Chapter 8

Finally, the first family visiting day arrived. Abbey was notified that she would have thirty minutes to talk with her visitors and then it was back to the kitchen.

She was escorted into the dayroom and seated at a table. There could be no touching and when it was time to leave, it was time to leave. She would be under observation at all times.

Soon she saw Liz and Zoey coming in the opposite door. Zoey had brought along the baby.

"Mom! I've missed you so much!" Zoey was crying even before she reached Abbey, her arms outstretched.

Abbey pulled away. "Remember, Zoey, I can't touch you," although her arms were aching to do just that.

Zoey pulled back and sat down at the table. "I'm sorry. I forgot. I've missed you so much."

"Yes, hon, I have too."

"You don't look good, Mom."

"Liz, I'm as good as I can be, considering everything."

Both girls were appalled at Abbey's condition.

Dark circles under her eyes, gray streaked hair of uneven lengths, hands rough and raw, nails cracked. It was obvious that Abbey had lost a great deal of weight. Her features were gaunt.

"Mom, how are you?"

"I'm fine. Let's talk about you. Zoey, how's Charlie?"

"He's fine, Mom. He really likes what he's doing and I'm so proud of him. And baby CJ, as you can see is growing by leaps and bounds." Abbey's heart ached not to be able to hold her grandson.

After a few more minutes, Abbey asked about her other daughter.

"How's Ellie?"

Liz and Zoey exchanged glances. "She's fine, Mom."

"I see those glances. What's going on?"

Liz shrugged her shoulders and turned to face her mother.

"Ellie got married last week. Apparently she's known Tom for a while and they just decided to get married on the spur of the moment."

"Married? Ellie?"

"Yeah. He's nice. Doug and I went down for the ceremony. Zoey and Charlie came from DC. It was very small, just family. In fact, here's a snapshot of Ellie and Tom."

Liz placed the photo on the table and slid it toward her mother.

Abbey tried not to cry in front of the girls, but it was hard. She had missed the most important day in Ellie's life. Because of what she had done, she couldn't be there for Ellie.

The guard came over and said visiting time was up. Abbey wanted desperately to hug the girls, especially her grandson, but couldn't. She had to sit there and watch as they left the dayroom.

Back to freedom.

Back to the reality that she had once known.

Clutching the photo, she was returned to the kitchen to finish her shift.

It was not until she was taken back to her cell that she finally let the tears flow. It had finally hit her that her life had been changed forever and there was nothing she could do about it.

Watching her children leave without her made it real. Only too real.