Ivy looked up from where she was sitting, which was at the foot of their bed. She sniffed.

“What?” she blinked her eyes.

Julian turned towards her and watched as she closed her eyes and when she finally opened them, a tear rolled down her cheek. He had felt so bad for hurting her, but when she hurt their daughter’s feelings, Abigail, was what now came first.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered an apology.

Ivy watched as her husband picked up his luggage and walked towards the door.

“Maybe all we need is time from each other; maybe that’s what this business trip will do for us, and when I come back, everything will be back to normal,” he shrugged, “I’ll see you in four days…tell Abby I love her…” and he left.
---

“Daddy! Daddy!” Abigail screamed throughout the house as she searched for her father.

“Abb,” Ivy called.

The little seven year old girl turned to her mother.

“Yes, mommy?”

“Daddy’s not here; he had to go out of town again for work, but he said to tell you that he’ll see you in a few days and that he loves you,” Ivy smiled.

“Oh,” Abby said and looked down.

She began walking sadly up the stairs when Ivy called her again.

“Abby?”

“Hmm?”

“What was it that you wanted to tell your father? Maybe I can help you instead?” she offered.

“No, it’s okay,” Abby turned and walked up the rest of the stairs and treaded down the hallway towards her room.

Ivy sat at the bottom of the stairs and stared up towards her daughter’s room. She didn’t or hadn’t meant to be cruel to Abby. It was just that after their firstborn died, Ivy drew back from Julian. And when she had given birth to Abigail, the depression she felt for the loss of their son didn’t go away as she expected.

Later that night, they had had dinner in silence. Ivy tried to strike up a conversation, but Abby just answered the questions that were dealt to her, and would stare back down at her food.

She had missed her father. He had always made everything so interesting. Dinner would’ve never been this boring if he would’ve been there.

Abby continued to stir her mashed potatoes around until she finally looked up and asked Ivy a question…

“May I be excused?”

“You’re not hungry?”

“No…not much; I’ve had enough,” the little brown haired, blue eyed girl answered.

“Okay,” Ivy sipped her red wine, “You may be excused…”

She pushed her chair back and stood.

“I’ll be up soon to tuck you in…” Ivy shouted as Abigail ran up the stairs.

Fifteen minutes later, Ivy knocked on her little girl’s door. There was no answer, so Ivy knocked again. Still no answer, so she walked in…

“Abby?” she whispered, and then found her daughter sleeping soundly.

Ivy smiled at the sight. She then had an idea!

Ivy kicked open her bedroom door and walked over to Julian’s side of the bed and gently laid down her daughter. She then pulled the covers over her body up to her arms. Abby never woke up, since she, being a kid, was a heavy sleeper. Walking around to the other side, Ivy pulled back the covers and got in and wrapped her arms around her daughter’s body as she softly sang a lullaby in her ear.
---

The next morning, Abby found herself in her parent’s bed and wondered how she had ended up there…that was, until Ivy walked right in carrying a tray with Abby’s favorite breakfast foods.

“Mommy, how did I get here?”

“Oh, I carried you, honey. I didn’t want to sleep alone,” she unfolded the napkin and placed it in Abby’s lap, “I had the cooks fix your favorites: blueberry pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns, orange juice; just finish whatever you can,” Ivy smiled, “After you’re finished, I want us to go to shopping. Would you like that?”

Abby bit off a piece of her bacon and nodded.

“Good!”

“Mommy?” Abby crunched on her bacon, “Why do you want to take me? You always like going by yourself.”

“Because…because, we need to spend some quality time together, don’t you think?”

Abby nodded again.

“And, most of all, because I love you, sweetie,” Ivy knelt on the bed and scooted to her daughter and hugged her.
---

“Excuse me, ma’am, I believe this is my table,” Julian spoke.

“Um, no, you see, the waiter just sat me down,” Eve placed her hands on the table, “This is MY table.”

Julian smiled, then shook his head. The waiter that sat him down walked by and Julian called him back.

“Excuse me, you sat me at this table, but I’ve come to learn that this lady has also been given this table…if you could just give me a new one…” Julian shrugged.

“I’m sorry, sir, I don’t know what to say. But, there are no other tables here in the restaurant…”

“So, you’re saying that because you’ve given MY…” Julian glanced at Eve, “…table away, I have to find another place to eat at?!”

“Sir, please lower your voice…”

“NO! I will NOT lower my voice!” Julian began getting irate.

“Look!” Eve stood up, “You can have your table back, okay?” she rolled her eyes, “I’ll just order up from the room…” she began walking away from the table.

Julian then snapped out of his selfishness and caught up to Eve.

“No, look, you keep the table; I wouldn’t want you to leave on my account. I’m sorry,” Julian apologized.

Eve looked down and then looked around the restaurant. The waiter hadn’t been lying. The whole place was packed.

“Listen, since we were both offered this table, and there’s nowhere else to sit…why don’t we just,” she paused, “Eat together?”

“Why not?” Julian smiled and walked back over to their table and pulled out her chair…