Love Always Wins

Chapter 2-Nora

CHAPTER 2
"Just wait until Madeline sees this." I joked to Jamie. "She's gonna love this Fourth of July. Considering the past five of them."
"Connor... She wouldn't care what holiday it was. All Madeline wanted was her daughter back." Jamie said getting out of the car.
"I know." I got out and followed her up to Madeline's door. She knocked on the door.
"JUST A MINUTE!" Madeline's voice yelled from far on the other side of the door.
"Then why are you getting excited about this that much. She's not even your daughter."
"So, that doesn't mean that I can't care for her like a father."
"She may never see you like a father."
"Don't expect her to."
"Really." Jamie asked just as Madeline cracked the door and peered around it.
"Really what?" She greeted with a big smile. There was a voice in my head begging me to tell her, but I wanted her to find out at the party. "Hey Connor... Jamie."
"Hey baby." I hugged and kissed her. "You ready?"
"Yeah." She opened the door wider and revealed blue jean shorts, Red tank-top, and a white thin flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows. She had black flip-flops on. Her light brown hair was pulled up in a bun with a braid wrapped around it. Her eyes were hazel, with a light caramel brown color with small flecks of emerald green scattered throughout the irises. "What do you think?"
"Great you look great." Jamie said. She was wearing almost the same, but she had whit shorts, a red tank-top, and blue dress-sandals. "We need to get going."
"Right. Just let me grab my purse." She said as she disappeared.
"I've gotta tell her." I whispered to Jamie.
"No. Don't you dare." she whispered back.
"I have to." I argued in a whisper.
"No." She nearly yelled, but it remained a whisper. "We had a plan, Connor. You need to follow it, dammit."
"I'm sorry, but I have to tell her. Jamie, this is beginning to get too much for me." I said pretending to whine. "I need to tell her."
"Tell me what?" Madeline asked coming back into the room.
"Nothing." Jamie answered. "Just that we know you'll enjoy the party this year."
"Really, well let's go." She said walking out the door. Jamie pinched me.
"Ow. That hurt." I said to her. Madeline turned around, and saw me rubbing my arm. She rolled her eyes, and turned back to the car. "Jamie why don't you unlock the car."
"Very funny, Connor. You have the keys." She looked and laughed at me. I reached in my pocket and pulled out the keys and unlocked the car. Madeline got in on the passenger side, and Jamie got in the back. I walked around and got in on the driver side and turned on the car.
"So Jamie, how's work?" Madeline asked putting on her seat belt. I don't normally start driving until everyone had their seat belt on. Some find it controlling, but Madeline thought it to be a good idea. I put mine on and was ready to drive.
"Oh, you know. Ruining kids' lives. The good stuff." Jamie answered.
"Don't forget saving them, too." I added stepping on the gas.
"I guess." Madeline sighed. I saw her face saddened, and gave Jamie a sorrowed look in the mirror. I knew that she'd figure something out.
"L-L-Look. I actually saved this one girl last week. She's sixteen, and quite the sweetheart considering the foster family she was with. The dad was a hard-core abuser, and the mother was a drug addict as well as she sold it. We got the girl out of the home."
"What about the children?" Madeline asked.
"Their biological children will go into foster homes themselves." Jamie answered.
"And the girl you saved?"
"She wasn't their real daughter, and normally she'd go to another foster family." Jamie continued. I knew she was talking about Lydia, but all I could do in this moment was give her a warning look in the mirror. She gave me an assuring look. As if she's say, 'don't worry... she won't figure it out'. She just continued on her story. "But... The court finally ruled in her real family's favor. They found out the truth about why she was taken."
"Why was she taken?" Madeline asked.
"Mm Hmm... Classified." Jamie answered. "Sorry I can't tell you."
"It's ok." Madeline assured. "I just hope that she'll be happy with her real family."
"She's ecstatic." Jamie replied. "She hasn't gone home yet, but she was ecstatic when the FBI and I banged on her foster family's door. She got even happier when we told her she was going home... home."
"Really... Well I'm happy for her." Madeline said.
"Maddie, can you try to be happy tonight. It's gonna be one hell of a party. With food and Fireworks, and..." I began.
"You know I will have fun, Connor." Madeline interrupted. "I always do."
"No you always hid the sadness that you felt." I argued.
"I have not." She laughed. "I do feel very bad afterwards though. Just another night that I forgot about Lydia."
"You never forgot about Lydia, babe." I assured. "You always talked about her while you were drunk."
"I do. Shit, I'm sorry." She apologized.
"Don't worry about it. No mother should ever have to go through unfair times as you have." Jamie said.
"I've a gift for you, baby." I said pulling out a necklace and handing it to her. She looked really happy, and I liked that about her.
"I- It's beautiful." She said looking at it. It was perfect for today. It was just a silver chain with an American flag on it.
"Connor, tell her about the family tradition." Jamie said.
"Ok. Madeline you remember what I told you about tradition in the family. You have to make a wish before you put the necklace on." I said. "Now you have Jamie's word on it."
"Thanks." Madeline looked at me with loving eyes. "When did that start?"
"It's a tradition." Jamie said. "It goes way back."
"Ok." Madeline said confused. She closed her eyes, and put the necklace on. After she clasped the necklace she looked at me. "Happy?"
"Yeah. What did you wish for?" I answered smiling, as I pulled in to my driveway. Mom and dad were waiting by the front door.
"You didn't tell me your parents were going to be there." Madeline said as I parked the car. "And I can't tell you, or it won't come true."
"Well then... I don't know why they're here. You know they just showed up this morning uninvited, and everything went downhill. So all in all, they're staying the whole week."
"Yay." She gave a fake cheer as she took off her seatbelt, and opened the door. I got out as well, and she walked over to greet them. She gave them each a hug. "Hi Charles... Serenity."
"Hello Madeline. How are you doing?" Mom greeted hugging her back.
"Mom don't be weird." Jamie said shutting the car door. "Dad don't be mean."
"I agree." I said folding my arms on the hood. "I think that we should have one party here where you don't bust out the baby books."
"Aww but I actually brought all of them this time." Mom whined letting go of Madeline. "You should be proud, because you were just the cutest little baby with the cutest little..."
"MOM!" I yelled stopping her and slamming the car door shut. She looked at me shocked. "I'm sorry but the last thing we need to talk about is what you were about to say."
"Ok... Ok." She threw her hands up in the air. "Maybe I should take them from everyone."
"YOU DID WHAT?!" Jamie and I yelled. Mom started laughing.
"I'm kidding you two are so uptight." She said between laughs, then she turned around and walked inside of my big house. I walked up to Madeline.
"Well then..." She smiled. "Tonight's gonna be pretty interesting."
"Please don't say that." I pleaded.
"Fine... fine. I take it back. Tonight's gonna be boring." She laughed and walked ahead of me inside. I turned towards my father.
"Hello, Connor." He greeted giving me a short hug. He looked towards the door. "How's she doing?"
"Lydia was taken from her five years ago, dad. I'm sure she's trying to do well." I answered.
"Are you sure? They dropped the girl off earlier." He looked at me suspiciously. "It's not something illegal is it?"
"No of course not." I answered. "The court decided, after we got London to confess, that she'd be safe enough to come home."
"So what you and Jamie did was completely legal?"
"Completely."
"Ok. She's upstairs. Said that you, Jamie, and her planned to surprise her mother."
"Yes. Just make sure that Madeline doesn't go upstairs." I answered. "Please?"
"Anything." He said, and he walked inside with me. "Say everyone's in the back yard, but we couldn't find the radio."
"I'll get it."
"No one wanted to dig through all your shit, so..."
"I'll get it. I'll get it." I said turning to go up the stairs. "I'll get it."
"Do you want me to go with you, Conner?" Madeline asked.
"No I'm good. Stay down here Maddie." I answered, and walked upstairs. "I got it just fine. No worries."
"Ok. I'll be out back." She walked toward the back door.
"We'll go with her." Mom said. "Come on Jamie... Charles."
"Well actually I know where the radio is, I'll go and help him grab it. I can't reach it, but he can." Jamie said following me up the stairs.
"Well... Charles?" Mom turned to dad.
"Don't worry... I'm going with you baby."
"Come on Jamie." I said listening for the back door to shut.
"LYDIA!" Jamie called as soon as the door shut.
"UP HERE!" Lydia called back. Her voice was shaky. We followed her voice to my bedroom. I opened the door and she was looking at a picture frame that stood by my bed. I couldn't see her face, but I didn't need to. I knew she was crying.
"Lydia, what's wrong?" I asked walking over to her.
"This." She said holding up the picture frame. "Why is there a lovely picture of you and my mom all happy together?"
"L-Lydia I-." I began.
"WHY?!" She sobbed.
"I'm gonna go downstairs." Jamie walked out.
"Take the radio." I said as she closed the door. Then turned my attention back to Lydia. "I'm sorry. I should've told you."
"What happened to my dad? Did they get a divorce? Is it because of me?" She asked. "Did he blame her?"
"No." I answered. "He didn't. Your parents were very much in love. She loved him and he loved her. He didn't blame her."
"Then what happened?" She asked again. I was reluctant to tell her. I didn't want to. It wasn't for me to tell her, and I shouldn't.
"Lydia, He-." I froze. I sighed. "He died."
"What?" She asked me. Her head dropped and her black hair with blue streaks fell over her face. "How?"
"He had a heart attack." I answered sitting next to her on the bed. "Madeline told me that the doctors said it was a blood clot which led to a heart attack. I'm so sorry."
"And no one told me?" She sobbed. "How long ago was it?"
"Three months after you went into foster care." He said.
"Do you think that the stress of the situation led to the clot which led to his heart attack?" She asked looking back up at me. Her bright blue zircon eyes looked up at me saddened by the new information.
"No I don't think so, Lydia." I said. A small chime broke the short silence. With that, she reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell. I peeked over and saw a picture of a red head with 'Nora' written under it. She was blowing a kiss to the camera. "Who's Nora?"
"My girlfriend." She sniffled locking her phone. She stood up and headed towards the door. "Mom's out back. Right?"
"Yea she's out back, why?" I answered confused. My heart dropped slightly. I hoped that she meant as in best friend.
"She's here." She walked out the door, and I followed her down the stairs, and out the front door. The girl was standing on the curb of the driveway. She was wearing a flag printed tank top with a blue miniskirt, and she had a pair of black and white converse. Lydia ran out and hugged her. Then they did something that I did not expect... they... kissed.