Chapter 5

Maddie

I have been back in Texas for close to six weeks and B and I finally have a routine after ten months of running. Today is the day that I have been looking forward to. Today I get to see Aunt Deb and Micah. The boarding house we have been staying in is nice and the people are friendly, but it is not home. Mrs. Layne, the lady I rent a room from, is very motherly towards B and myself. Mrs. Layne, Lilah, is a widow with no children. Her husband, Richard, built this house for them when they first married. It is a two story, six bedrooms with five bathrooms. It’s old, homey, and huge. Richard and Lilah wanted to fill the house with children. Lilah said they just weren’t blessed that way. They have had many foster children through the years but when they became older they started taking in stragglers that needed a home. Richard passed a few years back and Mrs. Layne continues to take people in. I found her by complete luck. I had gone in the bakery close to her house and she had one of those advertisements that you pull the numbers off. I read the advertisement and it sounded too good to be true. I called and got the address and did a slow drive by the first day. She doesn’t live on the rich side of town but more of a family neighborhood. It doesn’t have bars on the windows and doors either. It took me a couple of more calls and talking with Mrs. Layne for a while for me to stop and go in. As soon as I went into the house I had a good feeling, but I was not taking any chances. I was shown around the house and invited back the next day for dinner. I think Mrs. Layne could feel my apprehension and she understood me being cautious. Mrs. Layne loved my B and my little girl went and sat with the lady like she had known her forever. The next day the dinner went off without a hitch and I met the other boarders. The rent includes three meals a day if we are here when they are ready and Mrs. Layne sticks to a schedule like no one else I know. B and I have the largest room on the second floor with a private bathroom. It’s clean and we have plenty of room. There was a big queen-sized bed, dresser, a microwave, and small refrigerator all included. I also have room enough for a toddler bed for B. I want B to have her own space and when it came down to it, I think I had a harder time adjusting to it than she did. I am hoping today’s meeting with Aunt Deb and Micah goes alright and we will be able to go home soon.

I keep watching the clock. I set up the meeting in the afternoon that way B could have her morning nap first. We will be meeting at Lakeview Park at two and it is time for us to get going. I hope traffic isn’t too bad. Going through Dallas you just never know. B and I packed a lunch and she is coloring. She doesn’t know about the meeting today. I didn’t want to disappoint her in case something interferes with it. “B, it’s time to go baby girl.”

“Okay Mommy. Me hurry.” B knows we are going on a picnic, but she thinks it is going to be just us. I grab the bag with the food and drinks in it. B walks up to me and I take her hand and we walk out the door. I am sure to lock it as I go out. The house is quiet this afternoon. Everyone is gone either to work or doing their everyday things. We walk down the stairs and out the door. I know I am being cautious, but I have felt like someone has been watching me the last few days. It’s not like I go a lot of places. B and I spend a lot of time either in the yard playing or in our room. I have started teaching B numbers and her alphabet. My B is smart and picks things up quickly. My attorney has warned against me getting a job and using my social security number. I’m not using an alias anymore and I am happy about that. Our outings are limited except for the visits to the local grocery store or an occasional trip to the park or zoo. I hope after today that can change. I am ready to go home. I have come to like my life here, but it will never be home. I am just waiting for my attorney to have everything in place and all the papers served to be able to go home. I know when Dra gets served papers he is just going to hate me more. When Callie finds out she is going to be disappointed and maybe a little mad. Right now, I need to concentrate on what is best for B. Not what my heart desires nor other people’s opinions. B’s safety has always been my main priority since I found out I was pregnant. I had dreaded the first time Dra would meet his daughter. I honestly didn’t think he would even want to meet her. Dra was firm on the point of never wanting children. My dread of the situation had more to do with the disappointment of Dra not wanting B than his anger. In my mind, the only way Dra would want anything to do with B is to spite me and maybe that is exactly the situation. I wasn’t hanging around to find out because the safety issue was constantly in my mind too. I just need to concentrate on getting to the park and spending the day with Micah and Aunt Deb. Sometime this afternoon I should get the phone call from my attorney and maybe by tomorrow B and I can be on the way home with our family.