If You Could See Me Now

1

"Lukey! Mommy's home!" Maddy called as soon as she walked into the new apartment.

"Mama!" The little one came running, followed closely by the babysitter that Maddy had hired to watch Lukas in their home while she and her parents worked. Daycare wasn't an option with all of them having different schedules and unpredictable schedules.

"Hi Bubba," she beamed, picking him up and immediately peppering his face with kisses, making her little boy laugh. "I missed you!"

The little boy just giggled, making Maddy smile from ear to ear. It was her favorite sound in the world.

"How was he?"

"Great! His nap was a little restless but besides being a little tired, everything was perfect," the babysitter, Claire, told her.

"Awesome," she smiled, pulling a 50 dollar bill out of her purse, "My next shift isn't until Thursday, so enjoy a few days off,"

"Thanks, Maddy," she grinned, accepting the money before waving goodbye to Lukas, "I'll see you in a few days buddy,"

"Say bye bye Claire,"

Lukas just waved and laid his head on Maddy's shoulder.

"Thanks, Claire," she smiled, opening the door for the woman before she shut it and locked it. "Did you have a good day bubby?"

"Wan mama,"

"Mamas got you, baby," she said as she sat down on the couch. It was 7:30 PM and she'd had a long shift working with pediatric cardiac patients.

Her life had come full circle. As soon as she graduated high school, she started college and eventually got into nursing school. She and Derek got married and soon after she'd gotten a job in Springfield. They moved out there and a few years later, had Lukas. Derek then cheated and now the 2 were filing for divorce, and Derek had given up parental rights to Lukas.

Maddy had now moved into a new apartment in the same building as before but a bigger apartment so they had room for Maddy and Lukas. Maddy paid her share of the rent and paid a few of the utilities while Jay and Hailey paid a few utilities and their half of the rent. After moving in with Jay and Hailey, she got a job at Chicago Med in the pediatric cardiology unit, just like what she did in Springfield. She also had easy daycare for Lukas with hiring Claire and then Jay and Hailey would take over if needed.

Jay and Hailey didn't mind Maddy living with them. They loved how much they got to see Lukas and they loved seeing Maddy daily.

Maddy set Lukas in his play area where she could easily see him from the kitchen and put on an episode of Bluey. She was thankful for the showers at work so she wouldn't have to leave him alone or wait for her parents to get home. She started making dinner for the family, knowing Jay and Hailey would be home any minute.

"Hey Mad," Hailey said as they both walked through the door and down the small hallway.

"Hey mama," she smiled as she looked up from where she was mixing the instant mashed potatoes.

"Whatcha makin'? Smells good in here," Jay said as he made a beeline for his grandson.

"Chicken, mashed potatoes, cornbread, and blueberries," she grinned.

"How was your day dude?" He asked the 18-month-old, as Lukas giggled.

"Claire said it was good. Just took a restless nap so he might be in bed early," she told him, "If I can get him to eat dinner,"

"Maybe we need to adjust his schedule?" Hailey suggested as she looked at the mail stack.

"What do you mean?"

"Well think about it. You get home at 7, we eat and he's in bed by 8. He's not in a daycare where they're on a strict schedule," Hailey told her, starting to get plates out to set their table.

"So you think we should push his schedule back?"

"Maddy it probably wouldn't hurt," Jay added.

"I don't know. He's used to this," she shrugged, taking him as Lukas reached for his mom.

"He can get used to a later schedule. You put him down at 8 usually, maybe push it back to 8:30," Hailey told her, taking over the cooking so Maddy could focus on her son.

"Maybe," she sighed. "We'll start tomorrow since I'll be home until Thursday,"

"Try it. If it doesn't work, it doesn't work,"

"That what you did for me?" She chuckled, wiping her boy's nose with a tissue.

"We basically threw something at the wall and hoped it stuck with you," Jay spoke up, both of them chuckling.

"I couldn't have been that bad,"

"You were just fussy all the time unless you slept with us. You would start in your crib and then scream until one of us came to get you," Hailey laughed, "Go get the plates, I'll cut up Luke's,"

"Thanks, Mom," Maddy smiled, getting her plate as Hailey cut up a piece of chicken on Lukas' plastic plate.

She handed her plate to Hailey before taking Lukas back and putting him in his high chair.

The family all ate dinner together before Maddy had some time to bathe Lukas and snuggle him before bed.

She still babied him a lot, especially after everything with Derek. Her baby was her baby and hers only now.

She soon laid him down in his crib and shut the door before collapsing into her bed in her own room.

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A/N: Welcome to the Even Though I'm Leaving Sequel!!! Hope you all enjoy!!

Ps: here's the new apartment!!