Written In The Stars: Book Two

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: BE YOUR HOME

Madeline was to be released at the end of the day, and while her parents waited at the hospital, Elijah stayed behind. He'd wanted her to be as comfortable as possible, which meant he'd be giving her the bedroom upstairs, next to the larger bathroom and near her mother. It was the only way he could think to give her privacy, rather than turning the living room into her bedroom, and constantly having people walk back and forth through it.

Jay and Jack had come over to move his desk down to the basement of the apartment, along with the bed. All his art supplies had to be moved into his garage for the time being, but he still had his sketch pad. It was also the first time his friends had seen his paintings, which was unnerving.

Jack didn't get it, and Jay called one of them his payment and brought it out to his car.

The cat, a Persian named Peaches, who had this look of overwhelming sorrow permanently sketched on her face, followed him around back and forth for the first hour or two, until Madeline's new lift bed was delivered. Once he'd put the bedding on, the cat quickly forgot about him.

The power recliner he also purchased for her was delivered about an hour after the bed, and fit perfectly with the rest of the living room furniture. It'd cost him an arm and a leg for two-day delivery, but Madeline needed a bed, and while he would have done fine sleeping on the couch, he didn't want to displace her if the furniture arrived two weeks later as it generally did.

All the things Jay and her father had picked up before Mitch went to the hospital, Elijah organized in her new bedroom. Family photos, clothing, the North Star prism, which he hung in the window. The box he'd given her four years prior went into his garage, the lamps on the bedside tables, the picture frames on the wall or on top of the dresser.

He wasn't certain how Madeline wanted things arranged, but Elijah did his best to fill the room with pieces of her life, while still leaving enough room for her to get around in her wheelchair.

With Elijah having taken the week off from work, he had just enough time to thank the guys, take a shower to wash away the day's sweat, and prepare dinner for the family.

He'd considered quitting his job completely, or at least talk to them, hoping to gain back his position at a later date. With Madeline's bedroom being upstairs, Elijah would likely need to be around more in order to carry her down the steps. Mary certainly wouldn't be able to do that, and it wasn't like Madeline could manage the task herself with a broken shoulder she couldn't put any pressure on. But he decided to wait a few days to see how it all went before making that decision.

Either way, juggling online courses, Madeline, and a full-time job seemed beyond his capabilities.

Elijah was just plating up the roasted asparagus when he heard the engine of his truck pull up in front of the apartment. Then heard Mitch's brakes follow.

He abandoned the kitchen and headed to the front door, opening it for the group. Madeline was in her dad's arms, with her mom behind them, carrying several plastic bags and looking nearly as exhausted as she had the night of the accident.

Madeline's eyes were half-closed as they looked around his spacious apartment, trying her best to take in the details. Unlike the last place, Elijah had made this one look like a home without Mary's help. There were a few things that remained of her efforts, like the long entryway table, and a couple of pieces of artwork for the walls. Most, however, were destroyed in one drunken state or another.

"I set up your bedroom upstairs, but if that ends up not working, I can move everything to the living room," he told her. "Did you want to stay down here for dinner, or just go right up to your room?"