Five days later, which was a Saturday, her mom came. Maddie was happy to see her, she threw herself at her mother, “mummy,” she screamed happily, thinking in her little mind that her mother had come back to her and her daddy.
But her little heart was broken when her mom made her sit on the couch, while she sat on the rug, facing her daughter.
“Sweetheart,” she cupped her little face in her hands. “Daddy and I don’t like each other anymore and it’s best that I leave to go somewhere else.”
“But us all to live together, please mommy,” Maddie pleaded.
“I can’t live with your father anymore,” Beth said and smiled ruefully.
“Can we come with you?” she looked hopefully into her mother’s eyes, tears welling up in her eyes. “Daddy and I will come to your new apartment.”
“Am sorry dear”, she took her daughter into her arms, “it’s better you and daddy stay here. I promise, I will always come to check you up.”
Maddie began to cry. Her mother rocked her little body, promising to always come to visit her.
As soon as she could make Maddie stop crying, they went to the kitchen to make lunch together.
And Lauren also took her to the mall, where she bought everything Maddie wanted for her.
“I promise.” Lauren took both of Maddie’s hands and crouched down in front of her after they got back home from the mall. “I will visit you every weekend.”
Maddie nodded, believing all her mother’s words. But her mother did not keep to her words, she never came visiting again.
It wasn’t after four months that she said Maddie could be coming to her new apartment on weekends. Even as such, Lauren was almost never around whenever Maddie went to her place for a weekend visit or holiday. Lauren was always busy with work from the office or not at home at all. It was always Maddie and whichever babysitter she got for that period that would be at home. She had suddenly developed a renewed interest in her job.
That was how Maddie’s love for her mother began to dwindle. Though, she tried to make it up to Maddie by giving her a lot of money whenever she visited and by sending expensive gifts to her. But Maddie didn’t need money or any gift, her father was giving her everything, all she needed was her mother. She stopped visiting her mom and Lauren never complained. It was as if she didn’t even notice.
Her father remarried four years later to a very wonderful woman, Beth, who replaced her mom in everything for both herself and her father. She gave Maddie four beautiful siblings and anyone who did not know their earlier story would not believe Maddie was Beth’s step-daughter…
Brody came out of the bathroom to find Maddie still at the dressing table, lost in thought.
“Common, stop brooding.” He pressed a kiss to the side of her head. “It is not good for you and the baby, you know.” He smiled at her to lighten her sour mood.
She turned to look into his eyes with a hint of sad smile, “l don’t know what is wrong with me.” She groaned. “I think I made a mistake allowing her to come over?”
“No, you didn’t make a mistake.” He came behind her and wrapped his arms around her. “Your mom is trying to make amends.” He kissed the back of her neck, “please allow her. it will be good for both of you.”
“It’s difficult to just forget like that…” she retorted .
“You know you can do all things in Christ that strengthen you, my darling.” He looked into her eyes in the mirror and she grinned genuinely back at him.
“That’s my girl,” he stroked her belly from behind. “You don’t need all the stress you are putting yourself through.”
“Let’s go to bed,” he picked up her massage oil bottle from the dressing table. “I will massage your feet after we pray.”
Grateful to God for the gift of her husband, she smiled and stood up.
“Dear, I know how you are feeling now.” Brody told her after they prayed and massaged her feet.
“But you have to put in more effort to forgive and forget.” He looked into her eyes, “of course, I know it’s not easy. But you have to try.”
“Some things are not easy to forget, just like that,” she unlocked her hands from his and punched the mattress with her feeble strength. “Don’t you think I have been trying to let it go?” She got up from the foot of the bed where they sat and went to lay under the covers. “God knows that I am trying.”
Her voice was barely above a whisper, as if she was talking to herself, she was already tired and overwhelmed for a night.
“I know,” Brody went to join her in bed. “Sleep,” he said, realizing how tired she was. “We’ll talk more tomorrow.”
He moved closer to her; the familiar smell of her vanilla cream wafted into his nostrils, soothing his senses as always. He tightened his arm around her; feeling complete and at peace as usual.
He really wished Maddie would give herself the gift of forgiveness and let peace reign between herself and her mom , so she could be fully happy.
Meeting Maddie had made all the difference in his life. He had a beautiful life before meeting her, but she changed everything. She made Brody a new man; she colored his whole world with her love. He could say boldly that the second best thing after the salvation of his soul was Maddie, his wife.
Whenever they were not together, he would count the minutes until they were together again. He put off the lights at the head of the bed, making a mental note to tell his mother-in-law before they leave for church in the morning that his parents will come to visit her later in the day.