Turning A New Leaf

Seventy-Five

It was eleven PM on a Friday, Madison had worked until ten that night and made good money in tips. As a treat to herself, she and Brad went to Applebee's for Wonton Tacos...like they had every night for the last few weeks.

"You aren't tired of those gross things?" Brad asked with a smirk.

"Gross?!" Madison smiled, "I freaking love them."

"Next time you want tacos, we are getting actual tacos, not those."

"Can it, Bradley," she told him, flashing him a corny ass smile as she took a massive bite in the most obnoxious way possible.

"You're lucky I like you."

"I dunno about lucky," Madison teased, kicking him under the table.

Brad smirked behind his hands, "You're cute, you know that?"

She fluttered her eyelashes in a playful, cartoony manner, "Ah, shucks."

Moments like that made their relationship tolerable, Madison was whiny and childish at times but she managed to pull Brad out of his uptight shell.

They'd been enjoying each other's company more too, exploring shops downtown, going to the Saturday Market, and bonding over their love of being nerds. Nobody could ever replace Deangelo to Madison but Brad made the emptiness inside of her manageable.

"I need to stop at Rite-Aid on the way home," Brad told her as they walked out to the car, hand-in-hand.

"For what?"

"I just need to grab a few things."

****

After stopping at Rite-Aid, Brad handed Madison the plastic bag as soon as they entered their apartment. Inside was a digital pregnancy test, "I need you to go in the bathroom and take this."

Madison studied the Clear Blue Digital box in disbelief, "I would know if I'm pregnant."

He nodded, "Good, take it then."

She stood before him, "Really?"

"Yes, really. Go."

Brad stripped down to his boxers and laid back in bed, waiting for her to emerge. He'd had a suspicion that was, in fact, pregnant. Madison claimed she no longer had periods due to her weight and not eating enough but Holly had also claimed she never had periods.

Along with the stupid wonton taco obsession, he'd noticed that her stomach no longer appeared concave like it had which could be related to her Applebees addiction or that she was pregnant.

The answer was clear when he heard her sobbing in the bathroom, his intuition correct. Cautiously, he entered the room where she was sitting on the toilet, face buried in her hands.

"They're going to take it from us, aren't they?" she sniffled.

"Who?"

"Child protective services, they're gonna take the baby because they took Jade."

"Madi...come here," Brad told her, pulling her into his arms, and stroking her hair, "It's a possibility for sure. I think our best option is to leave the state as soon as I get that money for the house."

"They won't follow us?" she asked, wiping her tears away.

"I really don't know but I think it's our best bet."

"I love you, Brad."

****

With Madison's unexpected pregnancy, Brad's life had somehow managed to flip even more upside down than it already had been. It was time to kick their dope habits, focus on getting some kind of temporary work that wasn't stripping, and try to get on track as much as possible.