your grandma?” he asked, trying to get her to answer him.
“No,” she said with a sad smile, shaking her head. “She was my lifesaver.”
Declan cocked his head and raised an eyebrow.
“When I was fifteen, I got myself into some trouble. My parents said they’d had enough and kicked me out.”
“They what ?” He couldn’t believe his ears.
“I stayed with a friend of mine, Jessa, for a couple of days, but that couldn’t last forever. Then one of my teachers stopped me after class because she was worried about me. When I shared what happened with my parents, she invited me to stay with her for a couple days.”
“A couple days?” Declan’s heart was breaking.
Madison nodded. “She had her own family to worry about and didn’t really have room for a teenager, but she knew someone who lived here, in Charlotte, that might be able to help. That was Ellie.”
Declan listened intently.
“A few days later we met Ellie at a restaurant. All I had with me was a suitcase and my book bag,” she shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal. “We had lunch, my teacher hugged me goodbye, and Ellie and I drove to Charlotte.”
“And your parents just let you go? They had no idea this was happening?”
Madison shook her head. She hadn’t talked about Ellie in a long time and it had been even longer since she had talked about her parents. “I haven’t seen or talked to them since the day they kicked me out.”
Declan exhaled a slow breath. “Have you ever tried to reach out to them?”
“They threw me out, Declan. I didn’t run away.”
Madison’s expression soften as she started to explain.
“Ellie … took me in. Instead of pushing for information, she let me tell my stories in my own way, in my own time. She never asked for anything other than honesty. She taught me how to love.” Madison took a breath. “And for the first time in my life, I felt love.”
Declan really didn’t know what to say. Their upbringings were so completely different. He didn’t understand parents that could just let their children go. Never speak to them. Never teach them how to be kids or adults. Never want to share in their accomplishments and their defeats.
He took both of her hands in his and squeezed them gently. “I’m sorry, Madison. I can’t even imagine that.”
“I’m glad,” she responded with a soft smile. “Living that way, the way I did with my parents, I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. You and your brother and sister were really lucky. And beyond that, your niece and nephews are really lucky, because I know you would never let them feel like I did growing up.” She paused for a moment again. “You would never let them feel that … alone.”
Declan wanted to reach across and wrap his arms around her, so he did. He scooted himself closer to her and after a few moments, she relaxed and let her body be embraced by his.
Madison laid her head on his chest and listened to his heart beat. After a bit, she continued to talk quietly. “It took a long time for me to open up to her. There were so many nights when we would sit at the kitchen table and not say anything. She truly had the patience of a saint. She never pushed, never pried. Anything I wanted to tell her was in my own time. Every so often she would ask a question, and I’d answer it, but give only the smallest amount of information I thought I could afford to give.
“Finally, when the dam broke, it was like I wouldn’t shut up. Kind of like now.” Declan’s arms tightened around her. “We would sit on the porch and drink lemonade when it was warm and wrap ourselves in blankets and drink hot chocolate when the temperatures fell.”
Declan could hear the smile return to her voice as she talked about her memories.
“I know it sounds really cliché and sappy, but, she truly was my lifesaver.”
“You know,” he said, hopeful in his tone, “I think I’d like to meet this Ellie person. Maybe we could all go for dinner
“No,” she said with a sad smile, shaking her head. “She was my lifesaver.”
Declan cocked his head and raised an eyebrow.
“When I was fifteen, I got myself into some trouble. My parents said they’d had enough and kicked me out.”
“They what ?” He couldn’t believe his ears.
“I stayed with a friend of mine, Jessa, for a couple of days, but that couldn’t last forever. Then one of my teachers stopped me after class because she was worried about me. When I shared what happened with my parents, she invited me to stay with her for a couple days.”
“A couple days?” Declan’s heart was breaking.
Madison nodded. “She had her own family to worry about and didn’t really have room for a teenager, but she knew someone who lived here, in Charlotte, that might be able to help. That was Ellie.”
Declan listened intently.
“A few days later we met Ellie at a restaurant. All I had with me was a suitcase and my book bag,” she shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal. “We had lunch, my teacher hugged me goodbye, and Ellie and I drove to Charlotte.”
“And your parents just let you go? They had no idea this was happening?”
Madison shook her head. She hadn’t talked about Ellie in a long time and it had been even longer since she had talked about her parents. “I haven’t seen or talked to them since the day they kicked me out.”
Declan exhaled a slow breath. “Have you ever tried to reach out to them?”
“They threw me out, Declan. I didn’t run away.”
Madison’s expression soften as she started to explain.
“Ellie … took me in. Instead of pushing for information, she let me tell my stories in my own way, in my own time. She never asked for anything other than honesty. She taught me how to love.” Madison took a breath. “And for the first time in my life, I felt love.”
Declan really didn’t know what to say. Their upbringings were so completely different. He didn’t understand parents that could just let their children go. Never speak to them. Never teach them how to be kids or adults. Never want to share in their accomplishments and their defeats.
He took both of her hands in his and squeezed them gently. “I’m sorry, Madison. I can’t even imagine that.”
“I’m glad,” she responded with a soft smile. “Living that way, the way I did with my parents, I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. You and your brother and sister were really lucky. And beyond that, your niece and nephews are really lucky, because I know you would never let them feel like I did growing up.” She paused for a moment again. “You would never let them feel that … alone.”
Declan wanted to reach across and wrap his arms around her, so he did. He scooted himself closer to her and after a few moments, she relaxed and let her body be embraced by his.
Madison laid her head on his chest and listened to his heart beat. After a bit, she continued to talk quietly. “It took a long time for me to open up to her. There were so many nights when we would sit at the kitchen table and not say anything. She truly had the patience of a saint. She never pushed, never pried. Anything I wanted to tell her was in my own time. Every so often she would ask a question, and I’d answer it, but give only the smallest amount of information I thought I could afford to give.
“Finally, when the dam broke, it was like I wouldn’t shut up. Kind of like now.” Declan’s arms tightened around her. “We would sit on the porch and drink lemonade when it was warm and wrap ourselves in blankets and drink hot chocolate when the temperatures fell.”
Declan could hear the smile return to her voice as she talked about her memories.
“I know it sounds really cliché and sappy, but, she truly was my lifesaver.”
“You know,” he said, hopeful in his tone, “I think I’d like to meet this Ellie person. Maybe we could all go for dinner
Similar Books
