Hi all, thank you all once again for all the love. A special mention to mfcote for all the love and support. You keep me going. Please continue to read and review.
The characters belong to the creators of the show except for the ones not on the show currently. Also, not sure of Henry's middle name.
With what is happening with Lori Loughlin, makes me wonder if our beloved Henry and Abigail will ever be. All we do is cross our fingers and hope for justice and sense to prevail. The character Abigail is too important to be written off the show. Let's all hope for the very best.
I continue this chapter from where I left off Chapter 9. Enjoy!
"You look...just so…great." He said huskily. He wanted to tell her she looked beautiful, but refrained from it, thinking it to be inappropriate.
He was standing so close to her, she was afraid he would hear her heart pounding against her chest.
"Mr. Gowen!" Cody exclaimed and ran up to hug Henry and only managed to do so at his waist. Henry hugged him back, giving him a big smile.
"How are you doing young man?" Henry asked affectionately.
"I am very well, thank you." Cody replied and parted with Henry.
"We have missed you so much Mr. Gowen." Cody said. Henry patted him on his head.
"I have missed you too…" he said, then turned to Abigail. "very much…" he stated finally. Abigail looked at him understanding what he was implying.
"What brings you to Hamilton?" he asked Abigail.
"I am here for a training at the Hamilton College." Cody replied eagerly.
"That's wonderful, Cody." He told Cody and then looked back at Abigail. Just then, Cody saw a friend of his who he was sharing the training class with and requested Abigail if he could go talk to his friend. Abigail agreed and Cody walked to the shops, waving at his friend. "How are you?" he asked her gently, peering into her eyes.
"I am fine, thank you." She said, coldly, not looking at him.
"W…would you…ummm…like a drink?" he asked, not sure of what reaction it would attract from Abigail.
"No, thank you. I am fine." She said coldly again.
"I didn't expect to see you here. Would you and Cody like to come over for dinner? I could write my address for you." He said and started searching for a paper and pen in his pockets.
"Ummm…Henry, we should get going. Cody has an early morning training tomorrow and he needs to do some homework before then. So…it would be best that we leave." Abigail said and went over to look for Cody without any other word to Henry. Henry was taken aback slightly by that. He frankly didn't think he would ever meet her and even if he did, he didn't think it would be like this, when Abigail was not willing to speak to him. He was hurt but he was determined to speak to her at least.
LATER THAT EVENING
"Cody, it is bedtime now honey. You can finish reading tomorrow…" Abigail said as she walked over to Cody who was reading a book on the couch. He put his book away pitifully and dragged himself to bed. Abigail smiled at that and went to him. She leaned and kissed him on his forehead. "You can read some more tomorrow, I promise." She said and he smiled back.
"Goodnight mum. I love you." He said as he closed his eyes and turned around.
"I love you too, Cody." She said and went over to her bed too. She got under the covers and turned over so that her back was to Cody. She looked outside the windows as the leaves rustled in the wind and a gentle whisper of the wind she could hear.
"How are you?" she heard Henry's words in her mind. She could tell that every word was genuine and filled with care. His eyes…why did they have to intensely bore into hers? Like he could see right through her? She felt so…vulnerable when he looked at her. Like as if her book of life was just open up to him. Well, they say that eyes are the windows to a soul. She could see a lot of emotions in his eyes too. She knew he still had feelings for her. She knew it, her gut feeling told her so. But what he did…just walking away…without as much as a word or a letter or an appearance…he walked away from her, consciously and knowing fully well of the repercussions on their 'relationship'. He walked away deciding to soothe his guilt. His guilt was much stronger than his feelings for her and she couldn't bear with that.
She lay in bed, a swarm of emotions sweeping over her body. She felt warm at the thought of hugging him, his strong arms engulfing her in what would be a virtual world of warmth forever. She had missed him so much, she missed that protective layer around her that only he was capable of creating. She missed his light aftershave scent and his dimpled smile. She missed him very much but there was no way that things would change ever. Tears formed in her eyes at the thought of that. She put away all the emotions and stacked them at a corner in her heart, determined never to revisit but just seeing him brought everything back to her. What was worse is that she knew that she would not feel the same way about anyone else other than Henry and she chose not to compare what she felt for Noah. But she simply could not allow Henry to get to her like that.
She finally fell asleep, her head heavy with thoughts.
She did not see him for the next two days. She found herself looking around, her eyes wandering the streets, scanning them for Henry and she hated herself for that. Just once if she saw him, her heart would rest and she would kick herself mentally for those thoughts. Abigail was known for stability. She was always in check of her emotions. She was always poised and her feelings would never show but he was an exception. He made her emotions run all over the place. She convinced herself that he simply wasn't good for her if he made her feel that way. She needed someone that could compliment her stability and help her achieve that…someone like…Bill. Oh no, Bill, she thought. He would be expecting some answers when she returns to Hope Valley. What was she going to tell him? That she could not be with him because she was still hung up on Henry, who, incidentally, she also doesn't want in her life? What was happening to her? She was always so sure of the decisions in her life. She was the best mediator when it came to Hope Valley business. Why could she not adopt that into her personal life? What was so difficult in that?
On the third day, she was walking in town. Cody was in class and would not be done until after a couple of hours, which she decided to spend on the streets, looking around. She half hoped she would run into Henry again, not knowing why she would want that or what she would say to him if he did.
She spotted a little café on the side and went over.
She sat at a table and ordered a fruit punch. Just then, she saw him inside the restaurant. Blood rushed onto her face. He was having a drink, talking to his friend. She wasn't in the right frame of mind for this encounter. She saw the waitress and whispered her name.
"I need to go, please do not bring the fruit punch." She said and started walking away, not waiting for the waitress to respond.
"I didn't think you'd be someone to walk away from a problem…" a familiar voice said from behind her and she stopped dead in her tracks, closing her eyes and sighing. He was annoying! Very annoying!
"I never walk away from my problems, Henry. I am not like you." She turned around and fired back. Henry raised his eyebrows at that comment but recovered immediately.
"I know. You can never be like me. You are in every way and in every aspect much better. But, you could have said hi." He said.
"Why would I when you didn't even say bye." She responded, her eyes teary but fierce. Henry opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted.
"Oh my word! If it isn't Henry Rowland Gowen…!" a voice came from behind them. They both turned around to look at the most exquisite-looking woman. She was wearing a red gown with red net sleeves and gloves. At her feet were white pump shoes, matching her beautiful handbag. She was wearing the reddest lipstick. Her hair was tied up in a neat bun yet an almost deliberate strand of hair was dropping from the side of her face. Her face broke into a gentle good-natured smile, revealing her perfect pearly teeth.
"Meredith." Henry uttered and he smiled very brightly at her. She almost ran to him with full force throwing him back slightly, her hands around his neck. Abigail watched with furrowed eyebrows. Henry held her by her waist and Abigail noticed that.
"Oh it has been years, Henry!" Meredith said, breaking the hug. "You look just as handsome, even more, I think." She said as she put her hand on his cheek. He smiled at her.
"I didn't think it was possible for you to be more beautiful, but here you are!" he said charmingly, removing his hand from her waist.
"Oh, charming as usual. I have missed that touch of yours, so strong and protective." She said and Henry blushed at that.
"Ummm…I think I'll get going. I have to pick up Cody." Abigail said and smiled stiffly.
"Sorry… Meredith, this is Abigail Stanton, the mayor of Hope Valley…and Abigail, this is Meredith Johnson, a friend I've had growing up." Henry introduced.
"A friend?" she asked him, eyeing him critically and he laughed at that and then Meredith looked at Abigail. "I have heard a lot about you…and read too, in the papers." Meredith said. "I heard about your little encounter with Henry here…about the mining company?" Meredith said and then looked at Henry. "I was happy Henry got his match in you…" Meredith said and looked back at Abigail. Abigail inhaled sharply at the mention of "Match". "I mean, professionally." She quickly corrected herself and looked at Henry once again. "I couldn't believe what I read, Henry. The Henry I fell in love with wasn't this man I read about." She said and Henry sighed. Abigail heard that and her eyes widened slightly in shock, before she awkwardly looked away.
"Well, I think we need to catch up. There's a lot you don't know yet. I am a changed man." Henry said, forcing Abigail to look at him.
"I will leave you two to catch up…" Abigail said and walked away.
"Abigail…!" Henry called and followed her, leaving Meredith eyeing his behavior critically, a gentle smile playing on her lips. "Listen…" he said and walked ahead of her and intercepting her. "I…I know t..that…I shouldn't have left the way I did…but I just want to talk." He said.
"About what?" she asked him.
"You…me…Hope Valley…anything…us…" He said, looking her in her eyes.
"There is no "us", Henry." She said, defiantly. Henry sighed and looked through his pockets for a pen and a piece of paper. He scribbled something and gave it to Abigail.
"This is where I live. Please come and see me, even if it's once…for the sake of our past." He said. She put the paper in her bag.
"I will try but I cannot promise." She said.
"Thank you." He said and Abigail walked away. He turned around to see her walk away. She tilted her head ever so slightly to look at him from the corner of her eyes and saw him watching her. She looked up ahead, determined to continue walking up ahead. She took a few steps and stopped. Something in her gave way. She needed to hug him, to touch him…she needed to feel alive, to feel her blood rushing in her veins, to feel her face flush against his. She turned to see him again fast but held back. Henry and Meredith were walking back to restaurant, Henry was holding her by her waist. Abigail slowly turned around and walked away. It was better for her to do so, at least at that time.
At that point, her relationship with Henry seemed uncertain, a little more than usual.
