AN: Thank you to everyone who commented on my last chapter. Sorry I was so long updating, been a bit busy, anyway here's the next part of the story.
The Rainbow After The Storm
Chapter Eighteen
'What?' asked Jack then listened to Carter as he explained and deciding that it was a good thing. He had always liked Abby.
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'What?' exclaimed Eleanor then listening as Carter explained and decided that if she had had anything to do with it, she would have chosen someone she thought more suitable.
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'What?' said Maggie, stunned as Abby gently told her what had happened. Maggie was somewhat hurt that she hadn't been invited, but loving her daughter as she did she finally came round. Even if her daughter didn't realise how much her mother loved her.
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'What?' said Abby answering the phone to talk to a seemingly rational Eric who was the only family member who seemed openly and unreservedly happy for them. Abby had vowed months ago never to talk to him again. But she found that having a conversation with him over the telephone when he was hundreds of miles away manageable. She knew however the situation between herself and her brother was not yet completely resolved.
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Some weeks later
Abby sneezed and blew her nose.
'Don't bring your germs over this way' said Frank
Abby glared at him, tipped her head up to the ceiling and then back down again, staring into space as she rubbed her ear.
'Still ill?' Susan enquired concerned for her friend
'Susan?' Abby asked not answering Susan's question
'What?'
'Do me a favour when you're not busy?'
'If I can, what?'
'Take a look in my right ear'
'You still got that earache, that's been like a week'
'Yeah I thought it was part of the cold, which is better'
'You've just sneezed over everyone how can it be better?' said Frank
'It's better than it was' Abby answered 'Do you have to listen to my private conversations?'
'If you want to have private conversations, don't have them here. I can't help it if I hear what you're saying'
Irritated with him she turned away.
Susan said 'Here; I'll look now' and the pair of them went to the lounge. 'Well' said Susan 'How can I put this'
'Otis media?' suggested Abby
'You took the words right out of my mouth, You ought to take a course of antibiotics, it's pretty inflamed'
'Sure' she replied wearily.
'Hey it's not that bad you'll feel better in a couple of days'
Abby smiled at her
'Okay okay I know it's dumb saying that to you. On a brighter note...'
Susan went to her locker came back and handed Abby an envelope. 'For you and Carter' said Susan handing Abby an envelope 'Say you'll both come'
Abby took the card out it read:
Dear Carter and Abby
My Mommy and Daddy are having a picnic in
the park to celebrate my 1st birthday
on Sunday July 24th
I would love for you to come and
share my special day with me
Lots of love
Daniel
RSVP to my Mommy or Daddy
'Mmmm I'm sure that it'll be okay I'm off this Sunday, Carter's working in the morning though'
'Good' said Susan 'Daniel would be sad if two of his favourite people couldn't be there, and I need some moral support, Chuck still wants to be a 'proper' family. It's just not something I want'
The door of the Lounge suddenly swung open.
'Frank said you two were hiding in here' said Carter
'I'm just about to get back to work' informed Susan, 'she needs
antibiotics make sure she takes them', off Carters expression she added 'For her ear'. She turned round just as she was exiting the door, seeing them share a brief kiss and added with a grin on her face 'Don't stay in here too long together people will be wondering what you're up too'
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The picnic in the park was going well. There were babies of all ages and children enjoying themselves, with adults enjoying the food and the company of other adults. Susan was surprised, when she had first thought about this she didn't realise that Daniel knew so many people. Of course she had invited her friends from work too, there was Luka, Sam, Alex, Elizabeth and Ella, Kerry and Henry and Abby, mixed with others friends and family mostly Chuck's. In fact the only family she had there apart from her son was her father. All to celebrate Daniel's first birthday.
Susan looked over to her friend who was sitting alone on a rug watching some older kids play baseball. Carter was supposed to be here after his shift, looking at her watch Susan realised that he was running late.
When he finally arrived he was in a gregarious frame of mind. He even gave Daniel a hug and made a fuss of him. Which surprised Susan no end.
'Carter?' asked Susan 'Can I have a word?'
'Yeah, sure what's up?' he replied as they moved away from everyone.
'Is everything okay with you and Abby?'
'Yeah everything's great. Why? What's this about? Where is she anyway? I haven't seen her yet'
'There' pointed Susan to where Abby still sat alone.
'How long has she been there?'
'She chatted with the guys from work for a while then she sat down'
'Really'
'Yeah'
'Has she eaten?'
Susan answered 'I don't think so'
'I'll take her some food' he said and went to gather some onto a plate.
'Good' said Susan to herself going back to see Daniel.
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'Hey' he said sitting down beside Abby and giving her a kiss which she returned. He then offered her the plate of food and she chose a chicken drumstick and began picking off strips of meat and eating them. 'What you doing here?' he asked
'Watching the baseball'
'Susan's worried, she thought we'd had a fight or something'
'Oh well I guess I've been a bit anti-social'
'Why?'
'No reason'
'It's supposed to be me who feels all melancholy'
'Are you?'
'No'
She looked at him and smiled 'I've been sociable and now I'm not' she paused then added 'Everyone seems to be with someone, I guess I was feeling kind of lonely'
He raised his eyebrows at her and said 'Is that so?'
'Yeah'
'Uh huh'
'But you're here now'
'Uh huh' he repeated moving closer, sneaking his arm round her shoulders.
'Can you say anything else?' she asked
'Uh huh' he said with a grin
With that she playfully hit him on the arm.
In the background Susan announced that they were going to cut the birthday cake.
'Shall we?' he asked offering her his hand and pulling her up as they went over to where everyone gathered.
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They all sang 'Happy Birthday' and laughed at Daniel's attempt to blow the candles out, fortunately he was helped by one of his cousins on his father's side of the family.
Abby somehow got involved with the distribution of the cake, which took some time. Susan then handed her Daniel.
'I promised him a swing in the playground' she said
'Why don't I clear up then you can do it?'
'No, some things belong to various different people, it'll be better this way'
To Susan she said 'Okay', to Daniel she said 'Come on let's go' whilst looking round for Carter who was by this time engrossed in a serious conversation with Luka.
They spent twenty minutes or so in the play park when suddenly a woman with a baby a similar age stopped them and said 'Your little boy is so cute, how old is he?'
'Well... I... he.... erm' she muttered 'He's one, but I'm not his mother' she managed 'Just doing my friend a favour'
'That's a shame, for you. You seem really great with kids. You want them?'
'I don't know' she answered truthfully
'Sorry it's none of my business' suddenly her child began to wail 'I think I'd better get going' she told Abby picking up her son and bundling him into the stroller.
Which left Abby standing there with Daniel, pondering on her life.
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