I was standing at the elevator when I heard Carter call my name. I turned
around to see him standing in the doorway, wearing only his boxers. I
hesitated and then walked over to him.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I'm so sorry." I waited. He reached out and gently touched my face. "You could never be nothing to me, Abby. You're everything to me. But you hurt me."
I nodded. "I know." He took my hand and led me back to the bedroom. We sat down on the bed together.
He pressed his lips together and then relaxed. "I'm sorry," he said again, running his hands through his hair. "I guess I'm just kinda upset about losing Binker."
I wanted to laugh. "Oh, John," I said, putting my arms around him. "I'm so sorry."
He saw the smile I was trying to hide and he smiled too. "It's OK," he said. "We got the most important one out of the drain."
"I can't believe her favorite song is 'American Pie,'" I giggled.
Carter grinned. "Yeah, she's really into classic rock," he said. "Billy Joel, Elton John, Queen, the Beatles."
I giggled again. "The world's most musically aware three-year-old."
"When Annie was a baby, Jessica put classical music CDs on in Annie's room to make her smarter. But I figure that it's more important for her to have a great personality so I started putting on rock music when Jess wasn't looking." His expression became serious. "Annie asked a couple days ago if her mommy loved her."
I raised my eyebrows. "Quite an inquisitive child, isn't she?"
Carter looked at me. "The thing is, Jessica didn't care about Annie at all. She wanted her to be smart and beautiful but she never once got up with Annie in the middle of the night. She never changed her diapers. She never held her if she could help it. She didn't even breast feed."
"So what did you tell Annie?" I asked, undressing once again.
"I lied," he said. "I told her that Jessica loved her very much. I told her that Jessica used to sing her to sleep. I lied to my daughter." Carter looked down at his feet.
I took his hand and kissed it. "You did the right thing," I said. "She'll never know the difference."
Carter lay down and I rested my head on his chest. "I know you're not her mother," he said. "But do you think you could love her? She really is such a great kid and she deserves two loving parents. Do you think you could ever love her like that?"
I kissed Carter's cheek. "I think I already do," I said. "Now, listen . . . you're not planning to go back in the sewer and look for that dog, are you? Because if you are, I'm gonna have to stop you."
Carter laughed. "No," he said, holding me tighter. "But sometimes I just miss Bobby so much."
"We should take Annie to go and see him," I said.
Carter looked at me and smiled. "I love you."
***************************
"Where's Abby?" Annie asked.
"She's still asleep," Carter said. I smiled and rolled over in bed.
"I wanna say good-bye," Annie said.
"No, Annie, don't . . ." Carter tried to stop her but she came in anyway.
"Hi cutie," I said as Annie came over to my side of the bed. She was wearing a little blue sailor dress with a matching blue bow in her hair.
"I'm going to school," she said proudly. I noticed that her ponytail was lopsided and the hair on top of her head was sticking up.
"Did Daddy do your hair?" I asked. She nodded. I undid her bow and quickly ran a brush through her sandy hair. I tied the bow back in and her hair formed one large corkscrew curl. "All better," I said.
She turned around and grinned at me, her brown eyes shining. For the first time I noticed faint brown freckles across her button nose. "What time do you get off work?" Carter asked.
"Um, five."
"Can you pick Annie up at pre-school? I don't get off 'til ten."
I nodded. Carter handed me the spare key to his apartment. He gave me a quick kiss and then turned to Annie. "Come on, baby girl," he said, extending his hand to her. She took it.
"Bye-bye Abby!"
*************************
"I'm here for Annie Carter," I told the middle-aged woman at the pre- school. "I'm Abby Lockhart."
The woman nodded. "I'm Kathy Brown. We've had a bit of trouble with Annie today."
I scanned the room and saw Annie sitting in a corner, facing the wall. "What happened?" I asked.
"She hit another child."
"Why?"
Kathy shrugged. "Don't know."
"You didn't bother to ask?" I was starting not to like this woman.
Kathy shook her head. "It doesn't matter. There is no excuse for violence and I will not tolerate it at my school."
"There's no excuse," I said. "But there's probably a reason behind it. How long has she been in that corner?"
Kathy checked her watch. "Three hours."
"THREE HOURS!?!" At this point, Annie heard my voice and turned around. There were streaks down her face from where she'd been crying. "Annie, come here," I said. She ran to me and clung to my leg. I detached her, knelt down, and took both her hands in mine. "Did you hit somebody?"
She hung her head. "Yeah."
I lifted her chin. "Why?"
She sniffed. "Matt was being mean 'cause I don't have a mommy. He said my mommy left 'cause she didn't love me."
I picked her up and she buried her head in my shoulder. "I assume you'll be speaking with Matt's parents and these comments will stop?"
Kathy nodded. "Yes, of course."
***********************
"Abby . . . Abby." Someone was shaking me. "Abby, wake up."
I opened my eyes reluctantly. "Mmmmmm," I moaned. "Sleeping."
Carter chuckled. "I know, baby. I just wanted to see you." He kissed my neck. "I had the worst day." He collapsed next to me.
I rolled onto my side and stroked his cheek. "Poor baby," I said. "What happened?"
He looked at me. "A little girl came in today. She was beautiful. Light blond hair, dark blue eyes. She was Annie's age and had obviously been beaten. I called social services and they placed her in a foster home." He paused. "I just don't understand how someone could hurt a helpless little girl. Kids are so trusting and it's so cruel to abuse that trust. This little girl loved her daddy very much . . .despite the fact that he beat her with a belt."
I kissed him. "Some people just suck," I said. "It's that simple. Some people are just horrible." I kissed him again. "Like the little boy Annie got in a fight with today."
Carter sat up. "Annie got in a fight?"
I nodded and rested my chin in my hands. "He teased her about not having a mother. He said Jessica left because she didn't love Annie. So Annie clocked him."
Carter shook his head. "I can't . . .she knows not to hit. She knows better. What's wrong with her?"
"Nothing's wrong with her, Carter," I said, sitting up. "Somebody insulted her mother and Annie did the only thing she could think of to do. It was a normal reaction for a child to have. Don't punish her. She's been punished enough. When I picked her up today she was sitting in the corner and had been there for three hours."
"THREE HOURS!?!" Carter bellowed.
I put my finger to my mouth. "Shhh, John, you'll wake her up."
He lowered his voice. "If that's how they do things at that school I'm finding another one."
He stood up and took off his clothes. He climbed into bed wearing only his boxers. I grinned. "What are you so happy about?" he asked.
"Nothing," I said, still grinning. "It's just that my boyfriend is incredibly sexy."
Carter smiled and wrapped his arms around me. "Well aren't you just the luckiest woman in the world?"
Response to reviews -
CarbyFan100 - Of course Carter takes it back. He's just being your average man . . .you know, closing himself off.
Jackie - Please do beat Carter up! But not this Carter. This Carter has come to his senses. Beat up the real Carter.
IDontWriteIJustRead - Carter's coldness is a trait he inherited from his mother. And, although Abby has forgiven him at the moment, I'll see what I can do about having Abby "wail on his ass."
Carbyfan - Don't lose interest! Carter's better now!
Carbybubbles - Carby is back and Carter's stopped being a bastard.
Caitlin - Mean Carter is bad. Sweet Carter is good.
This was a really long chapter. So be grateful. I'm not sure when the next one will be up but hopefully it'll be soon.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I'm so sorry." I waited. He reached out and gently touched my face. "You could never be nothing to me, Abby. You're everything to me. But you hurt me."
I nodded. "I know." He took my hand and led me back to the bedroom. We sat down on the bed together.
He pressed his lips together and then relaxed. "I'm sorry," he said again, running his hands through his hair. "I guess I'm just kinda upset about losing Binker."
I wanted to laugh. "Oh, John," I said, putting my arms around him. "I'm so sorry."
He saw the smile I was trying to hide and he smiled too. "It's OK," he said. "We got the most important one out of the drain."
"I can't believe her favorite song is 'American Pie,'" I giggled.
Carter grinned. "Yeah, she's really into classic rock," he said. "Billy Joel, Elton John, Queen, the Beatles."
I giggled again. "The world's most musically aware three-year-old."
"When Annie was a baby, Jessica put classical music CDs on in Annie's room to make her smarter. But I figure that it's more important for her to have a great personality so I started putting on rock music when Jess wasn't looking." His expression became serious. "Annie asked a couple days ago if her mommy loved her."
I raised my eyebrows. "Quite an inquisitive child, isn't she?"
Carter looked at me. "The thing is, Jessica didn't care about Annie at all. She wanted her to be smart and beautiful but she never once got up with Annie in the middle of the night. She never changed her diapers. She never held her if she could help it. She didn't even breast feed."
"So what did you tell Annie?" I asked, undressing once again.
"I lied," he said. "I told her that Jessica loved her very much. I told her that Jessica used to sing her to sleep. I lied to my daughter." Carter looked down at his feet.
I took his hand and kissed it. "You did the right thing," I said. "She'll never know the difference."
Carter lay down and I rested my head on his chest. "I know you're not her mother," he said. "But do you think you could love her? She really is such a great kid and she deserves two loving parents. Do you think you could ever love her like that?"
I kissed Carter's cheek. "I think I already do," I said. "Now, listen . . . you're not planning to go back in the sewer and look for that dog, are you? Because if you are, I'm gonna have to stop you."
Carter laughed. "No," he said, holding me tighter. "But sometimes I just miss Bobby so much."
"We should take Annie to go and see him," I said.
Carter looked at me and smiled. "I love you."
***************************
"Where's Abby?" Annie asked.
"She's still asleep," Carter said. I smiled and rolled over in bed.
"I wanna say good-bye," Annie said.
"No, Annie, don't . . ." Carter tried to stop her but she came in anyway.
"Hi cutie," I said as Annie came over to my side of the bed. She was wearing a little blue sailor dress with a matching blue bow in her hair.
"I'm going to school," she said proudly. I noticed that her ponytail was lopsided and the hair on top of her head was sticking up.
"Did Daddy do your hair?" I asked. She nodded. I undid her bow and quickly ran a brush through her sandy hair. I tied the bow back in and her hair formed one large corkscrew curl. "All better," I said.
She turned around and grinned at me, her brown eyes shining. For the first time I noticed faint brown freckles across her button nose. "What time do you get off work?" Carter asked.
"Um, five."
"Can you pick Annie up at pre-school? I don't get off 'til ten."
I nodded. Carter handed me the spare key to his apartment. He gave me a quick kiss and then turned to Annie. "Come on, baby girl," he said, extending his hand to her. She took it.
"Bye-bye Abby!"
*************************
"I'm here for Annie Carter," I told the middle-aged woman at the pre- school. "I'm Abby Lockhart."
The woman nodded. "I'm Kathy Brown. We've had a bit of trouble with Annie today."
I scanned the room and saw Annie sitting in a corner, facing the wall. "What happened?" I asked.
"She hit another child."
"Why?"
Kathy shrugged. "Don't know."
"You didn't bother to ask?" I was starting not to like this woman.
Kathy shook her head. "It doesn't matter. There is no excuse for violence and I will not tolerate it at my school."
"There's no excuse," I said. "But there's probably a reason behind it. How long has she been in that corner?"
Kathy checked her watch. "Three hours."
"THREE HOURS!?!" At this point, Annie heard my voice and turned around. There were streaks down her face from where she'd been crying. "Annie, come here," I said. She ran to me and clung to my leg. I detached her, knelt down, and took both her hands in mine. "Did you hit somebody?"
She hung her head. "Yeah."
I lifted her chin. "Why?"
She sniffed. "Matt was being mean 'cause I don't have a mommy. He said my mommy left 'cause she didn't love me."
I picked her up and she buried her head in my shoulder. "I assume you'll be speaking with Matt's parents and these comments will stop?"
Kathy nodded. "Yes, of course."
***********************
"Abby . . . Abby." Someone was shaking me. "Abby, wake up."
I opened my eyes reluctantly. "Mmmmmm," I moaned. "Sleeping."
Carter chuckled. "I know, baby. I just wanted to see you." He kissed my neck. "I had the worst day." He collapsed next to me.
I rolled onto my side and stroked his cheek. "Poor baby," I said. "What happened?"
He looked at me. "A little girl came in today. She was beautiful. Light blond hair, dark blue eyes. She was Annie's age and had obviously been beaten. I called social services and they placed her in a foster home." He paused. "I just don't understand how someone could hurt a helpless little girl. Kids are so trusting and it's so cruel to abuse that trust. This little girl loved her daddy very much . . .despite the fact that he beat her with a belt."
I kissed him. "Some people just suck," I said. "It's that simple. Some people are just horrible." I kissed him again. "Like the little boy Annie got in a fight with today."
Carter sat up. "Annie got in a fight?"
I nodded and rested my chin in my hands. "He teased her about not having a mother. He said Jessica left because she didn't love Annie. So Annie clocked him."
Carter shook his head. "I can't . . .she knows not to hit. She knows better. What's wrong with her?"
"Nothing's wrong with her, Carter," I said, sitting up. "Somebody insulted her mother and Annie did the only thing she could think of to do. It was a normal reaction for a child to have. Don't punish her. She's been punished enough. When I picked her up today she was sitting in the corner and had been there for three hours."
"THREE HOURS!?!" Carter bellowed.
I put my finger to my mouth. "Shhh, John, you'll wake her up."
He lowered his voice. "If that's how they do things at that school I'm finding another one."
He stood up and took off his clothes. He climbed into bed wearing only his boxers. I grinned. "What are you so happy about?" he asked.
"Nothing," I said, still grinning. "It's just that my boyfriend is incredibly sexy."
Carter smiled and wrapped his arms around me. "Well aren't you just the luckiest woman in the world?"
Response to reviews -
CarbyFan100 - Of course Carter takes it back. He's just being your average man . . .you know, closing himself off.
Jackie - Please do beat Carter up! But not this Carter. This Carter has come to his senses. Beat up the real Carter.
IDontWriteIJustRead - Carter's coldness is a trait he inherited from his mother. And, although Abby has forgiven him at the moment, I'll see what I can do about having Abby "wail on his ass."
Carbyfan - Don't lose interest! Carter's better now!
Carbybubbles - Carby is back and Carter's stopped being a bastard.
Caitlin - Mean Carter is bad. Sweet Carter is good.
This was a really long chapter. So be grateful. I'm not sure when the next one will be up but hopefully it'll be soon.
