Abby

[baby_snow_white]

Abby opens her bedroom door. "Yeah dad. I can get the door. I'll finish getting dressed after I see who is it the door." She puts a t shirt on and goes downstairs to answer the door. Abby opens the door. "Oh it is you. What are you doing here. When we left. I was hoping it would be the last time I would ever have to see you or have to put up with you."

The lady standing at the door. "Hello sweetie. I know you don't like me,but I got you something for your birthday tomorrow. I'm not trying to buy your love. I know I will never be able to do that. You are still my daughter and I'm still your mom whether you want to claim me or not."

Abby looks at her. "The only thing I want from you is for you to take a long walk off a short pier." She walks to the kitchen. "It is your worse half. If you want to talk to her. You can. As for me. I have no desire to talk to her or make peace with her. Even if she is trying to buy me off with a birthday present. Do you want to talk to her or should I tell her to go play in traffic on the interstate?"

[robehouse]

"yes I will go talk with her. Can you keep an eye on the spaghetti for me?"

Daddy goes to the door and sees his wife Rachel standing there. "What do you think you are doing here? Abby has been telling me what you were doing to her when I was at work. having sex with your boyfriends in front of Abby went way over the line. You should never have punished Abby for wetting her bed. She can't help it. I am going to file for divorce and will insist on sole custody of Abby. It wasn't her fault that she was born. You can have the house and your car. Now, however, I think it might be in your best interest if you left the premises immediately."

[baby_snow_white]

Rachel nods as he talks. "I know I shouldn't have done that and for that I am sorry. I never had sex in front of Abby. We would go upstairs to the spare bedroom. The only thing we did in front of Abby was kiss each other. If you want sore custody. Then I will not fight it. Maybe I don't deserve to be a mom. I never wanted kids and I shouldn't have taken it out on Abby or punished her for wetting the bed at night. What I'm doing here is I wanted to give Abby something. If she doesn't want it. She can do whatever she wants with it." She takes a small red box with a red bow on it out of her purse. "Inside is a family heirloom that has been passed down for 5 generations on the girl's 16th birthday. It is a diamond necklace." Rachel turns to walk away. "I'm going and you will never see me again. I just want to tell the two of you. I am sorry about the way I acted and I'm seeing someone about it. She is helping me though my issues. I know it can't make up for the past. I know it probably never come,but if Abby ever wants to talk to me again. Here is my phone number." She hands him a piece of paper with her phone number on it.

Abby sets down at the table and starts to cry. All the pent up anger she had towards her mom came flooding out at once. She lays her forehead on the table and continues to cry.

[robehouse]

"Okay, I will see that she gets it." Daddy slips the phone number in his pocket. He closes the front door and puts the present down on the coffee table. He walks out to the kitchen and sits down across from Abby. "It's okay. Your mother is gone now. She says she won't be back. She also says she is sorry for what she did to you. She has been seeing a psychiatrist."

Daddy turns the burner off under the spaghetti and empties it into a collandar in the sink to drain the spaghetti. He comes over to the table and picks Abby up and sits down with her on his lap. He cuddles with her.

[baby_snow_white]

Rachel nods and gets into her car. She backs out of the driveway and then drives off.

Abby looks up at dad. "Why did she have to show up here and drag up all the old feelings that I had locked away never to be seen or felt again?" She hits her fist on the table. "She should be sorry. She put me though hell and didn't care about how it made me feel. She should be locked away in some mental hospital for the way she acted towards me and what she did to me not talking to a psychiatrist." Abby puts her head on dad's shoulder when he picked her up. "I'm sorry I hit the table. I was angry at her. What did the witch want besides to drag up painful memories? What if she gets half custody of me? I heard some girls talking at school about another girl. Her parents got divorced and the mother was going to give full custody to the father. Then the case came up. The judge gave the mother part custody of the girl eventhough she didn't want it. Am I going to have to see her when if I don't want to?"

At 5 minutes to 6. Gavin pulls up in his car. He gets out and goes to the front door. Gavin rings the doorbell and waits for someone to answer it.

[robehouse]

"Rachel remembered it was your birthday, that is why she showed up. She doesn't want to see you if you don't want to see her. If the judge says that she gets partial custody,I don't think she would force you to see her. I would do everything I could to keep you from having to see her."

As Daddy strokes Abby's hair, he hears the doorbell ring. "Why don't you run upstairs and I will get the door. That's probably Gavin."

Daddy watches as Abby heads upstairs and then goes to the door. He opens the door and smiles as he let's Gavin in.

"dinner is almost ready. Abby is upstairs getting dressed. Would you care to have something to drink while I finish getting dinner on the table? Nothing with Alcohol in it of course."

[baby_snow_white]

Abby nods. "Oh I see. I'm surprised she remembered my birthday. She never celebrated it before. What would you do to keep her from seeing me?" She gets up and goes upstairs. Abby goes into her bathroom and looks at herself in the mirror. "I look horrible." She washes her face and then puts on a little bit of makeup. Abby leaves her bathroom and goes into her bedroom. She looks into the back of her closet and gets out a pink dress. Abby puts it on and then puts on a pair of sandals. She pulls her hair back and puts it into a ponytail. Abby looked at herself in the full length mirror. She starts to laugh when she looks at herself. She looked nothing like herself and she hoped Gavin liked it.

Gavin nods. "Thanks you sir." He walks into the kitchen. "I'll take a glass of coke. I don't drink anything with alcohol in it. It messes up my skateboarding."

[robehouse]

"I'm not really sure what I would do, Abby. I guess we would have to see if it came to that."

"Okay, I'll get you a coke. Do you want ice with it?" Daddy gets a 2 liter bottle of coke out of the refrigerator. He wonders what is taking Abby so long getting ready.

[baby_snow_white]

Gavin nods. "Yes I would like ice in my coke." He starts to sip it after dad pours it. "Is it going to be the two of us eating or is cinderella going to join us for supper? If she isn't going to be eating with us. Then this is going to be a very long and boring meal."

Abby looks at herself one more time in the mirror. "Well here goes nothing. Goth Abby is on the shelf tonight. Princess Abby is going to have her fun tonight." She opens her bedroom door and slowly walks down the stairs. Abby walks into the kitchen.

Gavin gets choked when he sees Abby. "Who are you? Are you Abby's younger sister?" He gets up out of his chair and walks over to Abby. "I never knew what a beautiful girl you was. You have been hiding your inner beauty behind dark makeup and your black clothes." Gavin kisses Abby's hand. "You look like Cinderella after the prince put the glass slipper on her foot."

Abby blushes. "Thank you for saying that. I wasn't sure if you would like me like this. It is so different than what you normally see me in."

Gavin laughs. "Like it? I love it. You are the most gorgeous lady I have seen. The stars in the sky can't compare to the way you look right now." He leads her over to the table and holds out her chair. Gavin pushes it up when Abby sets down.

[robehouse]

"I think Abby will be down soon. It shouldn't take her long to get ready."

Daddy is shocked when he sees Abby enter the kitchen. She looks like the little girl he remembered. He goes over to the sink and puts the spaghetti on three plates, then adds the spaghetti sauce and meatballs. He carries them over to the table and then pours Abby a coke in a sippy cup and puts it at her place.

"See Abby? You don't need to hide behind your goth makeup. People will like you the way you are now.

Daddy sits down and starts eating his dinner.

[baby_snow_white]

Gavin nods. "If she is like my sisters. Then she could be a while."

Abby nods. "Yeah I guess so. This is most likely a one time thing. This is a special occasion." She picks up her sippy cup and takes a sip of her coke.

Gavin chuckles. "You drink from a sippy cup?" Abby looks at Gavin and then runs out of the kitchen crying. Gavin looks at dad after Abby runs out of the kitchen. "Did I say something wrong?"

[robehouse]

Daddy hears Gavin chuckle and sees Abby run out of the room. "Yes, you did. Abby was afraid that you would make fun of her. I better go talk to her."

Daddy goes upstairs and knocks on Abby's bedroom door. "Abby, It's daddy. Can I come in?"

[baby_snow_white]

Gavin shakes his head. "I wasn't making fun of her. I think it is cute that she drinks from one. My younger sister drinks from one and I thought my sister was the only one over the age of 4 that drank out of a sippy cup. I would never make fun of her on purpose. I like her too much for that." He nods. "Ok I'll be here when you get back."

Abby gets up out of her window and walks over to the door. She opens it and looks at daddy. "I should have drank out of a regular cup and not my sippy cup. What I was afraid of came true. Gavin the only boy I have ever liked made fun of me because I drink from a sippy cup like a child. If he knew I wore diapers and sleeped in a crib. Then he would really make fun of me and tell everyone at the skatepark about me being a baby." She lays her head on daddy's chest. "Why do guys have to be idiots? I thought Gavin was different,but he is just like all other guys. They are complete idiots. No offense daddy. You aren't an idiot."

[robehouse]

"I'll let her know. I'm glad you weren't making fun of her."

"Abby, Gavin wasn't making fun of you. He says he thinks it is cute. His sister drinks out one, although I am not sure how old she is. I know she isn't a toddler though. Please come back to the table. He won't tell anyone about the sippy cup. However, if you don't want to go back to the table, I will understand. I will tell Gavin you don't want to see him right now."

[baby_snow_white]

Gavin moves his spaghetti around his plate as he sets at the table. He felt really bad that Abby thought he was making fun of her.

Abby nods as dad talks. "Ok I'll come back to the table. I've got to clean up my face. It looks horrible and my eyes are puffy. I'm glad he wasn't making fun of me." She walks to her bathroom to wash her face after dad leaves to go downstairs.

[robehouse]

"okay, I will go tell Gavin you will be down in a few minutes." Daddy goes back to the table and sits down.

"Abby will be back in a few minutes. How old is your sister? She sounds like someone Abby might get along with pretty good."

[baby_snow_white]

Abby nods. "Thanks daddy." She goes into the bathroom and freshes up herself.

Gavin nods. "I'm glad she is coming back down. I never meant her feel like I was making fun of her. My sister is almost 10. She drinks out of her sippy cup at home. She probably will be at the party tomorrow. Is the party still on? Have you figured out how you are going to get her to the party? I'm sure you probably know this already,but Abby's wrist is black and blue. It also looks swollen." He shrugs. "I don't know if Abby and Natalie would get along or not. She isn't your tipical 9 year old. She wears diapers at night and pullups during the day, She sleeps in a crib and eats in a highchair. Natalie basically lives as a toddler Even though she is very smart and 9 years old."

[robehouse]

"I didn't think you were making fun of her. Abby is a bit touchy ever since we moved here. Natalie sounds like a cute little girl. Yes, I've thought about how to get her to the party. I thought maybe I would suggest we go to the ice cream store for some ice cream on her birthday. If that doesn't work, I will knock her over the head and carry her there. Just kidding. I would never do that to Abby."

[baby_snow_white]

Gavin nods. "Oh I see. If I had known Abby was touchy about that. I wouldn't have said anything about it." He looks at the doorway to see if Abby was standing there. Gavin looks at dad. "I've got a question. If you don't want to answer it. I will understand. She drinks from a sippy cup and you said she wanted a Barbie party. Is there anything else little girl about her? If there is. I know a store that caters to that. It is downtown called Every Baby. Mom shops there alot for Natalie. Natalie loves to go there. Upstairs they have a huge indoor playground." He laughs. "No I don't think hitting her over the head is a good idea. It would leave her with a headache."

Abby comes down the stairs and comes into the kitchen. She sets down at the table and starts eating her spaghetti.

[robehouse]

"It's okay. You couldn't have known. Really? there is a store that has a playground? I think Abby would like that. Don't worry, Abby will be there at the party."

Daddy looks at Abby's wrist when she sits down to eat. "Abby, let me see your arm."

[baby_snow_white]

Gavin nods. "Yes there is a store that has a playground in it. Natalie loves going to the store. I took her to the store this morning and came back to pick her up later this afternoon. They have a lunchroom upstairs that the kids can eat at,but if they eat there. Then afterwards they have to take a nap in the nap room. Natalie sometimes go there after school and stays there until I come pick her up or mom does on her way home."

Abby shows Daddy her other arm. She keeps the arm with her hurt wrist in her lap. "Why did you want to see my arm? Did you forget what my arm looked like in the short amount of time I was gone?"

[robehouse]

"Sounds like a good daycare program. Do they charge for it? Abby is a bit old for daycare though."

Daddy looks at the arm that Abby gives him. "Let me see the other arm Abby. I know you hurt it worse than you were telling me at the skateboard park. I just want to take care of you. If it is sprained or broken you need to go to the hospital and have it looked at. You don't want your arm healing wrong, do you? I bet Gavin has broken more than one bone skateboarding."

[baby_snow_white]

Gavin nods. "It is a good daycare program. Natalie loves it there. It gives her other girls like her to play with and boys if she wants to play with them. Yes they charge. If you join the buyer's program in the store. It is $10 a day. If you don't. It is still affordable at $20 a day." He shakes his head. "Not really. I have seen girls as old as Abby and some a bit older than her in both the store and in the daycare upstairs. My mom use to get looked down on because Natalie wore diapers and acted like a toddler. Mom finally got fed up with it and told them. There was far worse things Natalie could be into. No one has ever ODed on diapers and no one has ever got pregnant from being in diapers and acting like a toddler. The worse thing that could happen is the people gets diaper rash and that is easier to cure than a STD or a pregnancy."

Abby shows daddy her other arm. She shakes her head when daddy said if it was broken. They would have to go to the hospital. "No I don't want to go to the hospital. It is scary here and they stick you with needles like you are a pin cushion."

Gavin laughs. "Yes hospital can be scary and it no fun going to the hospital. If you don't go to the hospital and let them set your arm. Then it would grow back crooked and could pinch the nerves in hand. You could lose all feeling and use of your hand." He nods. "Yes I have broken alot of bones skateboarding. The only bones I haven't broken is my skull,my pevis and my spine. All the other bones I have broken at one time or another. How about if I go with you and your dad to the hospital. Will you go then? I don't want to see my number one girl in pain or have a useless hand because she was too stubborn to have it looked at."

Abby looks at Gavin and crosses her arms. She grimances when she touch her wrist. "I'm not stubborn." Abby thinks for a moment. "Ok I'll go to the hospital,but only if you stay by my side the whole time."

[robehouse]

"Hmm, sounds like a good idea for kids that like that. I don't know if Abby would like that as an afterschool thing though. She stays busy with skateboarding. I don't see any problems if kids want to wear diapers either."

Daddy listens as Gavin and Abby talk. He is relieved when Abby finally agrees to go to the hospital.

"Okay, let's get going." Daddy gets his car keys and heads for the door. He leads Abby and Gavin to the car and opens the back door. After Abby gets in he buckles her seat belt for her. Daddy gets in the driver's seat and waits for Gavin to get in the car.

[baby_snow_white]

Gavin nods. "It is a good idea for kids like that. If there wasn't a place like that for the kids who was into that. Then they would probably be out of the street getting into mischief and lived up to what society thinks of preteens and teenagers. That being that preteens and teenagers are trouble makers,drug users and will sleep with anyone. While I'm sure there are preteens and teenagers out there who are like that. The skatepark and the Every Baby Store is trying to turn that around in our little parts of the world. I don't know if you know this,but Abby was the one who got the ball rolling that lead to the skatepark."

Gavin gets in the front seat and buckles himself in. "Ok let's go." He rides the the passenger seat to the emergency room. "I'll take her in and you go park the car. If it holds true to form. They are going to want her life history before they ever call her back to be examined. So we will get started on the paperwork and by the time you get inside. We should be close to finishing with the paperwork." He helps Abby out of the car and takes her into the emergency room entrance.

The nurse at the front desk looks up. "Hello. How may we help you?"

Gavin looks at the nurse. "My friend fell earlier while skateboarding and her wrist swelled up. So she needs to have it looked at so it doesn't heal crooked and cause her more pain."

The nurse nods and hands Gavin a clipboard. "Fill this out and bring it back up here."