“Abby,” he answered almost instantly. The way her ex-husband said her name when she called him was unique. He started with a very quick “A,” and as if to compensate, the “bby” stretched forever. So it was actually “Abbyyyyyyy.” His intonation always sounded like the godfather welcoming a beloved son who had just made an unfortunate mistake. Adoring, patronizing, and sorrowful. It never failed to enrage her to the point of homicidal urges.
