A/N- I am a sucker for a Modern AU Anna and Bates story. I did have an idea for an actual day story, but then someone else came up with it too and has been writing it much better than I ever could, so I started this. Truth is, whilst writing Redemption I was jotting ideas down for this story.I have around three chapters completed, another five sketched out and thinly written. I just hope you guys like it.
It came about when my cousin spoke about a 'playdate' her son was going on with a little girl from the nursery he attends. My cousin has become really good friends the other girls mother, and I thought 'hello, what can I do with that?' So, this is Anna and Bates with added children. If anyone wants to know, a 'playdate' is a social occasion arranged for children to play together.
And I know I have picked really random occupations for Anna and John, but that makes it more interesting in my opinion.
There is a lot explained in this chapter, trying to get the backstory of both Anna and John out of the way so the story can move forward. A lot of the nursery lingo in this chapter is written thanks to the assistance of someone who works in one. They know who they are so thanks and also thank you for allowing me to fill your email inbox with questions and answering every one.
Disclaimer- Downton does not belong to me but to Julian Fellowes, ITV and Carnival.
Anna Smith stopped the car, pulling on the handbrake before rubbing her forehead and exhaling a rather large breath. She looked in the rear view mirror of her red Fiat 500, the sight she was greeted with instantly making her stress disappear. Her pride and joy, staring back at her with a beautiful smile. Milo. Three years old, or three and a half if you asked him yourself. Masses of blonde hair atop his head, sparking blue eyes and a passion for Thomas The Tank Engine that manifested itself in his clothing today, his t-shirt and trainers adorned with his hero.
'Shall we go in to Preschool then, baby?'
Anna undid her seatbelt and pushed her seat forward. Milo was already on his way, picking up his rucksack before jumping out of the car. Waiting patiently as Anna pushed the seat back and closed the door, he put his rucksack on his back and reached for Anna's hand once she had locked the car.
'Don't worry about your meeting, Mummy,' Milo said as they began to cross the car park towards the nursery building. 'You are very good at your work. Granddad said so.'
She should have known better than to try and act as if nothing was troubling her. Milo was so perceptive Anna often wondered if she had only given birth to him a little over three years ago. Looking down at him with a smile as they reached the nursery entrance, Anna opened the door and allowed Milo to wander in. Having attended Cherry Blossom nursery four days a week since he was six months old, the place was like a second home to young Milo Smith. Turning right down a corridor, he skipped towards the preschool room, past the toddler room which, in his words, he was 'far too big for now,' he came to a stop by his peg.
'Are Nan and Grandad picking me up tonight?' Milo asked, reaching up on tiptoes to hand his bag on his peg.
'They are,' Anna replied, trying to help Milo then trying to stifle a giggle as he pushed her hand away.
'I can do it myself, Mummy.'
Another of his favourite phrases.
'Good morning, Milo,' Daisy, one of Milo's teachers called from the doorway. 'Looking very smart in your Thomas gear today. Are they new trainers?'
'Yeah,' Milo said excitedly, having now managed to hang his bag up. 'And they flash.' He jumped, Anna rolling her eyes and laughing.
'Nanny bought them for you, didn't she?' Anna said, encouraging Milo to walk towards the door. 'For settling in to preschool from toddler room so well.'
'Because I am a big boy,' Milo added.
'Indeed you are,' Daisy agreed, sharing a knowing look with Anna. 'Any problems today, Mum?'
'Nope, he's all fine. Needs some breakfast though, we were in a rush this morning,' Anna ran a hand over Milo's head. 'Weren't we, baby?'
Milo stood up straight, looking up at Daisy with pride evident in his face. 'My Mummy has a big meeting today.'
'Does she indeed,' Daisy said, exaggerating her words to humour Milo. She looked to Anna. 'Well, good luck.'
'Thank you,' Anna replied before bending down so she was on eye level with her son. 'Okay then, baby. I'll be back tonight to bath you and read you your bedtime story.'
'I don't mind if we only have time for a story, Mummy. I can have a bath tomorrow.'
'Ah, nice try Milo Smith. Now give Mummy a hug.'
He obliged, wrapping his arms around Anna's neck. 'I love you lots.'
'Like jelly tots,' Anna answered, completing their usual goodbye ritual. 'Be a good boy.'
Watching as Milo took Daisy's hand and moved towards the breakfast table, Anna felt her heart swell. Her boy was the love of her life and made her burst with pride in different ways every single day. Anna sometimes wished she wasn't so career driven, her job as an accountant something she had worked so hard at, but she couldn't hide the fact that she enjoyed her occupation and was proud of how far she had come. She hated to leave him at nursery but what consoled her was the fact Milo enjoyed it. It was good for him to interact with other children and he learned something new every day. It worked for them.
Making her way outside, Anna walked to the windows of the preschool room, laughing out loud as she saw her little Milo at the breakfast table, chatting away to the other children sitting with him. Content that he was settled, Anna stepped away and moved towards her car. Looking at her phone, she smiled at her father's attempt to send her a good luck text message, he clearly not yet learnt how to get the better of auto correct.
The firm she worked for held accounts with some of the most important people and businesses in the North of England, and after success in the local area, they were looking to expand. This meeting today could shape her and Milo's future. She owed it to her son for it to be a successful one.
Standing by the passenger door of his black Land Rover, John Bates looked through the rain drenched window at his beautiful daughter. She was nervous. His heart ached. It was under the advice of a family friend he enrol three year old Madison into a preschool, ready for when she started primary school. And today was her first day. Up until now, the wife of John's best friend had looked after Madison, John feared it would take a lot of adjusting for her to get used to her new routine. But she was nothing if not resilient.
Opening the car door, he smiled as Madison looked up to him, her dark brown bunches swinging from side to side as she did so.
'Ready to go, little one?'
Madison nodded a little unsurely as John undid her seat belt. Reaching over his daughter to take hold of her Minnie Mouse rucksack, John held his hand out to help Madison down from the car. The way she gripped on to his hand so tightly made John realise this wasn't going to be an easy separation. Crossing the car park, John looked down, Madison's bright pink Wellington boots catching his eye causing him to smirk. She had insisted she wore them to nursery, just like Daddy was wearing his green ones to work. Being a country veterinarian meant he often spent most of his days up to his ankles in mud.
'Daddy has to go and see a foal today, Maddie,' he began, trying to distract her from the task in hand.
'A baby horse?' John could tell from her voice she was stifling a sob.
'Yes little one, a baby horse.' As they reached the door, John let go of Madison's hand as he tried to remember the door code he had been told about at her induction.
'Can you take a picture of it for me?' She asked as they walked inside. 'I like horses.'
'I know you do, sweetheart.' He grasped her hand once more, trying to remember which way the preschool room was. He pointed to the right. 'Down here, isn't it?'
Madison nodded, slowing her pace the nearer they got to the room. 'Now then, Madison Bates. Which peg was yours again?'
Madison pointed at the peg with a picture of the unicorn above it, twirling one of her bunches around her forefinger. John nodded, a little disheartened as to his daughter's reluctance to go in to preschool. Hanging up her bag, John's next action was to kneel down in front of Madison, beginning to unzip her coat.
'Now, Daddy will be back to pick you up after you've had some tea,' John explained, shrugging her coat off her shoulders. 'And you're going to have lots of fun, making new friends.'
'Can I not come and see the baby horse with you, Daddy?'
'No, little one,' John replied with a chuckle. 'You'll have much more fun here, believe me.'
Madison looked over her shoulder, the noise from the children already in the room garnering her attention. Standing up, John offered Madison a sympathetic smile before she turned around to look up at him again. Holding his arms out, Madison lifted hers so John could bring her into his embrace. Resting her on his hip, John walked towards the door with Madison in his arms.
'Hello Madison.' Daisy approached John and his daughter, John turning to face her. 'We've been looking forward to you coming to play with us.'
'See Maddie, people have been waiting to play with you,' John said, trying to persuade Madison to be a little more excited. Realising his attempts were futile as she clung a little tighter around his neck, John looked to Daisy. 'Is this normal?'
'Perfectly,' Daisy reassured John. 'Just leaving her with us will be better in the long run than hanging around. She'll be upset, but we'll settle her.'
'Alright.' John bent down, putting Madison down on the floor. He straightened out her purple pinafore dress before placing his hands on her upper arms. 'I'm going to work now, little one. You are going to have lots of fun with... erm,' John looked up. 'Sorry, I have the memory of a goldfish. What is your name again?'
'Daisy,' she answered, bending down so she could speak to Madison herself. 'Would you like some breakfast, Madison?'
Madison shook her head no before moving her thumb to her mouth, John recognising this as her coping mechanism when she was upset. Realising it was probably best to just leave without too much fanfare, John kissed Madison on the forehead.
'She's had breakfast,' John said to Daisy before focussing on Madison. 'Goodbye little one, Daddy will be back later. Have fun.'
As he stood up, Madison reached up for him before Daisy swept her in her arms. Leaving the room, John could feel his resolve crumbling as he heard Madison's little voice cry, 'I love you, Daddy,' after him. He stopped, looking over his shoulder and clenching his jaw. It had been just him and Maddie since she was one years old, his ex wife suddenly deciding motherhood just wasn't for her. Not only did she rely on him, Madison was also John's rock. His everything.
'I love you too, little one,' John murmured, waving at her, the tears shimmering in her brown eyes threatening to break his heart. 'Have a lovely day.'
And with those words, he walked away and out of sight. Madison was not happy. How could Daddy just leave her? She knew crying wouldn't do much good, Daddy was gone now. Looking around the room whilst in Daisy's arms, Madison continued to suck her thumb. The boys playing with the Lego were far too noisy for her liking. There were too many girls playing with the dolls and the computer looked too difficult to use. The art table didn't appear that much of a daunting prospect however, a little boy sat there concentrating very hard on his picture of what Madison presumed to be a car. Or a dog. She wasn't sure.
'Can I draw a picture?' Madison whispered to Daisy, pointing at the art table.
'Of course,' Daisy replied, relieved she had suggested an activity she wanted to do. Daisy put Madison down on the floor. 'Would you like me to come over as well?'
Madison took hold of Daisy's hand, leading her to the table. The little boy looked up, watching as Madison sat opposite him. Madison kept his attention as she shuffled on her chair. Meeting his eye, Madison took her thumb from her mouth.
'Hello,' the boy said, handing Madison a piece of paper.
'Hello,' Madison replied weakly.
'Are you alright Maddie if I go and say hello to Billy?' Daisy asked, looking over her shoulder as another child came into the room. Madison nodded, watching Daisy as she walked away before looking back at the boy opposite her.
'Why are you so sad?' The boy asked, putting the lid on the pen he had been using.
'I want my Daddy.'
The boy nodded as if to indicate he understood. 'He'll be back later. Everybody's Daddy picks them up from nursery. Or maybe your Mummy will.'
'I don't have a Mummy,' Madison replied with a whisper. Trying to process what she was saying, Milo tapped the pen against his bottom lip before the girl opposite him spoke again. 'What is your name?'
'Milo Smith,' the boy replied. 'What are you called?'
'Madison Bates.'
'Maybe you could draw a picture for your Daddy, Madison Bates?' Milo suggested, offering her the pens.
'Alright,' Madison picked the pink felt tip automatically. 'And you can just call me Maddie.'
'You can just call me Milo,' he replied, taking the blue pen and adding to his picture. 'Do you like my elephant?'
So that's what it was.
John walked in to his practice, dropping his bag by the front desk as he read the correspondence that had been laid out for him by his receptionist, Sybil. His best friend's youngest daughter, John was happy to take her in whilst she worked her way through a part time college course. Trying to read the notes in his hand, he found it difficult when he couldn't stop thinking about Madison. Her face as he walked out of the nursery had broken his heart. Sighing deeply, he ran a hand through his hair until the sound of footsteps made him stand to attention.
'Alright John?'
It was Joseph Molesley, John's partner and one of his oldest friends. They had known each other since training together over twenty years previously. A few years of doing their own thing as locum veterinarians came to an end when they had an unexpected meeting at a training course. Soon afterwards, Molesley and Bates Veterinary Centre was born.
'Hi Joe,' John answered with a worried lilt to his tone. 'Morning surgery alright?'
'Well, we had to let Mrs Thompson's Great Dane go this morning, but other than that pretty easy going,' Joseph replied before casting a sceptical eye over his old friend. 'How was Madison?'
Choosing to clench his jaw rather than answer, John moved around to the appointments book to see what was on the cards for his afternoon of work. 'A spaying at half three. Something to look forward to.'
'John,' Joseph implored him with his eyes, leaning on the desk opposite him. John looked up, tutted and turn his gaze beyond Joseph as he began to speak.
'She wasn't very happy,' John began, trying to put the memory of her little face as he walked away from her out of his mind. 'Cora said she needed some sort of regular interaction with other children before school. Plus, with the nursery she is at it is more likely she will get into the school I want her to attend.'
'But...'
John cocked his head to the side, a pained expression on his face. 'But she's my little girl, isn't she? I hated leaving her this morning.'
'It will get better,' Joseph offered some encouraging words, 'it's her first day in a room full of strangers. That's hard enough for us as adults let alone a three year old child. The nursery would have called if she was really unhappy.'
'Yeah,' John nodded, finding some comfort in Joseph's words. 'You're right.'
'Hang on, what was that?' Joseph cupped his ear, leaning his head towards John. 'I'm right? It's not often those words leave your lips.'
'Yeah, well don't get used to it,' John replied, picking up his papers and tapping Joseph on the shoulder as he walked past him. 'Tea, two sugars please Joe and then let afternoon surgery commence.'
'And she was really good at drawing,' Milo explained as he began to work his way through his dinner, his Nan and Granddad sitting opposite him eating their own meals.
'What was her name, sweetheart?' his Nan asked.
'Madison, but she said I could call her Maddie.'
'Maddie eh?' his granddad teased, winking slyly at his wife. 'It must be love.'
'I don't love her,' Milo was quick to correct the man sitting opposite him. 'I only love two girls. Mummy and Nanny.'
As they shared a laugh, Charles Carson and his wife Elsie both felt so proud to have a character such as Milo in their life, especially when they were sure their lives would never be blessed in such a way. Having met each other in their early twenties, Charles was on a trip to Scotland when he walked into the pub Elsie worked in. It was love at first sight, Elsie returning to England on the arm of, in her words, the only man she had ever loved. Their lives were never enriched with a child of their own and as they reached their twentieth year of marriage, both were content that it would just be the two of them for the rest of their days. Until someone put the thought into their mind of adoption. Elsie had vowed she would only go through with it if she met a child whom she truly felt she could make a difference. And soon after that promise, Charles and Elsie met Anna.
She was eight when they first set eyes on her at the children's home. She was sitting in the middle of her bed, hugging her knees, her eyes red from crying at the loss of both her parents. Elsie felt her heart break upon hearing her story, they had been killed in a car accident and Anna had no grandparents or Aunt's and Uncle's to speak of. Elsie asked for time to get to know the child, even if it didn't result in an adoption. Anna needed someone, and Elsie couldn't describe it but she wanted to be that someone. Over the next year or so, Elsie and Charles took the time to get to know the little girl. They would go out for tea once a week, Anna seeing her weekly jaunts with them as an escape from the despair she was feeling. They had known each other for little under eighteen months when Anna herself asked if they would adopt her.
And here they were, Anna now thirty one with a successful career thanks to the love of the two people she now called her Mum and Dad. She had memories of her biological mother and father, and if she could change the events of her early life she would, but Anna truly believed that her parents played a part in bringing Elsie and Charles into her life. They chose them and sent them to take care of her when they could not any longer.
'Hello, hello.'
'Mummy,' Milo squealed upon hearing Anna come through the front door. Anna's face was beaming as she saw her little boy racing down the hall towards her, jumping into her arms.
'Hello baby,' Anna cooed, kissing his head before setting him down on the floor and taking his hand. They walked into the kitchen, Elsie and Charles looking tentatively in her direction. 'Hi Mum, hi Dad.'
'So, how did it go?' Elsie asked in her Scottish brogue, hesitantly rising to her feet.
'Well,' Anna began, resting a hand on Charles shoulder. 'If the office should look to expand, I am the only person they would consider to be it's senior accountant.'
'Oh Anna, that's wonderful,' Elsie exclaimed, rushing to her daughter and dragging her into her embrace.
'So Mummy will be the boss?' Milo asked. Listening to Anna talking about her job on a daily basis, he had managed to pick up some of the terminology, Anna never failing to be amazed at the intelligence in one so young. Of course, she was biased.
'Yes Milo,' Anna nodded, running a hand through his hair until he began to eat once more. She looked to her parents and whispered, 'that's not all. I'll tell you more later.'
Although both wearing concerned expressions, both knew not to pursue the matter, especially with Milo at the table. Anna was trying to protect him from knowing something and the inquisitive little thing wouldn't have let the conversation drop without fully understanding it's meaning. Sitting down, Anna helped herself to a potato from one of the serving dishes in the middle of the table.
'How was preschool, my big boy?'
'Good,' Milo said through a mouthful of potatoes. 'I made a new friend.'
'Aww, what's his name?'
'No, it's a girl,' Charles answered with a smile.
'Milo Smith, you cad,' Anna teased, his demeanour instantly turning annoyed at the tone in his mother's voice.
'I don't want to marry her, Mummy.'
'I'm glad to hear it,' Anna replied, winking in the direction of Elsie. 'A girl deserves to be wined and dined before marriage is even contemplated. Plus, you're about twenty years too young.'
'What Mummy?' Furrowing his brow, Milo couldn't keep up with his mother's advice so decided to brush it off with a shake of his head. 'She's called Madison Bates, but told me I could just call her Maddie.'
'Maddie, that's a nice name.' Anna replied.
'She is really good at drawing,' Milo continued. 'It was her first day and she was upset when her Daddy left her. I played with her.'
'Well, that was very kind of you,' Anna's expression was one of pride as she watched her son talk about his day.
'But she doesn't have a Mummy,' Milo continued. 'I thought everyone had a Mummy.'
'Well, everyone does have a Mummy,' Charles interjected, sensing this might be an uncomfortable subject for Anna. 'Maybe she's gone away.'
'Gone away where?' Milo questioned before Anna's phone began to ring.
'It's Ryan,' Anna said, rising to her feet, 'do you mind if I take it?'
Elsie shook her head to say no as Anna left the room. Ryan Turner was Milo's father. They were childhood sweethearts, although their tempestuous relationship had never moved further than dinner dates and weekends away here and there. He seemed to be a habit Anna couldn't break, her adoptive parents begging her to cut all ties and find a man deserving of her love. Ryan had Anna exactly where he wanted her, at his beck and call and playing to his tune. This went on for years until Anna fell pregnant with Milo. Their son being born brought about a change in Ryan. He suddenly wanted to be a family but Anna was hurt Ryan only wanted her for keeps now their son was here when she had begged him for years to make a proper go of things. The physical side of their relationship ceased. However, not wanting to deny her son the chance to know his father, Anna allowed Ryan joint custody.
Ryan was a good father, Anna couldn't deny that and neither could Charles or Elsie. He was always on hand to help out and Milo wanted for nothing, the little boy worshipped his Dad. The situation wasn't ideal but it worked for Anna and Ryan, and most importantly Milo. Unbeknownst to Elsie and Charles was that the relationship Anna had with Ryan before Milo had been born had recently fired up again. She was a woman, Anna had needs and she didn't see the harm in a little fun so long as they were safe. Neither had a partner to speak of, both agreeing as soon as someone came along they would stop.
'Daddy wants to take you to the cinema tomorrow,' Anna said to her son as she walked back into the room.
'Cool,' Milo said excitedly, 'what are we going to see?'
'That new Disney one about the cars, or aeroplanes,' Anna shrugged as Milo finished his dinner. 'If you are finished, go and collect your things, it's bath night.'
'Mum, do I have to?'
Anna raised her hand. 'Do you want to go and see the film with Daddy?'
Doing as he was told, Milo jumped down from the table and ran into the living room. Turning to her parents, both of them smiling upon watching mother and son together, Anna inhaled deeply, closing her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose.
'Everything alright, sweetheart?' Charles asked. 'Is this about that thing you had to tell us?' Anna nodded. 'Did the meeting not go as well as you said earlier?'
'Oh no, I'll be the senior accountant. It's just, that's not all of it.'
'What is it, Anna?' Elsie's voice was laced with concern as she placed her cutlery down on the table.
Taking a deep breath, Anna decided she couldn't do anything but tell the truth now. 'The new office, when we expand. It will be in New York.'
Smiling as he looked at the picture his daughter had drawn him on her first day, which now had pride of place on the fridge, John sat down at the kitchen table to pull on his Wellington boots. Being a vet, naturally John had a love for animals. He and Madison kept three pigs, and numerous chickens, plus a sheepdog called Maxwell. Together, they would keep the place tidy, John loving nothing more than spending time with his little girl as she collected eggs from the chicken and chased around the fields with Mazwell.
'Come on, Maddie,' John called to his daughter. 'The sooner we see to the pigs the sooner we can watch one of your DVD's.'
Opening the back door of his three bedroomed farmhouse, John breathed in the country air. He loved it here. The city he had once lived in held no attraction since he had moved to the north and Yorkshire. His life had changed considerably in the time since he had moved from London with his then wife, but looking over his shoulder at his daughter, following him outside, he wouldn't change a single thing.
'Are we mucking out the pigs first, Daddy?' Madison asked, carrying a spade which was bigger than she was. John took the spade from her before answering.
'Yes, but you can feed them. I'll do the nasty jobs,' John replied, slowing his stride so Madison could walk beside him. Madison squealed as the sheepdog ran past her, licking her hand affectionately as he passed before trotting slowly ahead of them. 'I loved my drawing of us and Maxwell, sweetheart.'
'I made a friend,' Madison replied, 'he was called Milo.'
'Milo eh?' John answered with a wink. 'What did the two of you get up to?'
'Drawing. We played on the slide in the garden and I sat next to him at lunchtime.'
'Well, I'm glad you made a friend.'
'I played with Daisy as well.' Madison continued as they reached the pig pen.
'Ahh, the teacher,' John said as he opened the gate, stepping aside to allow his daughter to walk through. The grunts of three happy pigs suddenly increased upon seeing Madison and John, knowing it was now feeding time. 'Do you have any other teachers?'
'Ivy,' Madison replied then stopped to think for a moment. 'And one more, I can't remember her name but she was really good at voices when reading the story.'
'As good as your old Dad, though?'
'No,' Madison shook her head with a smile. 'You're much better Daddy.'
Both went about their jobs, Madison knowing exactly what she had to do having been helping her Dad for a while now. The pigs were called Gruffalo, Elmer and Lola after Madison's favourite literary characters. John smiled as she greeted each individually, happily chatting to them as she filled their trough with enough food to last a week.
'Be careful you don't give them too much, little one,' John advised as he continued with his task. 'And don't forget the water.'
'Could Milo come and help us one day?' Madison asked. 'He said his favourite animals were pigs.'
'We'll see,' John said absent- mindedly.
'Am I going to Aunty Cora's tomorrow?' Madison asked, hoisting herself up to sit on top of the fence having finished her task.
Cora was the wife of John's best friend, Robert. John and Robert had shared accommodation together at college in London, whilst Robert trained to become an architect. Robert and Cora had moved up to the north shortly after their first daughter was born whilst John remained in the South. Ever since those days, they had kept in contact, meeting up regularly.
It was when John's wife, Vera, fell pregnant with Maddie over twenty years later that he decided city life wasn't right to being his child up in. Having lived his childhood in Ireland, John knew the importance of wide open fields and fresh air for a child. Vera agreed, albeit reluctantly. It was a coincidence they bought a property not twenty minutes drive from Robert, offering them the chance to properly rekindle their friendship.
Before they moved to the North, cracks has started to show in the marriage, John fooled himself to believe a baby would keep them together. However, it was Vera who left the family home, seemingly deciding Motherhood was not for her. John had no choice but to bring Madison up on his own. Hell, it didn't even come down to choice. He did it because he wanted to.
Now a single father with a baby barely six months old, John relied heavily on the support of Robert and Cora, as well as Joseph who had also become a close friend of the Crawley's. Robert's successful career had meant Cora could be a full time housewife, raising three wonderful daughters who John was very fond of. Sybil ran the reception at the surgery and was extremely helpful with Madison. Edith, the middle daughter was always travelling but since Madison had arrived she would always send pictures of the animals she saw on her travels, much to the little girls delight. Mary, who worked in London, visited most weekends and always made John aware how much she admired the way he raised his daughter.
When Vera left, John truly believed she would still want some input on their daughter's upbringing. The truth was, since the day she had left John hadn't heard from her, only knowing she was in Ireland because that was the post mark on the divorce papers he had received. Madison had never known a mother, Cora the closest thing she had to one. With her daughters now fully grown and living lives for themselves, Cora offered to be Madison's childminder. Being a single father, John needed to work. And so from a few months old, Madison had spent a lot of her days with Cora.
'Sweetheart, you only go to Aunty Cora's on a Friday now. You go to Cherry Blossom every other day.' He lifted his head to meet her gaze. 'Is that alright?' Madison's expression was less than convincing. 'Don't you like preschool?'
'It's alright,' Madison replied indifferently.
'What's the matter, little one?'
'Will you always come and pick me up? I don't want to be left there.'
'Oh my darling,' John dropped his spade and walked towards her. 'I will never leave you there. Daddy would be lost without his little one. I am taking you there to have fun, to make friends ready for when you go to school. You made a friend today, didn't you?'
'Yes,' Madison replied.
'And you had fun?'
'Yes.'
'Well then, it can't be all bad. Just remember that Daddy will always come back to pick you up. Always.'
Seemingly satisfied with his response, Madison jumped off the fence. 'I'll go and see if the chickens have laid some eggs.'
'Okay, little one,' John replied, smiling as he watched her skip towards the chicken coop. His little girl. It scared him a little that his life would have no meaning without her, how much he depended on a three year old. But then he thought of the support from the outside and realised they weren't alone. And he was happy, truly happy. His daughter blessed his life in ways he couldn't describe. Even if it was just the two of them, John knew he would be content to have the love of such a wonderful daughter.
