Thanks so much for the reviews! Sorry it's taken me so long to update, I've been really busy lately. But hopefully you all will like the chapter. Updates should be coming a little quicker I hope, but if they don't I'm sorry I've got alot going on right now. But anyway please read and review. :)

The next morning Madison's alarm clock went off at 5:00 a.m.; she hit the off button and wondered what had made her think she was going to actually wake up that early this morning. She had the hardest time falling asleep the night before; she rolled back over to the middle of her bed and put the covers over her face. After squirming in bed for a while she realized she wouldn't be getting back to sleep. She looked at the clock 5:30 a.m. She got up and showered quickly then decided to do her regular workout.

Ephram on the other hand was quite different as soon as he had gotten home from Madison's he headed right to bed and fell asleep right away. By the time he woke up it was 11:00 a.m. He mustered all he could and quickly got out of bed realizing he only had a little while to get ready before he had to pick up Madison.

Ephram came up Madison's walkway and knocked on her door, he stood there for about a minute before she answered.

Madison opened the door for him and smiled widely, "Hey come on in you're right on time, just give me a sec."

"Take your time I'm not in a hurry."

"Ok, sorry I'm just having the hardest time finding my purse. You know no purse, no money, no food." She spoke out to him as she searched her kitchen.

"Hey that's ok I'm picking up the tab anyway, so don't stress," he said sitting down on the couch.

"Ephram I couldn't let you do that."

"Hey, try and stop me."

"I'll just have to do that," coming out of the bathroom, "ah found it, ready to go."

Jumping up off the couch, "Yup, let's go."

Ten minutes later Ephram and Madison were seated at a booth in Mama Joy's looking at there menu's.

"So what are you in the mood for?"

Madison puts her index finger up to her lips, "Let's see, am I in the hamburger and French fries kind of mood or something less fattening."

"Oh come on don't tell me you're the kind of girl who eats a piece of lettuce and says that lunch."

"Your right I'm not, I think I'm going for the bacon cheeseburger."

"That's more like it, I like the way you think, I'm going to do the same."

Madison and Ephram were eating away and conversing.

"So what do you do these days?" Madison asked

"You mean for work?" Madison nodded her head as she took a sip of her Dr Pepper.

"I play the piano."

"Details"

"Well I kind of have my own company."

"Really? How'd that happen?"

"Well about half way into my senior year in high school I went and played at a huge ya know change your life kind of competition, won it, and it completely changed everything." Taking a sip of his soda, "the head of a record company was there searching for talent and he saw me, loved everything about my music. Offered me a record deal, I accepted and recorded a classical CD it was all pretty cool for a 17 year old."

"Wow, that's great."

"Yea, it was, I loved being able to create and record my music, it made me feel alive, free, a release from the outside world. Anyway the record itself did pretty well, got my name out. Then from there Dylan, the head of the company, kind of took me under his wing. I reminded him a lot of his deceased son and we just hit it off. I mean, he got a movie that needed music he turned it over to me, he had artists to look at I went along. He showed me how to work in the business, introduced me to the outside world. Gosh it was amazing I got to travel the world from Tokyo, Paris, Vienna, Prague, Athens, Rome, Madrid, Moscow I mean the globe. Exploring cities meeting people, learning about different languages and cultures, and all types of music. I mean it wasn't just all about the music, Dylan wanted to teach me about life."

"What about school, and your dad?"

"Well while I was recording my album in New York I finished school there, ya know the company hired tutors to help me pass. Then as soon as I turned 18 I packed up everything in Everwood and came out to live in New York. Dylan set me up in this great place in the city, and we just worked and traveled. That is up until about three months ago."

Madison was very curious, "What happened?"

"Well about three months ago Dylan passed away, suddenly from a heart attack, he was 52."

"Oh I'm so sorry."

"Yea I mean it was really hard, he was like a father figure for me, what made it even harder at the time was that he left everything he had, his music company, houses other countless things all to me."

"That's incredible."

"Yea, but it's also a huge responsibility especially being so young, its hard work"

"I can imagine, so if you have such a great life right know with all of this, why come back here to little ole Everwood?"

Ephram wanted so badly at that moment to just tell her, tell her how much he missed her, how he has never cared about anybody the way he cared about her. Also that he had done so much in these past four years but he had been so lonely and that he loved her so much and wanted her back. But he couldn't do that so instead, "I just figured it was time for an escape, I needed to come back here where nobody knew who I was and I could just be me again."

Madison had secretly wanted him to say that he had come back for her. "Wow so you needed a vacation."

"Well kind of I guess that's what you could say I'm doing."

"How long are you going to be on this vacation?"

"It's helps to be the boss; no one can really tell me I only get two weeks a year."

"So?"

"So basically I'm here for as long as I want."

"You're lucky"

"Yea, well enough about me what about you?" Ephram said wanting to get to know more about her life.

"What do you mean?" Madison questioned.

"What are you doing as far as work, your career?"

"I'm into fashion, I design clothing."

"Oh ok lots of fun huh?"

"It can have its perks but it's stressful and can be a real pain."

"Of course"

"Yea well I was taking classes at school my senior year in college and I really didn't know what I wanted to do. Then I discovered the world of fashion, and I'm kind of a natural at it. It's not my life's passion like with you and your music, but I'm good at it. I was actually so good that about a year ago I was offered my own line with a company and I took the opportunity. It was great, I mean the money, and then I got offered a high position in the company, but I had to turn it down."

"Why's that?"

"Well that'd mean I'd have to leave Everwood for Paris and I really couldn't make that move, Everwood's my home. But they wanted me so badly that they said that they would work with me here in Everwood, I send them my designs, lots of conference phone calls and so on, we make it work."

"You must be really talented if their willing to do all of that."

"Well, anyway so now I have this great job, good money, and I can live where I'm comfortable."

"So it sounds like it fits." He said getting a feeling that she wasn't completely happy.

"Sure, I guess so," hesitating, "no I mean of course, its great." She said to Ephram almost as if she was trying to convince herself.

"So you said you had your own line."

"Yup that's right, it's in maternity wear."

It clicked in Ephram's mind and now what had been so confusing and upsetting to him a few days ago was now clear. "That's interesting, not exactly what every young fashion designer dreams about."

"Yea, well I wanted to be different. I mean I wanted to make something that appealed to the younger, hip expectant mother. It's hard looking for clothes when you're pregnant, ones that aren't huge tents around your body." She said very confidently.

Ephram got a weird look on his face; Madison noticed and then added to her comment. "I mean from all the research I did, the women I talked to always said the same things. Yes they were pregnant, but they still wanted to look good. It was a good fit for me; I think this type of clothing helps out a lot of younger women in my generation."

"Wow, Madison Kellnar, saving the world one pregnant women at a time."

"Hey, easy there I'm branching out; this time around I'm working on something a little different."

"Oh, really?"

"Yea matter of fact I'm working on my next line right now, I'm hoping to finish it up soon."

"That's fantastic, I'm happy for you, you've got a lot going for you. You've really made something great for yourself."

"Yea well, four years gives you a lot of time to figure out what's important to you, and what you can have if you just work for it." Madison said to Ephram as she looked up from her empty plate.

"You're absolutely right; we've both come far, well, from before." Madison's comment made Ephram think about what he was trying to accomplish now. It had taken him this long; he had wasted so much time before finally recognizing what he wanted.

"So, desert or are you to full Mr. Burger man."

"Well I was thinking..." Ephram was interrupted by Madison's cell phone ringing.

"Oh, I'm so sorry I forgot to turn it off." She said fumbling through her purse looking for and finding her cell phone. Madison was about to turn it off when she saw on the caller id that is was about work.

"Hey, do you mind if I get this I think it's important." She said pointing to her cell phone in her hand as she looked at Ephram truly sorry that they had to be interrupted.

"Sure, of course no problem, go ahead."

Madison nodded her head and answered the ringing phone, "Hello" Ephram just looked on at her observing her little motions, her upset face and frustrated tone in her voice with who ever was on the other end of the phone. He quickly got upset, knowing that someone was upsetting Madison and interrupting there, so far, pleasant lunch. Madison finally hung up and looked at Ephram and couldn't help but smile and let out a sigh.

"So, problem?" Ephram said with a sympathetic face.

"Yea, big problem."

"Well what's a matter?"

"Let's see these lazy, middle age, fat, bald men refuse to deliver my very important packages to my house."

"Oh, why's that?"

"I don't know just because they like to see me all flustered. I think they just like seeing me have to come into their place and lug away boxes. I don't know I guess in some weird way seeing me upset just makes their day. I swear this is like the fifth time this has happened."

"I mean you just have to go and get them right?"

"Oh, if it was just that easy, this is a huge shipment of fabrics sent from my company's office in Paris. They weigh a ton, and there's no way I can do it by myself. Auggh... I'm telling you I'm going to quite using them and then they'll, God I'm like all there business. Without me they'll go broke." She was obviously very upset, and starting to get in a really bad mood.

"Well before we run any businesses into the ground, let's just take a second and breathe, I'm sure we can figure something out."

"Right I don't know what I'm gonna do, I might be a strong, independent women, yes I am, but ok let's admit it I can't lift 60 pound boxes by myself. Heck their might even be more stuff, my boss just loves sending me surprises, the ones that give you migraines."

"Well I said we, I can help you figure this out. Your not alone Madison."

Madison was caught off guard, she wasn't really sure of how she was supposed to respond to his comment, which was truly sincere. "Oh... Ephram, I really couldn't put my troubles on you."

"Hey that's what friends do right, so I'll help."

"How?"

"It's simple really, I go with you."

"You have the time, I mean you'd have to come back to my place and help me get them in my house and all that other kind of stuff."

"Hey I'm a big, strong, oh and don't forget independent guy. That can lift those boxes for you, no problem, and you just have to tell me what to do. You don't even have to lift a box, we couldn't have those guys see you frustrated now can we?"

Laughing, "Oh, no we couldn't do that, are you sure?"

"Of course I'm ready when you are." Then a thought crossed his mind, what if his body wouldn't let him. What if he suddenly got a dizzy spell, or fainted while lifting the boxes, or even worse his body wouldn't let him lift them at all. His thoughts were interrupted.

"Alright then, were going to have to go know, something about their closing early today." She said as she gathered her purse and begun to pull out money to pay for her lunch.

Ephram's hand touched Madison's as she began to put money down on the table, "I don't think so, like I said before lunch is on me. And don't try and protest, you won't win, we'll be here all day, and then we won't be able to pick up your stuff." He kept his hand on top of hers.

"I'm not gonna win huh?"

"Not a chance."

"I see that's ok I'll let you win this one cause it's not gonna happen again."

"Funny, I beg to differ." Ephram smiled back at her, it made Madison melt, and she couldn't help but give him a wide, warm smile back. But their moment was interrupted. Their waitress had come back over to their table.

"So, who's the one picking up the check." She said as she looked down at the table were she saw there hands still together.

Madison hadn't noticed that Ephram's hand was still on top of hers, she quickly pulled away, a bit surprised at herself and disappointed that she had to pull away. "Oh that would be the gentlemen right here." She said pointing in Ephram's direction as she put her money back into her purse.

"Yea, that's me, guilty."

"Ok then here it is, have a nice day." The waitress said as she sat the check on the table and left.

"Alright" he pulled open his wallet, and Madison couldn't help but see that it was full of hundred dollar bills. "Here we go, ready?" he asked Madison as he set down the money on the table, leaving a gigantic tip.

"Are you sure you wanna give her that much, I mean she wasn't that great, a little rude."

"I've decided why not share the happy."

"Alright, well then let's go." Madison said as she got up from the table.