Several weeks later...
"Happy birthday to yoooou!" Satine and I sang the grand finale. Maddy grinned gleefully in front of a chocolate birthday cake adorned with seven candles. She applauded for our duet, then, with a determined look on her face, blew out the candles, getting every one of them.
"Okay. Now we have to cut the cake. I'm hungry." She demanded.
Satine laughed as she grabbed a knife and started cutting the circular cake into pieces. "Whatever your highness wants, birthday girl." She winked.
I handed Satine a plate that she dropped a gigantic piece of cake onto. "That's yours," she said matter-of-factly to Maddy.
She grinned. "I suspected as much! Can I have a fork, Papa?"
I nodded as I gave her the plate. "Of course. But you can't eat it until the rest of us get a slice." I handed out forks and napkins after Satine had finished cutting slices and we all dug in. We were seated outside, on a picnic blanket. Maddy loved the outdoors, so naturally that was where we were going to spend her special day.
As soon as she was finished eating, Maddy tossed her plate aside and went to go play in the grove of trees about 100 feet away. Satine and I sat and watched her disappear. "Don't go too far!" Satine cried after her.
"She's not listening to you," I laughed.
Satine laughed as well. "Yeah, I know. But it's probably best to let her run around for awhile to get all that extra sugar out of her system. I do NOT want to have to deal with an antsy child at dinner. We get enough weird looks as it is..."
Almost ten minutes later I realized I couldn't hear Maddy's laughter anymore. Satine noticed it at about the same time as well. "Maddy?" I called nervously. "Maddy, are you there?"
No answer.
Satine and I were on our feet in an instant, running as fast as we possibly could to get to the grove, screaming Maddy's name. I got there first since Satine was hampered by a dress. I immediately started searching, trying not to acknowledge what could be happening. 'No, no, not the Duke... he couldn't have found us..'. I thought. 'Not here, not now... let her be safe. Please, god, let her be safe...'
I could swear on the Bible I felt my world shatter as Satine screamed. My knees went weak and I grabbed a tree for support. Dear god, no... I stumbled off to find Satine.
I almost tripped over her. She was lying on the ground, sobbing. A quick visual scan told me she was all right. And there was Maddy, in her arms. I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. My knees turned into jelly and I sank down next to them. "What happened?"
Satine sniffled and hugged Maddy, who looked very, very confused. "What's going on?" She asked. "Are you two okay?"
Satine had managed to compose herself a little. She sniffled and wiped away the tears. "Christian, he's here. They've found us. HE'S found us."
"Happy birthday to yoooou!" Satine and I sang the grand finale. Maddy grinned gleefully in front of a chocolate birthday cake adorned with seven candles. She applauded for our duet, then, with a determined look on her face, blew out the candles, getting every one of them.
"Okay. Now we have to cut the cake. I'm hungry." She demanded.
Satine laughed as she grabbed a knife and started cutting the circular cake into pieces. "Whatever your highness wants, birthday girl." She winked.
I handed Satine a plate that she dropped a gigantic piece of cake onto. "That's yours," she said matter-of-factly to Maddy.
She grinned. "I suspected as much! Can I have a fork, Papa?"
I nodded as I gave her the plate. "Of course. But you can't eat it until the rest of us get a slice." I handed out forks and napkins after Satine had finished cutting slices and we all dug in. We were seated outside, on a picnic blanket. Maddy loved the outdoors, so naturally that was where we were going to spend her special day.
As soon as she was finished eating, Maddy tossed her plate aside and went to go play in the grove of trees about 100 feet away. Satine and I sat and watched her disappear. "Don't go too far!" Satine cried after her.
"She's not listening to you," I laughed.
Satine laughed as well. "Yeah, I know. But it's probably best to let her run around for awhile to get all that extra sugar out of her system. I do NOT want to have to deal with an antsy child at dinner. We get enough weird looks as it is..."
Almost ten minutes later I realized I couldn't hear Maddy's laughter anymore. Satine noticed it at about the same time as well. "Maddy?" I called nervously. "Maddy, are you there?"
No answer.
Satine and I were on our feet in an instant, running as fast as we possibly could to get to the grove, screaming Maddy's name. I got there first since Satine was hampered by a dress. I immediately started searching, trying not to acknowledge what could be happening. 'No, no, not the Duke... he couldn't have found us..'. I thought. 'Not here, not now... let her be safe. Please, god, let her be safe...'
I could swear on the Bible I felt my world shatter as Satine screamed. My knees went weak and I grabbed a tree for support. Dear god, no... I stumbled off to find Satine.
I almost tripped over her. She was lying on the ground, sobbing. A quick visual scan told me she was all right. And there was Maddy, in her arms. I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. My knees turned into jelly and I sank down next to them. "What happened?"
Satine sniffled and hugged Maddy, who looked very, very confused. "What's going on?" She asked. "Are you two okay?"
Satine had managed to compose herself a little. She sniffled and wiped away the tears. "Christian, he's here. They've found us. HE'S found us."