Chapter 2: Chapter 1
It's been a year since she escaped from her ex-boyfriend, but she still tries to be careful and keep looking around to see if she can see someone that has something to do with John or just know her and saw her with him at one of his events that she went few times. She tried to wear hoodies so she could hide her face from the world and hide her scars that will never heal. Currently Maddie went to buy some groceries that she needs for make dinner. She found an amiable lady that accepted to give her a room at her house until she'll find a job and a place that she can call home, hopefully.
After paying for the grocery, she went to the house, directly to the kitchen. Maddie wants to make dinner for Christine Hester a 50-year-old grandma, that was currently living alone after her husband passed away 5 years ago from a heart attack and her 2 children were now married and lived at the different cities, they visit her once or twice a year, so she had no trouble to give her a shelter at her house.
"Hi sweetie, what are you doing?" Ms. Hester asked.
"Hi Ms. Hester, I'm making dinner for us, so have a sit at table please and enjoy the dinner." Maddie said with a smile at her face. She liked her a lot, she is like a grandma to her, she even told her that if she wants, she can call her grandma instead of Ms. Hester, but she felt it will be weird for her because she's not related to her and didn't want trouble in the future.
Half an hour later, Maddie was doing the dishes while Ms. Hester was in the living room watching the news when there was a knock at the front door.
"Don't worry, Ms. Hester, I'll open the door." Maddie said while she was going to the front door, to see who was knocking at this late house. Before she opened the door, she looked through the peephole and saw a woman. Maddie opened the door. "Hello, May I help you?" she asked the woman that was in front of her.
"Good evening. Is Miss Maddison Weber lives here?" the mystery woman asked. Maddie looked at her. Who could she be? Maddie thought to herself.
"And who are you? Why are you looking for her?" Maddie asked. She was afraid that this woman had something to do with John.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Dekota Hane. One of my employees saw her ad on our board that she was looking for a job and a place to live. Wait, let me show you the ad. I've taken a picture of it just in case." Dekota looked for the picture on her phone. When she found it, she showed it to Maddie. When Maddie saw she was saying the truth, she introduced herself to her.
"Hi Dekota, nice to meet you, I'm Maddison, sorry that I didn't tell you. It was just that I thought you knew someone that I was trying to hide from. Please, come in." Maddie opened the door wider so Dekota could enter inside the house.
"Ms. Hester, this is Dekota. She came through the add that I've put at her restaurant. Is it OK if I'll talk to her in the kitchen?" Maddie asked her.
"Of course, my dear. You know that this is your home. Feel free." Ms. Hester smiled.
"You can sit with her in the living room. I'm already tired anyway, so I'm going to my room to sleep. Goodnight girls and give this girl something to drink as well. You're at home, dear." Ms. Hester got up from the couch and went up the stairs to her room.
"Goodnight, Ms. Hester, I'll see you tomorrow." Maddie told Ms. Hester and went to the kitchen to brink Dekota some water to drink. When she came to the living room, she put down the glass of water in front of Dekota and sat on the opposite of the couch.
"Like I was saying at the door entry, I'm sorry for that interrogation that I gave you." Maddie felt a little ashamed of herself for doing it, but she had to know that this person came with good intention.
"Don't worry about it, Maddie. Is it fine to call you Maddie? Or she I call you Maddison?" Dekota asked her with a smile after she drank a little water.
"You can call me Maddie. We can go to our subject now. Can you tell me what kind of job you're offering me? And where am I going to stay?" Maddie asked Dekota with a smile as well.
"Well, the job that I'm offering you is not in my restaurant, but as a babysitter of someone that I know. He's name is James Davis, and he is a Marine. He just got discharged from the hospital after being injured and need someone that can help him with the house and his one-year-old son. If you're interested, I'll give you his address and you can go for an interview with him. I'll let him know that you're going to go to his house. What do you say?" Dekota told Maddie about the babysitting job.
Maddie became silent for a few minutes to think about this proposition, babysit a one-year-old baby and cleaning a house for a soldier will be a great deal, but who knows for how long it will be. Maddie looked at Dekota and gave her an answer.
"I'll try it of this job. Tell this person who I'll come to tomorrow at 10 am to his house for the interview." Maddie smiled at Dekota and took the paper with James's house address.
"Perfect, you won't regret it. His son Drew is really a cute boy. I've known him since high school even though he's older than me by 3 years only, he's like a big brother to me. He knows my husband because the three of us started as great friends and later we just fell in love in collage and now we have 2 children. I'm sorry, hahaha I'm always have been a blabbermouth since childhood, even my husband sometimes doesn't know how to make me shut up hahaha." Dekota laughed as she kept talking nonstop. Maddie liked Dekota. She never had this kind of friend in her life.
Maddie and Dekota kept talking between themselves about all kinds of topics, eventually becoming best friends. The only thing that Maddie was still not confident is telling her big secret, maybe in the future she'll tell her, but right now she just wanted to know this Dekota and know what kind of friend she will be to her.
#
While James was laying down in the hospital bed, he thought that his life was never the same after his Paula died a year ago, leaving him alone with their son. He tried to be the best father to him after that, but when he had to go back to the base, he left him with his parents for the past one year. Now he's been back to his city, but as an injured Marine, his trope got ambushed by the enemies and a few of his fellow friends died at the ambush and he got injured together with the few of his trope that survived the ambush. He felt bad for his trope because he got in charge of them, and a few of them died trying to protect him from the ambush. He'll never forget them.
It's been already a week since they transferred him back to the hospital. His mom had to hit him for scaring her like that. James can understand her because he was lying down after the ambush. After Paula left him with their son, he thought about his life. He didn't want to leave Drew alone in this world. He wanted to see him growing up and becoming a good man, maybe find someone to get old with. The opening door interrupted his thoughts.
"I see you're awake, son." his mom said with a smile. When James saw his parents coming in, he was happy because beside his parents there was this little guy that was smiling at him and stretching his little hand to him. "I see you're happy to see that your dad is awake and feeling much better, right Drew?" His mom said to his son and came to his bed to give me my son.
"Hey, little guy. Hope you've been behaving good to your grandparents and not giving them any trouble!" James tickled Drew in his tummy. God, how much I've missed him. I'm glad that I came back alive after this ambush. He thought to himself when he heard his son laughter. "I've missed you so much, little gut. I'm happy that your grandparents took care of you while I was fighting for the country." James kissed Drew's head and hugged him.
"we're glad that you are back to us too, son. I'm proud of you, but please, don't do it again! We don't want to lose you!" his dad was smiling at him when he said those words. James looked at his parents and saw how much they have aged since he saw them last time.
"Don't worry dad, my commander told me to take 2 months off so I can recover from my injury. Do you know when I'm going to be discharged?" James asked his father. At this moment, his room's door opened and the doctor that operated on him came accompanied by a nurse.
After a few moments, the doctor finished to do the general checkup on him and said, "I see you are recovering, good young man. At this rate, you're going to be discharged tomorrow in the morning. Plus, you have here your family that cares for you a lot, so it's easy." The doctor told the nurse the instructions for the rest of the day for him and they left his room. James was happy that tomorrow he's finally can leave this hospital. He just wants to be back in his own bed and be with Drew and eat with his parents.
"You heard him son, tomorrow you're going to be discharged. Are you happy now, Drew? Your daddy is going home tomorrow!" his mom was smiling and tickling her grandson. Drew was laughing and hugging his dad like he understood those words. Drew put his little head on his father's shoulder, feeling a little tired, and closed his little eyes to go to his dreamland. James felt his son's little breathing when he understood he felt a sleep. He stroked his back, enjoying his weight on him. He missed him a lot. "I think it's better for us to leave because Drew looks tired, and he just felt a sleep on James." His mom told her husband and took Drew from James's arms with careful not to wake him up.
"It's OK mom, it is a kind of late already. Thanks for coming and bring with you Drew so I can have some fun with him and see him. I've missed him so much." James kissed his son's head and kissed his parents so they could go home and relax.
A Week Later
It's been a week since they discharged James from the hospital and was back to his own house. His mom came to his place every day to cook him and his son some food and to do his grocery shopping. His dad also helped around the house.
"You know, son, you better think of putting an ad for a helper. Your mom and me are not young anymore to run around. We understand you need help, especially with Drew, because you're injured. So please think about it." His dad told him. He knew that, but he was afraid to let a stranger to his house to take care of his son and him, especially if the stranger is a woman. His parents kissed him goodbye and left for their house after helping him around with the house and take care of their grandson. James left alone at the house and thought that his parents were right, they were not getting any younger. It will be better if I'll put the ad and let my parents a little breath. James thought to himself and went to his office and wrote his ad for the help that he needs.
#
It's been a long day for Maddie. When she met Dekota, Maddie was afraid first, because she thought Dekota was someone that knew John, but after that she was happy because Dekota is an energetic person. After an hour, Dekota left for her house and promised her she'll help her with the job. Maddie went up the stairs toward her room, thinking about her life now that she finally escaped John, meeting Ms. Hester and meeting a new friend. She hoped that they'll be great friend for a long time.
At the next morning, Maddison woke up at 7 am feeling excited for this day. She's finally will find a job and be able to find a place to live. She enjoyed living with Ms. Hester, but she thought that maybe her children will want to visit her and bring her grandchildren with them. Maddie started her morning by taking a long warm shower and relax a little, after a half hour she got out of the shower to get dressed and go down and prepare breakfast for her and Ms. Hester.
"You look happy today, child. How was it to meet a new friend yesterday?" Ms. Hester asked Maddie while they ate breakfast.
"I am happy Ms. Hester, because Dekota found me a job and today at 10 am I'm having my interview. Dekota is a great person. She's nice. She gave me her phone number in case I'll want to talk to her and meet." Maddie hesitated a little before she continued, "Ms. Hester, I want to say thank you for everything that you did for me ever since I came to this city. I really appreciate it. When I had no one to relay on, you just gave me a hand and a place to stay in for a one entire year. I'm going to be sad when I leave this place, but I promise to visit you occasionally." Maddie hugged Ms. Hester with watery eyes.
"Don't worry, child, I was happy to have you here living with me for a while. It's like I had another granddaughter with me. I wish you good luck in where you'll find it." Ms. Hester hugged Maddie too.
Maddie looked at her watch and noticed that it was time for leaving toward the interview that she had at 10 am. She felt nervous but excited to see where she'll be working.
While Maddie was driving to the address, she had her GPS, and a lot of things ran down her brain. I hope I'll be able to do this work right, with no problems. I should just focus on my tasks and nothing else. Put your mind focused on the job and not falling in love again. I don't want to go through that kind of relationship that I had and let's hope that bastard will never find me. While Maddie had her thoughts running around her head, she finally arrived at her destination. The house was beautiful, with the front yard full of green grass and a few flowers around the gate. When she got out of the car, Maddie took her stuff from the car, took a deep breath, and went to the front door. She knocked the door and waited a few seconds, she heard a deep voice saying, 'I'm coming', when the door opened a man with black hair and brown eyes was standing there, he had a small beard and looked tired, in his hand was a small baby crying and looked restless and sleepy.
"May I help you ma'am" was saying the mystery man. Maddie waked up from her absent-minded, feeling a little ashamed for checking him out when he had a baby in his muscular arms.
"I'm sorry, my name is Maddison Weber. Dekota gave me your address and told me you were looking for a helper and a babysitter, so I came for this job." Maddie felt her cheeks becoming red from a shame.
"Ah, yeah, Dekota told me yesterday that you are going to come at 10 am. Please come in. Just let me feed my son first and I'll be with you. By the way, I'm James Davis. Nice to meet you, Maddie, and this is my son Drew." James said to Maddie while he was rocking his son to calm him down.
"Nice to meet you, too. You can give me Drew while you prepare his bottle." Maddie said while looking at Drew and reached her hands out to hold him. James hesitated a bit, but had to make that bottle, so he passed his son to Maddie and went to the kitchen.
While holding Drew in her hands, Maddie felt a little emotional because she remembered a small memory that she hid at the back of her head when she used to be pregnant, but she didn't want it to affect her new job.
"Don't cry little one, your daddy will bring you a bottle of milk so you can eat, hash little baby don't be shy, mommy gotten buy you…" Maddie was singing a little of a lullaby for Drew, so he cried a little. While she was moving around with him in her hands, Drew calmed down a little by the time James came back with the milk in his hand.
"You calmed him down. How did you do it? I've been trying to do that since few moments ago. Here, let me give him his milk so we can have your interview for the job. Well, maybe we'll don't have to do it, because you've passed it by calming my son. Welcome, Maddie. Let's drink your milk buddy and go to take a little nap." James was saying to her and to his son Drew. Maddie couldn't believe it, she just had to make little Drew to calm down. She felt so happy that she got this job. She like Drew, he's so cute. He has green eyes and curly brown hair and a chubby cheek that you just want to pinch them.
#
That morning when he woke up, James had a feeling that today will be a strange day. Maybe I'm getting old, or maybe I couldn't get laid while being doing my service and raising my son. Now that I'm on injury vacation, I should find someone to get laid and it will solve everything for me. James's thoughts wore interrupted by his son's morning crying attention for him. He got up from the couch and went up to his son's room. When he got to the room, he went inside and approached the crib where his son was crying.
"Good morning, buddy, shh… don't cry, let go down and daddy will prepare you your bottle of milk." James was trying to make Drew to calm down while he was walking down the stairs. Upon arriving at the last step of the stairs, he heard a knock at his front door. "I'm coming," he said while trying to make Drew stop crying. When he arrived at the front door, he opened it and just froze. There at his door stood a beautiful woman with black hair, round eyes that can just suck you in and get lost in them, she were perfect to take care of him and his son and maybe get laid. Drew's fuzzing interrupted his thoughts over his bottle of milk.
"May I help you, ma'am?" he asked this mysterious woman that stood at his door.
"I'm sorry, my name is Maddison Weber. Dekota gave me your address and told me you were looking for a helper and a babysitter, so I came for this job." She said with her beautiful lips, that called him to kiss her. He shook his head to get these thoughts out of his head.
"Ah, yeah, Dekota told me yesterday that you are going to come at 10 am. Please come in. Just let me feed my son first and I'll be with you. By the way, I'm James Davis. Nice to meet you, Maddie, and this is my son Drew." James said to her while he was rocking his son to calm him down.
"Nice to meet you, too. You can give me Drew while you prepare his bottle." James looked at her for a moment. He really needed to make that bottle of milk to Drew or he'll never calm down. He trusted her. She came for the job. If she'll calm Drew down by the time he's back from the kitchen with the bottle, he'll hire her without the interview. He passed Drew to her hands and went to the kitchen to prepare his bottle. After a few minutes while he was finishing preparing the bottle, he heard her voice while she was singing to his son. He peaked from the entry of his kitchen and saw her rocking Drew while singing to him. It surprised him to see that his son calmed down and was looking at her with a smile. He even heard her voice while she was calming him down.
"Don't cry little one, your daddy will bring you a bottle of milk so you can eat," While she was rocking Drew, he thought of a children's song that used to hear in the television "hash little baby don't be shy, mommy gotten buy you…" she had a calm and beautiful voice. He knew he can't stay in the kitchen all day and listen to her voice, so he got out of the kitchen and go to where he left Maddie and Drew.
"You calmed him down. How did you do it? I've been trying to do that since few moments ago. Here, let me give him his milk so we can have your interview for the job. Well, maybe we'll don't have to do it, because you've passed it by calming my son. Welcome, Maddie. Let's drink your milk buddy and go to take a little nap." James was saying to her and to his son Drew. He still couldn't believe it. She just had to sing him a little to make Drew to calm down. He was glad that she came to take this job. The other women that came before her only made eyes on him and didn't pay any attention to his son, but Maddison is different. She looked at his son with motherly eyes.
#
After half an hour, James put Drew in his crib that was in the living room so he could play with his toys, and they could talk about Maddie's new job as a helper.
"You helped me today with Drew, and I really appreciate that. I've interviewed other women before you and none of them helped Drew to calm down when he was crying, so they just left and said that they were not interested anymore in this job. As you can see, it's been a week since I came back injured from a mission and had to go through an operation. The doctor forbids me to go back so, my commander gave me 2 months of recovery. Anyway, to the point, when can you start?" James said to Maddie while they were sitting in the living room.
"Whenever you need me, but my question is how we going to do it? Am I going to travel back and forward?" Maddie asked James with a worried face. She doesn't have money for the fuel.
"Well, about the living problem, I suggest for you to move into my house. That way, you'll be able to help me every day. Sometimes, I need to work in my office. It's the door at the end of this hall," James pointed toward a brown oak door that was at the end of the long hallway, "so I'll need you to look after Drew. Can you move in here tomorrow in the afternoon?" Madison was looking shocked at James's suggestion. Will I be able to live here, with James and Drew? Though this house is big, but… I better ask Dekota about this suggestion. I'm sure she'll help me with that, Maddie thought to herself and then answered James,
"Can I give you my answer in two days? It's just, I want to talk to someone, to have her opinion." Maddie asked him.
"No problem. You can think about it." James really wanted her to accept his proposition, but he knew that it's difficult for a woman to move in into a house with a man that was alone and raising a baby at the same time.
After talking a little more, Maddie left James's house and got to her car to drive to Dakota's house. After an hour of driving, she finally arrived at her new friend's house. This is the first time that she's been going to a friend's house for the first time in her life. Even when she lived at the orphanage or went to school and then college, no one wanted to be her friend. Maddie took a big breath and got out of the car. When she left her car, Dekota already stood on her front porch waiting for her.
"What's wrong Maddie? Is the interview going bad? Come in, let's talk inside!" Dekota hugged Maddie and let her inside her house. After settling Maddie in the living room, Dekota went to her kitchen and prepared her some tea. In 15 minutes, the tea was ready, and she gave her a sandwich, because she was sure that Maddie ate nothing today. Dekota took the tray with Maddie's food and her drink to the living room and settle it at the table.
"So, tell Maddie, how was the interview?" Dekota was curious. She knows James for a long time, and she knows that he'll never act nasty to a woman, no matter what.
"Well, I didn't go through the interview because, when James opened the door, his son was crying, for what I could understand is that he just woke up and wanted his breakfast, James looked a little bothered because I came in time, he couldn't give Drew his bottle. So, I told him to give me his son and he could go prepare the bottle, after half an hour he came back from the kitchen with the bottle and I calmed Drew a little and got accepted," Maddie drank her tea and took a breath to keep telling Dekota everything that went there when she came there.
"So, he suggested I move to live in his house so it could be easy for me to help him, but I told him I need time to think about it and talk to a friend. So, here I am, talking to a friend. What do you think, Dekota? Should I accept?" Maddie didn't know what to do, she used to live with a man, but it ended badly for her, even though this time it will be different because there is a baby in the house.
"Well, to tell you the truth, you can trust James." Maddie looked at her with shocked eyes. It felt like Dekota saw her injured soul. "James is a gentleman with women. His late girlfriend passes away last year while going through C-Section because the baby was in danger. She lost a lot of blood during that operation and the doctors did everything to save her but," Dekota shook her head at the thought of poor Paula, "Anyway, he really needs this help, and you are a trusted person. Yes, you're right, I only got to know you yesterday, but I know when a person will be a trustworthy and you, my friend, a devoted one! Don't worry too much, go home and think about it and then let James know the answer soon, OK?" Dekota hugged Maddie.
"You're right. Thanks for the advice. I appreciate it and thanks for being friends with me. You're my first ever best friend that I had in my life." Maddie was happy, she finally met an actual friend, but she's afraid to lose her. They said their goodbyes and Maddie got into her car to drive home.
Two days later, Maddie was saying goodbye to Ms. Hester. She knew that she'll miss her but also knew that Ms. Hester will let her visit her occasionally. Maddie just finished putting her last bag in the car and turned around to look at the house that gave her peace and shelter that she needed so badly. She got inside her car and waved to Ms. Hester. All the way to James's house, she thought to herself, Will I be able to survive there without falling in love with that man? His son is cute, so I'm not worried about that, but the father. I better focus on the present day and not the future that is far away for now. Maddie calmed herself down and drove peacefully to her new place of living and working.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone