GC

            A month had gone by, and Abby had finally moved into her new home, comfortable and happy to be away from under her mother’s roof.  All of her things were unpacked, mostly, since there were things that Abby just wasn’t going to unpack here. Things that’s had been bought that did display her preference for women, that showcased that she was gay, were now all sitting in the attic.

 Most of the winter snow was gone now, just small vestiges of snow banks clung to the shady areas of dirt roads.  The leaves were beginning to blossom, turning the dark brown landscape green with life.  Today was the first day that Abby had ventured to open the windows and let the warming spring air into her new home.

            Abby had yet to open her offices, still traveling every day to Addison to finish off her residency, but enjoying the long drive, it gave her ample time to think.  To reflect and delve into every decision she’d ever made.  Her mind often drifted to what her life might be like if she’d stayed in California.  Then she thought about seeing her mother daily or at least getting a phone call from her, and the thoughts of California faded away.  This place was home, no matter how deeply in the closet she would have to drive and hide, this place brought her peace and solace. 

            Abby heard a soft thud from her office.  Sliding the door of her office open from the inside of her house, she was welcomed with the sight of an ample sized woman in a bright pink dress.  It billowed around her as she turned to look at Abby.  Abby involuntarily took a step back, what in the world had she just walked into.  It certainly wasn’t a burglar – no burglar in their right mind would be caught dead wearing that outfit.

            “About time you got here, I don’t understand how you think we are ever going to get this office in working order if you don’t plan on ever being here!” said the woman, hands moving to her hips, staring Abby down.

            Abby turned to the door, and then turned back, her mouth hanging open, attempting to figure out what was going on, who was this woman?  Then, as if reading Abby’s very confused mind the woman began to speak again.

            “I’m Ginny, I used to work for Doc Coddle when he came to town, I have 40 years of office experience over in The Corner, and you can call and ask if you want.  You’re mother told me you needed someone to get you going and that’s what I’m here to do,” said Ginny in a huff.  “And let me tell you, it’s going to take a whole lot of work to get this place off the ground in the short time that you’ve got left.”

            Abby bit her lip, trying not to say anything about the great beehive of black and white hair that was mounted on top of Ginny’s head.  A bevy of things rushed through Abby, most of which were unfounded, she had to start work, right?  She did need someone to organize the office, keep records, and make appointments.

            “Your mother said you didn’t talk much, but this is pushing it,” said Ginny.

            Abby snapped out of it.  She was a doctor, she was going to have to start acting like one.  “Right so we should talk about what I would be paying you.”

            “Uh huh,” said Ginny, crossing her arms over her chest, waiting for Abby to continue.

            “If I’m on vacation, you’re on vacation…,” began Abby, not having really thought this out at all, thank you mom, for pushing this on me.  Her mother never did listen to her, and she never let Abby take things at her own pace.

            “Doctors don’t take vacations,” snapped Ginny.  Her beehive seemed to shake with the words.

            “You’ve never met me,” chuckled Abby, a glimmer of a smile crossing her lips.  “How much were you making in Addison?”

            “Retired I was making over 35 grand a year, salary, that’s the way I liked it,” stated Ginny.  “Don’t take a lot to live well in the Circle, and I don’t mind working as many hours as it takes to get what I need to live that way.”

            Abby grimaced, but then thought she might as well dip into the money she had left, it was meant for her to spend after all.  “All right, and vacations, I do take them.”

            “We’ll see,” muttered Ginny, extending her meaty hand and Abby took it.  “Boss.”

            “Abby is fine,” assured Abby, not sure she could handle being called boss.

            “Uh huh,” said Ginny, going off to set up some sort of filing system, from what Abby could figure because she was looking at the file cabinet.  “Here,” said Ginny, handing Abby a list, and Abby looked down.  “…those are the things I’ll be needing, and this computer?  Will not do, I need more ram and more hard drive space….”

            “….more space, right, I’ll get right on that,” muttered Abby.  Pointing to the paper.  “Should I get this now?”

            “Yes!” replied Ginny, “I have a lot of work to do, now hop to it.” 

Abby scurried out the door, trying desperately not to laugh.  Leave it to her mother to find her a drill sergeant for a secretary.   

GC

           

            Ben had a rare day off and he was painting the spare bedroom that, he hoped, would one day be a nursery.  Cooper had done the sheet rocking and now it was up to Ben to finish the long ago started project.  It was always something that he put off, because Piper was so super careful about getting pregnant that looking at the would-be nursery would only make him more acutely aware of the fact that there would be no children in the house for a long time to come.

            He climbed down the stepladder; he’d finally finished all the taping.  He was ready to paint, he called out to Piper.  “Babe, where are the paint brushes?”

            There was silence and he rubbed his chin.  “Piper!”

            “What?  I’m on the phone, Ben,” said Piper.

            “Oh,” he muttered, going into the bedroom, where she was chatting on the phone.  “You know where I put the paint brushes?”

            Covering the mouth piece, with a distasteful look on her face.  “No, last time I saw them they were in the bedroom you were going to be painting,” said Piper sarcastically.  “Sorry, where were we?” asked Piper into the phone.

            Ben went back to the bedroom, seeking the elusive paintbrushes and finding that they’d seemingly walked away and went out to play in the spring sunshine.

            “I guess I’m going to get paintbrushes,” he muttered to himself, not bothering to tell Piper he was going anywhere.  He grabbed his car keys and headed out to get what he needed, still wondering where the paintbrushes had gone.

GC

            Trudging into the store, aptly named, It’s All Here, owned by Max Logan, a thin ageless man who had thin silvery hair.  Abby looked over at the store map and found the office supply section.  Max waved hello to her and Abby waved back, her green eyes hidden by strands of blonde hair falling into her eyes.

            “Folders, color coded,” muttered Abby under her breath as she walked, head bent down, hair falling into her luminous green eyes.  “What is this?” asked Abby to herself, turning the paper sideways as if doing that would make it easier to read, but it didn’t.  “Holy water?”

            “I think you’ll find that on the other side of the store,” said the sweet voice of Ben Dionne.  He was leaning on a rack that was directly in front of Abby, her looked handsome and sweet, his cheeks unshaven, and his eyes alive.  He looked like Cooper usually did, dusty from working on some construction project or another.  The soft smell of carpentry clung to him.

            “Oh, I can’t read…  Ginny’s handwriting,” smirked Abby as she shook her list at Ben.

            Ben smile easily, taking the paper from her hand and moving to her side, he was much taller than her, but he didn’t loom over her like most men might.  He studied the paper and then said in a soft tone, “Hole puncher, it says hole puncher, not holy water.  Though, with Ginny, one never knows.  She does make weekly pilgrimages to Mizpah you know?  So does most of Gideon.”

            Abby cleared her throat, taking the paper and stepping half a step away from Ben.  “Thanks.”

            “Let me show you where it is,” said the radiologist, his easy way put her at ease and she knew now why Cooper was best friends with this man.  Abby followed Ben and took the hole puncher that he was holding out to her.  She took it with a smile, but not saying anything.  “I’m glad you came over with Coop a few weeks ago, he’s a great guy you know.  You two seem to be really hitting it off.”
            Abby nodded, “I know.”  The tone was begrudging, because it was true, she and Cooper were hitting it off.

            “He’s got his…  Quirks,” added Ben, looking down at his sneakers.  Ben had been after Cooper to really settle down with Abby, who Ben thought was attractive and might be the ingredient that Cooper needed to stop his wild seed sowing ways.  Abby also didn’t put up with anything that Cooper did or said, which was a vast change from the women Cooper usually cavorted with.

            Abby grinned, a cute lopsided grin that made her look more mischievous than she ever intended too.  “I know just who Cooper is, and he knows who I am too.”

            “You’re not like anyone I’ve ever met,” said Ben softly then he cleared his throat, realizing he’d said that aloud.  “Sorry, I can’t seem to shut my mouth around you.”

            “Not something I’ve ever had the power to do before, make people ramble.  Well, thanks,” said Abby, waving the hole puncher that was in her right hand.  “I have color-coded folders to find and I think Ginny might be waiting for me to come back to my house, an ambush, perhaps.” 

            Ben chuckled, watching Abby walk away; her head bent down again, feet shuffling across the flooring as she went in search for her color-coded folders.