"It's funny"
"What is"
"Fate"
Abbey turned to face him, squinting in confusion. He pulled back the bed covers on his side and got in under them. "Why is fate funny?" She asked.
"I just think it's amusing that Annie will be older than our child. Thus making our child have a niece that's older than she is"
"I think it's interesting"
"Interesting, there's no doubt about it. But also very amusing," Jed said.
"Glad you think so." "I feel badly about leaving Liz alone at the hospital at night"
"She's not alone, Jed. Your mother is with her," Abbey answered.
"I know, but we're her parents. I feel like we should be there"
"I'm sure Liz would prefer it if we weren't there. She has a child of her own now. She doesn't want to be babied"
"Well, that's just tough for her. Like or not, she's still my baby girl"
"With her own baby girl"
"Thank you for that, Grandma"
Abbey winced.
"What did I tell you about that word"
"You better learn to like it, sweetheart, because as soon as that baby can talk"
"Jed, can we please just drop it?" "Whatever you want," Jed allowed.
Silence engulfed the room for a few minutes and Jed felt a distance between them that was growing by the minute. He was desperate to close the distance, but knew he couldn't until he knew what had caused it. "Abbey." "Hmm"
"What are you thinking about?" He questioned. "I was just thinking about Annie. She looks a bit like Zoey did when she was born, don't you think"
Jed nodded pensively.
"Sure"
"She doesn't look much like Liz"
"Maybe not right now. She's only two days old. I'd say there's plenty of room for growth"
"Yeah," Abbey replied in a whisper. "Is that what's bothering you? That Annie doesn't look like Liz"
"Well, I wouldn't say it's bothering me. It's just something that occurred to me"
"What are you leaving out?" Jed questioned.
"What makes you think I'm leaving something out"
"In the course of being married to you for the last twenty years…I've developed a pretty good idea of when you're not being completely honest with me"
"An acquired skill then"
"Yes"
"All right, you win," Abbey said.
"Just as I suspected. So what is it"
"I got a call today, while you were at the hospital"
"Who from"
"Talia Silverman." Jed stared at her in disbelief.
"You're kidding"
"Sadly, no," Abbey answered.
"What'd she want"
"Well, apparently, she was calling on her son's behalf. They want to see Annie"
Just the thought of Elizabeth's cowardly ex-boyfriend made Jed's blood curdle. They had been able to go months without having to deal with Benjamin Silverman's antics, and months without having to face his equally as frustrating parents, Evan and Talia. "How'd they find out about the birth?" Jed asked.
"Well, she went into labor in the middle of her history midterm, Jed. I don't think it's any secret at school"
"Right. So what did you tell her"
"Well, legally…I can't keep them away from the baby. Biologically, Annie is just as much Ben's as she is Elizabeth's"
"Does Ben want to see her, or is it Evan and Talia trying to cause a ruckus"
"I don't know," Abbey replied. "I told them if they wanted to see her, to meet us at the hospital tomorrow afternoon"
"The Montagues and the Capulets meet again." "That's optimistic, Jed." "It's only going to end in bloodshed, Abbey"
Abbey laughed.
"That just conjurs up an irreplacable image of you prancing around in tights with your sword challenging people to duels." "And it's turning you on, admit it"
"I won't deny it. I've always been a sucker for a man in tights." "How many men in tights do you know, Abigail"
"Quite a few. You'd be surprised. Cross-dressing is so in these days," she replied, flashing him a cunning smile.
"Sounds like an untapped gold mine. Maybe I should look into it. What do you think about THAT"
"I think I'd pay good money to see you dress up as Cher"
"What a profound statement, my dear"
"Don't I know it"
"So. A plague on both our houses tomorrow, hmm?" Jed said.
Abbey nodded.
"Tomorrow."
"What is"
"Fate"
Abbey turned to face him, squinting in confusion. He pulled back the bed covers on his side and got in under them. "Why is fate funny?" She asked.
"I just think it's amusing that Annie will be older than our child. Thus making our child have a niece that's older than she is"
"I think it's interesting"
"Interesting, there's no doubt about it. But also very amusing," Jed said.
"Glad you think so." "I feel badly about leaving Liz alone at the hospital at night"
"She's not alone, Jed. Your mother is with her," Abbey answered.
"I know, but we're her parents. I feel like we should be there"
"I'm sure Liz would prefer it if we weren't there. She has a child of her own now. She doesn't want to be babied"
"Well, that's just tough for her. Like or not, she's still my baby girl"
"With her own baby girl"
"Thank you for that, Grandma"
Abbey winced.
"What did I tell you about that word"
"You better learn to like it, sweetheart, because as soon as that baby can talk"
"Jed, can we please just drop it?" "Whatever you want," Jed allowed.
Silence engulfed the room for a few minutes and Jed felt a distance between them that was growing by the minute. He was desperate to close the distance, but knew he couldn't until he knew what had caused it. "Abbey." "Hmm"
"What are you thinking about?" He questioned. "I was just thinking about Annie. She looks a bit like Zoey did when she was born, don't you think"
Jed nodded pensively.
"Sure"
"She doesn't look much like Liz"
"Maybe not right now. She's only two days old. I'd say there's plenty of room for growth"
"Yeah," Abbey replied in a whisper. "Is that what's bothering you? That Annie doesn't look like Liz"
"Well, I wouldn't say it's bothering me. It's just something that occurred to me"
"What are you leaving out?" Jed questioned.
"What makes you think I'm leaving something out"
"In the course of being married to you for the last twenty years…I've developed a pretty good idea of when you're not being completely honest with me"
"An acquired skill then"
"Yes"
"All right, you win," Abbey said.
"Just as I suspected. So what is it"
"I got a call today, while you were at the hospital"
"Who from"
"Talia Silverman." Jed stared at her in disbelief.
"You're kidding"
"Sadly, no," Abbey answered.
"What'd she want"
"Well, apparently, she was calling on her son's behalf. They want to see Annie"
Just the thought of Elizabeth's cowardly ex-boyfriend made Jed's blood curdle. They had been able to go months without having to deal with Benjamin Silverman's antics, and months without having to face his equally as frustrating parents, Evan and Talia. "How'd they find out about the birth?" Jed asked.
"Well, she went into labor in the middle of her history midterm, Jed. I don't think it's any secret at school"
"Right. So what did you tell her"
"Well, legally…I can't keep them away from the baby. Biologically, Annie is just as much Ben's as she is Elizabeth's"
"Does Ben want to see her, or is it Evan and Talia trying to cause a ruckus"
"I don't know," Abbey replied. "I told them if they wanted to see her, to meet us at the hospital tomorrow afternoon"
"The Montagues and the Capulets meet again." "That's optimistic, Jed." "It's only going to end in bloodshed, Abbey"
Abbey laughed.
"That just conjurs up an irreplacable image of you prancing around in tights with your sword challenging people to duels." "And it's turning you on, admit it"
"I won't deny it. I've always been a sucker for a man in tights." "How many men in tights do you know, Abigail"
"Quite a few. You'd be surprised. Cross-dressing is so in these days," she replied, flashing him a cunning smile.
"Sounds like an untapped gold mine. Maybe I should look into it. What do you think about THAT"
"I think I'd pay good money to see you dress up as Cher"
"What a profound statement, my dear"
"Don't I know it"
"So. A plague on both our houses tomorrow, hmm?" Jed said.
Abbey nodded.
"Tomorrow."
