After a simple but elegant dinner, Carter, Eleanor, Jack, and Gamma settled into the study. Jack sipped a scotch on the rocks as Eleanor held Eve somewhat stiffly on her lap. She was a bit out of practice-- it had been too many years since she had the delight of cradling a baby in her lap. Carter glanced around the room, bracing himself for the conversation that was at hand. Gamma interrupted his train of thought.
"What's on your mind, John? You've been fidgeting ever since you got here," she said. His parents looked at him anxiously.
"Well, I have some exciting news. Abby and I are getting married." Carter glanced at his family's faces, but they were for the most part devoid of expression.
"We figured as much, since you've had a child together. We assumed it would happen sooner or later," Jack offered mildly. "This is good news...I'm glad to hear of it." Carter smiled his appreciation.
"When will the wedding take place?" Eleanor asked. Carter's heart skipped a beat. It was now or never.
"Anytime now, actually. We just need to make an appointment at city hall, and then it's just a matter of a quick ceremony done by a judge. We'd love to have you all there, so if you just give me an idea of what your schedules are like for next month..." Carter trailed off. The atmosphere in the study was frigid. It was almost tangible, as if the room had gotten about ten degrees colder. Eleanor was the first to break an uncomfortable silence.
"This is unacceptable, John," she said in clipped syllables. "Unacceptable."
"Mom..." Carter began. Eleanor cut him off quickly.
"No. You have already embarrassed this family enough by having a child out of wedlock. I will not tolerate you having a wedding at city hall. I support you and Abby getting married, but you need to have enough respect for this family to at least have a small wedding at the church." Eleanor stared at him stonily. Carter looked over to his grandmother, beseeching her with his eyes to stand up for him, but she shifted uncomfortably in her chair and wouldn't meet his gaze.
"John, I have to agree with your mother," Gamma said. "A city hall marriage just...just won't look right. It almost seems...secretive. You owe Abby a real wedding, a chance to introduce her to your relatives, our family friends..."
"Gamma, that's not what Abby wants. We don't have the time or energy to deal with wedding plans. We just want to keep it simple, that's all. We're not trying to sneak off and elope or anything. We want you there, and her mom and brother, and maybe a couple of friends from work. But we just don't want..."
"Nonsense, John," Gamma interrupted. "A traditional wedding doesn't have to be complicated. You hire someone to do all of the worrying over the details. You and Abby would just have to show up." Jack, having remained silent throughout the conversation except for the clinking of ice in his glass, decided to chime in.
"Look at it from a business standpoint, John. You know a Carter wedding will make the papers–there's no getting around it. It would look a lot better if it was done in a church instead of a civil ceremony. Plus, it's been a while since we've hosted a family event, and our business associates always appreciate an invitation to that sort of thing." Carter groaned. He had always hated that part of being a Carter– the part that called for hosting showy, elaborate parties and making nice with phony businessmen and politicians. But at the same time, he felt a pang of sympathy for his family. Carter family news was fair game for the Chicago social circles, and he was certain that there had been some buzz about his out-of-wedlock daughter
"I'll talk to Abby about it," Carter relented. "But I don't think I can convince her."
"You have to make her see how important this is to us. You really need to be more responsible about protecting this family's reputation, John," Eleanor said icily. Carter glared at her and quickly took Eve from her lap. He had taken enough of her criticism for one night.
"Eve is getting tired. We need to go. Thank you for dinner, Gamma," he said hurriedly, gathering Eve's belongings. Gamma ushered him to the door and kissed Eve goodbye.
"Your mother is being too hard on you, but please, John...talk to Abby about the wedding." Carter assured her that he would and headed for home.
*****
Carter arrived at home to find Abby sprawled on the couch, watching TV and flipping through a magazine at the same time. He kissed the top of her head and let her cuddle Eve for a moment before putting the sleepy baby into her crib. He then took yet another deep breath and braced himself for another heated conversation.
"Abby, we need to talk about the wedding," he began. Abby's eyebrows immediately shot up.
"What about it?" she asked, caution in her voice. "What did your family say?"
"They're thrilled that we're getting married. They couldn't be happier for us," Carter said, figuring that it wouldn't hurt to stretch the truth a little bit.
"But..." Abby prompted. Carter sighed.
"But they don't want us getting married at city hall. They think it would be sort of an embarrassment to the family, and they want us to have a more traditional wedding, and..." Abby jumped in immediately.
"Oh, come on," she groaned. "There's no reason that we need to make a big fuss over this. We're not virginal little 18-year-olds embarking on a new life together. We already have a child together, for God's sake. We don't need a bunch of ceremony, we just need to make it official." Carter flinched. Abby's words stung him a bit. He wished that she could be a little more sentimental about their marriage. It was more than just a technicality that would turn her from Miss Lockhart to Mrs. Carter. Yes, their lives had intertwined when Abby had become pregnant with Eve, but their marriage would be, to him at least, an affirmation of their commitment to each other and their daughter. And the idea of his Abby walking down the aisle toward him in a white dress was enchanting.
"Abby, if you could just go through with it, it would mean so much to my family," Carter pleaded and reached for her hand. "Besides, I think we deserve a special day." Abby rolled her eyes.
"I don't know, John. It's just not my thing, you know? I'm not into tradition, being the center of attention...you know me. Low key. I..." Abby trailed off as she noticed that Carter was no longer listening, but instead looking around and sniffing the air.
"What?" she asked nervously.
"Something smells like...smoke in here," he said and looked at her suspiciously.
"Oh, I...uh...I burned some popcorn earlier tonight," she said, trying her best for a nonchalant tone of voice. Carter seemed to accept that answer, and he hoisted himself from the sofa to make his way into the bedroom to get ready for bed. Abby followed after him.
"You know, I got the impression from my family that they don't necessarily want to give us a huge, lavish wedding," Carter said, squeezing some toothpaste onto his toothbrush. "It's just a matter of having something to invite the family to, and some of the people from the foundation."
"Sounds like fun," Abby said sarcastically, leaning against the doorframe. "A bunch of stiff businessmen. I wonder what they'd think of Maggie?"
"Your mom would be fine," Carter answered around a mouthful of toothpaste. "You know, she'd probably appreciate a real wedding. You know she'd love to help you pick out a dress..." Carter leaned down to rinse his mouth in the sink, and as he did, something caught his eye. He wiped his mouth and walked over to the toilet, looking down into it.
"What the hell is this, Abby?" he asked.
"A toilet," she answered smartly.
"And why is there a cigarette butt floating in it?" Carter asked. Shit, Abby immediately thought to herself. She had been caught. She had forgotten to flush the toilet after throwing in the cigarette.
"John, I'm sorry," she said, a slight blush creeping onto her cheeks. "I found a pack in my coat pocket, and I haven't had one in so long. It won't happen again." Carter sighed, flushed the toilet, and brushed past her into their bedroom. He pulled off his clothes and got into his pajamas, and then crawled into bed and pulled the covers over his head. He was incredibly irritated with his wife-to-be. She had no right to smoke when she was still nursing their daughter. And he was absolutely finished arguing for the night.
"John, I said I was sorry," Abby persisted. "I know it was stupid." The only answer she got was Carter pulling the covers even more tightly around himself.
"Come on, talk to me. It was a momentary lapse in judgement. I threw the rest of the pack out." Carter remained silent.
"Come on, John. I'll do whatever you want. I'll do all the dishes for a month. I'll take the trash out..."
"You'll do anything to make it up to me?" Carter asked suddenly, a small smile spreading across his face.
"You name it," Abby answered.
"One word: wedding," Carter replied.
"Except that," Abby snapped.
"That's all I want from you, Abby. Gamma will get someone to plan it all, you just need to show up. No dishes, no trash, not even laundry. I just want the wedding." Abby sighed a deep, gusty sigh. Carter's smile grew bigger. Catching her with that cigarette had provided him with some valuable leverage. Guilt is a powerful motivator, he thought.
"Fine, I'll do it. But it cannot be a big ordeal. Small is the operative word here." Carter kissed Abby's cheek, and then planted another kiss on her pouting lips.
"Thank you. And Gamma and Mom thank you, too" he told her, and then settled into his pillow with a sigh of satisfaction.
*******
Thanks again for reading and reviewing. I hope this story is giving all the Carbies out there a reason to smile...it's been a rough season for us! Your reviews are very welcome and appreciated!
"What's on your mind, John? You've been fidgeting ever since you got here," she said. His parents looked at him anxiously.
"Well, I have some exciting news. Abby and I are getting married." Carter glanced at his family's faces, but they were for the most part devoid of expression.
"We figured as much, since you've had a child together. We assumed it would happen sooner or later," Jack offered mildly. "This is good news...I'm glad to hear of it." Carter smiled his appreciation.
"When will the wedding take place?" Eleanor asked. Carter's heart skipped a beat. It was now or never.
"Anytime now, actually. We just need to make an appointment at city hall, and then it's just a matter of a quick ceremony done by a judge. We'd love to have you all there, so if you just give me an idea of what your schedules are like for next month..." Carter trailed off. The atmosphere in the study was frigid. It was almost tangible, as if the room had gotten about ten degrees colder. Eleanor was the first to break an uncomfortable silence.
"This is unacceptable, John," she said in clipped syllables. "Unacceptable."
"Mom..." Carter began. Eleanor cut him off quickly.
"No. You have already embarrassed this family enough by having a child out of wedlock. I will not tolerate you having a wedding at city hall. I support you and Abby getting married, but you need to have enough respect for this family to at least have a small wedding at the church." Eleanor stared at him stonily. Carter looked over to his grandmother, beseeching her with his eyes to stand up for him, but she shifted uncomfortably in her chair and wouldn't meet his gaze.
"John, I have to agree with your mother," Gamma said. "A city hall marriage just...just won't look right. It almost seems...secretive. You owe Abby a real wedding, a chance to introduce her to your relatives, our family friends..."
"Gamma, that's not what Abby wants. We don't have the time or energy to deal with wedding plans. We just want to keep it simple, that's all. We're not trying to sneak off and elope or anything. We want you there, and her mom and brother, and maybe a couple of friends from work. But we just don't want..."
"Nonsense, John," Gamma interrupted. "A traditional wedding doesn't have to be complicated. You hire someone to do all of the worrying over the details. You and Abby would just have to show up." Jack, having remained silent throughout the conversation except for the clinking of ice in his glass, decided to chime in.
"Look at it from a business standpoint, John. You know a Carter wedding will make the papers–there's no getting around it. It would look a lot better if it was done in a church instead of a civil ceremony. Plus, it's been a while since we've hosted a family event, and our business associates always appreciate an invitation to that sort of thing." Carter groaned. He had always hated that part of being a Carter– the part that called for hosting showy, elaborate parties and making nice with phony businessmen and politicians. But at the same time, he felt a pang of sympathy for his family. Carter family news was fair game for the Chicago social circles, and he was certain that there had been some buzz about his out-of-wedlock daughter
"I'll talk to Abby about it," Carter relented. "But I don't think I can convince her."
"You have to make her see how important this is to us. You really need to be more responsible about protecting this family's reputation, John," Eleanor said icily. Carter glared at her and quickly took Eve from her lap. He had taken enough of her criticism for one night.
"Eve is getting tired. We need to go. Thank you for dinner, Gamma," he said hurriedly, gathering Eve's belongings. Gamma ushered him to the door and kissed Eve goodbye.
"Your mother is being too hard on you, but please, John...talk to Abby about the wedding." Carter assured her that he would and headed for home.
*****
Carter arrived at home to find Abby sprawled on the couch, watching TV and flipping through a magazine at the same time. He kissed the top of her head and let her cuddle Eve for a moment before putting the sleepy baby into her crib. He then took yet another deep breath and braced himself for another heated conversation.
"Abby, we need to talk about the wedding," he began. Abby's eyebrows immediately shot up.
"What about it?" she asked, caution in her voice. "What did your family say?"
"They're thrilled that we're getting married. They couldn't be happier for us," Carter said, figuring that it wouldn't hurt to stretch the truth a little bit.
"But..." Abby prompted. Carter sighed.
"But they don't want us getting married at city hall. They think it would be sort of an embarrassment to the family, and they want us to have a more traditional wedding, and..." Abby jumped in immediately.
"Oh, come on," she groaned. "There's no reason that we need to make a big fuss over this. We're not virginal little 18-year-olds embarking on a new life together. We already have a child together, for God's sake. We don't need a bunch of ceremony, we just need to make it official." Carter flinched. Abby's words stung him a bit. He wished that she could be a little more sentimental about their marriage. It was more than just a technicality that would turn her from Miss Lockhart to Mrs. Carter. Yes, their lives had intertwined when Abby had become pregnant with Eve, but their marriage would be, to him at least, an affirmation of their commitment to each other and their daughter. And the idea of his Abby walking down the aisle toward him in a white dress was enchanting.
"Abby, if you could just go through with it, it would mean so much to my family," Carter pleaded and reached for her hand. "Besides, I think we deserve a special day." Abby rolled her eyes.
"I don't know, John. It's just not my thing, you know? I'm not into tradition, being the center of attention...you know me. Low key. I..." Abby trailed off as she noticed that Carter was no longer listening, but instead looking around and sniffing the air.
"What?" she asked nervously.
"Something smells like...smoke in here," he said and looked at her suspiciously.
"Oh, I...uh...I burned some popcorn earlier tonight," she said, trying her best for a nonchalant tone of voice. Carter seemed to accept that answer, and he hoisted himself from the sofa to make his way into the bedroom to get ready for bed. Abby followed after him.
"You know, I got the impression from my family that they don't necessarily want to give us a huge, lavish wedding," Carter said, squeezing some toothpaste onto his toothbrush. "It's just a matter of having something to invite the family to, and some of the people from the foundation."
"Sounds like fun," Abby said sarcastically, leaning against the doorframe. "A bunch of stiff businessmen. I wonder what they'd think of Maggie?"
"Your mom would be fine," Carter answered around a mouthful of toothpaste. "You know, she'd probably appreciate a real wedding. You know she'd love to help you pick out a dress..." Carter leaned down to rinse his mouth in the sink, and as he did, something caught his eye. He wiped his mouth and walked over to the toilet, looking down into it.
"What the hell is this, Abby?" he asked.
"A toilet," she answered smartly.
"And why is there a cigarette butt floating in it?" Carter asked. Shit, Abby immediately thought to herself. She had been caught. She had forgotten to flush the toilet after throwing in the cigarette.
"John, I'm sorry," she said, a slight blush creeping onto her cheeks. "I found a pack in my coat pocket, and I haven't had one in so long. It won't happen again." Carter sighed, flushed the toilet, and brushed past her into their bedroom. He pulled off his clothes and got into his pajamas, and then crawled into bed and pulled the covers over his head. He was incredibly irritated with his wife-to-be. She had no right to smoke when she was still nursing their daughter. And he was absolutely finished arguing for the night.
"John, I said I was sorry," Abby persisted. "I know it was stupid." The only answer she got was Carter pulling the covers even more tightly around himself.
"Come on, talk to me. It was a momentary lapse in judgement. I threw the rest of the pack out." Carter remained silent.
"Come on, John. I'll do whatever you want. I'll do all the dishes for a month. I'll take the trash out..."
"You'll do anything to make it up to me?" Carter asked suddenly, a small smile spreading across his face.
"You name it," Abby answered.
"One word: wedding," Carter replied.
"Except that," Abby snapped.
"That's all I want from you, Abby. Gamma will get someone to plan it all, you just need to show up. No dishes, no trash, not even laundry. I just want the wedding." Abby sighed a deep, gusty sigh. Carter's smile grew bigger. Catching her with that cigarette had provided him with some valuable leverage. Guilt is a powerful motivator, he thought.
"Fine, I'll do it. But it cannot be a big ordeal. Small is the operative word here." Carter kissed Abby's cheek, and then planted another kiss on her pouting lips.
"Thank you. And Gamma and Mom thank you, too" he told her, and then settled into his pillow with a sigh of satisfaction.
*******
Thanks again for reading and reviewing. I hope this story is giving all the Carbies out there a reason to smile...it's been a rough season for us! Your reviews are very welcome and appreciated!