So, about your whore husband... (Abby, Lavinia, Mad Dog)
Lavinia and Mad Dog were sprawled on the sofa when Abby burst into their home without knowing first. Not that Lavinia would ever mind the presence of her children, knocking or no, but sometimes it was best to be careful... "My goodness, Abigail. If you had done that fifteen minutes ago, you wouldn't have liked what you saw..."
Abby squeezed her eyes shut, though not quickly enough to miss Mad Dog's pleased look, and she raised her hands up in surrender. "Oh god, you know, you never outgrow being totally horrified by parent sex..."
"Har!" Lavinia exclaimed, grinning. She pulled herself into a position where she was sitting instead of slouching. "What can I do for you, Dearheart? You look distressed. Here." Lavinia stood and she pulled Abby gently towards a chair.
"Mums?" Abby didn't notice she was being guided, she just let it happen. When she was sitting, she looked over at her mother who sat close to her. "Do you know if Da...Bernard had any kids after...you know..."
Lavinia glanced over at Mad Dog who immediately inched himself over so he could hold her hand. Bless every single bit of him. "I don't know, darling," Lavinia admitted, turning back to his daughter. "I'm sure it's possible. He wasn't even faithful when he was with me, I can't imagine how he acted when he was 'free'. He did like making children, even if he wasn't so fond of taking care of them afterward."
Abby glowered into the middle distance and she lifted her knees up to her chest, feet on the chair because she knew Lavinia didn't care. For a brief and horrible moment, Lavinia was reminded of the brooding girl Abby had been right after Bernard had left her, and anger started to burn slowly inside of her again. Bernard was dead and anger was pointless, but sometimes Lavinia remembered how hard it had been on her children and she hated him so much she wanted him to live again just so she could kill him with her bare hands.
"Dearheart, why do you ask?"
Abby didn't answer, though she snapped out of her dark little cloud of woe to look at her mother again. "What about fifteen years ago? He would have been like...fifty, right?"
"Fifty-eight," Lavinia answered easily. Since Walter, her husbands had both been younger than she had been though Bernard only by two years. "But that doesn't rule it out. Abigail, I'm not entirely unable to read between the lines here. What did you find out?"
Abby shook her head and she groaned. "Mums, I can't...really tell you, but I think Dad knocked some woman up...someone half his age. Someone younger than i am! There's a teenager currently in protective services and his name is on her birth certificate."
Lavinia's lips thinned and she felt her husband's hand tighten around hers. "Fifteen years ago? I don't know anything. I'm sorry. Though I feel sorry for this girl. She can't have had an easy life if he was involved."
Abby shook her head and then she ran her fingers through her hair before resting her chin on her knees. "Mums, if this is true, and there's no reason it wouldn't be, this is my sister."
Lavinia reached out her free hand and she stroked Abby's hair. "So go talk to her, Abigail. I can think of no one better to help her."
"But...isn't it like...betraying you?" Abby looked at Lavinia for a moment and then she cast her brown eyes to the floor.
"Oh child, not for a second. The only person who betrayed me is Bernard. That isn't your fault, nor is it this poor girl's fault."
"So you wouldn't be mad if I talked to her?"
Lavinia raised her eyebrows. "Dear child, I think you have me confused with someone else. When have I ever gotten mad at you for anything?"
Abby looked up, a smile lifting the corners of her mouth. "You didn't like that one time I almost got Thomas beat up..."
Lavinia whooped with laughter. "That's true, I did take exception to that. But I assure you I won't be upset with you for helping this girl. Not in the least. Now I'm going to go get some pie and you're going to eat some. You want some Mad Dog?"
Lavinia turned to look at her husband who was regarding her with absolute adoration. She granted him a small 'later' smile, and she felt him squeeze her hand. "I'd love some pie, Beautiful."
Lavinia leaned forward and he planted a kiss on her forehead and any anger and betrayal she felt faded away. Whatever she had been through, and it had been horrible, she had happiness now. That was what mattered. At that, Lavinia rose, kissed Abby on the head, and headed for the kitchen to retrieve the pie.
Abby squeezed her eyes shut, though not quickly enough to miss Mad Dog's pleased look, and she raised her hands up in surrender. "Oh god, you know, you never outgrow being totally horrified by parent sex..."
"Har!" Lavinia exclaimed, grinning. She pulled herself into a position where she was sitting instead of slouching. "What can I do for you, Dearheart? You look distressed. Here." Lavinia stood and she pulled Abby gently towards a chair.
"Mums?" Abby didn't notice she was being guided, she just let it happen. When she was sitting, she looked over at her mother who sat close to her. "Do you know if Da...Bernard had any kids after...you know..."
Lavinia glanced over at Mad Dog who immediately inched himself over so he could hold her hand. Bless every single bit of him. "I don't know, darling," Lavinia admitted, turning back to his daughter. "I'm sure it's possible. He wasn't even faithful when he was with me, I can't imagine how he acted when he was 'free'. He did like making children, even if he wasn't so fond of taking care of them afterward."
Abby glowered into the middle distance and she lifted her knees up to her chest, feet on the chair because she knew Lavinia didn't care. For a brief and horrible moment, Lavinia was reminded of the brooding girl Abby had been right after Bernard had left her, and anger started to burn slowly inside of her again. Bernard was dead and anger was pointless, but sometimes Lavinia remembered how hard it had been on her children and she hated him so much she wanted him to live again just so she could kill him with her bare hands.
"Dearheart, why do you ask?"
Abby didn't answer, though she snapped out of her dark little cloud of woe to look at her mother again. "What about fifteen years ago? He would have been like...fifty, right?"
"Fifty-eight," Lavinia answered easily. Since Walter, her husbands had both been younger than she had been though Bernard only by two years. "But that doesn't rule it out. Abigail, I'm not entirely unable to read between the lines here. What did you find out?"
Abby shook her head and she groaned. "Mums, I can't...really tell you, but I think Dad knocked some woman up...someone half his age. Someone younger than i am! There's a teenager currently in protective services and his name is on her birth certificate."
Lavinia's lips thinned and she felt her husband's hand tighten around hers. "Fifteen years ago? I don't know anything. I'm sorry. Though I feel sorry for this girl. She can't have had an easy life if he was involved."
Abby shook her head and then she ran her fingers through her hair before resting her chin on her knees. "Mums, if this is true, and there's no reason it wouldn't be, this is my sister."
Lavinia reached out her free hand and she stroked Abby's hair. "So go talk to her, Abigail. I can think of no one better to help her."
"But...isn't it like...betraying you?" Abby looked at Lavinia for a moment and then she cast her brown eyes to the floor.
"Oh child, not for a second. The only person who betrayed me is Bernard. That isn't your fault, nor is it this poor girl's fault."
"So you wouldn't be mad if I talked to her?"
Lavinia raised her eyebrows. "Dear child, I think you have me confused with someone else. When have I ever gotten mad at you for anything?"
Abby looked up, a smile lifting the corners of her mouth. "You didn't like that one time I almost got Thomas beat up..."
Lavinia whooped with laughter. "That's true, I did take exception to that. But I assure you I won't be upset with you for helping this girl. Not in the least. Now I'm going to go get some pie and you're going to eat some. You want some Mad Dog?"
Lavinia turned to look at her husband who was regarding her with absolute adoration. She granted him a small 'later' smile, and she felt him squeeze her hand. "I'd love some pie, Beautiful."
Lavinia leaned forward and he planted a kiss on her forehead and any anger and betrayal she felt faded away. Whatever she had been through, and it had been horrible, she had happiness now. That was what mattered. At that, Lavinia rose, kissed Abby on the head, and headed for the kitchen to retrieve the pie.