A/N: Thanks a lot for all your wonderful reviews. They really make my day. Hope you like this chapter.
Second Chance
Chapter 3 - Reasons
Jordan and I have been talking here in this restaurant for the last two hours. She's told me all about how she found me and how her parents got killed. She was with them at the time and only survived by a miracle. While her dad died almost instantly and her mom was badly injured, all she got out of it was a broken leg.
I was starting to wonder if she was going to ask me about the adoption when she finally popped the question I was dreading.
"Abby?" she says.
"Yeah?
"Can I ask you something?" she asks shyly.
"Sure." I say with a smile.
"Why did u give me up for adoption?" she looks down at her plate as she asks that.
I sigh and take her hand in mine. "I was too young. Your father knocked me up and left. I had a really screwed up family. I couldn't raise you on my own. I was only 16. It wouldn't have been fair to u. You deserved to grow up in safe, stable environment with a loving family and I couldn't give you that." I say and she looks up at me. "So I thought it would be best for you to be raised by two people who would love you and provide to you everything that you needed. And your parents seemed to be really good people." She smiles.
"They were the best." She says.
"They were so nice to me at the time." I say remembering the day she was born. "I'm sorry I couldn't be a mom to you. There wasn't a day since the say you were born that I didn't think about you. I've always loved you. And now you're here, all grown up…"
I feel the tears gathering in my eyes again. Jordan gets up and comes to my side hugging me. I hug her back feeling for the first time what it's like to be hugged by my little girl.
"Well," she whispers in my ear. "for what it's worth, I still need a mom now." And that's it for me. After she says that my tears run freely down my cheeks and I fight hard not to sob. I can't believe this is happening.
"Thank you." I tell her smiling through my tears. She smiles. "Where are you staying?
"At a hotel a few blocks from here. It's a nice place." She says.
"Why don't you stay with me?" I ask. I want to spend as much time as I can with her.
"I don't want to bother you or anything." She says shyly again.
"Come on. I have a spare bedroom, I have food and it's all for free." I say grinning. She looks at me thinking. "Come on, Jordan, we have eighteen years of catching up to do." I wink at her and she grins at me.
"Alright, let's go." She says.
"Wow, you got a really nice, Abby." I say when we enter Abby's apartment. She smiles.
"Thanks. Make yourself at home." She says taking off her shoes and throwing her purse and keys on a table near by.
"Uh, where should I put these?" I say motioning to my bags that we stopped by the hotel to get. She stops and turns around.
"Oh. Well, c'mon I'll show you to your room." She says picking up one of my bags and leading me through the apartment.
It really is a nice place Abby's got. Not too big, not too small. I still can't believe how everything's going. I have to admit I thought she wouldn't even want to see me, let alone invite me to stay with her. I'm really happy I found her. And she seems to be so nice. I hope everything turns out well. And it's not like I'm going to stay for a long time anyway. I got accepted in Northwestern. Pre med. Classes start soon and I'm really looking forward to it.
"Here it is." She says pushing the door open. "I know it's not much but…"
"It's great." I say putting an arm around her shoulders.
"Well, if you want to take a shower or something, the bathroom is down the hall to the left and if you need anything at all my room is just across the hall." I nod. "I'll let you settled in then. I'll be in the kitchen." She says.
"Ok, great. I'll just take a quick shower." I say as she leaves the room.
"Don't worry. Take you time." She calls out.
I go to the kitchen feeling happier than I had been in a long time. I feel like I'm dreaming, like I'm gonna wake up any second now and it's all been an illusion. I make a pot of tea still thinking about Jordan and how much she looks like me. And she seems to be such a nice girl. I bet she's probably going to college soon. I wonder which career she'll follow.
I'm brought back to reality when I see Jordan pulling a chair and sitting down. She's wearing a white top and navy blue pajama bottoms that make her look like a little girl.
"What kind of tea do you want?" I ask. She shrugs.
"Whatever you're having is fine with me." she says. I pour her a cup and hand it to her sitting across from her. "Thanks." She says taking the cup.
"Don't mention it." I say with a smile. "So, what have you been doing in the last eighteen years?"
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