"Alright darling?"
Abi nodded and made her way to the kitchen. She still found it strange that the place she'd grown up in was no longer her home.
"What's all this about then?"
"Have you had any dinner yet?"
"No, I was now about to start a stir fry."
"I'll do it for you if you like."
"What are you up to?" dad questioned.
"Nothing!"
"Then what's got into you? Not like you to wait on me."
Abi pretended to look shocked. "I don't know what you mean."
Max's face turned serious and she could read all of the concern in his eyes. He'd always worried about her to much.
"Dad, I'm fine," Abi promised. "I've just missed you, that's all."
"I missed you too." Max brought his daughter into a hug. "It's not the same without you here. But you are happy, aren't you?"
Abi nodded.
"Because if you're not, you tell me and-"
"There's no need to go after Jamie, dad. Everything between us is fine."
"Good, but if-"
"Dad, seriously," Abi laughed. "Me and Jamie are doing well."

Abi waited until after they'd eaten before she told Max her news. She hadn't exactly lied to him earlier on, she was happy, but something had been playing on her mind a lot recently and she didn't know what to do. She needed Max's opinion.
"So there's actually something I need to talk to you about." Abi put her knife and fork down and took a sip of her water.
"Yeah?"
She nodded but didn't say anything, causing Max to panic.
"What is it, Abi? What's the matter?"
"It honestly isn't a big deal but can you just promise me that you won't be mad at me first?"
"How can I promise that when I don't even know what it is?"
"Please, dad."
"Okay, fine. I promise."
Abi tried to find the right words to explain her news to Max but they were all scrambled up in her brain. Instead she took something out of her bag and handed it to her father.
"Abi, please tell me this isn't what I think it is."
"You promised me you wouldn't be mad."
"And did you really believe I wouldn't be? Abi, you are pregnant."
"I know that."
"Jamie is the father I take it?"
"Of course he is. Who else would it be?"
Max put his head in his hand. "Oh, Abi. You've only known this guy a few months."
"I know I messed up, okay? And I have no idea how this happened-"
"I think I've got a clue."
"I'm on the pill, dad."
"Alright, I don't need to know."
"I haven't even decided what I'm going to do yet. If I keep it then..." Abi trailed off.
"You know, if you had said this to me two years ago, when you were with Jay-"
"Dad, please. We don't need to bring him into this."
"Just let me finish. If you were pregnant then, you know I would have marched you right down to that clinic and made you get rid of it straight away."
"But now?"
"But now things are different."
"Because Jay isn't the father?"
"Because you aren't at university, you're not going anywhere with your life."
"Oi!"
"It's true, isn't it? You've just about given up."
"I haven't given up. I'm at school, aren't I? I'm going to retake my A Levels. I am going to go to uni."
"Then why are you considering this? I wouldn't have been the only one who wanted you to have an abortion, Abs."
"I would have wanted one too," Abi agreed.
As soon as Max had seen the positive pregnancy test he'd wanted to scream at Abi to get an abortion. But by now he'd learnt that shouting had never got them anywhere and he didn't want to argue with his little girl anymore. At least now he'd realised how to play mind tricks with Abi.
"Then what is different this time?" Max asked.
"I wouldn't have to do it yet, uni I mean. I could have this baby and then go."
"But?"
"But I don't want to miss out on anything more than I already have. I want to be a vet, dad."
"And you will be, Abs."
That was it. Abi had made up her mind. Nothing had changed since the last time she had a pregnancy scare, except this time it was real. It didn't matter who it was Jay, Jamie or even Ben, Abi came first and she had to do this for herself. She had to get rid of the baby, and Jamie could never know.

"Morning, beautiful."
"Morning." Abi gave Jamie a peck on the lips.
"You fancy meeting up for lunch today. I'll take you out somewhere nice, my treat."
"Why? What have you done?"
"Nothing, can't I treat my gorgeous lady to lunch?"
"Usually I would let you, but I can't today."
"Why not?"
"I already made plans with Bernadette, we have a school project to work on," Abi lied. "But maybe tomorrow."
Jamie nodded. "Tomorrow. It's a date." He kissed her on the cheek. "I'll see you later then babe."
"See you later."
Abi hated lying to him but she couldn't let him find out about this. She knew it would only go two ways; he'd try and convince her to keep it, and he would probably succeed, or he'd break up with her and Abi didn't want either of them to happen. That's why she had kept all this on the down low, only Max knew and Abi was positive that he would never tell anybody. So it was just them today going to the clinic today. Abi wanted this problem out of the way as soon as possible.

Jay struggled to get out of bed. He'd had such a stressful day yesterday worrying about Abi and Lola giving him grief that he'd headed to the pub last night for a drink. And then one drink turned into two and two turned into three. He knew he needed to stop these late night binges but he couldn't stand being apart from Abi much longer.
He poured himself a glass of water and swallowed a couple of paracetamol to take the pain away.