You saved me Maddie

Merry Christmas I guess?

I woke up on Christmas morning early. 07:30 to be exact. It was quiet out in the living area so I walked out and made myself a cup of tea. Then I sat down on the grey couch with a book and a blanket, but I didn't get to read much before I heard footsteps and Maddie appeared in the doorframe of her room.
"What are you doing awake?" She yawned and walked to the kitchen to make a cup of coffee.
"Couldn't sleep" I said.
"Oh okay" Maddie poured water in the coffee pot.
We hadn't really spoken since yesterday, she just told me she was tired and disappeared in to her room. I hoped I hadn't done anything wrong.
"Ellie?" Maddies voice dragged me back to reality.
"Huh?"
"I just asked you if you wanted a cookie" Maddie held up a plate of cookies.
"No thank you" I shook my head.
She put the tray back on the counter and walked over to the couch to sit next to me.
"Are you okay?" I asked her.
"Why do you ask?"
I sighed. She hadn't brushed her hair yet, she was a little pale and looked very tired.
"You look tired" I said casually.
"I'm good" she snapped.
"Okay" I dragged my legs and covered them in my blanket.
Maybe I shouldn't have looked Callie up. Maddie was still kind of snappy and short tempered. After a few silent minutes I decided to go and take a shower, which mostly was an excuse to walk away from her. Even though I didn't think she would, I was scared she would get angry and yell at me, or worse. When I walked back to my room after my shower I found a wrapped box in my bed with a note.
"I'm sorry I snapped, I'm just tired. Merry Christmas"
I carefully tore up the wrapping paper to find a silver necklace in a blue box. On the chain hung a silver heart with the letter E engraved on the back. The metal locket felt cold against my neck as I put it on.
I got dressed and then I walked out to the living area, which was empty. The time was around 12 and we were leaving for Athenas house at 14 so I had a little bit of time to spill. I made myself a cup of tea and sat down to watch some TV and eat Christmas cookies. About an hour in Maddie came out from her room. She was dressed in a red sweater with a Santa hat and blue jeans.
"What are you watching?" She asked.
"Don't know" I responded.
After a few moments she noticed the necklace around my neck. She smiled and walked over to the couch.
"Did you like the necklace"
I nodded.
"It's really pretty"
She stroked my back with a smile.
"Good"
"Maddie listen about Callie I" but Maddie put her hand up in the air to stop me.
"I'm happy you did" her tone didn't change "I just got stumped and didn't know how to react"
"It's okay I get it" I shifted in my seat. "It's a big change"
"Yeah but I shouldn't have taken it out on you"
"You didn't" I shook my head.
Maddies body language softened a bit.
"You know kid" she laughed "you really are special"
"You say that a lot" I responded.
Maddie grabbed me and pulled me in to a hug.
"You are very special to me" she ran her fingers through my hair. "My firstborn"
I just laughed at that.
"But I'm not your real daughter"
"But you are my first kid, blood doesn't matter"
I hugged her harder when she said that, a warm feeling running through my veins.
When we arrived at Athena's almost everyone from the firehouse was already there, Athena, Bobby, Chimney, Hen and Eddie. The only person missing was Buck, but he had called earlier, telling us he'd be a little late. We sat down at their dinner table, Maddie on my left side and May on my right. Buck came in running before we had started eating and he sat down across from me. The food was amazing, turkey with gravy, baked potatoes and more. I had a little bit of everything and I was so stuffed afterwards.
After dinner I hung out with May, Harry and Denny playing with a Nintendo switch that Maddie got me for Christmas while almost everyone else sat at the table. But after a while I saw Maddie and Chimney leave for another part of the house, not that I cared. Then we opened gifts and I just got Maddie a sketch of her and Buck from an old book because I couldn't buy anything.
"Hey listen I need to go to the bathroom" I said and stood up, and it wasn't a lie.
When I walked through the corridor towards the bathroom I could hear Maddie and Chimney talking behind a closed door.
"Maddie how are you feeling" I heard him say.
"I'm just so tired" Maddie sighed sadly "it's so much right now with everything and I just wanna sleep. I just wanna pull the covers over my head and wait until the world makes sense again."
Her voice sounded fragile, like it was ready to fall into 1000 pieces.
"But you have this thing." Chimney said.
"Yeah I know but I just don't know how to tell her in a good way"
My heart sunk to my gut. She was going to leave me. I walked to the bathroom, did my business and walked back out to the others.
We headed home at eleven o'clock. When we stepped inside Maddie dumped her jacket and purse on a chair and kicked off her shoes. I just hung my jacket on a hanger like I always did and put mine and her shoes on the shoe rack.