Another Father's Advice
Chapter 8
Mike needed to be working on funeral plans and getting Miller transported back to the States, so he could begin his recovery but instead he was staring into space. About ten am, Tom knocked on his door with a file in his hands.
"Penny for your thoughts?" Tom asked as he strode in and sit down across from Mike.
"Five-bedroom, three baths with office. Slightly overbudget but perfect. Right school district, pool, workshop for me, has the office and…" Mike continued.
"Mike, what the hell are you talking about?" Tom asked. Mike realized that he didn't know about Hannah. He decided to string Tom along a little longer just for the fun of it.
"I need a bigger house in Joey's school district and Madeline needs an office since she works from home. The pool and workshop are just luxuries but…" Mike continued on.
"You've dated…a week? Two? You're moving in with her? Mike, I get it. You're lonely. You miss Christine and the kids. I don't blame you but isn't this is a bit soon? Madeline is really nice, and I could see the two of you together but…" Tom lectured.
"Plus, I need a bedroom for Hannah and she's been through hell and is really leaning on Madeline. I don't want my daughter sleeping on a couch and the only option Madeline has. My apartment is also only two-bedroom, so Madeline and I are buying a house." Mike told Tom. He had a stunned look on his face.
"How…where…when? I just saw you yesterday and you made no mention of Hannah." Tom asked.
"Long story and promise me you will not judge Madeline when I tell you this." Mike asked.
"I am intrigued what Madeline might have to do with this. She seems…totally…good?" Tom asked.
"She is. Her mother is not. You've heard of the child slavery rings?" Mike asked.
"Yes, horrific stories." Tom stated.
"Yes, so apparently somehow, Hannah won't talk about how, she ended up sold to Madeline's mother. Madeline's mother beat on her. I took Hannah to the ER last night. Lots of new and old bruises, old breaks, she has been whipped. Legs and arms are covered in bruises, she's malnourished and dehydrated as well. And broken emotionally. She very clearly doesn't want to talk. She is leaning on Madeline and she adores Elizabeth. She thought Elizabeth is mine." Mike filled him in. Tom looked totally taken aback.
"Wow…wow. Is Madeline's mom in jail or dead?" Tom asked.
"Neither. I threw her out but if I hadn't; Madeline would have. There is a long history between those two and I don't know a lot of details, but I do know that Madeline doesn't condone what her mother did to Hannah." Mike told him.
"Okay, I get that Hannah is leaning on Madeline but are you sure about this step with her? I know you trust her and all but…can you live with her?" Tom asked.
"I…spent a night at my apartment the other day. No reason just thought we could use a bit of distance. I didn't want to fall in love with the idea of being a husband and father again. Want to fall in love with her and the kids; not the idea. I didn't sleep at all that night. Neither did she. We hate being apart." Mike commented. He knew how stupid it sounded.
"Mike, how long did you and Christine date before you moved in together, got engaged, and married?" Tom asked as he played with his pen.
"We started dating in eighth grade. Dated through high school and into our college years. Got married not long before I graduated from police academy and we never lived together until we got married. She lived with her parents and then moved into my apartment." Mike stated.
"So, you knew her pretty well before you lived together?" Tom asked.
"Yes. Course, you never really know someone until you live together." Mike commented.
"True. Mike, I am going to support whatever decision you make, and I do understand your reasoning. I am thrilled that you have Hannah back and given how traumatized she is; if she is leaning on Madeline, you need to make her most comfortable. I just want you to be sure of this. You are a traditionalist. Moving in with a woman you barely know is a little shocking." Tom commented.
"You live with Sasha and you aren't married…" Mike stated, confused.
"I am not you and I dated Sasha before. You have only been with Christine. That is not a bad thing and you still care very deeply for her. Miss her despite being with Madeline. The two women are not much alike, are they?" Tom asked.
"Not in the least. Not physically, or emotionally. The one area that they are both alike in is the way that they both…mothered? It's a similar style. Not exact but a lot alike. I think that is why Hannah is leaning on Madeline like she is, and Madeline doesn't seem to mind." Mike commented.
"I would worry if you found someone who was a carbon copy of Christine. I think their personalities are similar but then, I don't know Madeline as well as I did Christine. I do have one concern." Tom added.
"That is?" Mike asked.
"This with Colombia is not finished. You will likely be deployed. What happens to Hannah? I can see how and why you would leave her with Madeline but what if her mom shows back up? Can Madeline withstand her mom without you here?" Tom asked.
"I…haven't figured that out. I am worried. I trust Madeline with her but…I definitely don't trust Anna." Mike admitted.
"I don't have a piece of advice where that is concerned. I wish I did. Safeguard Hannah and Madeline both. Make sure there is a good alarm system in that house. Take Madeline out and teach her how to defend herself and those kids, teach her how to shoot. I would guess since Madeline's mom could afford to buy a child, she has serious means. Means that she could use to get to Madeline. Would she hurt her own daughter and grandchildren?" Tom asked.
"I would love to say no but considering what she did to my daughter; I wouldn't be shocked. I spent maybe five minutes with her and my impression is that she doesn't value life." Mike remarked.
"Was Madeline adopted or something? She's good people." Tom asked.
"I wonder that myself. I do know that a nanny raised Madeline and her brother. I would say that is where Madeline got her influence." Mike stated.
"Probably. Will she be swayed by the money?" Tom asked.
"No. Her mother mentioned something about sending her money every month, but Madeline puts it in an education fund for her kids. She doesn't let Anna pay her month to month expenses." Mike told him.
"Good." Tom commented.
"Yeah. She is really angry with her mom. Joey has this fear of monsters under his bed and in his closet. Madeline had to explain to him last night that sometimes it's the monsters that are walking out in society that you need to worry about more. And we ended up with him in bed between us last night, then Hannah and then Elizabeth. Made a queen-sized bed really small." Mike remarked with a laugh.
"I don't miss my kids doing that." Tom told him.
"I did. Now it feels good and euphoric, but it might get aggravating later. For now, I plan on enjoying it." Mike remarked. It had been something he had missed. The kids had frequently climbed up in bed with Christine and him. He loved the sweet cuddles and watching them sleep. At the time, he might have griped but now it was precious memories.
"Earth to Mike?" Tom joked.
"Yeah, sorry. Was just thinking. So, what are you doing for lunch?" Mike asked.
"I have no idea. What about you?" Tom asked.
"I am meeting Madeline, Hannah and Elizabeth for lunch at the Chinese place down the road. Hannah wanted Chinese food. Madeline had taken her shopping for clothes since she had nothing." Mike stated.
"Sounds good." Tom said with some interest.
"We're meeting at noon, so provided you leave me alone for a bit, so I can get some work done; you're welcome to come with." Mike invited him.
"It's a date. And by the way; you were the one daydreaming when I came in." Tom said as he stood up.
"What'd you need anyways?" Mike asked.
"Just walked by and saw you staring into space. That's usually my thing, not yours." Tom stated before he walked out.
"I see." Mike said as he looked back down at his desk. He was not any more motivated to start planning the funerals.
Nearby Clothing Store
"I really don't need all this…" Hannah stated. They really hadn't picked out much at all. So far, Hannah had picked out a single pair of jeans and three shirts.
"Your dad told me to get you everything that you need or want." Madeline told her as she eyed a few t-shirts that a thirteen-year-old girl might like. She had found that Hannah's tastes were not as mature as most thirteen-year-olds. But life had more or less stopped for Hannah six years before. Her schooling had stopped when she was in second grade and she hadn't associated with any other kids while Madeline's mother had had her.
"I don't want to cost him money." Hannah commented.
"I don't think he minds. Now, what about these shirts? They are super cute. The olive green and mustard yellow would look nice with your coloring. You are lucky. Red-heads have to be careful with what they wear." Madeline asked as she held up one of the shirts.
"They're okay." Hannah said unenthuasitically. Madeline put a dark blue, mustard yellow, maroon and green shirt in their cart. All were similar styles, would be dad-approved and appealing to a young teenager.
"Alright, you still need a few other shirts, some pants and shorts, underclothes and pajamas." Madeline told her.
"I don't understand why. I can't go to regular school." Hannah stated. Mike had already decided to hire a tutor for her to study at home for a year before putting her into regular school. Hannah needed to recover.
"You will still not be home all the time and you can't not wear clothes. Mine are too big on you." Madeline told her as she lifted another shirt up. Hannah nodded at it but pointed at an olive-green option. She apparently wasn't wild about the light blue option that Madeline had shown her. Madeline grabbed the green one and put it in the cart. Elizabeth was in her stroller, sound asleep; thankfully.
"I need shoes. These are too small, and my feet hurt." Hannah told her. Her shoes were in decent repair. Madeline sit down next to her on a bench and watched while Hannah took her shoes and socks off. Sure enough, her feet looked like hamburger meat. Apparently, Mike hadn't seen her bare feet. He'd have a heart attack.
"Oh, sweetie. You should have said something. We'll get you a pair of soft, clothe ones that won't hurt them as bad while they heal. Did you show your feet to your dad or the doctor last night?" Madeline asked.
"I just don't want to cause problems." Hannah said.
"Are you afraid if you ask for something, one of us will hurt you?" Madeline asked, and Hannah nodded. "That is not going to happen. I am not like my mom and your dad is thrilled to just have you back. I have to ask, this isn't all blisters; it looks like cuts?" Madeline asked.
"Yeah, they are. I…didn't cut her meat right and she broke the plate and then made me walk on it with no shoes on. Her glass also got broken and I think that is what really caused the cuts." Hannah told her. Madeline's blood was boiling. She knew her mother had a horrific temper and Madeline's rivaled it, but Hannah was an innocent child. Madeline had to control her temper because she didn't want Hannah to think she was upset with her.
"I am really sorry about that, Hannah. How about we get you those shoes and then once we get back to the apartment; you can either go barefoot or your dad left some warm socks in his drawer. They are soft wool." Madeline told her.
"But…we'll still go for food, right? Lunch with my dad?" Hannah asked.
"Absolutely. Let's get this shopping done and then we can just go home after that. I know your dad is wanting to take you back to his apartment tonight, so you can see the room…" Madeline told her as they stood up.
"But you'll be there, right?" Hannah asked with a panicked look.
"I don't know. I think he's planning on just showing you the room he has for you but will bring you back to my apartment." Madeline explained.
"I…don't want to be alone with him. I…knew last night when he took me to the doctor that I would be okay but…I know it isn't normal. He's my dad but I haven't been around him in so long…" Hannah told her. It was almost like she expected Madeline to understand.
"Hannah, your dad loves you. He decorated a room for you, in hopes that you would be found. He wanted to have something you would like rather than a generic bedroom. He didn't want to lose hope. People told him that he was being ridiculous, but he had to have that room. Are you scared that he'll hurt you? Has someone hurt you…other then my mom? Touched you where you shouldn't have been?" Madeline asked. It was not her place, but she would never tell Mike.
"No…no, not like that. Your mom was the only one. No one touched me like that…but my dad is so big and strong. He could really hurt me if he wanted to. More then Anna." Hannah told her. It was the most certain she had sounded.
"Well, I know I don't know your dad well, but I do know he is a gentle giant. He acts big and bad and tough, but I get the feeling he is a putty with the people he cares about. You've seen Elizabeth with him. Babies are the best judges of character. Probably why she hated my mom so much. She adores your dad. Joey too. Kids know. I get that it has been a really long time since you've been around your dad, but you are safe with him. I know that for absolute certain." Madeline told her, and Hannah nodded.
"I only kind of remember him. Not well. I just don't want to tell him that. It will hurt his feelings. I was only seven when he left, and your mom took away all my pictures." Hannah told her, and Madeline felt her blood boiling again.
"I am sure your dad has some pictures of your mom and brother and sister. I know I saw one on his cellphone the other day. I bet he has more in his apartment. Now, let's get this shopping done." Madeline told her as they walked back into the clothing department. Hannah was pushing the cart and Madeline pushed the stroller.
"I do like that purple shirt." Hannah said as she pointed at a light purple tank-top. Madeline found her size and threw it in the cart. Hannah had also picked out four other shirts of varying styles and colors. Madeline put them all in the cart and then they started picking out pants, shorts and capris for her. Shoes and underclothes were quickly picked out.
"Okay. You might need some more stuff but your dad and I can take care of that later. I have a good idea what you like. Is there anything else that you'd like to get?" Madeline asked. She had noticed that Hannah was looking towards the men's department.
"I want to get something for my dad, but I don't know what he likes. I remember he used to smoke cigars a lot." Hannah stated.
"He still does. Let's look. We have time." Madeline said as they walked to the men's area. They found an area that had men's cigar pouches, wallets, belts, and other items. Hannah finally picked a brown leather cigar pouch. Mike had given Madeline his credit card for Hannah's clothes, but Madeline decided to pay for the gift for Mike herself. All the purchases were made, and they made their way to the Chinese restaurant. Elizabeth woke up and wanted fed so while Madeline and Hannah waited for Mike in the parking lot, she fed her a bottle which Elizabeth was less then impressed with.
"Why does she seem mad?" Hannah asked.
"I am trying to get her over to a bottle, but she likes to nurse, and I like nursing. Just easier to do a bottle in public. Its breast milk that I've pumped." Madeline explained.
"Oh. Once we get home, you can nurse her, right? I noticed you fed her baby food last night." Hannah stated.
"Yeah, she sleeps better if I give her a little baby food for supper and then nurse her. She still wakes up between four and five, but it is only once a night. Not so bad." Madeline explained as Elizabeth very miserably drank her bottle.
"Oh. When we woke up this morning, she was sleeping on you." Hannah stated.
"Yeah, your dad brought her in when you came in and I just fell asleep with her on my chest after she got done nursing. You, Joey and your dad were so comfortable; I didn't want to chance waking you all up. Then I fell asleep." Madeline explained.
"I liked it. It was all warm and safe…happy." Hannah told her as Mike pulled up. Madeline opened her car door and Hannah followed suit.
"I loved it. My bed seemed much smaller though." Madeline said as they walked to meet Mike. Hannah had the diaper bag and Madeline's purse, while Madeline carried Elizabeth who was still drinking her bottle. Mike had a silver-haired man with him who looked familiar.
"Hey, ladies. Hannah, do you remember Tom?" Mike asked as he gave her a hug.
"Yeah, kind of." Hannah said as Mike pulled away. Tom gave Hannah a gentle hug while Mike gave Madeline a kiss and then kissed the top of Elizabeth's head.
"Madeline, I believe we met. Kara's barbeque?" Tom said as he shook her hand.
"Right. I knew you looked familiar. Nice to see you again." Madeline told him as they all walked in. Mike paid for all of them and they found their seats. Mike took Elizabeth while Madeline and Tom got their plates of food. Hannah had stayed at the table with him and seemed nervous about something.
"Did you have a good time shopping? Get all that you need?" Mike asked.
"Yeah. It costed a lot of money. Sorry. I did get you something though." Hannah told him as she pulled a small shopping bag out of the diaper bag. Mike adjusted Elizabeth and took it. He could see the look of hope on Hannah's face and was intrigued. He opened the package and smiled at the pouch.
"I love it. Was needing a new pouch. Thanks, sweetie." Mike told her as he leaned over and gave her a kiss on the forehead. He didn't quite understand why the gift was so important to Hannah but knew it was. For the first time, she really looked happy. That meant a lot to Mike.
His mind was still in overdrive in regards to what would happen with Hannah if he deployed. It was never something he had to worry about before because Christine had always been in the background, handling the kids. Now, he was a widower with a young, traumatized daughter. The fight was not over, and he wanted Hannah to have a good future. He had a lot of decisions to make.