her.
“Mommy?”
“Are you hungry, Abby?”
“Kind of.”
She rolled back over and caught her girl mid-flight, preparing for a sneak attack.
“Okay, okay,” she faked a surrender as Abby landed with a thud, right on top of
her. “We’ll go get some grub right after I go take a shower.” She
wrestled her into the pillows, and gave her a quick hug. “It’s just you
and me today kid, auntie Lonnie went over to see that friend of hers that lives
nearby. She said to tell you she’d be back later to take you to the park
if you like.”
“Cool,” Abby nodded, jumped off the bed and headed for the TV.
“Cool?” Cassie mimicked, and shook her head in confusion. “You’re
only five years old, where do you get this stuff?”
“Auntie Lonnie taught it to me yesterday,” Abby answered before honing in on
the Disney Channel.
“Ah yes, Auntie Lonnie and her big bag of tricks,” Cassie mumbled as she headed
for the shower.
“Abby, is someone out there with you? I’m hearing voices,” Cassie turned
off the shower and hastily covered herself with a towel. “Abby?”
She called again as she walked into the main room.
“She can’t talk,” Abby shouted into the crack in the door. “Her hair is
real bad.”
“Abigail Rose get away from the door.” Cassie cut her off and waited to
hear who it was.
“Don’t worry,” a familiar voice echoed, “I’ve seen her much worse I can assure
you.”
Cassie looked at her daughter, and over to the door. She knew Gunnar was
capable of great love and affection, but she didn’t know how he’d feel about a
child that she conceived with her husband, and she knew in her heart that any
man that couldn’t accept her child, couldn’t ever be a part of her life.
She started to look at herself in the mirror, gave up at the sight of her make
shift turban, and opened the door.
One look at his eyes gave her body a jump start. She caught the faint
smell of aftershave he was wearing last night, and looked with total
appreciation at the combination of a green polo shirt that complimented a pair
of well-tailored, black slacks. He was traditional yet casual, more dressed up
than she was used to, and its effect on her was overwhelming. That’s why,
she reasoned, she was standing there like a complete idiot, just staring as if
she’d never seen a man before. “Come on in,” she said eventually, and
stepped aside.
“You look lovely in that towel,” He grinned when she made a face, and looked
around her to Abby. “Lonnie has a child?” He looked back and forth
between the two, and frowned when Abby started laughing.
“Auntie Lonnie says her hair would turn white and fall out if she had a child.”
Gunnar thought about the comment and looked to Cassie. “So, she-”
“Gunnar, this is my daughter, Abigail.” She cut him off, and prayed he
wouldn’t make a scene in front of Abby.
She watched his eyes narrow slightly, and his jaw tighten, but he didn’t give
off any other signs of open annoyance, so Cassie relaxed a little.
“So you have a little girl,” he mumbled, not really revealing any feelings
about it one way or the other. “What a surprise,” He looked to Cassie as
he approached Abby, finally showing some of the anger lurking beneath a cool
exterior.
Cassie was ready to protect her
“Mommy?”
“Are you hungry, Abby?”
“Kind of.”
She rolled back over and caught her girl mid-flight, preparing for a sneak attack.
“Okay, okay,” she faked a surrender as Abby landed with a thud, right on top of
her. “We’ll go get some grub right after I go take a shower.” She
wrestled her into the pillows, and gave her a quick hug. “It’s just you
and me today kid, auntie Lonnie went over to see that friend of hers that lives
nearby. She said to tell you she’d be back later to take you to the park
if you like.”
“Cool,” Abby nodded, jumped off the bed and headed for the TV.
“Cool?” Cassie mimicked, and shook her head in confusion. “You’re
only five years old, where do you get this stuff?”
“Auntie Lonnie taught it to me yesterday,” Abby answered before honing in on
the Disney Channel.
“Ah yes, Auntie Lonnie and her big bag of tricks,” Cassie mumbled as she headed
for the shower.
“Abby, is someone out there with you? I’m hearing voices,” Cassie turned
off the shower and hastily covered herself with a towel. “Abby?”
She called again as she walked into the main room.
“She can’t talk,” Abby shouted into the crack in the door. “Her hair is
real bad.”
“Abigail Rose get away from the door.” Cassie cut her off and waited to
hear who it was.
“Don’t worry,” a familiar voice echoed, “I’ve seen her much worse I can assure
you.”
Cassie looked at her daughter, and over to the door. She knew Gunnar was
capable of great love and affection, but she didn’t know how he’d feel about a
child that she conceived with her husband, and she knew in her heart that any
man that couldn’t accept her child, couldn’t ever be a part of her life.
She started to look at herself in the mirror, gave up at the sight of her make
shift turban, and opened the door.
One look at his eyes gave her body a jump start. She caught the faint
smell of aftershave he was wearing last night, and looked with total
appreciation at the combination of a green polo shirt that complimented a pair
of well-tailored, black slacks. He was traditional yet casual, more dressed up
than she was used to, and its effect on her was overwhelming. That’s why,
she reasoned, she was standing there like a complete idiot, just staring as if
she’d never seen a man before. “Come on in,” she said eventually, and
stepped aside.
“You look lovely in that towel,” He grinned when she made a face, and looked
around her to Abby. “Lonnie has a child?” He looked back and forth
between the two, and frowned when Abby started laughing.
“Auntie Lonnie says her hair would turn white and fall out if she had a child.”
Gunnar thought about the comment and looked to Cassie. “So, she-”
“Gunnar, this is my daughter, Abigail.” She cut him off, and prayed he
wouldn’t make a scene in front of Abby.
She watched his eyes narrow slightly, and his jaw tighten, but he didn’t give
off any other signs of open annoyance, so Cassie relaxed a little.
“So you have a little girl,” he mumbled, not really revealing any feelings
about it one way or the other. “What a surprise,” He looked to Cassie as
he approached Abby, finally showing some of the anger lurking beneath a cool
exterior.
Cassie was ready to protect her
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