Ready-Made Family

Chapter One

The human life is made up of two choices, to live or die. But Madison Sweeney, the local education assistant at North Ridge Elementary School, realized the hard way that there is a third choice – surviving. She also learnt that sometimes the choice isn't always in your hands.

With another school year coming to an end and summer beginning the air of the third grade classroom at North Ridge Elementary School was sticky hot. If one was to look through the window to see the education assistant as she slipped the extra notebooks safely away in a drawer they would expected she would have anything but an adventurous summer. At this time of day the prediction would be correct for the young EA Madison Sweeney had already planned a slow relaxing summer at home with her three children.

Madison sighed softly and tugged her long honey blonde locks back into a high ponytail when the final task in the room had been finished. She was more then ready to go home and climb into bed – a room full of eight year olds on the last day of school certainly can run anyone ragged. However her day wasn't done so soon, she still had her son, Noah's, grade eight graduation to attend. Madison, as a single mother was used to doing things on her own but that didn't make it any easier. There were times – such as today – when Maddie longed to have a partner beside her to share these moments with – someone to smile and laugh with or someone to hold her when she cried.

The grade three classroom's teacher Mrs. Fletcher – or otherwise known as Brooklyn walked over to Maddie with her purse in hand. "Are you ready to go?" Brooke asked her best friend – she also had a thirteen year old and was attending the grad too.

Madison nodded and kneeled down next to one of the desk that had the only two remaining students at it. "Are you girls ready to go?" she smiled softly at her seven-year-old twin daughters Emma and Ella. Although her daughters were identical twins, they shared the same strawberry blonde hair and sea blue eyes but when it came to their personalities they couldn't be more different. Emma took after her father in that sense for she was adventurous and always on the go trying new things. Ella however was content on taking things slow at home like her mother.

"Yes mama" Ella said softly as both girls shoved their coloring books into their matching K.C Undercover backpacks. Madison couldn't resist reaching out and stroking her young girls hair, they were just the sweetest little girls in her eyes – but then again she may be a little bias.

"Can we go for dinner mommy?" Emma asked swinging her bag over her shoulder.

Madison thought about it for a moment as she took her daughters hands and started to walk down the hallway. She wanted to treat her family for it was a special occasion but she also knew she didn't have the funds to spare on an expensive dinner out. Instead of shattering her girl's dreams she tried to meet them halfway "maybe Aunt Brooklyn can come over for dinner".

Brooklyn smiled down sadly at the little girls with hopeful eyes, she wasn't actually their aunt of course but she was the closest thing Madison had to family "I wish I could girls but Hunter and I are having some family over tonight, but next time I promise I'll be there".

"So the in laws are coming over?" Madison glanced over at her friend.

"Yeah, to celebrate Carson's graduation" Brooklyn said with a little sigh "you're lucky that's one thing you never have to worry about".

"Yeah" Maddie agreed "lucky". She may not have voiced it but Madison saw herself as anything but lucky. More often then not Madison found herself lonely for the attention of family members. When holiday's had come and gone she always ended the day wishing that she had a large family to share it with.

Of course her mother – if she were around – would say that there was no one to blame for it but herself. She would tell Maddie that if she had been more mature back when she was twenty she wouldn't have ended up with a drug dealer for a boyfriend or a bun in the oven. Madison, in her mother's words 'was too stubborn' to give up on her boyfriend or the baby, so as a result her parents gave up on her.