Growing Pain

It was late night by the time the two got home, about midnight but she told Jack to call until she picked up and when the phone rang an hour after they got home, Maddie ran for it and jumped onto her bed, phone in hand. Robbie threw his gear into the closet and headed for bed. He listened for Maddie to stop talking and it was finally two in the morning before he light went off and her voice went silent.

Maddie flipped the pancake in the pan later the next morning. It was about eleven, more like lunch but neither of the two had anywhere to be. Robbie wandered out, fully showered and dressed, grabbed a plate and took the three already made pancakes. Maddie joined him with her two, and they were silent at the table for the first few minutes.

"Start packing today, leave by next week, sound good?" Robbie asked, showing a huge piece into his mouth.

"Yeah, but if you want, you don't have to come." Maddie replied.

"Don't be silly, I'll find a place up there and we'll be like ten minutes away."

"Ten whole minutes." Maddie joked.

Robbie laughed then took a drink of the orange juice Maddie made. She finished eating and headed for her room to pack a few things. Robbie wandered up to the landlord and handed him the final check he would ever write to the guy. Walking back down the few flights of stairs, he opened the door and began to pack too.

XxxxxxXxxxxxX

Maddie finished packing her clothes into bags and into her car. It was a week after they got home, they were leaving again, car piled full of bags of clothes but no furniture, if they really needed them, Alex would ship them to Maddie, they had a deal worked out. Robbie hopped in the drivers seat and turned the car on, waiting for Maddie to write a note to Alex and leave the keys. She ran out of the building a few minutes later, car warm in the cold afternoon air. She smiled at her brother and they began the drive towards their new town.

XxxxxxXxxxxxX

Maddie pulled onto the road Jack told her his house was on, all the houses were huge. She looked over at Robbie, he was sleeping soundly, and smiled. She continued to drive the street until she found the number she was looking for. Pulling into the driveway, she peered up at the house.

Two story's high, double garage. It amazed her. The front door was a double wooden door that was back in an arched alcove. There was a black lab running out in the front yard, tied to the fence. Maddie looked up at the huge window in the center of the second story and then snapped back to reality when she almost hit a black car. Maddie stopped the car in the driveway and hopped out, walking up to the house and petting the dog on the way. She knocked the knocker and waited.

Jack reached out to the doorknob on the inside and pulled the door open, finding Maddie looking around the alcove. He cleared his throat and Maddie turned to look at him, leaping for him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and laughed.

"You got a nice house." She smiled, as she pulled apart.

"I know, where's Mac?"

"Sleeping, I figured I should just leave him." Maddie smiled.

"Tour?" Jack asked.

"Sure."

"First, the dog, that's my moms, name's Diablo." Jack pointed to the barking dog.

"Awe, he's so cute."

Jack took her hand and took her inside. He led her into the front and up a few stairs to the huge picture window room where an older lady sat, reading a book about romance. Maddie recognized it and smiled.

"Mom." Jack said. "This is Maddie."

"Hi, good book." Maddie waved.

"Nice to finally meet you." His mom joked. "All I've been hearing is stuff about you and hockey but I thought you were the one with the brother."

"I am but he's in the car sleeping, rough few nights." Maddie joked. "Plus he's not a very good traveler."

"Guess I'll meet him some other time, I'm going to head home for today."

"Bye mom."

"Bye Maddie." His mom waved.

"Bye Mrs-"

"Call me mom or Gabby."

"Bye Gabby." Maddie waved.

XxxxxxXxxxxxX

Maddie wandered outside to wake Robbie up after finishing the house tour. Jack watched her from the doorway. He stood there, met by a blonde from the yard over. She didn't even notice Maddie or her car.

"Hi."

"Penny…" Jack replied.

"What's new?"

"Nothing really." Jack answered.

"Well, I was just wondering…" Penny hesitated when Maddie marched up the steps, Robbie close behind but he walked right in, Maddie stood beside Jack and reached up to kiss him. "If you wanted to go out sometime?"

"Are you inviting your friend to the wedding?" Maddie asked, knowing who she was.

"Penny, this is Maddie, she's my fiancé." Jack stated.

"Hi." Maddie extended her hand for a handshake but received only a glare.

"See you around." She said through clenched teeth and walked back over to her yard.

Maddie watched her go and held back a laugh but when Jack laughed, she laughed too.

"You're so bad." Jack remarked.

"I only told her the truth." Maddie grinned.

XxxxxxXxxxxxX

"No, it's just not what I want." Maddie complained.

She was looking at dresses with Jack's mom. She already had something in mind but it just want designed yet.

"Maybe we should move on to something else." Gabby suggested.

"Yeah, lunch? On me?" Maddie asked.

"Alright."

Maddie walked out of the store first then turned left down the street. A few stores over was a restaurant and that's the one she chose. They got a table and ordered drinks and food. During the wait, the two started talking.

"So was the proposal romantic?"

"I guess at the time, in front of the whole team, my brother and my cousin, in the locker room after the Soviet game. Yeah it was pretty romantic."

"My boy's an idiot. As long as you said yes right." She joked.

"I would've said yes even if I was drowning and no one could've possibly helped me, or if it was after I'd fallen a few times, maybe if I was in a dump, either way, it would've been a yes."

"That's good."

"Well, what can you do when you love someone?" Maddie smiled.

"True…"

Maddie glanced out the window. She looked across the street and back at the store they had just come from. She stared a minute longer before turning back to Gabby.

"I'll be right back." She said.

Maddie stood up and walked really fast down the street to the store. She whipped open the door and walked over towards where she was looking earlier. By that time, Gabby had paid the waiter and walked over behind her.

Maddie eyed the one dress she saw from the restaurant. It was perfect, just what she wanted, strapless white, long flowing skirt that wasn't limp but wasn't fixed in place. Gabby smiled as Maddie pulled it down and walked into the change room. When she walked out a few minutes later, Gabby gasped. Maddie looked at herself in the mirror and smiled. Gabby smiled too.

"Perfect?" Gabby asked.

"Oh yeah."

XxxxxxXxxxxxX

Robbie sat on the couch watching television, Jack on the chair at the other end of the couch. He flipped the channels, looking for anything interesting. He gave up and stopped at a local hockey game. The two boys watched intently as their team took a huge lead. It was five to nothing as the final score and Maddie walked in just in time to see the game end. She threw her coat in the closet and peeked into the living room. Robbie glanced over and waved to her, she walked in and leaned on the back of the couch.

"Have you even moved since I left?" She asked jokingly. "Are you like permanently molded into the couch?"

"Yes I am." Robbie replied.

"No, he moved, had to get up to grab some chips." Jack joked.

"So while I was out wrestling some girl for my perfect dress, almost losing then having a dramatic comeback to finally get the dress and it has dirt all over it, but then your mom reassuring me she can get it out, you sat here and did absolutely nothing?"

"Yeah." Jack shrugged.

"Okay…" She rolled her eyes. "Note to self, sarcasm doesn't work this early."

"I'm taking you out tonight." Robbie blurted. "For dinner, the two of you and me."

"Great." Maddie muttered as she flopped upside-down over the couch and lay with her head hanging over the front now.

"Do you ever just sit normally?" Jack asked.

"No." Maddie rolled off the couch and sat in a heap on the floor.

She stood up and skipped over to Jack then sat on his lap.

"Normal enough?" Maddie asked.

"Murder me please." Robbie retorted.