"Get up! Get up, Abigail Cohen!" Kiersten screamed. She was in trouble; her mother had used her full name. She groggily sat up and looked out the window. It was still early morning. "Have you been drinking again? GET UP! Are you mad, talk to me!!?" Her mother was flailing her arms about in exasperation like nothing Abby had ever seen her do before. She was holding the Harvard letter.
"What's wrong mom?" She rubbed her eyes in attempt to look cute and innocent.
"You know very well what is wrong." She held up the letter. Abby now noticed her father standing near her bed too. "I called them this morning, apologized profusely for my temporarily mentally insane daughter and begged them to put you on the standby list. I can't believe you'd say no to Harvard. Explain yourself!" Kiersten finally stood still.
"I don't want to go to college. It'll just put me on a straight path to being as boring as you are. I wanna see the world, experience life and love, not be stifled by college work and then sit behind a desk for forty five years, coming home just to yell at my kids and then die of a heart attack at age 65." She was awake now and even though this wasn't how she wanted to explain this to them, she was into it now.
"That is simply not acceptable. Not even an option. Gallivanting about like Hailey will not be your future, you ARE going!" Kiersten said it, and she meant it.
Abby thrust herself bolt out of bed. "You know what? FUCK YOU!" She picked up her purse, grabbed a hoodie and ran as fast as she could out of her house.
Kiersten looked at Sandy, stunned by her daughters' behavior. Sandy wrapped his arm around her but she fidgeted away as she began to sob.
"My parents are being totally unfair!" Abby burst into David's room. He was mostly dressed thankfully.
"Well, hello to you too. Calm down. What's going on?" He took her and sat her down on his bed, stroking her hair and planting a gentle almost foreign kiss softly on her lips. She began to tell the whole story; everything about Harvard, her dreams for traveling and how Kiersten had overreacted. Soon he stopped her.
"Wait, are you telling me you're turning down Harvard?"
"Yes." Abby sniffled a little.
"Harvard wants YOU, and you can afford to pay for it. It would be a spectacular experience and you want to travel the world? You'll excuse me if I find that a little stupid!" She got up and walked across the room.
"David! You're supposed to support me, that's what boyfriends do, remember? If its money you're worried about, if that's all you care about me for, how about I write you a check? How much do you want, $50 or $100,000? Here have it all!" She was enraged. She dug through her purse and threw her checkbook at him.
Running out of the Ascher house, she ran to the only place she could think of to go where no one would find her.
"Sandy." Ryan threw open the door, quickly followed by Anna. Sandy appeared, a little disheveled. "What's so urgent? I came when I got the message." Sandy sat them down and began to explain the events of the morning. When he finished Ryan sat there for a moment collecting his thoughts. Finally he looked at Sandy and replied, "Let me talk to her." He grabbed Anna's hand and motioned them to leave.
"You know what she is, Ryan?" Sandy was surprised.
"I have a pretty good idea."
"I love this song." She bounced like a giddy schoolgirl, head banging to the almost metal-pop song. Seth watched her. Somehow she managed to be attractive to him even with all that makeup and the depressed mood crap she was in to. He didn't get it but she shone through it. What he knew to be her true personality was easy to see through it all.
"Michaela, hold on a sec." He pressed the power button on the stereo. "Can I ask you a question?" She nodded, smoothing down a piece of hair.
"Well, it's just that I was wondering since recent events, I've been thinking about me and you, well US really and---well, blast it all! To sum it up really, would you like to go somewhere, sometime? I mean you and me, as in on a---a date?"
Ryan pulled up to the brand new home and parked his car.
"Give me a few minutes An, and then come in. I have a feeling she'll want to talk to you too." Anna nodded. He walked up the freshly poured driveway and past a sign that read:
Spacious 6 bedroom, 3 bath for sale. Showings: Monday - Friday at 2 and 3 pm.
Designed by The Newport Group
Once inside he had to figure out where she was. He checked the living room, the dining room, the spa area and then the bedrooms. Upon entering the 3rd bedroom, he noticed a small figure sitting in the corner of the bare room. She looked cold and sad. Wearing her pajamas still with a zip up sweater over them, she was crying and did not notice Ryan come in.
"Abs, what's going on?" His voice was gentle and soothing compared to the harshness of Kiersten's.
"What are you---doing here?" She said between sniffles. He sat down next to her on the hard floor.
"I came to see you. Dad told me about everything and I knew I had to talk to you."
"You aren't gonna try and convince me to go are you?" Her voice had an edge to it.
"No, not right now." He scooted closer to her.
"How did you know I was here?" She sat up straighter now.
"I did the same thing. Seth brought me to a model home when I first moved in. I was here only a night before they realized where I was. You're a bright girl, Abby. I just had a feeling that you'd come here. We think a lot alike, you know?" He wiped a tear that rolled down her cheek.
"Everything is getting to me. And Mom is being a total freak. One minute she's happy and the next minute she's biting my head off." Abby hugged her knees.
"I know. I haven't been home much since I got engaged, but I've been at work with her and trust me---she's the same way there. She completely ravaged my last model design and I haven't had a chance to show her my new one, but I'm hoping it's better for her because she's actually scary."
"I know. Ryan, I miss you being around. I miss Seth and all the fun stuff we used to do together and if I go off to college, it'll just put me farther away from you." She looked down at your feet.
"Blood relative or not, you, Abby Cohen are my sister. Just because you go away to college, doesn't mean I won't ever see you again. Come on. You're the coolest girl I know, like I'd let you go?" She looked up and his face softened her heart. She began to cry again and scooted next to him as his arms enveloped her.
"Thanks, I love you too." She rested her head on his broad, firm shoulder. He stroked her hair and held her there.
"I hate to interrupt. But can I talk to Abby?" Anna stood at the doorway to the bedroom. The two parted and Ryan squeezed her hand, leaving them alone.
"What's going on Abby? Why are you throwing away all your chances? I don't want to tell you want to do, but you could be so successful if you went to Harvard. Plus I'm sure you'd have fun." Anna seemed more serious then usual, but not forceful in her approach.
"Why should I go? It'll just keep me farther away from everyone. You were successful without college, I can be too." She wiped her eyes, mascara running.
"Abigail, you know we are two different people. I haven't really made it yet either, there are so many questions that I don't have answers for." Anna commiserated with her. "I really think it would be to your advantage to do everything you can to be accepted again by Harvard. It'll take hard work, but you have potential. You never know what awaits you there." Anna smiled, hoping her pep talk would work.
"I know, but it's so far away, so different. I'm just afraid of what could happen while I'm gone. But I guess you're right. Maybe I am being selfish. It would be cool, I mean its Harvard after all and they want ME. I think I'll give it a try." She smiled just a little bit.
"And Abs, just between you and me, those Harvard guys are pretty hot. But don't tell Ryan I said that." Anna giggled a little.
"Thanks Anna." She leaned forward and hugged her.
"Now come on, let's go." Anna stood up and offered her hand to Abby. She took it and they headed back to the car. Abby hopped in the back and Ryan glanced back it her in the rear view mirror as he backed out. She smiled. When they were back on the road he put his hand on top of Anna's. She took it and he squeezed. She was such a wonderful girl, he was glad to be engaged to a great woman. She knew he was appreciative of what she had done, and that was all she needed. She cared about Abby like her own sister anyway but the fact that Ryan appreciated it was an added bonus.
"I don't know what it is, I've been having these terrible mood swings and I've been really, really harsh to my kids and my coworkers. I can't explain it. I try to eat right and exercise, am I going through menopause?"
The doctor sat down with his chart, looking it over.
"Kiersten, I don't know how to tell you this but you're pregnant." The doctor looked straight at her.
Abby sat on her bed that night writing a letter to the dean of students at Harvard, apologizing for declining and asking to please do everything he could to help her get in because she really wanted to go.
The phone rang once, twice, three times. Nobody answered it. No one else was home, Kiersten was out, Sandy was on a business dinner and well that was pretty much it. She reached over to her nightstand and picked up her cordless.
"Hello, Cohen's." She answered.
"Abs?"
"Seth?" Excitement filled her voice.
"Yeah, yeah. How are you?" She could hear him smile on the other end of the line.
"Good, it's great to talk to you for the first time in forever." She smiled too putting down her pen. "So, what's going on?" She asked.
"I have great news."