A Novel New Year's Eve

by pjean19

When Abigail Becker runs away to the small town of Cherin Cove, she only wants to do one thing: immerse herself in as many books as possible, and forget everything else. But when she gets to know one of the town's dock hands, she finds herself wondering if the adventure off the page might be just as thrilling - and healing - as the one within. (Mildly AU/slightly crack fic)

12. Brotherly Advice

Chapter 12: Brotherly Advice

The morning of the tenement party was a flurry of activity.

Abby folded napkins and arranged cookies on a tray and ran to the store for a few last-minute items. She swept the sidewalk in front of the tenement, set extra towels in the wash rooms, and helped hang up the festive garlands that Sadie had made for the party. Everyone in the family was focused on their personal list of tasks, even the children, and while the atmosphere was cheerful, there was an urgency in the air, too, which made Abby all the more convinced that coming home early had been the right decision.

The courtyard behind the tenement - really just an empty area with benches on each end - was normally rather stark in appearance, but with all of the decorations up it looked bright and festive and ready to welcome guests. A long buffet table laden with food served as the visual centerpiece, and there was a drink station off to one side of the yard so that the foot traffic for each respective spot would be kept to a minimum. You never could tell if the guests would trickle in or all come at once, but the Beckers knew, from past experience, that it paid to be prepared.

Tables and chairs had been set up all around the courtyard's perimeter so the guests could sit and chat, and Miriam would soon take up her seat at the table closest to the buffet with Lily at her side so that they could socialize with those who passed through. Sadie would be stationed at the courtyard entrance to welcome all who arrived, and Judith would mingle throughout the party, trying her best to connect with as many of the tenants as she could. As such, it would be a minor miracle for any guest to make it through the event without being greeted by at least two or three Beckers, which probably was a bit much for some, but certainly served to ensure people knew that they were welcomed at the affair.

Abby herself wasn't naturally inclined to schmoozing and small talk, but she enjoyed longer in-depth conversations and the chance to catch up with some of the tenants she was closer to, and as the time for the party approached, she found herself eagerly anticipating the conversations to come. It wasn't as though she never spoke to these good people in passing, but something about the setting made discourse feel more relaxed and special than an occasional chat on the stairs.

As it turned out, by the time she'd made her way downstairs, the first of the guests had already arrived.

Abby was arranging a large bouquet of flowers on the buffet table when a familiar, enthusiastic voice suddenly exclaimed behind her,

"Wow, what a spread!"

Reluctantly, she paused her efforts, propping up one of the flowers that had been knocked askew before turning around to engage the new arrival.

"Hello, Les. Here for your annual visit?"

"You bet!" The young man grinned as he eyed the array of refreshments that had been assembled behind her. "I wouldn't miss out on your mom's apple cake for the world!"

Normally, Abby would have simply let the conversation lapse at this point, for she had no interest in talking to Les (and was fairly certain that the feeling was mutual), but her better self, recently galvanized by her time in Cherin Cove, came to the forefront, and instead she heard herself say in as pleasant a tone as she could muster,

"How have you been lately? It's been a while since we've seen each other."

Les gave her an incredulous look, no doubt as shocked by the civility as she was, but his mild suspicion soon gave way to a smile, for if there was one thing that he enjoyed doing, it was talking about himself.

"I've been right as rain!" he declared. "Did David tell you I got promoted at Morganstein's?"

Abby shook her head.

"Well, it's true." Les struck a pose as though he was the head waiter at some fancy restaurant. "I've got my own name badge and everything now, and sometimes I even get to open the shop in the morning when Mr. Morganstein wants to sleep in!"

The urge to respond sarcastically (even if mildly and only in her head) was tempting, but Abby once again refrained from acting on the impulse.

"You must be doing good work for your employer to trust you with such an important task," she said instead. "It sounds like you're enjoying your job."

"You betcha. The pay's not bad, and it's never boring." Les cocked his head curiously. "How 'bout you? David told me you've been doing pretty well for yourself at The Trib."

"I'm currently the interim lead editor for the entertainment pages while the company looks to fill the position," Abby replied, trying not to sound too puffed up.

"No kidding!" Les' eyebrows rose. "I bet you're a whiz at that!"

The compliment was another surprise in this uncharacteristically-agreeable exchange, and Abby found herself saying modestly, "I get the job done."

"Maybe they'll let you stay on for keeps," Les suggested. "Seems like it'd be a lot easier to just hire in-house instead of going through all the trouble of interviewing people."

"Maybe," Abby conceded (for the thought had crossed her mind before). "But the newspaper industry is still very much a man's world. It's harder to shoulder your way into a position like that when you're a woman - let alone a young woman. I'm just trying to make the most of it for now."

Les nodded. "Aren't we all."

He looked like he was about to ask Abby another question, but before he could, his eyes lit up as he caught sight of someone entering the courtyard. "Hey, there's your mom! I'm gonna see if she needs any help with those cakes she's carrying."

So saying, he gave Abby a little nod. "I'll see you around!"

And with that, he hurried off, cheerfully greeting Miriam Becker and doffing his bowler hat with the alacrity of one who knew that he was highly favored by the object of his salutations and would, no doubt, be soon invited to partake of the very cakes that he was offering to handle.

Abby shook her head as she watched him go, but there was no true disdain in it. Even if she thought it slightly parasitical of Les to show up every year for the tenement party (usually just in time to eat), he was technically family, so she supposed that he still merited an unofficial invitation, even if he was no longer a tenant himself.

And this last conversation with him hadn't been terrible. In fact, it had been almost pleasant. Abby could count on one had the number of times she'd actually enjoyed talking to Les previous to this encounter (which was rather pitiful, given that they'd seen each other almost every day in school for several years), but if there hadn't been a long track record of low-level dislike between them, she almost wouldn't have minded talking to him more if he was as pleasant as he'd been just now…

…though, now that she thought about it, maybe it had been her attempts at pleasantness that had made their exchange more palatable.

Whatever the case, things had gone better than expected, and Abby turned back to arranging the flowers on the buffet table with more enthusiasm than before.

By the time she finished, it was five minutes to noon, and more guests had already begun trickling into the courtyard. Several of them called out to her, welcoming her home and wanting to know how her visit to Long Island had been, and before she knew it, she was pulled into an enthusiastic conversation that eventually led to her sitting down with several tenants to chat over their plates of delicious food. She didn't disclose nearly as much to them as she had to her sisters, but even recounting her visit to Cherin Cove in a superficial manner was enjoyable, and the minutes passed by as she spoke and listened, sharing her own story and then getting caught up on all the tenement happenings that had transpired in her absence.

Once she'd finished her food, she went to go check on her sisters. It would have been nice to linger at the table longer (and perhaps to go for a second round at the buffet), but she knew that Sadie and Judith had their hands full, and she'd promised not to leave them with all of the work.

Judith, it turned out, didn't need any help at the moment, for she'd just sat down for her own lunch, but Sadie was still standing by the courtyard entrance greeting guests, and Abby made her way over, waiting until her sister had finished her conversation with a tenant before approaching.

"Is there anything you need?" she asked. "I can take over welcoming people if you want to go get a bite to eat."

Sadie gave her a small smile. "That's kind of you, Abby…but I have to confess I hardly have an appetite at the moment!" Lowering her voice, she confided, "I'm so nervous about giving the toast this afternoon. Papa always did it so perfectly, and knew exactly what to say, and I fear that even my best efforts will pale in comparison!"

Abby made a sympathetic sound. "Papa is a tough act to follow," she agreed. "He had a knack for making people feel welcomed and included." Pausing for a moment, she let her gaze drift over the courtyard with its cheerful decorations, mouth-watering spread, and socializing guests. "But everything has turned out well so far, and as hard as it is to not have Papa here today, I think you're the perfect person to be giving the toast in his place."

"What do you mean?" Sadie looked incredulous. "Judith's far more composed, and you're far more learned. Mama would have been a better fit by virtue of her position as landlady, and even Davey or John could have accomplished the task in a far more eloquent fashion. I only agreed to speak because no one else wanted to do it."

Abby smiled. "The rest of us probably could have done a decent job," she conceded, "...but like I said, you're the perfect person to be giving the toast in Papa's place." She looked her sister in the eye. "Out of all of us, you're the one who's most like him."

Sadie didn't respond at first, dropping her gaze to her hands which were curled into the fabric of her skirt…

…but then Abby saw tears begin to well up in her eyes.

"You really believe that?" she whispered.

Abby nodded. "It's the first time I've ever thought about it, but it's true. You have Papa's affectionate nature and his warm way of speaking, and you can turn even the most standoffish tenants into friends if they so much as give you a chance - just like he could." She smiled. "I used to think your outgoing personality was a little much, but now that I've realized how hard it is to enfold people, I appreciate how effortlessly you do it."

She patted her sister on the back, a little awkwardly, but fondly. "Fret if you must, but for what it's worth, I think Papa would be proud to see you carrying on the tradition that he started."

Sadie's eyes were completely glassy now, and tears began to trickle down her cheeks.

"Oh, come on, Sadie!" Abby chided. "Don't start crying, or you'll end up wailing your way through the toast!"

"I know," her sister sniffled, "but you've made me happy, and I miss Papa, and it's all so bittersweet that I simply can't help myself!"

"Go eat something," Abby suggested, taking the other woman by the shoulders and turning her in the direction of the buffet table. "I can stay here and greet any last minute guests."

"Actually, I think they've all arrived," Sadie admitted with another sniffle. "So I'll do as you say. I ought to go relieve Davey at the drink station, though - perhaps after I've found a handkerchief. I don't think he's had a chance to eat yet, either."

"I'll take over for him," Abby promised. "Why don't you dry your eyes and then go get some food? I'll send David over to join you."

Her sister agreed to the suggestion and thanked her, then went off in search of a handkerchief.

Abby made her way over to the table where the drinks had been set up at the far end of the yard, hailing her brother-in-law who had been ladling out lemonade and citrus punch to the guests.

"I'll take over for a while," she announced cheerfully. "Your wife's a blubbering mess, and you ought to go attend to her and get a bite to eat while you're at it."

David's expression immediately became alarmed, but when his eyes darted to Sadie (who seemed to be having a perfectly normal conversation with a tenant on the other side of the yard), a look of confusion crossed his face.

"She was happy-crying," Abby explained, amused by his bewilderment. "I told her to go find a handkerchief and to get some food, but it looks like she got caught up in a conversation instead."

"Oh." David glanced down at the ladle in his hand, then back towards his wife. "Should I go break it up? She's smiling, but is she feeling all right?"

"She's fine," Abby assured him. "Just a little over-emotional. But you ought to go get yourself a plate of food, and get one for Sadie while you're at it. Then you can take it to her so she can eat without having to leave the conversation."

"That's a great idea." David hooked the ladle on the side of the punch bowl. "Are you sure you don't mind serving drinks? I'll try to be quick."

"Take your time," Abby replied. "I already ate, so I've got nowhere to be."

So saying, she shooed her brother-in-law off to the buffet table, then assumed his spot, pouring herself a cup of lemonade and observing the party as she sipped the tangy beverage.

It was the first time she'd been alone with her thoughts since the festivities had started, and she realized that she was actually enjoying herself far more than she'd expected. The deep sadness that she'd dreaded would overwhelm her at this very gathering had yet to materialize, and she found herself wondering why she'd been so certain that running away had been preferable to being here among family and friends.

Before she had time to dwell on the thought any further, several guests approached the drink table in search of refreshment, and she snapped out of her ruminiton to serve them and chat for a while, then refilled the punch bowl from the crocks that had been stored under the table.

Just as she'd finished that task, she looked up to see David returning.

"Did you even eat?" she queried. "You've been gone less than half an hour."

"A few minutes more than that, but yes, I did eat, thanks." Her brother-in-law sat down next to her behind the table. "Everything was good, especially the chicken sandwiches, and the meat pies that Judith made reminded me of the part in Ascent to Pine Ridge where Willie Birdwhistle and the Culpeppers have a picnic in the woods."

"I was trying to figure out why they seemed so familiar!" Abby exclaimed. "You're right - that's exactly what they were like - rosemary garnishes and everything. You'd almost think that Judith had read the book, but she's not one for adventure tales, so I'm sure that the similarities are just coincidence."

"Most likely," David agreed. He stuck his hands in his pockets, looking like he was thinking hard about something, then said abruptly, "Speaking of coincidence, Sadie told me that you made friends with a former newsboy while you were in Cherin Cove."

The none-too-deft change of subject surprised Abby, and she couldn't help but frown a little.

"She didn't say much more than that," David said, catching her disgruntled look, "so you don't need to worry about any secrets being spilled. It just made me curious since it sounds like we could have been contemporaries."

"Maybe…" Abby answered doubtfully. "He was a Brooklyn boy, though, and closer to my age than yours. I never learned his newsie name, either."

"Well, I'm sure he made an impression if he was a Brooklyn boy," David said with a smile. "They're not the kind to blend into the background."

This piqued Abby's interest.

"What's the big deal about Brooklyn?" she queried. "Skip - he's the newsboy I met - mentioned that they were different from the other newsies, but I'd be interested to know how they were seen by people outside of their group."

"Well, I can only speak for the Brooklyn newsies I knew," David clarified, "but from what I observed - and from what I understood from the way my friends reacted - Brooklyn was always one of the strongest and most intimidating territories. They were known for being orderly, stoic, and disciplined, and they had a strong leadership structure that included a vast intelligence network."

"Skip mentioned something about that," Abby remembered.

"It was pretty phenomenal, honestly. The Manhattan newsies were a lot less serious - and a lot less organized - so the contrast was pretty stark whenever our lodging houses had to interface."

There was respect and maybe a bit of awe in his voice (which surprised Abby, given that, to her understanding, David was far from a nobody in the newsie world himself), and she couldn't help asking, "Were you scared of them?"

David smiled. "A little. But I tried not to show it." The grin grew on his face as he added, "If I ever get to meet this friend of yours, I promise I'll try not to embarass you by quailing too much."

"He's not intimidating or stoic at all," Abby assured him. "The opposite, actually. He's an excellent conversationalist and one of the most friendly people I've ever met in my life."

"Sounds like he'd get along well with Sadie."

"He probably would. They'd talk for all of two seconds and be instant chums, and then woe to any shy or reticent soul within several square miles! The poor victims would be caught in an irresistible whirlwind of friendship, whether they liked it or not."

David chuckled. "I suppose we can count ourselves among their number."

Abby nodded. "It's disorienting at first when you get pulled in…but then you don't mind it so much."

"Indeed." David's gaze wandered to his wife who was conversing with a guest on the other side of the yard. "Sometimes you don't mind it so very much at all."

The fondness in his expression provoked something in Abby, and she found herself asking suddenly,

"How do you know when there's more to a friendship than just…well…friendship?"

David's eyebrows rose. "You mean…like when a friendship has romantic potential?"

Abby felt her cheeks warm a little, but she nodded. "Yes, that's what I mean."

The faintest hint of amusement appeared on her brother-in-law's face, but thankfully he didn't tease or inquire about the impetus to her question.

"Well, I'm sure it's different from person to person," he began, "but for me, I knew that I saw your sister as more than a friend when I started having a hard time keeping her out of my mind. I thought about her constantly - when I was selling papers, when I was in school, before I fell asleep at night…I wanted her to succeed and worried about her safety and whenever I saw her happy, it felt like the most wonderful thing in the world."

"So you turned into a lovesick sap," Abby concluded dryly.

"To a degree." David shook his head as though the memory amused him, then added, "That makes it sound a lot simpler than it was, though. In reality, it took me a long time to admit that I was in love with Sadie. Our friendship was so valuable that I didn't want to ruin what we already had. And on top of that, I'd been told on no uncertain terms not to pursue a romantic relationship with the landlord's daughter - but that's a story for another time. Suffice to say, there were a lot of obstacles between me realizing that I wanted our friendship to become something more and me actually acting on it."

"So what made you decide to take the chance?"

David smiled. "Well, Sadie gave me a little…indirect encouragement, I guess you could say. It made me realize that she was the kind of person I could reveal my heart to, and that even if a romantic relationship wasn't what she wanted, we could still be friends." Looking thoughtful, he added, "Conversely, that encouragement also made me realize that if I didn't act soon, I'd lose her to someone else eventually. I didn't want to regret not saying anything just because I was too afraid of rejection. So I plucked up my courage, and thankfully she didn't shoot me down."

"We were all glad when you finally got together," Abby told him. "I think at least half of us would've shot Sadie down if she'd said 'no' to you and we lost the chance to rope you into the family."

"Well, I'm glad you weren't opposed to the idea," David smiled. "Your family…well, in a lot of ways, you've been more accepting of me than my own family has been. It's meant a lot."

Their conversation was briefly interrupted as several guests approached the drink station in search of a refill, and Abby mulled over David's words as he served them.

She considered her brother-in-law to be the member of the family she was closest to after her sisters, for they shared similar temperaments as well as a mutual love of books, and David had never talked down to her despite the difference in their ages. As such, he had always been a confidant to Abby, and though she'd never asked him for relationship advice before, it hadn't felt as awkward as she'd expected. Knowing that there had been some hesitation on his part - and maybe even some confusion about where he'd stood with Sadie - before they'd officially paired off made her feel a little less sheepish about her own confusion when it came to Skip, and she found herself desirous to plumb the subject further - even if she wasn't going to say so outright.

Once David had finished serving the guests and they were alone again, she was about to reinitiate their conversation, but to her surprise, he beat her to the punch.

"I take it that you're doing your own evaluation right now to discern whether your friendship with Skip has the potential to become something more?"

This very un-David-like directness shocked Abby, and though a part of her was relieved that he'd honed in on the issue, she couldn't help but sputter, "Of all the people in this family, I would have thought you the least likely to jump to conclusions!"

David laughed. "I know, it's not like me, is it? You don't have to answer if you don't want to. But I am curious."

"You're starting to sound like Judith."

"Well, in the spirit of full disclosure, she ordered me to 'get whatever information I could' out of you this morning," David admitted. "But I'm asking for myself in this case."

"I'm twenty-five," Abby reminded him pointedly. "I don't need to be looked after like a little girl."

"You're right, you don't." The corners of David's mouth turned up just slightly. "And I promise, I'm not trying to be overbearing…but I'm your older brother, and I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't show a disproportionate amount of interest in this fellow who seems to have waltzed his way into my little sister's good graces."

"Why is everyone so astonished by the fact that I've spoken well of a young man?"

The smile on David's face grew. "I don't think it's so much that we're astonished as it is that we just want to see you happy. And it seems like this fellow makes you happy, ergo…"

"All right, all right," Abby conceded. She let the conversation lapse for a moment, then said abruptly, "Sadie did tell you that nothing came of our connection, right?"

David looked surprised.

"No…" he said slowly. "She didn't. Like I said, all she told me is that you'd met a former newsboy during your stay."

"Yes, well, there's nothing going on between said former newsboy and me, so you can put all your speculations and big-brotherly concern to rest," Abby said, more testily than she meant to.

It was the same defensiveness that had nearly spoiled her conversation with her sisters the night before, and her heart sank, knowing that she'd succumbed to it yet again in the heat of the moment.

Why was it so hard to talk to people about this? She wanted David's opinion and his advice, for she trusted his judgment and knew that she needed more perspective on the situation than her limited mindset could afford…but something about admitting to confusion and disappointed hope felt frightening, and despite the progress that she'd made opening up the night before, something was still holding her back now.

It would have been easier to just write everything off and say, as she had when she'd said goodbye to Skip, that this was simply a chapter in her life that had closed for good. But it seemed that her family wasn't going to let the matter lie. And their interest - and persistence - had made her realize that she wasn't as resigned in her own heart as she'd have liked to be.

"If you're sure nothing will come of pursuing it further, then don't let any of us push you," David's voice brought her back to the present. "You know the situation - and your own feelings - better than we do." He looked her in the eye, then added gently, "But take it from someone who hesitated and then almost lost the person he loved because of that hesitation: sometimes it's worth it to take a risk. Even if you're unsure of the outcome."

"I don't think I'd get the same results as you," Abby muttered. "You said that Sadie gave you indirect encouragement. I don't have a single shred of evidence that Skip cares."

"I mean…" David scratched his head, "...I could be wrong, but willingly driving six hours round trip in the middle of the night on New Year's Day in the snow doesn't sound like something most people would do if they didn't care at least a little. I'm not saying it has to be romantic at all - Skip could just be the type of friend who will go out of his way for people, which is a commendable thing - but I doubt he feels as utterly indifferent as you make him sound."

Abby snorted.

"You never answered my question, by the way," David said with frustratingly-unflappable focus. "Are you surreptitiously trying to assess the romantic potential between you and Skip? Or did you just decide today was a good day to ask me about my former experience as - to use your words - 'a lovesick sap'?"

"I don't know what to make of this side of you," Abby grumbled. "You were supposed to let me fish for information without exposing my underlying motives."

"That would have made the conversation unnecessarily convoluted."

"But it would have kept my pride intact."

David chuckled, and she could hear the fondness in his voice as he said gently, "Abby…there's no reason to be ashamed of falling in love."

"Says the man who literally ran into a lamp post once because his future wife waved to him from across the street. Don't think I've forgotten that, David; I was right next to you, and I remember like it was yesterday."

"Okay, maybe some parts are a little embarrassing," he conceded. "That wasn't one of my better moments…but being a tad foolish on occasion is one of those rites of passage, and in time it doesn't feel quite so strange or disorienting. Besides," he added, "letting go of at least some pride is important in romantic relationships. You'll be in for a lot of unnecessary heartache if you're not willing to be humbled every once in a while."

"That doesn't sound fun at all."

"Sometimes it isn't. There are a lot of difficult conversations that have to be had when conflicts and misunderstandings arise. It's not like the flickers or the novels make it out to be - at least, not from what I've observed. It's two people with different personalities and experiences trying to find common ground and learn how to work through things together. If patience and humility aren't part of the equation, it's going to be a long, hard road."

This rather sobering revelation surprised Abby, for in her uninitiated perspective, David and Sadie seemed to have an idyllic relationship. She'd never seen them quarrel (though maybe she just hadn't been paying enough attention), and though their personalities were as different as night and day, it seemed to be a case of complementary strengths rather than a potential impetus for conflict.

"There are lots of lighthearted moments, too," David said, as though he could read her thoughts. "I'm not trying to make romantic relationships sound like a drudgery, because they aren't. Far from it. But I'm trying to be honest about the reality of certain things so that you don't have unrealistic expectations for yourself when it comes to this situation with Skip."

"I just wish everything was more simple," Abby admitted. "I do like him, but I'm not going to chase him like some addlepated flirt, and I wish that I knew what he thought about me so that I could get on with the business of either working towards a romantic relationship with him or forgetting the notion before it hurts too much to hold on to!"

It was the most straightforward she'd been on the subject to date, and though it felt embarrassingly honest to disclose, a part of her felt immensely relieved to have it out in the open.

David looked thoughtful, and Abby took another sip of lemonade as she watched him ponder.

"What if…you gave him some indirect encouragement?" he asked after a moment.

It was the same words he'd used before when describing his situation with Sadie, and Abby's interest was piqued.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, maybe you can do something to show Skip that you care. It doesn't have to be romantic - just something that demonstrates your appreciation for him and for what he's done for you. And then you can see how he responds. If he doesn't act any differently, then you'll have confirmation that maybe this is simply a friendship of mutual respect. Those relationships are valuable in and of themselves, and you can adjust your approach accordingly. But if he is interested, you showing some initiative might be the push that he needs to take a risk himself. Who knows? Maybe he's just as unsure about you as you are about him."

The thought had never occurred to Abby, and she mulled it over for a moment.

It seemed like a reasonable idea overall. Skip had done a lot for her, and she liked the idea of reciprocating. The skeptical part of her still doubted that there was any interest on his side…but doing something kind was fairly low-risk, and if she really did want to get to know him better, she had to be willing to act on that desire.

The only question was what she ought to do to demonstrate her appreciation. She didn't have the kind of skills that would lend themselves easily to handmade gifts, so things like embroidered handkerchiefs and knitted blankets were out of the question. She was an adequate baker, but nothing she knew how to make would be special enough. She supposed that she could buy something, for money wasn't really an issue, but that seemed so impersonal…

A dilemma to be pondered at another time, she decided. At least she had an idea now of how to proceed.

"I'll try it," she said to David. "I'd like to do something for Skip, anyway, and if doing so helps me get a better idea of where we stand, so much the better." She gave her brother-in-law a slight smile. "You know, you're not bad at giving relationship advice, David. I never would have expected it of you."

"Well, you can thank your sister for that," he replied. "It's been a learning experience, but it helps when you have a partner who's as affectionate and forgiving as Sadie is." Smiling, he added, "I know romance isn't easy, Abby…but I'm glad you're not giving up. And I want you to know that I'm in your corner, no matter what happens. I'll be here to listen, to talk if you want…and even to interrogate my little sister's very first beau, if it comes to that."

Abby snorted, though inwardly she was touched. "You just want a chance to rake someone over the coals, don't you?"

"Maybe." David grinned. "If it happens, it happens. But we can talk about that another time. I think Judith is trying to get your attention."

Abby looked in the direction he was pointing and saw that her sister was, indeed, beckoning to her from the other side of the courtyard. Almost simultaneously, a family approached David to get some refills for the drinks, so she quickly bid her brother-in-law goodbye and left him to attend to his job while she, in turn, hurried over to her sister.

---

A/N: To be continued…

I promised that a canon character would appear eventually, and here he is! (Les also got thrown in for good measure because he's fun to write). Add a nice Hallmark-y veneer to the conversation, and boom, big brother!Davey giving some helpful (and maybe slightly sappy :P) relationship advice. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. A warm thank you to those who have been reviewing!