Paint Me

Characters: Carter

Rating: PG

Summary: Carter's POV

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He was sitting there, his brush in hand

Painting waves as they danced upon the sand

With every stroke, he brought to life

The deep blue of the ocean against the morning light

I asked him if he only painted ocean scenes

He said for 20 dollars I'll paint you anything

He sat atop the rock wall as he watched the waves crash upon the sand. The waves tumbled as the moon glinted off of their curves. Carter listened to the sound it made as the salt water hit the sand. Serene, he thought, just what I need. He took the black box out of his pocket. As he opened the box, the moon glinted off the ring, making it almost glow. The ring he almost gave Abby. The one that would have tied them together forever. If only... he thought. If only what? If only it would have worked out? No. That wasn't right. There was no reason it didn't work out. I left. I went and I left her here. Without anything. And then the letter. Dear Abby... Carter sighed as he closed the box. Was he really going to ask Kem to marry him? With Abby's ring? Carter's head jerked up. Abby's ring? He put the box back in his pocket. Abby's ring. It would always be her ring, he thought. Even if it wasn't on her finger.

Could you paint me a Birmingham

Make it look just the way I planned

A little house on the edge of town

Porch going all the way around

Put her there in the front yard swing

Cotton dress, make it, early spring

For a while she'll be mine again

If you could paint me a Birmingham

Carter looked into the ocean. Smiling, he remembered the day she took her clothes off and ran in, encouraging him to follow. She had looked so beautiful, and it had been one of the few times that she was really happy. She always looked beautiful, she still did. He looked up in the sky, the stars looked like her eyes. Her eyes. He loved them most out of all her features. The way they twinkled when they made love. The way he could tell her mood in them. The way he melted when he looked into their chocolate brown pools. Grinning at the thought, Carter shook his head. Did he really love Kem as much as he loved Abby?

He looked at me, with knowing eyes

And took a canvas from a bag there by his side

Picked up a brush and said to me

Son just where in this picture would you like to be?

And I said if there's anyway you can

Could you paint me back into her arms again?

Carter pulled her letter out of his wallet. He had kept it there for two weeks now, ever since he got it. He wondered if this was her way of saying good-bye to him. Or if she was just letting him know that she wasn't going to let him break her heart anymore. One thing he knew, she still thought about him. Which was good, he guessed. He knew he still thought about her. All the time. She was in his dreams every night, in his head every day. He had wanted to tell her everything. He wanted to tell her that he was still in love with the way she smiled. In love with the way she put her hair behind her ears when she didn't know what to say. How she cleared her throat when she was nervous. The way she smelled, the way she laughed, the way she loved.

Could you paint me a Birmingham

Make it look just the way I planned

A little house on the edge of town

Porch going all the way around

Put her there in the front yard swing

Cotton dress, make it, early spring

For a while she'll be mine again

If you could paint me a Birmingham

The letter had changed everything. He didn't know where he stood with her anymore. Jumping off of the rock wall, he started to walk along the shore, letting the sand sift through his bare toes. I love Kem more. A pang of hurt went through his heart when he realized that wasn't true. He thought about the times he had spent with Kem. He touched the bracelet she had given him for Christmas. It was nice to have her living in his house with him, he reasoned. Until she goes back. And then what? Will I go with her? Will she just stay? Am I really willing to make sacrifices to be with her? His mind drifted back to Abby, it usually did. Will I be able to leave Abby? He knew the answer to that. No. He could never leave Abby forever.

Paint me a Birmingham

Make it look just the way I planned

A little house on the edge of town

Porch going all the way around

Put her there in the front yard swing

Cotton dress, make it, early spring

For a while she'll be mine again

If you could paint me a Birmingham

Oh paint me a Birmingham

And then he realized it. That he, John Truman Carter, was totally and utterly infatuated and in love with Abigail Lockhart.

Forever, that's the whole point.