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"Quickly pack up your things." Abby instructed, as she tossed her clothes into her bag.
"I don't want to go." Emily whined.
"I said pack up your things. Do it!"
Sighing Emily started putting her clothes and toys into a bag.
"Where are we going?" Emily asked.
"I've found us a new apartment, not far from your new school." Abby tried shutting her overflowing suitcase, eventually with a little effort she managed to zip it up. "Okay, are you ready."
Emily picked up her bags and walked towards the door.
When they got to the front door Carter was there to say goodbye.
Abby opened the front door. "Say goodbye and come to the car." She said before going to the car herself, she hauled the bags out not looking back at Carter once.
"You be a good girl for your mom." Carter said bending down to her level and rubbing noses with the little girl.
Emily laughed and put her arms around Carter's neck. "I will Uncle John. Are you still coming round on my birthday?"
"You bet! I promised didn't I?"
Emily held up her little finger. "Pinky promise?"
"Pinky promise." He said locking his finger in hers.
Abby looked on, they had a special bond, it was cute to watch them together. But Carter didn't want her there, he had made that very clear. But she had always vowed that as soon as she found them somewhere to stay they would leave. "Emily hurry up please."
Emily picked up her bag with both hands and ran to the car.
Carter waved them off, Emily was the only one who waved. Abby kept her eyes on the road ahead.
Carter was crushed, he knew he had hurt Abby but he just didn't want to try and help somebody who rejected the help. He loved her, but he couldn't get close enough to tell her.
"It smells funny." Emily scrunched up her nose as they entered their new apartment.
Abby looked around, the place was relatively nice for what she was paying for it. Plus it was fully furnished. "Just open up a few windows. I'm going to go down and get the rest of the bags." Abby was about to open the door.
"Don't leave me on my own." Emily panicked.
"I'm only going to get a few bags Em. I'm going to be gone less that two minutes."
Emily just stared up at her mother with her big green eyes, at that particular moment she looked just like her father
"Okay, come on then." Abby beckoned for Emily to follow her out.
A Week Later
"Can I be in it Mom?" Emily asked as they left the school playground.
"We'll have to see Em." Abby said not even looking down at her daughter, she quickened her pace leaving Emily slowly running behind her.
"Mom. Mom. Mommy." Emily said trying to catch up.
"What!" Abby said angrily stopping and turning around to face Emily, who came to a halt.
The other parents in the playground all turned round to see who have just shouted. Abby, who was slightly embarrassed partly to do with her appearance, grabbed Emily by the arm and marched her to the car.
"Why can't you just behave yourself?" Abby opened up the car door chucking Emily's school bag on the front passengers seat. Emily got in the back, laying across the seats fighting back the tears.
When they got back to their apartment Emily grabbed her bag and ran straight into her room, slamming the door behind her.
"Do that again and you'll be in serious trouble." Abby yelled, she made her way over to the fridge and got herself a cold beer out.
The next day started just as they had for the past week. Emily had gotten herself up and ready for school, she made her own breakfast and sat and watched half an hour of cartoons before going in and waking up her mother.
"Mom, its time for me to go to school." Emily said opening the door a crack and peering her head through.
"Okay sweetie just give me five minute." Abby said groggily.
Emily shut the door and went back to the TV.
Fifteen minutes later Abby emerged from her room, wearing exactly what she had on yesterday. "Okay quick Em, turn off the TV and grab your bag or we'll be late."
She stopped the car outside of the school, she kissed Emily on top of her head before watching her walk into the school building. That's when she realized Emily's hair hadn't been combed. Her hair looked like it had been back brushed. Abby was just about to call her back when she disappeared inside the building.
Abby shrugged it off, she was too tired to care, all she could think about was going home and getting some sleep before she started her six hour shift. To most people a six hour shift isn't long at all, but to an alcoholic its forever.
"Oh hey Sam." Abby said as she entered the ER. "Who's picking up Alex tonight?"
"Luka." Sam said rubbing off another name from the board and adding a new one.
"Do you think he would be able to do me a huge favor and pick up Emily for me and look after her until six?"
Sam smiled over at Abby. "Yeah it shouldn't be a problem. I'll tell him."
"Thanks you're a life saver."
Luka stood in the playground waiting for the school to be dismissed.
"So where is that accent from?" One of the mothers asked.
"Ummm… Croatia." Luka blushed, he could tell that they were flirting with him.
"Croatia huh! Very exotic." Another of the mothers said, flicking her hair playfully.
Luka laughed nervously and looked down at his watch, secretly wishing that the school bell would hurry up and ring. "It was nice talking to you ladies." Luka said leaving his admirers lusting after him and moving closer to the door.
He waited a further five minute before the bell rang signaling the end of school. Hoards of children ranging from the ages of six to eleven came swarming out of the building.
Alex headed straight over to Luka and handed him some school letters and his jacket.
"What are you waiting for?" Alex asked.
"Emily." Luka's eyes searching the playground.
Alex took Luka's arm and started to drag him inside. "She has to wait inside for Abby. Why are we picking her up anyway?"
"Because Abby is working." Luka peered inside the classroom where Emily was sat talking to her teacher, Miss Stratford.
He knocked and opened the door, when Emily saw him her eyes lit up.
"Hi, I'm here to pick up Emily." He said.
Miss Stratford was a little hesitant, but Emily went running over to him. "Okay." She smiled, then she noticed Alex stood in the doorway.
"Where's my Mom?" Emily asked looking up at Luka.
"She's at work sweetie." Luka said smiling down at the little girl. "Thank you." He said directing his last comment at Miss Stratford.
"Have a nice weekend." She said to Luka. "See you on Monday Emily. By Alex."
Both Alex and Emily waved before they all left the classroom and headed out towards the car.
"Okay what do you guys want for dinner?" Luka asked as they were sat in traffic.
"I'm staying for dinner?" Emily asked excitedly.
Luka nodded his head looking the rearview mirror. "Well?"
"Spaghetti and meatballs." Alex replied.
"Yeah!" Emily cheered.
"Okay, spaghetti and meatballs it is." Luka laughed.
Once the traffic had dispersed, Luka made his way to the store.
They all got out, Emily ran over and held onto Luka's hand, he got a shopping cart and lifted her in it, surprisingly she was still small enough to fit in the seat.
"Okay first what do we need?" Luka said out loud.
"Spaghetti?" Emily asked a little hesitantly.
"We sure do. Okay Alex go get the spaghetti and Emily can put it in the cart." Luka instructed.
They did the rest of the shopping like this, then Luka went off in search for some wine leaving Alex and Emily in the candy aisle to choose what they wanted. Alex wandered off in search magazines, leaving Emily deciding what she wanted.
"Hello Emily." A voice said.
Emily whipped her head around to see who it was. "Hi Ben." Emily said smiling when she saw him. "What are you doing here?"
"Shopping." He laughed. "Where's your Mom?"
"She's at work. I'm going to Alex's for dinner."
"Does she work at lot?" Ben was trying to find out all he could about Abby.
"No."
"Does she go out a lot?"
Emily looked at Ben with a confused look. "No."
"Okay, Lets get…." Luka said as he came round the corner and saw Ben talking to Emily.
Ben quickly went off in the other direction.
"Who was that?" Luka asked concerned.
"That's Ben."
"What did he say to you?"
"He just asked me about my Mom. We met him when we were going to go to New York." Emily said swinging her legs.
"Where's Alex?" Luka said starting to push the cart in a hurry.
"Looking at the magazines. Luka what's wrong?" Emily asked.
"Nothing sweetie, we just better get going. Alex come on." He said calling him and heading towards the check out.
"And you don't know where she is?" Luka said on the phone. "Okay…no…no its alright. Thanks anyway." He said hanging up the phone.
"When is she coming." Emily yawned. Just as she said that Sam walked in, Emily quickly ran to the door to see if her mother was there too.
"Hey Emily." Sam said touching the top of Emily's head and going inside. She shot Luka a puzzled look and then looked back at Emily. "Why is she still here?" Sam said through her teeth quietly.
Luka shrugged his shoulders
"Emily why don't you go and see what Alex is doing." Sam said.
"Okay." Emily said sighing.
"I've called around, but no one has seen her." Luka said standing up and following Sam into the kitchen. "Are you sure that she left at six?"
"Yep, I saw her go. Did you try Carter?"
"Carter hasn't seen her, neither has Susan, Weaver, Pratt, Ray, Morris or Jane." Luka said. "What are we going to do?"
"Just wait it out, what else can you do." Sam said. "She'll come for Emily sooner or later, she's a grown adult, she knows exactly what she's doing."
"Yeah but what about Emily, she's been asking for Abby since after dinner. She's not stupid you know, she knows something's going on."
"Can I play with this?" Emily asked Alex as they were sat on his bedroom floor.
"Do you even know what it is?"
"No, but I can figure it out y'know." Emily said looking at the toy she had in her hand closely.
"Here." Alex said taking it from her and switching it on. "Now hold onto that end." Alex smacked the middle of the toy.
Twist it.
"Quick twist it."
Pull it.
Eventually Emily got the hang of it, and they played 'Bop It' for about half an hour before Emily eventually got bored, and went back to find Sam and Luka.
"Is she here yet?" Emily asked.
"Not yet honey, why don't you come and sit with me." Sam said patting her lap. Emily got up on the sofa and lay her head on Sam's lap. Eventually falling asleep.
Abby drunkenly walked the streets, stopping every so often to take a drink from the bottle of whiskey she was carrying in her hand.
"Hello Abby." Abby turned around and was met with a fist.
She looked up and saw a familiar face before blacking out.
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