|
Post by zelda on Jun 8, 2006 3:15:16 GMT 10
omg, nearly one hour for this translation about Goran! Now it's pleasure time, I can enjoy your story! As usual, you give us the unexpected: Eric's storyline! What a nice idea! And it's so lovely to see Abby's self-confidence compared to Eric's fears which are so evident! I am amazed to see how you have made Abby so mature in such a short time!
|
|
|
Post by larue on Jun 8, 2006 4:41:27 GMT 10
Yikes! Abby mature??? In a short span of time?? Too short of a time? I figured having to deal with a baby and a job and a relationship would do that too her...but was it too fast?
|
|
|
Post by charlieluby on Jun 8, 2006 4:52:15 GMT 10
Not at all! i love it keep goin its amazin! ;)xXx
|
|
|
Post by sammiejm on Jun 8, 2006 5:28:41 GMT 10
Great update again Larue. You always manage to add an extra little bit of interest, first Susan and Chuck and now Eric. How lovely to see Abby offering her little brother advice and sharing her experiences with him, and him with her. He's right about the marriage thing and spot on when he says Luka adores Abby.
Can't wait for more.
|
|
|
Post by *Natalie* on Jun 8, 2006 7:19:03 GMT 10
Great update!! Cant wait for more natalie x
|
|
|
Post by <3 LubyII <3 on Jun 8, 2006 11:18:07 GMT 10
Great update!
|
|
|
Post by Noora on Jun 8, 2006 21:55:56 GMT 10
Aww, another unbelievable update larue! I can't believe how motherly Abby has come.. It was about time wasn't it :> You express very well that how close Eric and Abby are, it is amazing. Oh, and Lauren - she's growing! Tata's little girl I hope you write this stuff more soon.
|
|
|
Post by zelda on Jun 9, 2006 1:52:30 GMT 10
Hey, Larue, I am reading this like a book and I want to comment upon it regularly, like a book!!! And, dear writer, when I am telling you that Abby is more easygoing about life, and there is a new self-confidence in her attitude, her words and her gestures, please trust me, it is here, in this chapter! You are responsible for it!!!! Ah mais, j'ai raison quand meme! Hugs!
|
|
|
Post by larue on Jun 19, 2006 12:53:20 GMT 10
Camping Tip Number Nine: Stay on the Trail
“Today we are going hiking,” Luka announced with a determined tone. “I want to take the Muskegon Loop to Loop trail.” Susan looked up from her newspaper and shook her head.
“Not this chick, Kovac,” she said in feigned disappointment. “I forgot to bring my hiking boots.” Chuck looked up from his tool box.
“You have hiking boots?” he said. Susan rolled her eyes and glared at him. Chuck snickered and went back to searching in his tools. Luka turned his face to Abby. She looked at him and then quickly looked away.
“Oh, please don’t. I can’t stand it when you use those eyes on me,” she said. Susan laughed.
“Go ahead, Abby,” she said. “Chuck and I will take care of Lauren for you.”
“Can we come too?” Susie asked.
“It’s a long trail,” he warned. “Five miles.” Abby’s head dropped to the table.
“The attendant said it’s an easy walk,” he reassured her. “We’ll pack a lunch and have a picnic along the way.”
“Cool” Susie exclaimed as she and Heather high fived one another. Abby shook her head.
“Wouldn’t you rather just stay around here and play a game or something?” she said. “You can teach me how to play poker. I’ll even let you win.”
“Maybe later,” Luka said.
It was much later when Abby shifted the straw hat she wore on her head and looked around the wild flower strewn swamp that surrounded her. They were walking on a wooden walkway and Luka held her hand snugly as he led the way.
“Do you realize that we are standing in the middle of a bog?” she asked. “Aren’t there...like...rattlesnakes...in bogs?”
“Not this one,” Luka said as they stepped back on the hard packed dirt of the trail.
“At last...” Abby sighed.
Luka grinned at her as he kissed her and then they both looked up as Heather came crashing down the path ahead of them. She was crying as she stopped to catch her breath.
“We found a baby...” she choked. “Farther up the trail.” She bent over and put her hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath.
“A what?” Luka asked in astonishment.
“A baby girl,” Heather exclaimed. “It looks like a newborn. Susie didn’t want to move her so she is staying with her.”
“Abby,” Luka said. “Go back to the campsite and call 911...”
“I can’t find my way back alone!” Abby cried. ‘You go back, call the paramedics and bring your bag back here. I’ll go find Susie.”
“Are you sure?” he asked. “You don’t know what you’re going to find.” Abby rolled her eyes and shooed him toward the trail they had just come down. She handed Heather a water bottle.
“You stay right here and rest,” she told the ashen girl. “They’ll need you to help them find us.” Heather nodded.
“Hurry...” she said. “Susie was scared.” Abby nodded and took off down the trail at a jog. Luka watched her go, patted Heather and then began running back along the trail they had come on.
Susie was seated at the edge of the trail on a rock holding a big stick as tears rolled down her cheeks. She was wearing her bathing suit but no slacks. She looked up frantically as Abby approached her. She hiccuped and pointed down at the covered bundle on the ground. Abby recognized the pants Susie had been wearing earlier.
“What did you find here?” Abby asked gently as she knelt near the rock and carefully lifted the shorts. Her heart thudded as she took in the crying newborn baby girl. The umbilical cord had been tied off with a shoelace but was still attached to the baby and a bloody mass of placenta.
“There was a raccoon...” Susie cried and brandished the stick protectively. Abby nodded as she did a careful cursory exam.
“How could someone do this?” Susie choked. “We have to find them.” Abby shook her head and carefully wrapped the baby back in Susie’s shorts to keep her warm. She examined the drying placenta and sighed.
“Someone knew what they were doing, sweetheart,” Abby said as she indicated the shoelace. “They tied the cord off to stop the circulation to the placenta.”
“But why bother doing that and just leave her here?” Susie sobbed. Abby shrugged and jostled the baby in her arms a bit.
“Oh man,” she sighed and shook her head as she realized what was happening to her. She glanced at Susie and then sat carefully on the rock next to her. Abby unbuttoned her blouse and slipped up the edge of her dampened cami top. She eased the nipple of her breast into the baby’s mouth. The baby stopped crying immediately and began to nurse.
“Abby!” Susie cried. ‘What are you doing?” Abby chuckled.
“We’re lucky that I came after you and not Luka,” she said. “She’s dehydrated.” Susie giggled through her tears and watched as the baby in Abby’s arms struggled to suck.
“Tap her on the bottoms of her feet a little,” Abby said. “She’s exhausted but she needs to nurse.” Susie did as she was told and then smiled as the sucking resumed. She traced a finger along the baby’s ear and wiped away some sand that was caked there.
‘We’ll let her feed a bit longer and then we’ll start back with her,” Abby said. “Luka should be back some time.”
“I didn’t want to leave here...in case there were clues or something,” Susie said.
“You did the right thing, Susie,” Abby said. “You wrapped her up and kept her warm but we can’t stay here much longer...clues or no clues. She needs medical care.” Susie nodded. She kept her eyes on the baby and sniffed.
“What’s going to happen to her now, though?” she asked. Abby shrugged and tucked the khaki pants closer around the baby and the still attached cord and placenta.
“If she checks out okay at the hospital, I imagine she will be adopted by a family that has been waiting for a baby.” Susie sighed as Abby eased her nipple from the sleeping baby’s mouth and pulled the cami down again.
“Are you ready to go?” Susie nodded.
“Can I carry her first?” she asked. Abby gently passed the baby into Susie’s arms and stood up. She smiled and followed Susie as they headed back along the trail they’d come from.
The ambulance was waiting when Luka and Abby reached the trail’s start with the two girls and the baby. Susie and Heather rode to the hospital in the ambulance. Chuck and Luka followed them in the car after they dropped Abby off at the camp site.
“Well, that was quite an adventure!” Abby said as Susan hugged her.
“Are the girls okay?” Susan asked. Abby nodded.
“A little freaked out but Susie really kept her wits about her.”
“Naturally...” Susan sighed.
“Uh...Susan?” Abby tipped her head toward a pink splattered Cosmo. Susan shrugged.
“His mosquito bites were bothering him,” she said. “We gave him a paint brush so he could paint them with calomine lotion.”
“It looks like he decided to expand his creative horizon?” Susan looked at the blanket and shrieked.
“Cosmo!” she scolded. Abby laughed and picked Lauren up. She held her at arm’s length and examined the ‘paint’ job that practically covered her face, arms and bare tummy.
“Nice going, Cos,” she said. “I think you have her well covered.” Susan shook her head and reached for the camera on the table.
“This one goes in both baby books!” she chuckled.
|
|
|
Post by Lubyfanatic316 on Jun 19, 2006 13:04:29 GMT 10
I love the update!
|
|
|
Post by <3 LubyII <3 on Jun 19, 2006 13:12:11 GMT 10
I wonder what's gonna happen with the baby?? Update soon..plz!
|
|
|
Post by sammiejm on Jun 19, 2006 16:18:39 GMT 10
Another great update Larue. I really don't know how you come up with these ideas!
|
|
|
Post by anna982 on Jun 19, 2006 16:18:59 GMT 10
[glow=red,2,300]UPDATE!!![/glow]
|
|
|
Post by *Natalie* on Jun 20, 2006 7:04:28 GMT 10
Been waiting for you to update! So glad you did!! More soon please natalie x
|
|
|
Post by larue on Jun 20, 2006 14:07:08 GMT 10
Susan glanced toward the fire pit and chuckled. She tipped her head and Abby looked up. Luka and Chuck were sound asleep in their camp chairs with books open on their chests.
“NASCAR Trivia?” Susan read aloud. “What’s that all about?” Abby shrugged.
“Got me. Weird things happen to him when he’s on vacation,” she said. “Suddenly he is all about stock car racing.” Susan chuckled and sorted through the Scrabble letter tiles in front of her.
“We finished our letters for the baby,” Susie said as she and Heather emerged from their tent. “Can someone take us to the hospital so we can see her again? Her social worker said we could.”
“Not right this minute, sweetie, but soon,” Susan replied absently.
“They let us name her, you know,” Susie said.
“I did hear that somewhere,” Susan said as she set her tiles up for a game. “What was it you two came up with?”
“Emilie Grace,” Heather said.
“Ah…yes. That was it.” Susie’s eyes narrowed as she studied her aunt.
“I hope the parents she gets decide to keep it,” Heather said.
“She’s teasing us, Heather,” Susie said. “They are both impossible when they get that game out. We’d better take Cosmo and Lauren to the playground for a while before THEY get corrupted…..or worse, totally forgotten about.” Susie flashed a sarcastic grin toward Susan who just waved them away. Abby nodded and didn’t take her eyes off her letters.
“Great idea bringing those two along,” she said as the girls walked down the road toward the park playground with Cosmo on Susie’s back and Lauren in Heather’s arms.
“Yeah…” Susan mused as she laid the first word on the board.
“You know, this has been fun but I am not exactly sure that camping is going to be my..…thing. How about if we try something different next summer?”
“Luka wants to see the bridges of Madison County,” Abby offered. Susan raised her head and grimaced.
“Why?” she asked. Abby shrugged.
“He’s going through a Meryl Streep phase right now. He watched the movie a couple of weeks ago.”
“Ah……” Susan glanced toward Luka and shook her head.
“How about one of those resort places in the Catskills?” she said. “You know where people go and stay for the summer…do talent shows..…get dance lessons from Patrick Swayze?” Abby laughed.
“Now that’s a possibility,” she nodded.
“But I don’t know that I want to wait a whole year to do this again,” Susan looked up at her. “Can’t you come to Iowa for Christmas?”
“Luka wants to take us to Croatia for Christmas this year,” Abby said.
“Christmas in Croatia?” Susan mused. “Ooooo..…Christmas in Croatia…..that sounds so pretty.” Abby chuckled and exchanged some letter tiles. Susan glanced up at her.
“You know, Abby,” she said carefully. “That might also be a good time to have a wedding.” Abby dropped her tiles and looked up at her expectantly.
“Maggie will not get on a plane,” she said. “Eric may be…busy…with Becca in December. Would you be able to come?” Susan laughed.
“Right….four tickets to Croatia? Please…” she said.
“What kind of wedding is that? Who would be there?” Abby shook her head.
“Luka would be there…..and Lauren,” Susan said. “Hey…she could even be your flower girl. Can’t you just see her in red velvet with a little bouquet of white roses?” Abby looked up thoughtfully.
“No…..” she said. “Silver satin to match my dress and dusky pink roses…” Susan’s eyes widened as she squealed softly.
“So you have thought about it!” she said.
“Once or twice,” Abby nodded. “I’m just not sure that it’s something we really need to do.”
“You do,” Susan said firmly.
“But why?” Abby said. “We love each other now. We are committed to one another. We live in the same place. We’re raising a child together. What’s a ring and a piece of paper going to change?”
“Absolutely nothing,” Susan said, “…….and everything.”
“But I’m not sure that I want things to change.”
“If that were really true, you wouldn’t be thinking about wedding dresses,” Susan laughed.
“Chuny brought me picture of a dress she found in a magazine. She knew I had an aversion to the whole white dress thing,” Abby explained.
“Good for Chuny!” Susan cheered. “Tell me about it.”
“I think it’s supposed to be an attendant’s dress,” Abby said. “It’s a silver satin…more like a sheath….kind of drapes over the shoulders and is backless. Very pretty.”
“Sounds perfect for….Christmas in Croatia,” Susan laughed. “Think about it, Abby.” Abby nodded and sighed as she looked over her letters.
“Do you have anything to work with?” she asked. Susan shook her head.
“Let’s just quit and take the girls up to the hospital,” she said. “Suddenly I have this urge to hold a baby again.” Abby nodded and dumped her tiles back into the Scrabble game box. She looked up and frowned as she saw Susan smiling at her.
“What?” she said as she looked around.
“Nothing,” she said. “Just picturing you as a bride in Croatia.” Abby rolled her eyes.
“Let’s go get the kids….” she said. The two of them got up from the picnic table and headed of together for the playground. When he was sure they were gone, Chuck opened on eye and looked at Luka.
“Did you hear that?” he asked, “Silver satin and….backless? Man…” Luka nodded quickly and bit his bottom lip.
“Meryl Streep?” Chuck said. Luka nodded sheepishly.
|
|