Chasing Abby(35)

“Please listen to me, Lynette. It’s not my intention to step on yours or Brian’s toes. Abby is… yours. But I think she’s old enough to decide if she wants to know us.”
Lynette’s sniffling makes my stomach writhe. There’s some shuffling on the phone, then silence, then…
“Hello?” Brian’s voice is deep and lumbering, just the way he looks.
“Brian, this is Chris Knight.”
“I know who this is. Where’s Abby? Put her on the phone.”
I put my hand over the cell-phone speaker and hold it out to Abby. “Your dad wants to speak to you.”
Abby shakes her head adamantly. “I don’t want to speak to him right now.”
I bring the phone to my ear again. “I’m sorry, Brian, but Abby’s a little upset right now. We told her she could stay here for a few hours or longer if she needs some time to let things mellow out.”
“A few hours or longer? What does that mean? Are you trying to convince her to stay with you? Is that what’s going on here?”
“No, that’s not at all what’s happening. She’s the one who came here. We’re just offering her a place to cool down.”
“To cool down? Did she tell you why she left in a huff this morning? Because Lynette and I refused to let her move in with her boyfriend this summer. Do you still think we’re the big, bad, villainous parents now?”
I squint my eyes as I look back and forth between Abby and Caleb. I have no idea how long they’ve been together. I don’t know what kind of guy Caleb is or how he treats her. But I can understand Brian’s trepidation. I understand his desire to not let go. I wouldn’t want Jimi moving in with her boyfriend after she turns eighteen in a year and a few months. But I highly doubt I could stop Jimi if that was what she wanted to do. And something tells me Abby is just as headstrong as her sister.
“Look, Brian. I don’t pretend to know the intricacies of your relationship with Abby or her relationship with Caleb. All I know is that she’s upset right now. And she came here to meet us. I think, after all she’s been through, that she deserves the chance to decide whether she wants to go home right away.”
Brian lets out a puff of laughter. “I knew when she went running, you’d welcome her in.”
“Is that a bad thing?”
“I’m not going to waste my time arguing with you about what’s good or bad for my daughter.”
“You’re right. I apologize for that comment. But you have to know how important it is for Abby to know that you trust her. You’ve done… you’ve obviously done an excellent job raising her. Why not give her the benefit of the doubt that you’ve raised her well enough to make her own decisions?”
I look up at Abby and she smiles. I don’t know if it’s because she thinks I made a good point or because she’s thankful that I agreed to speak on her behalf. And, truthfully, I don’t care. Because that’s the moment I realize I’ll do anything to keep that smile on her face.
There’s nothing but silence on the other end of the line for a moment before Brian finally replies. “If she’s too upset to talk right now, tell her to call me when she’s not upset. Is Caleb with her?”
“Yeah, he’s right here.”
“Tell him to make sure she takes her medication. And tell him… to bring her home as soon as she’s ready.”
My chest puffs up as it floods with warmth. “I’ll tell him. Thank you, Brian.”
He hangs up without saying good-bye. As amazingly happy and hopeful as I feel right now, I can only imagine that Brian must be feeling the opposite of those emotions. I wish I could feel more sympathy for him, but I’m actually more grateful. I’m grateful that he raised Abby to be the kind of person who would seek us out.