by Kimi Flores
Once the class was clean, and the students all claimed, Abby walked over to the kindergarten area to pick up Madison. She found her sitting with another teacher’s first grade daughter, and overheard their conversation.
“I hope Miss Abby becomes your mommy. She is really nice.” The first grader told Madison, warming Abby’s heart. She leaned against the doorframe waiting to hear Madison’s response.
“Me too. I pray every night that she can be my mommy. She makes me and my daddy so happy. My daddy didn’t smile before, and now he does, every day.” That little girl knew exactly what to say to make Abby love her more and more each day. As much as she’d like to hear more of this conversation, it was time to blow this taco stand.
“Are you ready Pumpkin?” Picking up the booster seat and overnight bag, Abby jerked her head in a ‘let’s get outta here chica’ motion.
“Yeah, let’s go.” They walked to Abby’s car and happened to pass a group of powers moms huddled together at some sort of after school powwow. Abby ignored them. They didn’t deserve any more of her energy.
“I’m so ascited to spend the night with you and Leah. We are going to have lots of fun.” A sweet smile appeared on Madison’s face as she got into her booster seat that Abby had just fastened in the center of her backseat.
After climbing in the driver’s seat, Abby started the car and set out for their fun filled Friday evening. She turned up the radio when a favorite boy band came on, and Madison began to sing. Looking in the review mirror, Abby found Madison’s sweet head bobbing along to the music. Something in the background caught her eye; the car behind them was not slowing down even though they were at a stoplight. Another car sat directly in front of her, trapping them with nowhere to go. She took another quick peek before closing her eyes, praying for Madison’s safety, and bracing for the worst.
The meeting with the studio executive had gone better than Caleb planned, and his favorite hockey team won their game. He’d had such a fantastic day but couldn’t wait to get up to the hotel room and call his girls. It was already ten at night so Madison would be asleep. Throwing his bag on the bed, he reached for his cell phone and noticed that it was dead. He had to fish through the things in his bag before locating the charger and plugging it in.
Since it would take a moment to get the thing to turn on, Caleb decided to jump in the shower. Things were going so well in his life. He’d actually never been this happy before. Although he loved his first wife, the feelings he had for Abby were so much different. When he was married to Rene, Caleb never imagined being able to love another woman, let alone have an even deeper, more mature relationship with someone else. But that’s exactly what he was experiencing with Abby. He didn’t care how long they’d dated. He still felt it.
Getting out of the shower, toweling off, and putting his pajama bottoms on, Caleb picked up his phone and turned the power on. There were a bunch of text messages and voice mails from Leah. What the hell was going on?
Not wanting to waste time scanning through them, he dialed Abby’s number first. It went straight to her voice mail, so he called Leah’s phone next. “Caleb?” She answered.
“Yeah, my phone was dead, and I saw you texted and left voice messages, but I didn’t check them.” He was on edge. Why had Leah called earlier, and why didn’t Abby pick up just now?
“Listen. Please do not freak out. Everyone is fine. They are sleeping right now.” She slowly explained.
“Leah, just tell me what happened.” His heart sped up.
“There was a car accident, but like I said everyone is fine.”
“What? Why wasn’t I called?” Raking his fingers through his wet hair as he paced back and forth, he remembered. His phone had been dead for god only knows how long.
“We tried to call, but it went to your voice mail and we didn’t have anyone else’s number. They were both checked out at the hospital...”
“HOSPITAL? Oh my god...” He sat on the edge of the bed with his head down. They were in the freaking hospital and he was nowhere to be found to come and comfort them. His girls must have been terrified. An old ache deep in his chest reemerged. He had to see them, now.
“Caleb, honestly. They are fine. Abby has some burns on her arms from the airbag but that’s all. Madison and she are asleep in her room right now. Why don’t you get some sleep and come home in the morning.”
“I don’t think so. I’m on my way, right now. Will you open the door for me when I get there?” Already throwing a shirt over his head, grabbing his bag, and toeing his shoes on, Caleb left the room.
“Of course.”
It was the longest drive of his life. It didn’t matter that they were okay. He wasn’t there for them when it happened. It took two and a half hours to get to Abby’s but there was no way he was going to be able to sleep in a hotel room when his girls had such a traumatic day. Once Leah opened the door, he didn’t hesitate to drop his things on the coffee table and go straight into the bedroom. There he found Madison cuddled up against Abby’s chest in the center of the bed. Their kitten, Olivia, laid curled up in a ball by Madison’s back. With plenty of room for him behind Abby, he took off his shoes. Abby woke up as soon as the bed dipped when he climbed in behind her and wrapped his arms around them both.
“Hey. What are you doing here?” She asked in a drowsy voice
“Shhh. We’ll talk in the morning. Go back to sleep.”
“Okay.” She snuggled her back into his chest and held even tighter to Madison as she fell back to sleep.
“I love you.” Caleb let a silent tear fall. He was so thankful they were not only safe, but they were both his. This moment confirmed everything he was feeling. There was only one more thing to do.
Abby woke with a fiery sensation similar to a rug burn tingling on her inner forearms, a sore neck, as well as minor aches and pains throughout her body. The warm torso touching her back helped to soothe her. Caleb. He’d come home last night just to make sure she and Madison were safe. She loved this man more than ever. How had she ever managed to be content before he came into her life?
Disappointed that he started to stir and move until he was lying on his back, Abby turned onto her belly then faced him. His eyes were still closed. It was the first time she’d noticed how long his lashes were. How had she not noticed them before? Abby spent her days staring at Caleb and her nights fantasizing about him. She’d never seen him with scruff from the night before either. She kind of liked it, and wanted to kiss the pokey hair on his chin. His lips were parted slightly, and the quietest snore vibrated through them. The only part that concerned her was the frown he wore on his brows; he was not sleeping peacefully.
Probably because he could feel her staring at him, his eyes popped open, and he swiftly moved his head to face her before reaching up into a stretch. “Hey Baby. How are you feeling?”
“A little sore, but I’m okay.” Taking advantage of his arms stretched above his head, Abby moved in until her cheek was on his t-shirt covered chest and her arm wrapped around him.
“Where’s Madison?” He brought his arms back down to hold her.
“I think Leah called her out of the room. I could hear whispers, giggles and then the door closing.”
“Sounds about right, hold on, I’ll be right back.” Caleb scooted out from under her, placing her head on the bed where his warm body had just been. Abby couldn’t help but keep her eyes glued to his pajama covered behind as he walked into her bathroom. She couldn’t wait for the day that they moved their relationship into a physical one. She imagined because of his extensive experience, unlike her, he really knew what to do.
Caleb opened the bathroom door taking her out of her naughty thoughts about him. Reclaiming his spot, he rejoined her in bed.
He seemed to brace himself before speaking. “Let me see your arms.” Carefully pulling her right arm up, his expression turned grave before he closed his eyes. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t here and you couldn’t get a hold of me.”
&n
bsp; “It’s not your fault Caleb.” Placing her palm on his scruffy jaw until he opened his eyes, she added. “Please don’t feel bad.” She needed to comfort him. Not caring that he had swished toothpaste in his mouth while she had not, Abby placed her lips on his. “I love you, and these are the only things that came of the crash.” She held up her arms again but didn’t dare tell him how sore her body really was. She would take some ibuprofen and be fine. “I just need to put some cream on them until they disappear. No biggie.”
He bolted up. “Please do not play down this situation. I can’t believe I wasn’t available when it happened. I’m normally so careful about making sure my phone is charged.” His hands covered his face before running his fingers through his hair. “Abby something really bad could have happened and nobody could get a hold of me.”
Sitting up on her knees facing him, Abby placed her hands on both of his cheeks forcing him to look at her. “But it didn’t. That’s what is important.”
Hastily, Caleb seized her into his arms and held so firm that she had a difficult time breathing. Her legs straddled his hips as he began to weep. “Abby, I don’t know what I would do without you, I cannot lose you too.” Her heart fell. He’d already experienced the loss of a significant other. Fighting back her own tears, her arms were on fire, but she had to hold him tighter.
“I’m here, I’m still here.” She spoke softly. Holding each other until his last quivering sob left him, he pulled back to see her face.
“I am so in love with you Abby. I promise I will do everything in my power to make you happy.” She wiped his tears with her fingers.
“You already do Caleb. I’ve never been this happy in my entire life.” She sat on his upper thighs. “Really, I couldn’t imagine being happier.” Something passed across his face. Almost like he had another thought.
The door flew open and Madison came running in, jumping on the bed. “See Leah, I told you they were awake. I heard them talking.”
“Sorry, she’s been dying to come in here.” Leah shrugged her shoulders while standing in the doorway.
Abby smiled and mouthed, “It’s okay.”
“Breakfast is ready whenever you guys are. I have to jump in the shower and get ready for work.”
She backed away from the door as Caleb yelled, “Thanks Leah, for everything.”
“Daddy, did Abby tell you that a dumb girl was on her phone when she was driving and hit our car? Then we got to ride in the ambalance to the hospital and after the doctor looked at me, I got to stay with her. I kept her calm, Daddy. She told me so.” The pride on her face was one of the most beautiful things Abby had ever seen.
She leaned over and kissed Madison on the cheek. “You sure did Sweetie. I don’t know what I would have done without your help.” Madison beamed for both of them to see. Realizing she was still straddling this little girl’s daddy, right in front of her, Abby clumsily got up and headed to the bathroom herself. “I’ll meet you guys in the kitchen for breakfast.” Closing the door and looking at what a hot mess she was, Abby couldn’t help but smile. How in the heck did I get so lucky?
Abby pulled into the parking lot at one of her favorite locations, the Santa Barbara Zoo. She hadn’t been here since their last school field trip in September. Before getting out of the car, she ran her thumbs over the bumpy inner stitching of the leather steering wheel and smiled. Caleb insisted she drive his Range Rover while her car was at the body shop. After a few weeks, he informed her that the car would never be as safe as it had been, so he didn’t want her driving it anymore. He had taken charge of the whole situation relieving her of that stress. More than likely, he had someone else dealing with it for her, but that was fine too. Being familiar with the law, he was better equipped to find the help she needed. Plus, it was kind of hot knowing he wanted to take care of her. Unsure what kind of car to get as a replacement, she patiently waited for her insurance company to send money since the teen driving did not have insurance of her own. Realistically, Abby owed more for her car than it was worth so who knows what that would mean in the long run. Oh well, she wouldn’t worry about that tonight. She’d waited for a month to come here for this event, and was elated to celebrate Caleb’s accomplishments. All of the contracts with the studio were signed and they were moving into the next phase of filming the movies based on his books. This evening, he’d rented out the zoo to host a party for the celebration. She had no idea who was going to be here, but it was a fantastic place to have a large gathering. There was a small meeting beforehand so quite a few people were there before she arrived.
Leah drove in and parked right beside Abby. That was great because Abby didn’t want to walk in by herself. Both ladies exited their cars at the same time. “I see you are still driving the Range.” Leah gave her a smartass look. She knew how much Abby enjoyed driving this car.
“Not for much longer I’m sure, so I’ll enjoy it for now.” Abby sighed while taking another look at the beautiful vehicle in front of her.
“I have a feeling it will be much longer than you think.” Leah murmured.
“Why do you say that? I’m not going to steal his car Leah.” Abby wasn’t sure where Leah was going with this.
“Doesn’t mean he isn’t going to willingly give it to you.” Standing in her off the shoulder thigh high black dress and matching strappy heels, Leah put her hands on her hips and pursed her lips in the sassy way only she could get away with.
“I don’t think so.” Raising her eyebrows, Abby assured her friend that there was no way she was going to take such an expensive gift from her boyfriend. Although he’d wanted her to drive it for now, he hadn’t offered to give it to her, so this conversation was pointless.
“You look exquisite tonight, Abby. Caleb is going to have a heart attack when he sees you.” Abby glanced down at the floor-length fitted taupe dress with small black flower embellishments on the strapless top, and she had to agree. This was the most stunning dress she had ever worn. Deciding to keep her hair up in an elegant up-do, she topped off the look with long dangling earrings and a matching clutch.
“Thanks! You look pretty gorgeous yourself. But then again, you always do.” And she did. Abby still didn’t understand how Leah hadn’t been snatched up by her Prince Charming yet. She was beautiful inside and out plus, she always made the effort to take care of her looks.
“This old thing.” Leah approached her best friend and looped their arms leading them into the open gates.
Caleb was on edge waiting for Abby to arrive.
“Dude, calm down, I’ve never seen you so nervous before. You are starting to sweat. If you are having second thoughts, nobody would care.” Caleb gave his cousin a dirty look.
“You are not helping Stefen.”
“Sorry. Oh, damn. Who is that hot Latina walking over there?” Stefen’s attention was on the two ladies Caleb had been waiting for.
The women were walking up the path that led to the tents. Abby was breathtaking. She was always striking, but Caleb was going to have a difficult time sticking to his principles tonight while she wore that dress. “She is Abby’s best friend, well not just Abby’s best friend, but she is her sister-friend kind of best friend, and off limits.”
“Is that Abby with her?” Stefen placed his thumb and index finger on his chin as if he was contemplating something.
“Yes, it sure is.” Wearing a goofy smile, Caleb couldn’t help but feel giddy.
“You are one lucky son of a bitch to be surrounded by two gorgeous women all of the time. They both have really nice curves.” Caleb gave him a stern warning look.
“Okay, okay, I got you. Besides, can you imagine the fit my parents would have if I ever brought a girl like Leah home with me?” Stefen snickered.
“What the hell do you mean by that?” Placing his hands on his waist, Caleb was starting to get pissed off. He knew where his cousin’s head was, but it didn’t mean he had to like it.
“Come on man, you know what I’m talking about. She clea
rly had a different upbringing from us. Look at her.” Caleb’s eyes trailed back to the women. Abby appeared to be searching for something. He hoped she was looking for him.
“Stefen, do not even go there. You are not like them deep down. Don’t you dare insult her in my presence. She is an amazing woman and really good for Abby. She’s very special...just not for you.” Unfortunately, Caleb did know what Stefen was referring to. Before meeting Rene, he and Stefen were quite the heart breaking team. They were both raised to be pompous jerks and would use women as if they didn’t matter. Stefen hadn’t learned any better yet. Caleb loved his cousin, but also felt a strong need to protect Leah from him. He wanted to leave and catch up with Abby but also needed to make sure Stefen got what he was saying.
“What? You don’t think I’m good enough for her?” With an expression of disgust on his face, Stefen stared his cousin down.
“You know what you mean to me, but she deserves more than a one night stand and a broken heart. She is a big part of my family now and will always be around us. Just leave her alone for my sake, please.”
“Whatever man. I was just thinking about having a little fun while I was in town.” They started walking toward the canvas-covered area that the party was centered under.
“That’s exactly what I’m talking about Stefen.” Caleb huffed.
“Fine. I’ll leave her alone. Happy?”
“Yes.”
“Okay let’s get this party started. We are here to celebrate right?” He clapped Caleb on the shoulder as they approached the tent where most of the guests were gathered. “There has got to be another broad here that I can bang before I leave.” Standing at the tent opening, Caleb scanned the room for Abby while Stefen scanned for god only knows whom.
“Please stop. My life is different now; you know this. Please respect me enough to recognize that and stop being an ass.”
