To Have and to Hold (12 page)

“You are?” Dad said.

Stephanie buzzed over toward them again. “Jeff, let’s find the kids and Madison can hang out with them. You must be so bored by all these friends of my parents….”

“Kids! That’s a great idea!” Dad said.

Madison grabbed his arm. “I would rather be with
you
, Dad,” she said.

Stephanie made a face. “You’re sure?” she asked Madison.

“Yes,” Madison said resolutely, staying by Dad’s side.

Stephanie sighed. “All right.”

“So, let’s mingle,” Dad said.

The three of them walked into the middle of the party action again. People rushed in to congratulate the bride and groom.

Across the room, Madison spotted the boy she had seen earlier and some other kids entering and exiting again. But she didn’t make any move to introduce herself, and neither did they.

Instead, Madison clung to Dad as if he were a life preserver.

She wanted never to let go.

D
AD DID MAKE GOOD
on his promise to Madison—sort of.

After an hour of mingling, he and Madison headed back to the Bellville Villas and left Stephanie to party until the wee hours. Actually, most of the dinner guests ate and disappeared early, too. It wasn’t a late, late night. Everyone was saving their energy for the main event on Saturday.

And that was still a whole day away.

Madison’s heart sank when the attendant at the front desk of the Bellville Villas told them there were no messages from the Houston airport or Sky High Airlines. Madison was becoming more and more convinced that, indeed, her luggage had plummeted to earth somewhere north of nowhere. She would never see her stuff again, she thought.

She and Dad took the elevator up to the third floor and said their good-nights. Dad thanked Madison for coming to the dinner, and then she thanked him for being such an understanding father “most of the time.”

“I’m sorry about the way I acted at the party,” Madison said as they stood in front of her room. She plugged her key card into the slot in the door and half hugged Dad good night at the same time.

“I don’t ever want you to hide your feelings from me,” Dad said. “Not even in the middle of my wedding.”

“Okay.” Madison nodded. “I won’t.”

She threw open the door.

“Hey, why is your light on?” Dad asked, curious. He pushed his way into the room ahead of her.

“I thought I turned it out….” Madison said.

“Oh, no!” Dad cried. “Get in here, Maddie!”

Madison went inside.

There, on the bed, was a blue, checkered bag.

“My suitcase!” Madison shrieked when she saw it sitting in the middle of the bed. “It’s
heeeeeeere
!”

Madison flung herself on top of the bag and unzipped the sides. Everything inside was intact, except for most of her clothes. Those, of course, were wrinkled beyond recognition.

“Well, you and your suitcase can get reacquainted,” Dad said, opening the divider door that linked their two rooms. “I’m hitting the hay. But I’m right next door if you need me.”

“Have a good sleep, Dad,” Madison said.

Dad closed the door gently and disappeared into his room.

Madison felt as though she’d been shot full of electricity—or something just as powerful. Her bag was here! That made up for the bad party, the crowds of people, the stress—all of it. She picked through her clothes and pulled out her tried and true Lisa Simpson T-shirt that she often wore in place of pajamas. Then she pulled off the shorts and top she’d been wearing all day long.

“Ahhhh!” Madison said to herself when she’d finally washed her face and put on some clean clothes.

She sorted through some of her other outfits and collapsed onto the bed next to the hotel phone. The clock said nine-fifteen, which meant that it was after eleven back in Far Hills, but Madison picked up the phone and dialed anyway.

“Um … I’d like to make a collect call, please,” she said into the receiver. “From Madison.”

The operator put her on hold and asked her to wait until the party on the other end accepted the charges.

Madison sighed with relief when she heard the voice on the other end.

“Mom?” she said.

“Maddie?” Mom said with a yawn. “Where are you? Are you okay?”

“I’m just in the hotel, Mom. I had to talk to you,” Madison said. “Are you asleep?”

“Yes. But don’t worry. What’s going on? How is Texas?” Mom asked.

Madison grunted into the phone. “Fine.”

“Well!” Mom said. “That certainly doesn’t sound too good.”

Madison sighed into the phone. “Dad is fine. Stephanie is okay. But there are, like, a million people at this wedding, Mom. I don’t know anyone. I am completely out of it.”

“That is not true,” Mom said. “You’re one of the stars.”

“Oh, Mom,” Madison said.

“Phinnie misses you,” Mom added. “Tonight, he went into your bedroom and curled up on top of your pillows. I think he must still smell you there.”

“I miss him, too,” Madison admitted.

There was silence on the phone.

“Mom?” Madison asked. “Can you get on the next plane and come here?”

Mom laughed. “Sure,” she joked.

“I mean it,” Madison said.

“What are you talking about?” Mom said. “Madison, trust me. This weekend will be over before you know it. And I know you will meet new people and have a lot of fun before it’s done.”

“Highly unlikely, Mom,” Madison said.

“Well, you should try to meet people. Doesn’t Stephanie have a bunch of nieces and nephews your age?”

“I don’t care,” Madison said.

“Well, you should try,” Mom said, trying to be encouraging. “Have you been practicing your reading for the wedding?”

Madison felt her cheeks get hot. She hadn’t even
looked
at the book of poems in two days! It was packed in the suitcase that had spent the last day flying over Wisconsin.

“Sort of,” Madison said. “I need to look at it again.”

“Well, do that,” Mom said. “And ask Stephanie if you can help her with anything around the wedding. Maybe she needs something….”

“Why would she need me to help? She has a hundred other people to help her,” Madison said.

“Sometimes it’s good just to ask,” Mom said.

“Okay, fine,” Madison said. She was getting a little impatient. Her mom could hear it in her tone of voice.

“Now what’s the matter?” Mom asked.

“It’s just that—don’t you feel strange at all about Dad getting married again?”

“Maddie, we’ve been through this. I am happy for Dad. He’s happy. And it’s natural for you to feel strange,” Mom said.

“He’s going to be different now,” Madison said.

“What do you mean?” Mom asked softly.

“He’s not going to have time for me or Phin anymore. He’s going to be too busy with Stephanie,” Madison said.

“Maddie,” Mom said sweetly. “You have to stop worrying about Dad. He’s not going anywhere. You need to believe that. You’re not losing a father….”

“Well, I’m not gaining a mother!” Madison snapped.

“I wasn’t going to say that,” Mom said.

“Sorry.”

“Honey bear, maybe you should lie down and get some sleep,” Mom suggested. “You sound tired.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Madison said. “And you should go to sleep, too.”

“Why don’t you call me tomorrow afternoon?” Mom asked.

Madison agreed to say good night and talk to her mom the next day. As soon as she hung up the phone, Madison realized she hadn’t even told Mom about the lost suitcase.

Knock
,
knock
,
knock.

Madison glanced over at the adjoining door. What did Dad want? She lumbered over and unlocked the door from her side.

Madison was shocked to see Stephanie standing there, not Dad. She looked as though she had been crying.

“Hi there,” Stephanie said, coming into the room. “I just drove up from the ranch. I wanted to wish you good night, Maddie. We didn’t really get a chance to talk tonight.”

“Oh, that’s okay,” Madison said, feeling vaguely uncomfortable.

Stephanie blew her nose into a tissue and sniffled. Madison could see black mascara gummed up around her eyes.

“Thank you for coming to the party,” Stephanie said. “I know how tough it was with all those people. Your dad said you were a little overwhelmed. I should have done a better job at introducing you around….”

Madison sat and listened.

“As you saw, my family can be a lot to handle. Mother likes to do things big, like I told you. And this wedding has gotten to be very big, indeed. Maybe too big. But what can you do?”

Madison still didn’t respond.

“Well, that was really all I wanted to say….” Stephanie seemed uncomfortable now, too.

“It’s really okay,” Madison finally blurted out.

Stephanie smiled and took a deep breath. “What a big thing, getting married. I had no idea how complicated it could get.”

Madison shrugged. “Me, neither.”

“Your father says I get all worked up, and that I should just relax, but, you know, sometimes it’s just hard not to get so emotional, and … well, I don’t need to tell you all this, do I?” Stephanie bowed her head and sighed. “I talk too much.”

They sat there in silence for a few minutes. Then Madison broke the silence.

“Stephanie?” Madison asked tentatively. “Do you love Dad?”

A look of shock spread over Stephanie’s face. “Love him? Why, of course, I love him.”

“I love him, too,” Madison said. “I just wanted you to know that.”

“Of course,” Stephanie said. She looked deep into Madison’s eyes. “You’re a very special little girl,” she said.

Madison hated the word “little,” but she didn’t voice her objection aloud.

“Thanks,” Madison replied simply. “I guess.”

“I’m lucky to have you
both
in my life,” Stephanie said. “I am so excited about becoming your stepmother.”

Madison hated that word, too. She couldn’t help thinking of Cinderella. But she could also tell how hard Stephanie was trying to make nice with her. Madison reflected upon what Mom had said about asking if Stephanie needed help with the wedding.

“Um … is there anything I can do to help this weekend?” Madison asked. “Besides reading at the wedding, I mean.”

Stephanie let out a little gasp. Then she started to cry again. Madison wasn’t sure what to do.

“Are you okay?” Madison asked, her voice shaking a little.

“Oh! Oh!” Stephanie said. Real words seemed to have gotten trapped in her throat. “I’m just a little overwhelmed. Nothing for you to worry about.” She wiped her eyes, which smudged the mascara some more.

Madison swallowed hard. This day rated right up there as one of the strangest days in her life. First, there had been the lost suitcase; then, the overpowering Texas heat; and now,
this
?

Madison thought about her friends back in Far Hills. She thought about Mom, sitting home alone with Phin. She thought about losing Dad … forever. And now, Stephanie was having a major meltdown. Seeing Stephanie cry made Madison want to cry. But she held it in.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Madison asked again.

“Maddie,” Stephanie said, shaking off her tears. “I appreciate your offer to help, but there really isn’t anything for you to do. I know that tomorrow my sisters will be running errands and that sort of thing. And you will get to meet all my nieces and nephews. I know they will love you. Who wouldn’t love you?”

She leaned over and gave Madison a squeeze.

“Most of all, thank you for listening,” Stephanie said. She stroked Madison’s arm. “I hope you know that you can tell me anything, too.”

Can I tell you that you make me nervous sometimes and that I think you try too hard and that I really really really don’t want you to marry my dad
? Madison thought.

But of course, she said none of that out loud.

There was a loud bang on the divider door. Dad shouted through the partition, “Hey, what’s going on in there? Slumber party?”

Madison rolled her eyes at Dad’s lame attempt to be funny.

Stephanie stood up and went over to open the door. As she fiddled with the lock, Madison fell backward onto the bed and clutched at the pillows. The knot in the pit of her stomach had grown to the size of a watermelon.

“Madison Francesca Finn,” Dad announced, coming into the room. He scooped Madison into his arms and gave her a big kiss.

Madison squirmed.

Stephanie crossed her arms and watched as Dad kissed Madison good night. “We’ll finish talking later, okay?” she said.

Madison nodded.

“Have a good sleep, honey bear,” Dad said. “Don’t stay up watching T.V. all night. We have a big day tomorrow.”

“Speaking of which,” Stephanie said to Dad. “I need to get back on the road. Mother is expecting me back at the ranch tonight.”

Madison forced a smile. “Good night,” she said.

Stephanie and Dad disappeared through the divider door, locking it behind them with a loud click. Madison threw herself back onto the bed and reached for her laptop.

Stepmothers


I’ve only seen Stephanie cry once before and she didn’t know I was looking. One night at Dad’s apartment she was upset after dinner. But tonight she was a total mess. What am I supposed to say or do?


More than half the kids in my class at FHJH have divorced parents and most of those have stepparents. But I just am not ready to join that crowd. Why should I?


Now I know for sure: I hate Texas and everything about this weekend so far. I wish Phin was here so he would lick my toes and let me scratch his belly and then everything would be normal.


Then again, I’m not really sure what normal is anymore.


Rude Awakening:
Do they call it “step” mother because it feels like this person wants to step all over everything and change my life?


Actually, they should call it stompmother.