never ending

"I really wish you'd talk to me about..everything going on with Carson." Sara looked at Charlie as if she knew exactly what was going on with Carson.

"What do you mean?" Charlie looked at her point blank while she got out more pumpkin cookies (an overflow from work that she got free) from her kitchen cabinet. A package of cookies were waiting  for Sara to take home.

"Is he..you know.." Sara winced hard as she sat at the breakfast bar with her coffee. "Abusive..to you?"

Charlie winced back, almost in a fret. "What are you talking about?"

"Lily..Lily says he yells a lot." Sara took a cookie and dipped it in her coffee. She took a bite.

"God..no.." Charlie shook her head. "We have lots of discussion. Of course, we don't agree on everything.." She found herself automatic defending him, but she wasn't sure why. Exactly. Of course, she hadn't brought up, what Draco told her. "We're fine."

"Are you really sure? I mean, maybe..maybe YOU don't even know anymore...you're so used to..to how he does..everything." Sara swelled a frown.

Charlie hated to admit that maybe she was too tired to care. But what if he was having a fling of some sort with this blond, that Draco thought was Charlie. It sounded like Carson might actually be having fun with her.

"OK, I'll admit, its not as fun...as I thought it would be." But of course, she was fighting a cold, her feet were sore from standing too long, and there was Lily to tend too. Charlie did wonder if she wasn't giving her daughter as much attention as she promised herself, all those months when she was away from Lily when she was in jail. "Its just, I want us be happy. I try as hard as I can, but he's not exactly the Carson I remember. And I know I've changed too." She shook her head. A part of her felt so defeated. And now there was the wedding, almost planned. How could she back out now?

"Maybe its not a good thing that you and Carson got back together." Sara told her.

Charlie nodded, but it felt too late.

"God, I've got to work on Halloween." Charlie said it, like an after thought. Her mind was churning if Carson's laundry was done. He needed fresh socks. She'd have to remember to check on the load, that was drying. Make sure it was put away before she went to work. "I guess you and Taylor will be out on a Saturday night." She smiled thinking of all the Halloween parties her co-workers would be going too.

"I think we're doing something with Ben and Mae. I'm sure they wouldn't mind-"

"That's OK, Barry said he'd take Lily trick or treating." At least, that was covered. "He can drop her off at Draco's parents." Charlie sighed, thinking maybe all Draco wanted to do was to cause her trouble. Maybe it was true. Carson had never lied to her, yet Carson was always afraid she way lying to him.