Ready-Made Family

Chapter Fifteen

"Are you sure you have  time for this?" Madison asked one crisp October morning. She had just  finished getting herself dressed to face the weather. And today wasn't a  normal day, in fact if she had it her way she would be snuggled under  the covers. But she had committed herself to chaperoning a class trip  for Emma and Ella.

As luck would have it  Brandon decided that he was going to take the day off to join the girls.  Madison had tried to tell him it was all right but he was insistent. He  didn't want to miss out on making family memories such as this.

"I am sure babe," he  said tugging on worn jeans and a knitted turtle neck sweater. "I already  called in sick and I am excited to come today". The grade thee class  was taking a trip to a local farm to pick out pumpkins for Halloween.

"We are excited too,"  Emma giggled as she ran into her parent's bedroom, Ella following close  behind her. Both of them climbed onto the bed and started to bounce.  Their giggles filled the air.

Brandon chuckled a  little "okay girls that's enough" he reached forward and lifted both  girls into his arms "we need to get ready for school". He flashed a  smile and a wink towards Madison before he carried the two girls out to  get them dressed.

Madison made her way  down stairs to get the lunches packed for the kids. Noah was already at  the table having a breakfast of cereal. "Ready for the day?" his mother  asked.

"Yeah sure" Noah shrugged "as good as you can be for high school".

She laughed a little "yeah sounds like high school". She took a seat down "how are you and Anna?"

Noah shrugged a little and grumbled "fine".

Madison raised an eyebrow "fine? Something wrong?"

"I don't know, she's  always in a bad mood. She and her friends keep talking about going to  Halloween dance but every time I come around she won't even look at me". 

"Have you asked her to the dance yet?" Brandon asked walking into the room. He grabbed a cup of coffee and glanced at his son.

"Why would I do that?" Noah asked clueless.

Brandon chuckled a  little and shook his head "oh silly boy. That's why she's mad at you.  She wants to go to this dance but you haven't grown a pair and asked her  yet".

"A pair of what?" Ella asked curiously walking into the kitchen.

"Nothing" both boys said  at the same time. The little girl looked at them confused but accepted  the answer and went to eat her cereal.

Madison shook her head  at Brandon and went to get the girls coats. Once Noah had left for  school she got the girls dressed for the cold and followed Brandon out  to the car.

When the Haywood family  arrived at the school there was already several yellow school buses out  front. Madison unbuckled the girls and like rockets they bolted towards  their friends.

"Seems they want their friends more than us" Brandon said chuckling a little.

"Well we are only family" Madison said laughing as well.

Several set of parents  were standing near the bus talking together. They were clearly already a  close-knit group that must have been together since their children were  little. Now Brandon and Madison were like the new kids, the outsiders.

"Well let's go" Brandon said a lot more confidently than Madison felt. Together they headed over to the other adults.

"Hi" Madison forced out.  Some of them smiled but several of them just glanced at them and  continued talking. Compared to the other woman Madison certainly didn't  seem to blend in well. In fact she was the opposite of them all.