Mother Dear

A/N: Okay, I got a few reviews commenting on Ashley's vocabulary… I don't remember the extent of my vocabulary from when I was that age, but I don't think I was stupid then, either.  You have to remember that she's nearly seven and she's in first grade.  I volunteer at a youth group with kids that age, and I don't have to dumb myself down for them to understand me, they're smarter than you think.  Also, Abby isn't the type of mother who uses a high-pitched, sugared-over baby voice and says things like, "Oh, did little Ashley get an owie?  Let me put a little pink band aid on your boo-boo, little Ashley."  She's really blunt with her daughter and it just seemed to me that if Ashley was around people who spoke normally, she would pick it up.

But if you disagree or whatever, review and tell me, please, I love hearing what you think.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own it, blah blah blah.

~*~

Abby slept badly that night.  She was woken every hour for a nurse to take her temperature and it seemed as though every time she was just about to drift back into slumber, she was awoken by another nurse.  Was she this annoying as a nurse?

 She slept on late into the morning despite the bright sun that was escaping through the flimsy drapes and the breakfast tray that had been set up next to the bed.

When she finally gave up on trying to sleep in the uncomfortable bed, she flicked on the television and tried to immerse herself in a soap opera she had never seen before, but she couldn't keep track of any of the characters' story lines and who was having whose baby, so she flicked the TV off again and stared absent-mindedly into space.  

Susan entered the room around noon with a bagged lunch that she handed to Abby.  She took the seat next to the bed and waited as Abby took a bite from the bagel.

"Thank you so much," gushed Abby, "The food here tastes worse than my mother's meatloaf." Susan grinned.

"How're you doing?"

"Better, thanks."

"That's good; you looked awful when they brought you in."

"Gee, thanks, Susan," Abby rolled her eyes.

"No, Abby, I'm serious… and Ashley… it was terrible."  Abby watched her seriously.

"She was really upset," she said quietly. Abby chewed her sandwich thoughtfully.

"She wasn't half as bad as Carter.  God, he looked like crap.  He didn't sleep the whole night. He just sat up here watching you."  Abby's heart fluttered.  She couldn't get his soft, encouraging words from when she awoke in the dark, terrified, out of her mind.

"Yeah," Abby said wistfully.  Susan was smiling at her.

"What?" Abby exclaimed.

"It's just… you. You and him, you're so cute."

"Oh, please," Abby rolled her eyes again, grinning.  She felt herself blushing in delight, though.

"I haven't seen him this happy since before…"

"Before Kem died?" Abby filled in for her.  Susan shook her head.

"Since before you left," she said finally. 

~*~

Abby sat in the back seat of the car with Ashley as they drove to the mansion later that evening.   She had finally given in to Carter's request and she was going to spend a week and a half at his place. Ashley was gazing at her mother happily and Abby smiled back at her.

"I love you," she whispered to Ashley, taking the little girl's hand.

"I love you back, Mommy," the girl whispered back, her little pink hat pulled down on her head until it almost covered her eyes.

Carter glanced at them in the rear-view mirror and Abby smiled at him warmly.

"Daddy?"

"Yes?"

"Your room is really big." Carter grinned and Ashley pulled on a curl that had escaped from her hat.

"Yes it is, Ashley."

"I think it's too big for one person, don't you get lonely?" The little girl looked from Abby to Carter and back.

"Sometimes," Carter said, looking at the road, but Abby could see him smiling happily.

"I think Mommy should stay in your room tonight."  Abby turned deep crimson and laughed out loud.

"I think Ashley has been watching too much TV," she declared, embarrassed.

"Mommy, all of my friends' parents sleep in the same room."  Abby blushed an ever deeper red, if that was at all possible.  Carter was looking at Abby in the mirror, his eyes twinkling.  Abby felt her face heat up and she stared at Carter wistfully for a moment before saying,

"Ashley, your friends' parents are married."

"So what?"

"It makes a big difference, kiddo." 

"Ben says that real parents sleep together.  He says that if you don't then I'm not your real kid."  Abby was trying to hold in a laugh.  How the hell did this Ben character know this?

"Ashley look at me," Ashley looked at her mother and Abby knew Carter was listening carefully, "I don't care what Ben says.  Do you really think that you're not my real kid?"

Ashley shook her head somewhat tentatively.

"Then does it matter whether Carter and I sleep in the same room or not?" The little girl shook her head again.

Ashley looked positively defeated as though her whole, complex, thought out plan had been unsuccessful. Carter looked somewhat defeated too, for that matter.  Abby looked at him and she knew from the expression on his face that he knew what she thinking.  That she was wishing she didn't have to follow her own rules.  And Abby knew what Carter was thinking too and she felt her ears turn pink.

Sorry for the shortness of the chapters.  Take a second and review!!