Highest Rank: #370 in General Fiction
The story of eight year old Madison 'Maddie' Joyce Ryans, who would give anything for a family and a home. And how Katherine Rae Dawson does everything to give Maddie that home and family.
"Just some sicko cruising the streets. Be glad he didn't get her. We've could've had another Jaycee Dugard case." The officer said to me outside. I turned my attention to the police car with the gross man in the backseat. Nasty ass bastard. "Thank you for getting him. He really scared my daughter." I thanked the head police officer. "Anytime Miss Dawson." He said and within two minutes everyone was cleared out of my driveway.
I came back inside and found Maddie curled up in Jessica's side watching a movie. "Hey guys." I said as I closed the door behind me. Maddie looked up and her eyes were still slightly bloodshot. "Everything okay now?" Jess asked as she kept her arm around Maddie's shoulders. "Yeah, they found him and took him away. He was trying to look for kids and take them." I said as I came over to Maddie's level. "Was he gonna take me from you?" Maddie quivered.
"I don't know, but now we won't have to worry." I told her as I brought her into my arms. "Kate, I wanna go to bed." She said as I held her. "Sweetie it's only 4:30." I told her, "You can't go to bed yet." Jess looked at me with sympathy as I held my little girl tight. "How about we go out for dinner? We can try that new pizza place near the Wal-Mart." She suggested, trying to lighten the mood. "Yeah, that sounds like fun, right Maddie?" I asked. "I'm not really hungry." Maddie responded with.
"Well maybe we can just eat a little there, and then come back and maybe watch a movie?" I then suggested. "Yeah, cause I don't wanna have to leave without having some fun!" Jessica told Maddie. "When do you gotta leave?" Maddie sniffled. "I gotta leave tomorrow afternoon. I have to go to Florida for a class I'm taking." She told her. I watched Maddie's face drop and then she said, "Okay, then I guess tonight is okay."
"She really doesn't want you to leave." I told my sister as Maddie went upstairs to get her jacket to leave. "Didn't think she'd like me that much, honestly." Jess said with a light chuckle. "Don't be ridiculous." I said as I pushed her arm.
The ride to the pizza place was mostly quiet, just the sounds of various artists and their songs through the radio. When we got to the restaurant, I noticed Maddie sticking very close to the two of us. Myself more than Jessica. Once seated, I asked Maddie, "Anything you don't like at all?" She pondered the question for a minute before answering, "Mushrooms, Olives, Green Pepper."
We ordered just a pepperoni pizza and then waited. "Hey Maddie, you know how to play BlackJack?" Jessi asked as she pulled out her Vegas card deck. "No?" Maddie questioned. "And it's gonna stay that way." I muttered under my breath to Jess. "Why? A little gambling never killed anyone." She responded. "Yeah,and she's eight!" I told Jessica.
"Why do those cards have holes in them?" Maddie asked, picking up the black nine of diamonds. "Cause those are authentic Vegas cards." Jessica told her. "You went to Vegas?!" Maddie asked in shock. "Yeah, I'm a cosmetologist so I get to travel for different shows and stuff that happen all over. I do makeup for people at the shows and help them get ready." She told Maddie.
The rest of the time was filled with Jessica telling Maddie about the different places she went. I loved watching them interact like that. It was like Maddie had forgotten about earlier that day. But when the pizza came, I was shocked at how much she ate. Or for better wording, what she didn't eat.
Maddie probably ate three bites of a piece of pizza and then said she wasn't hungry. She had half a hamburger for lunch and an apple for breakfast. "Maddie, do you think you could try to eat a little more?" I asked her. "I'm not really hungry." She simply replied. Jessica confronted me about it when Maddie excused herself to the bathroom.
"Damn, you weren't kidding. It's not like a digestion problem or something?" She asked. "It's nothing I know about, Jess I'm worried. She's getting maybe 600 calories a day. And when she starts dancing, she's gonna need like three times that!" I told her. "I'd ask her why she doesn't eat a lot. Maybe just ask her how she gets full so quick?" She suggested.
We quickly jumped topic when we saw Maddie coming back. "Alright, movie now?" I asked as I paid the bill. "Sure." Maddie said shrugging. "You have your first dance class on Wednesday don't you Mads?" Jessi asked. "Yeah, with Miss Cambrie at Studio 17." Maddie said. "That'll be fun, you'll have to tell me if you perform somewhere and when." Jess said as we headed out. "Yeah, I don't know if I'll compete this season though." Maddie said.
"She does competition team?" Jess mouthed to me. I nodded and then started my car to pull out. "Well don't sell yourself short Maddie. I was talking to Ty at the studio and he said that they are about to learn a new routine for their Summer Regionals competition, and he wants you in it." I told her. "Really?" Maddie asked, sounded excited.
"Yep." I told her, and could see her smiling through the rear view mirror. When we made it home, Maddie seemed to be in a better mood overall. More happy and giggly. "I say we go change into our pajamas, and then watch my favorite movie: 101 Dalmatians." Jess said. "What's that movie?" Maddie asked. I though Jessica was about to pass out when she heard that. 101 Dalmatians is her favorite movie in the entire universe.
"Trust me, you'll love it!" Jess said. I went upstairs to Maddie's room to help her get ready for bed after the movie. We were out longer than expected. "Looks like you'll be in my room to sleep with me for one more night. I promise your room will be completely ready by tomorrow!" I laughed as I helped Maddie pick out her pajamas.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"It's okay. I don't mind." Maddie said as I took her hair out of the braid it had been in. "Alright, you ready?" I asked. She nodded and then went into my room so I could change. "You have a tattoo?" Maddie asked. I nearly forgot I had it sometimes. "Oh yeah, right here?" I asked pointing to my upper shoulder blade. She nodded her head yes and then asked, "What's that mean? Those words?" I laughed, remembering when I was dared on Spring Break to get it. "They mean 'Love conquers all things'. Vincit Omnia Amor." I said.
"I wanna get a tattoo when I'm older." Maddie said. "Yes, when you are way older! Like...fifty!" I told her as she laughed. And in that moment, with that devilish, yet adorable, little grin...I saw myself. That face always meant, 'yeah right, mom'. And I couldn't even imagine being called 'Mom' by the thing I loved more than life itself.
