I Love Him Even Now...

"Mom, where is Dad?"

I froze for a bit. Maddie had never really mentioned her father so seriously or at least I've never mentioned him to her before. She was almost eleven years old now. I knew she had the right to know why everyone in her class had a father except her.

"Well, Maddie, your dad had to leave, he's better off where he is now, just know that, okay Honey?"

"Yea, okay. Hey Mom... Were you and Dad in love?"

"In love? Why do you ask?"

I was shocked in her interest in such a serious matter. Was it time for 'the talk'?

"April said that her parents are in love and that they even have a love story, so I was just wondering if you have a love story...you know.. With Dad?"

I sighed with a smile.

"I sure do Sweetie, why don't you go brush your teeth and get ready for bed and I'll tell you it when I come in okay?"

"Okay. " She said while getting up and heading towards the bedroom.

I cleared the dining room table of all of the dinner dishes and work paper that was spread across it and stacked the dishes into the dishwasher and placed the paper in my briefcase. I still had on my usual work attire, a white long sleeved button shirt and a black close fitting skirt that stopped by my knees, I liked my work outfit, because it complimented my hour glass shape perfectly, sometimes I would change up the colors but it was hardly a different style. I was a therapist, who needed a therapist and I was also a legal advisor. I let down my long, light brown, wavy hair from its ponytail and let it spread all over my back past my elbows.

I went to my bedroom, where Maddie sat on the bed watching television, she usually slept with me, instead of her room, even though some nights I would cry myself to sleep because I was lonely. I washed my face brushed my teeth and changed into my ex-husband's old T-shirt and mentally prepared myself for my "love story". What was I even going to say? How was I going to start? Should I go really into details? Should I skip out the sexy scenes? Was this even a real love story? All sorts of questions roamed through my head as I made my way to the bed and snuggled my precious daughter Maddie. I turned off the television and she looked up at me with her honey eyes. Her hair was light brown, like mine, although mine was dyed, and curly hair which reminded me of my personal interpretation of Goldilocks and lightly puffed cheeks. We stared into each other's eyes until she broke the silence

"Ahem, I'm waiting for the story."

I grinned and said "Okay here goes..."

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and immediately, I was there, it was happening all over again:

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I put an ad in the local newspaper advertising my babysitting services in hopes of getting a little extra cash. I really wanted a car, I wanted the freedom of owning a car but my father was not going to pay for that. I was the perfect angel in my family. I had two older brothers, Scott and Chase and a younger sister Alexandria. I was the favorite kid and we all knew it but my parents were not going to further it by buying me a car, and I also wanted a new cellphone, since mine was outdated so I hoped and prayed that my ad would be recognized soon. My mom had to pull a lot of strings to get that in the paper for free, she worked at the newspaper company, so it was kind of awesome.