Chapter 9

A Week Later

It has been a week since Maddie saw the Davis Family, especially James and Drew. That morning she woke up feeling like she had forgotten something important. Maddie got up from her bed and made it. After that, she went to take a shower. While being in the shower, she suddenly membraned something. Oh My God, I can't believe that I forgot Maddie hit her forehead last week. I promised James that I'll visit them before my shift start, how could I forget that? Maddie sighed to herself and came out of the shower. Upon entering her room, she got dressed. Today she had a day off, so she'll visit them. She just hoped that he won't be angry at her. She had a crazy week at the restaurant, and she didn't have time to even breath between customers that were arriving.

After having breakfast, she took her car keys and drove to James's house. Maddie felt nervous. It's been a while since she was there, and she didn't know how James will react. After a half hour of driving, she reached her destiny and when she left her car, Maddie walked to the door. She started knocking and waited for James to open the door.

She could hear the footsteps getting closer to the door, and when the door opened by James, she smiled.

"Good morning, James, how are you?"

"Now you decide to come to visit. Last week you promised me that at the next day you'll come to visit, and you never did it! Why the hell did you even bother to come today?"

Maddie looked at him with shock, "I'm sorry James, for breaking my promise, but last week was suddenly full of customers and I had to work non-stop…" Maddie stopped talking when James lifted his hand up.

"I don't care about your excuses. You broke your promise to me. So, leave this house and do even bother on coming here ever." Maddie was angry at his words.

"I DIDN'T DO IT ON INTENTIONALLY, I HAD TO WORK MY ASS OFF THAT WEEK! MARK YOUR OWN WORDS JAMES!" Maddie stormed out the door entry with tears streaming down her eyes. She couldn't believe that he even didn't let her even explain.

Maddie drove back home with a heavy heart. How stupid she was for falling in love with someone that has an icy heart! When she left her house with excitement, she never imagined that she get back home with a heavy heart. When she reached the entry of her house, she didn't have enough strength to get out of her car. She stayed in her car and cried her heart.

A half hour later, Maddie had her eyes dried from crying and she got out of her car and went inside the house. Maddie received a phone call to her cellphone, and without looking at the ID call, she answered.

"Hello?"

"I've finally found you Maddison!" Maddie dropped her cellphone from shock, that voice that always hunts her at nights. Maddie didn't want to lift her cellphone knowing that John was on the other line. She couldn't believe he found her new number. When she left Houston, she left her the cellphone he bought her there, so he won't trace her and now he found her new number. "PICK THE DAMN CELLPHONE MADDISON!" John boomed loudly at her, and, out of fear, she picked it up with a trembling hand.

When she was about to say something, there was a knock at her door, and Maddie trembled out of fear that he found where she lived, but the moment she heard Dekota's voice over the door, she relaxed and went to open the door.

"Hi Maddie… What's wrong Maddie?"

"MADDISON, ARE YOU THERE? THE MOMENT, I'LL FIND YOU, YOU ARE GOING TO REGRET FOR LEAVING ME! MARK MY WORDS!" John yelled over the cellphone and hung up while he was laughing. Maddie fell on her knees, with fear for her life. Dekota reached her and hugged her.

"Who was it on the phone, Maddie?"

"My worst nightmare, Dekota! He found my new number. What am I going to do now?" Maddie cried into Dekota's shoulder and her friend comforted her. She couldn't stop crying out of fear for her life. Dekota helped her to get up on her feet and guided her to the couch. Upon arriving, she sat her down and went to the kitchen to give her some water.

"Here Maddie, drink some water and try to relax. I promise you he won't find you."

"How can you guarantee that? If he found my new number, I am sure he'll find this place."

"First, let's change your phone number to a different one. I came to you to ask for some help at the restaurant because Julia got sick, and I need help. Work can distract you from any problem. What do you say?" Maddie looked at her friend and sighed. Maybe it's the best. James hates me now. I hope John will never find me! I don't want to leave this city. Even though he hates me now, I have found a genuine friend and true love here. Maddie sighed at her thoughts and nodded her head.

"You're right Dekota. I'll change clothes and go with you."

Dekota watched her friend getting up from the couch and going to her room. Half an hour later, Maddie got out of her room and went to the liven room where her friend and boss waited for her. I'll put my head and body on working and try to forget all the problems that I have right now! Maddie left her house with Dekota with the termination of keep going on with her life to the fullest with no regret!

#

After Maddie left his house in a storm, James slammed the door shut. He couldn't believe that she had the nerve to appear at his house after a week, when she promised that she'll come at the next day after the promise. That day after seeing her after so long, he felt excited, just wanted to hug her, even kiss her and ask her to stay with them forever. She didn't appear. At first, he thought that something happened to her but then at the next day was the same and every other day too. That was where he understood that she just lied about her promise, and today she appeared like nothing happened, she thought that he will not be angry at her, but he is very much angry at her for appearing like nothing happened, like she didn't keep her promise to him.

I understand she had work, but at least she could have called and said that she caught at work and won't be able to come for the whole week, he could have understood that, but NO… she had to come like nothing and even smiled at me, I can admit that I felt happy to her healthy and doing good but after I yelled at her, James sighed at his last thoughts he shakes his head with disbelieves, at the moment that he was getting up from the couch to take a glass of water there was a knock to his door I hope it's not Maddie again he thought to himself.

James opens the door and the people that are at the door are his parents, he sigh in reliefs. His parents looked at him with their eyebrows lifted.

"Hi mom, hi dad. Come in." His parents came inside and went to sit on the couch in the living room.

"James? Are you doing good?"

"Don't worry mom, I'm fine. Here some water to you and dad."

"Thanks, dear. Now tell me what's wrong. I know you too well to know that something happened." James sighed and looked at his parents.

"Remember last week when we saw Maddie at the restaurant?" his parents nodded their heads, and he continued, "I asked her to come at the next day to the house so we could talk about why she left, but she never appeared at the next day, well for the entire week. Today she appeared suddenly without announce, like nothing happened."

"Like I know you, you apparently reeled at her, am I right?" his dad asked him, and James looked down at his hands and nodded his head, "oh son, what am I going to do with you? You didn't give her even a chance to explain herself, right?" and again he nodded his head.

"She had tears in her eyes, and she yelled at me the reason, well some of it, plus… I… um… told her not come here anymore." His parents looked at him with disbelieves in their eyes.

"YOU DID WHAT?" his mom reeled at him, and she got up from the couch and paced back and forward and angry face. "I didn't raise you to be like that, James Alexander Davis!" James flinched at hearing his full name coming out of his mother's mouth so suddenly, that was how much his mom was angry at him. "Talk to your son, Albert, because I'm off to the kitchen to make some lunch. I just can't believe my son is behaving like that." James watched his mom walking out of the living room murmuring those words and going to the kitchen. James looked at his dad.

"I'm sorry, dad. I know it was wrong of me, but I was thinking of Drew, too. It is now fair for him to suffer at this young age."

"I know, James, so what are you going to do now?"

the sound of his phone cut his words off.

"Hello?"

"Hello Sargent Davis." James looked at the ID call and saw that it was his commander calling him.

"Commander, Sir."

"I need you to come as soon as you can to the base. We need your advice on something important that I can't say over the phone." James looked at his father and saw that he nodded to him.

"I'll leave right now and be there soon."

"I appreciate it. Will wait for you." James hanged up after saying goodbye and stand up. "I'm sorry. I need to leave now."

"Don't worry, go get dressed. Me and your mom will lock your front door after we'll leave your house."

James hugged his father and went to the kitchen to hug his mother.

"I need to leave now mom. Don't be angry at me. I'll call when I get to the base." His mother returned the hug, and he went upstairs to get dressed in his uniform and in a few minutes, he was ready and took his keys and left the house toward the base. I wander what is so important that the commander needs my advice on. James thought to himself all the way to the base.

#

Two Weeks Later

James entered his house after not being there for two long weeks. He just want to drop his body on the bed and sleep the whole day.

The past two weeks were hard on the base. Some of the new recruits left the base because they couldn't handle the hard training that they had put them. James had to train the one that had no trouble with the training. Mike helped him all the way.

James put his bag on the floor at the entry and looked around his house. I hope my parents are doing OK. I better go check on Drew. James knew his son was home because his dad called him a half hour ago that Drew was currently sleeping in his room. He went upstairs to Drew's room and when he arrived and opened the door quietly to not wake him up.

He approached his crib and watched as his son slept, his reached down his hand to caress his son's hair and felt that he was warm but at first, he thought it was OK, so he left his room taking the monitor with him, to know when Drew will wake up.

James went to his room and took a small nap until his son wakes up from his sleep.

After an hour of a sleep, James woke up suddenly hearing a small cry that was coming from the monitor that he had on his nightstand. He stood up from his bed and went to Drew's room.

"Hi buddy, don't cry son, daddy is back home."

James lifted his son from the crib and gave him a small kiss on his cheek, but the moment that his lips touched his son's warm cheek, he checked on his forehead, and indeed it was also warm.

"Don't cry Drew, let's call grandma. She knows what to do." James went downstairs with Drew in his arm and tried to call his parents. He waited on the line for them to answer the call, but no one answered. He tried to call to their cellphone, and again no one answered.

Where they could be? James thought to himself, and then he remembered his dad told him on the phone that they'll be gone for an entire week because they went to visit one of his relatives on the north.

James tried to prepare his bottle, hoping it will help him, but when he tried to give him the bottle, his son rejected the milk and cried even more.

"Please, Drew. Don't cry, I don't like to see you like that." James didn't know how to calm his son, and then remembered the number of Drew's doctor and called him.

After a few minutes, someone answered. "Dr. Brighton speaking."

"Thank GOD! Dr. Brighton, this James Davis I'm Drew's father."

"Hello James, what's wrong?"

"Drew has a fever, and I don't know what to do. Are you in the clinic right now?"

"First thing, calm down, son. Unfortunately, I'm out of the city dew to a conference that I must attend."

"What am I going to do now?"

"Relax, James. Do you have a thermometer?"

"Yes, I have."

"Good, check his temperature first."

James went to his kitchen to get the medical box that he has, the moment that he found the thermometer, he puts it in Drew's ear to check his temperature.

"I know Drew, but daddy needs to check you." James knew his son didn't like the feeling, but he had to know, in a minute, he saw his son have a 38 degree of high fever.

"Dr. Brighton, Drew has 38 degrees. What am I going to do to lower it?"

"Do you have someone that can help you in the house?"

"Unfortunately, my parents are out of town, too." Then he remembered Maddie, but he chased her away a few weeks ago. She's the only one that can help him. "I can try to call a friend of mine to help me."

"That is good when your friend arrived. Take turned and give him a vapor steam inside your bathroom and let him drink water, too. I will be back in three days and come to your house to check on Drew."

"Thanks Dr. Brighton. I'll be waiting for you, meanwhile I'll do what you told me." James said his goodbyes to Dr. Brighton and called Maddie, he knows that she'll not answer her phone but he's sure that the moment he tells her that Drew is sick she'll come running to his house.

He pressed her number but got to the answering machine. That is a weird, she didn't charge her cellphone? James called Dekota, because he was sure that Maddie was at work.

That morning, Maddie was working at the restaurant. As always, there were a lot of customers coming in and out. Currently, there was a minor break and only a few customers were inside.

"Maddie, can you come to the office for a moment?" Maddie nodded to Dekota

"Julia, can you handle in here?"

"Don't worry, Maddie. Go." Maddie smiled at her co-worker and went to Dekota's office.

"What's wrong Dekota? Are the boys, OK?"

"Yes Maddie, my boys are doing good. I just got a phone call from James."

"I don't want to hear his name anymore, Dekota. If it's about him, then I'm heading back outside." Maddie went to the door but stopped now that her friend told her those words.

"Drew is sick, Maddie. He has a high fever and James's parents are out of town and so is his doctor. Are you going to refuse to help him?" Maddie turned around to see her friend, "Dekota, you know the way James treated me that day."

"I know, but we are talking about Drew here. James asks for help, because Drew keeps on crying. Don't you want to see him?" Maddie had tears in her eyes just by hearing that Drew was crying out of pain. She took a deep breath.

"I'll go, but only for Drew. I'm going to be cold to James and treat him like he did to me!"

Maddie took her bag and went out of the restaurant and drove all the way to James's house, even though she promised herself that she'll never put her foot there, but she's doing it only for little Drew. She doesn't want him to be sick, she even doesn't like it, he's not feeling good. This is going to be hard for me to be there, but I can do it if I consecrate only on Drew and ignore James! With these thoughts, Maddie drove herself to James's house.