Title:- Every Cloud has a Silver Lining

Author:- Lu

Rating:- T

Characters:- Abby/Carter

Summary:- August Challenge Fiction Piece for One Can Only Hope. Criteria must include discussion about babies, pregnancy. Baby blanket and meaningful photo to be included as well.

The sun was setting on the warm autumn evening as Abby and Carter walked back tot he apartment after a long, hard day in the ER. Leaves crunched underfoot as Carter wrapped his arm around Abby's shoulder, tucking her into his body, as if to protect her from the light autumnal wind. "Abby did you ever dream you would be a mother?" Carter asked out of the blue.

"What?" She asked, stunned by his question.

"When you were a little girl, did you ever have the dream or make believe you were a mother?" He asked as he opened the gate allowing them access to the building.

"No!" She stated plainly as she rooted around in her bag for the keys to open the door.

"Why not?" He asked, pushing the door open for her and then collecting the mail, which included a box addressed to Abby.

"Why are you asking me this now?" She asked, starting to sound annoyed.

"Just curious." He answered as they climbed the stairs and into the apartment.

In the apartment Abby quickly divested of her jacket and made her way into the kitchen, placing the kettle on to boil. Checking in the refrigerator she discovered leftover pasta for them to have as dinner. She was thinking about Carter's question and how she was going to answer it. Why had he asked it now?

Carter dropped the box by the sofa and kicked off his shoes. Allowing himself to drop onto the sofa, he ran his hand across his face. Was he so wrong to have asked the question? Or was it just not he right time?

"I never dreamed of becoming a mom when I was little because I was one." Her voice came from the kitchen door way.

He turned and saw her standing in the doorway. Her hair falling from the low bun she had placed it in that morning. She moved slowly across the room to the sofa. She ran her hand down his cheek before taking a seat at the opposite end of the sofa.

"I was six when my mom discovered she was pregnant with Eric. Even at that age I could cook and clean better than she could. It was just my life. I have never known what it was like to have that "normal" childhood. Dad left in the middle of the not long after she got pregnant. He couldn't take it anymore and no matter how much I cried and banged on that door he still left." Abby wiped away the tear that threatened to fall. Thinking of her father always did that to her. That was why she didn't think of him very often. She could remember the night so clearly when he left. She had knelt at the door for hours praying that he would come back. "Eric was a great baby. He hardly ever cried, but I worried about him all the time. When I was in school, which wasn't very often back then, I used to worry whether she was feeding him." She looked up to the shocked expression on Carter's face. "I know I was only seven but she couldn't do it."

"Didn't anyone ever say or do anything?" He asked in a hushed voice, as if speaking any louder wasn't allowed.

"Once." She said with a wistful tone in her voice. Carter looked to see her looking past him at nothing in particular. "Mom went on a right bender when Eric was about six months old. Now I had been used to taking care of him but someone caught me one day. While all my friends, the few I did have, were pushing their doll's strollers I was the little kid with the real stroller and the real baby. We were put into foster care for four days. We lived with this little old woman how was like a grandmother, or at least what I thought a grandmother should be. But still I looked after Eric, telling Mrs Fuller that she didn't have to worry about him. I would do it."

Carter smiled at her. He could just see a little stubborn Abby with her hands on her hips telling this woman what to do. "Sounds nice."

"It was, but then we went back home and it started all over again."

"Were social services never called again?" Carter asked, looking at the worrisome look on her face.

"Mom always kept her game up whenever someone came to the door. I was never allowed out too late at night on my own with Eric in the stroller. She made sure we would never get caught." Abby stopped briefly before continuing. "I suppose in a way growing up with her made me not want to be a mother. I used to think I would turn out like her."

"I am so glad you told all of that Abby, but please don't be frightened." Carter said moving closer towards her. She allowed herself to fall into his arms and relax for a while.

"What was the box you brought up the stairs with you?" She asked after a while.

"Something for you. Did you order anything?" Carter asked lifting the box from the side of the sofa and onto the middle seat.

Abby shook her head as she sliced the tape open with her fingernail. "Oh my GOD!" She squealed as the box opened.

"What?" Carter asked looking into the box.

"Blankie and baby." She squealed as she lifted a ratty looking pink blanket and a soft-bodied doll. "She kept them after all." Carter looked at her. "These were mine. My baby things. The blanket was given to me by my father as a small baby and went everywhere with me. Mom's friend gave baby to me for my first birthday. Again it went everywhere. She told me that she had thrown them away. I was nine at the time and she told me I was too old for them. I can't believe she kept them all these years." Carter watched as she ran the blanket down her face, still feeling the baby softness.

"That was nice of her to send them to you." He told her as he looked further into the box. "Looks like there is some other stuff here as well. Photograph's and books."

"Let me see the photo's." Abby picked at the pile until she found what she was looking for. "This, I thought was lost." She turned the picture over to show Carter. He looked at it and smiled, "This was taken when we stayed at Mrs Fuller's house. I had woken during the night after hearing Eric and had gone to see him. Mrs fuller heard him but left him, feeling it was probably best to leave him. When she got up in the morning she went into the room he was sleeping in and found me asleep on the sofa with Eric in my arms. Mrs Fuller told me she had never seen a seven year old hold a baby as well as I did."

Carter watched the pride in her eyes shine out. She ran her fingers over the faces in the picture as if remembering a time when she should have been innocent but never had that chance. "Abby you talk about not being a good enough mother. Look at all you have done for Eric and you were only a child. "You are going to make a wonderful mother to our child. Just you wait and see." He told her as he rested his hand on the growing bump that housed their child.

"I hope so Carter, I hope so." She smiled as she leaned in to kiss him.