911, What is Your Emergency?

"No, not really. I mean, I never thought about it too much until the accident. I mean, I had a lot of science courses in my RN program and I tend to trust science a lot. But when the woman I ran into died, I couldn't believe a loving God would let a wife and mother of two be taken in the prime of her life. Why not take someone like my drug-dealer husband who's in prison for selling meth to kids instead? It just doesn't make any sense."

"I don't have answers to that, Abby. At least not beyond what I just said. My conclusion is things like that don't happen because 'God needs that person in heaven more than loved ones need them on earth.' It's just a matter of timing and circumstances. Had she tied her child's shoe, she'd have been seconds away from the intersection rather than in it. Had she not gone back to check the door, same thing. And I'm not judging when I say this. But had you not been drinking..."

Abby squeezed his hand. "I know. You're right. It was all my fault. You can't imagine how sick it makes me feel. I've lost my job and my home, but I'm alive. I killed someone's wife and mother. Someone's daughter is dead because of ME."

Abby began to cry again and Reece reached out and put one of his arms around her shoulder. "I can't imagine how much it hurts, Abby. But please understand I'm not blaming you for what happened. I'm not trying to minimize or trivialize any of this. I just want you to know that I don't see that girl when I look at you."

He could tell Abby had nodded her head. "Thank you for saying that, Reece." She squeezed his back and asked quietly, "What girl do you see when you look at me? Can you tell me that?"

Reece stroked her shoulder-length dark brown hair. "I see the beautiful girl who was there for me every time I woke up in the hospital. I see the warm smile and the bright eyes and I hear the sweetest voice I've ever heard other than my own mother's." He kissed on the top of the head then said, "That's who I see."

Abby took his hand and held it to her face. "Reece? Would you stay here with me? Not...like that...of course. I just mean...would you stay here next to me until I fall back asleep?"

"Sure. Just let me use the bathroom and get out of these clothes." He stood up then realized what he'd just said, "Okay, I didn't mean it like that. What I meant was..."

For the first time, Reece heard Abby giggle. "I know what you meant. Go ahead and do what you need to. I just want to have someone I trust near me. It's been so long since..." Abby stopped without saying another word as the feelings she'd had in the courtroom washed over her.

She heard Reece in the bathroom and the sounds of having a man in the house with her brought back another flood of emotions. She now almost wished she hadn't asked Reece to stay with her because for the first time since that fateful day she felt the overwhelming need to touch herself...down there.

Reece brought another blanket to lay over himself as he got onto the bed. That meant there would be no bodily contact. "Is this okay?" he said as he turned over on his side.

Abby hadn't been touched by another human being except in the worst, most intrusive way during cavity searches since she went to jail and it had been months prior to that since a man had even held her let alone...

"It's perfect. Thank you, Reece. My angel."

Reece turned over and reached across and touched Abby's face. "Again, takes one to know one, my angel," he said.

Abby scootched herself back toward Reece as far as she could then pulled his arm over her body. She kissed the back of his hand goodnight and as she did, he could feel the warm tears running down her face.

The next time she woke up, it was naturally. Abby forced one eye open enough to read the LED on the alarm clock. It said 7:05am. This time, she felt rested and...peaceful. As she tried to force herself to get out of bed, she became aware there was something on top of her. It took her brain a moment to realize it was Reece's arm. Somehow, it had gotten underneath her blanket and it was draped across her body with his hand hanging loosely in front of her chest. Abby felt her heart beat faster.

"It wouldn't be so wrong if I just lifted up my arm," she said to herself. Slowly and carefully, she did just that letting Reece's arm rest on her rib cage. There were only about three inches left on her side of the bed but she moved toward it as slowly as she could. Just before she felt like she might fall off, she felt it. Her gasp was short and quiet but it was unmistakeable. She turned slightly so that his hand would rest directly on top of the soft mound. More than anything she wanted that hand to gently cup her waiting breast. Her nipple was already very hard and that feeling...returned. Ever so carefully, she lifted her left hand and slowly placed it on top of his right hand then gently pressed down. Reece stirred slightly and Abby instantly felt mortified. She held her breath waiting for him to flinch or move or even worse, ask her what in the hell she was doing.

Embarrassed beyond words, Abby willed herself to slide off the edge of the bed. "What in the world is wrong with you, girl?" she thought to herself. She turned to see if he might possibly be awake. He wasn't but for the briefest of moments he really did look like an angel to her. It was just after sunrise and a small amount of light was streaming in through the dark, gray clouds outside. He was so beautiful—so...angelic.

Just then Abby realized that while she was out of bed she was standing there completely nude. "Shit!" she cursed as quietly as possible. She tiptoed toward the closet and found what felt like a sweat shirt. She quickly pulled in over her naked body then felt around for something—anything she could wear to cover the rest of her. She found a pair of his jeans and removed them from the hangar. She made her way out of the room then pulled on the pants with the realization she didn't even have a clean pair of underwear to put on. To make matters worse, his size 32 waist was five inches bigger than her own. The hips were too tight, the waist was too big, and the size 36 inseam was way too long. She hopped over to the table, took a seat in one of the chairs, then rolled the pant legs up over her ankles. "Okay, now for a belt," she told herself.

The closest thing she could find was a chip clip with a pretty strong magnet in it. She doubled the material then clipped them up on the side as best she could. Abby tried to imagine just how "beautiful" she must look with her tangled hair, sweatshirt, and clown pants.

She looked around and saw what she was hoping for. A coffee pot! She hadn't had a decent cup of coffee in well...almost as long as she hadn't been with a man. She opened a couple of cupboards before she found a can of Yuban dark-roast coffee and some filters. She poured in enough water to fill the pot then added in several scoops of the dark, rich flakes. When she poured herself a cup, she couldn't believe how good it felt in her hands. Even better was the unbelievably delicious aroma! She took a first sip and smiled. "Oh, my God! That's better than sex!" she said out loud.

"Your husband must not be very good at it then," she heard a man's voice say.

Abby nearly choked as she was taking a second sip. In fact, she came very close to spewing. "Oh, my God! You scared the hell out of me," she said with no malice.

"I seem to have a real knack for that," Reece said. "Is there enough for me?" he asked.

"Oh, sure. I made a full pot. I didn't expect you up this early," she told him.

"Obviously," he teased. "Normally, I wouldn't be but I smelled the coffee brewing and it smelled so good, I couldn't stay in bed," he said as he poured himself a large mug.

"May I?" he asked as he came near the couch where she was curled up.

"Oh. Geez. I'm sorry. Of course. I mean, it's your couch!" Abby moved to the side and made room for Reece to sit down.

"How did you sleep?" he asked as he took his own first sip.

"Great," she said truthfully. "I haven't gotten that much sleep since..."

"I understand," Reece said.

He looked over at her and said, "I guess the first thing we need to do today is get you something to wear."

Abby burned herself swallowing too big a gulp as she heard what he said. "What? Oh, my goodness. No, we don't need to do that. I just need to throw my stuff in your washing machine and I'll be fine."

Reece chuckled. "That's gonna be tough considering I don't have a washing machine. But there is a laundromat about a block and a half from here."

Abby looked over at him and said, "Um...I can't even stand up in these let alone go outside in them."

"Yeah. I noticed. You need to put on some weight," he kidded. "Or let me buy you something to wear."

Abby turned toward him and said, "Reece. I can't let you do that. I just need to get my things washed and I'll be fine."

He smiled and said, "No, that's not true. The white blouse you were wearing when...you know...has blood all over it, remember? And the dress you wore yesterday has to be dry cleaned. So unless you want to look...like that..." he said pointing to the chip clip, "you're going to have to swallow your pride and let me help you get started starting over. Think you can do that?"

Abby looked down and away then back at him and said, "You may just be the nicest person I've ever met."

Reece gave her a pair of sweats he'd had for many years that were almost small enough to stay on without something as classy as a chip clip. "There! You look like a million bucks!" he told her.

Abby gave him a look that said "watch it, buster" but she was so thankful for his friendship she couldn't hold it. When they went outside, she was wearing a baggy gray sweatshirt, faded blue sweatpants with a hole in the right leg, and the flats she'd been wearing the day of the accident. It was around 40 degrees and her feet were freezing but she was grateful not to be in jail.

There was a Target store catty-corner to Reece's apartment which Abby said would be perfect. "No way," Reece told her. "They have crap. I'm a guy but I know their stuff is second rate. There's a women's clothing store just up the street. We'll go there instead of Target."

"No! That'll be way too expensive. All I need is a pair of jeans and something warm to wear on top. Really."

Reece ignored her even as she started to head in that direction. He reached out and grabbed her hand and pulled her in his direction. "Nope. You're coming with me. After all, you're in MY custody, right?"

She wanted to protest further but when she saw his smile she simply melted inside. What weak resistance she had faded when she saw his perfect, white teeth and soft, full lips. "Yes, sir. You're correct. I promise to be a good girl and do this your way."

"Good. At least we've established who's in charge around these here parts!" he said while continuing to smile. He pulled her close to him then put his arm around her shoulder. "Jesus it's cold out here. We've gotta get you a coat, too."

Fifteen minutes later, they were walking into a store called CATO. It was a step up from Target, but it wasn't exactly high fashion. Then again, even when she was working, Abby couldn't afford nice clothes from a store like Nordstrom or Belk. The thought of ever buying from Saks or Neiman Markus made her laugh out loud.

Reece opened the door for her and Abby stepped inside. The warm air felt SO good after being out in the cold, raw 40-degree morning. "Okay, let's find you something to wear," he told her.

Abby wandered around the store once then said, "Okay. I know exactly what I need and it will only be a couple of things. You need to tell me if it's too much, okay?" Reece nodded as she grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the underwear section. She picked up one pack of panties which had three pairs in it. She showed it to Reece who shrugged meaning that was fine.

She then chose two bras. One was black and the other nude. She showed him the price tags with a hopeful look in her eye. Reece looked at her as though he was very upset. "Are you kidding?" he said. "You expect me to pay for these, too? Panties AND bras? Really? Do you think money grows on trees, young lady?"

Abby hit him playfully and said, "Don't be mean. I can't go around braless you know." Reece just raised one eye which caused Abby to hit him again. "You're terrible!" she said. "So is this okay?"

"Of course it is. Get whatever you need," he assured her.

Abby picked up a pack of socks of various colors then grabbed a pair of jeans and a sweater. "Okay, this will take care of it," she told him.

Reece raised an eyebrow again only this time it meant, "You've got to be kidding."

"Is it too much?" she said with genuine concern. "I can find a cheaper sweater. I just thought it was really pretty and..."

"Three changes of clothes, minimum, and that's final." Abby started to argue but Reece held up a hand and said, "Uh-uh! Go! Shop! Three outfits. And don't come back without them," he said with mock authority.

He saw a tear well up in Abby's eye again and said, "Okay, that's just not gonna work today. No more tears and no more sympathy. Now go and spend my money. I command it!"

Reece stood outside the changing room as Abby tried on the things she took inside. He wasn't paying any attention when he heard, "Pssst! Pssst! Reece? Can you come here?"

He turned around and saw her peeking out of one of the changing rooms. He walked toward it and said, "What is it?"

"You mean other than feeling utterly guilty about all of this?," she said. "I need your advice." She pointed to her the things she had laid out and asked him, "Which ones should I buy?"

Reece looked them over and said, "They all look fine. Whatever you like is okay with me."

He went to turn around but she reached out and grabbed his arm. "No! You've gotta help me. Do you like the blue or the gray better?"

Reece saw two very nice sweaters laid out over a pair of jeans and said, "Both. Get both."

Abby gave him the skunk eye. Then she pointed to another set. "The black or the off white?"

Two more pretty sweaters on top of some khaki pants. "Get both."

"Men!" Abby said. "Can't you just please give me your opinion? She pulled him inside and he noticed she was only wearing one of the bras she'd planned to buy and a pair of the panties. The price tag was still sticking out. "I need your opinion so please don't be dismissive. Which ones do you like best?"

He was pretty sure Abby wasn't thinking about being topless. He knew women totally got into buying clothes, but it just wasn't his thing. "My opinion?" he said. He turned from looking at the clothes to looking at Abby. He briefly looked down at her then back at her face. "I think you look sensational."

Before he could finish the last word, Abby shrieked and threw up her arms over her breasts. "Oh, my God. Get out! Get out, get out, get out. I am so embarrassed."

She was pushing Reece out the door as he said, "You're gonna need a skirt for job interviews, too!"

Moments later, Abby came out wearing the black sweater and the khaki pants. She stormed right by Reece as she walked toward the back to grab a very long, size 6 black skirt off a rack. A few moments later he heard her say, "If you want me to buy the skirt, I'm gonna need shoes, too."

"And a purse, too, right?" Reece said in a polite but taunting way.

She popped her head out and said, "I take back every nice thing I said about you! Yes, a purse, too." She'd been carrying a small clutch with her the day of the accident and it wasn't suitable for much of anything.

Reece couldn't resist. "It's really cold outside, you know. Won't that mean you need a coat and gloves?"

The door popped open again and Abby just glared. She stomped out wearing the skirt then stomped back in holding a pair of 2 1/2 inch black heels in size 7 along with a black coat.

Reece couldn't help but laugh when Abby kicked open the door with her foot as she tried to balance everything she'd carried in all at once. Reece noticed she'd left two sweaters inside so he reached in and grabbed them once Abby was outside. When she heaped her pile of clothes on the counter, Reece casually dropped them on top. "We'll take these, too, please," he said in his politest voice.

Abby crossed her arms and tapped her foot. "Do you know how much this is going to cost?" she said. "You have no idea, do you? That's because you only buy Levis and sweat pants and socks for yourself once a year. You don't know how much women's clothes cost, do you?"

The girl finished ringing them up and said, "Your total is $637.24. You saved $114.12 today because of our after-Thanksgiving sale."

Reece handed her his credit card and Abby grabbed his hand. "No. No! I will not let you spend this much money. We can take back three of the sweaters and the skirt. I can interview in the khaki pants.

"We'll take all of them," he said to the clerk as she handed him the receipt. He signed his name then took the coat from the pile and held it up for Abby to put on. She pretended to still be mad at him but he could see something besides anger in her eyes and that look told him it was worth every penny. He handed two of the bags to Abby and carried two himself.

When they got home he and Abby set the bags on the bed. Abby fought back more tears as she said, "Reece. This was way too much. I promise I'll repay you once I get a job. Every penny."

When he looked at her he saw something he hadn't seen before. He couldn't put his finger on it but it warmed his heart in a way he hadn't felt since he was in...

"If you want to repay me, then you can get ready to go visit your parole officer."

Fortunately, it was only about a half mile to his office. She'd had to sign some forms stating she understood the terms of her parole. Finding a job was at the top of the list. She would see him every Wednesday until released or sent to jail for violating the terms of her release. He wasn't a mean man, he was just doing his job and that meant making sure Abby was 100% clear as to her responsibilities.

Reece had also insisted they stop at the drugstore on the way home. She started to object again until he reminded her she would be interviewing for jobs and needed to look her best. He quickly added she didn't need makeup but that it something most employers expected. Rather than argue, she ended up buying some sheer foundation, mascara, eye shadow with a half dozen colors in it, some blush, and a tube of lip gloss. Reece wasn't a big fan of lipstick but so he has happy she didn't buy any. Then again, she wasn't buying any of this for him. He was thinking that a woman like Abby didn't really need any makeup but he had to admit she might even look prettier with a small amount than she already did and she looked very pretty as it was.

Reece was working a day shift the following morning so he was up at 5:30am. When he sat up on the couch he thought he saw a fire. He threw off the blanket and sheet and jumped out of bed. He was almost to the table when he realized it was a cupcake with a single candle in it.

"What the hell?" he said as he stopped near the sink where he planned to get a cup of water or something.

Abby was sitting there in the otherwise completely dark room staring at the cupcake. "Today's my birthday," she said very quietly. "Wanna celebrate with me?" As she asked him that, she turned around slowly then suddenly flipped her head back around straight. "Oh, my God!" she said instinctively.

Reece looked down and noticed his manhood was less than a foot away from her face. "Jesus, Abby!" He nearly jumped all the way back to the couch where he stripped the blanket off the bed and wrapped it around his waist. "Holy, shit! I'm so sorry," he said.

"No worries," she told him. "I've seen it before, remember?" She hadn't actually seen it. Rather, she'd only seen a kind of silhouette and immediately turned away.