Chapter 3

has been two weeks since she saw him suffering. Maddie can't get those images from her head. It hurts her to know that he has suffered so much during that time. She tried to focus on Drew that had to watch his father scream and suffer, but she knows a child will always feel what his father felt that time.

"Good morning, Maddie" James came to the kitchen half awake, and he sat down at the table near Drew, she saw how he kissed his son on the head and hoped that he'll kiss her too, suddenly Maddie realized she was thinking about him kissing her, so she shook her head.

"Good morning, James. How did you sleep?" She knew he didn't have an episode at night. She was glad that he was a bit better. Maddie retired back to finish making the breakfast for them. After a few minutes it was ready, and she put each one on the plate and served it to James and then sat down near Drew and fed him too.

"Where is your breakfast, Maddie?" James asked her when he noticed she was only feeding Drew.

"I'll eat after I fed Drew. Don't worry about me. Please enjoy your breakfast." Maddie smiled at him and returned to feed Drew. "Come on buddy, here comes the plane… say ah… knock knock. Will you let me in?" She enjoyed playing with Drew when she was feeding him. She laughed when he opened his mouth to let her feed him.

While she fed Drew, she saw James getting up from his chair. At first, she thought he finished his breakfast but the then she saw him going to the stove and putting on a plate the scramble egg and sausages on a plate and serving her. "You didn't have to do it, James. I could have gotten it by myself after…" Maddie couldn't finish her words when James took over on feeding his son.

"You focus on eating, and I'll feed my son. And then will change. Is that OK with you?" James smiled at his son and fed him. Maddie felt confused. What was that feeling that she feels right now? Is that what a true love is spouse to be? Why do I feel this way? When I was dating John, I hadn't felt that way. Maddie sighed with that thought. I must have lost my mind just now. Could it be that I'm falling in love with this man that is sitting in front of me?

"Maddie? Do you feel OK? You look flushed red. Are you sick?" James touched her forehead to see if she had a fever. Maddie jumped from his touch and fell backwards. James got scared and rushed to help her. Maddie felt embarrassed with her thoughts and that she fell from her chair from just his slight gesture. What is wrong with me? I'm become dummy around him. Maddie got up from the floor with the help of James. "Did you break something?" she felt flattered by his concern about her. No one ever was concern about her the way he was when she fell. Mostly people laughed at her. She felt his hand on her cheek when he removed a single tear that ran down her cheeks. Maddie didn't know she was crying until James hugged her and caressed her so she could calm down.

"Don't cry Maddie. You broke nothing, right?" She shook her head at his answer because she knew that if she answered with her voice, it would go down the drain all her deep secrets that she was keeping from him. She knows that someday she'll tell him the truth, but until then she'll just enjoy this hug that he's giving her.

"I'm sorry, James. Didn't mean to cry. I never had a family to take care of me. You are the first person to care about my fall." Maddie laughed at her words and even though she didn't want to, but she released herself from his warm hug. "And to answer your question, I'm fine. Broke nothing, just my pride." She smiled at him as a thank you and returned to the table to continue the breakfast silently.

Maddie was currently sitting at the living room with Drew sleeping in his crib next to her, even though she wanted to watch some TV, she couldn't concentrate on the show that was going on right now, I should just stop thinking about James in romantically way, cause if John found out he'll hurt them. Maddie sighed to herself and looked at little Drew that was sleeping peacefully I want nothing to happen to this beautiful child, if he'll hurt him, I'll just kill him Maddie thought furiously, she won't let him hurt someone that she loves no matter what.

Then she looked at the end of the hall where James's office where I can't let him get hurt, it will break my heart. What am I doing? I should just keep my feeling to myself and that way no one will get hurt because of me. Maddie's thoughts interrupted with the noises that Drew was doing when he was waking up from his naps. "Did someone just sleep well, I see?" She smiled at Drew that opened his blue eyes, he had his father blue eyes, and she knew that in the future he'll be breaking a lot of women's heart with this face and this blue eyes. She got up from the couch and approached the crib to let him out and put him on the carpet to let him play with his toys. Maddie felt happy to be in this house with these two men that lived here. She doesn't want it to be destroyed because of her. Maddie felt a sting in her heart just to think that Something can happen to these two important men in her life, but she doesn't want to leave them either, she just sat there on the couch and watched Drew playing happily with his toys and occasionally smiling at her, so she joined him on the carpet and play with him.

#

How can a woman be so beautiful playing with a baby on the floor and not care if the carpet is dirty or not? James watched Maddie playing with his son and smiled to himself while he closed the door to the office after watching her sitting silently watching TV and doing nothing, and then smile at his son with so much love.

James sighed to himself. I guess I'm losing my mind. After losing Paula, I haven't gone out with anyone because I couldn't do it out of respect for her, but now? I don't know if I can do it. He felt so much confusion inside that he can't even concentrate on the job that he had to do before he went back to the base next week.

He can't believe that it has been already two months since he came back scared of his last mission, where he was the last one to survive the ambush. He knew his nightmares were still there, but somehow came out since she calmed him down when he had his post-traumatic stress disorder episode two weeks ago in front of her and his son. Poor Drew, I scared him so much that day. I hope it'll never happen again. Well, at least not in front of him. The upcoming call to his phone interrupted James's thoughts. Without looking at the ID call, he answered it.

"Hello?"

"Sargent Davis, it's good to hear that you're feeling better," James surprised by this call from his commander because the last time he talked to him was last month when he asked how he felt.

"Commander, I didn't expect you to call me. How are you, Sir?" He respected him a lot since boot camp.

"I'm doing fine, child. Didn't want to call you this early. I know you are supposed to return next week, but can you return tomorrow? We have problems here and I would need your help with the new soldiers that just came a week ago and you are the man that I have here, and I would like it if you taught them what it means to be a Marine Crop. What do you say?" James froze for a few minutes after hearing the favor his commander asked from him. Maybe it will be best if I return tomorrow. That way I'll not have these weird feelings that I'm having right now toward Maddie.

"James? Are you there?" James shook his thoughts out when he remembered the commander was still on the other line.

"Yes, Sir I'm here. I'll return tomorrow to the base at your command. I'll prepare my bag and will be there at 9 am in the base." It was the best decision that he could make right now.

"Thanks James, I'll be waiting for you tomorrow. On the weekends, you can return home to be with Drew. How's the little guy? I bet he grew up a lot." James could hear the smile that his commander had in his voice when he talked about Drew.

"Yes, Sir. Drew has grown up a lot. He's one-year and two months now, plus I've got a helper like my mom wanted me, so she's taking care of Drew when I'm busy and taking care of my house as well."

"I'm glad to hear that, James. I'll see you tomorrow, son. Have a good day."

"You too Sir, see you tomorrow." James finished his call with the commander and sighed, it's better that way, He thought to himself. He got up from his chair and went out of his office to tell Maddie and prepare his bag for the next day.

#

When he reached the living rooms, he saw Maddie playing on the floor with his son and stopped at his tracks and watched at their interaction, the picture that he had in front of him was painfully because the one that supposed to be playing with his son is no longer in this world. He sighed to himself and continued to where Maddie was playing with Drew.

"Maddie, can I talk to you for a moment?" He had to tell her. Maddie looked up from Drew and got up from the floor when her left leg fell asleep, and she was about to fall when she felt muscular arms holding her steady. "You, OK? What happened?" She felt embarrassed about what had just happened.

"My left foot fell asleep, thank you for catching before I embarrassed myself more than I already did." Maddie felt her cheeks turning red and hot, James's arms were still around her waist, and she didn't want him to take them off from her, but she knows he didn't feel nothing toward her.

When James felt Maddie can stand on her own feet, he removed his arms from her. She felt like she fit him perfectly in his arms. He looked into her eyes, those brown eyes that always fascinated him to see if they can become browner from a night of passion… James shook his head and released Maddie from his arms and helped her sit down on the couch and then took a sit at the armchair in front of her.

"I just got a call from my commander telling me he needs tomorrow, so I'm leaving tomorrow early, and I need you to take care of the house and my son until I come home on the weekends. If something will come up, I'll call you and tell you." Maddie listens to his words, but she didn't. He's leaving tomorrow back to the base, and she would not see him for a week, even though a week is not a long time, but still. "Are you listening to me, Maddie?" Maddie shook her thoughts.

"Yeah, I've heard you, James. Don't worry, I'll keep the house clean and look after Drew while you are in the military." Maddie answered him with her eyes focus on Drew instead of him.

They both stayed in silence and watched Drew play by himself with his toys. He's going to miss him, but there is nothing he could do about it. What it comes on not seeing Maddie for a week… James sighed again. He can't seem to understand himself to Maddie. He got up from the couch and go to his room and prepared his bag for tomorrow.

Maddie watched him walking up the stairs toward his room and closing it. She sighed to herself; He's leaving tomorrow back in the military. What am I going to do now without him here in the house? But what am I going to do with these feelings that I'm having? Maddie looked at Drew and saw him looking at her with a smile and trying to walk toward her. Maddie's eyes became enormous with surprise. She knew that he already knew how to walk, but he never walked toward her. She felt touched by it, so she put her hands out to him to see if he'll come to her and indeed, he came to her arms and hugged her, Maddie felt small tears bailing up her eyes and she tried to stop them, but they didn't because she remembered her unborn infant that didn't get the chance to be born before he got murdered by John, brutally.

She won't let John hurt these men in her life even if it depends on her. She'll defend them until the end. Maddie took a deep breath and got up from the couch with Drew in her arms and went to the kitchen to start the last dinner for the three of them before James leaves tomorrow for the military.