The following day after a twelve hour day at work Grace enters her apartment, and finds Abigail waiting on her with dinner.
"I am sure you had a busy day. I thought dinner might help."
"I appreciate it," Grace smiles.
"While I was waiting I finished pulling out all those staples. It is the original hardwood underneath the old carpet pad."
Grace stares at the plate in front of her silently. Her face falls as her mind wanders.
"What's wrong?"
"I was just thinking. Don't worry about it," she answers as she begins to push food around her plate with the fork.
"Would it have anything to do with the elephant in the room?" Abigail queries as she takes a seat next to Grace.
"The little girl I'm taking care of is four, and she said the saddest thing to me today. She said that she feels like she never sees her mom. She kisses her before she runs off to work, and tucks her in before bed. Is that the life that I have to look forward to? I mean I don't want to be absent in my child's life in an attempt just to provide basic needs."
"You are going to be present. Grace you already are. You are putting in so much effort into making a nice life for your baby. Also you have a family who can help fill in when you're not available."
Grace scowls, "You're clamoring to change diapers? I have never once seen you with a baby."
"I'll have you know that I am great with babies."
"When they grow into teenagers?" Grace arches an eyebrow.
"Rocking them. That is my secret talent."
"I certainly don't see a rocking chair around here."
Abigail smiles, "You can see through walls, can you?"
"There wasn't a rocking chair here when I left this morning."
Abigail winks, "A lot can change in twelve hours."
Grace follows her into the future nursery. She finds the floor has already been sanded, and stained. In the corner is a sturdy wooden rocking chair. Grace beams from ear to ear.
"It's more than words."
"Don't thank me. I asked George to come work on the floors. He told me that it needed something special, and when I came up here he already had it sitting here."
"So you're volunteering to rock this baby?" She points to her midsection.
"Absolutely. Grace I can't take the place of your mom though. I am always going to show up for you, but not in the ways that she can."
"Things are tense between us right now. She doesn't seem to be very interested in any of this. She doesn't call, and she barely texts. I think she only texts to assuage her guilt, and make sure that I am still alive."
Abigail doesn't say a word, she simply wraps Grace in a hug. When she releases her she smiles.
"I'll talk to her."
"I'm not sure there is any point. She's angry with the choices I've made. I didn't even tell her I was coming back to Middleton, though I'm sure she's heard by now. I have come to the conclusion that I have to accept that she may not have any interest in being involved in this piece of my life." Her hand cradles her growing bump.
"You don't have to accept that."
"Yes, I do. She didn't sign up for this."
"Did you? It's not as if you woke up one day, and thought to yourself that you should throw all of your plans out the window, and have a baby."
"Of course not."
"How did this happen?"
"Does it matter?"
"Not to me."
The following morning Abigail finds herself at Grey House just after sunrise. Cassie is in the kitchen sipping a cup of tea when Abigail materializes.
"Good morning, Abigail," she greets her.
"We need to talk."
"Are you angry?"
"I'm a little bit irritated," Abigail admits.
"With me?"
"Yes."
"I'm listening," Cassie responds.
"What is going on between you, and Grace?"
She shrugs, "Nothing that I am aware of."
"When was the last time you talked to her?"
"In person? I haven't seen her since Christmas."
"Just because she is an adult making adult decisions doesn't mean for a second that she doesn't still need you."
"Communication is a two way street."
"It isn't always easy to communicate with someone when you feel as if you've disappointed them. There is a lot of guilt, and shame to sift through first."
"Have you been talking to her?"
"I talk to her regularly. I took her dinner last night."
"You drove up to school to take her dinner?"
"Cassie, Grace moved back to Middleton."
"What are you talking about?"
"To be closer to home, and her support network."
"I didn't know."
"Why? Why didn't you know? Can you explain it? I'm really thrown off guard by your vibe about all of this."
"Abigail she's an adult."
Abigail furrows her brow, "I've never known you to leave anyone to just twist in the wind, especially not your child. What is your problem?"
"Why are you so interested in my relationship with my daughter?"
"Because I hate to see her hurt. She is bending every single way she can to try to provide a happy life for her future child, and it's obvious to me that it is eating at her that you're not there for her."
"It isn't my place to be there every step of the way. That isn't supposed to be my role."
Abigail studies Cassie's facial expression, "Are you upset with her because she's going to be a single parent?"
"I wouldn't wish the trials of that on anyone," Cassie answers.
"You're letting your own baggage, and implicit bias stand in the way of your connection with your only child? I can't even begin to wrap my head around this. It's so out of character for you. What is this really about?" Abigail interrogates.
Cassie doesn't answer. She simply shrugs, and continues to sip her tea.
"Cassie are you afraid something is going to happen to Grace? Are you worried about the outcome of her pregnancy? Not in the sense that it results in a beautiful baby, but that something terrible happens to your daughter in the process? I know that your life has been filled with losses. Not being present in Grace's life will take her away from you far quicker than anything else. I know fate has often intertwined our lives in a way that beauty only seems to come from pain. Distancing yourself from the possibility of it only kills your joy."