Maddy

This is sort of a piece from a one of my books, but not really because I haven't actually started the book yet. I wrote this for my writing club, but it was a lot longer than I'd thought it would be so I never shared it with them.

I fidgeted, looking away. “I don't know that either.”

“She's not your daughter?”

“Madelyn is my daughter in every way that matters,” I said in a low voice, reaching out to take the hand Madelyn had extended to me.

“But you didn't give birth to her?”

“No. I am not her biological mother.”

“I... I sense a rather long story.”

Sighing, I squeezed Madelyn's hand, then released it. “Go play, Sweatheart.”

“I could tell him the story,” she offered.

I smiled and ruffled her arms around my legs, then ran off again. I looked at Nate. “This is a long story.”

“I have all the time in the world.”

Rolling my eyes again, I started to walk again. “I've always been a painter, ever since I was really little. Younger than Maddy, probably. My parents thought it was cute, at first. I never got Dad's opinion on it—he died when I was ten—but when I told Mom I wanted to make my living on my paintings, she laughed in my face.”

Nate winced. “That must have hurt.”

I shrugged. “It should have, but mostly it just made me determined to prove her wrong. I started taking classes at a local college when I was eighteen. One night, as I was walking home from my class, I heard a strange noise coming from an alley. I expected all of my reflexes to tell me to ignore it to walk away, but somehow I had to know what was making that noise, so into the alley I went.”

“And you found Madelyn?”

I nodded, a smile stretching across my face. “I found the most beautiful baby girl I had ever seen in my life, all wrapped up in a blanket. I looked around, but didn't see anyone, so I picked her up and took her with me.”

“How did your react?”

“She was furious, said I had no right to bring a screaming infant home with me. I didn't think that was fair, as Maddy hadn't made a sound since I'd picked her up, darling child that she is. Mom said if I wanted to keep the baby, I couldn't do it at her house.”

“She kicked you out?”

I nodded. “So I took what I owned and went to stay at a friend's house. Her mom had eleven children, and taught me everything she could about having a baby. After a few months I get a job painting a portrait and moved out. Maddy and I have been moving around ever since, following what ever job I could get. We stayed with my mom for a little but, when Maddy was older, but she tried to take over, and I couldn't have that.”

“That's horrible.”

I shrugged, watching Maddy run through leaves. “I've done the best I can for my little girl.”

“Do you ever regret it?”

“Never. I have never in my life regretted her. She's my life, Nate. I would do anything for her.”

“I know,” Nate said simply. We walked in silence for a moment, then he reached out and put one arm around my shoulders. “I know.”

I stepped closer to him, enjoying the warmth of one of the best men I had ever met.