The Perfect Storm 3

Chapter 238

After the small buns filled with ham and cheese are in the oven, I feel as though I can finally relax but my mind starts becoming busy again, filling with the things I was so desperately trying to distract myself from. I hear a knock on the door and my lungs fill with air while my heart starts to beat way too fast.

I feel my feet walking toward the door and into the unknown. 

I slowly place my hand on the door and open it up to reveal both Betty and the police officer . . . or my father. I had no idea when I wanted to see him or if I'd ever have the guts to but now that he's right here in front of me, I want to ask him a million questions.

"I saw this kind police officer walking over here so I thought I'd finally give you this shrimp salad." Betty hands me a large see-through bowl.

"Is everything okay?" She eys the police officer, her perfectly plucked brow raised.

"I came to check on Madison." The officer explains but Bety even with a small smile, still doesn't seem to want to leave and I start to question whether or not this salad was actually made for me or if I was an excuse to eavesdrop.

"I—" The officer begins but Betty is quick to interrupt him.

"You really should be here more often, none of us have gotten the chance to give you any of our homemade meals to show our condolences," Betty says annoyed, her lips pursed and her eyes on mine. I feel bad for not having been here, but I can't be here, it's too much, way too much.

"I'm sure Madison has been going through too much to be here all the time, although your condolences are appreciated, I'm sure." He looks at me and I manage a genuine smile, the ones I only manage with Miles after my mother's death.

"Thank you, Betty." I manage anyway and look at the salad in my hands. She nods and then steps inside the house. I'm not sure I want her here for this but I feel too bad about asking her to leave, I can't ask my mother's friend to just leave.

"Betty." I hear a voice from behind me. Her eyes instantly jump to him and I too turn around. He's half naked. His tattoos are visible and sparkly after the shower and his torso is wrapped down with a tight with a long white towel.

Betty fumbles her hand over her chest in a cross.

"Oh dear god." She breathes and quickly looks away.

"I know poor Angela didn't see it, but this is a disaster, our sweet Madison with someone like that, oh God bless us all," she says as if some higher power is listening to only her.

My father's lips stay firm and I can tell he's thinking the exact same thing as Miles is.

"Get out—" Miles says at the same time as my father says. "Bety would you please excuse us—"

I can't help but giggle. The two of them look at each other and I can't help but remember my mother's words about how similar both of them are. I go from laughing to waning to cry and Betty is here to witness it all.

"I need to talk to you," I say, looking directly into my father's eyes, they're so similar to mine. I can see myself in him so easily and just then, I start to remember. 

He was there, I remember him. He helped my mother cook, he took care of me, he put me to sleep, he woke me up, he dressed me for school, he helped my mother with whatever she needed and then the only night I remmeber so vividly, after having put me to bed, he went into the bedroom with my mother and I knew they were in love with the way they had been holding each other all day and even when they were sleeping I knew in my little heart that this was the man my mother was meant to be with.