A fork in the road.... [WASHINGTON. Closed to Robert]

[abster]

Sitting on the porch, knees bent and pressed to her chest, Abigail leaned against Sam and curled up beside him. She hadn't said anything much, if at all since- since it happened. She didn't know what to say, she didn't know who was taking it worse her or Gabby. Maybe her, probably Gabby. She didn't really understand, she didn't understand it at all that their mom was gone and she wasn't coming back.

"You need to get to work," Abigail said, her face dry. She didn't even know if she could cry any more. It all felt weird inside. Pushing Sam out, she waved as he left and she heard fresh screams and tears from Gabby inside. Until she stopped, the soothing sound of someone else in their home making it better for her. Abby wasn't much help at the moment, she didn't know what to do.

Pressing her face against her knees, she hugged herself tighter and tried not to think about it. Tried not to think about her mom lying there in a hospital bed, small and sick and dead.

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[scaledtokill]

Robert didn't know what to do besides hold Gabby. Later, if she had trouble sleeping he might try soothing her with his siren abilities but he didn't think it was fair to numb her pain. She had lost her mother and that should hurt. The sound of her crying though broke his heart and he was glad that holding her close to him seemed to ease her pain somewhat.

"Mama said she might have to go to heaven some day. To help God take care of the babies. And I had to stay and take care of you. But I miss my Mama," Gabby sobbed, sniffling against his chest. Robert just contingued to rock her and run his fingers through his hair.

"I know you do, princess. And it's okay to miss her."

[abster]

Gabby was crying again. Pressing her hands against her ears, she tried to shut out the noise as she continued to listen to her sister talk to their father. She just wanted her to stop, she just wanted her to be quiet for once.

Taking out her phone, she hesitated between two contacts before lying down on the porch swing. Pulling the blanket over her head, she shivered in the cold breeze.

[scaledtokill]

Once he finally got Gabby to rest Robert headed out to the porch to check in on Abigail. As terrified as he was about this whole situation, about becoming the sole guardian of Gabby, the girls were utterly crushed. There was nothing he could say or do that it would make it better and that made him feel helpless. For all his money and charm and power there was nothing he could do to make this better.

"She's finally napping," he said, sitting down on the steps of the porch. "I had to lull her to sleep, she'd been crying so long she didn't know how to stop."

[abster]

Pressing her face against the blanket, she drew it closer around her and listened to the sound of her father speaking to her. Peeking from beneath the blankets, she nodded slowly.

"What happens now? To Gabby I mean," Abigail asked numbly. She knew the answer, she just didn't know if he'd thought about it.

[scaledtokill]

"Gabby will come back and live with me in Siren Cove."

He knew it's what needed to be done, he knew that it was the right thing to do, but until he had said it out loud just now there was always the chance that he could make other arrangements. The temptation to run, to say that he wasn't suited to be a real father was still there, but for once in his life he wasn't going to take it.

"I know it's uprooting her life but I think it's for the best. Your mother wanted her life insurance to be placed in a trust for each of you to use for education so you can stay and go to college here or... wherever you want."

[abster]

"Where? On your boat?" Abigail said, trying to sound interested or anything but she just felt numb to it all. She wished Sam hadn't left, she wished he'd stayed or Kim was here. Just anything to make her not think about it. "I can't leave her. I can't leave her when she's lost-"

When all they both had left was each other. And him. And she wasn't sure if he'd actually stick around even if he said he would.

[scaledtokill]

"On the boat for now," he said with a nod. He would have moved back home if it weren't for Virginia. He stayed there more and more but unless his wife was sober he wasn't going to bring Gabby there. Better for her to live on the boat or for him to get a place in town for them.

"And you're welcome to stay there with us or in the house you're in now. I know I haven't been much of a father in the past and no one could replace your mother but I'm going to do everything I can to be there for both of you."

[abster]

"I don't like water," Abigail muttered. The idea of being on the boat for an extended period of time was just asking for trouble. She'd fall in or get sea sick or something, she didn't know if she could handle being in a small confined space with her dad either. She was still angry even if he had finally come through for them both and been there for her and Gabby. "It's not fair. All Gabby wanted was both her parents."

[scaledtokill]

"I know. It's not fair to either of you," he said. It was admirable, how Abigail was so concerned for her sister. It reminded Robert a bit of how he was with his little brother, only even better. He just hoped that she didn't shove aside and ignore her needs as well. That seemed like a real danger with Abigail.

[abster]

"You know this means you have to stick around, right? You can't just run off like you always do." Abigail said seriously. She would never forgive him if he did, not ever. She didn't care if he left her, she was old enough and ugly enough to look after herself but Gabby... Gabby needed one parent in her life.

[scaledtokill]

"I'm not going to abandon either of you two," Robert reassured her. Whether or not Abigail believed him he didn't know, but he had no intentions of leaving either of the girls on their own. Abigail could probably take care of herself but would it really hurt if he were around for her too?

[abster]

"I don't care about me, I don't care if you leave me again but you can't leave her. I mean it," her voice was rough but serious. She could deal with it, she could handle her life but she couldn't- she couldn't look after herself and Gabby. She didn't want a life for Gabby where she had no parents, no one looking out for her. Where she'd end up older and as jaded as Abby was. "What about your wife?"

[scaledtokill]

"But I care about you," Robert said, almost surprised at the passion in his voice. Abigail could take care of herself but she had lost her mother, she deserved to have at least one parent around who was willing to be there for her.

"And Virginia will have to live with it. She's not in any shape to help raise a child but... She won't resent Gabby or anything like that."

[abster]

"I know," Abigail said quietly. She kind of did know that maybe, deep down even if she didn't want to admit it. He did care for her, it was just kind of fucked up. She just didn't want Gabby to have that, she wanted her to have the best.

"What's wrong with her? She's not..." Abigail began. She didn't know a lot about him. Just a little, mostly the stuff she'd found on the internet but they didn't talk about his family life. Or what was happening with Corry's parents. She just assumed, she guessed most people did. "... ill?"

[scaledtokill]

"Virginia is a very high functioning addict," he explained. As angry as Abigail was at him he didn't think that she would spread any rumors or do anything to hurt his wife. Virginia hadn't done anything to earn Abigail's ire.

"You can probably see how dealing with me would drive someone to seek coping mechanisms," he said. It has happened with April's mother as well, only she didn't have the control Virginia did. "It's not an environment I'd want a child to grow up in."

[abster]

"Oh, like... I read about Corry in the papers. I didn't realise, I'm sorry. Will she not- get help or something?" Abigail asked, she didn't know what to say to that. She couldn't see her controlling father liking that. She didn't think he liked anything though. "Me either. If she is that is."

[scaledtokill]

"I'm very proud of Corry for getting clean," Robert said. He didn't know if Corry would ever want him to talk about that to her but he was proud. While alcohol or drugs had never been his addiction of choice he knew how difficult it was to try and give up a vice.

"And that would mean Virginia had to admit she had a problem. I love my wife, but acknowledging flaws of her own is not in her character."

[abster]

"She sounds... exactly the kind of person I imagine being married to you. No offence," Abigail said. It was weird to think of her dad's other lives, other kids when he'd been missing so much of her own. "What was it like? Your other families I mean, the other kids? My siblings."

[scaledtokill]

"None taking, she's an amazing woman," Robert said. He knew how strange it must be to hear him talk about Virginia like that but he didn't think he could explain it. Virginia was his soul mate and he couldn't ever really leave her if he wanted to.

"You would have to ask them, I don't know that all of them would feel comfortable with me sharing," he said. April certainly wouldn't and honestly he had no idea what Bach's life was really like. "Bu it wasn't easy on any of them."