I do not own 7th Heaven.
Authors Note- Just so you know, the story of Abby's family is not made up. That is how my family made its money a long time ago. I think it is humorous. I grew up hearing stories of how my Nana carried bottles of moonshine into the clubs hidden in secret pockets sewn into her fur coat!
A/N Con't- The issues raised in this chapter will be very important later on in the story. Just bear with me, I tend to ramble!
Chapter 7- Thoughts
Abby Hampton sat at the table in her spacious kitchen, drinking some orange juice. She still was not used to giving up her regular cup of tea, but, expectant mothers are supposed to stay away from caffeine, and she hated decaf. So, juice was going to have to do the trick for the time being at least.
Abby had been up a few hours before, and rather than wake Chandler, had left their room and come downstairs. She needed time and space to think. She had a very important decision to make, and no one could make it for her. She had to search her heart and decide once and for all what was more important: Her faith or her family.
Abby had been raised by two good Irish Catholics, her parents had stressed that their religion was part of who they were, it unified them, brought them together. She was the first member of her family who had married someone outside of their faith. Her mother and father had been surprised, and a bit upset that she had fallen in love and married a protestant minister. They had hoped that she would carry on the traditions of the Catholic faith. She had believed that love was enough to keep them together, that they didn't need to go to the same churches, it was enough that they were both Christians, but she hadn't thought about children. They hadn't had the discussion yet, but Abby knew it was coming.
What faith would their children belong to? Even though he never said the words, she knew that Chandler wanted what Reverend Camden had; his family sitting in the front of the church, looking up at him while he preached. She also knew that he would never ask her to compromise her beliefs for him.
Abby's thoughts were interrupted by Chandler, who had just entered the kitchen. She smiled at him; she didn't want him to know that anything was wrong. She wasn't ready to discuss this with him. She didn't want to get his hopes up, and then dash them if she couldn't do anything about them. She had made an appointment to go and see Father Perry, the priest at her church, for right after the mass. Perhaps he could shed some light on her situation. He was kind, and very easy to talk to. Abby hoped he could help her to figure this situation out.
"What are you doing up so early?" Chandler asked her, pouring coffee into a mug. "You are usually asleep for at least another hour."
Abby kissed his cheek when he sat down adjacent to her at the table. "I couldn't sleep. I read somewhere that it is normal for mother's to be to lose sleep because of hormones."
Chandler nodded. "We were invited to the Camden's for brunch after church this morning. Maybe you could meet me there after you go to mass."
Abby smiled. "That would be nice. I'll be a bit late, though. I was planning on going to confession after mass."
"It will be fine. They are always running late. You will just get to skip out on all the prep work. I know how much you love to cook." He smiled. It was common knowledge that his wife was not very talented in the kitchen.
Abby laughed. "Maybe I should ask Annie to teach me how. I obviously didn't pick up any tips from home. Mom wasn't exactly a wiz either. That's why we had Nora." Nora was her mother and father's chef. She prepared all the meals when Abby was growing up. "Nora hated to have an audience while she was cooking. How was I supposed to learn?" She asked him.
Abby had grown up in the same manner as her husband in some respects. They both were born and raised in New York, and were from wealthy households. While the Hamptons had excelled in the business world, Abby's family was relatively old money. Her great grandparents had supplied Long Island with liquor during prohibition. They had a distillery hidden on the family property in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. Then, after the stock market crash of 1929, they had bought a lot of property in New York for nothing, and then, over the years, had sold it back, making a huge profit to add to the bank.
Chandler chuckled, and looked at the clock on the wall. "I have to go and get ready. It is already eight, and I have to be there by nine o'clock sharp." He kissed her quickly, and went back up the stairs to shower and change.
When he emerged from the bathroom, Abby was in her closet, trying to find an outfit for church. She searched through the pants, dresses, skirts and blouses that she had, and finally chose to wear her favorite navy sweater and khaki skirt. She sighed as she looked in her mirror. In a few months, she wouldn't be able to wear this outfit anymore. She turned from side to side, imagining what she would look like.
Chandler was dressed in his charcoal suit, with a blue shirt. She took the blue tie from him and draped it around his neck. She expertly looped it, and straightened it out when she was finished tucking the end.
"Thank you." He said, kissing her. "What would I do with out you?" He asked, putting his arms around her waist.
"You would just have to learn to tie your own ties. It's not that hard. Just loop and tuck, and straighten." Abby joked, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Yeah, but you are so much better at it."
"I love you so much." She whispered softly, putting her head on his chest, inhaling the scent of him. She loved these little moments. He made her feel so safe, so happy, so loved.
Chandler kissed the top of her head. "I love you too." He looked at the clock on his nightstand and groaned. "I have to go." He said apologetically, kissing her one last time. "I'll see you at the Camden's at noon, okay?" She nodded, and he left the room. A minute later she heard the front door slam, and she walked over to the big bay windows that looked over the front yard. Abby watched him get into his car and back out of the driveway.
She sighed. Maybe by this afternoon she would have some insight into the questions and problems that were plaguing her. Hopefully. She thought.
~*~*~
Chandler sat in the church, listening to Eric speak to the congregation. He wasn't really listening though. He had listened to Eric's sermon earlier in the week; it was about doing your part to help others. His mind instead was on his wife. For the past few weeks, ever since they had found out about the baby, had seemed a bit off. She hadn't been sleeping, and seemed worried, like she had something on her mind. He didn't want to pressure her into telling him, he figured that she would let him know when she was ready.
~*~*~
Abby waited her turn to receive communion. She walked slowly up to the front of the church, patiently waiting her turn. "Body of Christ." Father Perry said to her before placing the wafer in her hands.
"Amen." She replied softly, crossing herself after she placed the offering in her mouth. She walked silently back to her pew, kneeling back down. She said a prayer, and listened to the choir as they sang. She was so glad that mass was nearly ended. She felt like the service had dragged on especially long today, even though it was the same length as all the others she had been to all her life. She breathed a sigh of relief as the alter boys, deacons, and finally Father Perry made their way down the center aisle as the congregation sang the closing hymn.
~*~*~
Abby sat in Father Perry's office. It was a warm, inviting place that suited the kind man who worked there. She turned and rose as the door opened and he strode in. He motioned for her to sit back down, and took a seat next to her in the other leather armchair that sat in front of his desk.
"Hello Abby." He greeted her.
"Thank you for meeting with me Father," Abby began. "I know that it is short notice, and I really appreciate you taking the time to talk to me."
He smiled at her. "I can tell that something is troubling you."
"I have a big decision to make, and I need someone to help me to sort it out." She said. "I know that you know about my situation, Father. I married Dr. Hampton a few months ago, and I had always believed that we could keep our religious differences separate, but now, I don't know." She sighed, telling him the rest of the story.
When she was finished, he looked at her. "Abby, you have a very hard decision to make, and only you can make it. I advise you to pray about it, but do not make any rash judgments right now. This isn't something that you can go back and forth with, you need to be able to stick to you decision, what ever that may be."
She nodded, knowing that what he said was true. "I wish that this wasn't so hard. I don't want give up my faith, but I don't want my family to be divided."
"You have some time. Why don't you speak to your husband? He may be able to help you figure this out better than I." He suggested.
Abby shook her head. "I don't want to get his hopes up, and then decide to keep things the way they are. I couldn't do that to him."
They rose from the chairs, and he put a hand on her shoulder. "You know how I hate to lose a member of my congregation, especially one so active and helpful. I hope that you find the answers you are looking for."
Abby smiled slightly, feeling relieved that she had talked to someone about her worries. "Thank you for your time, Father." She shook his hand, and left the office. She walked back down the hall to light a candle. She prayed for her family, and prayed to find peace of mind. She hoped that soon she would figure this mess out.
~*~*~
Annie and her daughters and daughter in laws were in the kitchen, fixing the food for brunch. Lucy was slicing fruit, Cecilia was setting the dining room table, Ruthie was taking muffins out of the oven, and Sarah was removing the waffles from the iron. Annie was happily scrambling eggs on the stove when the back door opened, and Abby Hampton stepped inside. "Hi, I hope I'm not too late," She said, closing the door. "I went to confession today." She explained, not really lying, she had confessed something, just not in the manner that confession usually implied.
Annie smiled. "You are right on time, would you like to help?" She asked her.
"As long as it is easy." Abby said. "I'm not exactly known for my cooking skills. In fact, I am horrible at it."
"Not to worry." Annie told her. "Why don't you help Cecilia set the table?"
Abby was relieved. "That I can do. I was worried that you were going to give me a high profile job, like the eggs or something."
She went over to the drawer and started to pull out the silverware. She carefully counted the forks, knives and spoons, and brought them into the dining room, where Cecilia was setting plates on the table.
"Hi," She greeted her. "How are you?" She asked her friend.
Cecilia smiled. "Not bad, how about you?"
"Better than I was, actually." She said, hoping that she wouldn't ask what was wrong. Almost as an answer to her prayers, Sam Camden walked into the room, followed by his twin, David. "Is the food almost ready?" He asked them. He had a basketball under his arm.
"Almost." Cecilia told him. He sighed, knowing that almost meant that it would be a while.
"If Mom asks, we are outside shooting hoops, okay?" He said.
The girls nodded, and they left the room.
Sarah and Ruthie came in, holding plates of hot muffins and waffles, followed closely by Lucy, holding a bowl filled with fresh fruit. They were arranging the platters in the center of the table, when Annie walked through the swinging door, and set the heaping bowl of eggs in the center.
"Ruthie, will you go and tell the others that brunch is ready?" Annie asked her daughter, who nodded, and disappeared into the living room.
"The boys are outside," Cecilia told her. Annie shook her head.
"I met them on their way out. They will be in in a minute." She told her.
Ruthie entered the room once again, followed by the rest of the group. Chandler smiled at her, and took a seat at the long table next to her.
Eric said a blessing, and everyone started to eat. The children didn't seem very interested it the food, and finished quickly, running off to continue playing with their cousins.
The rest of the meal was very pleasant. The group kept a lively conversation, discussing current events, and each others lives. Abby found herself a bit sad when it was time to leave. The Camden's house was so full of energy and warmth, she didn't want to leave. However, she knew that she had to leave, but hopefully, she would be returning soon, as she had asked Annie if she would teach her a few simple recipes.
Chandler and Abby bade farewell to the Camden's and walked back down the driveway, to where they had each parked. He gave her a quick kiss before they climbed into their respective vehicles, and drove away, back to their own home a few blocks away.
Authors Note- Just so you know, the story of Abby's family is not made up. That is how my family made its money a long time ago. I think it is humorous. I grew up hearing stories of how my Nana carried bottles of moonshine into the clubs hidden in secret pockets sewn into her fur coat!
A/N Con't- The issues raised in this chapter will be very important later on in the story. Just bear with me, I tend to ramble!
Chapter 7- Thoughts
Abby Hampton sat at the table in her spacious kitchen, drinking some orange juice. She still was not used to giving up her regular cup of tea, but, expectant mothers are supposed to stay away from caffeine, and she hated decaf. So, juice was going to have to do the trick for the time being at least.
Abby had been up a few hours before, and rather than wake Chandler, had left their room and come downstairs. She needed time and space to think. She had a very important decision to make, and no one could make it for her. She had to search her heart and decide once and for all what was more important: Her faith or her family.
Abby had been raised by two good Irish Catholics, her parents had stressed that their religion was part of who they were, it unified them, brought them together. She was the first member of her family who had married someone outside of their faith. Her mother and father had been surprised, and a bit upset that she had fallen in love and married a protestant minister. They had hoped that she would carry on the traditions of the Catholic faith. She had believed that love was enough to keep them together, that they didn't need to go to the same churches, it was enough that they were both Christians, but she hadn't thought about children. They hadn't had the discussion yet, but Abby knew it was coming.
What faith would their children belong to? Even though he never said the words, she knew that Chandler wanted what Reverend Camden had; his family sitting in the front of the church, looking up at him while he preached. She also knew that he would never ask her to compromise her beliefs for him.
Abby's thoughts were interrupted by Chandler, who had just entered the kitchen. She smiled at him; she didn't want him to know that anything was wrong. She wasn't ready to discuss this with him. She didn't want to get his hopes up, and then dash them if she couldn't do anything about them. She had made an appointment to go and see Father Perry, the priest at her church, for right after the mass. Perhaps he could shed some light on her situation. He was kind, and very easy to talk to. Abby hoped he could help her to figure this situation out.
"What are you doing up so early?" Chandler asked her, pouring coffee into a mug. "You are usually asleep for at least another hour."
Abby kissed his cheek when he sat down adjacent to her at the table. "I couldn't sleep. I read somewhere that it is normal for mother's to be to lose sleep because of hormones."
Chandler nodded. "We were invited to the Camden's for brunch after church this morning. Maybe you could meet me there after you go to mass."
Abby smiled. "That would be nice. I'll be a bit late, though. I was planning on going to confession after mass."
"It will be fine. They are always running late. You will just get to skip out on all the prep work. I know how much you love to cook." He smiled. It was common knowledge that his wife was not very talented in the kitchen.
Abby laughed. "Maybe I should ask Annie to teach me how. I obviously didn't pick up any tips from home. Mom wasn't exactly a wiz either. That's why we had Nora." Nora was her mother and father's chef. She prepared all the meals when Abby was growing up. "Nora hated to have an audience while she was cooking. How was I supposed to learn?" She asked him.
Abby had grown up in the same manner as her husband in some respects. They both were born and raised in New York, and were from wealthy households. While the Hamptons had excelled in the business world, Abby's family was relatively old money. Her great grandparents had supplied Long Island with liquor during prohibition. They had a distillery hidden on the family property in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. Then, after the stock market crash of 1929, they had bought a lot of property in New York for nothing, and then, over the years, had sold it back, making a huge profit to add to the bank.
Chandler chuckled, and looked at the clock on the wall. "I have to go and get ready. It is already eight, and I have to be there by nine o'clock sharp." He kissed her quickly, and went back up the stairs to shower and change.
When he emerged from the bathroom, Abby was in her closet, trying to find an outfit for church. She searched through the pants, dresses, skirts and blouses that she had, and finally chose to wear her favorite navy sweater and khaki skirt. She sighed as she looked in her mirror. In a few months, she wouldn't be able to wear this outfit anymore. She turned from side to side, imagining what she would look like.
Chandler was dressed in his charcoal suit, with a blue shirt. She took the blue tie from him and draped it around his neck. She expertly looped it, and straightened it out when she was finished tucking the end.
"Thank you." He said, kissing her. "What would I do with out you?" He asked, putting his arms around her waist.
"You would just have to learn to tie your own ties. It's not that hard. Just loop and tuck, and straighten." Abby joked, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Yeah, but you are so much better at it."
"I love you so much." She whispered softly, putting her head on his chest, inhaling the scent of him. She loved these little moments. He made her feel so safe, so happy, so loved.
Chandler kissed the top of her head. "I love you too." He looked at the clock on his nightstand and groaned. "I have to go." He said apologetically, kissing her one last time. "I'll see you at the Camden's at noon, okay?" She nodded, and he left the room. A minute later she heard the front door slam, and she walked over to the big bay windows that looked over the front yard. Abby watched him get into his car and back out of the driveway.
She sighed. Maybe by this afternoon she would have some insight into the questions and problems that were plaguing her. Hopefully. She thought.
~*~*~
Chandler sat in the church, listening to Eric speak to the congregation. He wasn't really listening though. He had listened to Eric's sermon earlier in the week; it was about doing your part to help others. His mind instead was on his wife. For the past few weeks, ever since they had found out about the baby, had seemed a bit off. She hadn't been sleeping, and seemed worried, like she had something on her mind. He didn't want to pressure her into telling him, he figured that she would let him know when she was ready.
~*~*~
Abby waited her turn to receive communion. She walked slowly up to the front of the church, patiently waiting her turn. "Body of Christ." Father Perry said to her before placing the wafer in her hands.
"Amen." She replied softly, crossing herself after she placed the offering in her mouth. She walked silently back to her pew, kneeling back down. She said a prayer, and listened to the choir as they sang. She was so glad that mass was nearly ended. She felt like the service had dragged on especially long today, even though it was the same length as all the others she had been to all her life. She breathed a sigh of relief as the alter boys, deacons, and finally Father Perry made their way down the center aisle as the congregation sang the closing hymn.
~*~*~
Abby sat in Father Perry's office. It was a warm, inviting place that suited the kind man who worked there. She turned and rose as the door opened and he strode in. He motioned for her to sit back down, and took a seat next to her in the other leather armchair that sat in front of his desk.
"Hello Abby." He greeted her.
"Thank you for meeting with me Father," Abby began. "I know that it is short notice, and I really appreciate you taking the time to talk to me."
He smiled at her. "I can tell that something is troubling you."
"I have a big decision to make, and I need someone to help me to sort it out." She said. "I know that you know about my situation, Father. I married Dr. Hampton a few months ago, and I had always believed that we could keep our religious differences separate, but now, I don't know." She sighed, telling him the rest of the story.
When she was finished, he looked at her. "Abby, you have a very hard decision to make, and only you can make it. I advise you to pray about it, but do not make any rash judgments right now. This isn't something that you can go back and forth with, you need to be able to stick to you decision, what ever that may be."
She nodded, knowing that what he said was true. "I wish that this wasn't so hard. I don't want give up my faith, but I don't want my family to be divided."
"You have some time. Why don't you speak to your husband? He may be able to help you figure this out better than I." He suggested.
Abby shook her head. "I don't want to get his hopes up, and then decide to keep things the way they are. I couldn't do that to him."
They rose from the chairs, and he put a hand on her shoulder. "You know how I hate to lose a member of my congregation, especially one so active and helpful. I hope that you find the answers you are looking for."
Abby smiled slightly, feeling relieved that she had talked to someone about her worries. "Thank you for your time, Father." She shook his hand, and left the office. She walked back down the hall to light a candle. She prayed for her family, and prayed to find peace of mind. She hoped that soon she would figure this mess out.
~*~*~
Annie and her daughters and daughter in laws were in the kitchen, fixing the food for brunch. Lucy was slicing fruit, Cecilia was setting the dining room table, Ruthie was taking muffins out of the oven, and Sarah was removing the waffles from the iron. Annie was happily scrambling eggs on the stove when the back door opened, and Abby Hampton stepped inside. "Hi, I hope I'm not too late," She said, closing the door. "I went to confession today." She explained, not really lying, she had confessed something, just not in the manner that confession usually implied.
Annie smiled. "You are right on time, would you like to help?" She asked her.
"As long as it is easy." Abby said. "I'm not exactly known for my cooking skills. In fact, I am horrible at it."
"Not to worry." Annie told her. "Why don't you help Cecilia set the table?"
Abby was relieved. "That I can do. I was worried that you were going to give me a high profile job, like the eggs or something."
She went over to the drawer and started to pull out the silverware. She carefully counted the forks, knives and spoons, and brought them into the dining room, where Cecilia was setting plates on the table.
"Hi," She greeted her. "How are you?" She asked her friend.
Cecilia smiled. "Not bad, how about you?"
"Better than I was, actually." She said, hoping that she wouldn't ask what was wrong. Almost as an answer to her prayers, Sam Camden walked into the room, followed by his twin, David. "Is the food almost ready?" He asked them. He had a basketball under his arm.
"Almost." Cecilia told him. He sighed, knowing that almost meant that it would be a while.
"If Mom asks, we are outside shooting hoops, okay?" He said.
The girls nodded, and they left the room.
Sarah and Ruthie came in, holding plates of hot muffins and waffles, followed closely by Lucy, holding a bowl filled with fresh fruit. They were arranging the platters in the center of the table, when Annie walked through the swinging door, and set the heaping bowl of eggs in the center.
"Ruthie, will you go and tell the others that brunch is ready?" Annie asked her daughter, who nodded, and disappeared into the living room.
"The boys are outside," Cecilia told her. Annie shook her head.
"I met them on their way out. They will be in in a minute." She told her.
Ruthie entered the room once again, followed by the rest of the group. Chandler smiled at her, and took a seat at the long table next to her.
Eric said a blessing, and everyone started to eat. The children didn't seem very interested it the food, and finished quickly, running off to continue playing with their cousins.
The rest of the meal was very pleasant. The group kept a lively conversation, discussing current events, and each others lives. Abby found herself a bit sad when it was time to leave. The Camden's house was so full of energy and warmth, she didn't want to leave. However, she knew that she had to leave, but hopefully, she would be returning soon, as she had asked Annie if she would teach her a few simple recipes.
Chandler and Abby bade farewell to the Camden's and walked back down the driveway, to where they had each parked. He gave her a quick kiss before they climbed into their respective vehicles, and drove away, back to their own home a few blocks away.
