Abby stood in the waiting area by the trains at Union Station. The train was just pulling up and she was now faced with the challenge of explaining the last few months to her mother. She knew that second that anyone saw her, they could tell she was pregnant, she was waiting for her mothers reaction.
This was the first real time she had the chance to show off her stomach, because there would most likely be no one she knew. She had gotten a lot of smiles and darting glances when people saw her stomach. They would smile at her, almost as if sending their good wishes even though they didn't even know her. It was sweet, Abby thought. But also kind of creepy, all these people staring and her stomach. She felt like she was famous, from all the looks she got.
"Abby, Abby." She heard the call from behind her, but she didn't turn around. She would wait till her mom got next to her to show her her stomach.
Maggie rushed up to Abby's back, and and stuck her hands infront of Abby's eyes.
"Guess who."
"Hey mom." Abby said as she turned around. Waiting for the reaction.
"Abby, how are you." She still had her eyes of her face. They she looked down, things sort of happened in slow motion.
"What in the........" were the only words that came out of Maggie's mouth.
"Surprise."
"Abby........?" She looked at Abby questioning.
"I'm 5 months."
"Who's? Is it Carters?"
Abby nodded her head.
"Oh my, boy or girl?"
"We don't know, don't want to."
"Oh my gosh, you look...... you look amazing Abby. You look happy as can be."
"Mom we need to go, dinner is at six and friends are coming over."
Abby turned, taking her mothers hand and started to walk towards the exit. When they reached the car Abby placed the suitcase in the trunk. Abby sat in the drivers seat and started the car.
"So... are you two back together?"
"Mom, let me explain things. They are really complicated. But no, we are not back together. 7 months ago, Carter's baby with the other girlfriend, it died and she had to deliver it stillborn. Then she left him and he got really depressed, I mean, it was all a kind of drunken mistake. But we worked through a lot. Carter has gotten a lot better and he is doing pretty well. He asked me to move in with him, because he has a big house and he wants to be apart of the babies life. But no, we are not together, it's hard to explain."
"But I thought you were mad at him?"
"I was, I mean, I was broken hearted, but after I found out I was pregnant, we talked a lot. Things got worked out."
"Do you still love him?"
"What?"
"Do you still have feelings for him?"
"Why would you ask that?"
"Well why did you sleep with him?"
"I don't know, I mean, it was kind of a mistake. I told you, I only meant to comfort him."
Maggie fell silent.
"Mom, please, don't talk about this to Carter though, he is still touchy about these things."
"I am not stupid Abby, I know."
Things got silent then, akwardly silent.
"How is Eric?"
"He's okay. I saw him in November for thanksgiving. He is still on his meds, he seems to be doing fun. He has a girlfriend."
"Really?"
"Her name is Kelly."
"Great......"
"He said he meant to call you."
"It's okay. I don't expect him to."
"Abby......"
"He will call when he is ready. How have you been doing?"
"Fine, I am having fun at my job."
"Thats good."
Abby pulled up to the house and parked the car.
"Nice house."
"I like it."
"Merry Christmas Maggie." Carter called from the front porch. He was standing outside, rubbing his hands together to keep from freezing. Abby was shocked at how much the temperature seemed to drop since she had picked Maggie up.
"I think it is going to snow again." Abby said as she and Maggie climbed the steps to the house.
Abby was welcomed by the smell of turkey and stuffing as she entered the house.
"Carter, that better be done soon, I am dying. These cravings are killing me."
"It still needs another 4 hours."
"Oh you are awful."
Abby and Maggie made their way up the first flight of stairs to the guest bedroom, which was right across from the nursery.
"We still need to paint the room," Abby explained as Maggie pushed open the door.
"Oh Abby, it's is beautiful."
"Thanks."
Abby walked over to the crib. They still hadn't gotten any linens for the bed. Abby ran her hand over the wood work and smiled. Maggie walked up next to her and placed her hand on Abby's.
"You look happy Abby. Happier than I have seen you in a very long time."
Maggie said looking into her daughter's eyes.
"I am mom, I am really happy." Abby smiled. She was perfectly happy, almost. One things still bothered her, did she still love Carter. No one had asked her like that before, she didn't know. Maybe she did, or was it just the pregnancy? She didn't know.
This was the first real time she had the chance to show off her stomach, because there would most likely be no one she knew. She had gotten a lot of smiles and darting glances when people saw her stomach. They would smile at her, almost as if sending their good wishes even though they didn't even know her. It was sweet, Abby thought. But also kind of creepy, all these people staring and her stomach. She felt like she was famous, from all the looks she got.
"Abby, Abby." She heard the call from behind her, but she didn't turn around. She would wait till her mom got next to her to show her her stomach.
Maggie rushed up to Abby's back, and and stuck her hands infront of Abby's eyes.
"Guess who."
"Hey mom." Abby said as she turned around. Waiting for the reaction.
"Abby, how are you." She still had her eyes of her face. They she looked down, things sort of happened in slow motion.
"What in the........" were the only words that came out of Maggie's mouth.
"Surprise."
"Abby........?" She looked at Abby questioning.
"I'm 5 months."
"Who's? Is it Carters?"
Abby nodded her head.
"Oh my, boy or girl?"
"We don't know, don't want to."
"Oh my gosh, you look...... you look amazing Abby. You look happy as can be."
"Mom we need to go, dinner is at six and friends are coming over."
Abby turned, taking her mothers hand and started to walk towards the exit. When they reached the car Abby placed the suitcase in the trunk. Abby sat in the drivers seat and started the car.
"So... are you two back together?"
"Mom, let me explain things. They are really complicated. But no, we are not back together. 7 months ago, Carter's baby with the other girlfriend, it died and she had to deliver it stillborn. Then she left him and he got really depressed, I mean, it was all a kind of drunken mistake. But we worked through a lot. Carter has gotten a lot better and he is doing pretty well. He asked me to move in with him, because he has a big house and he wants to be apart of the babies life. But no, we are not together, it's hard to explain."
"But I thought you were mad at him?"
"I was, I mean, I was broken hearted, but after I found out I was pregnant, we talked a lot. Things got worked out."
"Do you still love him?"
"What?"
"Do you still have feelings for him?"
"Why would you ask that?"
"Well why did you sleep with him?"
"I don't know, I mean, it was kind of a mistake. I told you, I only meant to comfort him."
Maggie fell silent.
"Mom, please, don't talk about this to Carter though, he is still touchy about these things."
"I am not stupid Abby, I know."
Things got silent then, akwardly silent.
"How is Eric?"
"He's okay. I saw him in November for thanksgiving. He is still on his meds, he seems to be doing fun. He has a girlfriend."
"Really?"
"Her name is Kelly."
"Great......"
"He said he meant to call you."
"It's okay. I don't expect him to."
"Abby......"
"He will call when he is ready. How have you been doing?"
"Fine, I am having fun at my job."
"Thats good."
Abby pulled up to the house and parked the car.
"Nice house."
"I like it."
"Merry Christmas Maggie." Carter called from the front porch. He was standing outside, rubbing his hands together to keep from freezing. Abby was shocked at how much the temperature seemed to drop since she had picked Maggie up.
"I think it is going to snow again." Abby said as she and Maggie climbed the steps to the house.
Abby was welcomed by the smell of turkey and stuffing as she entered the house.
"Carter, that better be done soon, I am dying. These cravings are killing me."
"It still needs another 4 hours."
"Oh you are awful."
Abby and Maggie made their way up the first flight of stairs to the guest bedroom, which was right across from the nursery.
"We still need to paint the room," Abby explained as Maggie pushed open the door.
"Oh Abby, it's is beautiful."
"Thanks."
Abby walked over to the crib. They still hadn't gotten any linens for the bed. Abby ran her hand over the wood work and smiled. Maggie walked up next to her and placed her hand on Abby's.
"You look happy Abby. Happier than I have seen you in a very long time."
Maggie said looking into her daughter's eyes.
"I am mom, I am really happy." Abby smiled. She was perfectly happy, almost. One things still bothered her, did she still love Carter. No one had asked her like that before, she didn't know. Maybe she did, or was it just the pregnancy? She didn't know.