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Post by larue on Aug 23, 2008 0:50:35 GMT 10
“Your mother looks well,” Luka said as they folded back the coverlet on the bed. She shrugged.
“I was a little worried when her doctor changed her meds but it’s been four months now. Seems to be working okay.” She sat on the bed with a sigh.
“And she’s happy.” She glanced back at Luka and they exchanged smiles.
“Happy to be with Joe for a while, anyway,” he chuckled.
“Oh, I know!” Abby laughed. “Do you think she noticed that we were even in the room?” Luka shook his head and sat on the bed. He stretched his long legs out in front of him and waited.
“And she hit it off so well with Ruthie,” Abby sighed as she stretched out next to him, cuddled under his arm, her head resting on his shoulder. “Kind of made me a little jealous.”
“Aw…poor baby,” he crooned playfully and pressed a kiss to her forehead. She laughed softly and slapped his chest.
“Stop!” She pulled herself back to a sitting position and slipped her legs over the edge of the bed. “Ugh….I so don’t want to go to work tomorrow.”
“It’s my turn to drive,” Luka said. ‘I’ll pick you up after our shifts and we can go out to dinner together. Just the two of us?” She glanced back at him.
“How often do we get a chance to do that?” he added. “And we can always say that we got caught at the hospital.”
“You’re pretty devious, you know that?” Luka shrugged his shoulder and grinned as he picked up a medical journal from the table on his side of the bed. The grin was still there as he watched her get ready for bed over the edge of the book. Abby’s eyes met his and she chuckled and shook her head.
It was late in the night when Abby felt a rustling on the side of the bed and opened her eyes. She made out the shape of a little boy standing next to her in the dim light. She squinted to look at her clock and made out the time. 2:30 am. She reached out to turn on the bedside lamp. Joe blinked sleepily in the low light and stuck a finger in his mouth.
“Joe?” she asked as she put her arm around his waist. “Do you have to go to the bathroom?” He shook his dark head and gazed at her with wide eyes.
“Roosie’s in my bed,” he said flatly. Abby raised herself carefully up onto her elbow.
“I know, sweetie,” she whispered. “That’s because you were sleeping with Grandma in Ruthie’s bed. Remember?”
“I want my own bed, Mommy,” he said as tears pooled in his eyes.
“Aw, honey…” Abby pressed a kiss to his forehead and then pulled back the covers.
“Sleep with mommy and tata tonight and we will fix it tomorrow, okay?” Joe nodded and crawled under the covers with her. She turned the light off and pulled him close to her.
“Shhhh….go right to sleep now,” she whispered as she fingered the soft hair on his forehead. “We don’t want to wake your dad.”
“Too late,” came a soft whisper in her ear. She grinned and nestled closer to him. She pulled Luka’s arm over her waist and his hand gently came to rest over the covers on Joe’s tummy.
“Ummmm….” Abby murmured contentedly. “A Kovac sandwich.” Luka chuckled softly.
“What?” Abby patted his hip and then covered his hand on Joe with hers.
“Two slices of Kovac ‘bread’,” she sighed peacefully.
“And what does that make you? Pastrami? Roast beef? Ham….maybe?” Abby suppressed a laugh.
“Stop! Go back to sleep,” she scolded softly. She felt Luka chuckle against her back and then sigh deeply.
“You’re the heart of it, Abby,” he said softly in her ear. “The heart in the middle of all of this. You know that, right?” His lips brushed the back of her neck in a gentle kiss and she could feel him drifting back to sleep. She lay there – awake – as she enjoyed the soft, even breathing from both sides. Her husband and her son. Sound asleep. The three of them nestled together like spoons in a drawer. Unbeknownst to them a single tear of pure bliss and thankfulness slipped from beneath her lashes and soaked into the pillow case beneath her cheek.
Maggie was just a little leery of the trains when she stepped on with Ruthie and Joe the next day. The girl was extremely confident about where they were supposed to be and which train to get on. She slipped a metro pass into her pocket and held tightly to Joe’s hand. Maggie settled herself onto a seat near the door and smiled at Joe. He stood on a chair next to Ruthie with his nose pressed against the window.
“He likes this train,” Ruthie said as she wrapped an arm around his waist to hold him. “There’s one section of the tunnel where you are going so fast you can see moving dinosaurs on the wall.”
“Really?” Maggie said in feigned amazement. Joe nodded and she smiled as he pressed his nose to the window again. She swallowed and grabbed the handle of her seat as the doors slid shut and the train began to move.
“So where shall we put this rollaway bed that we just bought?” she mused as she steered her eyes warily about her..
“There’s space in my room,” Ruthie said. “If you don’t mind sharing it with me. I don’t think I snore or anything.” She chuckled and then glanced at Maggie. She frowned slightly as her eyes took in the woman’s white face and knuckles gripping the arm rest.
“Are you okay?” she asked softly. Maggie pursed her lips and nodded slightly.
“Are you having a panic attack?” she asked. “If you are, sometimes it helps to focus on something.” Maggie nodded stiffly again. Ruthie eased Joe down into her lap.
“Joe,” she whispered in his ear. “What color are your Grandma’s eyes?” The little boy frowned slightly and then turned to look at Maggie. He put chubby hands on her cheek and turned her face to his. Maggie swallowed and then smiled as he searched her face.
“Dey’s brown,” he said. “Yike my eyes! See?” He opened his eyes really wide and Maggie sighed as she grinned. She looked up as the train came to a stop. Ruthie stood up and lifted Joe into her arms.
“We can get off here,” she said. “It’s still a hike to the park but we might be able to catch the bus….”
“No, I’m fine, honey….really.” Ruthie studied her for a second and then sat back in the seat next to her. Maggie smiled and nodded. She reached for Ruthie’s hand and clung to it thankfully for a second. The doors to the train slid shut and Maggie took a deep breath and took Joe from Ruthie.
“So are there lots of ducks at the park, Joe?” she asked. The little boy squirmed into her lap and nodded. Maggie sighed and began to relax a little as the train sped on to another stop on the line. She wrapped her arms closer around the little boy and kissed the top of his head.
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Post by lkaljk (Ebba) on Aug 23, 2008 3:42:27 GMT 10
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Post by *Natalie* on Aug 23, 2008 4:43:34 GMT 10
Great update Lovin' the Kovac sandwich xxxx
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Post by suzanne on Aug 23, 2008 11:19:08 GMT 10
Ahhh!! That was really sweet esp Maggie, Ruthie and Joe!! Kovac sandwich very funny!! Love this fic esp the way Ruthie fits into it!! Update soon!!
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Post by larue on Aug 24, 2008 2:04:05 GMT 10
“Well, I am going to have to take her to a meeting,” Abby said as she turned off her cell phone and shook her head. “Why don’t the three of you head down to the pier, have some lunch and I will meet you at the aquarium. The meeting should only take an hour or so.”
“Are you going to be able to find a meeting to go to? Just like that?” Maggie was slipping a light jacket onto Joe. Abby shrugged.
“This is AA, Mom,” she sighed. “There is always a meeting somewhere. You know that.”
“I have some snacks for Joe.” Ruthie came from the kitchen with a small brown sack in her hand. “AA? You mean like in Alcoholics Anonymous?” Abby nodded and opened the purse that was sitting on the back of the couch.
“Here’s some cash….” she said as she rummaged through it looking for a wallet.
“Oh Abby, that’s not necessary,” Maggie scolded.
“So you’re taking care of this person because you are a doctor, right? So you can help her?”
“Well, technically I’m her sponsor right now because her real sponsor is out of town for a while.” Abby handed some money to Maggie. “Today was supposed to be my treat, remember?” Maggie rolled her eyes and took the money.
“You paid for everything you did with them last week while I was working,” Abby argued.
“We went to the park a few times,” Maggie shook her head as she hugged a squirming Joe.
“Yeah…and to the zoo, the playground at Castle Island and shopping and on the trolley tour….” Abby grimaced as she slipped into her jacket and picked up the purse. “I mean, what did you leave for me to do with you?”
“The aquarium?” She and Maggie said at the same time. Abby chuckled.
“Ruthie,” she said lightly. “You can get some lunch on the pier or maybe at Quincy Market. It’s just a block or two from the aquarium stop……” Abby’s voice trailed off and her brows puckered as she glanced toward the girl. Ruthie was studying her intently with a frown on her face, her hands tightly gripping the bag she held.
“You can only be a sponsor if you are an…….” her voice trailed off in disbelief.
“Alcoholic,” Abby finished slowly. “I know. I am.”
“Have you ever been drunk? Have you ever driven a car while you were drunk?” Ruthie’s eyes never left her face and Abby took a deep breath.
“Yes……and yes,” she said as their gazes locked. Ruthie’s eyes widened a bit and she crumbled the sack in her hands.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked as anger began to roil inside her.
“I don’t know,” Abby shrugged slowly. “I guess I thought you knew. I haven’t been secretive about going to meetings……”
“I thought they were…hospital meetings,” Ruthie spit angrily.
“Ruthie…..” Maggie stood up, beginning to be alarmed by the girl’s white face.
“I….I…have to go,” the girl said quietly and then moved toward the front door. Abby reached out to catch her arm and Ruthie jerked it free.
“No!” she cried angrily. “Don’t touch me!” Abby watched the girl hurry through the front door and slam it behind her.
“What just happened?” Maggie asked.
“I’m not sure,” Abby said slowly. Concern began to build on her face.
“Where will she go?” she said. Maggie made her way around the edge of the couch.
“Abby,” she said as she grasped her daughter’s shoulders. “She’ll be fine. She’s just gone for a walk or something. She has her metro pass. She has friends…” Abby dragged her eyes from the door to her mother. “Honey, god knows she knows her way around this city. She’s taken me everywhere. She’ll be fine.” Maggie shook her and smiled a little.
“You take your friend to her meeting and come back home,” she said decidedly. “Ruthie will be back by then and we can talk to her about it. After she has had a chance to calm down. She’s a good kid, Abby. Everything will be fine.”
“But did you see her face? She hates me….” Maggie drew Abby close and hugged her.
“She doesn’t hate you,” she sighed. “She’s fifteen. Now go. Your friend is waiting for you. She needs you. Go take care of that and come home.” Abby pulled away and wiped the moisture from her eyes. She nodded and forced a smile. Maggie watched with a worried frown as Abby circled the end of the couch and picked Joe up in her arms. She hugged the little boy close and planted a kiss on his cheek.
“Be good for Grandma…” she said as she set him back down, grabbed her bag from the couch and headed out the door. Joe was close behind her.
“Wanna go wit you, Mommy!” he cried. Abby gently moved him away and closed the door. Maggie swooped him up in her arms as he screamed in protest.
“It’s okay, baby,” she crooned as she kissed his cheek. “Shall we make some cookies, Joe? Let’s make mommy some cookies, huh?”
“Roosie too?” he hiccupped. Maggie chuckled and jostled him in her arms.
“Yeah, Roosie too,” she sighed as she kissed his wet cheeks and headed for the kitchen.
In Boston’s Public Garden, Will watched from his perch on a cement bench as Ruthie maneuvered the edge of the sidewalk as if she were walking a tightrope. It was late evening and the sky was pink from the setting sun.
“You know you have to go home some time, Roo,” he said. “The park closes pretty soon.”
“Stop calling me that,” Ruthie protested as she teetered on the edge of the cement. “I’d call you Piglet if you hadn’t already assigned that one to Joe.” Will snickered.
“I kind of think of myself as more of a…Tigger….kind of guy anyway,” he said. Ruthie slid onto the bench next to him.
“Well, Joe refuses to call me anything but ‘Roosie’, thanks to you….Tigger.” She nudged him. Will grinned softly.
“Can I help it if my Mom is an A.A. Milne fan? I cut my teeth on ‘Now We Are Six’.”
“And that is why you are so smart,” she declared. Will chuckled and ran his hands through his short blonde hair.
“Well, you’re smart too, Ruthie,” he said finally. “Smart enough to know that you need to go home.” Her face fell and she slipped her hands between her thighs and the hard bench.
“I don’t have a home,” she said darkly.
“That’s not true.” Ruthie was silent.
“I can’t stay there any more,” she said after a long moment.
“Why?”
“Because…..you know.” Will shook his head.
“She didn’t kill your parents, Ruthie.” Ruthie’s eyes narrowed and she shook her head.
“So what are you going to do?” he asked after a long moment of studying her. “Sleep on the trains?”
“Maybe the pier….” she said. “Or the beach.” Will laughed.
“Spoken like someone who hasn’t dealt with sea breezes at night.” He looked up as he saw the tall figure ambling slowly down the sidewalk toward them. Ruthie sensed his anticipation and followed his gaze. Her eyes widened as she looked back at her friend.
“You called them?” she cried angrily.
“You’ve been gone for hours, Roo” Will said defensively. “They’re worried about you.”
“I hate you!” she spit. Will sighed and stood up.
“Yeah, well….at least you’ll be safe,” he said as he strode away from her toward Luka. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“I won’t be there!” she called out angrily. Will waved a hand and kept on walking. Ruthie watched stubbornly as he stopped for a moment and spoke with Luka. Then Will turned back and waved again before he headed toward the park’s gates.
“He shouldn’t have called you,” Ruthie said angrily as Luka approached her slowly.
“I should have known you’d be here,” he said as he sat next to her on the bench. “You’re as goofy as Joe when it comes to those swan boat things.” He nudged her shoulder lightly.
“Yeah, well, at least they aren’t those stupid duck boats…er…car things.” Luka grabbed his chest playfully as if he’d been wounded. Ruthie suppressed a smile and then kicked a stone toward the edge of the pond.
“I can’t go home with you,” she said with intense finality.
“Okay. I’ll take you to a hotel then,” he said. Ruthie glanced up at him sideways and frowned.
“You’re not going to make me go back?” Luka shook his head and reached down to pick up a pebble.
“Nope.” He tossed the pebble into the pond where it landed in the water with a plink. They both watched as the circles of tiny waves widened n in the still water.
“You’re not going to give me a ‘you can’t run away from your problems’ speech or anything?” Luka shook his head.
“Nope.” He tossed another pebble into the water. Ruthie studied him.
“Why not?’ He shrugged.
“Well, you’re not going to make a very good parent….” she muttered quietly as she gazed down at her tennis shoes and kicked at the dirt. Luka suppressed a grin.
“I probably should go back,” she said suddenly as she lifted her head. ‘I mean…..to say good bye to Joe and all. It’s not a good thing not to say good bye.” He shrugged his shoulders again.
“That’s up to you,” he said.
“And I don’t have to actually talk to her or anything…” Luka was silent. Ruthie looked over at him curiously. Luka’s eyes met hers and he shrugged. “What?” she asked. He shrugged again and reached for another pebble.
“You are just like her….” he said softly as he tossed the pebble. Ruthie stood up angrily with her hands on her hips.
“I am nothing like her!” she cried. Luka leaned back and looked up at her.
“You’re stubborn. You think you can handle all of the world’s problems on your own with no help. You never say exactly what it is that you want to say. Oh yeah. You are just like her.” He shook his head. Ruthie glared at him.
“I made myself miserable for a few weeks by not bringing myself to do something Abby and I had promised ourselves we would always do,” he said as he stood up. “We promised that we would talk about everything. That there would be nothing we couldn’t say to one another.” He started down the sidewalk along the path toward the gate. Ruthie watched him curiously and then began to follow him.
“What didn’t you talk to her about?” Luka stopped in his tracks and turned around. He slipped his hands into the pockets of his jeans and gazed at her. He took a deep breath.
“I couldn’t figure out why my wife was so intent on helping someone who was a basically a stranger to her,” he said. “I thought that maybe she was keeping a secret. That the reason she had so much…. love…. and protection…for this stranger was because they were related somehow. Maybe a daughter she had given up for adoption once or something.” Ruthie’s eyes widened and then she frowned.
“Did you…talk….about it?” Luka nodded. He cocked an eye brow at her and grinned slightly. Ruthie swallowed and shook her head.
“I can’t….” she said slowly.
“She’ll wait until you can,” he said softly. “I promise. She loves you.” He watched her for a moment and then started walking back toward the gate. Ruthie watched him and then hurried after him, keeping in step as they ambled side by side in the dusk.
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Post by suzanne on Aug 24, 2008 10:52:43 GMT 10
Really nice update!! Luka and Ruthie having some sort of relationship, very sweet!! Cant wait for the next update!!
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Post by *Natalie* on Aug 24, 2008 19:30:13 GMT 10
Lovely update xxx
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mich
Luby Lover
Posts: 73
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Post by mich on Aug 25, 2008 1:07:23 GMT 10
can't wait for the next update...
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Post by larue on Aug 28, 2008 20:55:07 GMT 10
The meeting was terrible. The coffee was cold. She was surrounded by people she had never seen before with the exception of Deanna. And she had shared. Really, really shared. She hadn’t done that once in Boston. Not since rehab really. But she was scared. Frightened of what was going on in Ruthie’s head. Wondering what had set her off. Knowing that it had to do with her history of drinking. Wondering what she was going to need to do to fix it. Wondering if she even could. After dropping Deanna off at work with shared smiles and a word of encouragement, she had turned her actions to Ruthie. She called Maggie to learn that Ruthie hadn’t come home. So she drove around. Around and around Boston’s crazy streets looking for her. Then Will called the house. He said that Ruthie was fine. She just needed time. Maggie told her to come home….and wait.
“Mommy!” Joe crowed as Abby opened the front door. He was dancing in the kitchen door wearing nothing but his shorts. “Come and see! Come and see!” She couldn’t help but smile as he raced toward her and grabbed her hand. Joe pulled her to the kitchen and climbed proudly onto a chair by the table filled with heart shaped cookies covered with every color of frosting imaginable.
“Wow!” she chuckled. “Did you do all this?” His hands were on his hips as he surveyed the table with a huge grin on his face. Maggie laughed softly as she put the last of the dishes in the dishwasher and turned it on.
“He most certainly did,” she said as she turned to them. “We had to borrow some food coloring from your neighbor though. I’ve already put it on Luka’s shopping list. Won’t it be fun to see what he comes home with?” Abby laughed, nodded and wrapped her arms around the little boy standing on the chair next to her. She buried her face in his vanilla and flour scented neck.
“Where’s Roosie, Mommy?” Joe asked as he pulled free from her grasp. “I want a cookie.”
“Well, your Mommy’s home now, Joe,” Maggie said quickly. “We can all have a cookie.” She opened the refrigerator and poured milk into waiting glasses on the counter. She carried three glasses to the table and found a spot to put them amongst the cookies. She eyed Abby worriedly but handed her a plate to put the cookies on. Abby began stacking cookies on the plate to clear the table.
“What colors should we have now, sweetie?” she asked. Joe searched the table and picked up a pink one and a yellow one.
“Dis one is for Roosie,” he said as he handed her a purple one. “That’s hers favorite.” Abby slipped it onto the bigger plate.
“We’ll keep it right here for her,” she said. She gathered the rest of the cookies to the plate and set it in the center of the table. She sat in a chair next to Joe. Maggie watched her carefully and slid a glass of milk in her direction. Abby grinned at Joe as he sat up straight with his cookie in both hands. He was swinging his legs as he ate. He looked up at her and smiled. Abby smiled and half heartedly lifted the cookie to her mouth.
“Remember when you were little and we could solve all of our problems by baking cookies?” Maggie said.
“Sometimes at three in the morning,” Abby chuckled ruefully. Maggie’s smile faded slowly. Abby looked up at her and then shook her head.
“I’m sorry, Mom,” she said. “I didn’t mean to…” Maggie held up a hand then smiled at Joe.
“We’ve got a champion cookie baker on our hands here,” she said. “His shirt was covered with frosting. I’m not sure the stains will ever come out.” Joe grinned and took a sip of milk from his small cup. Maggie studied Abby’s face for a long moment as her daughter chatted carefully with the little boy.
“Abby,” she said finally. Abby looked at her. Maggie took a deep breath.
“I did a search thing on the computer while you were gone.” Maggie pulled a folded paper from her pocket and handed to Abby. She watched as Abby opened it curiously and read the contents. Her eyes widened and she looked up at the ceiling as the color drained from her face.
“How could I have not known this?” she said quietly. “They were killed in a DUI. How could I not know that? Oh my god….”
“Abby, she didn’t tell anyone,” Maggie said as her hands flattened on the table in front of her. Her fingers slid slowly toward Abby’s but her daughter pulled them away.
“None of us knew.”
“No wonder she hates me,” Abby said as she shrugged forlornly. “And I can’t fix it. I’ll never be able to. I keep trying to pretend that it’s not going to matter. That this time things would be different. That it’s all behind me.” Abby glanced at Joe who was sitting quietly and watching her with wide, brown eyes. She held out her hands and he climbed readily into her lap. Maggie watched sadly as Abby wrapped her arms snugly around the little boy and pressed her cheek against the top of his head.
“But it’s always going to be there….” she murmured. “And someday he is going to hate me too.”
“Oh Abby, stop that,” Maggie scoffed impatiently. “Children do not hate their mothers.” Abby lifted her eyes to Maggie’s face and Maggie grimaced.
“Well, okay,” Maggie shrugged. “Maybe sometimes…..but not forever, right?” Abby snuggled Joe closer and closed her eyes again. Maggie watched her, not knowing what to say. She took a deep breath.
“You are a good mother, Abby,” she said softly. “And you have Luka. You’re not doing this all alone. Not like I was.”
“I could have been.”
“But you’re not. Stop it.” Abby sighed and kissed the top of Joe’s head. She shifted in her seat and looked down at him. The little boy had fallen sound asleep in her lap. She blinked as a lump grew in her throat. He was just a little kid. He didn’t care about anything except that his mom was holding him and he was safe. It was such a heady thing. He trusted her - them - keep him warm and fed and happy….and safe. She shifted him carefully to her shoulder and stood up.
“I’m going to put him down for his nap,” she said quietly. Maggie nodded and watched as she left the kitchen and disappeared up the stairs to his bedroom. She shrugged worriedly and picked up another cookie. She sighed again and dropped the cookie back onto the plate.
It was late when Luka and Ruthie returned. Maggie was trying to read a magazine in the couch when the door opened. She dropped it to the floor and hurried to the door. She hugged an unresponsive Ruthie and then held her at arms length as she frowned at her.
“Don’t you ever do this to us again,” she scolded. Ruthie looked at her and then pulled herself gently out of Maggie’s grasp.
“I need to take a shower,” she said quietly. “And then I’m going to bed.” Maggie watched worriedly as the girl moved toward the basement door and then glanced up at Luka. He just shrugged.
“Did Abby say when she would be home from the hospital?” he asked. Maggie shook her head.
“They told her that it would just be for a couple of hours. That was…” she glanced at her watch. “…four hours ago.” Luka nodded grimly.
“She was going crazy just waiting here,” Maggie said. “I think she was glad when they called her in.” Luka chuckled.
“Probably,” he sighed.
“I put Joe to bed but I promised him that you would kiss him when you came home.” Luka nodded and headed toward the stairs. He stopped at the landing.
“Thank you,” he said as he looked back at her. “I’m glad you were here.” Maggie grinned wryly and nodded.
Ruthie was sleeping in the rollaway bed when Abby looked in on her several hours later. She was disappointed but Luka said she was fine. Maggie wasn’t really surprised to see her awake, thumbing through a magazine.
“You were faking it?” she asked as she folded the blankets back on Ruthie’s bed. Ruthie was silent.
“I don’t want to talk to her.” Maggie nodded.
“Okay,” she said as she slipped into bed and adjusted the blankets.
“I don’t ever want to talk to her.” Maggie chuckled and shifted in the bed.
“That might be kind of hard since you’re living in her house,” she said.
“I don’t have to be,” Ruthie said. “I can find someplace else to live. I did before.”
“Yes, you did,” Maggie replied. “You came here.”
Ruthie was silent and tossed her magazine to the floor. She turned on her side to face the wall and Maggie watched her for a moment. She reached out to turn the bedside lamp off and tucked her hand under her cheek as her thoughts were spinning. She frowned worriedly. How were they going to get through this? It was a moment before she heard the first soft little sniffle coming from the other bed.
“Ruthie?” she said softly. “It’s okay.”
“I can’t ever forgive her,” came a muffled response.
“Forgive who? ” Maggie asked. “Abby?” Ruthie was silent.
“Abby doesn’t need your forgiveness, sweetie,” Maggie chuckled softly. “The only person she needs forgiveness from is herself….and her husband.” Maggie turned on her side and gazed at the girl across the room.
“And, quite frankly, if Luka wasn’t willing to offer that to her, then you and I wouldn’t be here.” Ruthie was still as she faced the wall, her back to Maggie.
“ And Abby?” Maggie went on, her voice soft and steady. “Well, Abby would probably be back in Chicago doing what she always does when life pulls the rug out from under her….just starting all over again. And I know that because I have had a hand in pulling a rug or two on her myself.” Ruthie rolled angrily onto her back and folded her arms behind her head.
“She’s a drunk,” she said sharply. “She drove a car when she was drunk. She could have kil……”
“Ruthie,” Maggie interrupted, her voice quiet and sharp. “Terrible things have happened to you and no one can change that. I know that you are angry. But you are fifteen years old. Honey, you have a lot of life ahead of you. And I am…not….going to allow you harm yourself even more by saying these terrible things about someone who has done nothing but offer you kindness and affection..…and a home. People can change. They can work their very hardest to move past decisions they have made in the past. It’s damn hard but they can do it. I am doing it. Abby is doing it. You will have to do it some day too. Please don’t let this be the mistake you have to put behind you. You need to straighten up and think about what you are saying, young lady. ” Maggie turned angrily onto her side and tugged the blankets over her shoulder. Her breaths were coming short and fast as she tried to calm herself down. She turned as she felt the side of the bed sink when Ruthie sat next to her. Maggie looked up with a frown and then. Ruthie stifled a sob as tears poured down her cheeks.
“Aw, honey,” Maggie crooned and brushed a strand of dark hair behind the girl’s ear. Ruthie began to cry as she moved carefully into Maggie’s embrace. Maggie gathered her close and held on tightly as the girl sobbed. She pulled her into the bed beside her and just held her.
“It’s okay, sweetie,” Maggie sighed as she kissed her forehead. “It’s going to be okay. I love you, baby. I do. We all do. You are not alone.” Ruthie clung to her as the tears flowed.
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Post by lkaljk (Ebba) on Aug 28, 2008 22:36:29 GMT 10
I love it !!!
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Post by shelby on Aug 29, 2008 0:10:52 GMT 10
Can't wait til the next one!!
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Post by suzanne on Aug 29, 2008 8:47:33 GMT 10
That was really good!! I'm loving where ever this is going. And the Abby/Maggie relationship is very good. How they can actually have a conversation!! I hope Ruthie and Abby can sort things out!! Update soon!!
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Andie
Duchess of Luby
Posts: 325
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Post by Andie on Aug 29, 2008 12:09:00 GMT 10
I really enjoyed it! Hope you can update soon!
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mich
Luby Lover
Posts: 73
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Post by mich on Aug 29, 2008 14:24:08 GMT 10
love it pls update soon...
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Post by larue on Sept 2, 2008 12:43:15 GMT 10
The house was unusually quiet when Ruthie made her way up the stairs the next morning. She could smell the coffee in the coffee maker and stopped on the landing when she peeked around the door and saw Abby, still in her pajamas, curled into a ball in the corner of the couch with a cup of coffee in one hand. She was reading something that was perched on the arm of the couch. Ruthie leaned back against the wall and toyed with the end of a strand of hair lying over her shoulder. She took a deep breath and then rounded the door. Abby looked up and took a sip of her coffee.
“Where is everyone?” Ruthie asked.
“Grocery shopping,” Abby replied. “Luka left a note.”
“No one woke you up either?” Abby shook her head.
“I kind of had a rough night at the hospital. Didn’t get much sleep.” Their eyes met and held for a moment. Ruthie looked away and sighed heavily. She gestured up the stairs.
“I’m going to...um…take a shower,” she said. Abby nodded and took another sip of her coffee as she turned back to her medical journal. She glanced back and watched as Ruthie made her way up the stairs, a worried little frown creasing her forehead.
Abby was dressed and in the kitchen when Ruthie emerged from the basement again dressed in similar jeans and a tee shirt. She looked up from the stove where she was watching a grilled cheese sandwich in a pan. She forced a smile as Ruthie opened the refrigerator and took out the carton of orange juice.
“Hungry? I made you a grilled cheese,” Abby said cheerfully and tipped her head toward the table. Ruthie nodded and sat down in front of the paper plate with the golden brown sandwich. Abby slipped another sandwich from the pan onto a second plate and turned the burner off. She carried her sandwich to the chair opposite Ruthie and poured herself a glass of juice. She sat down and grinned as she cut the grilled cheese in half.
“Grilled cheese,” she sighed happily. “It’s the one thing I know I can cook well.” Ruthie was silent as she toyed with the food on her plate. Abby watched her as she picked up half of hers and took a bite. Abby chewed and took a sip of juice. She set the glass back on the table.
“Ruthie,” she said quietly. “I’m sorry that I didn’t know about your parents. I…”
“Maggie told me,” Ruthie interrupted her. She kept her eyes averted to the sandwich on her plate. “About how it was when you were growing up, I mean. She told me.” Abby sat back in her chair and dropped her hands into her lap.
“Yeah well…it’s no excuse for the choices that I’ve made,” she sighed.
“But I’m lucky,” Ruthie said as she dragged her eyes to Abby’s face. “I had my grandma. We were happy. She took good care of me.” Abby nodded slowly.
“You were very lucky.” Ruthie shrugged.
“What happened? When you were drinking and driving?” Abby’s eyes widened a bit at the direct question and she sat back in her chair. She quessed that she should have expected nothing less from her.
“Luka was in Croatia,” she said slowly. “I was panicked about something and was trying to get to him. I guess I thought if we could, it would be all better. My car veered off the road and I realized that I couldn’t drive so I talked a cab driver into taking me to the airport.”
“And did you get to him?” Abby shook her head and smiled ruefully.
“They wouldn’t sell me a ticket.” Ruthie studied her and nodded slowly. Her brow wrinkled again.
“Why do people drink?” Abby took a deep breath.
“I don't know. For lots of reasons, I guess. Some people drink because other people around them are drinking. Some like the taste or the way alcohol relaxes them…helps them tone things down. Most people can control their drinking in that kind of situation. Some people can’t. They drink to forget things after a while. Forget frustrations…sad things….”
“Were you sad?” Abby chuckled ruefully.
“No…..” she said. “I was frustrated mostly. I had everything that I had ever wanted in my life…..a good job, a healthy baby, a husband….and yet I didn’t have it. I was dealing with everything here alone. Luka was dealing with his father being sick...alone. I don’t know. I didn’t tell anyone what was happening to me.” Abby shrugged and looked at her. “But after a while I just liked it. Liked the way it made me feel. Then I didn’t like the way it made me feel but I couldn’t stop.”
“But you don’t drink now.”
“No.” Abby wilted a little as Ruthie continued to study her.
“My parents were killed by someone who wouldn’t stop drinking.”
“I know that, Ruthie. I am so sorry for you but I see things like that happening all the time at the hospital. Last night I lost a patient….a little girl…..who was standing on a sidewalk when a drunk driver plowed into her with his car. I had to tell her parents that we couldn’t save her. I know.” Tears welled in Abby’s eyes as she remembered the night before. Already upset and worried about Ruthie’s state of mind, the little girl’s situation had very nearly done her in. After talking to her parents in the family room she had found a closet near by, hidden herself and cried. That didn’t happen to her at work. Not very often.
“Luka knows about it all,” Ruthie said pointedly. “Maggie said he does. And he’s still here….with Joe and you.” Abby nodded, a lump clutching in her throat as she remembered how close she had come to losing him. Ruthie stood up and dropped her paper plate with half a sandwich into the garbage bin.
“I hope someone loves me like that someday,” she said quietly. “Like he does you, I mean. Like there’s no room for anyone else…..except Joe.” She stopped as she headed toward the living room, a hand braced on the doorway.
“Did you help your friend yesterday? The one from AA?”
“Yeah…..,” Abby nodded slowly. “I think so. She needed to talk to someone.” Ruthie’s fingers tapped lightly on the door jamb as Abby studied her back. They both jumped a little as the phone rang.
“That’s probably Will,” Ruthie said. “He said he was going to call today.” Abby sat back in the chair and sighed heavily as she listened to Ruthie answer the phone. She frowned and then took a deep breath. The kid was hard.
Luka was busy in their small bit of back yard with a measuring tape when she found him alone later.
“What are you doing?” she asked as she stepped off the back steps. He looked up and grinned.
“Trying to decide if we should build a sandbox out here for Joe to play in,” he said. Abby wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him.
“Joe would love it,” she said. Luka grinned wryly and nodded as he looked down at her.
“Yeah, but so would the neighborhood cats,” he chuckled. “But I could probably build a top for it. I saw one in a book like that.” Abby untangled her self from his arms and stood back to watch him as he bent over and went back to measuring.
“Thanks for getting groceries today.” He chuckled again.
“We would have been home sooner if your mother hadn’t followed me through the store watching me look around for the….food coloring….box. I didn’t know where it was.”
“Yeah, well….she was kind of looking forward to that,” Abby grinned. He nodded ruefully and then sat back in the grass and looked up at her.
“Did you talk to Ruthie?” Abby nodded.
“It was tough.” Luka nodded and then raised his eyebrows questioningly and patted the grass next to him. She smiled and sat down, leaning carefully back against his chest. Luka’s arm encircled her and he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. Abby stretched her legs straight out in front of her, enjoying the cool ticklish feel of the grass on her bare feet.
“She said something kind of interesting about you,” Abby said. Luka waited.
“She said that you love me in a way that leaves no room for anyone else….except Joe.” His arms wrapped a little more snugly around her.
“She’s a smart girl,” he sighed.
“But do you really feel like that?” she asked. “Like there can only be the three of us?” Luka was silent.
“She doesn’t have anyone, Luka,” she said softly. “She’s all alone.” He sighed heavily….sadly.
“I know, Abby,” he said. “And I am trying.” She nodded and nestled closer in his arms. She threaded her fingers into his and kissed the top of his hand. She brought it up and rested her cheek against it as he pressed a kiss to the back of her neck. She looked up as the back screen door slammed shut and Joe stood on the top step with his hands on his hips.
“Hey guys,” he cried happily. “What ‘cha doing?” His dark bangs brushed his eyebrows as he gazed at them curiously. He scratched his chin and then hopped down the steps and hurried across the short span of grass to throw himself into Abby’s lap. Luka’s big hands caught the little boy up and held him over his head as he lay back in the grass. Abby eased herself out of the tangle of arms and legs and ducked as a small sneakered foot came dangerously close to her head. She smiled broadly and inched to safety just a little away from them. Luka was roaring and tickling and Joe was squealing in delight and all was well with her world.
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