AN: Okay, I'm such a jerk. I feel like such an ass for taking so long to write a new chapter, but I've been SO INCREDIBLY BUSY. So yes, I apologize and I'll try to do better at updating! Please don't hate me, and remember that feedback is your friend and makes me want to update faster!
Chapter Thirty Four
“Hey Abbi,” JC greeted, giving her a smile as she came over and plopped onto the couch next to him. “You know what I was thinking?”
“Huh?”
“I was thinking that maybe after dinner tonight, me and you could go out and get some ice cream. What do you think?”
Looking up at her father hopefully, she bit her lip in thought, as if weighing the proposition. “You mean it? Jus’ me an’ you?” She asked him.
Seeing the look on her face, JC couldn’t help but feel for the little girl. Had she really been feeling so neglected that a simple outing to get ice cream was like Christmas? Man oh man; he needed to pay more attention to her!
“Yep. Just me and you baby. What do you think?” He asked again. She paused for a moment and looked at him out of the corner of her eye as if determining if he was being serious.
“I think…yes. I wanna have ice cream after dinner.”
“Alright. It’s a date then,” he said with a smile, tossing his arm around her shoulders to draw her in for a hug.
~*~
Dinner had been a calm affair. Julie had chatted continuously about her day, while JC did his best to pay attention to her. He paid more attention, however, to Abbi. She was sitting in her chair, her elbow on the table, holding her head up as she picked at her food. She looked so sad. And not even an hour earlier, she had been so excited at the prospect of their outing.
Although he was nowhere near finished with the wonderful meal his wife had cooked for them, he pushed it away from him and slapped his hands down on the table.
“Well Jen, you’ve outdone yourself again,” he complimented with a smile. “Dinner was absolutely fabulous, but if you don’t mind, Abbi and I are going to get out of here and go get some dessert,” JC announced. He’d made a grave error without even realizing it.
“Oh good. I’m going to go get my shoes then,” Julie announced, pushing her chair back. Although her father had not included her name, certainly he would not deny her. Right?
JC had opened his mouth to respond, but Julie was already on her way out of the room. He watched her, his jaw opening and closing wordlessly as if he was trying to say something. A loud slap to the table broke him out of his stupor.
“You lied to me!” Abbi snarled, pushing her chair back so hard that it fell to the floor.
“Abbi!” Jen admonished. “You’ll not speak to your father like that!”
“You be quiet!” The child snapped. “You lied to me an’ I hate you for it!” She screeched before she tore from the room, tears streaming down her cheeks, leaving her parents in complete and utter shock.
~*~
To say that his daughter’s comments hadn’t hurt would have been a lie. They’d torn him apart. She’d never once uttered such a statement, and it tore him up inside. He was sitting on the couch, his face contorted into a trouble frown. His beautiful blue eyes were clouded with pain. It broke Jen’s heart to see him in such a state.
“How you doing?” She asked quietly, coming up behind him to rub his shoulders gently.
“Not so hot. But I guess I should just suck it up and go talk to her,” he said softly, turning to look at her.
“Well you’re a better person than I am. Because I believe, after the way she talked to you, I’d have to leave her up there to pout a little bit more.”
“I can’t do it, Jen. She was so excited at the thought of going out with me, you know? She just needed some time with me, away from everyone, and I crushed her. I should have told Julie the plan, but I’m so stupid.”
“Don’t talk down on yourself like that baby,” she said softly. “You just made a mistake,” she said softly. “Don’t beat yourself up though.”
“I can’t help it, Jen. She looked like she was absolutely crushed and it’s my fault.”
“It is not! If she would have just waited a minute instead of flying off the handle, you could have gone after Julie to explain that you were taking Abbi out alone. But that temper of hers got the best of her once more, and don’t you DARE blame yourself!” She demanded.
“Huh… and you wonder where she got the temper from?” He teased, even though his heart was not into it. He stood up and ran a hand through his unruly locks before turning to face her. He dropped to his knees on the couch and reached out to cup his wife’s face before pressing a soft kiss to her lips. “I’m going to go talk to her… if she’ll let me,” he said quietly.
Jen watched as he turned and headed to the steps. Her heart broke once more and tears filled her eyes. “Oh Abbi… if you only knew how much that man loves you…” she whispered quietly. She gave him plenty of time to get into Abbi’s room before she headed upstairs to her son’s nursery, praying that her husband worked everything out.
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