the clock on the wall.
Was it really 12:15? I hadn't realized it was so late. But I could hear Abby's voice coming from what used to be a spare bedroom so I assumed she was awake.
I stood outside the door. "As the prince slid the glass slipper onto Cinderella's foot, her rags melted away and were replaced by a beautiful ball gown. 'It's you,' the prince said as he took Cinderella in his arms. They climbed into the prince's carriage and rode off towards the palace where they lived happily ever after."
I smiled. Abby was reading Bryanne a bedtime story. "There is not such thing as happily ever after," I heard her say. My smiled turned into a frown. She shouldn't say that. Bry was only four. She could fine out later that life sucked.
"I've known that my whole life," Abby continued. I peered through the small opening and could see that Bry was fast asleep. "My father proved it, my mother proved it, Richard proved it, and Carter proved it," she said.
"I thought he was different," she said. "I thought he really loved me. And maybe he did for awhile. But I drove him away. I drove him away because I was scared. I was scared that he would hurt me. And he did. But maybe he wouldn't have if I hadn't been so. . .so. . .stupid."
I rolled my eyes. "Bit late now," I muttered under my breath.
"It's funny," she said. "For about six months I really believed that I could have 'happily ever after.' I thought that Carter I would get married, have a few kids, and grow old together. Which is probably why it hurt so much when he left. Despite my best efforts to protect myself, I fell in love with him." She laughed slightly. "And you know the worst part? I'm still in love with him."
"And then there was you. Despite seeing it thousands of times, I still couldn't believe that we had created something out of nothing. And you're so beautiful."
I could hear tears in Abby's voice. "And I love you so much. And he's gonna take you away from me. I don't know what I'll do. You're my heart, baby girl. And I can't live without my heart."
I leaned up against the wall. I felt suddenly guilty. I wasn't supposed to be hearing this. Lost in my own thoughts, I didn't hear Abby walking towards me. It wasn't until she let out a small scream that I noticed she had moved.
"What the hell are you doing here?" she hissed after closing Bry's door.
"I. . .I came to tell you that I set a court date," I said, sitting down on the couch.
"Sure, have a seat Carter," Abby said, sarcastically. "Make yourself at home." She sat down on the couch but as far from me as possible. "Did you really feel it was necessary to come here in the middle of the night to tell me that you've arranged the exact time and date that you're taking my child away from me?"
"She's my child too, Abby," I said quietly. "And I'm not going to take her away from you."
"You're not?" She looked surprised.
I shook my head. "No. I was going to. But then. . .I heard you reading to her and talking to her. . ."
"You heard that?" She was horrified.
"Yeah. I decided that maybe. . .taking her away wouldn't. . ."
Abby cut me off. "You had no right to come in here and eves drop," she said, standing up. "I can't believe you'd stoop that low, John."
I stood up too. "I didn't mean to eves drop. The door was open so I just came in and I started listening because I thought it was sweet. And if you're embarrassed because you said you're still in love with me. . ."
"Embarrassed? Not embarrassed, John. Heart-broken. Do you know what it's like to love someone who doesn't love you?"
"Yes, as a matter a fact, I was in love with you for two years before you even took any notice of me."
"OK, so then you DO understand. You understand how awful it is. You understand that seeing you just makes things. . ."
I pulled her into my arms and kissed her roughly on the lips.
". . .worse," she finished, breathlessly.
I laughed. "How is that we always end up in the same place over and over again?" I asked her.
She shook her head and then rested on my chest. "I don't know," she said. "But maybe we should try standing still for awhile. Stop chasing after each other and just let things. . ."
"Fall into place?"
She smiled. "Exactly."
I had talked to my lawyer and set a court date. Now I just had to Abby. I was not looking forward to that. As I walked through the apartment I noticed the clock on the wall.
Was it really 12:15? I hadn't realized it was so late. But I could hear Abby's voice coming from what used to be a spare bedroom so I assumed she was awake.
I stood outside the door. "As the prince slid the glass slipper onto Cinderella's foot, her rags melted away and were replaced by a beautiful ball gown. 'It's you,' the prince said as he took Cinderella in his arms. They climbed into the prince's carriage and rode off towards the palace where they lived happily ever after."
I smiled. Abby was reading Bryanne a bedtime story. "There is not such thing as happily ever after," I heard her say. My smiled turned into a frown. She shouldn't say that. Bry was only four. She could fine out later that life sucked.
"I've known that my whole life," Abby continued. I peered through the small opening and could see that Bry was fast asleep. "My father proved it, my mother proved it, Richard proved it, and Carter proved it," she said.
"I thought he was different," she said. "I thought he really loved me. And maybe he did for awhile. But I drove him away. I drove him away because I was scared. I was scared that he would hurt me. And he did. But maybe he wouldn't have if I hadn't been so. . .so. . .stupid."
I rolled my eyes. "Bit late now," I muttered under my breath.
"It's funny," she said. "For about six months I really believed that I could have 'happily ever after.' I thought that Carter I would get married, have a few kids, and grow old together. Which is probably why it hurt so much when he left. Despite my best efforts to protect myself, I fell in love with him." She laughed slightly. "And you know the worst part? I'm still in love with him."
"And then there was you. Despite seeing it thousands of times, I still couldn't believe that we had created something out of nothing. And you're so beautiful."
I could hear tears in Abby's voice. "And I love you so much. And he's gonna take you away from me. I don't know what I'll do. You're my heart, baby girl. And I can't live without my heart."
I leaned up against the wall. I felt suddenly guilty. I wasn't supposed to be hearing this. Lost in my own thoughts, I didn't hear Abby walking towards me. It wasn't until she let out a small scream that I noticed she had moved.
"What the hell are you doing here?" she hissed after closing Bry's door.
"I. . .I came to tell you that I set a court date," I said, sitting down on the couch.
"Sure, have a seat Carter," Abby said, sarcastically. "Make yourself at home." She sat down on the couch but as far from me as possible. "Did you really feel it was necessary to come here in the middle of the night to tell me that you've arranged the exact time and date that you're taking my child away from me?"
"She's my child too, Abby," I said quietly. "And I'm not going to take her away from you."
"You're not?" She looked surprised.
I shook my head. "No. I was going to. But then. . .I heard you reading to her and talking to her. . ."
"You heard that?" She was horrified.
"Yeah. I decided that maybe. . .taking her away wouldn't. . ."
Abby cut me off. "You had no right to come in here and eves drop," she said, standing up. "I can't believe you'd stoop that low, John."
I stood up too. "I didn't mean to eves drop. The door was open so I just came in and I started listening because I thought it was sweet. And if you're embarrassed because you said you're still in love with me. . ."
"Embarrassed? Not embarrassed, John. Heart-broken. Do you know what it's like to love someone who doesn't love you?"
"Yes, as a matter a fact, I was in love with you for two years before you even took any notice of me."
"OK, so then you DO understand. You understand how awful it is. You understand that seeing you just makes things. . ."
I pulled her into my arms and kissed her roughly on the lips.
". . .worse," she finished, breathlessly.
I laughed. "How is that we always end up in the same place over and over again?" I asked her.
She shook her head and then rested on my chest. "I don't know," she said. "But maybe we should try standing still for awhile. Stop chasing after each other and just let things. . ."
"Fall into place?"
She smiled. "Exactly."