A/N: wow, longest chapter yet. Thank you for ur wonderful reviews...
Chapter 5 – Getting to know you
"Mommy?"
I feel a pair of little hands shaking me awake. I open my eyes slowly, fighting the will to just go back to sleep. I see Jared on his pajamas looking intently at me. I blink a few times trying to adjust my eyes to the brightness of the light.
"Mom, are you awake?" he whispers as if trying not to disturb anyone.
"Yeah, baby." I say pulling him to me, making him lie down next to me. "What is it?" I ask kissing the top of his head, hugging his small body closer to mine.
"Are we going to Dr Carter's today?" he asks, his eyes filled with excitement.
"Do you want to go?" I ask with a smile. He nods excited. "Then we're going."
"Cool!" He exclaims happily. "Can we go now?"
"Jar, it's" I look over to the clock on my bedside table. "only 8 am. Dr Carter is probably sleeping." I say he looks down disappointed. "It's too early, honey. We'll go later."
"Promise?"
"I promise."
"Ok, great!" he says. After a while I look over to see he's asleep. Knowing that my son is safe in my arms, I allow myself to fall back to sleep.
The voice coming from the radio informs me that it's 2 pm in Chicago. Jared and I are on our way to John's house. It's a bright sunny day, that kind of day that we have to enjoy every second of it before the ice cold Chicago winter hits in.
I stop in front of what should be John's house and check the address to see if I got the right place. I look at the house in front of us again then double check the paper. Yep, we got the right address but this can't be right. This is not a house. It's a freaking palace, for God's sake!
I push the intercom button. "Carter residence." A voice says.
"Yeah, I'm here to see Dr John Carter." I say.
"Your name?"
"Dr Abby Lockhart."
"Please wait."
"Ok." I say and look back at Jared who's staring in awe at the mansion.
"Wow." He says amazed. I chuckle at his reaction.
"Ok, Dr Lockhart, you may enter." The voice says and the gate opens.
"Thank you." I say driving into the Carter Mansion's grounds. It has a beautiful garden and place is just huge!
I drive up to the mansion's entrance and find John waiting for us. Jared opens the car door and runs to him.
"Hi, Dr Carter!" he says excited. John picks him up and swings him in the air. Jared's laughter fills the grounds.
"Hey there, kiddo." John says putting him down. "Hey, Abby." He leans down and kisses my cheek.
"Hi. You kinda forgot to tell me that you live in a castle." I say grinning at him. He winks at me.
"Details, details..." He says picking Jared up again and putting him on his shoulders. "Hold tight there, Jared." He secures Jared with one hand and reaches out the other to me. "Come on." I take his hand and he gives my hand a light squeeze.
"We go in the house and I am marveled at how beautiful everything is. John looks at my amazed face and laughs.
"Do you like it?" he asks.
"It's beautiful." I say looking around trying to take it all in.
"It's huge!" Jared says making John and I laugh.
"Do you like it, Jar?" John asks.
"Yeah, it's cool!" Jared says.
"I'm glad you think so." John says then turns to me. "Do you want the grand tour?"
"Do you think we'll have enough time?" I ask smirking. He grins.
"I hope so." I smile at him. I can't stop smiling. And I just realized we're still holding hands. This time I give his hand a light squeeze making him smile. "If not, we can always finish it next time."
"In that case, sure, let's go." I say and John pulls me with him as we start my first tour of the Carter Mansion.
"How long were you married for?" John asks. We're sitting near the pool watching Jared play.
"Almost eight years." I say.
"Really?" He looks surprised. I nod.
"Insane, I know." I chuckle. He smiles. "I only got pregnant two years into marriage. And that was the only good thing that came out of this whole mess."
"What happened?"
"I don't know. In the beginning everything was wonderful. We were completely in love with each other. Now I wonder how I could ever love that piece of shit." I say shaking my head. I really don't know what I was thinking then. "After the first couple of years we started to slowly grow apart. Then I got pregnant with Jared. I was so happy. I had always wanted to be a mom. I thought that with a baby on the way, things would get better. I thought we would finally find our way back to each other. But I was totally wrong." John takes my hand in his encouraging me to go on. "Richard never wanted kids. After Jared was born, and even before that, he would spend all day out of the house, with other women probably. And on the rare occasions he was home and I was asleep or busy or whatever, and Jared started crying, he would just let him cry and not do anything. I mean, what kind of father does that to his own child? He never gave a damn about his son. I had to raise Jared all on my own. But Jared was the best thing that's ever happened to me."
"Why is that?" John asks. He is rubbing his thumb over my hand. I look up at him.
"He's my strength. I can't imagine my life without him." I say thinking if I should say what's going through my head. "I'm an alcoholic. I used to drink to forget all my problems. I hated my life. But when Jared came, everything changed. I was responsible for a child's life now. How would I take care of a baby if I was drunk?"
"I guess it wouldn't go too well." He says with a small smile. I nod.
"I decided to get help. So I started to attend AA meetings."
"So you've been sober for six years now?"
"Pretty much. That way I could be a good mother that my baby deserves. I'm always there for him, even if his bastard of father isn't."
"Well, you're a great mother. Jared absolutely loves you." I smile. "You've made it. He's a wonderful kid."
"Thank you." I say blushing slightly. "So how about you?"
"What about me?" I lift my eyebrow at him.
"C'mon, John. I just poured my heart out to you here. Now it's your turn." I say grinning.
"Ok, what do you want to know?"
"Anything." He thinks for a while before talking again.
"I lost my brother when I was 11. He had leukemia. And after he died, my parents kinda forgot I was still here, that I was hurting too and that I needed my mom and dad with me." I look down at our hands and realize they're still clasped together. I really don't know what's going on here but I decide to give him the same treatment by rubbing my thumb gently over his hand. "My grandparents raised me from then on, because my parents were always somewhere else. I grew up in this house, full of butlers and servants. One day I realized that most people weren't living like that. That life wasn't just about attending galas. So I ran from it all. I decided to be a doctor. I wanted to help people since I couldn't help my brother when he needed me." He smiles sadly. I smile back. I want him to know that he can trust me, that I'm here for him. "My family never approved of my career choice."
"But you like being a doctor."
"I do, more than anything. Medicine is my life."
"Same here. I think medicine is the only thing I love almost as much as I love my son."
"That's why you're a great doctor."
"Why, thank you, Dr Carter. You're an excellent doctor yourself." I say smiling.
"Mom?" Jared comes to us dripping wet from the pool. I grab a towel to dry him off.
"Yeah, baby?" I say.
"I'm hungry."
"Why don't we order a pizza?" John suggests. I shake my head.
"No, we're going home. We've already bothered you all day." I say.
"Abby, you never bother me." he says and I feel myself blushing. "C'mon, we can eat pizza and watch a movie or something."
"Let's stay, mommy. Please?" Jared says.
"Yeah, mom, please." John says grinning at me. I smile at them.
"How can I say no to that?" I say defeated.
"Yeah!" they high five each other. I roll my eyes at John.
"Are you sure it's no problem?" I ask. I don't want him to invite us to stay longer just out of obligation.
"Of course I am, Ab! Just relax. We'll have fun." He says pulling me up so we can go inside. Jared is running to the house. John runs after him and picks him up, tickling him.
I smile at this scene. Maybe this is what my life would be if I was married to John. Whoa! Wait a minute! Marriage? I think I'm getting a little ahead of myself here. I mean, we're not even dating. But there's definitely something there. We have this chemistry. I wonder if he feels the same way...
