"I thought you were on a coffee run." Madison defended using her hand to pull the fabric of the hem of Victoria's jeans.
"Have you started to imagine things? I am pregnant. I can't drink coffee." Melody said taking a seat.
Victoria tried to step back from Madison, but Madison tugged her back by the hem of her jeans.
"Well, you went somewhere."
"Yes, I went to the ladies’ room for about the millionth time today."
"Well, coffee, or bladder. What does it matter? Maybe you should go make sure that you wiped properly." Madison smirked, she was already back to her normal self within a few hours, though she still felt some pain which she hid from everyone.
"Bitch," Melody mumbled as she walked out of the room closing the door behind her.
"So, where were we?" Madison questioned allowing her hand to slip further down Victoria's jeans.
"Did surgery make you horny or something?" Victoria questioned as Madison's hand went beneath the fabric of her underwear.
"You make me horny."
"Baby, you just got out of surgery." She used her hand to take Madison's hand out. "I promise I will make it up to you, but I want you to rest for now."
Madison nodded shifting to the side of the bed. "At least we can cuddle." She smiled closing her eyes and Victoria joined her on the very small bed.
"I love you," Victoria said wrapping her hands around Madison's small waist.
"I love you too."
****
Melody sat on a chair in the waiting room allowing herself to think of absolutely nothing but the strangers that passed by. She touched her stomach, feeling the warmth and comfort that her unborn child gave her, but she knew she had to go through it all alone.
She knew her dad would be there to help in some way or the other but as for her mother, she didn't want that woman to be a part of her child's life, not with the way she behaved. She knew Madison might either stay or go back to New York to continue on with her life as it was, maybe even with Victoria by her side.
She then heard the sound of her phone ringing that was in her hand and she answered after seeing the caller ID. "What do you want?"
"Where are you?" He questioned, and Melody rolled her eyes.
"None of your fucking business."
"It's my fucking business. Now, tell me where you are!" He demanded.
"Why do you even care Troy?"
"I don't care for you bitch. I care about my child." At least he had fatherly love, but the kid wasn't even his.
"The baby is not yours." She whispered holding back the tears.
"What do you mean by not mine?" He questioned annoyed.
"I had a one-night stand and I did a DNA test. Not yours so you have no business in my life."
"You fucking slut."
"You fucking asshole." She spat hanging up the phone and throwing it across the room.
A few people who passed by looked at her as if she was crazy. She got up, the fury within her, and walked back into her Madison's room.
Madison raised her head from lying on Victoria's chest. "Melody, is everything okay?"
Melody burst down crying as Madison attempted to get up, but failed miserably to do so. Frustrated, she allowed Victoria to comfort her sister instead, as she sat temporarily disabled from after surgery weakness.
****
It's been days since surgery and Madison grew restless with each passing hour. Dr. Hanes walked in with Madison's chart in hand, "You are looking better," she said.
"Better than what? Better than you saw me which was?" Madison pretended to look at a watch on her wrist. "An hour ago?" Dr. Hanes rolled her eyes, "Not to sound ungrateful or anything but when can I leave?"
"Well, I came by to let you know you were being released, but it seems your attitude may still be suffering the effects of the anesthesia." She turned and walked to the door, "I will just go withdraw that release."
"Wait, wait, wait," Madison rushed out. "I'm sorry."
"Excuse me," Courtney turned to face Madison, "I didn't quite understand you."
"I'm sorry, okay," Madison grumbled crossing her arms. The pain she had after the surgery had subsided within the few days, but there was still some difficulty. So at least her mobility was in check. “So, when am I being released?" Madison questioned eager to get out of the depressing hellhole she was in.
"Tomorrow morning. But don't get too excited since you'll need some bed rest for at least a week."
"Better than being isolated here. No offense but this place is really depressing."
"Daddy would love to hear that. Maybe you can give him some tips on how to make a hospital more cheerful." Madison frowned, tempted to stick out her middle finger and wave it like she just didn't care.
"Don't mock me. I bet my dad will be of great help with that. He is a perfectionist."
"Interesting. Gregory is more feminine in the relationship."
"Well, I can't deny that. My father once attempted to help me choose a dress for a dinner. Let's just say flowers aren’t my style." Courtney laughed placing the chart in between her arm.
"I have never had a sister. So, you're the closest thing to it, you know?"
"Well, I am flattered. But the one sister I have is enough to handle already." Madison looked at how the woman's expression changed, "but what the hell, there can never too much drama in this family."
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Victoria came back into the room with a can of Coke in hand seeing that Dr. Hanes was there. "Hi, doctor," Victoria said as she walked over to Madison handing her the carbonated beverage.
"Hello, Victoria." Courtney looked at the green-eyed woman before shifting her gaze to Madison. "I will leave you for now. Get prepared for your departure tomorrow morning." She walked out of the room leaving the two women alone.
"You are getting discharged tomorrow?" Victoria asked as Madison opened and took a sip of her soda.
"Well, she, Courtney just said that." Victoria rolled her eyes pinching Madison's shoulder.
"You are such an ass darling," Victoria said as she took a seat at the edge of the bed. "I was thinking..." She took a deep breath before continuing. "You haven't really figured out where you are going after being discharged."
Madison rested the can down on the small table beside her bed before looking at the green-eyed beauty. "Obviously to my parents' house but I won't be staying there for long anyway. I need to get back to New York soon." Madison smiled as she saw her lover frown.
"So, you are going back to New York?" Victoria mumbled feeling her heart pound by only the thought of distance between them.
"Love, I went away from this place for a reason. I can't stay here since my mother will never let me live in peace. Plus, I need to do something I didn't have the courage to do before."
Victoria felt the tears flowing down her face and faced the window to hide her sadness from Madison. She knew she couldn't hold Madison back from continuing her dreams and especially for her to be far away from her monster of her mother. But that picture just didn't include her which made her heartbreak.
"When are you leaving?" Victoria mumbled irritated. It was evident to Madison that Victoria had something on her mind by the way she spoke.
"I am not sure but soon. Are you okay?" She questioned obviously confused at what was so simple to realize. Victoria then turned allowing Madison to see the tears that flowed freely. "Baby, why are you crying?"
Victoria tried to wipe away the tears with the palms of her hands. "I am so stupid." She sniffled as she got up from where she was sitting.
"Stupid? Why would you say that?" Victoria shook her head not wanting to fatigue Madison with her concerns and problems.
"Nothing love." She wiped her eyes, "I think I should check in on the bridal shop. Are you okay if I will be gone for some time?" Madison nodded but before she could have said anything else Victoria was already walking towards the door. "I will come to check on you later," Victoria said as she walked out of th
e room at a quick pace.
****
Gregory sat in an unfamiliar office. He never visited Charles' place of work before, though their relationship was a secret only to Gregory's family. Courtney knew about her father's relationship and on occasion would bump into Gregory at their house, but other than that, they never talked much.
They had only been together for a few months, taking the relationship one step at a time. Both men wanted something more, but there was a huge problem in the middle of their happy ever after, which was Amanda.
"Lost in thought?" Charles asked. He was sitting at his desk with his hands clasped in front of him while Gregory sat on the leather couch horizontal to the desk.
Gregory smiled and uncrossed his legs. "Just thinking."
"Everything is going to be okay. Madison is alive and healthy and being discharged tomorrow. All in all, things are going great." Charles got up and walked over to Gregory. He took a seat next to him and touched his shoulder. "Don't worry so much."
Gregory sighed and took a deep breath. "I'll try to get a divorce soon."
"So that is what is stressing you out?" Gregory nodded and turned to face Charles.
"Yes. I know you said you can wait, but it isn't fair to you nor I and even Amanda should realize that it is unfair to her as well." Gregory rested his head on Charles' shoulder. "She will find out about you soon. Nothing stays hidden from Amanda for too long."
****
Amanda sat across from her longtime friend in need of someone to side with her. Both her and Margaret had the same views about homosexuality.
Margaret often wondered how Amanda tolerated the fact that her daughter was one or at least pretended to be one. If Madison was her daughter, she would have disowned her a long time ago. But Amanda, unlike her best friend, would never take such a drastic step. The most she did was try to change her daughter's ways, which she was completely failing at.
She sometimes wondered if she should just accept the fact the Madison will never change, but as soon as those thoughts were pushed into her mind, society made her rid of them once more.
She was always afraid of being criticized. That if people knew about Madison it would cause shame to the family and to make matters worse her own husband was claiming the sexuality. But what she never came to understand was that everyone already knew, so if there was a shame to be shared it was already out in the open.
It broke her heart that the only man she had ever loved was not who she thought he was. Gregory saying, he was gay was as if the love they shared never existed. All the years of raising their daughters together was just a show to what he was truly feeling.
"So, Madison is better?" Amanda nodded and took a sip of her tea. She went over to Margaret's house after feeling isolated in the walls of her own. Thoughts corrupted her mind and the fact that her family was falling apart made her feel that her world was crashing down.
But her family wasn't falling apart. To everyone else, their lives were getting better. Though Melody would be a single mother, she still felt relieved not to have Troy in her life anymore.
But as for Amanda, she saw the changes from a different viewpoint. One without happiness. One that broke her family apart. But her family was broken long before she even realized. She was just too oblivious to see how the pieces were scattered. As long as she was happy and content, somehow everyone else was meant to feel the same. Amanda was just too self-absorbed to realize what everyone else was feeling.
After a long pause, Amanda finally spoke. "Gregory is gay." She mumbled the words repeating over and over in her head. She felt as if she was drowning.
"Told you it would start rubbing off." Amanda looked at the woman in front of her. She already knew what Margaret was referring to.
Amanda shook her head, "I don't know. Melody also said she doesn't want to marry Troy."
Margaret gasped placing down the cup of tea that was in her hand. "But she is pregnant." Amanda felt the tinge of discomfort in the pit of her stomach. She was ashamed to tell Margaret the truth, but she needed to speak about her feelings to someone or she was definitely going to break down from all the thoughts spiraling out of control in her head.
"The baby is not his. She doesn't know who the father is." Amanda took a deep breath wondering how her daughter could have been so foolish.
Margaret shook her head. "Your family is such a disgrace. They are an abomination." She took a sip of her tea. Amanda looked at her in dejection. "I mean they are unlike you. I don't know how you became so unlucky, well maybe you always were."
The sting of what Margaret said made Amanda realize how her words affected her own family. Was she just like Margaret? Of course, she was, they had the same views. It made her shake that she made her own family feel the same way she was feeling; rejected.
Amanda cleared her throat uncrossing her legs and stood looking at her friend and realized something she should have a long time ago. "I should leave." She mumbled fixing her blouse before walking towards the door.
"I didn't mean to offend you, Amanda. Remember I am just saying the truth." Amanda opened the front door and lingered a bit before leaving.
"I know you were."
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Melody walked back into Madison's room. Her bladder felt like it was becoming a nuisance since she spent the last few minutes in the ladies' room. Her hate for public restrooms was very evident, but she had no choice. She needed to be there for her sister, as Madison would have done the same for her.
She saw Madison sitting up on her bed as tears streamed down her face. "Maddy, what's wrong?" She questioned her little sister as she walked closer.
Madison shook her head trying to wipe away the tears. "I think I ruined it." She mumbled her gaze wandering around the room.
"What did you ruin?" Melody took the seat next to her.
She sniffled, her gaze landing on her sister's pitiful face. "I don't want your pity, Mel." Melody furrowed her eyebrows and shook her head.
"I don't pity you Madison." She said offended knowing how much Madison hated feeling small. Though the last past days had brought the most pity from everyone, she guessed Madison finally didn't want anymore.
"Your face says it all." Madison sighed and closed her eyes. The tears were then dried but her mind was still spiraling with emotions.
"Why don't we get back on topic of what you think you screwed up before we have a big argument which will lead me to walking out of the room leaving you all alone to your mind and its thoughts." Madison rolled her eyes and lifted her hand pointing to the door.
"Go right ahead." Melody groaned not moving an inch.
"You are so unbelievable. Just tell me what is bugging you." Madison crossed her arms.
"I don't want to." She said lifting her chin high staring intently at her big sister.
"I am a hormonal pregnant, single, and frustrated woman. Do you want to start a war? Cause I will be glad to shoot the first arrow." Madison pouted and scrunched up her nose. "Don't do that, you look very ugly." Melody could not help but laugh.
"That's not funny." She mumbled still pouting, then sighed. "I'm sorry. I just don't..."
"It okay sis, if anyone should be a bitch here, it should be you."
Madison shook her head. "I am not the one pregnant, single, and frustrated."
Melody smiled clasping her hands on her lap. "The only problem is my frustration. I have no problem with being pregnant and single." Madison nodded and took a deep breath, her thoughts still corrupted in her mind.
"You know you can tell me anything." Melody smiled sincerely.
"I know," Madison whispered. "I wanted her to come with me to New York, I just realized that I might have made it sound like I was going back without her." She took a deep breath.
"So, you expect her to just leave everything behind and follow you wherever you go?" Melody said, and Madison shook her head.
"No, of course not, but isn't it the right thing to ask?"
"So, you do wa
nt to leave her behind?" Madison swallowed the invisible lump in her throat.
"I don't want to leave her. But there is something I need to do back in New York."
"Which is?" Madison bit her lip.
"It is a surprise."
"Oh, are you proposing to her because that would be the sweetest thing ever." She squealed. "Are you are planning to take her to New York to propose to her or something." Madison rolled her eyes.
"When I am going to propose I am going to do it right here in London." She wouldn't take Victoria far away from her family so that it would be a hassle to attend the wedding. Plus, even she had a few family members she would have liked to invite.
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