"Oh," Cristina said. "Come on in and have a seat, Mrs. Hunt." The older woman stepped into the small office and took a seat.
"Well, my son was a total mess, last night and it is obvious that his distressed mood clearly had something to do with you. He told me that you two had broken up. Now I find that hard to believe, given that I know my son loves you very much," Susannah said.
Cristina wrung her hands together. "Did he send you here? Did he tell you what happened?" She was not willing to divulge her business to Mrs. Hunt, unless Owen had told her something.
"No, he didn't send me here. I came on my own accord because I hate to see my son in this state. He told me that you had done something without telling him and whatever it is what you did, was very upsetting. He didn't want to talk about it at all. He's upset and because of that, I am upset," Susannah said. "I was hoping that you would be able to shed some light on what has happened between the two of you."
"Mrs. Hunt, I don't mean to be rude but I don't think I can discuss with you what has happened between the two of us," Cristina answered. "It's nothing I would like to share at the moment."
"Oh, you are just like Owen. Both so very stubborn," Susannah said. "At least I tried. I do wish you two can fix what is wrong between the two of you. He is absolutely miserable. He loves you, Cristina."
"Well, maybe you can tell Owen that whenever he is willing to discuss our situation, he knows where I work and where I live," Cristina said. "I am willing to hear what he has to say."
"Okay, thank you, Cristina," Susannah said, glad that the girl was at least offering an olive branch in rectifying what had gone wrong between the two of them.
"It's okay, Mrs. Hunt," Cristina said, quietly.
"Well, I will best be on my way," Mrs. Hunt said. "I have some shopping to do."
"Goodbye," Cristina said, closing the door behind the woman, as she left.
Since it was Saturday, she only had to work until noon and then she was going to head home. Usually on a Saturday, Owen would come and pick her up and they would go driving and exploring other places, where they would try new restaurants. She liked doing that but today, that was not going to happen. She sighed and started going through her files.
Susannah returned home to the farm. One of the farmhands had taken her into town to do her shopping. She had asked Owen but he had not felt like going into town. She figured that he didn't want to go because shopping meant going to the mercantile and he still wanted to avoid Cristina. The farmhand helped her carry all of her bags inside. She found Owen at the kitchen table, chewing on a piece of burnt toast.
"Owen, do you want me to make something better for you, other than that piece of toast," she asked.
"No, it's okay, mom. Did you get everything you wanted in town?" he asked.
"Yeah, I went to the grocers and I also went to the mercantile," she said. Susannah watched for any reaction from her son's face. She saw the flicker of emotion and decided to venture further.
"I saw Cristina, too. I went to her office and spoke to her," Susannah said, very deliberately. Owen threw his hands up in the air in exasperation.
"Mom, could you not leave that alone?" he said.
"No, because you are hurting and that young lady is the key to everything," she said.
Owen paused. He didn't really want to pursue the conversation but he was dying to know what Cristina had told his mother.
"Well, what did she say?" he asked. "Did she say anything about what happened?" He was doubtful that Cristina would mention the abortion to his mother. If she had, he was certain that his mother would have been in a hysterical state because she wanted grandchildren, so badly.
"It turns out that she is as stubborn as you are and would not reveal anything to me," his mother said. That confirmed what Owen thought Cristina would do.
"But," his mother continued. "She did say if you wanted to discuss the situation, you know where she works and where she lives and she would be willing to listen to what you had to say."
"She said that?" he was surprised.
"Yes, at least she is willing to listen to you. That's something, isn't it? She's putting out an olive branch, right?" his mom said, hopefully.
"It's more complicated than that, mom," he said. "Much more complicated than that. It may take more than a talk to resolve this situation."
"Well, talking is a start," she said.
"I know you mean well, mom but I wish you would just leave this alone," he said. He got up and threw away what was left of his toast.
"You two exasperate me so much," Susannah said, as she put away her groceries. "At least, I tried."
Owen quietly helped his mother put away the rest of the groceries. He then went to his bedroom and lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. It was rare he was ever home on a Saturday. Usually, he would be heading into town and picking up Cristina so they could go driving but obviously, that was not going to be.
The rest of the weekend was spent in quiet reflection for Owen. Dr. Webber had come across for Sunday lunch and he nodded sympathetically in Owen's direction. Owen nodded back in acknowledgement. Susannah did not miss the exchange between the two men but still, no one would reveal anything to her. She was so frustrated by it all. Also, the absence of Cristina at the dining table was glaringly obvious and weighed on everyone's minds.
On Monday, Owen had made up his mind to confront Cristina. He needed to know why she did it. He hd to know why she did not tell him. He did not go to the mercantile directly but decided to go to the diner and wait for her. He knew she would come to the diner for lunch.
Teddy came over. "Hey, Owen. Where's Cristina?" she asked. "She's usually here with you."
"Just waiting for her," he said. He didn't want to divulge anything further.
"Okay, what do you want to order?" she asked.
"Just a hamburger and fries," he said. "And some lemonade."
"Okay," she said. "Coming right up with that."
He sat there, staring out of the window. He contemplated what he was going to say to her. He was still thinking, when he finally saw the flash of ebony curls. She was not alone. She and that Avery kid were walking towards the diner. He groaned because he did not want any third party around, when he had this discussion.
Jackson and Cristina were having a lively conversation about a funny incident at the mercantile that day and they were both giggling by the time they entered the diner. They did not even notice Owen sitting at the other end of the diner. It was when they finally took their seats that they saw him. He was looking directly at them.
"Ooh, there is a pair of eyes watching us," Jackson said. He was aware that there was a rift between Hunt and Cristina. He knew that because Hunt did not turn up on Saturday to pick her up at the mercantile. He noticed that Cristina was walking home by herself, that day. She had looked a little sad, when she left.
"Yeah, I noticed," Cristina said. Teddy came over and took their orders. Jackson ordered for the both of them – a soup and salad for Cristina and spaghetti and meatballs for himself.
"Coming right up," Teddy said. She was surprised to see Cristina with Jackson. Didn't Owen tell her that he was waiting for Cristina? It was certainly clear to her that Cristina wasn't there to meet Owen. There was something going on between those two.
She brought out Owen's hamburger order. "There you go, Owen."
"Thanks, Teddy," he said, without even looking at her. She followed his gaze. He was staring, intently at the couple sitting on the other side of the room.
"Why don't you go talk to her?" Teddy said. "It's obvious that you want to."
"Not right now," he responded. He bit into a fry and started chewing but he really wasn't tasting it. He noted the way the Avery kid had pulled out her chair and had ordered for the both of them. As if they were a couple, he thought. That Avery kid was like a vulture. Just hanging around and waiting to pick up what was left.
He was bitter about it all. It wasn't as if he and Cristina were totally done, he thought. There were things that needed to be said between the two of them. He cringed every time he heard them laugh. How dare they laugh like that when he was suffering like this? Didn't they know that he was dying on the inside?
Cristina was laughing, yes, but her laughter was just covering up her sorrow. She did think she was laughing a little too much at Avery's jokes, even though she didn't really find them all that funny. She didn't want Owen to think that she was pining for him. After all, he was the one who had looked at her like if she was a piece of garbage.
He finished his lunch and paid his bill at the cash register. It was going to be now or never, he thought. He walked across, confidently to Cristina's table. He cleared his throat before he spoke.
"Crisitina, Avery," he said, acknowledging them both. "Cristina, I was wondering whether we could have a discussion, soon about our situation."
"I am having lunch right now," she said. "I don't think that now is a good time." She bent her head to indicate Avery's presence.
"I can see that," he said. "Can I come by tonight?" She nodded. "Yes, If you wish," she said.
"Good," he answered. "I will be by around 7.30 p.m."
"That's good with me," she said. "I should be home from work by then." Jackson found their conversation to be very polite in a strained sort of way. He could feel the undercurrent of discord between the two of them. This discussion must be important, he thought.
Owen nodded, as he left. He drove back to the farm to go back to work. That hadn't gone quite the way he had hoped. He hadn't expected Avery to be there but at least, he was going over to her house that night.
He was very nervous during dinner, his mother noticed. He hurriedly ate his meal, much faster than expected.
"Slow down, son, you are going to get indigestion," she said.
"I told Cristina I was going to be at her house at 7.30. I don't want to be late," he said.
"Good, good, Owen, that is terrific news," she said. Maybe this was finally going to be fixed once and for all.
He looked at his mother, who was so hoping for the best. "We're going to have a discussion, mom. It doesn't mean that it is going to work out in the end." He was preparing her for the fact that maybe, their situation may be too dire to fix. After all, he was still very angry and extremely hurt.
"At least you're talking," Susannah said, brightly.
Back at her cottage, Cristina took a bath and changed into her pajamas. She lay on the couch, awaiting Owen's arrival. Meredith was over at the sheriff's place. It was just as well; she didn't particularly want Meredith to hear their loud arguments. She was certain that voices were going to be raised and angry words were going to be said. She was not looking forward to this. She was pretty sure that she was going to end up, crying.
She closed her eyes and promptly fell asleep. It was the knocking on her door that woke her up. She looked at the clock. 7.30. If anything, Owen was very punctual.
She got up, took a brief look at herself in the mirror in the foyer, fixed her curls and took a deep breath, before opening the front door.
"Owen," she said. "Come in." He came in and took a seat in an armchair. "Would you like anything to drink? Coffee?" He shook his head, he didn't want any caffeine; he was already hyped up.
"Well, I guess you are here to say something," she said. "Say it."
"I am really here to ask one question," he said. "Why did you do this?"
A/N: Please leave your comments. Thank you for your input.