A few days later:

"Abby, Brad called and said I need to come back to work tomorrow, but I can stay home longer if you all need me. I'll think of something to tell him." Nancy says.

"No, you work. We'll work it out--you're usually not home from work while I'm out, anyway," Abby says, not mentioning the nights she should be out at school but hasn't been since Tom fell ill.

"You sure?"

"Of course I am. Your father is getting better, and you kids should get back to your lives."

"True, and ok I'll go to work tomorrow."

"Good. And you can tell your brother and sisters that, aside from when I have to be at the high school, they can forget the schedule and start getting on with their lives."

"Will do, and how is high school life these days? Kids are still cutting classes and getting into all kinds of trouble I trust."

"I suppose. I don't much like classroom teaching, anyway, and if I didn't think it was good for Elizabeth to have me nearby, I'd just stay here and keep an eye on Tom instead."

"Yeah, part of me wants to hang out at the high school all day just to check up on her."

"At least I get a paycheck for it," Abby jokes.

Nancy laughs. "Yeah really."

Abby yawns. "Sorry. It's not the company."

"Sure I know I've been boring lately." Nancy kids.

"It's all these late nights and early mornings."

"I think you need a nap."

"No, I should go upstairs and do some studying. I'm so far behind it's not funny. And I still have dinner to make."

"I'll make dinner."

"No, I will. I'm sure you have things to prepare for work tomorrow."

"I've only burned one or two dinners."

"This new diet your father's on takes a lot of preparing."

"Oh yeah, well if you need any help you know where I live." She goes to tell her other siblings what Abby had wanted her to tell them. She finds Joannie last. "Hey Joannie, Abby said for us to get on with our lives."

"And who's going to help with Dad?"

"I intend to still help during my free time, and he is getting better."

"But she's not. She doesn't even leave the house except to go to work and buy all the food on Dr. Max's list. There isn't even any ice cream around here any more."

"Maybe we can get Dotty to take her out."

"She hasn't even spent time with Dotty; Donna's been doing that. She won't leave Dad's side unless one of us need her more. She's like Zombie Wife."

"Maybe she's scared to leave his side."

"That's ridiculous. He's getting better. What's she so scared of?"

"Her husband had a heart attack. If anything ever happened to Noah I know I'd be inconsolable."

"But she's getting obsessive. And her husband had a minor heart attack and will be over it a lot quicker than we'll be over these new menus Abby's serving."

"Dad has to watch what he eats and if he sees us eating the food he loves he'll be tempted to cheat."

"I know, but still..."

"Get dressed we're going out."

"Think we can kidnap Abby and make her at least make her breathe some fresh air?"

"We can try."

"OK. You go try, I'll get ready."

Nancy finds Abby. "Miss you're coming with me."

"Where?" Abby asks. "Is it your father? Does he need something?"

"If and when he does David said he'd take care of it. Let's go."

"I can't leave."

"You have to, Joannie and I are kidnapping you."

"Nancy, I don't have time for games."

"Please it will do you some good."

"I do have to go get more of these egg whites..." Abby hesitates.

"Then you'll come with us."

"To the grocery store, at least."

"Cool, hey Joannie are you ready?!"

"Right here. Where are we going?"

"Out." Nancy says not wanting to let on to Joannie that they're going for groceries and not wanting to let on to Abby that they're going out to eat.

"Ooh, mysterious."

"That's right." They leave.

"Are you allowed to drive yet?" Abby asks Nancy.

~Doh!~ "No."

Abby gets behind the wheel.

"Hey Joannie can you drive after the grocery store." Nancy tries to hint to her that they have someplace else to go afterwards.

"I can drive us home, too, Nancy," Abby says.

"Ok, thanks Abby." ~Joannie and I will plot in the store.~

Later in the grocery store.

"So you know what to do right? When we get out of here just tell her there's another stop we need to make and that it's very important." Nancy says to Joannie.

"You didn't tell her we were going anywhere else?" Joannie asks.

"Well not in so many words."

"She won't go along with this."

"Maybe not but we have to try right?"

"All she can do is kill us."

"She won't kill us."

"Famous last words."

"Ok, I'll ask her if she doesn't mind going out to eat." She approaches Abby and asks her.

"I'd love to, but I really have to get back. I don't even know if anyone's home with your father, and the groceries have to get put away..."

"Joannie and I will help you put them away and David's agreed to keep an eye on Dad."

"But I didn't say anything to Tom. I don't want him to worry."

"So you tell him when we get home." Nancy says hoping that she's covered everything.

Abby tries to think of another excuse, but realizes that short of the whole truth, she has none. "You win. But let's make it fast, OK?"

Nancy smiles. "Ok." She goes to tell Joannie.

"You're a miracle worker."

"Thank you."

"Let's see how long you can keep her out."

"As long as she wants to stay out."

"Well, that was about 5 minutes ago."

"Joannie it will be all right."

"I hope so..."

"It will be."

After grocery shopping they go get something to eat.

The whole time Abby sneaks peeks at her watch.

After they're done eating they go home.

"Thanks, girls. I had a good time," Abby says, and breaks a land-speed record going to check on Tom.

Tom is in Bed reading a book. "Hi."

"Hi. Your daughters kidnapped me."

"Excuse me?"

"I agreed to go to the grocery to get some more of those egg whites for you, but they decided I had to spend more time out. I just wanted to get back home."

Tom chuckles.

"I'm glad you think it's funny," Abby grumbles.

"I am glad they got you out of the house for some fun."

"Being here with you is all the fun I need."

Tom smiles. "You say that now. Wait in a few weeks."

"In a few weeks I'll go for some real excitement,' Abby says. "You and I will go for a walk."

"I love the idea, too bad we don't have beaches around here."

"I didn't know you liked to walk along beaches," Abby says.

"See I am not the only one who has a few guarded secrets." he winks at her.

"I don't have any secrets from you," Abby plays along. "I'm an open book."
 
Tom laughs at this statement.

"I am," Abby insists.

"How about showing me how open you are."

"Have you talked to Max lately?"

"He's supposed to stop by before going home." Tom says.

"Well, then let's wait to answer your question until he's been here."

Tom and Abby wait for Max to arrive.

"Well at least we got her out of the house for a little bit," Nancy says.

"Think we can get her to do it again tomorrow? If we don't do something, she's going to drive Dad crazy with her hovering."

"I don't want to. If we do it too many times she'll get mad."

"It would be for her own good. And Dad's. Maybe the day after tomorrow?"

"I'll think about it."

"While you're at it, think about how to get her to go back to school. Having Dad at home is bad enough, but having them both around all the time is cramping my style."

"I'm just glad Dad's still here."

"So am I. I mean, what if..."

"That's all I've been thinking about since this happened."

"It could happen again, you know. I don't trust Dad. He'll start sneaking down to the grease pit as soon as he can."

"If he does that I'll refuse to take my medication."

"Not funny."

"It might work."

"Or it might give Dad another heart attack."

"Oh yeah," she sighs. "I feel so helpless."

"I know. Maybe we could just talk to Dad, remind him what's at stake here. We lost Mom. We can't lose Dad, too."

"I tried telling him that I'm glad he's going to be ok but anytime I mention it he changes the subject, but maybe that will work."

"It's worth a shot. Without Dad, this family would fall apart."

"Yeah it would."

"He always puts us kids first. We have to remind him that we need  him. Abby does, too--I wouldn't want to be her age, a widow again,  and with eight kids."

"Do you think Abby would stay if that happened?"

"She wouldn't just up and leave us," Joannie says. "Would she?"

"She wouldn't leave Nicholas, Tommy, and Elizabeth since they're still minors. But the rest of us..." Nancy worries.

"The rest of us are a lot of trouble. She's too young to be saddled with us; you're right. If Dad doesn't watch himself, we're in big trouble."

"Mom didn't think of us as a lot of trouble. She always loved us no matter what. We're SOL if we lose Dad, we got to talk to him as soon as possible."

"I didn't say Abby thinks we're trouble, just that we *are.* Would you want to be Abby's age and in sole charge of us?"

"No, but it's not so great being in our position either."

"I know, but don't blame Abby for not being Mom. She married Dad; we just came along with the package. It's not like we're her real kids; she barely knows us."

"I'm trying not to but it's hard. I feel like every time I get into trouble... it's difficult to explain in words."

"Try, Nancy. Tell me what's going on."

"I don't know it's almost like any love at all she has towards me diminishes a little anytime I get into trouble."

"Has she said something to you?" Joannie asks, all defensive big sister.

"No but I can tell things are different."

"How?"

"She seems distant with me. Look it doesn't matter I'll be out of the house soon anyway. Why does a nineteen year old still need a mother anyway? Can we go talk to Dad now?"

"Sure. And afterwards, I think I want to take you back to your doctor, OK?"

"If you'd like but can we not tell the others about it?"

"As long as you promise me we'll go, I'll keep it quiet."

"Ok I promise."

The girls knock on the bedroom door and Abby tells them to come in.

"Dad can we talk to you?"

"Sure, what's up?"

Abby sits down by her vanity table, wanting to give the girls some privacy, but still to watch out for Tom.

"Dad, you have to take care of yourself now not only for you but for the rest of us. Even though we're older now we still need you and Abby needs you."

"Whoa, wait a second my head is spinning." Tom says. "Can you run that by me  a little slower?"

"We want to make sure you're going to take care of yourself," Joannie clarifies. "We're too young to lose our Mom and also our Dad."

"Look, you aren't going to lose me." Tom says trying to assure himself and  his daughters.

"If you go back to eating at the grease pit and having pie ala mode..."

"Girls, I can't promise you that, but I can promise you that I will cut way back."

"Not good enough, Dad."

"Yeah." Nancy says.

"What do you want? An affidavit that I won't eat anything unless its healthy?  Even diabetics have a piece a cake now and then."

Nancy exchanges a look with Joannie.

"What?" Tom asks.

"Not diabetics who care about their families," Joannie insists.

"I care." he states.

Nancy is about to tell her that not all diabetics are at the point where they can't have any sugar and that some diabetics can cheat every once in a blue moon but doesn't want to ruin their case.
However, she makes a mental note to educate her sister later. ~I'm sure glad my friend wasn't present to hear that.~

"Then show it. What would happen to us if anything happened to you? What would happen to Elizabeth and Tommy and Nicholas?"

Abby sits quietly, wondering if and when Tom plans to talk to the family about the legal changes he's proposed.

Tom shares a glance with Abby. "They would be protected."

"Right. By whom? Grandpa Wells?"

"By me, Joannie," Abby says. "I've been their legal guardian since I married your father. Nothing's going to take that away."

"And I plan on taking some steps to insure that your grandfather or anybody  else can't take them away." Tom says.

"How?"

"What kind of steps?"

"Nothing is set in stone, I remind you; but I was thinking maybe having Abby  adopt them." he says gently.

~Great then they'll be one big happy family, but where does that leave the rest of us?~ "Oh ok, sounds good. Seeing how much they love Abby and she loves them. It's a perfect match." ~What if she moves away and we don't see Nicholas, Tommy, or Elizabeth except on holidays?~ She tries to keep herself from bolting. ~Keep yourself together you're 19 now don't have a temper tantrum. I'll just start looking for another place to live tomorrow there's obviously no room in this
house or family for me and probably not for Joannie, Susan, Mary, and David either.~ "So when will it take place?"

"We don't know." Tom says. "Depends on what Elizabeth, Tommy and Nicholas say about it and the rest of you." Tom says seeing the apprehension on his daughters faces.

"If it's what you, Abby, and Tommy, Liz, and Nick want I won't stand in the way." Nancy says. ~What right would I have?~

"Joannie?" Tom asks.

"What about Mom?"

"Nothing is really going to change." Tom assures her. "Do you have any iron-clad ideas to make sure if something does happen to me, they will be protected?"

"I've never really thought about it before."

"Neither did I until I was laying on the floor the other night and Nicholas was freaking out." Tom remembers.

Joannie nods, uncomfortable at being reminded since they all were freaking out.

"So, do we have your OK?" Tom asks with watery eyes.

Joannie shrugs. "I guess."

"Thank you." he says.

"By the way what did Dr. Max say, the same things we're trying to tell you?" Nancy asks.

"Apparently they are not going to believe me." he tells Abby. "You tell them."

"I'm just as worried as they are. If I ever catch you sneaking down to that grease pit, Tom Bradford..."

Tom feels cornered "Ok, I'll be good."

"Thanks, Dad," Joannie says.

Tom replies with "You are welcome."

Nancy sighs in relief and hugs him.

"Can we go now?" Nancy says to Joannie.

"Good idea."

"See you two later." Nancy says and leaves with Joannie.

After they leave Tom states hesitantly. "That went well."

"If that's what you call 'well,' I'd hate to see what you'd call disastrous."

"Yeah." Tom agrees. "At least they didn't run away, maybe I should have a heart attack more often." he jokes.

"Don't you dare."

"Honey, it was a joke." Tom assures her. "Now that Joannie and Nancy know, maybe we should talk To David, Mary and Susan; before they hear it from the dreaded Bradford grapevine."

"Shouldn't we talk to Elizabeth, Tommy, and Nicholas first? And you'd better have been joking. You're making provisions for who'll take care of your kids, but you haven't made any for who'll take care of your wife."

"Yeah." Tom says. "As for you, I am taking applications. They are lining up outside," Tom gets up and calls for Tommy, Elizabeth, and Nicholas. He waits for them to come in.

"Are we at least going to hold auditions?" Abby asks. "Could be interesting. They'll have a tough act to follow, though."

Tom chuckles, Tommy and Nicholas enter. "What's up Dad?" Tommy asks.

"Where's Elizabeth?" Tom asks.

"What do you need Dad?" Elizabeth asks as she enters the room.

"That was quick." Tom says. "Sit down, all of you." he points to the
bed.

"Something's wrong isn't it." Tommy asks.

"No nothing is wrong." Tom says.

"Then what?" Nicholas says.

Tom breaks the idea to them gently.

Tommy is stunned and Nicholas just sits there.

Abby watches the three of them anxiously.

"What made you come to that decision?" Elizabeth asks.

"Well you just never know about these things. I could go skydiving and my parachute might not open or an elephant might step on me." Tom says some far fetched ideas so not to scare Nicholas.

Tommy gets the idea. "So it is a one in a billion chance."

"Exactly." Tom says. "Nothing is really going to change."

"How do the others feel about it?" Elizabeth asks.

"Joannie and Nancy gave their OK, I haven't spoken to David, Mary and Susan yet. Besides that's not important. "How do you three feel about it."

Nicholas thinks about it. "OK."

Tommy looks at Abby. "I guess we could do worse." then winks at her. "Are you sure you want to do this?" he then asks her.

"Hey, I'm already stuck with you," Abby jokes. "It would just be making it air-tight. Besides, I'd get lonely without all of your noise."

Tommy nods in understanding. "Fine with me then."

"It's important to me how they feel about it. They're part of the family too." Elizabeth says.

"If you want to think about it until I talk to the others. That'll be OK." Tom states.

"Ok."

"Thank you." he says.

Tommy and Nicholas leave, as does Elizabeth.

"Five down, three to go." Tom says as he picks up the phone and dials David.

"I suppose that went well, too?" Abby asks Tom.

"There was no yelling was there?"

"That's the best I can hope for?"

"Give it some time, they just need to get used to the idea." Tom says.

Abby starts to say something, but decides not to. ~He's not strong enough right now. Don't make things worse for him.~

"Abby, they love you. You know that."

"I know."

"Then what?" he asks sensing Abby's discomfort.

Abby considers brushing it off, but fears that would be even worse for Tom than her saying her piece. "Every time I pose some threat to her mother's memory, Elizabeth freezes. Just when I think she trusts me..."

"She does trust you." Tom states. "I think they were just surprised by it. She'll come around, you'll see."

"OK." ~Wish I could get a little more from her, once in while, than 'coming around'.~

David picks up the phone. "Hello."

"Hi David." Tom says. "Do you have a few moments to come over and talk?"

"Yeah I'll be right over." He hangs up and comes over.

"Bye to you too." Tom says looking at the phone and then hangs up.

"Do you think your father can handle the legal proceedings?" Tom can't believe he is asking this.

"I'm sure he can, but he'll want to know why we're doing this. I didn't tell him about your heart attack."

"Great, some more ammunition he can use against me."

"My father likes you, deep down."

"Sure he does, way deep down. So far down you need a microscope." he jokes.

"I'll think of something to tell him."

"Thanks." he says.

When David arrives, Tom calls for Mary and Susan.

David and Mary come in and wait for Susan.

"Where's Susan." Tom asks Mary.

"She'll be here in a minute."

Susan walks in.

Tom tells them of their plans and the why fors.

"That's a good idea." David says.

"Sounds good to me." Mary says.

Tom is taken aback "Really? No hesitations?"

"Of course not." David says.

"Why should it bother us?" Mary says.

Tom looks at Abby..."Well...."

For the first time since the topic came up, Abby is smiling.

"Susan?" Tom asks.

"Sounds good to me."

"Ok, thanks you three."

David, Susan and Mary say you're welcome and then leave.

Later, Max arrives and examines Tom.

Abby paces outside their room, waiting for Max to finish.

"Well?" Tom asks.

"Well Tom you're recovering nicely."

"Does that mean...well you know." Tom hints.

"Yes it does." Max smiles.

"Thanks Max." He smiles back.

"Not a problem." He goes to see Abby in the hallway.

"How is he?"

"He's recuperating just fine."

"So what do we do next? He's been following the diet plan you gave us. Grumbling all the way, but...Can he go for walks? Go back to work? Anything else?"

"Slow down Abby, He can't go back to work for a couple of weeks, and walks in a couple of days. The other thing else he can do now."

"Oh, OK," Abby says, a little embarrassed at having been so obvious in what she meant. "Are there any risks to him? Anything we should watch out for?"

"Chest pains." He tells her what else to watch out for.

"Thanks, Max."

"Not a problem." He leaves.

After she sees Max out, Abby returns to Tom. "Max said you're doing very well."

"I'll be even better when you join me here." He points to the bed.

"The kids saw Max leave. They'll be banging on that door any second to find out what he said."

Tom sighs. "OK, we better tell them then."

"But tonight, mister, you're all mine."

Tom opens the door and shakes his head. They are all standing there.

"Well?" Elizabeth asks.

"Well what?" Tom plays dumb.

"Dr. Max was here." Tommy tells Mary.

"Really? What did he say?"

"I am doing well." Tom says.

"That's wonderful Dad." She gives him a kiss and then goes back to her room to study.

"Don't you kids have homework to do?"

Tommy and Elizabeth states. "Well he's back." they joke and return to their rooms.

Nicholas just stands there.

"You OK Champ?" Tom asks.

"You really going to be Ok?"

"I am really going to be OK, Cross my heart or hope to...." Tom doesn't finish the die part.

Nicholas laughs and runs back to his room.

"Wonder where Joannie and Nancy are." Tom worries.

"Probably out somewhere," Abby says. "They've been as thick as thieves lately."

"I am sure the Bradford grapevine will inform them," Tom says returning to the bed.

"It does seem to have a life of its own," Abby agrees, and sits on the bed next to him.

He kisses her.

"You sure don't waste any time," Abby giggles.

"Why wait?" he giggles with her.

"It's a weekday afternoon and all the kids are in the house."

"If we waited for them to be all out of the house...."

"You've got a point there."

He kisses her again.

Abby pulls away.

"What's wrong?"

"The door's not locked," Abby says. "And Nicholas is home."

Tom quickly locks the door.

"Haven't seen you move that fast in days."

"Nothing to move fast for until now." he states.

"How fast can you get back into this bed?"

Tom jumps onto the bed. "Fast enough?"

"Be careful. Max said you still have to watch yourself."

"So are you going to kiss me or lecture me?"

Abby kisses him.

"Good choice." he says.

Elizabeth is laying on her bed when Tommy comes in.

"You OK?" Tommy asks.

"No, how could you agree so fast to the adoption?"

Tommy just shrugs. "I don't know. Elizabeth they are just trying to do what  is best for us."

"Since when do you care about that?" Elizabeth asks.

"Since I am the one that have comfort Nicholas in the middle of the night the last few nights."

"Nightmares?" she asks.

Tommy nods.

"Have you told Dad and Abby about it?"

"No...I figure they have enough on their minds, besides he doesn't really remember in the morning."

"No wonder you have looked tired lately." Elizabeth states.

"Yeah." Tommy says. "So? what are you going to do?"

Elizabeth sighs. "I don't know yet."

"At least that's not a no." Tommy says and leaves.

Elizabeth looks in the mirror and remembers what Abby has done for her the past few weeks. "What an idiot I am."

Elizabeth goes and knocks on their door.

Tom hears the knock on the door.

"Come in."

"Hi, you have a minute?" Elizabeth asks.

"Sure." Tom asks.

"Do you want to speak to your father alone?" Abby offers.

"No." Elizabeth says.

Abby sits down and waits to hear what Elizabeth has to say. ~She'd better not be running away again. Tom wouldn't be able to take it.~

Elizabeth walks over to Abby. "I'm sorry the way I acted before."

"It's OK. I know it's a change, but it's just a legal thing. It won't really make any difference in anything."

"Right, it won't change anything." repeating what they said earlier.

"Elizabeth, if you don't want to do this, we don't have to."

"No, I want to. I was just surprised."

"You sure?" Abby double-checks.

"I'm sure." she states

"OK."

"Thanks Elizabeth." Tom tells her.

Elizabeth nods and leaves.

"See, I told you." Tom says to Abby.

"Yes, you did."

"You don't seem to happy about it."

"I'm just...I'm just feeling a little too much of everything right now."

Tom relates. "I know the feeling."

Abby hugs him. "I'm glad the kids agreed, but I've even more glad it won't make any difference."

Tom hugs her back. "So I guess we get the ball rolling in the morning."

Abby nods. "I'll call him before I go to work."

Tom laughs. "I can just hear him now."

"Oh, please. I have no idea what I'll tell him, but if I tell him the truth, he'll start in on me about your age. Like he's much older or something..."

Tom cringes. "Thanks a lot."

"I didn't mean it that way."

"I know." he says.

"Age is just a number. You're nothing like my father."

"Thank goodness." Tom says.

"Behave, Tom. You know, people have always said I'm a lot like my dad."

"You? Never." he says.

"Yes, me. So maybe you like my father more than you realize."

"Let's not go there OK?"

"The only place I want you to go right now is bed."

"Oooo, is that a request or a demand." Tom jokes.

"What do you want it to be?" Abby jokes back.

He kisses her "Does that answer your question?"

"Felt like a multiple choice answer, but it was an essay type question."

"Oh really?" Tom asks. He then leads her to the bed.

Afterwards, in the waiting room of the counselors office.

"I might be fine you know. Probably just old fashioned emotions and feelings instead of another medication failure." Nancy says to Joannie.

"I know, but you were acting kind of paranoid. Abby loves you. Why else would she put up with you?" Joannie teases.

"I came with the house." Nancy teases back.

"Mom said you came from the baby store."

Nancy laughs and then the counselor comes out, after she's talked to Nancy she talks to Joannie.

"Her medication is fine so the physical part is taken care of I think she just needed to get a lot of things off of her mind. You can take her home now, but I want to see her again the day after tomorrow."

"So what do I tell her next time she thinks nobody loves her?"

"Hmm, well what do you want people to tell you at times that you feel that way?"

"That I'm a nut job. Don't think that would work on Nancy."

"No it probably wouldn't. Just tell her she's wrong and that her family does love her. Hearing it from the person that's she's doubting still cares about her would be a plus. But you can't force people to say things, just do what you can do. Everyone needs to hear it once in awhile or they start to wonder if anyone cares at all."

"Well, I'll try talking to Abby, but it's hard to corner here when she's not with Dad. Maybe you could tell her?"

"Actually I'd prefer it if Nancy would tell her but I don't think she's going to. I'll call Abby and ask her if she'll come down here for a talk."

"Good luck getting her out of the house. I think someone glued her to Dad's side."

She smiles. "I'll do the best I can, I'm not expecting miracles."

"Good. Will you call her soon? Nancy scared me out of a year's growth, and I'm not old enough to lose too many years."

"Mrs. Bradford this is Nancy's counselor can you come in? I'd like to talk to you about Nancy."

"Can we do it over the phone?" Abby asks. "My husband's been ill, and I don't want to leave him."

"It would be better in person but if you can't come in. I suppose it's ok to do it over the phone. Her sister brought her in to see me today." She tells Abby everything that's going on.

"Why does she think I feel that way? I know I've been preoccupied lately, but it's not easy, trying to work and run a house like this and deal with the crises and stay close to Tom."

"I understand that believe me and I tried to get her to tell you this but she won't. From what I gather she feels like your love is conditional and with every mistake she makes more of that is going to be taken away."

"I wish she were grown up enough to realize that I can't cater to her 24 hours..." Abby takes a deep breath. "Forget I said that. I'll talk to her when she gets home."

"Thank you and she doesn't expect your full attention 24 hours a day. Just 23 hours." The counselor says trying to lighten things up a little. "I'm sorry bad joke. I know it can seem that way at times, but it's not the quantity of the time it's the quality. A few minutes a day might do the trick."

"I suppose I could give up breathing...."

"Bad idea and from my experience if you can't spare any time don't even talk to her because it will only set false hopes."

"Oh, so I'm the villain in this piece?" Abby asks, frustrated. "I've already given up going to school. I'd give up going to work, only one of the other daughters needs me there. I barely get any sleep trying to do everything everyone needs from me. Maybe Nancy just needs to be a little more realistic about how much I can give."

She doesn't see that Joannie and Nancy are behind her.

"Yeah wonderful idea." Nancy whispers to Joannie. "Now she's really going to hate me. Please do not tell her that I'm home." She goes to her room and locks the door.

"Mrs. Bradford no you are not the villain at all." The counselor tries to explain and is running out of ideas on how to diffuse the situation.

"Look, I said I'll talk to her. I'll try to find some time to be with her every day, but it might have to be midnight to 1 am. I've got to go--I've been on the phone too long as is," Abby says, and hangs up.

She goes into the kitchen to bring Tom a snack and sees Joannie sitting at the table. "When did you get back?"

"A few minutes ago."

"And Nancy?"

"Upstairs, in her room. But she doesn't want to talk to you."

"What? Her doctor just called and told me to talk to Nancy," Abby says, confused.

"Yeah, she needed you. But that was before she overheard your little speech on the phone."

"She over heard that?"

Joannie nods. "She didn't even want you to know she's home."

Abby rubs at her temples. "I'll go talk to her."

"All of a sudden you have time?"

"No, but I'll talk to her anyway," Abby says, and heads upstairs. She tries opening Nancy's door, but it's locked. "Nancy, come on, I know you're in there. Please let me in. We need to talk."

She's a little hesitant at first but she finally unlocks the door and lets her in.

"You overheard me on the phone, didn't you?"

"Yes, it's no big deal. I'm sorry that should have been a private conversation but I couldn't help but overhear."

"I think it was a big deal. Otherwise you wouldn't have run up here and locked yourself in."

"Do you really think that I'm not intelligent enough to realize that you have a full plate already. That's why I didn't want to bring up what I was feeling in the first place. The counselor wanted to bring it up not me."

"It's obviously bothering you. I want to be here for you, Nancy, but I need to be here for your father first."

"I know you need to be there for him first."

"We could try to find some time to just sit together, you and I," Abby says, seeing how lost Nancy looks. "I do care about you, you know."

"Ok." Nancy says.

"Your doctor said you felt like my love is conditional. It's not, you know."

"That's very good to hear. You know maybe I just analyze and worry over things too much."

"Maybe so. I do that, too, when I have the time."

"Yeah, hey do you want me to help out more around here? I can help Nicholas with things and Elizabeth. You shouldn't have to be doing it all."

"Nicholas really needs me right now. He was pretty shaken up when your father got sick."

"I know how he feels."

"He told me something pretty disturbing that day," Abby says, trying to make a distinction between Nancy's feelings and Nicholas's.

"What did he tell you?" Nancy worries.

"He was afraid that your father had died and that your brothers and sisters were lying to him. Again."

"Oh no." She sighs. "It wasn't just my brothers and sisters who lied to him when our mother died. I'm guilty too."

"I can understand why you did it--explaining something like that to a little kid can't be easy. But he's having a tough time trusting people now. I think he trusts me about your father's health; after all, I wasn't around when your mother died. But I feel like I have to spend a lot of time reassuring him. And between that and Elizabeth and your father, there isn't a lot of me left to go around."

"And you don't need me whining about things." She concedes.

"Nancy, I didn't say that..." Abby sighs. "Just, maybe, could you trust me enough to come to me and then really listen to what I say to you instead of assuming the worst? It would save us both a lot of time and grief."

"Yes I'll do that." She says. ~I was silly for thinking just because she's adopting them means us older kids won't be part of the family.~ She finally comes to peace with the possible adoption. ~And if something happens to Dad and for some reason Abby has to move away  with them arrangements will be made so that everyone still sees each other.~

"Good. Look, I've got to go steam some vegetables for your father. Want to keep me company?"

She smiles. "Sure."

"Let's go."

They go to the kitchen to get started on steaming the vegetables.

Soon David shows up with his collar up it soon falls down.

"I see someone had fun last night." Nancy jokes.

"Those who can, should," Abby says.

Nancy smiles thinking of Noah.

David catches on to the meaning. "Uh uh little sister you too young. If Noah gives you a hickey I'll mop the floor with him." He goes over to Abby. "How's it going?"

"Fine. Want some of these steamed vegetables?"

"Sure."

"Men," Abby whispers to Nancy. "They'll eat anything as long as some woman's prepared it."

Nancy chuckles. "Tell me about it."

"Women," David exaggerates. "Always making men jokes."

"Hey, when we're right, we're right."

"Yeah." Nancy adds.

He mock glares at them.

"You're so cute when you're angry."

"It's that Bradford male charm," Abby says.

"The men in this family are pretty cool." Nancy says.

"I certainly think so."

"Well thank you." David says. "The women are beautiful."

"Ahh you're just saying that to get on our good side." Nancy teases.

"Little does he know I don't have a good side," Abby stage whispers.

Nancy laughs.

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