Ocean Eyes - Maddie Poppe and Caleb Hutchinson Series (Book 3)

Chapter 23

Maddie's POV

When breakfast is ready, I call the girls downstairs. Caroline comes first.

"Good morning, Maddie. Good morning, daddy."

"Good morning," we tell her.

"What's for breakfast?" She asks.

"Pancakes," I smile at her.

"Yay," she cheers, softly, with a smile.

"Still sleepy?" Caleb asks, and she nods with a yawn.

"What time is mommy picking me up?" She asks.

Caleb looks at me before looking back at Caroline, "Go ahead and eat breakfast. Maddie and I will be right back."

"Okay," she says, taking a seat at the table.

I follow Caleb to the living room. He shakes his head, "Maddie, we can't keep this from her anymore."

"I know," I say, softly.

"We have to tell her, somehow."

"How?" I ask.

He thinks for a moment, "the best we can."

I go upstairs to see where Allison is, wondering why she hasn't come down, and she's still asleep to my surprise. But this is a good opportunity to try to explain this to Caroline. I go back to the kitchen and find Caleb sitting back at the table with Caroline.

"Caroline, Maddie and I need to talk to you," Caleb says.

"Okay?" She says.

Caleb and I stare at each for a while before he speaks again, "Mommy isn't coming to pick you up."

"What?" She furrows her eyebrows, "Tomorrow?"

Caleb looks down, "Never."

"Huh?" She gets little tears in her eyes, "Why not? She doesn't love me anymore?"

"No, baby, that's not it at all," I answer her, shaking my head, "she loves you so much."

"Then why isn't she coming to get me? Am I ever going to see her again?"

"Caroline, do you remember your pet fish?" I ask her.

"Yes," she giggles, "But he died. I miss him."

"Yeah," Caleb speaks again, "Well.. the same thing happened to mommy."

"Oh," she takes a bite of her pancake, "my fish went to heaven when he died. Is mommy in heaven, too?"

"Yes," I tell her, feeling my eyes water.

I see a tear go down her little cheek and my heart breaks even more, "What happened to mommy?"

"You know your mommy will always love you and she is watching over you," Caleb tells her.

Caroline cries a little more, "I want mommy to come back."

By now I'm crying, too, "I know, sweetie. She's always in your heart."

She scoots her chair back and stands up, and to my surprise walks over to me. She leans her head into my chest and I put my arms around her. I cry with her and rub her head.

"Maddie?" She says.

"Yes?"

"I miss mommy," she cries.

"I know," I tell her, "but I promise you that one day you will see her again."

"When I go to heaven?"

"Yes," I use my hand to wipe my eyes before returning it to her head.

"Is mommy okay?"

"She is very much okay," I tell her, "and she is very happy."

"Does she miss me?"

Caleb then walks over to us, and kneels beside her, rubbing her back, "She sure does. And she knows you miss her, too. But she wants you to be happy, baby. She wants you to be happy. She doesn't like to see you cry."

She pulls away from me and wipes her eyes, "Okay. I will try not to cry. But what if I cry again?"

"That's okay. You can let it out. And we are here for you, precious," I tell her.