Breathe Again

Chapter 3

Back in the kitchen, Madi's mother Paige hung up the phone, "Hello sleeping beauty, since it's too late to cook, I ordered in. Food will be here in 30 minutes."

Madi felt like she had been in an airplane for days, well 20 hours,so close enough, so she grabbed one of her bags, "I think I'll take a quick shower then, wash all the travel off and maybe feel human again. Is the washer free so I can start unloading some of my clothes?"

Paige being the mom that she is came and started grabbing Madi's bags, "Of course honey, I'll get a load started for you. Go shower and food will be here soon."

Man, did She miss someone waiting on her, and not even out of pity.

When Madi finally emerged from the steamy sauna she created in the bathroom in some clean PJ's and hair wrapped up in a towel, Gracie was unloading the food that must have just gotten there.

"Perfect timing. Egg Rolls, Low Mien, Teriyaki, Beef and Broccoli, Fried Rice and Izzies. Your feast awaits!" She said proudly displaying all the food over the counter with her arms wide open.

"Yum! I've missed this stuff. I mean you can imagine me trying not to insult the Chinese when I was there, when all I wanted was Take Out Chinese food, which is nothing like what they really eat over there. I just tried to stick to things that I could tell what they were." Madi said stuffing an egg roll in her mouth.

"Glad to see you are still as classy as you were before your world excursion, don't forget to chew for crying out loud! I'm not in the mood to give you the Heimlich if you start choking." typical Gracie.

"I love you too seester!" Madi said with a mouth full just to continue annoying her. Gracie rolled her eyes and sat at the bar with her plate. Their mother came in shortly after, looking at the food, "Thanks for saving some girls! I put the first load in the dryer, and the second load is going now. Let's eat, before Gracie gets a hold of the rest." She said nudging Madi's arm.

"Hey, I just wanted to get to it before it got cold!" Gracie argued with her hands in the air.

After dinner, they each sat on the sectional, feet propped up, and cuddled in the many throw blankets they kept around the house groaning in pain. "Why did we eat so much?!" Madi said in agony.

"Because leftovers are for quitters, and I'm no quitter." Gracie shot back.

Madi couldn't help but laugh, but laughing soon turned painful. "Ahh, stop! It hurts too much to laugh. Okay, we need a distraction from our self-inflicted pain. Presents!" She said all but rolling off the couch and grabbing her carry-on bag from the entry way.

"Mom, Madi has presents!" Gracie called out up the stairs.

"I'm coming. I was just finishing making the beds up here." Their mother said as she came down the stairs shortly after, looking at them, "You girls are ridiculous, you know Golden Palace has insane portion sizes, yet you still think you can down it all in one go." She said chuckling at the sight before her.

"To be fair, I had a salad at lunch and thought I could handle it. Why aren't you so miserable?" Gracie complained.

"Because, I know when to stop, plus I happen to know that there is gelato in the freezer that I wasn't going to pass up." Paige said pointing a finger at them accusingly.

"WHAT?! Gelato is basically ice cream, and ice cream doesn't go to my stomach it goes to my soul. Where is it?" Madi said getting up and making her way to the freezer.

"It's at the top, behind the chocolate bars you like that I stashed in the freezer for you." Their mom said casually.

Madi brought the pints back with 3 spoons and settled back on the couch, gelato in hand. "Okay, now you can open your gifts." she waved to the suitcase on the coffee table. For her mom she got handmade clay dishes that she discovered at a farmer's market type place in the wine country of Italy and for Gracie, her Favorite bottles of Red from a gorgeous Winery in Florence.

She got them both traditional kimonos from China, and some trinkets from each country she visited. "I wish I could have brought back some of the delicious food and pastries I got to have, but I guess that means we will just need to plan a girl's trip!" Madi said with real enthusiasm, hoping it would cushion the blow she was about to deliver next.

"So, I need to talk to y'all about what's next..." Madi trailed off, hoping to catch their attention and make it sound like it wasn't a big deal.

"I am planning on putting the house on the market, and travel some more. I have a few places I've been needing to visit, along with some people that I've been putting off and I figured now would be a good time to do it before I settle down somewhere." she said with a small shrug.

Madi heard her mothers big inhale, and then felt Gracie's eyes wide on her. "Putting the house on the market? Does that just mean you're moving somewhere else around here, or that you're moving away?" Gracie said a little bit accusing.

Madi knew if she got any push back, it would be from Gracie but it was best to be honest and get it over with now, instead of when she has all of her stuff packed and ready to go once the house sells.

"Honestly, I don't know where I will end up. I have places on my mind that I need to visit, and if any of them stand out as where I need to be then that is where I will end up. You have to know, I can't stay here. Everything here reminds me of him, of us, and I'm not trying to erase any of that, but I just can't live in it every day and be okay. I became so dependent on him that I didn't think I could even survive without him, but he told me I have to remember how to be me without him. He fell in love with me, just me, not me with him and he was right. I morphed into a part of him instead of being my own person. I had plans for my life before him, and I don't regret my decisions, but I think I need to find what I want and what I need on my own and see where that takes me, because I have no idea what that even is anymore. I'm not running anymore I promise, but I really need to do this, and I hope y'all can understand that. It doesn't mean that I'll never come back, it just means I have to go and see what it is I need to do next." Madi said pleading with them to understand, which she could understand might be difficult since she just got back after being gone a year.

"I understand honey. After your dad, all I wanted to do was get out of town, go anywhere else, but I eventually came back because that is where I felt home was for me. As much as I would love here to be that for you, only you can decide that. When do you plan on leaving again? What can we help with?" Her mom shocked them both.

Madi thought her mother would be the hardest to convince, but sadly they both had one major thing in common. They both lost their husbands they built a life with, granted Madi wasn't married as long and she didn't have children, but still they had both lost their other half.

"I'm giving a demo in two weeks at the University the week after their spring break, then I was going to head to Boston for a bit. After that, I need to go visit Amanda and her new baby in Michigan, then I'll make it down to Eric in Southern Cal. After that, I don't know. I have some contacts all over, but those are the trips I have scheduled as of right now." Madi said, mentally going over her itinerary.

"Well, we will do whatever we can to help you with the house and storing your things if it sells while you're gone." Her mom offered.

Madi could see Gracie mentally tuning out. "Or, I could sell the house to you if you wanted to continue living here Gracie. I know you've been keeping this place running and immaculate while I've been gone. It would save me from having to put it on the market and selling all this stuff that I won't be taking with me." that seemed to snap her out of her trans.

Gracie seemed to really think about it," Wouldn't that be weird? Me living in the house y'all built together?"

Madi had thought about that before, "Well, you have been for the last year, and for me it would be the same as it has been, plus I could have a familiar place to crash when I come to visit. It's close to the office and you wouldn't have to worry about finding a house that meets your expectations since you basically helped me pick out most of this stuff. The offer is there if you want it, but you have time to think it over." And then Madi felt a weight lift off of her shoulders.

They knew, cards were all out on the table and the trips were booked.

Here we go, the rest of her new life begins now.