FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Brilliant white diamonds sparkled under the intense overhead lights. Each one was set in a beautiful white gold ring that bore its own impressive luster. Some had only one stone, while others were adorned with multiple, though all were displayed neatly on white felt in their tray. “Is that the last one? You’ll have to put it in the old safe, the one in my office is full since we got in that big order today,” A male voice asked as Abby lifted the tray up and set it gently down on the glass counter. She looked up into the eyes of her boss, Tony, a male otter, and the owner of the jewelry store. Behind him, his wife Elena had just finished with the register. All of the other display cases were empty, their contents secured in the safe for closing time. “Yes sir, just this one, and I think the boys in the workshop are just about finished,” Abby replied as she picked up the tray off the glass. “Perfect. Oh, and Abby,” Tony started as the bat was just about to step through a doorway into the workshop. “Nice job with Mrs. Bishop today, that was a big sale and I know she can be a tough customer to handle.” “Oh I just got lucky that she already knew what she wanted! Thank you though!” Abby replied with a practiced and professional smile as she stepped through. The doorway opened into a small room with a watch repair desk and a machine for stenciled engraving. Though the machine was an antique, Abby had seen Tony use the engraver before and understood how to use the stencil to transfer the lettering over to the work piece. Though the watchmaking process was pure magic to her untrained eyes. To her right was the so-called “new” workshop, though to Abby’s understanding, it had been built long before her birth, or Tony’s for that matter. Inside was a vast menagerie of various tools and equipment, most of which she could only guess the purpose of. The workshop was the domain and lair of Wallace, a portly old raccoon, and his young vulpine apprentice, Luke. Together, the pair of them handled the store’s repair and service work. “Last tray?” Wallace asked as he waddled his way out of his workshop with Luke close behind. “Yup, it wouldn’t fit in the other safe so Tony told me to put it in the old one. Are you guys all finished in the shop?” “Yes ma’am! Congrats on getting that big sale today, that necklace has sat in the case for years! Mrs. Bishop has hemmed and hawed over it for every one of them, never had the guts to drop the money on it though.” Abby stood to the side to let him pass by. The safe was to the left, in the old workshop, though Wallace and Tony were the only two who knew the combination. Luke paused, and motioned for Abby to go in front of him. She returned his polite smile and the two shared a quick nob before she stepped in front. “I was just as surprised,” she said. “That necklace was in the six figures, I didn’t think she’d actually pull out her checkbook!” “Yes indeed it was, twenty five one carat princess cut diamonds! I remember setting them for Tony’s dad back when he ran the shop.” Wallace gave a small, almost nostalgic chuckle as he recounted the story. The old workshop lived up to its name. The ceiling was much lower, and the floor was somewhat uneven from age. There was a small window on the right wall above a sink that looked out onto a small garden area. The rest of the room was lined with countertops and cabinets, with an island in the middle. The room was mainly used to clean, polish, and re-plate rhodium plated jewelry. The safe was set into the right wall, and was just as old as the workshop it was in. The rectangular black door had relatively simple, but faded gold filigree painted around the edge while the name “Schultz Safe Company” was barely legible on the door. Similarly faded was the phrase “founded 1881” beneath it. “It sat and sat, Bruce finally said one day that he hated that damn thing and would never make another one,” Wallace said with a hint of sarcasm as he fiddled with the large brass dial. “Thats why there’s stones for another one sitting in the other safe,” he continued under his breath as he input the last digit. There was an audible clunk as the combination was entered before Wallace swung the door open with a creak. Abby placed the tray of engagement rings atop the pile of what looked to be nothing more than clear plastic bags. Though she knew that inside them were kept watch parts, as well as the gold and other precious metals that Wallace and Luke used in their repairs. “Alright let's get outta here, it's Friday,” Wallace said as he closed the door to the safe and spun the dial to a random number. “Yes, let's,” Luke concurred with a laugh as he stepped past. Abby smiled to herself as she followed the men out of the old shop and back onto the showroom floor where Tony and Elena already stood. Next to the couple was the store’s inventory manager, Maggie, a middle-aged squirrel with a large fluffy tail. Tony had in his hand a small pile of white envelopes that he handed out to each employee. Abby took hers and resisted the urge to rip into it right then and there, she always figured that it was rude for one to inspect their paycheck in front of their boss. “Alright guys, I’ll see you all next week. Abby, once again, great job today!” Tony’s face wore a genuine smile as he addressed the bat, who bashfully turned her eyes away. “Thanks… I uh, just try to do my best.” “Well we’re really proud of you, now go on, enjoy your weekend!” There was a note of genuine pride in Tony’s voice as he spoke, though it only served to make Abby even more embarrassed as she felt the eyes of her coworkers on her. She kept to the rear, her envelope clutched in her hand as they filed out through Maggie’s office at the back of the store. Tony and Elena stayed behind as they always did in order to talk strategy and business in his office. Abby was happy to leave them to it as she stepped into the afternoon air, a free woman once again. Behind the shop was a small, fenced-in parking lot where the employee cars were parked. Grapevines grew around the posts and produced wonderfully sweet fruit. Wallace was their caretaker, though according to him, the vines had already been there when he was first hired, though in a far sorrier state. Abby stood for a moment and watched as everyone split and walked to their respective cars. Before she too stepped off, she rubbed the small bump that had started to form in her belly. ‘Can’t keep you a secret much longer…’ She thought to herself as she set off across the asphalt. As Abby sat in the driver’s seat of her car, she tossed her paycheck over onto the passenger seat next to another, already opened envelope. At the sight of it, the bat let out another long sigh before she reached over and picked it up. Abby made sure that all of the other cars had left before she lifted the flap and poured the contents into her hand. The black and white ultrasound pictures that appeared there caused Abby’s heart rate to jump up a few levels. It still felt surreal to her, though the image of her baby, vague and amorphous as it was, still stirred up powerful emotions. ‘It just looks like a little bean… my little bean…’ Abby thought as she recalled the words she’d spoken that day at the doctors. Indeed, the thing in the picture appeared to be no more than the size of a large kidney or lima bean. The thought had whipped her mind back to her childhood, and all the times her mother had called her something similar. She’d always protested the nickname, and declared emphatically that she was a bat, and obviously not a bean. The memory, which had once been a silly, if mildly embarrassing chapter of her childhood, had taken on a whole new meaning for Abby ever since that day. And even as she sat in her idling car, the thought of how everything had all come full circle brought a faint smile to her snout as she basked in a warm feeling of nostalgia. “Alright little bean, lets see what Jason thinks of you,” She tentatively whispered to herself as she put the car in reverse. The warmth that Abby felt from seeing the ultrasounds gradually faded to a nagging anxiety as she drove herself to her date. She couldn’t shake the thought that all of the excitement the handsome raccoon felt towards their budding relationship would be undone in an instant the moment he saw the scans. In her mind, she already saw his smile vanish, and his expression turn to stone at the news. As Abby parked in front of the small cafe, she was already braced for the rejection. With a deep breath, she brushed a few specks of dust off of her skirt and stuffed the two envelopes into her purse. ‘Let’s get this over with…’ The cafe was simply the bottom floor of an old three-story brick house. The year “1789” was still plainly legible on the cornerstone. The front was mostly glass, with the door situated to the right. On the middle pane was the name “Leonard’s Cafe” in large, swirly gold-leaf letters. An older couple sat around one of the two tables visible through the panes, though there was no sign of Jason. Abby steadied herself and stepped inside. A little bell on the inside of the door sounded her arrival, and a few faces inside turned to get a glimpse at the newcomer. The wall to her right was nothing but tables and chairs, as was the alcove to her left. The counter, complete with all the machines and a pastry cabinet, was against the far left corner. The whole atmosphere was dark, but in a cozy way, and the air was heavy with the scent of fresh coffee. Abby stood on the tips of her toes and scanned for any sign of her date, though moments later a telltale gray arm shot up as he spotted her first. “Hey Abby!” Jason called, just loud enough for her to hear without disrupting the other patrons. He was sat all the way at the back in the right corner where they could chat with at least some degree of privacy. Abby waved back and tried her best to match Jason’s smile as she walked over. As she approached, she saw that there was already a blueberry muffin on a small plate for her. A mixture of gratitude and guilt welled up in Abby’s chest as she hung her purse off the back of the chair and sat down. “Hi, sorry for the boring outfit, I just got off work,” Abby said as she smoothed the front of her skirt. A part of her wished that there had been time to go home and change out of the office lady attire, though Abby felt that such an exercise would be pointless with the likelihood of a harsh rejection. “Oh don’t worry about it! You look great, really! I uh… wasn’t sure what you liked, I figured that blueberry was a pretty safe bet.” Jason chuckled nervously as he watched for any sign of disappointment or discomfort. Though Abby offered none as she gave him a warm smile. “I love blueberry, thank you Jason.” Abby pushed to the back of her mind the knowledge that her favorite was lemon poppyseed as she tried to answer as genuinely as possible. If Jason noticed the anxiety in her, he didn’t show it as he watched her take a bite of the muffin. An empty plate sat in front of him with a few crumbs scattered about on it. As Abby set her treat down, she dipped her nose at it and gave a small chuff. “Oh, yeah… sorry, I uh… guess I was a little hungry. The chocolate chip cookies are really good here.” Abby savored the lovely flavor and soft texture of the muffin before she finished chewing and swallowed. The blueberries were fresh and flavorful, and the bread had the perfect amount of bounce and chewiness to it. She hoped that it hadn’t been too expensive. “I can’t blame you, that's really good.” “Is this your first time here?” “Yeah, I meant to try it out when they first opened… but I just kind of forgot.” Abby’s words faded as she looked up and around at the decor inside the cafe. The ceiling was covered in antique bronze tiles that were stamped with a lovely floral pattern. The walls were painted a light, almost minty green. On the walls were hung a great number of paintings of various sizes, all put up seemingly at random. Abby could see pictures of sailing ships, barns, landscapes, animals, and everything in between. Wherever she looked she found something new and interesting. For a moment at least, it took her mind off of her worries. “Cool place, huh?” Jason asked with a grin. “Yeah… I like all the paintings.” “The girl behind the counter told me that they’re all for sale. I guess they’re all from local artists or something.” Abby turned her head and took another look at the paintings. “Oh wow, that's really cool…” she said softly as her eyes centered on one near the middle. The painting was rather simple, and depicted a wild squirrel sitting amongst a pile of dried leaves as it ate a nut. Abby wasn’t quite sure why she was drawn to that piece in particular, but whatever it was, it made her smile. “So uh… I know we’re kind of doing things in reverse here. I um… hope it's not too awkward for you.” Jason’s words brought Abby back to the moment. Reluctantly, she turned back towards him and situated herself in her seat. She took a deep breath and prepared herself as the time fast approached to break the news. Jason picked up on the change in her demeanor and visibly braced himself as Abby opened her mouth to speak. “It doesn’t bother me Jason. Like, I understand that neither of us really expected anything after that first night, but… just because we slept together doesn’t mean we can’t date. Like I get that it's not how it's really “supposed” to go, but…” Abby let her words trail off. Though it was clear that they’d had an effect on the raccoon as his expression perked up. He moved to speak, though Abby gently cut him off. “I um… do have something to tell you though, something I found out after that night.” Jason’s face morphed once again as his emotions once again took a nose-dive. The image of his face as it sunk shot through Abby like a dagger, and guilt for the pain and uncertainty that he must have felt threatened to overwhelm her. “Y-you’re not… like, sick or anything are you?” He asked quietly, and with genuine concern. “No! No, nothing like that. It's just… well…” Abby reached behind and into her purse until she felt the open envelope. She turned back and set the thing on the table and slid it over towards Jason. Her heart thumped hard in her chest and her body felt like marble as she watched him pull it closer and open the flap. Jason’s eyes went wide with recognition as he revealed the first black and white slide. His gaze darted up and down between Abby and the picture for a few moments as his brain struggled to process what he had just been shown. “You… you’re…” He said as he looked back up at her. Abby simply nodded her head as she took the envelope and stuffed it back into her purse. “But… I don’t… I don’t understand.” “It happened before we hooked up. It was… it was an accident, I found out the day after.” Abby dipped her head in shame, her eyes came up upon the muffin that Jason had bought for her with its one bite taken out of it. Another wave of guilt broke over her conscious and forced her to sniff back a tear. “I don’t mean to be rude but… do you know whose it is?” Jason’s voice was filled with genuine concern, though Abby couldn’t bring herself to pick her head up. “I do, but… it's complicated,” was all she could manage. “I see… does he know?” After a moment, Abby forced herself to pick herself up and look Jason in the eye. “Not yet, only Cynthia and Trevor, my mom, and now you know about it. I’m so sorry Jason, I know this is probably it for us, and I want you to know that I don’t blame you at all, none of this is your fault. I just… I had to be honest with you.” Jason leaned back in his chair and looked off to the side as he let out a long exhale. His face was stern and serious, as if he was carefully considering his next words. Abby braced herself for the cutting rebuke and the unequivocal rejection that she knew was loaded up behind his lips. As he opened his mouth to speak, she drew in a sharp breath as her muscles tensed. “Well, I do appreciate the honesty, but yes, this does change things. I can’t lie to you, I’m going to need some time to think about this and work it all over. I want you to know though, that no matter what I’m not judging you, and I don’t mean to come off that way. But I do need time.” Abby hadn’t realized that she’d held her breath the entire time as the racoon spoke. With a long, shaky sigh she let it all out as her muscles relaxed, and a warm surge of relief washed over her. “Thats already more than I could ever ask of you,” She replied in a soft, almost shameful voice as she looked back down at her muffin. “Hey… look I know it probably doesn’t feel like it right now, but it's going to be okay.” Abby allowed herself to smile at the kind words as she picked her head back up. Jason’s expression was softer and more sympathetic than she expected, though still in a clearly apologetic way. “Yeah, I know it will be. It's just still hard, you know? I got cheated on, went through a horrible breakup and now this. I just… feel so overwhelmed sometimes.” “Hey… it's okay. I understand, really, I do. I have three older sisters who are all mothers. We've dealt with a similar situation before with my oldest sister's ex. You’re going to be okay, you’re smart, and you have good friends.” Jason gave a slight chuckle as he spoke, and placed his hand palm up on the table in front of Abby. Gingerly, she took it, and let another faint smile form on her snout as he rubbed the top of her hand with his thumb. “Thanks, I’m just… I’m sorry to put all of this on you Jason,” Abby said as she finally worked up the strength to fully meet his gaze. Jason smiled and shook his head as he continued to gingerly rub the top of her hand. “No no no, don’t be sorry Abby, definitely don’t be sorry. Look, I have four nieces and nephews, I’m pretty experienced when it comes to dealing with kids. Even if we decide not to start a relationship, I’d still like to help however I can.” “That's really sweet of you Jason. I…” ‘I don’t deserve it,’ Abby thought as she finished her sentence mentally. There was a brief pause as she stopped to reconsider her words. “Thank you, I.. I just don’t know what else to say but thank you.” Abby forced out a small, awkward laugh as she gently squeezed Jason’s hand. He squeezed her back before the two of them both mutually withdrew. The brief contact had brought Abby more comfort than she’d realized, as the sudden absence of it left her feeling rather empty and isolated. “Its the least I could do, Abby.” “Well, I’m very grateful for it. If there's anything I can do to repay you, just let me kno-” Jason raised his hand to politely cut her off. “I just want you to take good care of yourself, okay? And I’m really sorry that I can’t give you a concrete answer right now. It's just that it would be a big change in my life too, and I really have to really think over if that's something I’m ready for yet or not.” Jason’s voice was calm and sympathetic, but at the same time serious and firm as he locked eyes with her. In a way, it was strangely comforting for Abby, as it showed a significant level of maturity in the raccoon’s thinking. The more she thought about it, the more she understood that it would have been a red flag if he’d simply jumped right in with her. “I understand, and I know it’s a lot to ask of you so soon. I’m just grateful that you’re even considering it at all.” Jason gave another warm smile that Abby did her best to return. “So uh, is there anything else you’d like from the cabinet? They have boxes so you can take stuff home if you want some cookies or another muffin.” Though it was somewhat awkward, Abby was thankful for the return to a more casual tone to the conversation. She looked at Jason, and then down at her muffin with the single bite taken out of it. “Oh that's okay, I’ll get something on my way out.” “Nah, come on. Go and pick out what you want, I’ll get a box,” Jason said as he stood up from his chair. With little other choice, Abby slung her purse over her shoulder, grabbed her partially eaten muffin, and stood up. As Jason approached the counter, Abby let her eyes trace over the various delectables on offer behind the glass. As Jason had said, there were all manner of different flavors and styles, so much so that Abby hadn’t had time to finish browsing before the girl, a floppy eared dog of some sort, stood on the other side with an open box ready for her. “I got you a six count by the way,” Jason said as he stepped back over to her “Oh! Thank you. Um… let’s see, can I have two chocolate chip cookies, one peanut butter cookie…” Abby paused to let the girl retrieve the large cookies out of their tray and put them in the box. She used the brief pause to finish her survey of the remaining desserts. And as Abby came to the end of the counter, her ears perked up and her tail began to wag, as there in the last tray were the last two lemon poppy seed muffins. She quickly had the employee box them up along with another blueberry. With the order complete, the girl handed the box over the counter to Abby. “Here, I got you this too. I know you can’t really drink much coffee, but I figure if nothing else your roommate will like it,” Jason said as he set a brown bag of coffee beans down on top of the muffin box. “Thanks Jason, you really didn’t have to,” Abby replied with a hint of guilt in her voice. “Eh, I wanted to,” he said with a smile and a shrug of his shoulders. “I appreciate it, lemon poppy is my favorite.” “Hm, noted.” An awkward silence descended on the pair as they stood in front of the pastry counter, neither one of them quite knew how to end it. Abby knew that she couldn’t just turn and leave, but neither could her mind seem to conjure up the right words. Finally, it was Jason who broke the silence just as another customer lined up behind him. “So uh, would you let me walk you to your car?” “Sure! It’s um, right out front,” Abby said as she turned around to look. Jason held the door after he led her through the cafe, and held her things for her as she fished her keys out of her purse. The car’s door locks gave a clunk as Abby pushed the button, and a few moments later the box of treats was secured neatly on the passenger seat. “Well uh, I guess I’ll be in touch then,” Jason said as Abby shut the door. “Yeah… and Jason, just promise me one thing.” “Of course.” “When you’re making your decision… just make sure whatever you decide to do is actually what's best for you. Don’t do something you’ll regret later just because you pitied me, neither of us need that.” Jason looked Abby in the eye as he gently took her hands in his. His face wore a slight smile on an otherwise calm, neutral expression. It was clear that he was not in the least bit surprised by Abby’s request. “I hear you, and I promise you that no matter what, no matter which way I decide to go with this, it’ll be for the right reason.” His voice matched his expression, calm, and slightly soothing. Abby let out a slow sigh and nodded her approval before he let her hands drop away from his. “And Abby, even if I decide that I’m not ready, don’t be afraid to reach out. If you ever need a sitter, or even just need some advice or want to talk, I’ll be there.” Abby showed her appreciation with a smile and a quick nod. Jason mirrored it before he stepped back to give her room. “So uh, I guess I’ll see you around then,” he said as he took a few steps back. “Yeah, an uh… thanks for the muffins and cookies, I’ll enjoy them.” “Good! And thank you for still coming by the way.” “Oh, um… you’re welcome, I just… think that kind of news was best delivered in person, I figured I owed you that much.” “Well I appreciate it, and I’m glad I got to see you. Have a good weekend Abby,” Jason said with a smile as he began to walk away backwards. “You too,” she replied before he gave one last smile, and turned around. Abby gave a long, exasperated sigh as she slumped into the driver's seat of her car. As she slipped the key into the ignition, she looked over at the box on the passenger seat. ‘He really didn’t need to be that nice to me,’ she thought as the car fired to life. Abby didn’t bother with any music on the drive back home. Though she knew her mind could have used the distraction, she simply didn’t have the spirit for it. She parked in her usual spot in front of the apartment building where she let the car idle for a few minutes. Abby leaned back against the headrest and let out a long sigh. Her mind replayed the image of Jason’s face as it had shifted from eager joy to a stunned, almost disappointed form of shock. She rubbed her eyes and groaned as she tried to force the memory away, but the nagging sense that the date in the cafe was the last she’d ever see of the handsome raccoon was lodged firm in her brain. ‘Why should he stay with me? It's not his kid and he knows it, everyone who would see us together would know that too. Who would knowingly put themselves through that?’ With another sigh, Abby forced herself to shut the car off. Before her mind could come up with another bothersome thought she grabbed her purse and swung the door open. Her parking spot was right in front of the stairwell between the two three-story complexes. Cynthia’s apartment was at the very top, a fact which Abby had once seen as a great advantage since it meant they didn’t have to deal with noisy upstairs neighbors. Though with the pregnancy, she knew that she would soon come to dread the climb up the stairs. But as her stomach was still mostly flat, her trip up was still easy for her. The sky had turned a dark shade or orange while a gentle breeze carried a slight chill as Abby tried the doorknob to the apartment, and found it unlocked. ‘I guess Cynthia is already home, bitch never keeps the damn door locked,’ she joked to herself as she stepped inside. The front door closed softly behind her on its weather stripping as Abby made sure it was locked this time. The apartment was empty and unlit apart from the faint, warm light that filtered in through the windows from the setting sun. Abby wondered where her roommate was, though the confusion only lasted for a moment as her powerful ears detected her presence. From the hallway, the unmistakable creaking of a bed and the thumping of a headboard combined with the familiar sound of Cynthia’s voice, albeit contorted into pleasured moans and cries. ‘Seems like Trevor is here too!’ She thought with a slight smirk. Abby set her purse on the counter as she stepped carefully and quietly to her room. Slowly she eased her bedroom door open and closed again so as not to not disturb the two lovers. Alone in her room, Abby set her glasses down on her nightstand before she kicked off her shoes. Her vision only blurred a little bit with the loss of the round, gold wire framed eyewear. With her glasses off, Abby untucked her button-down top from her skirt. She took a moment to enjoy the feeling of relief before she took the thing all the way off and tossed in the hamper reserved for dry-cleaning. Her tight skirt followed it, before an even greater relief came as she whisked her pantyhose down off her legs. She quickly stripped off her bra and underwear, and discarded them into the hamper reserved for machine washing. As the sounds of sex in the other room reached a crescendo, Abby let her naked body flop against her bed. She wished that her small bedroom had a ceiling fan, though the removal of her clothes still provided a great deal of relief. Trevor’s voice suddenly cut through, and joined Cynthia’s as the lynx reached his climax. A sharp pang of jealousy cut through Abby’s body as she lay there and heard the couple’s voices fade as they enjoyed their afterglow. ‘It wouldn’t be so bad if you two had a kid…’ she thought as she lay there spread-eagle. ‘You two could just get married and nobody would think twice about it, they’d even congratulate you and wish you well. But me… all they’re going to do is judge.’ She could practically hear the whispers and quiet sneers behind her back. Abby feared that once her extended family found out about her condition it would be open season on her. She had already had to contend with some less-than-kind remarks over the fact that she had dated outside of her species. To then become pregnant out of wedlock she knew would only amplify and give further voice to those judgemental characters. Abby groaned and rubbed her face as she felt a spike in anxiety. With some mental effort, she forced herself to sit up and dress herself. Abby didn’t bother with another bra, and simply threw an old t-shirt over herself with some tight black boxer shorts. The underwear were mens, and even had the flap in the front, which proved useful if she developed an itch down there. Abby kept a stash on hand to lounge around in, as they were both comfortable and cheap. Abby was far more overt as she left her bedroom, and allowed her door to thump shut behind her. She no longer tried to conceal her steps as she walked into the kitchen and retrieved her phone from her purse. As she tucked the thing under the waistband of her underwear, she heard Cynthia’s bedroom door open. “Hey Abby, when did you get home?” The girl’s voice was a bit weary, as the exertion with her boyfriend had no doubt left her somewhat tired. She was dressed in a loose t-shirt with no bra underneath and a pair of pajama pants. Abby doubted that there was anything beneath them either. “A few minutes ago. I thought Trevor worked late tonight,” she replied as Cynthia padded into the kitchen. The bat’s response had left no doubt that she had heard the happenings in the bedroom, though Cynthia didn’t appear bothered as she flicked a wayward strand of hair out of her face. “Nah, he got off.” Abby snorted at the unintentional double entendre, and broke into a genuine smile. “Yeah, alright, ha-ha. In that way too I guess,” Cynthia retorted with a smirk and roll of the eyes. “So, how did it go with Jason? You did meet up with him after work right?” Abby sighed, and the smile faded from her face. “Uh oh, what happened?” Cynthia asked as the tiredness in her voice was immediately replaced with concern. “It's okay, it's nothing bad I guess. He just said that he needed some time to think about it and decide if he’s ready for this sort of thing or not.” “Hey, I mean… it could have gone worse,” Cynthia said in a consoling tone as she reached out for Abby’s hand. “Yeah… I mean, I’m thankful that he’s even considering it. It's just… not knowing.” “I get what you mean, but you just have to be patient, it’s a really big decision for him.” “I know… and honestly I don’t even deserve that much, It's not fair to put all this on his shoulders.” “Hey come on now, what do you mean you don’t deserve it?” Cynthia asked as concern grew in her voice. “You really think he’d choose to be with a girl like me? Some dumb slut who goes and gets herself knocked up by her ex-boyfriend’s dad?” Abby’s voice raised in volume as she posed the rhetorical question. The pain was evident in it, as tears began to bead up under her eyes. “Come on girl, don’t talk like that, c’mere.” Cynthia pulled Abby into a gentle hug and rubbed her back as she swayed the two of them from side to side. “Shhh, none of that kind of talk. You are NOT a dumb slut, you’re a sweet girl and damn smart too. That boy has all the facts laid out in front of him, he knows what he’d be agreeing to.” “I told him I didn’t want him to agree just out of pity. But honestly I don’t even know if I’ll ever see him again, I just can’t imagine that any guy would want to stay with someone like me.” “Shhhh, what did I say?” Cynthia said softly, but with a firm undertone. Abby sighed and rested her chin on Cynthia’s shoulder as she timidly returned the hug. “I really fucked it all up didn’t I? I never thought I’d be that girl…” She heard Cynthia exhale a bit sharper than usual as the lynx contemplated her next words. There was a pause between the two women as they maintained their embrace. Abby appreciated the physical contact, though couldn’t help but feel guilty for enjoying it, she knew it wasn’t hers to savor. “Baby it's okay, listen, at the very least you still have me and Trevor.” “No but that's the thing!” Abby said, a little louder as her repressed emotions finally overflowed. The girls separated from their hug as tears rolled down the bat’s cheeks and wetted the brown fur on her face. “I mean look at me! I barge into you and Trevor’s lives, I get in the way and take up space in your apartment! Then get myself knocked up like an idiot! It's like… it's like I’ve ruined everyone else's life too…” Abby sobbed and wiped the tears away with the back of her hand as her vision blurred. Her chest felt tight and her nose stopped up, she tried to contain herself, but the dam had already broken. “Sweetie its okay, nobody thinks that about you. Look, Trevor and I are already looking at places we can move to that are big enough that we can affor-” “No! Don’t… I can’t ask you to do that, I don’t deserve it.” “Abby… we have got to work on your self esteem sweet heart. Look, people get pregnant, it happens, it’s okay… we’ll deal with it. You are not the first person to have to go through this, and you will not be the last.” “How can I have self esteem!? How?” Abby snapped. She didn’t shout, but her voice carried a venom in it that could have only come from a place of pain. Cynthia took it in stride, she crossed her arms and cocked a hip to one side as she looked her distraught friend up and down. “I mean look at what's happened! The man who I thought loved me, went and cheated with some whore he met on a fucking app! I get kicked out of his house and have to come in here and get in your way, disrupt your life and your relationship. Then for some stupid fucking reason I decide to go and hook up his DAD of all people, and end up fucking pregnant from it!” Abby looked up at the ceiling and shook her head in a desperate but futile attempt to stop the tears as they rained down. “Its as if this is all some kind of divine retribution for being a fucking dumbass… I feel like I’m such a worthless piece of shit who can’t do anything right to save her own ass. Everything I touch just goes to hell, I don’t know why you even put up with me and my bullshit anymore.” Cynthia’s face softened and her arms unfolded as she reached out for Abby and pulled her into another, tighter hug. “I can’t stand to hear you talk like that about yourself,” she said as her own voice wavered, and a single tear ran down her cheek. “I love you Abby, you’re my best friend and I would never, EVER, kick you out or abandon you. Please… don’t ever say something like that again.” All of the sass and pep had gone from the lynx’s voice as she spoke into Abby’s ear. The bat could tell that she was truly hurt, and that her words were genuine. She sobbed into Cynthia’s shoulder as another wave of guilt over the pain she had caused overwhelmed her. Cynthia did her best to console her friend as she sniffed back another tear of her own. The warm presence and gentle back rubs eventually began to have an effect as Abby’s cries soon reduced to a muffled sob. “It's okay… it's okay,” the lynx whispered repeatedly as she held her friend close. “Is um… is everything alright out here?” A male voice asked softly from the hallway. Abby didn’t bother to pick her head up, she knew that it was Trevor. “It's alright babe, just go back to bed,” Cynthia replied in an equally gentle tone as she turned her head to face her boyfriend. Abby couldn’t see it, but she felt the muscles in Cynthia’s neck shift as she nodded her head. Moments later the sound of soft paw-steps confirmed that Trevor had heeded his mate’s request. “Hey, why don’t we go sit down on the couch? We can put on a show, I’ll cook dinner, we’ll just take it easy okay?” Abby nodded her head but said nothing. A moment later she felt her body be released from the embrace as Cynthia stepped back. Abby sniffed back one final tear and flicked the hair out of her face as she stood up straight. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have snapped at you like that,” she said ashamedly as she looked away from her friend’s gaze. “It's okay honey, you needed a good cry. I’m not upset at all.” Some of the sassy southern accent had returned to Cynthia’s voice. The sound of the familiar tone brought a faint, but much needed sense of comfort to Abby as she slowly collected herself. “Yeah… I just… ugh, I’m sorry, you don’t deserve any of this.” Cynthia bit her bottom lip as she hunched over and leaned forward. Before Abby could work out what the girl was about to do, she felt a firm, stinging slap on her ass. A yelp reflexively flew from her mouth before she covered it with her hands. The spank was loud enough, Abby knew, to have been heard throughout the apartment, and left her buttcheek feeling tingly. “What did I say? No more of that talk!” Cynthia scolded with a hint of a sly smile. “You bitch! C’mere!” Abby retorted as she felt a similar smile creep across her snout. In a lightning quick motion, Abby locked her eyes on one of the little buds that poked out from the lumps in Cynthia's shirt. The bat’s aim was true, and she successfully delivered a perfect retaliatory titty-twister. Cynthia yowled like only a lynx could as she swatted at Abby’s hand. The bat held on for a second before she released, and both women burst out laughing. “God damn, that hurt!” Cynthia said after a moment with a wide smile on her face. “Tch, you started it.” “I mean, what can I say? You’ve got one hell of a spankable ass, girlie!” “Pff, whatever you say,” Abby playfully scoffed and rolled her eyes. She grabbed her paycheck out of her purse, and moved to walk past Cynthia on her way to the sofa. But as she did, the lynx gave her another, lighter, spank on her other cheek. Abby shook her head and smiled as she plonked herself down on one of the cushions. Cynthia followed a few seconds later, and sat herself down close so that their bodies touched. “How much ya get?” she asked as Abby tore into the envelope. “Well, let's see.” Abby whisked the check out of the envelope, and immediately her eyes went wide. “Holy shit,” Cynthia cursed with a laugh as she looked over Abby’s shoulder. “What the hell did you do, girl? Are you blackmailin’ your boss or something?” Abby ran her thumb over the number to make sure it wasn’t just a speck of dirt or dust that had somehow caused an illusion. “I guess I just didn’t do that math in my head when I made that sale today,” she said somewhat under her breath. “Do you remember that one necklace we had in the store, the one with all the diamonds?” “Honey, you work in a jewelry shop, you’re gonna have to be more specific.” Abby sighed and shifted to face Cynthia more directly. “The really, REALLY expensive one, with the square diamonds.” “Oh! That one! The one you sent me a picture of on your first day! Yeah I remember.” “Well I sold it today. The thing was over a hundred grand and that lady cut a damn check right there in the store!” “No shit? Just cut a check for it? Damn, must be nice huh?” “Pff, must be. I just… kind of forgot that I make a five percent commission on sales so it caught me off guard.” “Well, that's got to make you feel a little bit better at least?” Cynthia rubbed Abby’s back as she looked down at her paycheck. The large sum did help to lift some of the weight off of her shoulders. The vain part of Abby’s psyche flipped through all the things she’d wanted but could never have afforded. Suddenly they were all within her grasp, but Abby silenced the temptation as her mind went back to the ultrasound photos in the other envelope. “It certainly doesn’t hurt, do you have a pen?” Cynthia patted Abby’s thigh as she stood up to retrieve one from the kitchen. With the pen in hand, Abby signed the back and used her phone to deposit it in her account. “So who ended up buying it?” Cynthia asked as her and Abby leaned back against the sofa. “An old sheep named Mrs. Bishop, I guess her husband owns some big fertilizer company or something. Apparently she has a reputation for being all crotchety and mean, but… she’s always been nice to me.” “Hm, well, I guess if you can develop a good relationship with her then she might buy more expensive stuff off of ya.” “Yeah, maybe. That would be nice.” Cynthia grabbed the remote off the cushion next to her and turned on the TV. Abby let her mind zone out as her friend flipped through all of the various shows and movies on offer. The lynx ended up on one of her favorite reality romance shows, the kind that they both knew was staged, but watched regardless. There was one suave shark boy that never wore anything apart from a pair of swim trunks that they both enjoyed ogling whenever he was given screen time. There was a hyena that Abby had something of a crush on, though it was one kept to herself, as Cynthia voiced her disdain for him each time he was on. The episodes were rather short, and each season had over twenty. Both girls had developed a habit of binge watching whenever they could spare the horse. But as the episodes began to blur together, the sky outside eventually faded to black, and Abby’s stomach reminded her that dinner time had arrived. Cynthia heard the rumble as she leaned her head against Abby’s shoulder, and without a word, pointed the remote at the TV and hit pause. “Guess I should make good on my other promise, huh?” She said with a chuckle as she lifted herself up. “Heh, I guess you heard that.” “Mhm, can’t let mama bat go hungry,” Cynthia teased with a poke to Abby’s shoulder. She snorted in response, but otherwise let the comment go. Though as Cynthia stepped past to make her way into the kitchen, Abby reached out and gave the lynx girl’s behind a firm pinch right on the curve of her cheek. Rather than jump or swat the offending hand away, Cynthia stuck out her butt and wiggled it defiantly in Abby’s face. “Hey! Point that thing somewhere else!” The bat laughed as she pushed the feline rump away from her snout. “Don’t start somethin’ you’re afraid to finish honey bun,” Cynthia teased as she walked the short distance into the kitchen. “Pff, don’t let Trevor hear you talk like that,” Abby retorted. “Oh he won’t mind none, you wouldn’t be our first anyhow!” Abby rolled her eyes and waved her hand in a sarcastically dismissive gesture as she turned away from Cynthia. “Just… just cook dinner, woman.” Abby felt the blood rush to her cheeks as she stared at the paused TV screen. Cynthia had made similar comments in the past, though Abby had always written them off as a joke. But through the thinly veiled sarcasm, Abby knew full well that the lynx wouldn’t say no if she really asked. She had always been able to easily brush off the comments, but as the stress mounted in her life, Abby had sometimes found herself considering it. She took a deep breath, and in an attempt to distract herself, grabbed the remote and hit play just as she heard the fridge door open. “The offer stands if you want it. With as stressed as you’ve been, some good dick might be just what you need you know.” “Tch, that's what got me into this trouble in the first place,” Abby scoffed in reply. “Girl, you’re already knocked up, what's it gonna hurt? And it's not like I ain’t never seen your coochie before either!” ‘God she really means it, doesn’t she?’ Abby asked herself as she pulled her eyes away from the screen and back towards her friend. “Well… we’ll see what Jason says, how about that? If he says no, then I’ll think about it, okay?” Abby let the sarcasm drop from her voice as she spoke in a conciliatory tone. Her answer seemed to satisfy Cynthia, who nodded as she finished gathering her ingredients. There was a bottle of teriyaki sauce and a bag of white rice on the counter next to the stove. Abby felt her mouth water at the prospect of some delicious teriyaki chicken, both her and Trevor were ravenous for the stuff. “So uh… not to darken the mood again but, have you spoken to Leon at all?” Cynthia asked as she tore open a fresh pack of chicken thighs. Abby sighed and turned her attention back to the television in front of her as she felt her spirit drop. “No, I haven’t,” she answered coldly. “Well you know he has off on weekends and Reece doesn’t. If you wanted to break the news to him in person, now would be your best chance. I wouldn’t wait on it if I were you.” Cynthia’s voice was stern and matter-of-fact in a way reminiscent of a mother lecturing her daughter. Abby groaned audibly as she struggled to find an excuse. “What do I even say? If I text him something like ‘hey we need to talk’ then he’s gonna figure it out pretty quick. He isn’t stupid.” There was a pause as Abby awaited her friend’s answer. For a moment she hoped that she’d gotten away with it, and that Cynthia would simply drop the topic. Her hopes were quickly dashed as she heard the lynx draw in a breath to speak. “Look, just tell him that you remembered something else that you left there and make a plan to go pick it up.” “You want me to lie?” Abby asked, somewhat incredulously. “Abby honey, once you break the news to him, he ain’t gonna give a shit about that. It just gets you in the door, but if it really bothers you then just tell him over the phone.” “I don’t want to do that, news like that should be delivered in person.” Cynthia paused as the sound of crackling oil gradually began to grow in the background. “I can come with you if you’d like,” the lynx said in a softer tone. “No it's okay… I can handle it.” Abby’s voice was barely above a whisper as she answered, her mind lost in the thought of what it would be like to break the news. She struggled to picture what Leon’s reaction might look like when he heard. The thought of him angry or distraught tempted Abby to recant her rejection of Cynthia’s offer to come with her. “Alright, well if you change your mind just let me know, okay?” Abby didn’t respond as she picked up her phone, and opened her text conversation with Leon. Her fingers felt as if they were made out of lead as she typed out the message. Abby hated to lie, but she knew that Cynthia was right. She hovered her thumb over the “send” button and closed her eyes as she let it fall onto the screen. A deep breath followed before she opened them again and looked down. The message had gone through, though Abby couldn’t bring herself to wait for a reply. She put the screen to sleep and set the thing down on the cushion next to her as she refocused her attention on the show in front of her. She was just in time to see the hyena she liked get voted off and sent packing.