Jodie said, "I'm happy you both feel this way. Nowadays, lots of women like to be on their own, and girls know more about the world. So, some people don't want to get married or have kids. I think that's okay. I respect people who want to get married and people who don't."Melody replied, "Mom, you told me last week that I should hurry and get married and have kids because I'm almost twenty-five. But now you say it's okay if I don't. What should I believe?"Jodie smiled, feeling torn. "On one hand, I want you to get married, have a family, and kids soon. But on the other hand, I worry that you'll get stuck in a marriage, with family responsibilities and kids, and it could hurt your careers. You might miss out on exploring the world."Melody said, "Don't worry, Mom. Even if Caterpie and I get married and have kids, we'll keep our jobs. We won't stay home all the time. We have lots of dreams we want to achieve."Abigail spoke up, "You might not know this, but our business is doing gr
She quit her job to be a stay-at-home mother and took care of her baby. Even though it was a tough job, many people did not give it the respect it deserved. Some people even thought stay-at-home mothers were just lazy and did not do any work. But really, everyone should be able to make their own money. That way, you could live the way you wanted without anyone else telling you what to do.Melody thought about Mrs. Burton and her own mother came to mind. She felt uneasy. Turning to Jodie, she gave her a tight hug. "Thanks for staying with me, Mom," she said.Jodie patted her shoulder. "Don't worry, sweetie. I would never do that. Life is so valuable, and we should make the most of every day."Abigail asked, "Jodie, Clara, do you remember what my mom looked like? Can you tell me?"Clara and Jodie both remembered Abigail's mother clearly. Jodie said, "I sure do remember." Clara added, "Your mom was really beautiful and had a special elegance. I see a lot of her in you."Abigail asked
"If you don't want to look for her, it's okay. Whatever you decide, we support you," Jodie and Clara said, understanding Abigail's feelings. If Abigail's mother wanted to find her, she could have easily asked around in North Florivera. But she left and had not contacted Abigail for years, so it was clear she did not want to acknowledge Abigail as her daughter. Jodie and Clara did not want Abigail to get hurt again by trying to connect with her mother.Melody spoke directly, getting right to the heart of Abigail's concerns, "You need to be strong, Caterpie. It doesn't matter that she's your mom. If she doesn't want you, why should you want her?""Melody, it's okay to be quiet sometimes," Jodie whispered, giving Melody a little pinch to get her to stop talking about things that might hurt Abigail's feelings.Melody always spoke her mind and did not like to see Abigail hurt by someone who did not deserve her. "I'm just saying, why should Caterpie even think about someone like that?"A
Xander: [Hey, why aren't you asleep yet?]Abigail: [I'll be asleep soon.]Xander: [If you can't sleep, wanna chat for a bit?]Abigail: [What do you wanna talk about?]Xander: [The July 13th video has gotten really popular. Lots of people have seen it. And guess what? Some women, who went through the same thing, are speaking up because of your video.]Abigail: [Yep, that's why I posted the video. I want to help all women be brave. And I want women to know that blaming the victim is wrong. People who hurt others should be the ones feeling ashamed.]Xander: [You've done something really great. A lot of women will see it, and you've already helped so many who needed it. You mentioned starting a support group for women at Zane Corporation last time we talked. You should get started on that soon.]Abigail: [Okay. Once I finish dealing with my grandma's stuff, I'll start working on it.]In the living room, Xander and Felix sat at opposite ends of the couch. They both sat in silence, c
Felix kept talking, "Do you realize how tough it is for Caterpie, losing her grandma out of the blue?""I get it," Xander answered."You don't get it!" Felix yelled, not giving Xander a chance to speak. "Caterpie has only shown sadness since her grandma died. You think she's okay because she's acting normal? No way! I've known her for over twenty years, and I know her better than you do. I'm sure Caterpie is really hurting inside. She could be hiding in her room, crying her eyes out right now."After Felix's rant, Xander calmly asked, "Is it possible I'm just texting with Abigail?"Felix's worries were the same as Xander's. That was why he was texting Abigail to take her mind off things. More than anyone, he did not want Abigail to be sad. He could not take away her pain, so all he could do was help with her problems and make sure she was not feeling bad all by herself.Felix paused and then asked with a hint of doubt in his voice, "You're texting Caterpie? Why don't I believe tha
Xander said, "Since you didn't eat much last night, you must be hungry. What would you like to eat? I'll cook something for you."Ever since Cassandra's passing, Abigail had barely eaten, but she did not feel hungry. "I'm not in the mood for food," she said, "but everyone will want breakfast. I'll go wash up, and then I'll help make breakfast."Xander offered, "I'll come with you.""Okay," Abigail agreed.The apartment had three rooms, a living room, and a spacious washroom where two people could easily get ready at the same time. Abigail started brushing her teeth, and she noticed Xander's gaze in the mirror. A bit embarrassed, she asked, "Why are you staring at me like that?"Suddenly, Xander hugged her. "Abigail, if you're sad, it's okay to say so." He saw that she never looked sad around other people and always hid how she really felt. This made him worry even more.Abigail snuggled into his arms, listening to his strong, steady heartbeat. It felt like his heartbeat was givin
Xander's voice was deep and warm, like a cozy blanket on a chilly night. It made Abigail feel safe and cared for. When he spoke to her like that, she did not know what to say because she was not used to talking about her feelings. "You're really important to me, not just useful," she said.This might have been the first time Abigail was so open about her feelings with Xander. He felt really happy, pulled her into his arms, and gave her a tight hug. "Abigail..." he said."Yes?" she answered."Say my name. I want to hear it," Xander asked."Nathan," Abigail said.Abigail liked to call him Nathan when they were alone because that was the name on their marriage certificate. Before, Xander never thought the name "Nathan" was anything special. But now, when he heard Abigail say it, it sounded like the sweetest thing ever. "Can you say it again, a couple more times?""Nathan, Nathan," Abigail said.Just as everything seemed perfect, a sleepy voice interrupted, "Am I in the wrong room?"
"Your sister always thinks you're being mean to me, Xander. You should think about how you appear in her eyes," said Abigail.Xander replied, "My sister is weird. Don't worry about her."Abigail disagreed, "No, you can't just ignore her. Essy is your sister, and she had a tough time when she was little. You mean the world to her. If you love Essy, show her how much. Let her know she's important to you, too. Don't make my mistake. I regret not telling my grandma I loved her every day, and now I can't."Xander understood Abigail's concerns. He quickly opened the door for Esther. "I care about you and Abigail so much. I'd never hurt her. Don't worry about it."Esther was surprised that her brother was explaining himself to her. "I know you wouldn't hurt Abigail," she said. "I just wanted to let Abigail know that I care about her a lot. If you two argue, I'll always take Abigail's side."Xander ruffled Esther's hair. "That's my girl. Keep taking care of Abigail."Esther said, "I stil