Chapter 7
Soon the days settled into a routine. Up by six, in the kitchen until six in the evening. Back to her cell and then lights out at ten. Rhonda kept being her obnoxious self but Abbey was determined to get along.
Showers twice a week, television an hour each evening if she had the energy to watch anything. But she usually just went to bed. She didn't do much exercise because of her work schedule.
Pat came to see her, but there was no good news. An appeal had been filed but it wouldn't be heard for months. Abbey still asked if there was any chance of parole while on appeal but Pat said no. The judge had made it quite clear that she was to serve her sentence while the appeal was in progress.
Two months passed routinely. Her blood pressure kept fluctuating, but nothing severe.
Thanksgiving came and went. The only difference was that she was cooking turkey for the inmates instead of her own family in the kitchen at the farm. Abbey tried to keep busy so she couldn't think about what was going on in her old world. The family gathered around the big table. Everybody laughing and telling jokes and stories on each other. Jed cutting the turkey and taking his favorite turkey leg before anybody had a chance to grab it. Yeah, that world was no longer available to her.
Christmas was excruciating. No word from Ellie but Liz and Zoey had sent packages. But due to prison rules the packages had been opened and examined before they were given to her. Underwear, toiletries, that kind of thing was a far cry from the clothes and jewelry she had received the past Christmases. Midnight mass at the local church. Afterwards, she and Jed would lie on the sofa and just hold each other while looking at the lights on the tree. The hugging that would lead to something more serious. God, how she missed those nights.
Soon the new year arrived. 2008. Abbey would rather forget the previous year. But instead of gowns, diamonds, and champagne, she cooked until six, went to her cell, and went to sleep. This year would be no different than the last few months of last year.
