I couldn't sleep. After the day I had who could blame me. I spent the night recalling the day. It felt like a life time since I met Brian in the Northwestern Law School Library. Had it really been fourteen hours earlier? It felt more like a week. Then I had my feeling about Allison to deal with. From when I opened the door on Thursday I knew I would have to deal with them. The whole idea that she had a daughter with Bender…it was something that I was having trouble wrapping my head around still.

Tired of lying in bed but not tired enough to sleep I got up and walked down the hall and peeked into the guest room where she and her daughter were sharing a bed. Maddie had stolen all the blankets leaving Allison curled into a little ball trying to keep warm. Before bed I gave her a pair of boxers and an old t-shirt, I never knew she had such great legs. Although it was late spring and had been pretty warm the guest room was always a little on the cold side so I pulled the old quilt out of the closet and covered her with it. As I did so she opened her eyes. "Is something wrong," she muttered sitting up.

"No, I was just checking on you. Maddie has all the blankets and…" she cut me off by placing her finger to her lips and motioning to the little girl who was beginning to stir next to her. "Sorry." I said in a whisper.

"It's okay. Trying to get her to go back to sleep once she is up is impossible."

"Going to sleep at all is too."

"Can't sleep?" She asked and I shook my head. Scooting over closer to Maddie she patted the bed and I sat next to her. "I guess today was a lot to take in."

"You can say that again."

Pulling the quilt over her legs she said, "I don't know why but I feel like I should be apologizing for Maddie being here."

"My mom won't mind."

"No, what I mean is apologizing for her being born."

"You don't have to do that."

"I know. Logically I know but I also know that Claire isn't happy about it and I saw the look on John's face."

"Don't worry about Claire."

"I'm not. She never gave me the time of day after detention but John is Maddie's father. I know John and I could see that he was regretting her. He would much rather that she was Claire's." She looked down and ran her fingers over the stitching of the quilt.

"Im sure he loves her. We all look back and miss what might have been on occasion."

Looking up she smiled at me. "You are right. I feel like a bad person though."

"You are probably the best person I ever met. You think for yourself, you don't put other people down, you are true and honest." I just couldn't imagine her being a bad person. It could have been me holding on to the image I had of her from that Saturday though.

"No I am."

"Why do you think that?"

"Do you know what I was thinking even while I was sitting there trying to comfort Claire? Do you?" This time it was my turn to put my finger to my lips. She turned and tucked the blankets tighter around Maddie who was sucking her thumb. "I wish she wouldn't suck her thumb. I've gotten her to stop during the day but at night it's hopeless."

"What were you thinking?"

"Do you really want to know?" She asked softly.

"Yeah, I really want to know."

"I was thinking thank god she had the abortion. I was thinking if she had a child with John how that would shove Maddie into the background and make her second. I don't want her to have to play second fiddle to his child with Claire. For a moment I was glad that I had Maddie and she didn't. I was hoping that her existence would drive a wedge between them so that they wouldn't get together and there would be no chance of a child." I didn't know what to say to her. "See I told you I was a bad person."

"I don't think that makes you a bad person. You just want to protect Maddie. I don't like John very much maybe you are underestimating him. From how he was with Maddie I can see she means the world to him." I remembered how proud he looked when I asked him about the picture on his desk.

"He does love her but he would love her more if she was Claire's." What could I say to that? I didn't want to tell her she was probably right because she probably was. As I tried to figure out how to reply she gave a huge yawn.

"I guess I should let you sleep," I said kind of relieved that I had a reason not to reply. I started for the door but turned and leaned over kissing her on the forehead. As I turned out the light she called out, "Could you stay?" I stopped in my tracks. "Until I fall asleep that is." I could feel my heart beating. Things were going fast but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. I just hoped I wasn't reading too much into it. Without saying a word I climbed into bed next to her and laid on top of the covers. The next thing I knew it was morning.

Waking to the chirping birds I opened my eyes and tried to remember where I was; the guest room. Then I tried to remember how I got there. Trying to sit up I felt a weight over my waist and realized it was an arm and Allison was snuggled against my back. Carefully so I wouldn't wake her I slid out from underneath her arm, and headed downstairs to the kitchen.

"Do you want Maple Syrup or Strawberry syrup," I heard my mom asking someone.

"I never heard of Strawberry syrup," a small voice piped up. I had forgotten about Maddie. "My mommy always has maple for my awfuls." My mom laughed and I couldn't help but smiled.

"You mean waffles, Sweetie." She said as the toaster popped out two for Maddie.

"Hi Mom."

"Hello Andrew," she replied coolly. It wouldn't have been obvious to other people but my mom usually only called me Andrew when she was worried about something or if she was mad at me.

"Hi Maddie."

"Hi Uncle Andy," she said leaping off her chair and giving me a hug. I noticed my mom arching her eyebrow in a questioning manner.

"I was just giving the little girl breakfast. I found her in the living room this morning watching Scooby Doo cartoons. I guess you had a late night?"

"Yeah Claire and John left about twelve thirty or so. Allison and I called it a night shortly after that."

Mom placed the plate of waffles cut into bite sized pieces with strawberry syrup on the table. "Here you go Sweetie, come back to the table and eat."

"Okie dokie," she said and sat back down. The t-shirt I had given Allison for her the night before was longer than I thought It would be and dragged the floor. I hoped Maddie didn't trip and hurt herself. "Do you want some awfuls too Uncle Andy?"

"Sure," I said. Normally I didn't eat breakfast. My dad would have made me but as the years went by and I didn't wrestle and I had early classes breakfast was no longer the most important meal of my day.

"Well you know where the freezer is and the toaster too."

I didn't get why my mom was in such a crabby mood this morning. "Is everything okay mom?" I asked popping the waffles in the toaster.

"Just fine."

That was an answer she used to give dad when things weren't fine but she didn't want to talk about what was really making her angry. "I know I should have called to make sure it was okay that everyone came back here last night." The look on her face didn't change with my apology so that wasn't the problem.

"Morning," said Allison standing in the doorway. She had changed into her clothes from yesterday.

"Morning Mommy, I'm eating awfuls. Grandma Olivia made them for me." As she said that Allison looked at me. I just shrugged. "They have strawberry syrup."

"Mmmm strawberry syrup sounds yummy." She said sitting next to her daughter.

"Can we buy some at daddy's store?"

"We will talk about it. When you are done eating we will get you dressed and be on our way. Mrs. Clark, thank you for letting us stay last night."

"Not a problem. It's been ages since there have been children in the house."

"Jeff had his family over here just the other night," I reminded her through a mouth of Eggo ™ .

"Perhaps but the boys are so grown up. And they are boys. Little girls are different."

"Grandma Olivia told me that I was sugar and spice and everything nice."

Allison put her arm around Maddie, "That you are." Then she looked at my mom, "Grandma Olivia?"

"Well I don't approve of children calling people by their given names and Mrs. Clarke sounded so formal especially given the situation," mom explained. Allison and I just looked at each other. "Would you like a cup of coffee? Tea maybe," my mom asked in her pinched tone. I was starting to really wonder what was up with her.

"Tea would be nice. Thank you."

Mom put some water on but told me I knew where the bags were and left the room.

"I don't think she was okay with us spending the night," Allison said as she sipped her tea.

After they left I started to pack up my things to head back to the city. I had an interview with Markwitz, Hale and Kramer a big law firm in the Loop. "Do you need anything washed?" my mom asked.

"No, I think I have everything."

"Good to see you taking some responsibility," she said snapping at me again. I just shrugged. It wouldn't do anything good asking her because she expected me to know and I didn't have a clue.

I