To Believe In Promises (Tumbling Down trilogy - DM fanfic)

Packing and Preparing (Ch.29)

*Mackenzie's POV*

~1 month later~

I hug Mariah goodbye and tell her to keep in touch. She helps me get my bags to my car and then I drive away.

Driving home, I have to pass Mom's neighborhood in order to go to Dad's. When I get to my old home, I text Maddie. "Mom home?"

"Nobody is. Why?"

I don't reply. My park outside my house and go inside. It's empty feeling. I climb up the stairs to my old room, and it looks untouched. Knowing I'm never coming back here, I get the suitcases from the basement and pack anything I would need or want. I'll go through it later, but I need to get to Dad's.

When I get there, Dad isn't home either; he works from 2 to 10 on weekdays right now. I trek up to my room, leaving the bags in the entryway.

Climbing in bed, I finally feel as if a nightmare is over. I'm finally home. Now if only Tyler could show up, that would be perfect.

~•~

Dad: Hey, I'm home.

I hear the door creak open. My eyes open and look towards the door.

Me: Hey.

I get up and walk over to him, accepting his hug. Even though my bump isn't all that big, it's noticeable in the tank top I'm wearing. I feel exposed.

Dad: How are you doing?
Me: Fine. Hungry.

I look up at him.

Me: Do we have any pancakes?
Dad(mumbling): Here we go...
Me: What?
Dad: You'll be craving a shit ton of pancakes. Just saying. And strawberries. And at the beginning of the third trimester, tacos.

I give him a weird look.

Me: Well I want pancakes now so can we go get McDonalds, please?! All day breakfast is a thing, you know!
Dad: Fine. Come on. Your boyfriend should be dealing with this.
Me: Well he's not here, is he? Come on, pleeeeeease Daddy?
Dad: I'm already taking you. Calm down. You don't have to use the 'daddy' card. Maddie already used that this month.

Hm?

Me: For what?
Dad: Nothing. Well, not really. You'll see soon enough.
Me: Why can't you just tell me?
Dad: Cuz I promised I wouldn't. It'll be worth it, Kenz. Your sister is really trying to help you.

I don't respond. He'll get a response when I get my pancakes.

After we're out of the drive thru, home, and at the kitchen table, we resume our conversation.

Me: So what is Maddie trying to do?
Dad: Well, she talked to Tyler. A-
Me: She what?

Tyler is mine, I don't see how she talked to him, and I don't see why Maddie would want to talk to him. I grip my fork tighter.

Dad: Let go of the fork if you're gonna get mad.
Me: Well what's going on?
Dad: Maddie got all that old furniture out of your mother's house. She refinished all of them herself and made them look really nice. So you have the crib, changing table, swing, walker, and all that already. She didn't want to make you pay for all of that.
Me: Why is that such a big deal?
Dad: It's not. Well, it is. Around $500 of things you don't have to buy, but that's all I can tell you right now. Relieve some of the stress you'll be bound to have. Having a baby hasn't set in for you yet. It didn't set in for me until Maddie was born.

I nod, popping a piece of pancake into my mouth.

~•~

Maddie: It's only if you want to. Cheyenne said they've had this place on the market for nearly a year and nobody's rented it out. She said her mom can talk to you about getting it. She understands.
Me: How?
Maddie: Cheyenne's mom is only 36. She knows what it's like to be a teen mom.

I calculate. Cheyenne's mom would've only been 17 when her daughter was born. I nod to my sister.

Me: But why?
Maddie: Why what?
Me: You know damn well why what! Why are you doing this for me! You refinished a bunch of nice furniture and-
Maddie: I will never forgive myself for what I put you though. And I don't care how many times you say it's okay. Some people never get past certain guilts. And...I deserve the guilt. Don't say I don't, because I do. But if I can help give my niece or nephew a better life, I sure as hell will.

These damn hormones! I feel hear behind my eyes, and pull Maddie into a hug so she won't have to see them.

Me(quietly): Thank you.
Maddie: I'm gonna stick with you. I promise.

I've always had a problem with that word, but today, I believe it.

~•~

For an apartment, this place is rather spacious. Two bedrooms, a kitchen, living room, bathroom. It seems too expensive, but I don't say so yet. Cheyenne's mother, Carol, takes my back to the kitchen and puts a bunch of papers in front of me on the breakfast bar.

Carol: Gas, electricity, AC/heat, and water are all bills you have to pay, but not until you move here. The bills would be so low for those, the landlord doesn't even care. As well as with rent. You won't have to pay rent until you move in, just shoot the Placecs an email when you're ready to move in. Apartment was originally a rent-to-own. So you're getting off lucky. Actually, one moment. Let me make a phone call.

I nod.

Me: No problem.

She steps out and in within five minutes.

Carol: I was mistaken. The rent-to-own still stands. So if you really were considering it, you could put a little money into it at a time, then move in and pay full rent, and in...about...anywhere from 4 to 7 years, it'll be yours. And you could rent it to people.

I nod, and it all seems like a great deal, but the last job I had was in New York. I have enough saved, because I never spent money on anything. I'm not even moving in until Tyler comes back.

Me: How long do I have to decide?
Carol: 6 months at the least. They're taking this place off the renting market until you decide you don't want it. They're desperate, Miss Ziegler.

Tyler would be home by then. But I want a place to take my baby before he's born. But I know I'll still live with Dad.

Me(nodding): Okay. I'll need some time to think, but it seems promising.
Carol: Not a problem at all. I'll let them know.

I leave the apartment building, wondering why I didn't walk instead of drive. It's so nice out and it's only 5 or 6 blocks from Dad's house.

Whatever.

I make it home, shutting the door in time to hear a very familiar voice.