Can't Let Go(5)
“Now, do you have those prints I asked for?” Abby nodded, bringing herself back to the present, handing over the files containing what Ingrid was asking for.
“I faxed over—” Abby began.
“Jaymes isn’t going to work out.” Ingrid cut her off, not even bothering to look up from the pages she was scanning. Jaymes was one of the newer copy editors, fresh from college. “You’ll need to take care of that for me.”
“But Ingrid—” Abby stammered, stunned. Ingrid looked up then, as if daring her to say more. “This is only his second publication—”
“He should have learned from the first.” Ingrid was a beautiful woman. She had vibrant red hair and a carefully maintained pale complexion. Her eyes were a light brown—but sharp. Everything about her was harsh, but it lent to her a certain kind of glacial beauty. Many were intimidated by her, and perhaps Abby should have counted herself among them. But she didn’t.
Working for Rumor was not the direction Abby had intended her professional life to go in. It had been the only opportunity in the area when she finished graduate school and she had taken it, planning on going somewhere else eventually. But she’d stayed, biding her time. She didn’t know why—didn’t know why she put up with all that she did. With her credentials and experience, she could probably get a job anywhere by now.
But something kept her there. Something gave her the strength to forge on, waiting for a better opportunity to present itself.
It was a long meeting and by the time Abby left, her headache was in full-swing. She threw herself into her chair and pulled open a drawer on her desk, searching through it until she came to a bottle of aspirin. She had just finished swallowing them when the phone on her desk began to ring again.
She filled with dismay, assuming it was going to be Ingrid, demanding that Abby return to her office so that she could complain even more about something that Abby had prepared for her. It wouldn’t be the first time, and based on the way the day was going, it would be entirely fitting. “Rumor magazine—you’ve reached—” She answered, holding the phone to her ear. The person on the other end didn’t give her the chance to finish before speaking.
“Hi, I’m look for Abigail Lewis.” The voice was familiar.
“This is,” Abby responded, a smile forming at her lips.
“No, no. I’m not looking for Abigail the editor. I’m looking for Abigail the aunt.” Hayley’s voice immediately calmed her nerves, an effect her friend had always been able to have on her.
“Abigail the who?” Abby asked, the room quieting around her as she concentrated on Hayley’s voice, needing to make certain she’d heard her friend clearly.
“I said,” Hayley replied. “I’m looking for Abigail the aunt.”
“Are you saying—” Abby already felt her mood brightening, even at the prospect.
“I’m pregnant!” The woman squealed, and Abby couldn’t refrain from joining her—she didn’t care about causing a scene.
“Oh my god, Hayl!” She breathed, forgetting all about the headache and the tasks her boss had given her, and now concentrating solely on the voice on the other end of the phone. “You’re sure?”
“I just went to the doctor this morning.” Happiness flooded through Abby. Hayley had been trying to get pregnant for the last year—and finally, it had happened.
“Have you told Blake yet?”
“Not yet. But I’m totally surprising him with a baby-themed picnic for a late lunch.” Hayley sounded so excited—and the feeling was contagious. Abby could hardly contain herself. Hayley had wanted this for so long,
“Isn’t it cold?” Abby asked. Her friends had moved to Kentucky once Blake had finished medical school where he’d taken a job at a small private practice with a few people he’d gone to school back east with. Hayley laughed and Abby pictured her shaking her head, maybe even rolling her eyes. Abby was pretty much clueless about what the weather was like anywhere that wasn’t on a coast—and, from what she remembered, this time of year on the East coast was still a little on the chilly side.
“No—it’s actually pretty nice.” Abby had only been to visit a very few number of times since they’d moved and had yet to get used to the weather. Well, that was certainly going to change now that a baby was on the way. Abby could only imagine how adorable Hayley and Blake’s child was going to be. “Spring starts a little earlier here than it does back in Boston.”
“Good—you can’t go getting yourself sick, now that you’ve got a little bun in the oven.” Abby grinned happily as she leaned forward, resting her head on her hand. “He’s going to be so happy, Hayl.” Abby saw Blake’s smiling face in her mind.
“I certainly hope so, otherwise we’ve been trying all this time for nothing!” Hayley laughed and Abby smiled, imagining her friend’s smile. “I’m so excited, Abby.”
“I am too,” she reached out and touched the edge of the framed photo she’d looked at earlier, suddenly longing to be near her. “You guys are going to be such good parents.”
“And you’re going to be the best aunt the world’s ever seen.” Abby laughed, nodding her head though her friend couldn’t see her. “Hey—and if you can hold off the wedding for a couple more years, you’ll have yourself an adorable little flower girl.”
“Or ring bearer,” Abby corrected, smiling. The mention of her pending marriage brought her back to reality and she withdrew her fingers from the frame.
“Or you could just call the whole thing off and track down a certain soon-to-be-uncle—”
“Let’s not get into this again,” Abby said, shaking her head. Hayley had made clear for quite some time the way she felt about Abby’s wedding. Ever since Eric, Abby’s fiancé, had proposed, Hayley had been certain to remind Abby of the future she had nearly had. “That was a long time ago, Hayl. Let’s let it stay there.”
“You know just as well as I do that you’ve thought about it.”
“Of course I have. But that’s a situation full of what-if’s. Eric and I—that’s reality.” She sighed, subconsciously touching her fingers to her temples once more. “Just like you and Blake. And the little one on the way.”
“I’m sure you could make a new reality, Abigail Lewis.” When Abby said nothing, Hayley sighed, signaling that she was dropping the subject. Abby was happy that her friend was so distracted—otherwise, this could have turned into a much deeper conversation. “This is probably the happiest day of my life, Abbs. I can’t wait to tell Blake.”
“You’ll call me tonight to tell me how it goes?” Abby wished she could be there with her friend. This was such a big deal—such a big moment in her life. This was something she was supposed to be there for.
“You know I will—he’s going to be so excited.”
“Tell him I send my love and congratulations.” Abby knew the conversation was coming to an end and she was suddenly reminded of the day she had ahead of her. But it didn’t matter now—none of it did. She was going to be an aunt—Hayley and Blake were going to be parents. Nothing could dampen the happiness she was feeling.
“I will,” Hayley promised. “I’ll talk to you tonight!”
“Love you,” Abby told her.
“Love you too!” And with that, she heard a click on the other end. She held the phone in place for just a few moments longer, staring at the picture in front of her, letting the feeling settle.
An image of an alternate future conjured in her mind for a moment—a future in which Logan had stayed, and the two of them had married and had started a life together, exactly as she had planned. She saw herself with a little boy on her hip, with dark messy hair that matched his father’s. The smile on her face was one she hadn’t had since the day the photo sitting on her desk had been taken—one of real, true happiness.
But a moment later, the image dissolved and all that remained in her sight was the photo of she and her best friend, standing on a beach with the sun beginning to set behind them.
Abby’s wedding day was going to be very different from the one that Hayley had, even though she had always imagined hers as much the same. She and Hayley had always envisioned themselves having a double wedding, on the beach somewhere, with all of their loved ones gathered around. Hayley had gotten pretty much exactly what she had wanted, but Abby’s was going to be far from it.
She glanced down at the ring on her finger. The diamond was large, catching the light and glimmering in all directions. It was attached to a thin gold band—not at all what she’d asked for. She knew it cost a fortune, far more elaborate than anything she’d ever wanted. But her fiancé was more of a traditionalist. He had insisted on it, asserting that his bride-to-be would have only the best.