A/N I think y'all know what's coming. If not, c'mon, what else did you expect from me? Especially those of you who've read my other stuff-you should know my tricks better than that. ;) But anyway, on with the fic. I've got the rest of it (ok, not through to the end-but at least through chapter 30) so don't worry, it's not going to be abandoned here. And anyone else upset that FOX is preempting House for post-season baseball?
There is a paradox in pride: it makes some men ridiculous, but prevents others from becoming so. -Charles Caleb Colton
The letter lay on the table, waiting for it to be opened, begging someone to open it. The three of them sat around it, staring at it. Her lower jaw was grinding back and forth as she stared at it. "Open it." Blake said, nudging it closer to her.
"What if-" She started.
"One way to find out." He said and Blake nodded his agreement.
"It's thick, that's a good thing." Blake pointed out.
"Not always." She replied, picking it up and spinning it back and forth in her hands.
"Just open it before I open it for you." Blake finally said, staring hard at it.
"I'm afraid-" She started an the boy pulled it out of her hands and tore it open, skimming it over.
"Oh." Blake said simply, continuing to read. Her face fell and she stared down at the ground, with a bit of a shrug.
"Well there's always Columbia-" She started and he frowned.
"Why apply there?" Blake asked.
"Well it's a good school-"
"No, I mean why waste your money applying to another law school when you've already got into one so close to your darling boyfriend?" It took her a second to realize what he had done before squealing and punching Blake.
"You bastard!" She said, before throwing her arms around the boy and kissing him soundly. "You really had me going there."
He had watched the exchange between the two with a bemused expression and chuckled at the way she had gone from a death glare to a passionate kiss. He remembered when he was that young. "Congratulations." He said, raising his glass in a toast, and three glasses clinked into each other. She downed the sip with less distaste than usual. "I'll make a scotch drinker out of you yet." He laughed and welcomed her hug.
"You know what this calls for?" Blake asked. "This calls for a celebration." She grinned.
"It does." The two of them got up, and he followed them out to the door. He shook Blake's hand firmly, before wrapping Abby up in a tight hug.
"That's wonderful." He said simply, grinning. "I'm so proud of you." The grin on her face made all the years of hell that he went through with her worth it.
She gave him a quick peck on the cheek as she slid out the door. "Thanks Dad." She said simply, heading out, tightly wrapped in Blake's arms. He sat down in his recliner, still grinning, beaming with paternal pride.
He flipped on the TV, but really wasn't paying much attention at all to the way that the Sox were beating the Yankees, he hadn't even noticed five innings flying by. His baby girl was going to Harvard. His baby girl was going to go out there and become a lawyer, become something respectable, do something with her life, when four years previously he would have been happy if she got out of high school in one piece, without being pregnant or a crack whore, and now here she was going on to Harvard.
Not even the ringing phone could break his mood. "Macy." He answered simply.
"Garret-you need to come in." Jordan's voice held an unusually somber note, enough to wipe the smile off of his face, but not enough to make him feel bad.
"Why?" He asked and he heard the note of hesitation in her voice.
"Something's come up." She said, and he nodded, something felt very wrong, and he got into his car with a feeling that he couldn't quite place lurking in the pit of his stomach, but he didn't know what it was, nor could it erase the sheer pride.