Abby's Story Pt. 04: Family Busines

"Don't call this number again." With a click the line went dead.

Abby sat on her bed, the receiver in hand. The attached spiral cord went out under her door and into the hall where it connected to the upstairs phone. She let her hand and the receiver fall into her lap. Tears began to well up and slide down her cheeks. She looked up at Ruth, seated cross-legged on her cedar hope chest. Ruth looked at her with a brow wrinkled with worry. Abby just shook her head a little and Ruth looked at her with a mix of sorrow and compassion.

"Oh, Abbs. I'm so sorry."

The receiver began beeping loudly. Abby sobbed and put her face in her hands. Ruth took the phone, got up, cracked open the door, hung it up, closed the door and returned to Abby. She joined her on the bed and wrapped her arms around her shoulders.

"Well, fuck that guy."

Abby sobbed. "I did, that's the problem."

Ruth smiled a little, holding back a chuckle. This was not the time.

"When you're right, you're right, Abbs." She put her hand on Abby's cheek and turned to look into her tear-lined eyes. "But we are going to get through this. As a family."

"I know but-"

"A family. And that means the next part is going to be tough."

Abby sobbed, her chest hitching. "No, just a bit longer, please, Ruthie-"

"Nope, enough of that. You know it and I know it. We got to get Pa involved."

Abby's face flashed with dread. "No, Ruthie, he'll hate me. Please, no."

Ruth sighed and took Abby's hands in her own. "We talked about this. You're still in high school, you'll need Ma and Pa's help to get through this. And with Pa the longer you wait the more like a betrayal it will feel."

Abby nodded through the tears.

"But not now, not today. You get yourself straight. Cry out what you need to cry out. Maybe even break some shit, if that's what you need. But tomorrow. Pa will be home and rested. Ma will be with us."

Abby nodded again, fresh tears streaming down her face. Ruth stood up and smiled.

"I'm here for you. You need anything?"

Abby tried smiling back. "Actually I would really like some ice cream. It's so dang hot today."

"I think I can sneak a bowl up."

"Thanks, Ruthie."

"Any time, Abby."

Looking at her sister Abby was reminded of how close they had become these last couple of months. As Ma had put it, "Thicker than thieves." Ruth had been there for her, during the happy parts and, now, the not-so-fun parts. Ruth had kept her secrets. When she needed help it was Ruth that brought Ma around.

And it had all started on that car ride back from the reunion.

They had ridden in the back the whole way. Abby thought Ma would put up a fight but all she said was "Aren't you two a bit old for that?" But Ruth was right, she said being at the reunion reminded them of when they were the kids and this might be the last time they could have fun like that. Ma put Mary, a pouty thirteen year old, and their youngest, Pauline, three, in the back seat. Ma wanted one of the older girls to watch Pauline, but as it worked out Pauline and Mary slept nearly the whole way back. Abby and Ruth climbed in back, moved some of the bed rolls, propped pillows for comfort, and sat so they could talk shoulder to shoulder without Ma hearing.

They didn't just talk. They giggled. They whispered. Abby used her hands to indicate things. Like size. Ruth's eyes widened at that.

"Is that big?" Abby whispered.

"Bigger than I've seen", Ruth said. "I don't know how you're walking straight."

"What are you two on about?" Ma asked from the front seat. This did not rouse either sister in the back seat. Mary slept sitting up, her head against the door. Pauline snored lightly, sprawled across the bench seat.

Ruth looked at Ma. "Family gossip. Sorry this hen circle ain't got no more room."

"Cheeky", was Ma's only reply.

By the time they arrived home Ruth knew all the broad strokes. How Abby liked the dirty words and wanted to know more. Ruth said she had a few she could teach her later. Abby told her about the morning and how she enjoyed making it happen herself. How he liked when he bit her and choked her, not enough to harm, just a twinge. Ruth mocked fanning herself at that.

"And here everybody thought you were the innocent sweetheart of the family. Woo, girl, turns out you got some wild in you."

Abby smirked. "I got a bunch of things in me last night."

Ruth burst out laughing and that made Ma look at them both in the rear view. Abby stuck out her tongue and Ma shook her head. Ruth got under control and they returned to their conversation.

"So, wham-bam and that's it?" asked Ruth. "Not going to see him again?"

"Oh yeah, reminds me!"

Abby's blouse had two small breast pockets. She fished a piece of folded paper out of one and opened it. On it was a phone number and the initials T. M.

"It's his number."

Ruth looked at the paper and then at the front. Ma's attention was on the road.

"Abby, how'd you get this?"

"When everyone was saying farewell I slipped away and talked to him before we left. I wrote down my number for him and he wrote down his for me. It was real quick, anyone that saw us would just think it was family saying their how-ya-do's."

Ruth whistled under her breath. "Sneaking away under everyone's noses? I thought my teen wildings were shifty, but Abby, you're downright wicked."

They had gotten home, unloaded, and life had returned more or less to normal. Pa made good on his consequences, but the drive had cooled his temper. Abby got two weeks grounding and had to weed around the house by herself every day in additional to her normal chores. Pa got back to delivery runs for the warehouse, being gone three to four days at a stretch. The little-uns went back to being needy kids. Abby went back to being Abby.

Except that wasn't all-together true. Something had shifted. When she talked it was with a voice that demanded a little more attention. When she stood or sat she seemed to take up a bit more space. When she was told to watch her younger siblings she would point out Mary was old enough to start taking some of that over. When she walked her hips swayed a bit. When she lounged on the couch she didn't care if her skirt rode up. She was still a violet, but she stopped shrinking. One day Ma looked at her lounging in the front room and said "I always worried you'd bloom too late, but looks like you're coming along. You'll make a fine lady."

Also, Abby started collecting things for Tomas. The first was coins, for the payphone at the post office. So she could call Tomas. Which she did the first evening after her grounding ended.

The other thing Abby collected were fantasies. She would try to remember what got her most excited, and what she had learned about her body and its responses, so she could share it on the next call. Like how she now knew the nub under her hood was called a clit and she really liked giving it a pinch right before her climax hit. Or that she had started fantasizing about other ways she could milk Tomas's cock, using her mouth. Fantasizing about trying to swallow his load. Or that she would imagine watching Tomas fuck some other sweet young girl while Abby urged him on. The last one had surprised herself. When it popped into her head she thought she'd be jealous, but no. Nope, jealousy was not what she felt.

So Abby saved and called when she could get out to the little red brick post office. Practically jumping out of her skin for those four words.

"Well, hello again, kitten."

She found out so much about him. He worked construction and did contract work when that went dry. He was unmarried and hadn't had a real girlfriend for a few years. He learned early on he did not want to be "lashed down" as he put it. He enjoyed a few drinks now and then, but not too often because he hated trying to work hung over. He liked rock and roll and had seen Elvis live once. He owned a van and a motorcycle, but no car, and had, in fact, never owned a car.

Then there were the other parts of the conversation. Tomas would ask what she was wearing. If she thought about that night. If she touched herself while thinking about him. He would advise her in ways she could touch herself, to make herself hot. She would relate how talking to him made her rub her thighs together. How her cunt ached for two days after than night and she yearned for that ache again. How she lay in her room and rubbed herself wanting to scream his name. She shared her fantasies in as much detail as she could muster. Sometimes she could hear him breathing heavy and stroking himself as she told him these things.

"Lucky him. He's at home", Abby thought. If she called from home it'd be on the phone bill. And she wasn't about to get nasty in a corner phone booth in view of the main road.

Abby came home from these calls and, if she could, rushed to her room to stroke, pinch, and rub herself to orgasm. She'd lay naked under her blanket and smell her pungent sweat and sex. If she had the second floor to herself she'd give herself permission to say his name or growl obscenities. Words like dick and prick and whore and slut and bitch. Anything to heighten her arousal.

Tomas had asked her once if there was some local stud that could keep her satisfied until he could find a way to come around. She whispered no but then quickly asked if he'd mind if she had somebody. "No, kitten, I'm not built that way", was all he had to say on the subject. Then he asked if she'd mind if he got with some local gal. She wanted to ask what such a gal would look like, would she be skinny, or plump? With dark hair, or a cable of blonde? Would Tomas hold her down while his muscular ass flexed his cock in and out of her or take her from behind while she screamed? Would her cunt be little and tight like Abby's? Could he put her on the phone so Abby could tell the lucky slut she knew what it was like to be taken by Tomas and his glorious cock? These images flashed through her mind stopping her cold. Well, one part of her was far from cold. "You there, kitten? It's okay if you're not okay with it." She stammered out that she'd be okay with it. She had to bite her blanket to stop herself from screaming later that evening.

So every chance she got, Abby would steal away to a pay phone and hope Tomas would answer. She shared these fantasies. Describe how she pleasured herself. Would breathlessly describe how it felt to be bred like a wanton beast. How she'd love to see Tomas take another wanton beast like herself, how she'd love to see him cum deep inside. Sometimes she would listen to Tomas pleasure himself, the sound of his fist sliding over his wonderful cock. Hear him grunt his completion. The she'd go home and rub herself to a writhing orgasm, her skin slick with sweat, her sex slick and raw with her ministrations, her bed soaked with her heady odor.

And throughout it all Ruth had been her confidant and co-conspirator. They'd say they were going for a walk down by the tracks so they could loop around to the post office. Ruth would help her scrounge change, or sometimes just give her some when pickings were slim. Ruth taught her about the parts of her vagina. Relayed a few vulgar words and what they meant. Talked about a women using her hands, mouth, and, yes, for some, the ass, to give a man pleasure and receive a woman's pleasure in return. How a man could use his mouth on her lower parts to make her feel good. She kept Abby's secrets, and listened to Abby talk about the phone calls or her fantasies.

In return Ruth talked about the guys she had been with. Kyle, her high school beau, who played football with Ray. They had been together until he went to college. He loved getting his cock sucked and had a prick Ruth described as "beautiful, like something carved from marble". Also Toby, he and Ruth went to the same college, Southern Iowa Tech in Centerville, and they'd meet up whenever she had to attend, fucking in his small apartment like "horny little rabbits". He shot off pretty quick, but liked licking her pussy, and could get it back up a couple times a night. Also if he had grass before he'd last quite a bit longer. They broke up last year, with her living too far this way it wasn't going to work long term. Since then there wasn't anybody, but that was fine, she was focused on finishing her class work and finding a good job somewhere.

Things had gone like this for a month after the Ozarks and Abby was happy. Maybe more than she'd ever been. Well, happy in a way that didn't include Tomas's cock. She was so happy she missed it when her monthly did not arrive. Two weeks after that she pushed away her breakfast feeling queasy. Ten minutes later she was in the upstairs bathroom wondering if she was going to puke. She did not, but it was touch and go. As the nausea started to abate she looked in the mirror and thought, "Am I pregnant?"

It made sense. The reason Ma's babies were so spaced out, twenty years between youngest and oldest, was, in part, morning sickness. Every single child came with gut-wrenching discomfort. When they decided they could add one more she'd have to build up to it because it got bad. She said with Ruth there were times she thought she was going to puke insides into outsides. And with Mary the smell of some of her favorite foods brought it on. Applesauce, bacon, lemon sponge cake. And Ma loved sponge cake. Fortunately it passed around month three or shortly after each time.

And now here was Abby, six weeks out from her first and only sexual encounter fighting not to throw up.

She confided in Ruth the next day. Ruth held her hand and told her she understood. Ruth said she needed to know for sure to move forward and that meant going to the clinic in Farrow to confirm. That meant involving Ma. Abby was eighteen and she could go by herself, but Ruth knew the docs there. So did Ma and Pa. Word would get back to them. But if Ma was there that's as far as it would go. Abby was scared to tell Ma but Ruth just stated "Oh, don't worry Abbs, I got this covered" like it was nothing.

Whatever Ruth said or did worked. Ma agreed to help under one condition: Abby come clean about where she had sex and with whom. Sitting alone with Ma and Ruth at the kitchen table she said it was cousin Tomas at the reunion.

"So that story about sleeping in the pup tent was horseshit, then?" Ma looked mad, she didn't like being lied to.

Ruth went to speak but Abby interrupted. "Nope, that was true. But I didn't sleep. I knew I would never get away sneaking out of the kid's tent. So I went in the pup and when Ruthie drifted off I snuck out to meet him." After all this Abby could not and would not let Ruth take even a lick of blame. "My plan, too. Not his. I intended to misbehave. I liked the attention." That last bit was true.

Ma agreed to help and not tell Pa. Next day Ruth watched the kids while she did coursework. Ma took Abby to Farrow in the guise of "keeping company while we run errands". At the clinic Ma registered telling the lady at the desk her daughter was overdue for a "woman's exam". Abby waited nervously, Ma resting her hand on the back of Abby's clenched fist. "Shush, Abigail. It'll be fine".

Doctor McKabe was old, pudgy and had a head of short wild white hair.

"So, late for a gynecological?" he asked.

"That and another thing", Ma said.

"And what'd that be, Maggie?"

Abby stayed silent, letting Ma say it.

"Well, to see if she might be giving me my first grandchild."

The doctor laughed. "Certainly. Thought it would be Ruth or Raymond on that account?"

"Doc, don't take this the wrong way, but that's family business." Abby heard it in Ma's voice. She was cross.

The doctor shrugged. "Fair enough. So the nurse will bring in a gown and draw some blood. We'll also need a cup of urine. When that's done she'll get Abby settled up and I'll do the exam. Okay? Okay."

With that he stood up and left. It went like he said. The nurse, young, maybe fresh out of school, helped her gown up, took a hypodermic full of blood, handed her a cup and drew a curtain while Abby filled it, and then got Abby up on the exam table and into stirrups. The doctor came back and did a gynecological workup and exam. When he was done he helped Abby out of the stirrups and got her sat up on the table. Ma watched it all silently.

"So, everything looks good. There are signs of healing from sexual activity, what might have included some mild tearing. Hymen is gone. Everything looks to be in working order. We'll work up the blood and urine and get back to you next week. Do you want us to call with the results or do you want to come back in?" Doctor McKabe went down the checklist quickly.

"Um, Ma?"

"It's fine to call. But only say what it's about to me, Abby or Ruth. Nobody else. Peter will be on the road so I'll let him know." Her mother's face and voice were as serious as a stone wall.

"Family business. Got it. Get dressed and the nurse will show you out. Okay? Okay." Doctor McKabe left.

Ma did run a couple of errands. There was a sale on ice cream so she picked up a big tub of vanilla and one of strawberry sherbet. The latter was Abby's favorite.

The next week was tense. Abby continued to feel nauseous off and on and once heaved but nothing came up. Ruth continued to reassure and Ma would silently comfort with a hand on hand or shoulder. As the week progressed Abby became a live wire of nerves. She wondered if there was something she could do to end it, something she could eat or drink and she would just pass it through. It wouldn't technically count if she didn't know she was with child, right? Mostly she wondered how Ma and Ruth could be so fucking calm. She could be growing her cousin's baby right now and they were just--FUCK!--just fine with it.

Then one day the phone rang twice. Mary yelled up the stairs, "Abby, it's for you."

Abby picked up the upstairs line. "I got it, hang it up!" When both lines were open there was this buzz on the line. When she heard that buzz stop she knew Mary hung up. She took the receiver into her room and closed the door. "This is Abigail."

"Yes, this is Doctor Campbell. One of the doctors in rotation at the Farrow clinic. Can I get your full name and date of birth."

"Abigail Bethany Cafferty, April twenty-fourth, nineteen and fifty-seven."

"Good. I got your blood and urine work back. Well, the preliminaries anyway. Are you ready or-"

"Yes. Just tell me." The receiver trembled in her hand.

"Okay. The pregnancy test is positive. Congratulations." Abby's legs turned to water and she sat down on the bed. If it hadn't been there she would have ended up on the floor. "Otherwise, counts look good. No anemia, no signs of infection or STD, so far. Some of those tests come back with the full workup. Any questions."

Nope. Abby had no questions.

"Abigail, this is Doctor Campbell, you okay? You there?"

"Oh, yes. No questions. Thank you."

"Okay, hon. Because you're going to need some follow up-" Abby didn't catch the rest because she had dropped the phone.

When Ma returned home she found Abby sitting on the stairs facing the door. Abby looked up, her face a mask of trouble. "Can I talk to you alone, Ma?"

Ma put down her pocket book and hung up her coat. That done she walked up to Abby.

"Is it serious?"

Abby just nodded.

"Okay, let's go talk in your room." Ma followed her upstairs. When they reached the top she knocked once on Ray's door. "Round up the little ones and get their hands and faces cleaned. They need to be settled in before supper." She went across the hall and knocked once on Ruth's door. "Ruthie, go down and get the table set and get out the ingredients for meat loaf. And start showing Mary how it's made, time she started learning." Abby went into her room and sat down.

Ray poked his head out of his room. "Why I gotta get kid duty, where's Abby?"

"Never you mind, she's helping me with something!"

Ruth looked at Abby as she passed Ma, an eyebrow cocked. Abby just nodded a little. Ruth put both of her hands over her heart and mouthed "Love you" before passing out of sight. Ray followed but didn't look in on Abby.

Ma walked in, closed the door, and did something she hadn't done in a long while: hugged her middle daughter.

"We'll get through this Abby, we always do", Ma said. Abby hugged her back and started to cry.

After Abby stopped crying Ma got her a kerchief from the hall cabinet. Abby blotted her eyes and blew her nose. Ma took the kerchief and stuck it in her pocket.

"Now, Abby, the doctor probably said a whole lot about followups and whatnot."

"He did. I didn't hear him. Sorry." Abby sniffled.

"Not to worry, I will get that all sorted. I got six of you, at this point I should be doctoring new moms." Ma snorted a laugh. "So now you gotta focus on what you gotta do. First thing's first-"

"Don't make me tell Pa. Please, Ma I can't right now-"

"No dear, you have to tell the father."

Abby's blood ran cold. She hadn't called Tomas all week. He didn't know anything. She'd been so worried about the clinic and tests, so worried about the maybe baby, she hadn't spared a thought about the man who'd put it in her.

Ma continued. "He's your cousin so he can't marry you, but he should know and he could step up. Abby, do you have a way to contact him."

Abby nodded. "I have his phone number. He won't be there now, he's working."

"Well figure out a time. Use the house phone, your Pa can eat those charges. If you need somebody there, lean on me or Ruthie."

Abby nodded again.

And that's how on a hot, sunny July Thursday in 1975 Abby heard the last five words she'd ever hear from Tomas Clark, the father of her child. He, in fact, did not step up.

Ruth returned with a spoon and bowl of one scoop vanilla and one scoop sherbet.

"Didn't know which one you felt like."

She took the bowl and spoon. "No, it's perfect. Thanks, Ruthie."

She took a taste and the cold food was just what she needed. Cool, sweet comfort, it hit the spot.

Abby offered the bowl and spoon to Ruth. "Don't make me eat it all in front of you. Have a bite."

Ruth took a spoonful and handed it back. "Seriously, though, you'll get through this, guy or no guy."

"I'm trying. But, Ruthie, I'm barely holding it together. You and Ma, you guys have been rocks and I don't know how I'd of got this far without you."

Ruthie pursed her lips. "There's a 'but' coming."

"But you guys want me to tell Pa tomorrow like it's not gonna be the hardest thing I've ever gone through."

"You won't be alone, Abby."

"You won't be the one he looks at. You won't be the one disappointing him. He won't disown you!"

"He won't do that."

Abby tossed the bowl onto her bed. This was actually making her angry. How could Ruth not understand how colossal this was? Was she being purposefully unaware, was this a game?

"How could you know? You, the perfect older daughter. I get to volunteer to be first family fuckup!"

"I know because he didn't disown me."

Abby flinched. "Wait... what?'

"I had a scare a bit back. He knew and he didn't disown me."

"But it wasn't your cousin's."

Ruth sat silent a moment. Only the sound of breathing between them.

"No, Abigail. It was Ray's."