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Sara linked her arm through Abby's as they walked through the mall.
"Thanks for the shoes, Mom," she said and Abby smiled. They walked in comfortable silence for a while as Abby marveled over their relationship. Many mothers in Sara's class had complained about how their daughters didn't communicate with them. Abby had never had that problem with Sara. They knew what the other was thinking. They understood each other. They were almost like sisters in that they were comfortable talking about boys, movies, anything. They had the closeness of siblings, but they still maintained a certain structure in their relationship. They still loved each other like a mother and daughter.
"Ice cream?" Abby asked as they passed a Baskin Robbins and she didn't even have to turn her head to know that Sara was nodding.
"Mint chocolate chip," she said, "please."
Abby was lying in her bed reading later that night when the phone rang. She glanced at the clock. It was late for someone to be calling.
She picked up the phone with a small sense of resignation, hoping it wasn't someone who wanted to talk for a great length of time. She was tired. She had to work tomorrow.
"Hello?"
"Abby?"
"Yeah, who is this?"
"It's Carter."
Abby nearly hung up the phone on the spot, but she changed her mind. She decided that she'd have to hear what he had to say eventually.
"Hi."
"I just wanted to," he sighed, "apologize for what I said before. It wasn't right and I'm sorry. I must have made myself look like a real ass."
"Yeah," she said with a small grin that she immediately wiped off her face, "You did."
"Anyway, I just wanted to say that I hope that we can get over our issues and just be friends again."
Abby muffled a scornful protest.
"I guess," she muttered finally.
There was a short silence.
"My mother wanted me to invite you two for dinner sometime this week."
"Will you be there?" she asked and she immediately wished she hadn't.
She could almost hear him smile, though she knew he hurt.
"Yeah, I guess I will be. Considering that I live here."
"I'll talk to Sara about it," she said finally, "but I wouldn't get your hopes up."
"Okay."
"Good night, then."
"Wait."
"Yeah?" she really didn't want to stretch out this conversation any longer than it had to be.
"We're okay then?" he asked quietly. "I just want to be sure."
"We'll talk tomorrow, Carter. Good night."
She hung up the phone before he could stop her again.