Where to Belong

by W.J. Smith

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Take Heart

  An incredibly humble knock came to the bedroom door followed by an equally humble voice as it cracked open, "May I come in?"

  "It's your room," Madison said passively.

  She listened as Skyler stepped inside and eased the door closed. He ever so quietly moved to the side of the bed and sat on the edge. There were no other words for several minutes. He was simply there. She knew that despite his silence his mind was churning tirelessly with all he was wanting to say. He had always turned inward when he was distressed by something. The only effort one would know of him trying to settle things would be by his lingering presence. She didn't push him. He would come in his own time.

  And he did.

  "I'm sorry, Madison." His voice was low. She didn't have to look at him to know his expression. Somber. "I never meant to upset you. I don't blame you if you hate me. I can understand why you would." He paused for a few breaths before puffing out a sigh and trying again.

  "My words were not as encouraging as I meant for them to be. What I was trying to say was that you aren't letting yourself live the life you deserve. You're hanging onto this memory that is only a fraction of what you should have. Hate me all you want, but I couldn't let you do that to yourself anymore. Don't cling to Morgan like this. He didn't deserve your love or your faith."

  Silence filled the room again. Madison kept up her watch of the city, and Skyler didn't budge. She didn't offer a response. His continuing to stay told her he wasn't yet finished.

  "Will you let me show you something?"

  "Skyler, please? You've made your point. Could you let me be?" Her voice wasn't as steady as she had hoped it to be.

  He got up off the bed, and she thought he was going to grant her request. But instead he walked around to her side of the bed and knelt. His hand came gently to her back. "I think this is something you need to see," he said softly. "It won't take long."

  Skyler maintained a kind hold on her as he guided her over to the desk. He let her sit in the chair while he pulled up what he had in mind on his laptop. The website was of a local newspaper. Sunday's issue. He clicked on a link midway down the page and adjusted the screen to give her a better view, then bowed his head.

  The article was about the incident at Lake View. There were several interviews and quotations. The gist of it was the company paying their respects to an employee by the name of Meredith Turner, noting that she was known by all in the company as Madison. It didn't tell of the attempted robbery but mentioned that it was reported in the prior issue. It covered the thoughts of all those who had worked with the lost employee, stating their condolences to her friends and family, and that she would be missed. They told of her honesty, dependability, kindness, and strength as a good person.

  The photos within the article tore at Madison's heart. The first one was of the graduation from night school with Bradley. Another was of her with Caleb and Waylon at a company barbecue from Caleb's first year. Down the page were recent photos from the day after the incident. Her coworkers gathered to pay their respects and console one another. Shown along with her colleagues were their families she had come to know including Jeremy and Evelyn. She studied each familiar face and hated to see them grieve for her.

  She wiped at the tears that finally began to fall. "Why are you showing me this?"

  Skyler knelt down and looked up at her. He didn't answer for a few breaths, then nodded at the pictures on the screen. "I don't think they would agree with you, that your life was empty and hollow. I think they saw that spark of yours." His eyes shifted to find hers. She shook her head and lowered her gaze. The weight of his stare was more than she could handle at the moment. "I know it wasn't easy to make a new life for yourself, all by yourself. I tried and I failed. I didn't last long at all on my own. But you did."

  "But I miss him so much. I still love him."

  "I know. Just promise me you won't short yourself on life anymore. That's all I'm asking."

  She looked to him and felt herself wane with his telling. She couldn't answer him. The tears rolled down her cheeks as she quit fighting to hold them back. Skyler put his arms around her and held her tight. She cried against his chest and clutched her ring. She didn't feel she was shorting herself on anything. Her love for Morgan was still real to her and meant more to her than what moving on with someone else would do. He was very much a part of her even now.

  "I thought of you and missed you everyday," he said as he rocked her in his arms. "I didn't think I would ever see you again, but I knew you were fine all along. And you still are."

  He held her until she began to settle again. It didn't take her long to calm. She never did like crying much. It accomplished nothing.

  Skyler shifted back and gave her a smile. She nodded to him and assured him she was alright. He closed the screen on the laptop and leaned against the desk, his expression studious. "Can I get you anything? I'm feeling pretty useless right about now."

  She met his asking with a smile of her own. There wasn't really much she could technically ask for at this point. Everything seemed off limits to a stashed miscreant. She shook her head then shifted, "A shower sounds good, actually. That's all."

  He narrowed his eyes and peered at her hidden bandages. "Let me tape that up and I think it should be fine."

  With that, Skyler rummaged through several desk drawers until he came across what he was searching for. He held up the medical grade tape roll and gestured for her to let him tend to the bandages. She pulled up the oversized t-shirt just enough to reveal the wrappings, turning her head as he got to work on it.

  A few minutes later, Madison was standing in the shower and feeling the wear of the past few days wash away. In the quiet calmness, she couldn't help but wonder what Skyler meant when he said Morgan was merely a business man. She knew he was governed by his job, but what did that have to do with him keeping her around?

  One particular memory came to mind, which she long ago figured that he was testing her out. It was a few months after meeting Morgan, and weeks after she opened his locked car for him. He came into the diner and said he had a favor to ask of her. His story was that he had put some documents in a safe at his house and forgot the combination. The papers were needed to be delivered to his boss that night, and the company he bought the safe from said it would be three days before they could open it for him. When she was slow to agree to help him, he promised that he would be able to show proof of it being his safe once it was opened.

  After thinking it over all day, she decided to help him. Skyler insisted on going with her, wary of her agreeing to such a stunt. He drove her to Morgan's after work.

  "Why did you tell him you can crack safes?"

  "I didn't," Madison shrugged, ignoring his anxious stare as they waited at the end of the driveway. "I only said that I can open anything that's locked. Remember? When he locked himself out of his car."

  "Yeah," he sighed, "I was there."

  "He asked this morning if I could open safes. What was I supposed to say?"

  Skyler shook his head and started up the drive, "I just don't think this is a good idea. Remember what happened last time?"

  She didn't try to answer him. The time he was hinting at was the one time she got caught. A person she thought was her friend asked her to break into the school so they could get their homework out of their desk. She didn't know they were stealing the answers for the history exam for the next day. They were discovered only because she refused to let them leave the classroom with the answer sheet, locking them both in until someone came looking for them.

  "He's a nice guy," she said as they pulled up in front of the two-story brick house framed by tall palm trees. "I trust him."

  "You hardly know him," Skyler laughed. "I've said my peace. I'm not the one with a juvie record."

  She got out of the car and followed him down the sidewalk. "O
nly because you never got caught."

  He stalled at the foot of the stairs and turned to her. "Convincing your teachers to give you an A is totally legit. Breaking in to get an A is not."

  "Don't take that tone with me, Skyler Evan," she shook her head at him, then took the stairs quickly to hide a smile.

  "There wasn't a tone, Madison Olivia. That was your guilty conscience kicking in."

  She exchanged playful glares with him as they stood at the door. It opened before the chime of the door bell finished its song.

  Morgan greeted them and ushered them in with a warm smile. "Come in, and thank you for helping me with this." She always found his accent fascinating.

  Madison nodded at Skyler as he eyed Morgan, "No problem, but could you tell my friend here that you're not a crook?"

  "I'm not a crook," he laughed, then led the way to the safe.

  It was tucked in the back of a closet in one of the bedrooms. She gave the dial an experimental turn and listened to the feedback of the internal gears. Morgan knelt beside her and Skyler stood by the door.

  "So, how have you been, Skyler?"

  "Good. Staying busy."

  Madison chuckled at his small talk. She was appreciative of Morgan trying to entertain Skyler, but she knew her nervous friend wouldn't settle easily. He rarely approved of others learning of her talent.

  It didn't take her long to have the safe open. Morgan cut off the unproductive conversation with Skyler and patted her on the back. "There should be a manila envelope on the top shelf with the name Bristow on it."

  She reached in and pulled out the envelope and handed it to him. She recognized the name from his business card he had given her when they first met. "Do you want me to write the combo down for you?"

  "No," he shook his head, "I'll lose track of it. Just leave it open."

  He turned to Skyler and guided him out of the room, "I wish I had more time tonight, we could shoot a game of pool before you go. Madison tells me you play."

  She caught his questioning glance before he answered. "Yes, sir, I play every now and then."

  "Are you any good?"

  "I think so, sir."

  "Then come back sometime soon and we'll put my pool table to use. But you'll have to go easy on me, I haven't played in awhile."

  "Yes, sir. That sounds good."

  Morgan paused in front of the door and put his arm around Skyler's shoulder, "And stop calling me 'sir'. It makes me feel old."

  "Yes, sir," he smiled, looking for Madison to go ahead of him.

  "See you tomorrow," she said as Morgan held the door.

  He bowed his head, "Looking forward to it."

  Quickly feeling sapped from standing for the duration of the shower, Madison was soon back in a fresh set of drawstring pants and baggy t-shirt. Skyler's clothes were much too big for her, but the loose fit was very comfortable concerning her tender belly.

  Once she was settled, Skyler insisted on changing the bandages and checking her wound. She lay on the bed and stared out the window. The view was still as captivating as the first day she had discovered it. Time had no say on her city. It would always be beautiful. It would always take her breath away.

  Random thoughts turned in her head as she merely held her place and let Skyler patch her back up. She hardly noticed his touch, either from it being so light or by her mind being elsewhere. His earlier words and demeanor earned her attention. She knew he had always meant well. He never would have intentionally hurt her. In the past, he was quite often hyperaware of the feelings of those around him; hence his ability to cater to hearts. For him to take such a forceful stand, he must have been dwelling on the strife for some time. "I don't hate you, Skyler," she said softly, keeping her tranquil watch of the city. "I could never hate you."

  He didn't make a sound. Madison didn't look at him as he continued with his task. He never slowed. She knew he had heard her. There was nothing else to hear besides the hushed rattling of the bandages and the faint remnants of music that seeped from Chase's room.

  The gauzy wrap began to feel snug around her, and she assumed he was finishing up. She shifted to look to him, finding him meeting her gaze for a breath before returning his eyes to his work. "Almost done," he said in a muted tone. She watched and studied him while he situated the bandages. He was being awfully careful.

  When Skyler was content with his efforts, he gave her a small nod and stood beside the bed, nervously turning the remaining roll of bandages in his hands. He looked about the room for a moment then to Madison. "We're all right?" he asked with another nod.

  "We're all right," she smiled. It must have been what he needed to hear because he quickly returned a smile that looked as if he were a little boy who had just gotten his first puppy.

  "Good," he stated with a sigh. "And you're feeling all right?" he gestured to her wrapped belly.

  She agreed with a sideways nod, "Definitely getting better."

  "Good," he said again. Skyler set the bandage roll on his desk then moved to sit beside her on the bed. "I forgot to tell you about your cat. I'm sure you've been worried about him, so I stopped by your apartment yesterday. The police were there, and I was afraid they beat me to him. They said they called animal services since they didn't know of any emergency contacts you might have had. I was going to take him. I don't know what I would have done with him. I've never gotten along with cats. But your neighbor, Dafne? Well, she came to our rescue and volunteered to take him in. From the looks of it as I was leaving, they were both very happy to see one another."

  It felt as if a huge weight had been taken off her learning of Victor's impromptu home. There were few things she worried about in her life, and the cat she had left behind was one of them. She knew Dafne would take care of him. "Thank you," she breathed. "You have no idea of what a relief it is to hear that. You would have brought him home?"

  "I would have tried," he shrugged. "That was if I ever got ahold of him. That is one big cat."

  "Yep. The vet told me he is a Russian Blue. They evidently can get rather large."

  "Have you had him long?"

  Madison shook her head. "Not long. Since he was a kitten, though. He's a good cat. I'm happy to know he is with Dafne. She'll spoil him rotten." She smiled to herself and pictured the gray cat sitting on Dafne's lap while she watched her game shows. They would keep each other company just fine.

  Skyler reached over and put his hand on her shoulder. It wasn't a gesture he did often, and she studied him for it. He didn't seem to notice her intrigue. He was looking more through her than at her. She gave him a moment. That was all it took. He eventually came back to the present and acknowledged her gaze with a curious smile. She kept her questions to herself.

  "And now I get to go back to work," he said wearily.

  He was leaving again. Madison frowned. It seemed that each time she wanted to remain in his presence, he was promptly being snatched away. She wondered if he ever took any time off.

  "I don't know when I'll be back, but I won't leave you hanging," he went on, ignoring her petulance. "I'm leaving you one of my cards. Why don't you put this computer to use and do some shopping or something. Isn't that what women do when they sit home all day?"

  She couldn't maintain her sulking with his teasing. He gave his familiar smirk when she gaped at him. "And what do you suggest I shop for?" she asked in the most sarcastic tone she could find.

  "How about your own clothes? Better yet, keep those," he tugged at the pants she was wearing, "and get me some new pajamas."

  "I'll see what I can do." Madison chuckled at him when he tossed a credit card down on the desk and patted the sleeping laptop. "What's my limit?'

  Skyler shrugged. "Knock yourself out. It's a company card."

  "So I can get a G-Wagon to match yours?" she quipped.

  "Err," he cringed, "we'll discuss that later. Let's keep it more along the lines of what ca
n be delivered to the apartment without drawing too much attention from the neighbors."

  "I think I can handle that," she said with a dubious grin. Skyler shifted and peered at her for a moment as if he was trying to decipher her true intentions. He must have found her to be benign. He soon moved for the door and shook his head with a chuckle.