What You See Isn't Always What You Get

Chap.7

The floor disappeared beneath their feet, but they remained floating. Maddie's image faded away, replaced by the image of a teenaged girl, a younger Maddie.

"Mom! Mom, snap out of it!" Danny begged. "Please."

"Maddie!" This time, it was Jack. He burst in and ran right up to Maddie. "Maddie, don't do this. Remember? I was there for you when Terri died, wasn't I? And…Jazz and Danny! They can't grow up without you, you know!"

"Jazz? And…Danny?" Maddie's head was becoming clearer. Terri growled at him.

"Shut up, you worthless sack of potato shit!" He yelled, Jack knocked back by the impact. "Look, she did what she wanted, and she chose me."

"Mom, snap out of it!" Danny feverishly shook Maddie, trying to get a response.

"Danny?"

"Get away from her, half-breed!" Terri knocked Danny back. Maddie's eyes widened in realization.

"Terri! Ex-boyfriend or not, you can't treat my son that way!" She snapped. Terri frowned, and took up one of Maddie's hands into his own.

"Maddie…all I ever wanted was to be near you. I loved from the moment I ever saw you in the ice cream parlor. You never saw me, but I saw you. It's been the same for the last twenty six years! I would stand next to you during a test, pat you on the back when you answered one right, but you didn't notice. I walked next to you on your other side when you walked down the aisle for your wedding, trying to hold your other arm. I stood next to your bedside when you had Jazz, and stood beside Jazz and you when Danny came. I helped you find those notes you needed for that invention even just a week ago…and you thought the wind blew them into your hands." Tears were coming to Terri's eyes. Danny looked closer. They were tears, but the tears were made of blood, staining his pale ivory skin.

"Terri…"

"All I ever wanted…was for you to notice me. And you ignored me! You don't know what it's like to be ignored completely for twenty-six long years." He sobbed.

"Terri, I'm sorry. I just…."

A grey haired man in a white robe appeared behind the two a book in front of him and a smile on his face.

"Do you apologize? Because I do." Terri smiled weakly, and Maddie was happy to find that it was the same smile she'd fallen in love with.

"I do."

The old man behind them cackled.

"You may kiss the bride." He cackled.