Chapter 2
Maddie was standing in front of James's door feeling nervous again, it has been two days since he agreed to hire her and told her to move to his house, so she could babysit his son and clean the house while he works from his office. She talked to Dekota and asked her advice about it, but she still felt that if one day John finds her she'll put Drew and James in danger because of her, she didn't want to do it but fog, why am I thinking about a man that doesn't even deserve a small thought in my brain, I should be happy that I find a job and a place to stay, even thigh it's inside of a man's place, well I'll be busy taking care of a baby that is cute and won't have time to think about anything else.
"Maddie? Are you OK? You've been standing here for the last ten minutes without knocking on the door." Maddie's thoughts interrupted with the front door being opened and James standing in front of her with Drew in his hands.
"Hi James, yeah, I'm sorry. Just zoned out and having all kinds of thought inside my head. I came today to tell you that, I've accepted to move to your house. I have talked to Dekota, and she told me to do what I think is the best for me, so here I am, waning to work for you and take care of this cute baby. Hi Drew, how have you been?" Maddie talked so fast that she surprised herself, but when she saw Drew's face, her face just lighted up with happiness.
"I'm glad. Thanks for accepting my offer. I know it's difficult for you, but it is the best for both of us. I want to work from my office. That way, you can monitor Drew while I work. Hold Drew while I help you with your luggage. Please follow me and I'll give you a tour around the house." James passed her Drew, but she stopped him.
"I'm sorry, James, but the doctor told you not to carry heavy stuff, plus my only luggage is this small bag that I have and it's not heavy. I can carry it myself. You can still show me my room. Where am I going to stay and work?" Maddie didn't want him to be in pain because of her.
James nodded with his head and didn't argue with her. When Maddie entered the house, he explained where everything is she needs to know and what places she's allowed to enter.
After an hour of a tour around the house, James leaves Maddie with Drew and goes to his office to start his work and asks her to call him when the lunch is ready. While Maddie was unpacking her stuff, she tried to entertain Drew, that was laying in her bed and laughing.
"What are you laughing about, little guy? Mm?" Maddie came to his side and sat next to him and tinkled him a little, but she couldn't help and remember that she lost her own baby last year because of her ex-boyfriend. She felt something wet on her cheek and when she wiped it, she understood it was her tears that ran down while thinking about her losing her baby the way she did. Maddie shook her head to erase those sad memories of her head. Now she is in a place that can only fill them with happy thoughts and happy memories.
An hour later, Maddie came down the stairs after putting Drew to his nap time and went to the kitchen to see what she can prepare for lunch. Let's see what a single man with a baby has in his refrigerator. Maddie opened it and it surprised her to find it full of all the ingredients that she'll need for the lunch. I guess his parents will buy him all the ingredients because he's injured. Speaking of parents, I hope they are nice people. While she was getting things out of the refrigerator, the front door opened and there were voices coming from there all the way to the kitchen.
"I really hope that boy didn't forget… Hello there, and who you may be, dear?" the mysteries woman said as she stopped in front of the kitchen entrance as she saw Maddie.
"Hi, my name is Maddie. I'm the helper of James. Are you, his mother?" Maddie felt shy in front of this elegant woman that stood in front of her. She didn't know how to act around her. I hope she's nice, well she looks like a pleasant woman.
"OH, so James finally listens to us and found some help, thank GOD! Hi dear, my name is Terry Davis and I'm James's mother and Drew's grandmother, it's so nice to meet you honey, and thank you for coming to help my son with this house, I just came to prepare him lunch because I know this kid will forget to eat and feed his own son and look at me blabber here to myself. I see you are going to prepare his lunch. Am I right, Maddie?" Terry couldn't stop her speech because of her excitement that James finally found some help around the house.
"Terry, where do you want me to put… OH, I didn't know we had company. And who is she, Terry?" the mysteries man that just entered the kitchen asked. Maddie can tell easily that he's James's father, because he looks so much like him.
"Albert, meet Maddie. She's James's helper. That boy finally found someone to take care of this house while he's recovering from his injury. Maddie, Meet Albert. He's my husband and James's father." Terry introduced the two of them.
"Nice to meet Maddie. Thank you for coming and helping here around the house and with our grandson. Speaking of James, where are our son and Drew?" Albert asked his wife.
"James is at his office working and little Drew is talking a nap now up stair," Maddie told them. "You can sit in the living room, and I'll call you when the lunch will be ready." Maddie told them timidly.
"Don't worry dear, let me help here and Albert can go to the office or see Drew while we prepare the dinner. Can I join you, Maddie?" Terry smiled at Maddie, and she just nodded with her head. Maddie was not used to people being nice to her, even when she was growing up in the orphanage. The director there was never nice to her and used to hit her occasionally. Maddie shook her and prepared the lunch. She felt a pair of eyes looking at her. When she looked to her right, she saw Ms. Davis looking at her.
"Are you OK dear? You looked worried for a second." Terry liked this girl. She looks beautiful and shy.
"Yeah, I'm fine, Ms. Davis. I just thought about past things." Maddie smiled at her.
"Please, call me Terry. I would feel old if you keep calling me Ms. Davis. Am I that old?" Terry asked with a fake shook.
"No, you're not Ms.," Terry looked at her "I mean, Terry. You're not old at all. You look young for your age." Maddie smiled to her, she felt comfortable being around here.
After half an hour, the lunch was ready. The women prepared the dining table when they saw the man coming out of the office.
"The lunch is ready. You can all sit down and eat. I'll check out Drew. Let me know when you finished so I could clear out the table." Maddie was about to leave the dining room when Terry stopped her.
"Well, my dear. You better sit down in this dining table and eat with us, later you can check out Drew." Terry led Maddie to sit down at the table next to James, "I want you to eat at this table together with James and Drew all the time, I'm sure that my son doesn't mind it right?" Terry looked at her son when she stated those words.
"Don't worry mom, I have no problems for Maddie to eat at the table with us. Eat with comfort Maddie, this is your new house and you're a new member here. Do what you need to do." James said those words when he looked at Maddie and continued his lunch.
#
While sitting at the dining table with his parents, he felt weird because Maddie was sitting next to him, barely eating. He even noticed that Maddie has a scar on her shoulder. Maybe she felt from her bed at night, but this scar looks old. I better not get into this, or I'll get sucked into her troubles. James decided to tsp looking at Maddie's shoulder and just focus on his lunch. He liked her cooking even though some of the food made by his mother.
After lunch time, James went to his office and continue his work. He just couldn't to be around Maddie and didn't know why, his parents just connected with her with no problems, even when Paula was alive his parents didn't connect that fast, it took them few months before they could trust Paula and see if she was the right person for him. Why this feels weird suddenly, James thought to himself, I've been dating Paula for 3 years and it took them six months to be close to her, but with Maddie, it took them less than a half hour. James felt confused with this situation, a knock to his office interrupted his toughs.
"Come in," James told to the person who was behind the door. His father opened the door and came inside. He took a sit in front of his son.
"How is everything is going on, son?" Albert was worried about James. He never saw him this way. Even during lunch, he was different.
"I'm fine, dad. You know it's difficult for me to come back after this mission. I had to loss some friends there, I keep having those nightmares, and now I live with another person except for Drew, so I don't won't to wake Maddison up in the middle of the night." James shook his head while he was explaining to his father. He didn't want to worry them about his problems, but they knew about it. He remembers when his mom had to stay with him the first week and she heard him screaming in the middle of the night because of these nightmares. Sometimes he has them when he is awake, and it's scares him.
"James, you look pale, do you feel OK? Should I call to your doctor?" Albert got up from his chair and went to his son's side
"I'm sorry, dad. It's just that I'm tired. I think I'll try to sleep for a few hours, wake me up when it's time for dinner. I'm sorry, dad that you must see me like that." James couldn't look into his dad's eyes. He felt ashamed of his other thoughts that he had before.
"Don't worry, James, the most important is that you are feeling good. Go up stairs and take a rest. Don't worry about us. We'll be here until you'll wake up." Albert helped James to get up from the chair to company him to his room.
"James, honey, are you OK? Do you from mommy to bring to something?" Terry saw her son and husband coming from his office.
"Yes mom, I'm fine and I need nothing. Maddison, please take care of Drew while I'm sleeping" James looked at her and went up the stairs to his room, but before that he passes by Drew's room and went inside.
"Hey buddy, at least some of us can sleep peacefully." James kissed his son's sleepy head and went to his room to sleep a bit.
#
A Few hours later
"Hey James, how's your son Drew?" Asked him Gilbert, he was the first man that made friend with him after entering to the military training camp and has been for the past 5 years, he even knew about his girlfriend Paula and her death.
"Hey G. I'm good, how's everything in around? Are the enemies being close?" James and Gilbert were the one that was watching the entrance of the base that day.
"I don't see anyone through the monitors, so we are OK around the base." James was happy about that, after that he needed to go to the bathroom, so he told his friend to keep his eyes on the monitor until he's back.
Few minutes later, James heard strange noises outside and got out of the bathroom as fast as he could and saw the only chaos around him, he can see the fallen soldiers that died at the hands of the enemies. James looked around for Gilbert. When he found him, he had frozen at his place because his best friend was laying down on the ground lifeless.
"I'm sorry G, I'm sorry that I didn't by your side to fight, I promise you that…" James couldn't finish his word because suddenly, he heard a shot.
James woke up full of sweat, as always, after having the same nightmare where he sees his fellow soldiers die and his best friend die.
The door to his room opened, and there was his mother looking at him as in knowing that he had that same dream again. She came inside his room and sat down on his bed to hug him.
"Don't worry, honey. Mommy is here. You don't have to be scared anymore." Terry was worried about her son. She couldn't help but to shed a few tears seeing her son so scared and shakes up from his nightmares. James hugged his mother too.
"Sorry mom, that you had to see me like that again. I wish I could make these dreams go away, but I can't. I'm so sick and tired." James cried over his mother's shoulder. He hadn't cried like that ever since he cried for the death of his girlfriend, Paula.
James and his mother hugged each other for a few more minutes and then separated. Terry was caressing his hair like when he was a baby.
"Don't worry James. Every time you'll need me, I'll be here next to you. So, get up from this bed and go have some shower. I'll change you beddings to a dry one." James knew that his bed was full of his sweat because of the nightmare. Before he went to the bathroom to take a shower, he felt like someone was behind his bedroom door, so he went there and opened it with fall force and shocked to see there Maddison standing at entrance of his bedroom with tears in her eyes, so he knew, that woman heard every word that was said here in his room.
#
A week Later
It has been a week since Maddie heard James cry in his mother's arm and when he saw her at his door. It's been a week also since he stopped talking to her. He only talks to her about Drew or the house, but now it became weird being around him.
Maddie went to James's office and talk to him. She can't this go on like that, it makes her jumpy even Drew can feel it plus she needs a permission from him to visit Dekota. Maddie took a deep breath and went to knock at his office door.
"Come in" James's voice was sounded announcing over the door, so Maddie opened it and went inside.
"I'm sorry to interrupt you, but I want to talk to you about what happened last week and ask if I can visit Dekota." James was looking over the window when she went in, that way she could examen his back why does his back looks so lonely? He has a loving parent that loves him, a beautiful son and maybe a girlfriend, even though I haven't seen her all this time since I started to, OH MY GOD Maddie just slap herself in the forehead I'm such a dummy, Dekota told me that his girlfriend died last year after giving birth to Drew. Why are his blue eyes looking so angry at me? Wait, he's looking at me. Maddie shook her head and looked down when she figured out that he was looking at her. "I'm sorry James, I didn't mean to eavesdrop on you and your mother conversation last week, I know you hate it but I didn't mean to do it, so I apologize to you" Maddie took a deep breath and prepared for the worst, when she didn't felt nothing, she looked up and saw that James was looking at her.
"To tell you the truth, I know it felt weird this past week since then, so don't worry about it, but do it again. About visiting Dekota. You can do it any time you want. Just let me know. If you have nothing else to say, to can look after Drew and call me when lunch will be ready." James dismissed her, and Maddie turned around and left his office.
Few hours later, when Maddie left Drew with the father, she got to her car and drove to see Dekota. She missed her a lot even though they talk through the phone. It was not the same. Upon arriving at Dakota's house, Maddie got out of the car and went to knock at her door. 'I'm coming' was saying her voice from a far, few minutes later the door opened and there was Dekota, her first friend. Maddie hugged her.
"You do not know how I've missed you, Dekota." Maddie was so happy to see her.
"I've missed you too, Maddie! How have you been? How is it working for James and looking after Drew?" Dekota attacked her with questions. Maddie laughed at Dakota's attack.
"First, relax. Second, let go inside and I'll tell you everything, OK?" Dekota and Maddie went inside to sit in the living room and talk and update each other about what had happened since the last time they met. Maddie told her what happens last week, with the nightmares of James.
"I see James couldn't get over them yet, poor guy. It's difficult to get over something like that as you know he's a Marine and their missions are nor easy at all."
"I know, well the real reason that I came to visit you…" Maddie didn't know how to ask it without her asking questions that she didn't know how to answer them, but she knows that one day she'll have to tell her. It's better to tell her now. Maddie took a big breath and told Dekota her whole life since her parents abandoned her at the orphanage and until what her ex-boyfriend did to her since they dated and when she lost her unborn baby. When Maddie finished telling her entire story, they both were in tears.
"Sorry that I've made you cry, Dekota. It was hard for me also to tell you my secrets, but I came to you today to ask you where I can learn how to defend myself." Maddie asked her friend.
"You don't to apologizes to me Maddie, I can tell that it was hard for you to tell a stranger that you met a month ago. About the defense class, well… let me check around and I'll let you know, OK? Tomorrow, I'll tell you."
"Thanks, Dekota, you're the best! I'll be waiting for your answer tomorrow, for now I should return to the house and start preparing lunch and see how Drew is doing because I left the father and son alone at the house, I know James is used to be alone but still." Maddie and Dekota laughed a bit and said their goodbyes.
At the way back to house, Maddie all sudden noticed she told Dekota all her story it felt like a little pressure from her shoulder has been lift from her and just to say that she must go back to the 'house' where she currently lived, she felt like maybe, just maybe, she can find a real house.
A Month later
It's been a month since Maddie started her defense classes with Dekota. She felt stronger than when she first was. I won't let any man, especially John to intimidate me anymore. I've had enough of it.
One day when she and Dekota were taking ten minutes of break, Maddie looked to her left and right. What is this chill that I'm getting? Can it be that there are some here that knows me? Maddie trembled from fear. Dekota noticed Maddie was trembling and leaving.
"Maddie, what's wrong? Are you OK?" Dekota was worried about her right now, so she hugged her. "Calm down girl, tell me what's wrong?" Maddie hugged her friend too and calmed down a bit.
"I think someone here maybe knows me, from that time I was dating you know who, but it is ridiculous, right? Maybe I'm just losing my mind for nothing." Maddie relaxed and went to the bathroom to refresh herself. I just losing my mind because of that man, I can do it!
#
I can't believe it. It's been a month since Maddison worked for me. He just couldn't understand this woman. She's like a little torment who comes and goes around his house. At least his son is lucky to have another woman figure in the house except for his moths.
James's thoughts intercepted when he heard his son crying. He got up from his chair and got out of his office to see what was wrong.
"Don't cry Drew, I know you're hungry so let's go to the kitchen and I'll prepare for… OH James, did we interrupt you? I'm sorry, it's just that Drew woke up from his nap a little cranky, am I right little one?" that woman and her smile is all he could see. James shook his head and went to where they stood.
"Let me hold Drew so you could prepare his food. Come here, buddy. Come to daddy." James took Drew from Maddie's hands, but he accidentally touched her hands and he felt how soft they were. Maddie smiled shyly at him and went to the kitten to prepare the bottle of milk. Meanwhile, James went to the sofa and sat down with Drew on his laps.
"Don't cry buddy, daddy is here with you now while Maddie went to make your bottle of milk. GOD, you have your mom's eyes and cheeks. Your mommy was a beautiful and warm woman that would have been happy to meet you, but now she's watching us from above like an angel that she is." James was going to tell Drew every day about Paula. He even left a photo of her in his room so he could see her face every day.
"Here's the bottle. Do you want to give it to him, and I prepare the dinner?" Maddie came back from the kitchen with the milk and passed it to him. James took the bottle from her and touched her hand again. Why does he keep doing it? He doesn't even know it himself. Maddie left again for the kitchen, but before that, she turned around.
"I've started going to a self-defense class. I hope you are OK with it. Before I started, I should have told you."
"If it's not interrupting your job time, then I'm fine with it."
"It's not, I promise you. We found a place that is close to here and has a normal hour, so we go there when Drew is taking his two-hour nap. Plus, it's after lunchtime, so it's perfect." When Maddie smiled at James. He felt weird inside again, but he shook it off and continued to feed his son. His son was smiling at him while he was drinking his milk and James just melted from that smile.
"You're such a good boy. I love you so much, Drew. I will always be beside you no matter what, and I promise you I'll always come back to you. What I did just notice is that in a month, I'll have to return to the base and be away from you again. Let's hope that this time it won't be long. I really don't want to be far away from you."
After a few minutes, Drew finished his bottle, so James put a small towel on his shoulder and helped Drew burp. He walked around a bit while he was giving him small help for burping. When he heard his small burp, he smiled.
"You're such a good boy, you finished your bottle and burped like a little man." James laughed at himself for those words, but they were true. His son is growing up so fast.
An hour later, the dinner was ready, so he went to the dining room. Before he sat down at the table, Maddie came to him.
"Let's put you to bed. It's already late for you to be up. I'll put him to sleep, and you can eat your dinner before it becomes cold. Come here, buddy!" Maddie took Drew from his hands and when upstairs. He'll wait for her, so they could eat together the dinner that she prepared for them.
James, why did you have to leave us alone with the enemies? I thought we were friend, but look at us, we are dead, but you are alive, why is it? WHY?! James woke up from another of his nightmares with a scream. He just hoped that… he's thoughts interrupted with a knock to his door.
"Who is it?" he asked with a husky voice
"It's me, Maddie. Can I come in?" Maddie was behind his bedroom door, but he didn't want her pity and didn't want her to see him in his worse condition.
"No, you can't. Just go back to your room. I'll see you in the morning. Goodnight Maddie." He dismissed her. When he didn't hear her reply, he lay down on his bed. He tried to not to think about his nightmare because he was tired already, and he just wanted to sleep like a normal person.
#
At the next morning, Maddie was in the kitchen with Drew sitting in his highchair laughing at some noises that she was making to him, even though her thoughts were at what happened last night. While she was sleeping, suddenly she heard a scream that was coming from James's room, she knew he had another of his nightmares and knew that he told her many times to ignore his screams but she couldn't so she did the one thing that can cost her the job, get up from the bed and go to check on him. When she arrived there, she knocked on the door. When James asked who is it she told him it was her, but he told her to go back to her room and they'll talk in the morning. She felt a shame of herself, but she was worried about him. She didn't want to worry about any man anymore it was stronger than her.
It was morning now, and she was in the kitchen preparing James's breakfast and feeling nervous. She doesn't want to lose this job; she like it here. Maddie released the breath that she didn't know she holds.
James came down the stairs feeling a little relaxed. He went to the kitchen and ate his breakfast. When he came inside, he saw his son laughing and Maddie making a few noises while she prepared some food.
"Good morning, buddy, did you…" James's words interrupted with Maddie's sudden little scream, "everything is OK, Maddie? Did you hurt yourself?" James came to her side and saw that she cut herself with the knife that she was using. "Put your finger under a running water, while I go to get the aid kit." Maddie wanted to tell him it was unnecessary, but he already left to get the kit.
Few minutes later, James returned with the aid kit and treated Maddie's cut wound.
"You didn't have to do it. You surprised me. I thought you were still sleeping upstairs. I would have woken you up after the breakfast was ready and…" Maddie stopped talking when James looked at her face. She saw he had dark circles under his eyes because of lack of sleep. Maddie just let him treat her knife cut. "Thank you, James,"
James just finished treating her cut when he heard her saying those words. He just froze in his place. "James? What's wrong?" Maddie approached to him, but he didn't relay heard her voice, he heard the voices of his fallen friends and just collapse on the floor holding his head. Drew cried when he saw his dad on the floor. Maddie took Drew to her hands and calmed him down while she took the phone to call his parents. "Don't cry Drew, Daddy will be OK. Hello, Terry, this is Maddie, I need you and Albert to come fast to James's house…"
"What's wrong with my son, Maddie? I can hear Drew crying. ALBERT start the car right now! We are on our way Maddie, don't worry. Put Drew in his crib and try to calm James a bit until we arrive." Terry hangs up the phone on Maddie and Maddie couldn't say more words. She collected herself and did what Terry has told her. She first calmed Drew and put him in the crib that was in the living room with a bottle of milk and went to James's side. He was in so much pain that she was afraid of his screams, but she collected herself and put his head on to her lap and calmed him down. "It's OK James, I'm here. You're not alone. You're home safe and sound, surrender by the people you love" Maddie saw that talking to him was not helping, so she opted to sing to him to calm him down.
Half an hour later, his parents came to the house and say James laying on Maddie's lap sleeping peacefully.
"Hi Maddie." Terry said in a lower voice.
"How did you calm James down?" Terry caress her sleeping son.
"At first, I didn't know what to do, he was in so much pain that it hurt me to see him like that, so I've put his head on my lap and tried to talk to him, but it didn't help, in the end I sang to him and in a few minutes, he calmed down and eventually fell asleep." Maddie explained to Terry. Albert came to the kitchen with Drew in his arms and saw his son sleeping on the floor. "He's sleeping?" It surprised him that someone calmed his son down that fast, even when the helicopter brought him back injured from his mission, where he was the only survivor of the shooting that occurred there from the enemies. The doctors had to give him a sedative drug just to calm him down, and here was this woman that has been working for him for just one month, that calmed him down with only one song. "We should wake him up. It won't be comfortable to Maddie having him sleeping on her laps."
"You're right, James… Please wake up son" Terry was stroking his hair like she did when he was a little boy "Maddie is not comfortable with you sleeping at her laps" James opened his eyes little by little, when he realized he had his head on a woman's laps.
"What happened to me? Why I'm lying on Maddie's legs?" James got up from the floor and helped Maddie to get up as well.
"You had another episode, son. The poor Maddie called us, and by the time we came you were sleeping on her laps. Maybe you should talk to someone about what you saw there and what you felt. Maddie calmed you down now, but in the future, I don't know if she'll be here." Terry hugged her son and felt relief to know that he was fine. Maddie is an amazing woman, and she's glad he hired her to take care of his house.
Maddie saw Terry taking James upstairs o his room, she felt her heartbeat faster when she saw him sleeping on her laps, James looked like a small child that was scared but she knew he had to go through a lot as a Marine and watch his fellow friends dying in front of him and being the only one to survive. Maddie didn't want to fall in love with James even though she's already loving Drew, but it's a different love. With James, she felt that if she's not careful in the end, she'll fall in love with him.
After his mother left him alone in his room, he couldn't believe that Maddie had to see his vulnerable side. What most surprised him was what his mother told him. Maddie calmed him down to where he fell asleep in her laps and could sleep with no problems. He didn't know what to think about her, the only thing that he knew was that he doesn't want to fall in love with her, because he knows she will leave in the end and find someone, I don't want her to find someone, GOD! I'm so confused right now, why I don't want her to leave me? James shook his head. He doesn't want to fall in love with her, even though he has a feeling that something in the end will happen between them!