Episode 12: The Ghost of Christmas Present
The morning her parents are due to arrive Abby is pacing her bedroom while Tom is getting ready for the day. "Come on, Tom it's not that bad. They're my parents, not the enemy."
"Easy for you to say; you're not their son in law." Tom replies.
"Well, that's true. But some day you're going to have sons-in-law, you know. Five of them."
"That's ok, I'll be easy on all five of them."
Nancy, who was headed for the stairs, hears him from the hallway. "I'll remember that Dad!!" She then makes a fast retreat downstairs.
"They're my parents," Abby repeats. "They love me, and I love you, so they like you, or at least they'll pretend they do. And the kids really could use some grandparents around; it's going to be a hard enough Christmas on them, with all the changes since last year."
"I know it is Abby, and I promise to make them feel welcomed." Tom says.
Abby gives him a kiss. "You're such a good husband. And I'll be glad to have them here--I need to have a nice long talk with my mother."
Tom returns the kiss. "And I'll have a game of golf with your Dad."
"Now that's going above and beyond the call of duty," Abby laughs. "Just don't let me drag you into any side bets, OK?"
Tom laughs also. "You worry too much."
"It's not worry. It's knowledge." The doorbell rings. "Oh, great, they're here. I wish they'd let me pick them up from the airport; my father's going to be in a mood."
"So I'll fix him a drink." Tom says.
"Good idea. Did one of the kids get the door? Do I look OK?"
"You look beautiful." He kisses her.
"Well, then," Abby takes a deep breath, "you ready to face the dragon?"
"Yep." They head downstairs.
Meanwhile downstairs Nancy opens the door. "Hi, hey everyone they're here!!" She hugs them.
"Nancy. You look more beautiful than last month," Katherine says.
"Thanks Grandma Katherine so do you." Nancy says.
Abby hugs her parents. "Mom, you look so good."
"You're looking a little pale, though," her mother answers.
"We need to talk, Mom," Abby whispers to Katherine. "Later, OK?"
Harry holds out his hand. "Thomas."
Tom shakes his hand. "It's good to see you Harry."
"Hmm," Harry answers back. He pulls Tom slightly aside. "Has Sandra Sue been well? She doesn't look it. I hope you've been treating her right," he says in his most stern voice.
"Of course I've been treating her right." Tom says.
Harry gives him a disbelieving look.
The rest of the children gather around.
Elizabeth and David greet their grandparents.
"So, do we put the presents under the tree?" Katherine asks.
Elizabeth whispers in her ear. "Actually we hide them til a certain little boy goes to sleep on Christmas Eve."
"Oh. Does he go into people's room searching?" Katherine whispers back.
"Not that I know of." She whispers.
"Good. So will you show me to where we're sleeping so I can hide the stash?" Katherine whispers back.
"Sure." She takes her there.
The phone rings.
Tom answers. "Hello."
"This is Dr. Krauss's office calling. May I please speak to Mrs. Bradford?"
"Sure." He covers the mouthpiece. "Abby it's for you."
Abby takes the phone. "Hello?" She listens for a moment. "Hold on." She puts the phone down. "Tom, I'll take it upstairs."
"Ok." Abby goes upstairs and as soon as he's sure she's on the phone upstairs he hangs the phone up downstairs.
"Yes," Abby says into the phone. "I was going to call, but things got busy. You got the results? Uh huh. I am? That would explain the nausea...Yes, of course I've stopped taking the Pill. Is everything else all right? But I don't understand--after all, it wasn't like I didn't take it for weeks and weeks... Yeah, I suppose. You just don't figure you're the one the odds will catch, right?...OK, yes, I'll come in later this week and you can tell me what I have to do from now on." Abby hangs up the phone.
Tom waits anxiously at their bedroom doorway for the results.
Abby hangs up the phone and leaves the bedroom, bumping into Tom as she exits.
"What did she say?"
"That I need to come see her, figure out where we go from here, what my options are," Abby says.
"Are you pregnant?" He asks.
"What? Why do you think that?" Abby asks, not denying the accusation.
"Well you told me you might be, are you?"
"When did I tell you that?" Abby says, still avoiding the issue.
"When all the kids were sick with strep."
"I never told you any such thing," Abby insists. "I wouldn't have told you something like that until I was sure."
"But Abby you did." Tom protests.
"I don't know what I said, but I know what I didn't. No way I would have told you then that I'm pregnant or even that I might have been. Look, I'm going to go check how my parents are settling in. We'll talk about this later."
"Fine, but I know what you told me. Why would I lie about it?"
"Don't be so dramatic," Abby calls over her shoulder. "I didn't say you're lying, just that maybe you're a little confused."
~Sure whatever.~ Tom stops himself from pouting and goes downstairs.
Abby goes into Mary's room. "Hey, Mom, you settling in OK?"
"Yes dear." She looks at her daughter more closely. "Sandra Sue, are you feeling ok?"
"A little run down is all. There's a lot going on in this house, all the time. It never seems to stop," Abby admits.
"Is that all it is?"
"Well, that's the most exhausting thing right now. You need to rest after the flight?"
"No I'm fine." She feels her forehead. "No fever, but I think you're the one who needs to rest."
"Yeah, when none of the kids needs advice or to know who borrowed her blouse or help with homework, when all the cooking is done and the cleaning supervised and I've done my own work and studying."
"Well I'm sure they can fend for themselves while you nap today."
"Or maybe you could supervise them?" Abby suggests.
"I'd love to." Katherine says.
"OK, thanks, Mom," Abby says, yawning. "I think I will go lie down."
"Good, now don't worry I will take care of everything."
Abby gives her a kiss. "The kids will love it. They need a little grandparenting. And don't let Dad be too hard on Tom. Where is Dad, anyway?"
"He's downstairs playing with Nicholas and don't worry I'll make sure your father behaves." She goes downstairs.
"Well, that'll be a full time job," Abby mutters as she heads for bed.
Meanwhile downstairs.
"Hey Joannie can I talk to you for a minute?" Nancy asks.
"Sure, you want to go upstairs or down here is fine?"
"The sunporch is fine."
"Then step into my office."
They go to the sunporch.
"I'm out of money and I need to buy some flowers, and I also wanted to ask you something else."
"Well, I'm almost broke," Joannie says. "Who're the flowers for?"
"Mom."
"Oh. Sure, I can dig up five bucks, I guess. But I don't really have more. What else did you want to talk about?"
"Can you go with me to visit her grave and with whoever else wants to go?"
"Um, I don't know," Joannie hesitates. "I'm not real big on cemeteries."
"Please, if it gets to you we can leave."
"I just don't like to think of Mom like that," Joannie explains.
"I understand."
"This is really important to you, isn't it?" Joannie asks.
"Yes, but if you don't feel right going..."
"What I feel is that you're more important to me than some feeling. So if you want me there, I'll go with you."
"I want you there and thanks Joannie." She smiles.
"Anything for my little sister. When are you going to ask the others?"
"Well Elizabeth already agreed to go and so did David. I was planning on asking the rest after dinner or whenever I can get them alone."
"Good idea. I don't think Dad or Abby's parents would like to hear about this."
"Yeah really."
Joannie gives Nancy a hug. "This was a good idea. I'm glad you thought of it. I'll miss her, Christmas and all."
Nancy hugs her back. "I know I will too."
Katherine goes downstairs and finds Harry, Tom, and Nicholas. "Abby's going to take a nap." She tells them.
"In the middle of the day?" Harry asks. "I knew she wasn't being treated right."
"Harry." She says in her sternest tone.
"What? I'm sure Thomas understands. He does have enough daughters."
"And rest assured your daughter is being treated very well." Tom tells him.
"We'll about that, won't we?"
Katherine glares at Harry.
"What?" Harry says, trying to look innocent. "This is our little girl I'm concerned about."
"If you're so concerned talk to her when she wakes up instead of bullying Tom."
"But it's a father-in-law's duty to bully his son-in-law."
"On a reasonable level."
"Humph."
The rest of the kids start to gather around.
An hour and a half later Abby wakes up and comes downstairs, looking better than she has in days.
Nancy leads her to den. "Have a seat and enjoy yourself. Dinner will be ready shortly."
"Wow. I ought to take a nap more often if this is how I get treated afterwards."
"Well Grandma said you're not feeling well." Nancy replies.
"My mother worries too much. I just was tired. Too many late nights at school."
"Too many late nights add up. I know from my rebel days."
"You mean to tell me those days are over?" Abby teases.
"Only the drugs and alcohol part."
"Well, that's good to know."
"I went through too much to ever go back to them."
"And what about men?" Abby asks. "Is Brad the end of your wild days with them, too?"
"Abby, we're very careful."
"I certainly hope so. Your father is seeing problems everywhere; I think he's a little paranoid."
"Well I didn't really give him reason to trust me did I."
"Well, we all make mistakes," Abby commiserates.
"That we do. I think if we turned into a perfect family I'd run away from home."
"Well, then, I'll just have to make sure to make lots of mistakes to keep you here. So what all did you guys make for dinner? And tell me no one let your father or mine help--please."
"Thanks Abby that means a lot to me, and we're having fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, rolls, and I don't know what's for desert. And not to worry only women cooked this meal."
"Whew."
"I heard that." Tom says as he enters the room.
Abby gets up and gives him a kiss. "You know I like your cooking--it's just a matter of where you're doing it," she whispers.
Tom smiles and returns the kiss.
"Am I too young to see this." Nancy jokes.
"Probably, but we'll be discreet," Abby says.
Nancy laughs and goes to see what everyone is doing in the kitchen. She gets Nicholas, Tommy, Susan, and Mary alone and asks them if they'll go with her, Joannie, Elizabeth and David to visit their mom's grave the day after tomorrow.
Tommy nods OK.
Nicholas doesn't know how to react "Do I have to?"
"No Nicholas you don't have to." Nancy assures him.
"Thanks," Nicholas says and leaves the house for his playhouse.
"Mary, Susan?"
"I'll be there," Mary says.
"I'll be there too," Susan says.
"Cool, thanks you guys." Nancy says.
The next day, midmorning, Abby dials Tom's office.
Donna answers the phone. "Tom Bradford's office."
"Hey, Donna. It's Abby. How are you?"
"I'm fine Abby, how are you?"
"I'm doing great. Nice having my parents around, though I'd guess that's making Tom a little more irritable than usual. Did he ask for three cups of coffee all at once this morning or four?"
"Try five."
"Ouch. My sympathies. Is the great caffeine god around, by the way?"
"Thank you very much and he sure is." She hands the phone to Tom. "It's Abby."
Tom takes the phone. "Hi Abby, what are you doing for lunch?"
"Funny, I was just going to ask you if you wanted to have lunch with a beautiful woman."
"I always want to have lunch with a beautiful woman."
"Well, then, when and where? Somewhere quiet," Abby adds. "We need to talk."
"I know of a place. Do you want me to pick you up?"
"All right. I'm heading back to the district offices now; I should be there in about ten minutes. I'll meet you outside?"
"Ok." A little while later Tom meets Abby outside the district offices.
"Hello, handsome. Fancy meeting you here," Abby flirts. "You waiting for someone special?"
"I sure am. How 'bout you?"
"Not anymore I'm not," Abby smiles and gets into Tom's car.
Tom smiles back. Moments later at the restaurant after they're seated:
"You and I need to talk, I guess," Abby says. "Maybe we should wait until after we eat, though."
"Ok." The food comes and they eat.
Abby picks at her food nervously. "So, how was work today?" she asks, making small talk.
"Pretty good, I drank coffee, worked on the column, drank coffee, avoided Donna's probing questions, drank coffee."
"You know, I think you ought to write a column about Donna. She'd love the idea, and it would give the kids a break."
"The kids read my column?"
"Of course they do. Every morning, to start the day off right," Abby assures him. ~And it's nice they can start it off with such a good laugh.~
"Wow that is wonderful to hear."
"You just have to hang around the breakfast table longer and you'd know it."
"Yeah." They eat a little more and Tom glances at Abby's plate and sees she's not near finished. ~Darn I'll never find out at this rate.~
Abby continues to pick at her food. ~Maybe I can drag it out until next decade. I don't want to do this.~
"Abby you don't have to eat if you're not hungry."
"No, no, I am hungry, it's just...well..." Abby eats a forkful of food and then goes back to playing with what's on her plate.
"Abby I can't take it anymore. What did Hilda say?"
"Oh. Well, she said I should talk it all over with you, but I'm not sure. I mean, it is my decision, isn't it? I mean, we talked about kids, you said you didn't want any, not really, and I don't, not yet."
"You mean you are pregnant?" Tom says.
Abby ignores the interruption, so focused on what she's saying that she really doesn't hear Tom. "So Hilda and I had a long talk today about my options, and, well, I thought I really should just go ahead and do it, you know, not say anything until afterwards, but she seems to think you'd want to be involved; I can't imagine why. I mean, it is my body, right?"
Tom's joy at becoming a father again is quickly vanquished. "Abby, are you considering an abortion?"
"A what? Tom, are you out of your mind?"
"Well it sounded like it." Tom defends himself.
"I'd have to be pregnant for that, wouldn't I?"
Tom is now more confused than ever. "Abby please tell me what's going on."
"You thought I was pregnant? No wonder you've been acting so strange," Abby says. "Why on earth did you think I was pregnant?"
"Because you've had all the symptoms." ~No sense in trying to remind her that she had told me that she thought she was.~
"Well, all except one important one. I've heard of oblivious husbands before, but that's ridiculous. I guess we haven't been spending enough private time together if you can't even keep track."
"So I guess you're not going to tell me. In that case Abby I really need to get back to work." Tom says growing tired of games.
"There's nothing to tell. I'm not pregnant, after all, and you made it clear that keeping things that way is my responsibility, so there really isn't anything to discuss!" Abby says loudly.
"Oh is that why I bought all those condoms!! You've conveniently forgotten that haven't you!!"
"That was an emergency! I also saw that you conveniently threw them out once we got home!"
Tom sighs in frustration. "So you can't tell me what Hilda said. Fine. Here you take the car." He leaves the keys and money for the bill on the table and then walks out.
Abby notices all the stares she's getting from the other diners and hurries after Tom.
Tom has hailed a cab by now and winds up in a bar.
~Oh, great. If he wanted to know, he could have tried listening. I was telling him. And now I'm stuck with his car, too.~
Meanwhile in the bar. ~What does that say about our marriage if she can't just tell me. If she has to keep beating around the bush.~ Tom ponders as he starts on his first beer.
Abby drives to the Register and drops Tom's keys on Donna's desk with an angry clatter. ~Some kind of marriage, where he won't let me get a word in edgewise.~
One hour later at home Nancy calls the Register looking for her Dad and gets Donna instead.
"If you're looking for your father, he's AWOL. The car's here, though," Donna reports. "And I don't know what's going on at home, but Abby certainly didn't look like their lunch went well."
"I'll find him Donna, thank ." After awhile they both up and Nancy takes the station wagon and goes looking for Tom. She finally finds him in a bar.
"Hi Dad."
"What are you doing here?" Tom says, looking up from his beer. "And if you're not going to tell me, just go. I've had enough beating around the bush for one day. That Abby, I tell you..."
"I'm looking for you and whatever happened between you and Abby I know from personal experience that drinking isn't going to help. It'll just intensify everything."
"I'm not going to get drunk, Nancy," Tom says, hiccuping a little. "I just wanted to go somewhere dark and quiet and without women."
"Dad I'm not leaving here without you."
"Then can I get you a soda pop? Because I'm not going home to Abby, and I'm not going to go face Donna, either."
"Sure."
Tom calls the waiter over. "Abby sent you looking for me?" he asks Nancy when the soda arrives.
"I haven't seen Abby since this morning. I came on my own."
"Figures. She can't even look for me to apologize. I'll bet she abandoned the car somewhere, too."
"Dad what happened?"
"Abby wants her privacy. Abby doesn't think she has to talk things over with me. If she wanted her privacy so much," Tom rants, "why'd she bother getting married?"
"Because she loves you."
"Right. Then why can't she talk to me? I am her husband."
"I don't know why Dad. Have you asked her?"
"Yes! Of course I have. She just keeps talking and talking, but she doesn't say anything."
"Well going out and getting drunk won't make her tell you."
"No, but maybe spending a night at the Maxwells will make her reconsider."
"Dad no let me take you home because that's the only place I'll take you."
"I can still call a cab. That's what I had to do after lunch with Abby. That woman..." Tom mutters. "I don't know how I put up with her."
Nancy shakes her head and realizes that she won't get anywhere with her Dad in his state of mind so he calls Dr. Maxwell and as soon as he arrives she goes home.
"Hey, old buddy," Greg says and orders a beer. "You look like a man with something on your mind."
"Oh you got that right, women!!"
"All of them in general, or one in particular?"
"Abby," Tom says.
"Oh. Well, you know that couples fight the first few months. Growing pains."
"Yeah but this is different."
"You want to talk about it," Greg asks, "or just get plastered and have her yell at you when you get home?"
"She'll yell at me anyway so what the heck."
"At least Abby yells at you," Greg commiserates. "Daisy just goes silent and the temperature in the house drops at least twenty degrees."
"Yeah but at least Daisy doesn't beat around the bush."
"Really? You ever try getting a coherent sentence out of that woman when she's upset? Or when she isn't, for that matter. Women."
"Exactly."
"But women also have their good points," Greg reminds him. "That's why we marry them."
"Oh that they do."
"So we have to put up with their moods and their rambling and their tempers and their shopping and their spending. On second thought, why didn't we stick to girlfriends? All the good points and none of the bad."
"You're right and I should go home, but not like this."
"Bartender, bring us a pot of coffee--extra large."
The bartender brings the coffee and Tom starts drinking it.
Abby pulls up at the house just as Nancy does. She's driving too fast and barely brakes in time to avoiding creating an accident in the driveway.
Nancy gets out of the car and approaches Abby's car. "Are you ok?"
"Sure I'm OK. Why wouldn't I be. Your father, though--he's another story altogether."
"I know, don't worry Dr. Max is taking care of things right now."
"Taking care of things?" Abby laughs. "I didn't know Greg could do personality transplants."
Nancy glances at her for a second or two and then goes inside.
Abby follows her in and is startled to bump into her mother.
"Sandra Sue what's wrong?" Katherine asks.
"Men. I should have listened to Daddy."
"Want to talk about it?"
"I was just trying to talk to him, you know," Abby says, her eyes beginning to tear. "OK, so I didn't just come out and say it, but I wanted to explain to him...and then he wouldn't listen to me, he just started yelling, right in the middle of the restaurant."
Katherine holds her. "Honey, men are like babies sometimes every detail has to be told to them. He might not have known that you were leading up to what's going on. However, that is no excuse for his behavior."
"So what am I supposed to do, Mom? Beg him to listen to me?"
"No do not beg. Both of you have to meet half way in this. Tell him that you meant to tell him what's going on that you were going to get to the point. But also let him know that his behavior today won't be tolerated in the future."
"Ha. The only standard for acceptable behavior in this household is whatever Tom Bradford happens to be doing that particular evening."
"Men need to be worked on. Your Dad didn't come like he is I had to mold him into the way he treats me. He wasn't always so attentive."
"Mom," Abby laughs, wiping her eyes, "you always complain that Dad is arrogant and stubborn and would rather play golf than talk to you."
"Yes I do, but he's not as bad as he was."
Abby rests her head on her mother's shoulder.
Katherine continues to comfort her daughter.