𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬

43

"Maddie! Zach! You guys are home!" It was the happy high pitched voice of their younger sister who greeted the two siblings as they walked through the door. Both Zach and Maddie smiled as they hugged their little sister who was bouncing with glee. "What are you doing home early?" Zach asked as he shut the door and slipped off his shoes with Maddie following his actions. "Yeah, I thought you had an extra practice for your showcase?" Maddie asked as she hung up her jacket and book-bag which Zach was kind enough to take from Bryce when he brought them into the school during their morning classes. "One, it's called rehearsal, not practice, and yeah but Mommy picked me up early." May says happily once again making the two older siblings smile to each other. They both knew they missed their mom and their dad, though only one had passed, but they never realized just how much May had most likely been missing them as well. "Well isn't that-" May excitedly cut off Maddie making her laugh. "She even got me ice cream." Maddie smiles at May and ruffles her hair lightly but not even to ruin her braid. "Oreo?" Maddie bends down and questions since they had the same favorite flavor. "You know it." May says giving Maddie a small high five before sitting at the table where their mother sat.

Following their normal day routine all the Dempsey's sat at the table together but it wasn't long till Karen requested that everyone, excluding Maddie, left the table to do their homework in their rooms. Once they heard the click of both the bedroom doors shutting Maddie and Karen made eye contact waiting for the other to speak. "What happened last night?" Karen asks gently moving her hand across the table to squeeze Maddie's and to her surpise Maddie doesn't move her hand. "I just, I had a bad night." Maddie says wincing at her own pathetic excuse for a lie. "Maddie, please don't lie to me." Maddie let her lips part as her head rose up for her eyes to once again meet her mothers. She had called her Maddie, Karen could see the small note of appreciation behind her eye and prided herself on helping her daughter even if it was the smallest way possible, and Maddie couldn't help but smile softly. She knew why Karen called her Madison, it wasn't because she hated her or because she wanted to hurt her, it was because she was hard headed just the same way she was and for her to take the time to change what she called her? It was a bigger step for the both of them than others may believe.

"I uhm," Maddie bite the inside of her cheek and slowly moved her hand from Karens as she rubbed her fingertips together. "I went home with Bryce last night." Maddie said quietly, that's all it took. That's all it took for Karen's heart to sink. "He uhm, he pushed me back on the bed and he uhm," Maddie looked down slightly and Karen had to look away as her eyes watered, tears threatening to spill. "He didn't get that far," Maddie said. "But he touched me, and he got far enough." Maddie said, she figured Karen wasn't catching onto how far Bryce had gotten or even what had been done but she explained enough for her to know that Maddie had been put through something that should have never happened.

There was a small sniffle heard from the both of them before Karen brought Maddie into a strong hold, the kind of hug that only a mother can give you. "Maddie, I am so so sorry you went through that again. You didn't deserve that and he isn't going to get away with this." Maddie was crying as she latched onto her mother. "No, Mom I don't-" Karen quickly cut her off by bending down and wiping her tears, something she hadn't done in years. "Maddie, he doesn't deserve to get away with what he did." Her tone was stern and Karen could see this wasn't the time so Karen speaks again and softer this time. "But, we will not do anything you do not want to do. But we will continue to discuss this, okay?" Maddie nodded and smiled before kissing Karens cheek. "I missed you." Maddie said quietly. "I missed you too, my love, I'm sorry I've been gone for so long." Obviously she hadn't been gone, but they both knew they were referring to the overly loving mother Karen was when she first adopted Maddie.