The tears on Abby's face said it all to Susan when her friend finally
opened the door. "Thought you were going out for dinner." Susan inquired
as she looked around the apartment. She had never seen Abby's place like
this before. It was in a complete mess. Abby was such a tidy person, it
was hard to see her place like this. Clothes lay all over the place.
Dirty dishes piled high in the sink. There was a horrible smell
surrounding the apartment but Susan couldn't quite put her finger on what
it was.
Abby took a deep breath. "I lied." She finally admitted it. "I've been lying to you all for months."
Susan sat down beside her friend. "What do you mean?"
Abby shook her head, unsure of whether she could carry on with her story. She took another deep breath and prepared her speech before actually saying it. "Ever since he's been gone, I've been lying to you all at work. I tell you I'm going out at night or that I'm busy doing things, when really I'm not. I come home from work and sit down and eventually fall asleep in front of the television. I wake up in the morning, come to work and start it all over again. Susan, I'm falling apart. I can't do it any more I need to talk to someone."
"Abby, you've been so strong since he left. You've been a tower of strength at work." Susan was shocked by what she was being told. Abby was the strong one in the hospital. Even when he left she still showed up to work everyday. She worked hard always had a smile on her face and chatted away. How had she not noticed it?
"I guess I'm a good actor. Susan, it's all been a front. I may smile all day but inside I'm yelling for someone to help me." Her tears are flowing fast. "I've been a mess since he left. I think I have had some sort of breakdown." Her hand immediately went to her stomach. "This little one inside of me is the only thing that has kept me going. But now, he's been found."
"What do you mean?" Susan stopped her mid sentence.
"Eleanor called me tonight. He's been found in Africa. He's being brought back tomorrow and she's coming to pick me up to go and get him. Susan, she doesn't know I'm pregnant. He's not going to want to see me."
"You don't know that?" Susan placed a protective arm around her friend.
"He left without telling me, hasn't contacted me in four months, I doubt he is going to want to see me."
"Listen, why don't you go and lie in the bath, I'll clean up in here for you and then you can call Eleanor back and tell her about the baby. She'll be fine about it. It's a Carter heir no less."
"Thanks Sus, you are such a good friend. Thanks for understanding and listening to me. I don't' if I'll ever be able to thank you enough. But I have one favour to ask. Please don't tell anyone at the hospital what I told you tonight."
"No bother, you just go and have that bath."
Lying in the bath, Abby tried to picture the following morning. The love of her life was coming back after disappearing four months ago. She was pregnant with his child, how would he take it? How would his family take it? She ran her hand down the small bump that housed her child. For so long she hadn't wanted children, had even aborted one but when she found out she was pregnant with John's child she couldn't have been happier. She knew that she would love the child more than she had loved anything in the world. She hoped it's father could do the same.
The following morning as she had said, Eleanor Carter showed up at Abby's apartment to pick her up. She had been great on the phone the night previous. Abby had been terrified to tell her about the baby but when she did, Eleanor understood completely why she hadn't said anything.
"Abby, you look nice this morning." Eleanor commented as Abby let her into the apartment. Susan had done such a good job at cleaning last night, Abby hardly recognised her own apartment. Waking this morning she wasn't sure how she felt. She had taken care getting dressed, she was after all going with Eleanor, who was always the epitome of sophistication.
"Thank you Eleanor, if you could just give me a second." Abby retreated back into her bedroom. She sat on the edge of the bed. Her hands were shaking, a lump forming in her throat. She had wished for this day for so long but now it was here, she was scared. She hadn't felt this scared in such a long time. What would she do if he rejected her, what would she do if he wanted her back. He had hurt her so much, she wasn't sure if she could go through it all again.
In the living room Eleanor scanned her suroundings. She had never been to Abby's apartment before but could now understand why John had loved the woman for a longtime. Her apartment had such a homely feel to it, nothing like the mansion had ever been. Nothing like any of their homes had ever been. She hoped her son could see the error's of his ways and come back to Abby, after all she was carrying his child.
Arriving at the airport, they were driven to a place Abby had never seen before. It was a private landing strip. They both sat in the car until Eleanor cried out. "Their here."
Abby hadn't been watching the sky but when Eleanor had grabbed her arm she glanced up to see a small white aircraft was indeed landing in front of them. Eleanor jumped from the car desperate to see her son. Abby hung back. She slowly climbed from the car as the door to the plane opened. Jack Carter stepped down from the plane first, followed by a woman Abby didn't recognise. John then appeared. He looked thin and beaten. Abby's breath caught in her throat as she saw him take the woman's hand into his own. Then she heard the word, "Fiancee", when she heard it she turned and ran. She didn't know where she was heading but she would find her own way home.
"Hi mom, how are you?" John embraced his mother. She looked well, on the verge of tears even.
"I'm well. What about you?"
"I'll live. Mom, I'd like to introduce you to Lily Carmichael. My fiancee." The young woman extended her hand to Mrs Carter.
Eleanor gasped. She really hadn't expected to hear that. Especially as she had brought Abby. Abby, where was she? Eleanor turned to see no-one behind her. She scanned the area around but couldn't see her. "mom, who are you looking for?"
"Abby was here John. She had come to see you."
"Why we split up ages ago?"
Eleanor pulled her son over to one side. "John she's pregnant with your child." John looked at his mother and laughed. "She may be pregnant but I can guarantee it's not mine. I've haven't been with her for months."
"John, she's almost six months pregnant. She loves you and you come home and announce your engaged. No wonder she's ran off."
"Don't worry about her, she'll be fine the way she always is." John retorted as he climbed into the car with Lily.
Abby took a deep breath. "I lied." She finally admitted it. "I've been lying to you all for months."
Susan sat down beside her friend. "What do you mean?"
Abby shook her head, unsure of whether she could carry on with her story. She took another deep breath and prepared her speech before actually saying it. "Ever since he's been gone, I've been lying to you all at work. I tell you I'm going out at night or that I'm busy doing things, when really I'm not. I come home from work and sit down and eventually fall asleep in front of the television. I wake up in the morning, come to work and start it all over again. Susan, I'm falling apart. I can't do it any more I need to talk to someone."
"Abby, you've been so strong since he left. You've been a tower of strength at work." Susan was shocked by what she was being told. Abby was the strong one in the hospital. Even when he left she still showed up to work everyday. She worked hard always had a smile on her face and chatted away. How had she not noticed it?
"I guess I'm a good actor. Susan, it's all been a front. I may smile all day but inside I'm yelling for someone to help me." Her tears are flowing fast. "I've been a mess since he left. I think I have had some sort of breakdown." Her hand immediately went to her stomach. "This little one inside of me is the only thing that has kept me going. But now, he's been found."
"What do you mean?" Susan stopped her mid sentence.
"Eleanor called me tonight. He's been found in Africa. He's being brought back tomorrow and she's coming to pick me up to go and get him. Susan, she doesn't know I'm pregnant. He's not going to want to see me."
"You don't know that?" Susan placed a protective arm around her friend.
"He left without telling me, hasn't contacted me in four months, I doubt he is going to want to see me."
"Listen, why don't you go and lie in the bath, I'll clean up in here for you and then you can call Eleanor back and tell her about the baby. She'll be fine about it. It's a Carter heir no less."
"Thanks Sus, you are such a good friend. Thanks for understanding and listening to me. I don't' if I'll ever be able to thank you enough. But I have one favour to ask. Please don't tell anyone at the hospital what I told you tonight."
"No bother, you just go and have that bath."
Lying in the bath, Abby tried to picture the following morning. The love of her life was coming back after disappearing four months ago. She was pregnant with his child, how would he take it? How would his family take it? She ran her hand down the small bump that housed her child. For so long she hadn't wanted children, had even aborted one but when she found out she was pregnant with John's child she couldn't have been happier. She knew that she would love the child more than she had loved anything in the world. She hoped it's father could do the same.
The following morning as she had said, Eleanor Carter showed up at Abby's apartment to pick her up. She had been great on the phone the night previous. Abby had been terrified to tell her about the baby but when she did, Eleanor understood completely why she hadn't said anything.
"Abby, you look nice this morning." Eleanor commented as Abby let her into the apartment. Susan had done such a good job at cleaning last night, Abby hardly recognised her own apartment. Waking this morning she wasn't sure how she felt. She had taken care getting dressed, she was after all going with Eleanor, who was always the epitome of sophistication.
"Thank you Eleanor, if you could just give me a second." Abby retreated back into her bedroom. She sat on the edge of the bed. Her hands were shaking, a lump forming in her throat. She had wished for this day for so long but now it was here, she was scared. She hadn't felt this scared in such a long time. What would she do if he rejected her, what would she do if he wanted her back. He had hurt her so much, she wasn't sure if she could go through it all again.
In the living room Eleanor scanned her suroundings. She had never been to Abby's apartment before but could now understand why John had loved the woman for a longtime. Her apartment had such a homely feel to it, nothing like the mansion had ever been. Nothing like any of their homes had ever been. She hoped her son could see the error's of his ways and come back to Abby, after all she was carrying his child.
Arriving at the airport, they were driven to a place Abby had never seen before. It was a private landing strip. They both sat in the car until Eleanor cried out. "Their here."
Abby hadn't been watching the sky but when Eleanor had grabbed her arm she glanced up to see a small white aircraft was indeed landing in front of them. Eleanor jumped from the car desperate to see her son. Abby hung back. She slowly climbed from the car as the door to the plane opened. Jack Carter stepped down from the plane first, followed by a woman Abby didn't recognise. John then appeared. He looked thin and beaten. Abby's breath caught in her throat as she saw him take the woman's hand into his own. Then she heard the word, "Fiancee", when she heard it she turned and ran. She didn't know where she was heading but she would find her own way home.
"Hi mom, how are you?" John embraced his mother. She looked well, on the verge of tears even.
"I'm well. What about you?"
"I'll live. Mom, I'd like to introduce you to Lily Carmichael. My fiancee." The young woman extended her hand to Mrs Carter.
Eleanor gasped. She really hadn't expected to hear that. Especially as she had brought Abby. Abby, where was she? Eleanor turned to see no-one behind her. She scanned the area around but couldn't see her. "mom, who are you looking for?"
"Abby was here John. She had come to see you."
"Why we split up ages ago?"
Eleanor pulled her son over to one side. "John she's pregnant with your child." John looked at his mother and laughed. "She may be pregnant but I can guarantee it's not mine. I've haven't been with her for months."
"John, she's almost six months pregnant. She loves you and you come home and announce your engaged. No wonder she's ran off."
"Don't worry about her, she'll be fine the way she always is." John retorted as he climbed into the car with Lily.