ABBY'S POV
I knocked on the door and took a deep breath. "Hi," I said, trying to smile.
"Hey," Carter said, the corner of his mouth turning upwards. "Come on in."
I stepped inside and walked over to the sofa. "I'm glad you decided you wanted to talk to me," I said, sitting down.
Carter sat down next to me. "I'd do anything not to lose you."
I rolled my eyes. "This talk isn't a guarantee that I'll forgive you."
Carter nodded solemnly. "I know."
I crossed my arms over my chest and leaned back. "I'm waiting," I said.
"I'm not ashamed of you," he said. "Or the baby." He ran his hand through his hair. "I don't want my mother to know yet because I want to get back at her for being such a crappy mother."
I looked down. "Don't you think that's a bit harsh?" I asked.
"Don't you think it's a bit harsh to fly to Tokyo two days before your son turns thirteen?" Carter said.
I looked up at him. "She really hurt you, didn't she?"
Carter nodded. "Yeah. The difference between your mom and mine is that yours actually loves you. Mine doesn't give a shit."
I wanted to reach out and hold his hand but I was still so furious. I opened my mouth to say something but stopped when I felt a small, quick movement in my stomach. "Oh my god," I said, placing my hand on the bump that was our baby.
"What?" Carter said, leaning over, concerned.
I smiled and placed his hand next to mine. "The baby kicked," I said, forgetting how mad I was.
The baby kicked again and Carter grinned so widely I thought his lips were going to be stretched out of shape. "That's the most amazing thing . . ." Carter said, staring lovingly at my stomach.
I laughed. "I can 't believe there's actually something alive inside me."
"Something we made," Carter said, smiled at me.
I looked up at him and frowned. "You're a really crappy boyfriend, you know that?"
Carter nodded. "Yeah." He sighed. "But, despite all appearances, I do love you."
"Is that enough, though?" I asked. "I mean, is it worth it? We keep hurting each other. And besides, just because you love me doesn't give you the right to be a bastard."
Carter seemed to shrink into a corner of the couch. "Worth it?" he said. "I never thought of it like that."
"How do you think of it?"
"You're my best friend and the only woman I've ever loved. That's all there is. So what if we fight sometimes? All couples do."
I picked up my ring from where it was sitting on the coffee table. "So what now?" I asked.
"What do you want?" Carter looked at me, his brown eyes full of hope.
"You," I said simply, sliding the ring on my finger.
Carter kissed me. More deeply and passionately than he had done in weeks. "One more thing," he said, lying me down on the couch. "You can't take that ring off every time we fight."
"Why not?" I asked, grinning.
"Because you'll lose it." Carter slid my shirt over my head. "And I'm not buying you another one."
"Since when are you cheap?" I asked, kissing his neck.
"I'm not," he said. "It'll just be your punishment for losing the first one."
************************** CARTER'S POV
Together again. I was thrilled to be with her again. But it was the word 'again' that bothered me. Maybe she was right, maybe it wasn't worth it. But then I felt her hand on my back and when I rolled over to look at her I knew that I'd risk life and limb to be with her.
"Morning," I said, kissing her. "You better put some clothes on. My dad's gonna bring Annie home soon."
Abby sat up, clutching the sheet around her bare body. "You want me to meet your father NOW?!?" she shrieked, bolting to the bathroom. As I was getting dressed I heard the shower turn on.
"He's not the parent you have to worry about," I shouted over the sound of the water, standing at the bathroom door. "My mother is the scary one."
"I don't care," she shouted back. "I want your father to like me." There was a pause. "He knows we're engaged, right?"
I smiled. "Yes. He knows." Abby jumped out of the shower. "That was quick," I said.
She flipped her head upside down and started brushing her hair. I went into the kitchen to make some coffee. "I'm making coffee," I hollered to Abby. "You want?"
"Um . . .I'm pregnant?" she called back.
"Oh yeah," I said. Abby came out of the bedroom. "You're dressed up," I said, biting into a piece of toast. She was wearing a white button down shirt and black pants.
"I don't want your dad to think I'm a slob," she said as she finished braiding her hair. "I'll get it," she said, when my dad knocked on the door. "Mr. Carter," she said, and I knew she was giving him her best smile.
"You can call me Jack," Dad told her, smiling back.
"Hey, Dad," I said, walking over and putting my arm around Abby. "This is Abby Lockhart."
Dad smiled and stuck out his hand. "Nice to meet you, Abby. John talks a lot about you."
Abby looked at me, grinning. "Really?" she said.
I rolled my eyes. "Only to tell him what a horrible cook you are," I said, referring to the one time Abby attempted to make scrambled eggs for Annie. And burnt them.
"HELLO!" Annie said, clearly annoyed that no one had noticed her yet. I picked her up and gave her a little kiss.
"Have fun with Grandpa?" I asked.
Annie nodded. "He let me have ice cream for dinner."
I glared at my father who, in turn, was glaring at Annie. "That was supposed to be our secret, Annabelle," he said.
Annie giggled and wiggled out of my arms. "Oopsie," she said, skipping off to her room.
"You want a cup of coffee, Dad?" I asked.
"Sure." The three of us sat down at the kitchen table. "What sort of wedding do you two have in mind?" he asked.
Abby looked at me and shrugged. "Dunno," she said. "We're gonna have the baby first, then worry about the wedding."
"Do you know if it's a boy or a girl?" Dad asked.
We both shook our heads. "Won't know until it's born," I said.
"What are you hoping for?"
"A boy," Abby and I said simultaneously. I smiled at her. "You want a boy too?"
She nodded. "A boy and a girl," she said. "One of each."
"But technically," Dad said to Abby. "You'll just have the boy since Annie's not your daughter."
"Yes she is," I said. "Abby loves Annie and Annie loves her. So Abby's not her biological mother? It doesn't make a difference. She loves her way more than Jessica did."
"Daddy?" a small voice behind me said. I whirled around. "Mommy didn't love me?" Annie asked, tears in her eyes.
"Oh, Annie," I said. "I didn't mean for you to hear that."
Annie looked at me. "But Mommy sang me to and you said she loved me." Annie ran to her room and slammed the door.
"Shit," I muttered, and slammed my head on the table.
Response to reviews -
Vkh214 - Yay! Updates are good!
Aaron - Yeah, it was abrupt. I wanted to start on Abby's POV.
Kayla - He IS hot. Soooooo hot. I saw a preview for a movie with him in it and I told my friend. She asked what it was about and I told her that I had no idea but I'd watch a documentary on mayfly larvae if he was in it!
Hyperpiper91 - Girls are good. So are reviews! Yay!
Jackie - No, you're right. They do need to talk. And they have. Sort of.
Carbylobsterandavrilfan - Carter will be having more of a say from now on.
Carbybubbles - See above. And thanks!
Fanfictionfanatic - Addicted? Really? I've been waiting for somebody to say that. Oh, you've made my day!
I knocked on the door and took a deep breath. "Hi," I said, trying to smile.
"Hey," Carter said, the corner of his mouth turning upwards. "Come on in."
I stepped inside and walked over to the sofa. "I'm glad you decided you wanted to talk to me," I said, sitting down.
Carter sat down next to me. "I'd do anything not to lose you."
I rolled my eyes. "This talk isn't a guarantee that I'll forgive you."
Carter nodded solemnly. "I know."
I crossed my arms over my chest and leaned back. "I'm waiting," I said.
"I'm not ashamed of you," he said. "Or the baby." He ran his hand through his hair. "I don't want my mother to know yet because I want to get back at her for being such a crappy mother."
I looked down. "Don't you think that's a bit harsh?" I asked.
"Don't you think it's a bit harsh to fly to Tokyo two days before your son turns thirteen?" Carter said.
I looked up at him. "She really hurt you, didn't she?"
Carter nodded. "Yeah. The difference between your mom and mine is that yours actually loves you. Mine doesn't give a shit."
I wanted to reach out and hold his hand but I was still so furious. I opened my mouth to say something but stopped when I felt a small, quick movement in my stomach. "Oh my god," I said, placing my hand on the bump that was our baby.
"What?" Carter said, leaning over, concerned.
I smiled and placed his hand next to mine. "The baby kicked," I said, forgetting how mad I was.
The baby kicked again and Carter grinned so widely I thought his lips were going to be stretched out of shape. "That's the most amazing thing . . ." Carter said, staring lovingly at my stomach.
I laughed. "I can 't believe there's actually something alive inside me."
"Something we made," Carter said, smiled at me.
I looked up at him and frowned. "You're a really crappy boyfriend, you know that?"
Carter nodded. "Yeah." He sighed. "But, despite all appearances, I do love you."
"Is that enough, though?" I asked. "I mean, is it worth it? We keep hurting each other. And besides, just because you love me doesn't give you the right to be a bastard."
Carter seemed to shrink into a corner of the couch. "Worth it?" he said. "I never thought of it like that."
"How do you think of it?"
"You're my best friend and the only woman I've ever loved. That's all there is. So what if we fight sometimes? All couples do."
I picked up my ring from where it was sitting on the coffee table. "So what now?" I asked.
"What do you want?" Carter looked at me, his brown eyes full of hope.
"You," I said simply, sliding the ring on my finger.
Carter kissed me. More deeply and passionately than he had done in weeks. "One more thing," he said, lying me down on the couch. "You can't take that ring off every time we fight."
"Why not?" I asked, grinning.
"Because you'll lose it." Carter slid my shirt over my head. "And I'm not buying you another one."
"Since when are you cheap?" I asked, kissing his neck.
"I'm not," he said. "It'll just be your punishment for losing the first one."
************************** CARTER'S POV
Together again. I was thrilled to be with her again. But it was the word 'again' that bothered me. Maybe she was right, maybe it wasn't worth it. But then I felt her hand on my back and when I rolled over to look at her I knew that I'd risk life and limb to be with her.
"Morning," I said, kissing her. "You better put some clothes on. My dad's gonna bring Annie home soon."
Abby sat up, clutching the sheet around her bare body. "You want me to meet your father NOW?!?" she shrieked, bolting to the bathroom. As I was getting dressed I heard the shower turn on.
"He's not the parent you have to worry about," I shouted over the sound of the water, standing at the bathroom door. "My mother is the scary one."
"I don't care," she shouted back. "I want your father to like me." There was a pause. "He knows we're engaged, right?"
I smiled. "Yes. He knows." Abby jumped out of the shower. "That was quick," I said.
She flipped her head upside down and started brushing her hair. I went into the kitchen to make some coffee. "I'm making coffee," I hollered to Abby. "You want?"
"Um . . .I'm pregnant?" she called back.
"Oh yeah," I said. Abby came out of the bedroom. "You're dressed up," I said, biting into a piece of toast. She was wearing a white button down shirt and black pants.
"I don't want your dad to think I'm a slob," she said as she finished braiding her hair. "I'll get it," she said, when my dad knocked on the door. "Mr. Carter," she said, and I knew she was giving him her best smile.
"You can call me Jack," Dad told her, smiling back.
"Hey, Dad," I said, walking over and putting my arm around Abby. "This is Abby Lockhart."
Dad smiled and stuck out his hand. "Nice to meet you, Abby. John talks a lot about you."
Abby looked at me, grinning. "Really?" she said.
I rolled my eyes. "Only to tell him what a horrible cook you are," I said, referring to the one time Abby attempted to make scrambled eggs for Annie. And burnt them.
"HELLO!" Annie said, clearly annoyed that no one had noticed her yet. I picked her up and gave her a little kiss.
"Have fun with Grandpa?" I asked.
Annie nodded. "He let me have ice cream for dinner."
I glared at my father who, in turn, was glaring at Annie. "That was supposed to be our secret, Annabelle," he said.
Annie giggled and wiggled out of my arms. "Oopsie," she said, skipping off to her room.
"You want a cup of coffee, Dad?" I asked.
"Sure." The three of us sat down at the kitchen table. "What sort of wedding do you two have in mind?" he asked.
Abby looked at me and shrugged. "Dunno," she said. "We're gonna have the baby first, then worry about the wedding."
"Do you know if it's a boy or a girl?" Dad asked.
We both shook our heads. "Won't know until it's born," I said.
"What are you hoping for?"
"A boy," Abby and I said simultaneously. I smiled at her. "You want a boy too?"
She nodded. "A boy and a girl," she said. "One of each."
"But technically," Dad said to Abby. "You'll just have the boy since Annie's not your daughter."
"Yes she is," I said. "Abby loves Annie and Annie loves her. So Abby's not her biological mother? It doesn't make a difference. She loves her way more than Jessica did."
"Daddy?" a small voice behind me said. I whirled around. "Mommy didn't love me?" Annie asked, tears in her eyes.
"Oh, Annie," I said. "I didn't mean for you to hear that."
Annie looked at me. "But Mommy sang me to and you said she loved me." Annie ran to her room and slammed the door.
"Shit," I muttered, and slammed my head on the table.
Response to reviews -
Vkh214 - Yay! Updates are good!
Aaron - Yeah, it was abrupt. I wanted to start on Abby's POV.
Kayla - He IS hot. Soooooo hot. I saw a preview for a movie with him in it and I told my friend. She asked what it was about and I told her that I had no idea but I'd watch a documentary on mayfly larvae if he was in it!
Hyperpiper91 - Girls are good. So are reviews! Yay!
Jackie - No, you're right. They do need to talk. And they have. Sort of.
Carbylobsterandavrilfan - Carter will be having more of a say from now on.
Carbybubbles - See above. And thanks!
Fanfictionfanatic - Addicted? Really? I've been waiting for somebody to say that. Oh, you've made my day!
