Okay, so I know that we're starting again, and our story may head in a different direction then we'd intended, but stories grow with their authors, I believe.

It's been a while, but I hope we can get back on track.

CharmedCharmedCharmedXOXOXOCharmedCharmedCharmedXOXOXO

In my car, blasting music as I drove along, I picked up my cell again. "Honey, I'm almost there, are you okay?"

I received an affirmative from the other line, just as I made a hard turn left. "Here I come, see you in a sec." I pulled up at the curb, to see a tear-stained woman with a pile of luggage at her side. I jumped out and embraced the woman. "Madeline!" I hugged her so tight, but I wanted to get her off this street, and out of the area.

I then loaded the luggage into the back of my black Rav4. Once Maddie was in the passenger seat, she told me we had to make a stop before returning to the apartment.

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Everyone was home, even Bryan-who had recently taken to hanging around for days at a time and sleeping over, too. I wished Andy wasn't. I was sick of avoiding his eyes and leaving the room just as he was entering.

I walked in carrying an 8-month-old baby boy, who thought it was the most hilarious thing in the world that my curls would bounce back into place when he pulled on them. When we got in, I made introductions, and everyone got a chance to meet baby Cody.

Due to space restrictions, Maddie would have to share with me. We would either keep Cody with us, or put him with Paolo, and Bryan was just going to have to go home, or find space in Rose's old room with Chris.

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"Maddie," I turned toward the woman, "How do you feel about Cody sharing with Paolo?"

"That's fine. We'll be able to hear him, right?" She was un-packing, since we had informed Bryan of the move.

"Sure. It's just at the end of the hallway."

"That's good. What about Paolo, though?" Maddie was concerned about disrupting the other child.

"He'll be fine. If it becomes a big problem, we can move Cody in here with us."

"Alright." She was quiet, not acting like the Maddie I remember, but I guess that's to be expected. Her home life wasn't great with that…pig. Markas was a bad apple, and that's what scares me about Roxy; Vince is the same kind of guy. I let her be alone in what is newly "our room," so she could have the quiet time for thinking that she needs.

I went to check on her baby boy, and found Cody to be resting safely in Rose's arms. It's really funny, because Rose usually gets easily annoyed, gets grossed out by baby-spit, and can't handle crying one bit. There she was, though, with a sleeping baby in her arms, and a little hand wrapped tightly around a fistful of her hair.

I couldn't help but laugh at the sight. "Now who's Mrs. Mom," I whispered in her ear, and kissed her cheek, just for being so cute. She shot me a dirty look, but went back to watching Cody sleep. I swear she was enchanted.

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"Maddie?" I looked over to her side of the bed to see if she was still awake. She turned over to face me.

"Yeah?"

"Do you want to talk at all? I can't sleep." I watched face darken at the mention of talk. I know she can't sleep, and that's the real reason for my lying away. "We can talk about anything…"

"Good memories?" She smiled. God it was good to see her smile. Normally she looked like a woman beat down by the world, but in that smile I could see the girl I remember. I reached over to cup her cheek, and told her how beautiful it was to see her smile.

She turned around again, and I moved behind her, pressing myself against her back and wrapping my right arm around her waist. I used my free hand to comb through her medium-brown curls. I was going to make her forget her troubles.

"Remember when Mom and Dad were still alive, it was a beautiful May day, and we went out for a picnic?"