Surprises

Chapter 24

"I can't say that I'm shocked." Mike remarked after Maddie had told him what Katie had told her.

"I told her I would be getting her to an OB-GYN and a female counselor to get her checked out." Maddie told him and Mike nodded.

"I think what bothers me more is that she thinks that I would be mad at her. That I favored Hannah." Mike admitted.

"Is there any basis?" Maddie asked.

"I didn't favor Hannah, but maybe it appeared that way to her. Katie was always closer to Christine and she had been at a tough age. She and I didn't do well together. Christine called it a personality conflict. I couldn't understand that at the time. I got to where I just avoided being in the same room because there was always an argument. One day she got mad at me because I smoked a cigar. Wasn't even inside. So, maybe she saw that as me favoring Hannah or Lucas. I just hated putting Christine in the middle." Mike explained.

"Why does that bother you more than her being raped?" Maddie asked.

"Oh, her being raped does bother me. The fact that she and Hannah were taken because of who I was. But, as far as what she thinks, it bothers me because I let her think I didn't love her and valued Hannah over her." Mike said.

"Mike, you are just going to have to show her you didn't and don't feel that way." Maddie said.

"How? She avoids me." Mike asked.

"That might be where that counseling comes in." Maddie remarked. She put Gia into her bassinet and leaned over to give Mike a kiss.

"Can you send her in?" Mike asked.

"Of course. Do you want me to leave in Gia?" Maddie asked as she looked at the sleeping baby girl.

"Nah. She is out." Mike said.

"Okay. Take it easy on her." Maddie said.

"Hey. Thank you. I know this made you uncomfortable. I love you." Mike said before Maddie left the room.

"I love you too. Holler if you need me to get the baby." Maddie said. She gave him another kiss and while Mike waited on Katie, he watched Gia sleep. The baby was smiling in her sleep, completely content. Finally, Katie came in and Mike motioned for her to sat down next to him. She stayed standing.

"Katie, please. Sit." Mike asked, patting the bed next to him. She seemed to hesitate but finally sat down on the bed, fairly far from him.

"Maddie must have told you." Katie remarked, picking at her hand.

"She did and you will be going to a counselor to talk about the rape. But, there is something only I can deal with. You mentioned to her that you thought I favored Hannah over you?" Mike asked.

"Didn't you?" Katie retorted. Mike caught just a hint of anger in her voice.

"Maybe I did, but that never meant I didn't love you…don't love you or that I wished you hurt." Mike said.

"It certainly never felt like you did." Katie remarked.

"I won't argue." Mike said.

"If that's it?" Katie asked before starting to get up. Mike grabbed her wrist with his good hand. Katie gave him a look but sat back down.

"Katie; I am sorry that I made you feel like I valued you less. You and I never connected as well. You were closer to your mom. She was always your person…" Mike started.

"And there is nothing wrong with that." Katie argued.

"No, there isn't, but you had…have two parents. I also loved you and still do." Mike said.

"Dad, just…accept it. You and I will never be as close. I can't figure out why you are so insistent now. Maybe out of guilt because of what happened to me or because of Lucas dying. Maybe, because you are still well known. You don't want people to know about me, so you want me to pretend to be close?" Katie said before standing up and leaving the room. A moment later, Maddie stepped in.

"She is pushing you away. Maybe because she knows you know now. To her, it might be easier to push you away then to accept you." Maddie said.

"Then why does she stay? She got Hannah here. If keeping Hannah safe was her mission, she's succeeded. Why does she stay?" Mike asked.

"Do you want her to leave?" Maddie asked.

"No, of course not! My point is—she could have left and she's stayed. Why?" Mike insisted.

"Maybe because she wants to be near you and Hannah. You said yourself, she adored Christine. You and Hannah are her connection to Christine." Maddie remarked.

"I just want…to tell her…I don't know." Mike admitted.

"You want to tell her; that you love her, you missed her, and you want her here. If you did favor Hannah and Lucas, you didn't realize what it was doing to Katie and that you're sorry. And that you are jealous of the relationship she had with Christine." Maddie said.

"I wouldn't call it jealousy." Mike remarked.

"She was able to stay home with the kids while you were gone for months at a time. She was able to rock them to sleep, spend their birthdays with them, and knew their secrets." Maddie continued.

"And I came into town for a couple months a year. Katie resented that." Mike said.

"And deep down, you resented Christine. You regret all the things you missed." Maddie remarked.

"It seems like this is all a big…circle or something." Mike admitted in frustration.

"I'll talk to Katie again." Maddie said. She leaned down and gave him another long kiss, and smiled at Gia, who was still sound asleep. As soon as Maddie walked out of the bedroom; Mike leaned his head against the pillows and shut his eyes, due to exhaustion. He quickly fell asleep.