"Yes, Jon. I'm going to tell Jed now. I want to be the one to tell him."
Pause
"Yes, he's going to take this hard. He loved his mother deeply."
Pause
"Thanks for calling me first. We'll call you back this evening when you know the arrangements."
Pause
"Jon, I'm so sorry about Catherine. She was always kind and gentle with me, and I loved her very much. Bye for now. We'll be in touch."
Abbey hung up the phone and bent her head to say a brief prayer, 'Dear God, please give me strength to do this and bless Catherine, wherever she is now. She lived a hard life. Amen.'
Crossing herself, she picked up the phone and dialed Charlie's number. "Hi, Charlie, I need to talk with Jed. Does he have a few minutes?"
Pause
"Good. I'll be right there. And Charlie, don't tell him I'm coming, okay?"
Pause
"Thanks."
Abbey took a deep breath and started toward the West Wing. She was glad that Jon had called her first. Jed loved his mother and she knew this could destroy him. She steeled herself for the emotional onslaught that she knew was coming even as she was reliving the first time she and Catherine met.