Maddy goes Home Nov 16

When Bobbie dropped Trixie off at the hospital parking lot Trixie said. “Maddy is an angel but I don’t envy you the task of telling her that her mom is gone.” Then she leaned over the car seat. “Bye now Sweetie, I’ll see you later.”

Bobbie nodded and tried to think how she would explain things to Madison. When they got home Maddy was still sound asleep. Bobbie couldn’t believe it was almost 6 o’clock. She picked up the sleepy Maddy and went into SPOKES. Effie and Mark were there.

Effie stood up and with a very surprised look on her face and asked who Bobbie was carrying.

“This is Madison.” Said Bobbie.

Maddy was now awake. “I’m 2.”

“I’m Maddy’s Grandma and she’s going to be living with us now.”

Mark whistled. “I bet there’s a story there, that we’ll never know. Welcome to the motel Kid.”

The restaurant was silent; tea service was over. “Mark, can you bring up a couple pizzas; a plain cheese one and one for me? And Effie can you take Maddy’s things to the apartment, they’re in my trunk,” handing her the keys. Effie nodded, went out, drove around to the back entrance and they met at the elevator. They unloaded all Maddy’s things unloaded into the elevator and pressed the elevator button. Maddy rested on Bobbies hip was wide eyed and taking in all the new things.

The doors opened to the apartment and Bobbie put her down and turned on the lights. Fossie came to greet them and Maddy squealed with delight. Bobbie took Madison’s hand and walked over to one of the bedrooms, Fossie was trailing them, it had a set of bunk beds and a toddler sized bed. It was set up for the granddaughters. “You can sleep here Maddy.” She went to her storage closet and got out a high chair and set it up beside the kitchen island. She might need another one for when Suzy came to visit. Then Bobbie remembered the small child’s table and chairs that she had from her grandmother’s house. It was still in storage. Suzy and Maddy would love it she thought.

She found a diaper bag in her things and changed Maddy’s diaper, then set her up in the high chair. She fished around in her cupboard and found a sippy cup and a small plate.

Mark arrived with the pizza and a bottle of red wine. Bobbie put some milk in the sippy cup. She had some left-over julienned cooked carrot in the fridge so she got that out, warmed some and put it beside the cut up plain pizza on the little plate.  She got out a little spoon. “You can eat with your fingers.” Not knowing if Maddy could use a spoon or even understood what she meant.

Maddy was pretty good with sippy cup and apparently loved warm sourdough cheese pizza.

Bobbie enjoyed her glass of wine and pepperoni pizza.

After they finished eating, Bobbie took Maddy around the apartment and showed her the living room, the office, the other bedrooms, the bathrooms and the dining room. Finally, they went into the TV room.

Bobbie suggested they get their jammies on and watch a little TV before bed; and went to help Maddy change into her pyjamas.

Maddy looked at her and tugged her shirt. “I’m wet”

OK said Bobbie I’ll change your bum. You let me know if you want to try out the potty. Charlie already supplied a potty for when Suzy visited.

Maddy nodded. “I want to go potty”.

Bobbie took her to the bathroom and helped her sit and Maddy actually peed. Maybe the child was toilet trained. Bobbie asked if she wanted a diaper now. Maddy shook her head no. Bobbie said, “Just tell me if you have to go.”

They went into the TV room and snuggled under a cozy blanket and watched an episode of the wiggles. Maddy told Bobbie she had to pee so Bobbie lifted her up and carried her to the bathroom and helped her onto the potty. Maddy peed and did a number 2. She stood up and bent over sticking her bum in the air. Bobbie was taken aback but realized this was to facilitate a wipe and she complied. Maddy must have been at a daycare that taught her this thought Bobbie. “You are a very smart granddaughter, Madison.” Maddy was getting sleepy so they brushed their teeth and Bobbie said they’d go read a story before bed. She took Maddy to her room and read her one of her favourite kid’s books. Then she asked Maddy how she liked her new house. Maddy said. “I like it. Do you have other kids?”

“I have grown up kids but I have grand kids that visit. I need to talk to you about your Mummy.”

“Uncle Paul told me that Mommy was very sick and took me to say good by to her when she was sleeping last night. He said she had to go to heaven but she asked you to look after me and that you would love me.”

“Well Uncle Paul was right Sweetie and so was your mummy you are here now so you don’t have to worry anymore.”

Fossie sat on the bed while Bobbie read the story one more time. Bobbie carefully got off the bed and picked up Maddy and carried her across the hall to the room with the little bed. She turned on the night light and left the door open.

Bobbie checked her watch and went to finish off her wine. She re-read the adoption papers and Maddy’s birthday was in October so she was two years and almost 3 months and was 3 months younger than Suzy. They were going to be such good friends; maybe they would be in the same class at school. She decided to call Charlie and make a play date for the girls. Charlie wanted to hear all about Maddy and how Bobbie was doing.

She called her mom. “I suppose Eddie has told you about my new grand daughter; I’m already making plans for Maddy and it is going to mean I’ll be busier with her, on top of the motel and everything now I guess.”

“It’s good that you are already thinking Bobbie, she’s more than a granddaughter, you’re her primary caregiver.”

Bobbie sat for a moment and then went to get herself another glass of wine. She checked the time and decided she could probably catch Johnny so she sat at the kitchen island and called him. “Hi Johnny, how are you today. I have kind of a long storey to tell you, can you come on over?”

“Sure Bobbie, what’s up?”

“I’ll tell you when you get over. I put on a pot of tea.”

Ten minutes later Johnny was at the door. She let him in. “Alright Bobbie, you’ve got my all curious. What is this secret story you have.”

“When I was thirteen, I had a baby girl and gave her up for adoption.”

“Jesus Bobbie, that was right before I met you. That is a big secret. I’m so sorry; what a thing to have to go through at such a young age.”

“Well, poor me but the most important part is that my 42-year-old daughter just died and left me in charge of her two-year-old daughter. She’s asleep in the other room.”

“No way, you have another grand kid who’s going to live with you?”

Bobbie nodded.

Johnny sipped his tea. “I want to help you raise her. I will help you in anyway I can. I want to be her positive male roll model.”

“Thanks Johnny, I can use the help. Maybe we have a chance to raise her right now that we’ve worked everything out for ourselves.”

Johnny nodded. “I think this motel is a great place to grow up. Can we go see her?”

Bobbie and Johnny snuck into Maddy’s room Bonnie gently picked her up and put her on the potty. She barely woke but peed a little, and Bobbie tucked her back in.

“Bobbie she’s beautiful. Her skin is so pale it’s almost translucent and her hair is so blond but just like black hair. So curly.”

“Genetics are so wild. Peter was half black and Etta was very pale and Maddy must have had a white father. I’m glad she has Peter’s hair. You would have liked Peter, Johnny. He was in the army and died in Croatia.”

“That’s so tragic Bobbie, what was Etta’s life like? Did you find out?”

“I did Johnny. It almost kills me but she was adopted by good people who died in a car accident. Then she lived with her grandma. But when she was 14 her grandma passed and she went into a foster home. She said they weren’t cruel but they weren’t loving either. They mostly wanted money. She had her own money and went to university and made a good life. And got a sperm donor and had Maddy. She found out she had cancer right after she got pregnant and decided to not get treatment so she could have Maddy and breastfeed her normally. Then I think she must have hired someone to find me. Because she came back to Crow Harbour to die. And make sure we got Maddy and she would be safe.”

The next morning Maddy was still dry.