I don't have the time to reply to all your wonderful reviews, so I can only say: THANK YOU, you guys have boosted my squandered self-esteem for a good long while. You can now all go back to lurking.
Mister Snuffles, as you will meet here, is a little guy I created in the story "Mister Snuffles." He makes a cameo appearance in "Quiet," too, I think. Both are Maddison-themed, and, oddly, so is this one. Yay, back to the world as it should be!
And
"Just you and me now," she says. "Mark and Addison. And Mister Snuffles," she whispers.
"And Mister Snuffles," Mark says, equally quiet.
"And no Derek."
"Addison?"
"Yeah?"
"It's not going to be okay. But we'll make it." She looks away, too tired to acknowledge him.
"I just want a shower."
"Okay."
"And some pancakes. And a drink. And another drink. And..." She doesn't say a loaf of bread, or a jug of wine, but she can feel the last words tearing up her throat.
"And?"
"And you."
Reference: "A loaf of bread, a jug of wine, and thou." Rubaiyat. Maddison deserves something like that.