NO STRINGS ATTACHED

TWENTY-ONE

Abby's thought went to the little human beginning to take form in her stomach. She prayed a silent prayer for the night to be over.

                          
                                ☀️☀️☀️

  "Are those the best curtains you got, Abbigail?" Athena said taking a bite out of her fish. "They're so thin anyone can see through them."

"Mother I'm on the 35th floor," Abby reminded her. "Besides, I'm thinking of taking a long trip so there's no need to change them."

"Oh, to where? I must tell you, Hawaii is a very beautiful this time of the year, Rick and I went there last winter." Athena smiled, eyes shut. "And the people there is so lovely and nice."

Abby stared as Rick shook his head at his wife. "Are you sure you're okay, Abby? You really don't seem yourself?"

"Oh she's fine, Rick." Athena says waving her hand around.

"And how would you know, huh mother?!" Abby retorted angrily. "How do you know whether I'm fine or not? You're like some crazy wild aunt that I get to see once a year for a couple of minutes. So how could you possible know?"

"You will not speak to me like you've lost your mind, Abbigail." Athena warned.  "I may not be the ideal mother figure but I am still your mother."

"So I'm supposed to speak to you like a daughter? You're not my mother!" Abby stood up abruptly. "You don't know the first thing about being a mother!"

"Oh and you do, Abbigail this is crazy!" Athena stood. "I may not have birthed you in a hospital but I signed those damn adoption papers. I fed you, clothes you, gave you the best of everything."

"Whenever I had a problem or needed you, you always shipped me off to be a shrink's problem, while you went off on your wedding marathon, traveling and spending men's money!"

Athena slaps her across the cheek. Abby held her tears and lands one right back on her mother.

"You let him rape me!" Abby screamed. As if all the strength had gone out her legs she sank to the floor. She fell apart.

Silence filled the room.

After what seemed like hours Athena spoke. "And I've hated myself for years about it. I divorced him and the man had gone to hell in a prison cell Abbigail."

Abby looked up in her mother's tear stained face.

"I did my best to make up for that over the years. Accepting your attitude and mood swings. I sent you to a shrink because I didn't know how to handle it. I myself was a victim and I have still not full healed from that trauma. I helped you the best way I can. But you need to let the past go Abbigail."

"I think I'll leave you two to sort things out now." Rick said rising, he kissed his wife and patted Abby before he left for the sitting room.

"I'm sorry I hit you." Abby croaked, wiping frantically at her tears.

"No, I deserved it." Athena dropped to the floor besides her daughter. "I am a terrible mother in some ways and I failed you so badly. I promised myself I wouldn't be anything like my mother was and look now, I'm so disgusted by my own self."

"Mom, I'm so sorry. I had no idea."

"Its not your fault baby," Athena wiped at her tears. "I was nine the first time it happened. My mother never believed me, she said that I was lieing and that I was a spoiled little brat looking for attention. So she'd either ship me off to somewhere or buy me gifts so I wouldn't say anything."

Abby hugged her knees to her chest and sobbed. "You did all those things to me, you made me hate myself and everyone around me.... You made me believe it was my fault!"

"And I'm sorry, Abby, I truly am. I didn't want to believe it, I didn't want you to suffer like I did." Athena brushed her hand through her hair. "I vowed never to trust or love another man ever again, that it was time the tables turn. I wanted you to have everything I never had. But I failed you, Abbigail."

Abby couldn't believe the things she was hearing. How could her mother loved her when she didn't even love her own self?

"When you told me what Jack did I was so angry that I had failed you as a mother. He offered me millions to not go to court, and I should haved,  but I didn't want us to be out on the streets, I didn't have a job nor a proper education. So I took the money and he went away for good. Later when I found out he'd done the same thing to a new family and what had happened to him I was relieved somewhat."

Abby stared at the floor.

"And then you started to rebel and get into trouble and I didn't know what to do." Athena finishes.

"I didn't know you were going through so much."

"No, its not your fault, Abby, its mines. I never learned to love anyone or trust anyone and I turned you into just that too." Athena shut her eyes.

"Mom?... I'm pregnant." Abby blurted out.

"Oh honey." Athena threw her arms around her daughter. "Is that what's been bothering you? You'll be a better mom than I could ever be. When do we meet the father? What's he like?"

Abby stared into her mother's eyes. "He's the most loving person I had known, he's a great man and I'm so sorry." Abby started to cry realising what he'd done.

"Then what's the matter, dear?"

"I pushed him away, he doesn't know ... I want him back so much." Abby cried.

She was a total fool for doing what she did and Abby realised that she had threw away her only happy ending.

She wanted Nick back.