What has this woman done to me?
Turning away from the view and thoughts of Maddie still asleep in her bed, I pace across the hardwood floor.
On the far side of the living room is a small fireplace and a mantle covered in photographs. The frames are all different colors and styles, but they look good together. And like the rest of the house, the collection feels very Maddie.
My eyes skip over the landscape photos and slow as they pass over what must be Maddie with her parents. There are several and as my eyes bounce around between them, I decide she’s probably an only child, as there’s only ever the three of them.
Maddie as a small child in a unicorn costume, her mom as a witch and dad in a clown wig.
Maddie in that nearly teenage phase when she’s all braces and wild hair sitting in a boat wearing a bright yellow life jacket.
Maddie and her parents all dressed up in front of a Christmas tree.
Maddie in her cap and gown, the school colors of Darling Lake prominent in the diploma she’s holding, her parents on either side.
I don’t notice I’m clenching my jaw until my teeth start to hurt.
It doesn’t take a genius to see that Maddie’s close with her parents. I know photos only show a snapshot, but they look like a happy family and she wouldn’t have this many of them displayed if she didn’t care about her family.
And I don’t want to mess that up.
I want to be with her. Date her. Whatever she wants to call it. But I don’t want to meet her father. I mean I reallyreallydon’t want to meet her father. Obviously these photos are older, but it looks like her parents had Maddie young, meaning I’m probably only a few years younger than they are. But, there’s no avoiding it – the awkward meeting. Especially if they still live around here.
The sound of a mattress creaking snaps me out of my contemplation and I turn away from the mantle. I can hear dresser drawers opening and closing and a moment later Maddie shuffles out of her bedroom, wearing a robe and holding a bundle of clothing.
Her eyes dart around the living room until they land on me.
“Morning,” I greet her, loving how low the neckline of her robe goes.
“Oh, um, good morning.”
I take a step towards her. “You look surprised to see me.”
“Well…” Her arms tighten around the bundle. “You weren’t in bed.”
I take another few slow steps, “I told you I’d be here.”
Her shoulders start to relax as a small smile pulls at the side of her lips. “You did."
“I’ll never lie to you.”
She wets her lips and I watch her throat move in a swallow. “Okay.”
I nod, not sure why I said that, or why I need her to believe me so much, but I do.
Wanting to touch her, I take another step but Maddie hurriedly takes a few steps sideways down the hall.
“Where are you off to?”
She changes her grip on the clothes and lifts a hand to cover her mouth, “I need to brush my teeth.”
“Better hurry,” I growl as I take a quick stride in her direction.
She lets out a little shriek as she turns and rushes the rest of the way to the bathroom.
Chuckling, I turn back into the kitchen.
I always have a small duffle in my trunk with a change of clothes, toothbrush, and deodorant. There’s been too many times over the years where I’ve found myself at work for way too long, crashing on the couch in my office. And I’ve never been more grateful for my preparedness. Clean shirt, clean boxers, and clean teeth do wonders to make a person feel human.