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"I'm sorry I didn't call," she apologized. "I should
have."
Jake looked at her disappointedly and smiled in spite of his bruised feelings. It
was difficult for him to be at odds with Abby for very long.
"Your dinner's in the oven," he told her with half a smile.
"Thanks for letting me off the hook so easily," she answered, turning to
go to the kitchen. "Nice job on the mural, by the way."
After she ate, Abby went home and crawled into bed. She had had a long day, and was
looking forward to bedtime more than she usually did. Minutes after her head hit
the pillow, Abby was fast asleep. Quietly inside her womb, a new life was slowly
taking shape.
Sometime the next morning, Abby was awakened from her rest by an odd noise.
"Hang on, I'm coming," she mumbled sleepily, thinking it was Jake and one
of his flashbacks. As her eyes blinked open, however, Abby discovered him at the
foot of her bed, holding a camera. "What are you doing?" she asked with
a yawn.
"Terry showed me how to operate the digital camera he gave me at the baby shower,"
replied Jake, aiming the device at her and taking another picture of his half awake
subject.
"I thought you didn't like cameras," she recalled.
"It's not as bad being behind the camera, as it is being in front of one,"
he shrugged. "Smile, Abby," coaxed Jake, taking aim at her once more.
"I hope you're going to erase those pictures," she frowned, suddenly realizing
that he was documenting her unbrushed morning hair for posterity.
"Why? You look great," he smiled. "I was wondering," hesitated
Jake, "if you're doing anything this evening?"
Abby eyed her handsome friend suspiciously.
"Why do you ask?" she questioned, for it sounded uncomfortably like someone
about to ask her out on a date.
"I don't know," shrugged Jake, struggling to come off as nonchalantly as
he could. "I thought maybe we could go somewhere."
"Whatever for?" asked Abby, more than a little puzzled.
"Because," answered Jake, his face brightening at the prospect, "because,
the sun came up today... because, we're alive and we're going to have a baby... because,
I'm happy and I feel like shouting! Don't you feel it, too, Abby?"
"I thought that's what the baby shower was for," she yawned sleepily.
"You're not getting the point," Jake sighed patiently. "I want to
do something special with you-- as in together."
"What exactly is this 'special' thing you had in mind?" it suddenly occurred
her to ask.
"I found some camping equipment in the garage," explained Jake, enthusiastically.
"Dad said we could use it!"
"Wait a minute!" laughed Abby. "You want to go camping? Is that what
this is all about? Jake, we can't take several days off to go on vacation! We both
have work!"
"I wasn't thinking of days," proposed Jake, "just one night. We could
set up camp above the high-water mark out on the beach this evening and put everything
away in the morning. Oh, Abby, please say 'yes'!" |
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