Chapter 4 - Callie

I woke up the next day on Daisy’s couch. I made an unflattering grunting noise as I sat up. I grabbed my head when pain shot through it. Hangovers sucks. “Good morning,” Daisy singsong as she walked into the room. I glared at her.

“I hate you,” I growled.

Daisy laughed. “I told you to slow down last night but you weren't having it. The crying definitely did not help I’m sure,” she sat on the couch beside him.

I put my head in my hands, “stop yelling, please. How bad was the crying?” I asked trying not to look at her directly.

“Not too bad. You just told us how much you felt like you screwed everything up and you still love Colt,” she said matter-of-factly.

I groaned, “great,” I flopped back on the couch.

“I have to get to the bakery. Your mom called already, and I told her to bring Maddy there and you can pick her up whenever you are feeling better,” she stood up.

“Thanks, Daisy... For everything,” I smiled genuinely at her. She really was the best friend a girl could have.

“I’ll see you later.” She walked out the front door and I laid back down on the couch. Maybe closing my eyes for a few hours would get rid of this headache.

I woke up three hours later feeling better but still not completely normal. I knew that I couldn’t spend the whole day on Daisy’s couch all day. Responsibilities were the norm in my life. I sighed and got up and realized that my car was at home. I had ridden to graduation with my parents yesterday and then to the bar with Daisy and Tucker. I was happy that I only lived a block away. I guess I would be walking off the rest of this wonderful hangover.

Another hour later, I had gotten home, showered and dressed, and was headed to The Pastry Sheet, the bakery Daisy owned, to get Maddy. Daisy had been running the bakery and for almost a year now and Maddy loved going there nearly every morning to get a strawberry tart. They were her favorite and Daisy made the best.

I walked into the shop and instantly saw my mother sitting at the furthest back table. I walked up to her, “Where’s Maddy?”

“In the back helping Daisy mix the dough for cookies,” she answered me. I sat down with her.

“Momma. Thank you for watching her last night. I hope you know that I appreciate everything you and Daddy do for Maddy and I,” I smiled at her. She put a hand on my hand that was on the table.

“We do it because we love you. It is an honor to be there for you, Callie. Maddy is our only grandchild and we are so very proud of you. It may not have been ideal to get pregnant when you did but you made the most of it and took responsibility. And Maddy is turning out amazingly,” she stroked my cheek with her free hand like she always did when I was little. I felt the tears welling in my eyes as I smiled at her.

“Momma!” Maddy yelled as she came racing toward me from the kitchen. “Daisy let me eat some of the cookie dough,” she told me excitedly as I picked her up and put her on my hip.

“Callie,” Daisy called from behind the counter. She waved me over.

“What’s up?” I asked her as I approached the counter.

“Can you help me with the site? I’m not seeing orders again,” she sighed as she handed a box of what I assume was donuts to a customer with a smile. I nodded my head. Daisy took orders online and delivered them as far as Augusta. When she decided she wanted to do that she asked me to create her website and of course I did free of charge. I was now fixing it free of charge whenever she needed me to. Not that I minded. I love what I do. There was a reason that I went to school to do it. When I got done fixing the problem, I can out of the back room to find Maddy eating a cupcake. I rolled my eyes. I was almost positive Daisy had given it to her judging by the look on her face. Daisy’s goal everyday was to get Maddy to love her a little more than she loved anyone else. Most days I felt like it worked.

“Come on Maddy, let’s go home,” I told her grabbing her hand. I hugged my mother with my free arm and told her thank you again before heading out the door.

“Can we go see Mee-maw and Gampa?” Maddy asked me as we walked hand in hand to the car. I sighed. Maddy loved Colt’s parents and she hadn't seen them in nearly a week since they had got to L.A. for his graduation. I knew she didn’t have much of a sense of time since she was only three, but she knew when she wanted something. With everyone in town catering to her all the time, she usually got what she wanted.

“They aren't home yet,” I told her.

“When will they be?” She looked up at me as I opened the back door to the car. She crawled in and turned around twice before sitting in her booster seat. I reached for the seatbelt to buckler her in, but she stopped me by kicking her feet. “I can do it, Momma,” she told me sternly, like she did every time. I held my hands up in surrender and watched her struggle to pull the belt out enough in order for it to reach across her lap. When she was done finally, I shut her door and walked around to the driver's side and got in. “When will they be back?” she asked again reminding me that I hadn't answered her question yet.

I looked into the rearview mirror so I could see her face, “I’m not sure but probably not until after dinner so you will just have to wait until tomorrow to see them,” I told her. I drove us home and convinced Maddy to stay calm and watch princess movies for the rest of the day. We ate junk food and sang along to every song. She fell asleep and I tucked her to her bed. I wondered what would happen when I told Colt. If he was still the same Colt, I knew four years ago, I knew I was going to end up having to share her. I watched her sleep until I felt my eyelids getting heavy. Tomorrow at lunch, I would ask Earl and Tanya how to get ahold of Colt.

I woke up the next day, to Maddy jumping up and down on my bed. “Momma, get up!” She shouted, “It’s time to go see Mee-maw and Gampa,” she continued bouncing. I laughed at her she was excited to see them and I knew they probably missed her, so I decided to take her to see them.

“Go get dressed,” I smiled at her sitting up in the bed and leaning back against the headboard. I sent Tanya a text telling her that Maddy couldn’t wait until lunch to see them and we would be over soon. I got up to shower quickly before Maddy could get into too much trouble. Because Tanya preferred southern causal, it was always a little hard to find something she would be happy with. She may not be my mother, but she was a southern woman and even if she didn’t do it on purpose, she judged how I dressed. I grabbed a short-sleeved maxi dressed that had a red and white houndstooth checkered pattern covering it. I threw on my favorite grey peep toe booties and straw floppy hat. I left my dirty blonde hair down how it naturally falls. I wasn’t up for makeup and thanked the heavens I had good skin and didn’t need any.

I waked out of my bedroom to find Maddy sitting on the couch in her favorite floral print knee length dress. She was trying to buckle her sandals on to her feet and I just stood and watched her. I already knew if I tried to help, she would yell at me. “Momma I’m done,” she said when she finally got the last buckle. I smiled at her, grabbed my keys and her hand. We jumped in the car and head to see Earl and Tanya.

Maddy had her seatbelt off the second I put the car in park. I tried to stop her, but she hopped out before I could. She ran straight to the house, rang the bell and stood impatiently by the door waiting for someone to open it.

Rosie, the Maddox’s maid opened the door and smiled down at Maddy. Rosie is a short slightly heavy woman. She has been with the Maddox family for as long as I can remember. She did a little of everything in the house. Cooking, cleaning and she helped with raising Colt. She even caught us making out the first time we ever kiss. We learned to lock doors after that. Needless to say, she was family. Another person who dotted on Maddy and she loved her for it. “Hello, Miss Maddy,” she greeted.

Maddy smiled up at her, “Good morning Rosie. I am here to see Mee-maw and Gampa,” she rocked on her heels with her arms behind her back. She waited for Rosie to step out of the way so she could enter the house. I watched as Maddy ran past Rosie and started yelling for her grandparents as I got to the door. I smiled at Rosie and said a quick hello before running after Maddy.

“Maddy you know better than to run in the house,” I said as I caught up to her in the sitting room.

I looked up and noticed Tanya had enter the room. She had a look on her face that showed concern. Worry? I wasn’t completely sure. “What are you two doing here?” She asked me.

“I sent you a text,” I motioned toward Maddy, “Maddy couldn’t wait to see you guys. She missed you like crazy.”

I heard a door open somewhere. It sounded like the door to the back yard. Tanya looked at me and her eyes widened. She moved closer to me, “Colt is here,” she whispered to me so Maddy didn’t hear her.

“What!” I whisper yelled.

“I was going to call you later and tell you. He decided to come back with us,” she was obviously trying to not to smile but I didn’t have time to deal with that.

“I’m not ready Tanya. I was going to ask you for his number and call him,” I was panicking and didn’t know what to do. I looked around for Maddy. I had to grab her and get out quickly. Before I could grab her, I heard her gasp and my head shot up to look where she was looking.

“Daddy!” She yelled and ran toward Colt who was standing in the doorway looking at me in shock. I couldn’t look away from him but from the corner of my eye I saw Maddy wrap herself around Colts leg. She was talking but I couldn’t hear what she was saying. All I could hear was white noise. This wasn’t how I planned this happening.