I meant what I said.

If I had a choice between seeing my parents again, or having billions of dollars, I’d choose getting my parents back.

I shocked myself too.  It’s taken me years to come to the realization that I shouldn’t have turned my back on them, and months to admit that I do miss them, despite the hardened feelings I formed about them so long ago.

The positive thing? I know my words of encouragement struck a cord with Abbey.  I think she realized why she couldn’t run away from her family.  No matter how much her family looks down their noses at her new relationship with me, they still need her.  I could see it on her mother’s face when I said hello, that look that told me she missed her daughter, that she’d do anything to get things back to the way they used to be.

And I want to help, if I can.

Dinner last night was quiet and very awkward.  Glasses clinked, flatware scratched against plates, and with the exception of Abbey’s dad, everyone at the table kept glancing between me, the boys, and Abbey, seeming to condemn our relationship to the core.  I wanted to...but I couldn’t say anything.  I knew damn well how hard it was for all of them to accept my presence.  I just hoped things would mellow out a little bit before the holiday began.  Abbey’s dad is the one person that’s seemed to be on our side since the beginning, welcoming the notion that Abbey was involved in a relationship with open arms.  He’s been treating me and the boys like members of the family.  It was slightly weird how he recognized me from the television, though.  I’m never called out like that back in the city.  People know who I am, but it’s not like I’m a celebrity.  I’m just some rich asshole who runs a major corporation on Wall Street, that’s it.

Still, I’d like to look over his investment portfolio with him.  By the look of things, I can tell Abbey’s family doesn’t have tons of money.  They’re strictly middle class, the house looks like it needs a good paint job and a new roof, but they seem to take it with a grain of salt.  This is how normal people live.  I guess I just...forgot was that was like, having to save for things, having to worry about bills.  It’s been so long since any of that has effected my life.  I look at them and I wish they could be rich like me.  I’d love to make it happen, but I can see her mother ripping up any check I would write to them in my face.  If she could, I’m sure she’d find a way to bring Braeden back from the dead to be with her daughter.  It’s unfortunate because I know how much Abbey and I have grown together over the past couple of months, how happy she is now.  

How in love we are.

It’s early.  Barely seven.  I couldn’t sleep.  Abbey and I decided it would be best if we slept in separate rooms for the time being, so her mother wouldn’t have another reason to get on her case.  I did it with a heavy heart.  It’s been months since I’ve slept without her right beside me.  I guess that explains why I’m wide awake right now, sitting on the couch with some coffee, switching between ESPN and Bloomberg Television, the volume turned down low so I won’t wake up the whole house.  My eyes float to the framed photographs on top of the entertainment center.  There’s so many of Abbey and Hannah.  I smile.  They were both cute kids.  I get up from the sofa to take a closer look.

Suddenly, I wish I hadn’t.

I recognize Braeden immediately, because his brother looks almost identical to him.  He’s sitting on a rock in front of an immaculate looking beach, Abbey leaning against him while his arms encircle her waist.  They’re smiling like they don’t have a care in the world.  I’ve only seen that smile on her face a few times before.  More so on this trip than any other time.  It’s the smile that let’s me know she’s completely content and happy.  Her eyes are filled with a magic that tells me how in love she is.  That she’s about to marry this guy.  My curiosity takes over me even more, and I pull the framed picture down to me, opening up the back to see if there is a date scrawled on the other side of the photo.

Virginia Beach, August 2000

I count the years off in my head, and realize it must have taken a year before he disappeared.

I draw in a long breath, and start to reassemble everything before a folded piece of paper stuck to the backing of the frame flutters to the floor.

I stare at it.

Put it back, I tell myself.

I crouch down to retrieve it, and try to put it back in the frame without it unfolding, but for whatever reason, it seems to pop open flat in my hands.  I see scrawled out, messy script lining the entire page, and I realize it’s a letter.  I peer closer at it...

To my Abbey Babsey...

I shouldn’t be reading this.  I look behind me and all around.  I’m alone, and my curiosity pulls at me more, willing me to scan the page with my eyes.

I gaze back at the paper, and realize I can’t help myself.  I begin to read.

To my Abbey Babsey,

I was looking through my things the other day and found a roll of film in the bottom of my duffle.  They actually have a one hour photo on our base now, can you believe that? I realized it was the last roll of film missing from the family trip to Virginia Beach last year, the one you swore you threw out.  There were a dozen pictures, so I picked my favorite one to send to you.  I think I’m smiling like a doofus in it, but you look beautiful.  I keep it with me always.  I hope you’ll carry your copy with you too.

It’s hotter than it’s ever been here, but I’m pulling through it the best I can.  I think back to our favorite mountain, hiking up it with you, the cool breeze on our face as we breathed in the crisp air, and I try to imagine that it’s the way things are here. There’s so much dust and dirt floating through the air that I can barely breathe sometimes.  It’s killing my allergies, but they have shots to keep my body in check.  

It’s worse here than it was a year ago, both environmentally and community wise.  The streets are war torn.  People are living in dilapidated slums everywhere we go.   There’s a lot of little kids running around the streets without clothes or shoes.  A bunch of us got on a truck yesterday and handed out care packages to them.  They mobbed us.  I tried to make sure everybody got something, but I know we couldn’t get to everybody, and I’m sure some kids still went to bed hungry.  It’s disheartening to know that none of these kids have families they can count on like we can.  I hope you’re all doing well and that Mark is keeping out of trouble.  Let him know that if he manages to fuck up I’ll find the first chopper out of here and come home to kick his ass.

The nights are long and lonely, and I find myself lying awake thinking about us.  Sometimes I wonder if I did the right thing, reenlisting.  Sometimes I wish I would have listened to you and stayed behind.  But then I see the look on those kids faces every time I’m able to give them something, and I know I’m doing something good here, even though most of the people that live here hate us, and try to kill us every day.  

I’m not supposed to tell you this, but I don’t see the point in keeping secrets from you, since I’ve never done it before in all these years.  As I write this, we’re gearing up for a mission.  We leave at dawn.  I’m not sure what it’s about, because they won’t tell us.  I’m a little afraid.  I’d only tell you that, Babs.  They all think I’m a big tough guy around here.  I try to be, but I know I’m not all that.  I need you to pray for me.  Can you do that? As long as I know you are, I’m sure I’ll get back safe, and home to you in a couple of months.  They tell me I may get leave for Thanksgiving or Christmas.  

I’ll end here.  I would rather stay up writing you a book all night, but I know I need some stamina for our four am wake up call.  Please send my love to everybody and give my mom a kiss.

I love you Abbey Babsey, and I’m marrying you when I come home.  I promise.

Love forever,
r32;Bray

10/27/01


I shove the letter back in the frame and close it up again before carefully returning it to it’s original place on the shelf.  I know that was the last thing he ever wrote to her, and I can understand why she would allow her family to keep it here at the house.  That way she wouldn’t be tempted to read the letter over and over again.

It’s so fucking sad.

I walk back to the couch and sit down slowly.

I realize that I don’t know if I could ever love Abbey the way that guy did.  It hits me right in the heart, and it hurts.

It’s no wonder it took her all these years to start over, no wonder why love is so much more important to her than it’s ever been to me.

It gets me wondering if I’m really good enough for her.  If I deserve her.

“Couldn’t sleep?”

I slowly pick my head up and see her standing there in her pajamas.  “No,” I say gently, forcing a small smile.  “I guess not.”

She smirks a little and makes her way over to sit beside me, sipping her coffee for a moment before placing the mug on the coffee table.  She looks into my eyes, and I can tell she knows I’m not at my best right now.  I have no intention of telling her why.

“You okay?” She reaches out and touches my face a little.  “Is my family driving you as crazy as they’re driving me?”

I shrug a little and put my hand on the one that’s touching my face, not saying anything as I gently press my lips to hers.  I breathe her in, try to see if there’s any doubt to how I feel about her.  If I really love her has much as I’ve convinced myself that I do.  But there’s no question.  I just...know it.  There’s nobody like her, and there never will be.  Her old boyfriend is long gone...and I need to snap out of it.

“Justin,” she laughs after we finish our kiss.  “What’re you doing?”

“Kissing you,” I whisper with a gentle laugh.  “I just felt like kissing you.”

She smirks and laughs softly.  “I thought we could go up to the mountain today, take the boys.  The rest of the family won’t be here until tonight, that’s when the real holiday party will start.  I’ll get mandated to kitchen duty after that.”

“Sure,” I nod.  “Anything you want.”

She kisses my cheek.  “I’m going to shower and get the boys out of bed, okay?”

“I’ll see you in a bit,” I call back to her as she saunters away from me. “Babsey,” I say to myself once she’s gone, with a bewildered chuckle.  “Weird.”

I finish my own coffee, before slurping down what’s left of Abbey’s, and bring our mugs into the kitchen, doing her mother the courtesy of rinsing them out before placing them in the dishwasher.  I turn around, ready to head up for my shower, and I nearly run right into Abbey’s mother before I can get more than three steps.  She shrieks a little.  “Shit.” I blurt out.

Great.

“Oh...I...I didn’t expect you to be up,” she says, laughing a little bit.

She sounds like Abbey does when she laughs.

“I didn’t mean to swear,” I flash her a nervous smile.  “Sorry.”

She nods a little.  “Are you two planning anything today?”

She asks me the question just as I’m about to walk away from her, and I know it took her a good solid minute to decide whether or not she was going to be nice to me this morning.  I don’t really want to get involved with her at the moment.  I don’t want to cause an issue, but she’s being nice, and I think Abbey would get pissed if she knew I ignored her mother on purpose.  “Um, Abbey said something about going to the mountain,” I tell her when I turn to look at her again.

“Well, that’s nice.”

She takes a mug out of the cabinet and slams the door shut.

I know she’s still really bitter about me being here.

“Mrs. Feldman...I...”

“You can call me Andrea,” she says softly as she pours herself a mug full of coffee.

“Okay...”  I trail off and suck in a breath.  “Andrea, I...I never meant to make you uncomfortable.”

She leans back against the counter and looks me up and down for several moments, taking me all in.  I must look like a mess, face full of stubble, hair frizzy, wearing nothing but a wifebeater and some flannel pajama pants.  “It’s just hard for me to understand why Abbey would be dating somebody like you.”

I lean back against the opposite counter and stare back at her for a few moments.  I get it.  I get why she would think that.  She looks at me and only sees my wealth and power.  She doesn’t know my backstory, and she doesn’t now that Abbey has been my emotional savior.  She doesn’t want to know.  She’s afraid.  Afraid that I’m going to hurt Abbey all over again.  “We have a lot in common.  It’s just...hard to see, I get that.  But I would never do anything to hurt her.  I...I love her.”

She presses her lips together and shrugs.  “It’s her life, Justin,” she sighs.  “I haven’t seen my daughter in four years.  I don’t know her anymore.  If she’s in love with you, I wish you both the best.”
“You can get to know her again,” I tell her.  “She’s the one that wanted to come home.  I know she misses you.”

“One thing you’ll learn about Abbey is she doesn’t know what’s best for her.  She gets attached to somebody, she loses them, and then she loses herself.”

She’s talking about Braeden, but really, I don’t understand how Abbey wasn’t supposed to spiral downward after the guy disappeared.  After reading that letter he wrote, I think any girl he was with would have done the same thing.  “I don’t think she could help how she felt when he...”

“His name was Braeden.”

She won’t look at me.  I know it’s a sour subject to talk about at seven in the morning, especially when this woman barely wants anything to do with me as it is.  “I’m sorry.  Braeden.  When Braeden disappeared.”

“Please don’t act like you know how any of that effected us, Justin,” she whispers, takes another sip of her coffee, and begins to walk away from me completely.  “Just make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into.”

It’s like they all resent Abbey.  They resent her for moving on, but why?  What is she supposed to do? Wait around? See if they ever come and tell her that he’s alive? She can’t.  She’s too good of a person to do that.  “She can’t wait around for him forever,” I say.  “He’s legally dead.  It should be a great thing that she’s moving forward.”

“Those documents were drawn up to settle Braeden’s affairs,” she snaps.

I sigh.  I know even if I respond to that, it won’t make a difference.  “I’m sorry I got involved,” I say gently.  “It’s not my place.”

“You’re right.”

She walks away from me.

I think warming up to Abbey’s family is out of the question now.  The woman isn’t even giving me a chance, and I’m sure when the rest of the extended family arrives for Thanksgiving, I’m going to be treated even worse.  I mean, it doesn’t bother me to the point that I want to leave.  I deal with assholes everyday in the business world, and I’m pretty immune to negativity, but I’m sure Abbey is going to grow even more uncomfortable because of it.  It really sucks, because I feel like she’ll end up telling me that she wants to go back home.  This was supposed to be a good visit, that would help her reconnect with her family and move forward with her life.

It’s anything but that for her though.

I just don’t know what to do.  I feel helpless.

I hate that.

“Justin!  Justin can we go to Chick-Fil-A today?”

I turn around and laugh when I lay my eyes on Austin.  This early in the morning and all he can think about is that fast food restaurant?  It helps me to ease up slightly, and I smile at him.  “Yeah, sure buddy, if you want.”

He smiles a little as he scratches the skin around his cast.  “Do we have to go to the mountains today?”

I step closer to him and ruffle his curly hair.  “It’ll make Abbey happy.  It’s been awhile since she’s been here.  She does a lot for us, Austin.  We should try to do something she wants to do.  Besides, you haven’t seen enough of the mountains yet.”

He shrugs.  “I’ve seen enough,” he mutters as he points to his cast.

I narrow my eyes at him.  “Austin.”

“Okay,” he groans.  “Fine.”

“Where’s your brother?”

“Abbey’s helping him get dressed,” he nods.  “She said that you have to take a shower.”

I chuckle.  “She’s right.”

I take him into the living room and put the TV on for him, warning him not to touch anything except for the remote while he’s alone down here.  He gives me his word, which at this point is pretty reliable, and I head upstairs to take my shower.  I take a quick one, tone down my stubble with my razor, and tame my frizz before throwing on a couple of layers of clothing.  When I get out of the bathroom, I begin to head back downstairs, but the conversation that catches my ears makes me stop and listen.

“Why can’t you just be happy for me?”

It’s Abbey.

“I’m trying to be.”  Her mother answers.  “But you have nothing in common with him!”

“You don’t even know him, mom! You’re not giving him a chance!  He didn’t have to come.  He came because he loves me.”

“And do you love him?”

“Of course I do.”

I smile.

“What about Braeden?”

Abbey is silent for a long time.  Her mother is really fucking messed up to say that to her.  It makes me want to storm in there and defend Abbey as hard as I can.

“Braeden is gone, mom.”

“That doesn’t mean you don’t love him anymore,” Andrea whispers.  “How is that fair to Justin?”

“I’ve moved on,” she states.  “I’m in love with Justin now.”

“I can tell that you’re lying to me, Abbey.  Everybody knows you’re lying, and it’s not fair to Barbara and Sammy.  They thought you were still in mourning and you show up with a complete stranger!”

“I CAN’T WAIT AROUND FOREVER!”

It’s the first time I’ve ever heard her scream at somebody like that.  Even in the beginning, when I was an arrogant fuck and pissing her off, she never screamed at me quite like that.  It scares me a little.  I didn’t know she was capable of it.  

“Then if you want to move on...if you’re completely serious about this guy and those boys, sign the papers so we can all get on with our lives.”

“This is about money,” she whimpers.  “That’s all it is.  I sent you that check.  What happened to that money?”

“It’s not just about the money, it will prove that you know Braeden isn’t coming back.  That check you sent us went to the lovely credit card bill we racked up when you borrowed that money from us! It’s a full circle Abbey! It’s time to help out other people besides yourself.”

“That money was for...part of Braeden’s tuition,” she cries.  “It was never meant for anything other than that.  He worked that crappy job all through high school to save it up.”

“The Sampsons need the money to help Mark with his college tuition.  That account is in both your names.  Nobody can access the funds unless you agree to close it.  Honestly, honey, I think we’ve all waited long enough.  I’m sure he would have wanted it this way.”

“That’s what you all say...he would have wanted us to declare him dead...he would have wanted us to spend the money he earned! You’re all so greedy...you never cared that he went off to war and didn’t come back!  It’s like you wanted him dead!”

I hear a slapping sound, followed by a sharp whimper, and then Abbey reemerges from the room, holding her face and sobbing quietly.  I don’t think, I just go to her, catch her in my arms as she begins to fall down to her knees.  I know she’s melting down emotionally.

I need to get her out of here.

“Ab.” I say it gently as I rub her back in a soothing, circular motion.  “Shh.”

“I want to go home,” she sobs into me.  “Justin please...get us a flight home.”

I sigh heavily.  While it’s the easiest way out of this, the easiest way to get her relaxed and back in her right frame of mind, I know it’s not the best solution.  “How about we get out of here for a while? We can talk about this when we’re alone.”

“I...I can’t...I can’t do this anymore.  I can’t battle with them anymore, Justin.”

It’s the first time I’ve been able to understand how Braeden’s disappearance affected the people in Abbey’s life.  All along I thought they were supportive and understanding, and would be glad to see her happy with somebody new.  But a disgusted feeling is forming inside of me now.  It seems all they want to do is cash in on the money that Braeden left behind, and I know how much that must hurt Abbey inside.  “C’mon.”

I help her down the stairs, and find that Davey has join Austin on the couch.  They stare at us but don’t say anything.  I know it’s hard for them to see Abbey this upset, and I quickly tell them to get their jackets so we can head out.  Our ride is waiting for us when we step out onto the porch, and I motion the boys to get in the car while I slowly walk Abbey down the steps.

She’s still hysterical, and I gaze back at the house hoping that somebody in her family will care enough to come out and talk to us before we leave.

But nobody does.  I realize I could go in there, pack our bags and take us back to Manhattan and they probably wouldn’t care then either.  Sure, her father might call, but that’s one person against how many?  I mean, Hannah couldn’t even step in and help defend Abbey?  I don’t get it at all...

And I completely resent them.

It’s the first time I’ve ever realized how much Abbey’s family has left her hanging in the dust, just like mine did all those years ago.  Right now, I know exactly how she feels.

“I’ll pack everything right now.” I say once we get inside the limousine.  “We can leave, Ab.  I’ll figure out how to make a turkey for you.”

She doesn’t laugh at my light humor.  She’s still sobbing and holding her face while she stares out the window.  I glance at the boys.  Austin is staring at her, eyes wide, obviously freaked out by her emotional breakdown.  Davey is looking at a coloring book, oblivious.

“I don’t know what to do,” she croaks.  “None of them are going to rest until Barbara and Sammy...well, more like Barbara gets what she wants.”

I sigh a little.  “How much is in the account?”

“You heard that whole thing?” She mutters.

“Pretty much, yeah.”

“Braeden...he created this bank account while he was in high school.  We were both working at the same part time job, so he put my name on the account too in case I wanted to save any of my own money.  By the time he left for Afghanistan he’d saved almost twenty grand, but it still wasn’t enough to cover what he needed for school.  I...I was hoping that they would find his body, and we could use the money to make a nice monument for him or something,” she sniffles.  “I...I don’t see why Braeden's parents should be able to use it for Marks tuition.”

I sit back in my seat, and think long and hard about something.  I know what I can do, but the question is, will Abbey even let me?  “I’ll write a check,” I say, rubbing her shoulders lightly.  “Then it’ll be over with.”

“No.”  She shakes her head harshly.  “They don’t deserve that either.”

“I know it’s hard,” I say after a moment.  “But they lost their son.  I think they just...want to do right by the one they have left.  I’m not defending them.  It’s wrong of them to put this much pressure on you about this, but I have the money and it’s not like it’ll bankrupt me if I give it to them.”

She looks over at me slowly, and rubs some of the tears out of her eyes and off her cheeks.  “I can’t ask you to do that.”

“You don’t have to.  I want to do it,” I nod.  “Maybe it will help them accept me a little more.”

“You shouldn’t have to bribe my family....god, no...I’m not letting you do this.  It’s not right.  I mean, Barbara could care less how my parents are paying for Hannah’s tuition.  She didn’t even offer to split it the money between the families.  She just wants it all for herself.  Let’s just go back to the city, Justin.  Please.”

“Abbey.”

“Justin, please.”

I let out a harsh sigh.  I know her mind is made up already and the more I sit here and protest the more upset she’s going to get.  “All right.  Just wait here and I’ll get the bags.”r32;

“I’m sorry,” she whimpers.  “I’m sorry I made you come out here for nothing.”

“Hey.”  I caress her cheek and push up on her chin so she’ll have to look at me again.  “It wasn’t for nothing.  We had our moments,” I smirk.

It gets her to smile, just a little.

I kiss her gently.  “Just wait here, okay?”

She nods.

“Here Abbey.”  Davey pulls off his seatbelt and goes to sit beside her as I get up.  “I colored this for you.”

She ruffles his hair and kisses the top of his head before slightly glancing back at me.  “I love it, Davey.”

Feeling reassured that the boys will be able to brighten her spirits, I quickly head back into the house to retrieve the rest of our belongings.  I completely ignore the fact that her entire family is settled together in the living room, watching the morning news, and make myself invisible as possible as I run upstairs to the bedrooms.  I don’t think about being organized as I cram all of our stuff into the various bags and suitcases.  Sure, Abbey will probably complain later, but I’ll take it in stride.

“She’s leaving again, isn’t she?”

I’m working on zipping the last suitcase shut when I hear Hannah’s voice.  She sounds nothing like she did yesterday when we met.  This time she sounds hollow, let down, like she’s being abandoned.  I don’t want to turn and face her.  I just want to get my girlfriend and brothers the hell away from these people.  At the same time though, she wasn’t all that horrible to me, and she’s just a kid.  I sigh and rise up from the ground.  “It’s just not working out,” I nod, placing my hands on my hips as I stand before her.

Hannah nods, before a couple of tears make their way down her face.  She plops down into the overstuffed beanbag chair against the wall and wipes her eyes a little.  “I miss her so much,” she croaks.  “She doesn’t even realize it.”

“She does,” I explain, my heart breaking for the kid.  I know I said I resented her...but I guess...she’s sort of trapped in the middle here.  Even if she had come to Abbey’s aid, her mother wouldn’t have taken anything that was said seriously.  “She loves you.  It’s just...I think certain people have put pressure on her one too many times about a subject that’s dead.  If you want, you can come visit us for Christmas.  I’ll even fly you out,” I offer with a smile.  “I know Abbey would want you to come.”

She shrugs.  “She’s never wanted me around before.”

“I’m sure that’s not true.  She was lost for a while,” I explain gently.  “Sometimes that happens to people.”

She nods a little bit, as if she agrees with me.  Then she looks at me long and hard.  It makes me uncomfortable, and I start to turn back to the bags scattered around the floor, hoping she’ll let me leave this time.

“Do you...do you really love her?”

I don’t even make it all the way back around when the question hits my ears, and I slowly turn back to her, awkwardly meeting her gaze again.  It’s weird.  I’ve never told anybody back home that I’m in love, but yet I’ve already told her mother that I am, and I barely know the woman.  “Yeah,” I whisper.  “I really do.”

Now Hannah knows it too.

“How do you know?”

I sigh.  I’m not going anywhere yet.  I eye the second bean bag chair in the corner of the room and pull it over to me, sitting down directly in front of Hannah.  “Because I lost someone too,” I tell her after a moment.  “And she’s the only one who has ever really understood that about me.”

“Who?”

“My parents,” I nod.  “There was a car accident.”

Her eyes grow wide.  “Oh wow...I...”

“It’s okay,” I say, silencing her before she starts to get me all emotional about it this morning.  “I’m dealing with it, you know? My brothers keep me going.  I’m the one that has to look out for them now, and Abbey, you know...she takes care of me.  I take care of her too.  She’s...really happy.  I think it’s been a long time since she’s been that way, right?”

“Yeah,” she admits.  “I didn’t really get it back then.  I was a lot younger...but...I get it now, and I want to see her happy.  I don’t care what my mom or the Sampsons think about her choices anymore.”

I smile a little bit and pull out my wallet, drawing out one of my business cards.  “Here,” I say as I hand it to her.  “The top number is my direct line at work, and the second number is my cell phone.  If things get really bad here of if you need something, just call me, okay?”

She holds it in her hands, so carefully, as if it will disintegrate if she’s not careful.  “Okay,” she whispers, sniffling a little bit before she gets up from the bean bag.  “Thanks, Justin.”

I wink at her.  “Stay out of trouble.”

“Me? I cause no trouble,” she giggles, that mischievous glint coming back into her eyes.

“Somehow I find that hard to believe,” I smirk.  “See you.”

“Bye.”

She leaves.  I’m glad I was able to talk to her, find out that she really is on Abbey’s side.  I’d like to have her out for Christmas, as I’m not especially big on the holiday and I know Abbey would probably like to spend it with a member of her family.

It’ll work out.  

I’ll make sure of it.

“You got everything?,” Abbey says, once I get back into the limo, leaving the driver to load our stuff into the trunk.

“Yeah.” I lean over and kiss her cheek gently.  “I checked and rechecked.”

“Thank you.”  She leans her head on my shoulder, and I don’t hesitate to lace my fingers through hers.  “Justin I...I don’t know what I would have done without you today.”

“I’m here for you,” I pull her hand up to my lips and kiss the top of it.  “I don’t want you to worry about it, okay?”

She nods a little as the driver closes the trunk, and soon he’s back in the drivers seat, taking us away from this place.  I pull out my cell phone and dial Cheryl, who is surprised to hear from me the day before Thanksgiving.  I can hear music and noise in the background, and have no doubt that she’s with family.  “Sorry to bother you,” I say sheepishly.

“Not at all sir, is everything okay?”

“Sort of.  I just need a flight back to JFK, asap.”

“Oh...yes, sir.  Is everyone okay?”

“We’re fine,” I chuckle, finding a little heartwarming that she’s so concerned.  I’ve never understood her attitude towards me.  Before my little personality change, I’d never been especially nice to her.  I can remember several times in the past that I threatened her job out of pure anger over something financial, yet she persevered.  “Austin had a little mishap, broke his arm, but other than that we’re all in one piece.”  I glance at Abbey, hoping that she’ll be chuckling a little herself.

But she’s just staring out the window, completely ignoring me.

“Those boys,” Cheryl chuckles.  “Well, I can get you on a private at four pm,”she offers.  “Or a commercial first class at noon.”

“Noon is good,” I say.  “Thanks Cheryl.”

I hang up and squeeze Abbey’s hand a little.  “She has us on a noon flight.”

“That’s good,” Abbey says, absentmindedly.  “Did they say anything to you before you left the house?”

“Well, I talked to your sister.”

“What’d she say,” Abbey mutters.  “Did she defend my mother to high heavens?”

“No...actually,” I say slowly.  “She...was upset that she wouldn’t be seeing you again.”

She runs a hand through her hair.  “So she hates me?”

“She gets it,” I reassure her.  “She knows you're a lot happier than you were, and she seems to like me a lot.  You just have to give it a chance, Ab.  I think your family might come around eventually.  I was thinking that maybe Hannah could come out for Christmas.”

She snorts out a laugh.  “Like my mother would ever let her do that.  Hannah is her little baby.”

“It’s not really up to her.”

“She’s a minor,” Abbey reminds me.  “It...it was nice thought, Justin.”  She pauses and kisses my cheek.  “But it won’t happen, so let’s move on from here, okay?”

I shrug.  I won’t press the issue, but I’m not backing down.  That kid needs to be with Abbey for the holidays, and one way or the other I’ll make sure it happens.  Maybe I should send her family that check without telling Abbey.  What harm would it do?  It could get her family on our side, and I know...it’s messed up to be paying off somebody’s family in order to get some peace in our lives, but it’s not like I haven’t done the same thing in the past with other people.  Kimberly is a prime example of that.

If it’s what I have to do to get Abbey’s family to respect her again, and prove to them that I love her, I’ll do it.  I feel like it’s what Braeden would have wanted whatever guy that wound up with Abbey to do...to help her heal, and bring her family close together again.

I’ll take care of it, Braeden, I think to myself.  I’ll take care of everything.