Dispatched || Maddie Buckley

Chapter Thirty- Nine: Father's Day Out

Mikey was beyond happy that he was about to be the father of a daughter. In a way, he felt as though he couldn't mess up in the same way his father had with him. Although, a different kind of fear creeped its way into his mind. The way his mother had died was by him being born. Bringing life into this world had taken his mother from it. It was evident that he was bothered by this thought and through the entire pregnancy, he had remained the strong one, taking on Maddie's ferocious hormones and raging mood swings. He handled them like a champ, knowing that it had to be ten times worse for Maddie.

It was early morning and Mikey had woken up before the sun had started to rise. He quietly and carefully unravelled himself from Maddie's surprisingly tight grasp and made his way down the stairs to the kitchen. He scurried around the kitchen grabbing his favourite mug before putting on a pot of coffee. He rested his palms against the cold marble counter and looked down at the floor beneath him, allowing himself to feel every emotion in the secrecy surrounding him. He didn't want Maddie to know about his fear for her life. Low and behold, the thick aroma of the coffee had awoken Maddie from her slumber and she had already quietly made her way down the stairs. She gazed over at Mikey, confirming her suspicions that something was definitely wrong. She practically waddled over to him, lifting her hands to his bare back. The cold sent a shiver down his spine and he smiled to himself before turning around to face her, "What are you doing awake?"

Maddie smiled, trailing her fingertips down his chest and abdomen, "I smelled the coffee and I could ask you the same thing."

Mikey rested his hands on her hips and took a deep breath, "I just couldn't sleep." As true as it was that he couldn't sleep, he still remained silent on what was actually interrupting his sleep.

"Mikey, I know something is wrong." Maddie pushed, looking up at him. She didn't expect him to hide his feelings, in fact, that's the last thing she wanted him to do. "Talk to me."

Mikey leaned back against the counter and looked down at Maddie. He knew that she was too good at figuring him out. He didn't know why he thought that he could keep these feelings hidden from her but it was clear now that he was incapable. "Honestly.." He started, "Did I ever tell you about what happened to my mom?"

Judging by the way his voice cracked at the end, Maddie could tell that this subject really affected him. She couldn't recall him ever speaking of his mother, in college or when they were finally reunited. She knew this was going to be a tough conversation for him to have. She took him by the hand, "Come and sit." She mumbled, leading him to the couch before taking a seat. Mikey followed and sat next to her. Maddie rested a hand on top of Mikey's, "You've never really talked about your mom but if you want to, I will listen."

Mikey nodded. He could feel the burn of salty tears prick at his eyes, "She died giving birth to me. I never really knew her but I knew the man that my father became after she died. He wasn't great."

At that moment, Maddie knew what was coming next. Everything pieces together as if the missing puzzle piece was finally found. He was afraid that she'd die the same way his mother had. "Oh.. Mikey.." She said, scooting closer to him on the couch. "I'm going to be okay, do you hear me? I'm not going anywhere."

Mikey was actually surprised that she had pieced together the true meaning behind his fear. His eyes widened but soon relaxed as he melted into her warming touch, "I don't know what I'd do if I ever lost you. I don't know the kind of parent I'd be if I didn't have you by my side to learn with."

Maddie's head tilted slightly and her bottom lip quivered slightly. She wasn't quite used to this kind of genuine love, even after all this time being without Doug's violence. It was always a part of her that stuck around in the back of her mind. "With or without me you are going to make a wonderful dad, Michael. You are amazing to me and you will be amazing to our daughters. But I promise, I'm not going anywhere."