October 3, 1935 (STEVE'S POV)
I couldn't keep ignoring how different Maddi had been acting the past few months, no matter how much she acted like it was nothing. Her Uncle lost his job, that must be hard on her, but she never wants to talk about it. She was at lunch today and I saw her sweater slip up closer to her elbow, which revealed a nasty bruise all around her wrist. I stayed quiet about it at the time because Alice was eating with us again. She was much nicer than I had initially thought. It seemed once she was no longer friends with the more demanding girls, she was funny and kind. Maddi liked having her as a friend, and I didn't mind her because she never seemed to look at me funny like all the other girls. After school, I asked Maddi if she would have time to walk through the park with me and she agreed. Maddi was much more quiet than in the past, and it made me sad to not hear her beautiful voice telling me a million different stories throughout our day.
We sat down at a bench and I knew this was the right time to bring up the bruise I saw earlier. "Maddi, I know you have been acting different recently, and I don't want to make you uncomfortable. But care about you more than you could possibly know and I saw a bruise on your arm at lunch today. What happened?" She looked straight ahead as she realized what I saw and I felt bad for asking but I knew it was the right thing to do.
A tear fell down her face as she spoke after a couple minutes of silence. "I don't know how to tell you." It pained me to see her obviously hurting.
"You can tell me anything, Mads."
"I don't want you to see how weak I am," she replied.
"Maddi, nothing you show or tell me will make me think any less of you. I promise," I was completely telling the truth when I said this because she was close to perfect in my eyes.
"I lied before," she looked down at her hands as she spoke. "My Uncle didn't lose his job last month, he lost it in July." That's why she was working two jobs all summer. I stayed quiet to let her continue. "And it wasn't because the company was making cuts, but because he was drinking on the job and they fired him for reckless behavior. He has been drinking since May, and it's because of me," as she said those last words, she burst into tears and put her face in her hands. I immediately put my ar around her and she leaned into my shoulder. We were the same height so it wasn't too difficult for me to console her. On top of that, she had become as skinny as I was.
"Maddi, how could it possibly be your fault? He made the awul choice to do this to himself."
"Because I'm the reason Aunt Lily died. I don't know what I did but God must be punishing me for something, every family member who has cared about me has died." What she was saying was ridiculous, but I didn't want her to feel worse. "He started drinking because his wife died, and I tried to get him to stop, but he told me he wasn't going to let me kill him to. So he hits me and throws me against the walls and the floor and he always grabs my wrists like he's about to break them and I didn't want to tell you Steve, and I'm so sorry for keeping this from you." I was angry, but not at Maddi. She just confessed in all her tears and slight hysteria what her uncle had been doing to her for months. He was abusing her and she was covering it up everyday.
"Maddi," I said with sadness leaking from my voice but she stopped me.
"I know, I should be stronger and stand up to him like you do to anyone who tries to hurt you, but I just get so scared and it hurts so much when he grabs onto me that I can't think of anything but how much I wish it were over. We never have enough money anymore for food and I just know we will be losing our apartment soon and I just try to push it all away so it hurts less."
"Maddi, you are the strongest person I know!" I told her with full confidence. "To go through this all alone for so long, you are incredibly strong. None of this is your fault, you uncle has it all backwards. Your Aunt didn't die because of you, please never think that is your fault. It happens sometimes and it's sad, but God isn't punishing you. I promise that i I only know one thing, it's that you're the kindest person I know and don't deserve any of this. You can't live there anymore." She looked at me like I was crazy.
"I have to, I don't have any other family. His children live across the country and they didn't even come to visit when their mother died."
"Maddi, how bad does he hurt you? Because from what you already said, it sounds really bad." She slowly rolled up her sleeves to show both wrists a completely different shade than the rest of her skin.
"These are the worst. Like I said, he grabs here whenever he talks to me or throws me around. My face hasn't been touched in a while, but he has punched and slapped me. A lot of it is beneath my clothes from being thrown into things, or sometimes kicked." She had less emotion telling me this and I actually had tears in my eyes from it. She was in so much emotional and physical pain, I wish I could have just taken it all away from her.
"Live with me," I told her as I wiped my eyes before she saw me cry.
"What?" She asked confused.
"You can't keep living there. It's not safe for you and I will not let you be in danger any longer. Come live with me and my mother, I know she'll let you as soon as she knows why. She adores you." She shook her head and looked away.
"I can't do that, there's not enough room for me or enough money. I couldn't put that on you or your mother Steve-"
"Maddi, I can't accept no for an answer," I said, cutting her off. "Please Maddi, you mean so much to me and I can't let you live another day in that house where he'll keep hurting you." I could barely get the words out but she looked at me and she smiled. She smiled more than she had in a while and she cried as she threw her arms around me and thanked me over and over. "Can you promise me one thing though?" I asked her as I hugged her back. "Don't ever blame yourself for your aunt's death, your father's, Alex's, or your mother's. What has happened to them and to you is not fair and it has nothing to do with you." She leaned back and looked into my eyes. I could tell she was struggling internally as she thought over what I said, but she eventually nodded her head.
"I promise," She whispered. We sat in silence for a bit until I thought of something.
"Is there a time we can go gather all your things? I'll come help, is he ever out of the house?" I asked her.
"Yeah, he sometimes goes out with these guys I've never met. We can go now, he should be gone until later tonight." We walked towards her house and I waited outside while she checked first if the apartment was empty. She came back out a couple minutes later to tell me it was clear. We had a few large bags and started putting the essentials in from her room. She kept most of the money out in the open for her uncle to not get upset, but she kept some hidden under a floorboard under her bed. "Rent was coming up and I was trying to get enough but it just wasn't going to cut it this time." She had only about $10, which was certainly not enough for a month's rent. We kept packing her clothing and school items. I came across a box on her dresser and opened to see if what was inside was important. I was surprised to see all the drawings I made her.
"You kept all of these?" I asked in awe. There were even some that were small and quick. Some that I didn't put much effort into because I was just doodling, but she kept those too.
"Of course, I love your art," She said with a smile. "I'm really sorry that some of them aren't in the best condition. When he ransacked my room for money a while back, he messed some of them up. The first one you gave me was even ripped up, that's the one I tried to fix earlier." It was tapped on the back and I smiled to myself at how wonderful it felt she loved my drawings this much. She took the box and carefully placed it in her bag.
"You sure you want to bring all of these? I can make you more: better ones even." I suggested.
"No way! I love each and every one of them. They are coming with… and you can make me more," she smirked as she added that last part. I shook my head and laughed a bit. When we had finished getting everything she needed, we walked towards my place. I opened the door and my mother was sitting at the kitchen table.
" Hello mom, can I talk to you about something important?" I asked and she glanced towards Maddi and then back to me.
"Sure. Come on in Maddi, you can wait here while we go talk in my room." We had two bedrooms and a kitchen/living area. It was nicer than many other places, but we still had to live tightly and everything else.
"We have to let Maddi live with us," I stated. It was bold, but I have no other options. "She has nowhere else to go. Her uncle drinks all the time and steals her money earned. He hits her too, mom." Maddi told me it was all right to tell my mother what happened so she would understand.
"Is she all right? The poor girl, of course! We will figure out how to make it work; I don't want her in that kind of danger anymore." My mother loved Maddi. "Now you two won't be sleeping in the same room. That would be well past improper. She'll take your room and will have to fit you on the sofa-"
"Absolutely!" I cut her off, my face I got him read from her words. She knew how I felt about Maddi, even if I hadn't out right told her. But I was also a gentleman and would give up my bed for Maddi if she needed. There was no way we would be sharing one or even sharing a room together. We both walked out and my mother told Maddi she could stay.
"Thank you! Thank you so much Mrs. Rogers!" She had her beautiful glowing smile as she spoke. "I can help pay rent, and for food. I'll sleep on the floor out here too-"
"No, no, no." My mother interrupted. "You'll be sleeping in Steve's room, he can be out here. And I want you quitting one of your two jobs Steve told me about. I don't mind you helping out but you need to focus back on school. I know you are a very bright young woman, and I promise you whatever you need I will help you get it to the best of my ability."
Maddi looked like she was about to cry, my mom was been so helpful and caring. I was glad that the two of us could protect Maddi and make her happier than she's been in a very long time. I knew that I would do anything to keep her safe and happy.