Another Father's Advice
Chapter 10
While Mike and Madeline toured the house; his attorney was getting the marriage license. Thankfully, their friends were supportive and understanding of their odd decision. Hannah and Elizabeth had come along with and the bedroom that Hannah had claimed as her own was already painted a Robin's Egg Blue. It was across from the master bedroom and had its own bathroom and large closet. It was perfect for a teenage girl.
Madeline had an office, laundry room, pantry and the kitchen of her dreams. It was like the house was custom made just for them. The realtor took their offer and walked out to call the owners, just to expedite the process. Madeline's cellphone was ringing continuously and since Hannah had the baby in her claimed bedroom; Mike asked.
"Your mom calling you?" He asked as he wrapped his arms around her.
"Yeah. I don't want to talk to her. I am just done." Madeline said as she looked around.
"You don't have to do this. She is your mom. I don't want you to feel you have to choose…" Mike started. Madeline reached up and stroked his cheek.
"I am choosing you and these kids. She bought and mistreated an innocent child, rather that child is yours or someone else's, it wouldn't matter. This is what I am choosing. This house, you, these kids, whatever our future is…I am choosing that. My mother just needs to accept it." Madeline told him, and Mike gave her a kiss before their realtor walked back in.
"Offer accepted and I have the paperwork here, sign it and its yours. The owners live out of state and want rid of this. You can move in immediately." The realtor told them as she put the sheet of paper on the kitchen counter. Mike and Madeline both signed it and she handed Mike the keys. Mike had already spoke with the bank and the financing was through. What would have been a stressful experience had been expedited. With a nod, the realtor left with the paperwork, she would get in touch with them to do the deed work once Mike and Madeline were married; to make that process simpler.
"Home, sweet home." Mike commented as he gave Madeline another hug. Hannah had walked down the stairs with Elizabeth and gave them a smile.
"Joey is going to be thrilled. Pool, yard, you name it. I am worried about our other news where he's concerned." Madeline told them.
"Let's go pick him up. I'll talk to him." Mike promised.
"You sure? Joey is protective of me." Madeline asked.
"I am. Hopefully, it goes well. Hannah, you ready?" Mike asked.
"Yeah, when are we moving in?" Hannah asked as she passed Elizabeth to Madeline.
"Soon. You excited or something?" Mike teased.
"Yeah! My room has a window seat. I can sit there and read." Hannah told them as they walked out to Madeline's SUV.
"I'm glad you like it so well. You okay with what we told you this morning?" Mike asked.
"Yeah, I am." Hannah told him.
"Alright, good. Its not because I love your mom any less that we're doing this. There are a lot of reasons. Now, I do need to take some time out with Joey this afternoon. Madeline is worried he will not adjust so well, and we felt it would easier for him and I to have that conversation. That okay?" Mike asked her. Madeline was putting Elizabeth in her car seat.
"That's fine." Hannah told him as she gave him a hug. Mike had been impressed with her maturity and understanding. They walked to the SUV and got in. Madeline was driving, and her phone went off before she started it.
"Oh, I need to pick Joey up. What's your plan, Mike?" Madeline asked as she put her phone down and started backing the SUV up.
"Take him for pizza for lunch." Mike told her, and she smiled. Hannah was entertaining Elizabeth in the backseat.
"Just make sure he knows that you'll take care of me. Leave the deployment out of it for now." Madeline instructed.
"Okay." Mike agreed. The rest of the drive was made in relative silence. Mike had another plan for the time he had with Joey, he was going to have the little boy help him pick out a ring for Madeline. It would make him feel invested.
Kara was waiting in her front yard with Joey and Madeline drove them all back to her apartment. The little boy seemed tired but when Hannah told him about the pool and yard, he was excited.
"Can you teach me how to throw my ball? And swim?" Joey asked Mike and Mike smiled back at him.
"You bet I can." Mike promised. Joey gave him a soft smile back and nodded. Mike could tell the little guy was making all kinds of plans. They got back to the apartment and Madeline took the girls in for naps. Joey needed a nap but perked up when Mike told him they were going to have some guy time. They walked to a nearby pizza place and Mike ordered them a pepperoni pizza for them. As they were waiting; Mike focused on the little boy. He reminded him a bit of Lucas at that age. To the point and too blunt.
"Did you want to take me here to eat so you could ask if I was okay with you marrying my mom?" Joey asked, and Mike choked on his drink of water.
"Uh…well, yeah. To be blunt, yes." Mike admitted, and the little boy studied Mike for a minute.
"And you'll take care of her, treat her good? My sister too?" Joey asked. Mike was shocked that he hadn't included himself into it.
"Of course, and you too. You're a part of this." Mike told him.
"I know but I really want my mom and sister treated good. That's more important. And is Hannah my new sister? Like you'll be my new dad?" Joey asked.
"Sort of. Look, until you're ready; I do not expect you to consider me your dad. I will take care of you and love you just the same as I do Hannah or Elizabeth, but I know you've had a dad who loved you very much. I don't want to replace him, just like your mom doesn't want to replace Hannah's mom." Mike told him as their pizza arrived. Mike put two pieces on Joey's plate and took a piece for himself.
"My dad died almost two years ago. I don't remember him that good and Elizabeth won't at all." Joey explained.
"That's how Hannah is. She remembers her mom but not well. Still, I promise, you don't have to consider me your dad. I do need some help with something, once we get done eating." Mike mentioned.
"What?" Joey asked.
"I want to get your mom a ring. Can you help me?" Mike asked.
"Yeah! A really pretty one. My mom only gets the prettiest." Joey told him, and Mike laughed. Joey was purely a momma's boy.
"I agree. So, you excited about the house?" Mike asked.
"Yeah, buy I do still get to come in and sleep between you and Mommy sometimes, right? I really liked that when we all slept in there." Joey asked.
"Yep. We liked that too. We will have a new room and I am going to talk your mom into getting a bigger bed, but you can still come in with us when you are scared or not feeling good." Mike promised.
"Mommy told me that I didn't need to worry about monsters under my bed or in my closet." Joey stated as he ate.
"That's right. Sometimes it isn't so much the monsters under your bed. Sometimes, people hurt other people worse. It's my job and your mom's job to keep them away from you kids." Mike told him.
"Like my nana hurt Hannah? That's why she has bruises all over and is so scared?" Joey asked.
"Yep. But she is still your nana and she is owed your respect. I don't know that you will see her again but if you do, let me or your mom handle what happened to Hannah." Mike told him.
"Okay. Will Hannah get better?" Joey asked.
"She's already starting to. She's really excited about the house and she adores Elizabeth. I bet if you found something to do with her, you and she would get closer too." Mike told him.
"She told me when we got a yard, she used to like to play soccer and we would kick the ball around." Joey informed Mike.
"That'll be fun. You done eating?" Mike asked. He had eaten three pieces of pizza and they had gotten a smaller one, so it wasn't worth taking home.
"Yes. Now, we go get my mom's ring?" Joey asked.
"Yep. Let's go." Mike told him as they stood up. He'd already paid for the food and drinks and given a tip. They walked to a nearby jewelry store and Mike guided the little boy to a case of engagement rings in his price range. The little boy inspected the case, had the salesperson get several of them out and the would shake his head when they didn't meet his approval.
"He is going to make some girl a really lucky bride one day if he is going to this much trouble to find a ring for his mom." The salesperson commented.
"This isn't just any girl, its my mom. She's special." Joey told them, and Mike nodded.
"I agree. Joey, what about this one?" Mike asked as he showed Joey a ring. Joey looked at it for a second and shook his head. Joey finally found what he wanted; a diamond with blue stones circling it, on a silver band. It was beautiful and something Mike could imagine Madeline wearing for the rest of her life. "Alright, I will take this one and then that band. I will also get the matching band for myself. I know she can't afford it. She's a size eight. I'm a size eleven. Do you have that in stock?" Mike asked.
"Actually, all three rings are already those sizes." The salesperson told him as she took them out.
"Alright, perfect. Ring it up, thanks." Mike ordered and gave her his card.
"Yes, sir." She said as she walked off with the rings. Joey had ahold of Mike's hand and yawned.
"We'll be done soon, and you can go home and take a nap. Did you have fun with Frankie?" Mike asked.
"Yeah." Joey told him simply. The little boy was just done in and Mike bent over and picked him up. He hadn't spent much time with Joey, but the little guy cuddled up. He was asleep in no time. The salesperson brought back the rings that were all packaged up, Mike's card and the receipt. He was able to shuffle Joey around and sign the receipt and put the card in his wallet and then into his pocket without waking the little boy up. With the bag in one hand and Joey in his arms, Mike walked back to Madeline's apartment. Fortunately, she saw him walk up the pathway and had the door open.
"He's just done in." Mike told her as he carried the little boy to the couch. Hannah was laying on one side with Elizabeth on her chest, both sound asleep. Mike handed the bag to Madeline and laid Joey down, pulling a blanket over him. For a second, it reminded him of Lucas, even though Joey looked nothing like Lucas. Instead of focusing on that, he smiled down at the little boy and then up at Madeline. "Figured you would open the bag?" Mike asked.
"I saw that it was from a jewelry store, so I wanted the element of surprise of you putting a ring on my finger." Madeline explained.
"Well, come here." Mike said as he took her hand and led her to the kitchen, so not to disturb the kids. "Do I need to get down on my knee?" Mike asked.
"Oh, goodness, no." Madeline told him as he took the engagement ring out. She gasped but he took her hand to put it on.
"I get that this marriage is not starting out how either of us would like. We care deeply about each other, but love is…at least for me, I'm not quite there yet but I do think it's going to happen. You are walking in with your eyes wide open and saving me a lot of headaches, even sacrificing a lot. You have no idea how much I appreciate what you are doing. It is unbelievably kind. The way you care about Hannah, everything." Mike told her as he slid the ring on. It fit perfectly, and Madeline had tears in her eyes. She pulled him into a hug and then gave him a kiss.
"Thank you. Watching you walk in like that with Joey sealed it for me. Any uncertainties just disappeared. It might not be love for you, but it is for me. I am not going to hide that. I do understand how you feel though and I am okay with it. So, when are we doing this?" Madeline asked.
"Tomorrow. Marriage license is on its way, and I have a friend who is an ordained minister. He has already agreed to officiate. I also went ahead and go us both wedding bands. I won't not wear one." Mike told her. He still had his arms around her and she had her hands on his chest.
"You did good with this one." Madeline said with a smile.
"That was all Joey. His mommy only deserves the best and prettiest ring." Mike informed her.
"You could have steered him to a smaller, cheaper ring?" Madeline asked.
"I could have, and I did steer him to my price range but let him go from there. I think it was important to him. That boy sure loves his momma." Mike told her.
"He is definitely a momma's boy. I know it may not be good but since Pete died, he's taken taking care of Elizabeth and I very seriously. I am afraid it has grown him up too fast." Madeline commented as she fixed Mike's collar.
"Lucas was especially close to his mom too and I was a momma's boy. No problem here. He will have a decent male role model with me, but I will not negate your importance in his life. You carried him and gave birth to him. There isn't a stronger bond." Mike insisted.
"I cannot imagine you as a momma's boy. Seriously, thank you for what you are doing with my kids. You don't have to do this." Madeline told him, and he pulled her closer.
"What you're doing for Hannah is even more special. You make her feel safe and secure. More than I can. I did kind of promise her something though." Mike told her.
"What?" Madeline asked.
"If I deploy, when I get back, I will be done. No deployments. No Navy. Christine had been beating around the bush for years, but Hannah just asked, and I can't tell her no." Mike told her.
"Well, I need you to make another promise. You will be coming back from that deployment?" Madeline asked.
"You bet I will." Mike told her as he gave her another kiss. They had two apartments to pack, new furniture to get, legal paperwork to do, but they ended up on the couch with the kids. It was cramped but something they both needed.
I realize that the references about buying the house and getting the marriage license is pretty false, but this is fanfic and the story is post-apocalypse. Old rules don't apply. I love reading the reviews! Thanks for them.