a·bey·ance [ə-ˈbā-ən(t)s]:
origin: (1640) Old French spelling baer= "to gape", tied to "yawn" when it implied longing or desire (not exclusively boredom).
noun
Description: You know that moment in a song when the beat comes to a halt, just before it picks up again and really jams out the tune? You could call that an abeyance, a temporary pause or suspension, before things start happening again; to be in a state of expectation.
Title: That idea of a pregnant pause can include one before a new person takes over. Like, in retail, when a manager quits, and for a while there isn't a manager to assist in running that department, but it's only an
Legal term: Or maybe a person has passed away and their property is "held in abeyance" until it can be determined whom it belongs to.