Chapter Twenty Six
Late that afternoon, Jack and Karen arrived at Carter's building and immediately walked into the elevator. They pressed 38 and waited. "What do I say?" Karen asked, fidgeting with her blouse. "Just tell her you're sorry or something," Jack answered, grabbing her shaking hands. "Calm down," he said, as she nodded. "Okay, I'm just nervous that she'll stay mad at me. I don't want her to stay mad," Karen replied, as the door opened. "Here we are," he said, as they walked out. Instead of stopping at the secretary's desk, they walked right up to the office door and knocked softly. When there was no answer, Karen sighed. "She's not here," she said. "Don't jump to conclusions. Let's check and see," he replied, placing his hand on the knob. He opened the door and they both walked in. "I told you she isn't here," Karen said, throwing her hands up. "She has to be here. When she leaves for home, she locks the door. The door isn't locked," Jack replied, as she smiled. "Look at you. My smart little boy," she said, bringing her hands up to his face and kissing him softly. "If you want, we can go visit her later at her house," he replied, as she blew out a breath. "Don't waste your time," a voice said from the door. They turned to see Carter standing there with an unhappy look on her face. "Thank God you're here," Karen said, as Carter rolled her eyes. "I'm not in the mood to talk," she replied, as she made her way over to her desk. "Why is it that every time an important subject comes up, you don't want to talk?" Karen asked angrily. Jack squeezed her arm letting her know she was getting too heated up. "Sorry," she whispered to him. She turned back to Carter and sighed. "I'm sorry for barging into the room last night," she said, waiting for a response from her sister. "I have nothing to say to you," Carter replied, looking down at some papers on her desk. Karen shook her head and looked at Jack. "Lets go," he said, not wanting her to fuel an argument. He grabbed her hand and the two of them left without saying another word.
:: One Week Later ::
Grace and Karen sat in silence, neither one of them knowing that they both were in a fight with Carter. Finally after about another five minutes, Karen decided to break the silence. "I'm bored. I'll see you later," she said, getting up. "Okay," Grace replied, too lazy to stop her. Karen swung her purse over her shoulder and stopped abruptly when she saw Carter standing in the doorway. "I'm not here to see you so you can be on your merry way," she said, moving aside. "I think I'll stay now," Karen decided, as she sat back down in her seat. She crossed her arms cockily and waited for Carter's reaction. "Grace," she greeted, looking at the red head. "Carter...Hi," Grace said, running a hand through her hair nervously. "I think you know why I'm here," Carter replied, as Grace shook her head. "I don't actually," she lied, as Karen just stared at them in confusion. "Well I'm here to apologize for my words the other day. I was upset at a certain someone and I took it out on you," Carter said, as Grace smiled. "It's fine, honestly, but I am happy you came," she replied, giving Carter a hug. Karen rolled her eyes, feeling a little jealous. It wasn't fair that Carter and Grace made up. "What about me?" she asked. "What about you?" Carter asked back. "Honey, what's this? What's happening? What's going on here? Why are you acting like you don't know?" Karen asked. "I have nothing to say to you, why can't you get that?" Carter asked, walking to the door. She waved goodbye to Grace and then left. Karen scoffed as she stood up. "Wow, why are you two fighting?" she asked curiously. "It's nothing," Karen answered, as Grace ran over to her. "Come on tell me," she said excitedly. Karen sighed as she looked up at the ceiling. "I found out Carter has a husband that's in a coma," she replied, as Grace's eyes widened. "Carter has a husband that's in a coma?" she asked. "Honey I just said that. Let me finish," Karen answered, rolling her eyes. "Anyhoo, Jack and I were looking up stuff about Carter and we noticed it was mentioning a man named, Kingston Gin. We found out he's her husband and apparently, he got shot and he's in a coma. Carter is mad at me because I found her sitting there with him," she said. "That's so weird, but sad too," Grace replied. "I don't want her to be mad at me. Your lucky, she made up with you," Karen said, walking to the mini bar. "Well, talk to her," Grace replied, as Karen burst into laugher. "Oh honey, don't you think I've tried that already. I might not know how to do machinery, but I do have a brain," she said, pulling out a bottle of vodka. Grace sighed and set a supportive hand down on her friend's shoulder. "Everything will work out," she replied, rubbing her hands down Karen's arm. "Honey, you're not my type," she said, picking Grace's hand off her arm. "Oh and I thought I was," Grace replied sarcastically, as she pulled out a Kit Kat from the fridge. "Look I'm going to go. I'll see you later," Karen said, grabbing her purse. She took one big sip of her vodka and left the office.
Jack opened the door to his home and smiled when he saw Will standing there. "Hello," he greeted, motioning his best friend inside. Will stepped in and nodded. "Looks good," he said, referring to the house. "I know, doesn't it?" Jack asked, flipping his imaginary hair. "I came to tell you some big news!" Will suddenly exclaimed. "Who ever said I wanted to listen?" Jack asked, as Will smiled. "I don't care if you want to listen or not Jackie boy. I'm going to tell you anyway," he answered. "Tell me, but I doubt your news will make me faint or get me excited," Jack said, rolling his eyes. "Todd and I are going to adopt a child!" Will exclaimed, waiting for a response. Jack's mouth fell open but no words came out. "Oh my...Cher," he finally whispered, and then he fell right to the ground.
Late that afternoon, Jack and Karen arrived at Carter's building and immediately walked into the elevator. They pressed 38 and waited. "What do I say?" Karen asked, fidgeting with her blouse. "Just tell her you're sorry or something," Jack answered, grabbing her shaking hands. "Calm down," he said, as she nodded. "Okay, I'm just nervous that she'll stay mad at me. I don't want her to stay mad," Karen replied, as the door opened. "Here we are," he said, as they walked out. Instead of stopping at the secretary's desk, they walked right up to the office door and knocked softly. When there was no answer, Karen sighed. "She's not here," she said. "Don't jump to conclusions. Let's check and see," he replied, placing his hand on the knob. He opened the door and they both walked in. "I told you she isn't here," Karen said, throwing her hands up. "She has to be here. When she leaves for home, she locks the door. The door isn't locked," Jack replied, as she smiled. "Look at you. My smart little boy," she said, bringing her hands up to his face and kissing him softly. "If you want, we can go visit her later at her house," he replied, as she blew out a breath. "Don't waste your time," a voice said from the door. They turned to see Carter standing there with an unhappy look on her face. "Thank God you're here," Karen said, as Carter rolled her eyes. "I'm not in the mood to talk," she replied, as she made her way over to her desk. "Why is it that every time an important subject comes up, you don't want to talk?" Karen asked angrily. Jack squeezed her arm letting her know she was getting too heated up. "Sorry," she whispered to him. She turned back to Carter and sighed. "I'm sorry for barging into the room last night," she said, waiting for a response from her sister. "I have nothing to say to you," Carter replied, looking down at some papers on her desk. Karen shook her head and looked at Jack. "Lets go," he said, not wanting her to fuel an argument. He grabbed her hand and the two of them left without saying another word.
:: One Week Later ::
Grace and Karen sat in silence, neither one of them knowing that they both were in a fight with Carter. Finally after about another five minutes, Karen decided to break the silence. "I'm bored. I'll see you later," she said, getting up. "Okay," Grace replied, too lazy to stop her. Karen swung her purse over her shoulder and stopped abruptly when she saw Carter standing in the doorway. "I'm not here to see you so you can be on your merry way," she said, moving aside. "I think I'll stay now," Karen decided, as she sat back down in her seat. She crossed her arms cockily and waited for Carter's reaction. "Grace," she greeted, looking at the red head. "Carter...Hi," Grace said, running a hand through her hair nervously. "I think you know why I'm here," Carter replied, as Grace shook her head. "I don't actually," she lied, as Karen just stared at them in confusion. "Well I'm here to apologize for my words the other day. I was upset at a certain someone and I took it out on you," Carter said, as Grace smiled. "It's fine, honestly, but I am happy you came," she replied, giving Carter a hug. Karen rolled her eyes, feeling a little jealous. It wasn't fair that Carter and Grace made up. "What about me?" she asked. "What about you?" Carter asked back. "Honey, what's this? What's happening? What's going on here? Why are you acting like you don't know?" Karen asked. "I have nothing to say to you, why can't you get that?" Carter asked, walking to the door. She waved goodbye to Grace and then left. Karen scoffed as she stood up. "Wow, why are you two fighting?" she asked curiously. "It's nothing," Karen answered, as Grace ran over to her. "Come on tell me," she said excitedly. Karen sighed as she looked up at the ceiling. "I found out Carter has a husband that's in a coma," she replied, as Grace's eyes widened. "Carter has a husband that's in a coma?" she asked. "Honey I just said that. Let me finish," Karen answered, rolling her eyes. "Anyhoo, Jack and I were looking up stuff about Carter and we noticed it was mentioning a man named, Kingston Gin. We found out he's her husband and apparently, he got shot and he's in a coma. Carter is mad at me because I found her sitting there with him," she said. "That's so weird, but sad too," Grace replied. "I don't want her to be mad at me. Your lucky, she made up with you," Karen said, walking to the mini bar. "Well, talk to her," Grace replied, as Karen burst into laugher. "Oh honey, don't you think I've tried that already. I might not know how to do machinery, but I do have a brain," she said, pulling out a bottle of vodka. Grace sighed and set a supportive hand down on her friend's shoulder. "Everything will work out," she replied, rubbing her hands down Karen's arm. "Honey, you're not my type," she said, picking Grace's hand off her arm. "Oh and I thought I was," Grace replied sarcastically, as she pulled out a Kit Kat from the fridge. "Look I'm going to go. I'll see you later," Karen said, grabbing her purse. She took one big sip of her vodka and left the office.
Jack opened the door to his home and smiled when he saw Will standing there. "Hello," he greeted, motioning his best friend inside. Will stepped in and nodded. "Looks good," he said, referring to the house. "I know, doesn't it?" Jack asked, flipping his imaginary hair. "I came to tell you some big news!" Will suddenly exclaimed. "Who ever said I wanted to listen?" Jack asked, as Will smiled. "I don't care if you want to listen or not Jackie boy. I'm going to tell you anyway," he answered. "Tell me, but I doubt your news will make me faint or get me excited," Jack said, rolling his eyes. "Todd and I are going to adopt a child!" Will exclaimed, waiting for a response. Jack's mouth fell open but no words came out. "Oh my...Cher," he finally whispered, and then he fell right to the ground.