Chasing Abby(47)

“Honey, can you run to the store and get a few extra pillows? I forgot we had to throw some out last time we were here when Ryder got sick.”
“Oh, yeah. I forgot about that. Yeah, I’ll run out and get some in a little while.” Chris tests out the bed to make sure it’s locked in position, then he looks around the room. “I’ll get Junior to help me move this furniture around later.”
“Caleb can help you,” Jimi says.
Chris flashes her a look, then he seems to decide not to address this comment. “I’ll take Ryder with me to the store. You need anything else?”
“Yeah, get some eggs and stuff so I can make breakfast tomorrow.”
“Will do, babe.”
He plants a quick kiss on my temple then squeezes his way through the tight space between the two beds. I sit on the bed next to Jimi and wait until I hear Chris and Ryder are gone before I speak.
“I know this is difficult for you.”
“I don’t want to talk about this, Mom.”
She opens the top drawer of her nightstand and pulls out a set of wireless headphones. I grab the headphones before she can put them on.
“Don’t do that. I’m trying to have a conversation with you. Talk to me, Jimi. I want to hear your side of this. I want to make this easier for you.”
She lets out a short burst of laughter, and I fully expect her to make a caustic comment about how much I don’t care. Then her eyes begin to water and she pulls her legs up onto the bed so she can hug her knees to her chest and hide her face.
“Oh, honey,” I murmur, brushing her long light-brown hair back so it’s not covering her eyes. “I hate to see you this way. Please talk to me.”
“I’m not crying because of Abby or my stupid phone. I’m just upset. I… I got in a fight with Sydney and now this whole summer is going to suck. I just hate everything right now.”
Jimi has always had a problem talking about her feelings. Now she’s making up some excuse about a fight with Sydney to avoid the topic. I scoot a bit closer and wrap my arms around her shoulders. Then I lean my forehead against hers and she lets out a soft sob. Straightening out her legs on the bed, she lays her head on my shoulder as I pull her closer.
“I’m sorry,” she blubbers into my neck. “I don’t want to ruin this for you.”
I squeeze her tighter. “Don’t apologize. You’re not ruining anything.”
“Yes, I am. But I can’t help it.”
I stroke her hair and kiss the top of her head. “Jimi, I don’t want you to set your feelings aside. You have a right to feel what you’re feeling.”
“No, I don’t. This is supposed to be a happy time… for you.”
I release my hold on her and lean back so I can look her in the eye. “You have a right to feel scared. And I love that you don’t want to share us. I don’t want to share you with anyone else either. Hint-hint, Jared.”
She lets out a congested chuckle at my mention of the cute boy she’s been exchanging text messages with since the last day of school a week and a half ago.
“But listen to me, Jimi. Just because I don’t want to share you doesn’t mean that you don’t need me to. You need the love of your friends as much as you need my love. And I need to have Abby here as much as I need you. I love you both, baby. And I know it’s probably difficult for you to understand how I can love her so much after all these years. I wish I could explain it, but I can’t. It’s just love. It doesn’t make sense. And it doesn’t mean I love you any less. It doesn’t mean you’re not still your father’s princess.”
She sniffs loudly and nods as she stands from the bed. “I’m going to take a shower.”