Love You Moore (27 page)

Holly was pacing in the hall when Jimmy
arrived, hair still dripping wet. He went to go in the room. A
nurse tried to keep him out.

“
Look that is my wife and baby in there
and I am going in.” Jimmy demanded.

Right then Dr Shelly came out of the room
looking very somber.

“
Doctor, please can I go in to Abby she
needs me.” Jimmy pleaded

“
In a moment Jimmy.” She touched him on
the arm. “I’m sorry, we did everything we could. Abby delivered the
baby. It was too soon. We lost her.”

“
Lost her? Abby? We lost Abby?” Jimmy
shouted.

“
No I’m sorry, the baby was a girl, we
couldn’t save her, she was too premature and under
developed.”

“
A girl?” Jimmy whispered.

“
I am truly sorry for your loss.” Dr.
Shelly consoled

“
Can I see Abby?” Jimmy asked in barely
a whisper

“
Certainly. She has been sedated but
she’ll know you’re there.”

“
Jimmy, I’m so sorry.” Tears were
streaming down Holly face. “I’ll let you go in alone.”

Jimmy walked into the stark white room and
went to Abby bedside. She was conscious but barely.

“
Jimmy” Abby started

“
Shhhh it’s ok. Rest now” he was
running his fingers through her hair.

“
The baby.” She cried

“
I know.” Jimmy was crying
too.

“
I’m so sorry.” Abby was
sobbing

“
This is not your fault. We’ll try
again. It will be ok I promise.” Jimmy tried to comfort
her.

Abby turned her head towards the window and
closed her eyes. It was not going to be ok.

* * * * *

Chapter 23

Abby sank into a deep depression. She was
released from the hospital two days after losing the baby. She was
assured and reassured that she could have more children in the
future. Since the baby was more than 20 weeks they had to name it
and have a burial. They named the baby Sophia Marie. There was a
small service, just Jimmy, Abby and Holly were there. Both sets of
parents wanted to come out but Abby insisted they all stayed home.
Abby didn’t want to make a fuss, she couldn’t handle a crowd of
mourners. She spent the following days laying in bed or out on her
balcony staring into the horizon. Jimmy and Holly did their best to
cheer her up but with no success. She wasn’t sleeping and she was
barely eating. She would lash out at anyone that suggested she try
napping or eating but then she would feel guilty for being harsh.
Her hormones were all out of whack and she felt like she was going
crazy.

“
Abby, Honey we need to move on from
this, please why don’t you get dressed and we’ll go for a drive”
Jimmy suggested.

“
Why don’t you take Holly with you, you
two have been awfully chummy lately.” Abby snapped. “Why don’t the
two of you go on that tour you wanted to go on? Get the bus ready
and go. Both of you just leave.”

“
Abby.” Both of them surprised and
shocked at her outburst. “You know there is nothing going on
between us that is just ridiculous.” Holly defended.

Abby looked at Holly, for the first time in
her life she felt anger and almost hatred towards her best friend.
Holly with her perfect body, perfect face, she who could have any
man she wanted. Who’s to say she didn’t try something with Jimmy
when Abby was locked upstairs in her room mourning the loss of her
child. As soon as she thought it, she wanted to take it back, she
knew Holly loved her more than anyone ever did, aside from Jimmy.
She broke down and sobbed. Jimmy consoled her and Holly comforted
her. She stayed in Jimmy’s arms for awhile and did feel better. She
felt maybe the light was at the end of the tunnel. She took a
shower and put on clean clothes. She honestly couldn’t remember the
last time she got dressed. The rest of the day all three of them
stayed together. They watched old movies and ate junk food. Jimmy
wasn’t sure she was out of her gloom but knew it was getting
better.

The next morning Abby awoke to the pouring
rain.

“
Awesome, just the type of weather to
put you in a great mood.” She said sarcastically to an empty
room.

She got dressed and went down stairs. She
could smell the coffee and really wanted some, she was hungry too.
She stopped by the table in the foyer and picked up a stack of
unopened mail. There were cards and letters from friends and
family. Abby knew she should respond and thank everyone for their
thoughts and prayers. Abby poured herself a cup of coffee and sat
down at the small table in the kitchen. She took out a notebook and
pen from the drawer so she could write down the names of who she
needed to send a thank you card to. One by one it was the same
thing, “Sorry for your loss, we’re thinking of you.” Or “With
Sympathy, our thoughts are with you.” Abby opened the next card in
the pile thinking it was the same type of sentiment. It wasn’t.

“
Now you know what it feels like to
lose a child.”

It was signed Mitchell’s Mother.

Abby started to hyperventilate, everything
she had kept inside, all the hurt, guilt, regret, anger bubbled up
to the surface and she screamed. She let it all out. She was
yelling staring up to the Heavens “Alright, you win, I’m an awful
person, this is all my fault.” She was hysterical. Jimmy ran into
the kitchen.

“
Abby what is going on?”

“
It's me, I lost the baby because I am
evil. I did something bad and now I deserve nothing but pain and
heartache” Abby threw down the card and ran out the door in the
pouring rain into the back yard. She just ran. She reached the
tennis court fence before Jimmy caught up with her.

“
I did it, I caused that boy to die, I
was driving, not my uncle.” Abby was distraught.

Jimmy grabbed her “I know Abby, I’ve always
known, I knew before I asked you to marry me.”

“
What?” Abby asked in shock. “You know?
How?”

“
Your father told me.” Abby stared at
him in horror, how could her father betray her like
this?

“
Before the night I asked you to marry
me I went to see your dad to ask him for his permission. He said
that he needed to get something off his chest and that it was only
fair that I know the truth. He told me about the car accident. He
told me everything Abby. I don’t care. I understand why your dad
did what he did. You were only a child and he was protecting you.
You don’t need to be afraid that I will leave you. I love you. I
knew you would tell me when you were ready.”

Abby stared at Jimmy standing there in
the pouring rain. Thunder clapping. She grabbed him and kissed him
with more intensity than she ever had. She tore at his clothes. Her
wet hair sticking to her face. He pulled her to the ground. They
continued to tear off each other clothing, not caring about buttons
or ripping fabric. He was inside her, she was digging into his
skin, pulling him in deeper and deeper. The
fervency
of their love making was unparalleled to all the times before. All
of the pent up frustrations they both had was released in that
moment. She let go of all the guilt, all the anger. She was crying
and she was laughing. He loved her with every fiber of his being.
When they were finished, they picked up their tattered rain soaked
clothing and ran into the cabana near the tennis courts. They
wrapped in dry towels and sat in silence together, listening to the
thunder storm. When the rain subsided, they ran to the house.
Margret was in the kitchen and looked at them oddly as they ran
through. She put on a pot of water to make them some hot tea, she
didn’t need an explanation as to why they were out in the rain in
just a towel, but she knew they would have a chill and need
something hot to drink. As they were sipping their tea in dry
clothing, Abby made a statement.

“
I need to go to the Knox County DA and
tell him the truth. I can’t have it on my conscience any
longer.”

Jimmy took her hand, “We’ll go together.”

Abby had Holly call her father and tell him
we were coming in and needed to talk with him. Abby thought coming
clean with him first was important. Holly was involved and she
didn’t want her to get into any trouble for knowing after the fact.
The car stopped in front of the District Attorney’s office. Abby
took a deep breath. Jimmy was holding her hand.

“
You ready for this.” He
asked

She was and she knew, regardless of how this
ended, walking into that office was going to change her life
forever.

* * * * *

Epilogue

Abby was required to serve 80 hours of
community service. She was able to serve the time in LA under the
Los Angeles District Attorney’s office. She chose two places to
serve, a local soup kitchen serving food to the homeless and a
nearby nursing home, helping the elderly. She didn’t mind either
one. She enjoyed helping people it was a rewarding four weeks.
Uncle Roy’s sentence was reduced by five years. Even though he
wasn’t the driver his actions were still the cause of the accident.
The DA told him five years was a gift. Neither Abby nor her parents
received any more blue envelopes. Mrs. Robinson wrote and
apologized to Abby for sending the thoughtless card. She couldn’t
quite forgive her yet but she was working on it especially after
hearing the truth about the accident.

Jimmy’s band did finally go on tour and Abby
went with them. They went on a five month, 50 city tour, traveling
from California to New York. Holly had stayed behind, Josh Cutter
had contacted Holly when he came back to the states. He had
received a movie offer shooting in Montreal right after they had
met and thought it unfair to start something and then him leave for
an extended period of time. When he got back he took some time
working up the nerve to call. She graciously accepted a date with
him. Within a year they were engaged.

Seven months after the band tour ended,
Abby gave birth to a daughter. Jenna Mae Riley was born eight
pounds six ounces and 21 inches long. She was a fat and happy baby
that had her father wrapped around her chubby little fingers. Two
years later Jenna became the big sister to a baby brother, James
Douglas Riley Jr. Jimmy continued to write and perform his own
music as well as write for other performers. He had several songs
that made it into the top 40.
Love You
Moore
was still his biggest hit, although some of his
songs reached number 1, his first hit would always be the one that
put him on the map and it always held a pretty special place in his
heart.

Holly and Josh decided on a small wedding.
Jimmy offered them the back yard. It had lush gardens and the city
horizon was a perfect back drop. Abby’s parents accompanied Holly’s
parents and Cliff to LA. Jimmy had sent the jet to pick them up. As
the music played, Jenna toddled down the aisle dropping flower
petals occasionally turning around in circles because she liked the
way her dress twirled. Abby and Holly laughed as they watched her.
Abby turned to Holly,

“
I love you Girly Girl.”

“
Back at ya Chicky, you know this
changes nothing, I am still coming over all the time, just because
I have my own house now doesn’t mean we’ll spend less time
together.”

“
Well since you are just two houses
down I think we can manage a daily visit.”

“
It was pretty great of Josh to buy a
house so close wasn’t it?”

“
He’s a keeper.” Abby kissed and hugged
Holly and as the Matron of Honor, made her way down the
aisle.

As Holly and Josh were taking their vows,
Abby looked around, her baby son in her mother’s arms, her
daughter, tossing the remaining flower petals at her maternal
grandparents that she fondly refers to as Pop Pop and Mammy and her
handsome husband standing alongside Josh and Cliff. All the friends
and family that were important in their lives were all there in her
back yard. Abby smiled and knew life didn’t get any better than
this. However, deep down, in the recesses of her soul, she still
had the nagging feeling someday something would happen and all
this, her fairytale life, would come to an end.