Chasing Abby(34)

The corner of Abby’s mouth curls up again and she shrugs. “Yeah, I guess you can say I’m going to college.”
I tilt my head, trying to figure out what she means by this, but I don’t want to pry. “Abby—you don’t mind if I call you Abby, do you?”
She shakes her head. “That’s what everybody calls me.”
I already know this, from our dealings with the Jensens, but I don’t mention it to Abby. “Well, Abby, if you don’t mind, I’d like to call your parents and see how they feel about you being here before we decide to make plans for the summer.”
Claire’s head whips around and she glares at me. “She’s eighteen years old. I think she’s capable of making decisions on her own.”
I bite back a retort about how she’s still Brian and Lynette’s child, and I turn to Abby. “Do your parents know you’re here?”
She looks down at the floor again as she replies. “No, they don’t know where I am. I had an argument with them this morning, which sort of led me here.”
I want to ask what they argued about, but it’s none of my business. I just hope it wasn’t an argument about coming here to meet us.
“So, is it okay if we call your parents to tell them you’re here?”
Claire’s face is turned away from me, toward the front door. She’s probably cursing me in her head for potentially ruining this visit. But if we want to have any hope of spending time with Abby this summer, her parents have to be brought into the loop. They have cared for her, and her heart, for the past eighteen years. It only makes sense that their approval or disapproval will greatly influence her decision to stay. If she knows we’re willing to cooperate with her parents’ wishes, she’ll know we’re willing to do anything to keep her here.
Abby looks up at Caleb and he cocks an eyebrow at her. “Don’t ask me. You know I always tell you to be honest with your parents.”
Her shoulders slump a bit at Caleb’s implication, then she turns to me. “Okay, but…” She bites her lip as she digs for the courage to finish this sentence. “Can you talk to my parents for me? They… my dad said something very hurtful to me this morning and I don’t know if I can talk to him right now. Especially after everything I’ve learned here today.”
I clench my jaw tightly shut to keep from asking what Brian said to her. It’s best that I don’t know. The possibility of an extended stay hangs on my ability to reason with the Jensens. I don’t know if I can let Abby stay here knowing she’s going against her parents’ wishes.
Abby slides her phone out of her pocket and dials the Jensens’ phone number. She looks a bit apprehensive as she holds the phone out to me, but I take it without hesitation. I cast a warm smile in her direction as I bring the phone to my ear.
“Abby!” Lynette shrieks into the phone.
“Lynette, this is Chris Knight. Abby is here with us.”
“What the hell is going on? Tell her she needs to come home immediately! I cannot believe this! Get Abby on the phone!”
Abby’s brow is furrowed as if she were in pain, her gaze pointed at the floor. I could not be more angry with Lynette and Brian Jensen, but I have to remain calm.
“Lynette, Abby is right here, but she’s still a little upset over this morning’s argument.”
“That’s none of your business!” Her words are so shrill, my ear starts ringing. “How dare you call me? How dare you talk about her? She’s my daughter. Not yours!”
I grit my teeth as a surge of emotion overcomes me. I know Abby is not mine to claim. I know it’s not my responsibility to protect her from sorrow. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t feel like she’s mine.