Madeline
Chapter Seven - It's Something
Miranda
"I just can't believe no one ever called me to let me know about Madeline." Matt and I were sitting on the couch in my apartment. He had been over every night all week as soon as I got home from work and usually left when I did in the mornings. He'd even spent Wednesday night with me and Mrs. Gordon watching the news and Wheel of Fortune. She'd been so happy that I 'finally had my Matt back', I guess I talked about him more than I realized over the last two years while we sat and watched the television in the Gordon's living room.
"Miranda, I know it sounds so stupid now, but we didn't know what in the hell was going on and Lizzie was scared, we both were. We weren't sure if our parents would both be there every morning when we woke up or if Dad would get pissed about something stupid and kick Lizzie out of the house, or any number of things. I know we should have called, and believe me we tried a few times but we never got the entire number dialed. I wrote you thousands of e mails but I never sent one. It's just not something you can write someone about or tell them over the phone, especially someone you love with all of your soul." I looked into his eyes and saw nothing but a longing for understanding and I tried for him.
Truth was, it really didn't make any sense at all to me, but I had no way of knowing how I would have reacted in the same situation. It couldn't have been easy and I was very thankful that I would never have to find out how I would handle the same circumstances.
"Matt, I can't fully understand, but I know you wouldn't have done anything to hurt me on purpose. I don't know what happened back then or why, and I don't need to. All I need to know right now is that you love me as much as I love you and that you will never cut me out of your life again."
"Now that's something I can answer easily. I love you more than anything in this world, only Madeline comes close to having as much of my heart as you do and that is how it's always been and always will be. I don't think. . .no, I know I couldn't face anymore of this life without you being in it. I love you and I need you, this week has only proven both of those to me over and over again."
I closed my eyes when I saw him leaning in for a kiss and let his tongue slide past my lips after they had connected with passion. In that moment, all the time spent hoping and waiting over the last six years was justified. He had said everything I needed to hear from him before I could let myself fall deeply and completely in love with him again, and now I had. Six years is a long time, but forever would eventually make them nothing more than a foot note in my life.
"Matt, I love you too. I need you in my life as much as you need me." I didn't get a single other word out for the rest of the night. We laid there and kissed on my couch until we had both fallen asleep in each other's arms.
When I woke up, Al Rooker was asking some woman what her sign meant and I watched the t.v. for a few minutes before my brain woke up and realized I usually watched this at work in the employee lounge while getting my morning coffee. "Oh, shit!" I jumped to my feet and deposited Matt on the floor before I started running around my apartment to get ready for work.
"Miranda, what in the world are you doing!" I didn't answer his question until I was breezing by the living room, looking for my shoes.
"I'm trying to find my other shoe so I can get to work before I'm really late." I rolled my eyes at how obvious an answer that had to have been if he'd just thought about it for a second.
"Oh. Need any help?" I looked at the couch on my way back by and saw he'd gotten off the floor, but had only laid back down. "I'll just stay out of your way." His words were muffled by the arm of my couch.
Having gotten dressed I grabbed my purse and keys and headed for the door. "Just let yourself out. What time were you supposed to be home to let Lizzie leave for work?" I heard him swear and the sound of someone frantically trying to pull on shoes that were tied too tight. A few seconds later he appeared in the door way.
"Could you give me a ride? I was supposed to be there at seven." I rolled my eyes at him for the fifth or sixth time that morning as he stretched and threw me his best innocent smile at the same time.
"Yeah, let's go. You know, that reminds me, how do you get over here and back every day?"
He shrugged his shoulders and smiled. "I walk, why?"
I didn't answer him, I only laughed all the way out to my car. When we were almost to his and Lizzie's house I heard myself make a suggestion that surprised me. "You know, if you wanted to just stay at my place, Lizzie could drop off Madeline on her way to work and you wouldn't have to run all the way back every morning."
Matt looked over at me and I could see the same question on his face that was screaming in my head. "What do you mean by staying at your place. Like for the day or. . ." I tried to answer him, but I wasn't sure what I had meant either.
"I don't know. It just came popping out of my mouth and I really don't know what I meant." He nodded his head, as if he understood me but there was no way anything I had just mumbled made any sense. If anything it had confused me more, I could only imagine what was going through his brain at the moment.
"Well, why don't we figure this all out tonight so you can get to work." I smiled at him and nodded my head. That made sense and it gave me a good six hours or so to think about what I had just suggested to him.
"Yeah. . .that, that sounds good." I stopped in front of their house and watched Matt until he was inside. "I love you, Matt." I whispered it to myself as I drove off to get this day over with as soon as possible to get back to him. Fridays always seemed to drag on and I had a feeling that today would be no different.
