Mad Summer Love

Madison

Maddox was about to respond when a child's voice interjected. It took him a second to process. In that time, he could only stare at the little girl and her bright green eyes. She had to be around 10. He looked at Summer and if his jaw could drop any further, it would have hit the pavement.

“Mommy?” The word came out barely audible. His mouth opened to speak again, but there were no words.

Summer turned to her daughter. “Hi, Baby. How was your day?” she asked, giving her a hug.

“It was good. Who's the man standing behind you?” she asked again.

Summer smiled and turned around, holding onto her daughter's shoulders.

“Maddox, this is Madison Altera.”

Then, she looked at her daughter. “Baby, this is Maddox.”

Maddox stared at the child in stunned silence. His next question had just been answered. Unless she had found another Altera to have conceived a child within the same timeframe as she had s*x with him on Prom night, then this was his daughter. The sense of loss that he had felt knowing he had let Summer go was suddenly compounded. He hadn't only lost ten years with the woman he loved, he lost ten years with his child.

He knelt in front of the little girl. “Hello, Madison,” he smiled, fighting the tears that burned in his eyes.

Summer looked at the situation unfolding in front of her. This was not how she planned for this to go.

“Maddox…,” she started, but her daughter interrupted her.

“You're Maddox? My daddy's name is Maddox, but Mommy said he didn't know about me and that's why he isn't here.” She looked between the two of them. “Are you him?”

Maddox took a deep breath. He couldn't imagine this was how Summer wanted Madison to meet her father. She was bound to have so many questions. He looked up at Summer, his expression begging for direction.

Summer took her daughter's hand. “How about we go home and have a snack? How does that sound?” she asked her.

“I like snacks,” Madison replied. Then, she looked at Maddox. “Are you gonna come with us and have a snack too?”

Summer jumped in before he could say anything. “Maddox is quite a busy man and I'm sure has other things he needs to do.” Her words had a slight venom to them, as she was still hurt from their earlier conversation.

Maddox was on autopilot, the world around him had become surreal. Everything was moving in slow motion, yet his mind was going into overdrive. He had meant to agree with Summer and walk away to pick this back up at a more appropriate time.

“You know what, Madison? I really like snacks too,” was what came out, as he got into the car.

Summer watched as Maddox got into his limo, which had suddenly appeared next to them while they were talking. Then, she turned her gaze to Madison, who was standing there with big eyes and a huge grin.

“Are we going in that car?” Madison asked her excitedly.

Summer looked back at Maddox, who was in the limo waiting. She knew that what had just transpired was rolling around in Maddox's mind. He probably wanted to talk about it or maybe he just wanted to observe this child that he only just found out he had. Madison was smart. So, of course, she had figured out he was her father from the very mention of his name.

She glanced down at her child again. “Yep, go on. Get in,” she gestured with a smile.

Maddox sat next to Summer so he could sit across from Madison, watching the little girl closely. He was amazed at how much she looked like her mother, except for the eyes. If he focused on her eyes, Maddox saw a bit of himself there.

“What kind of snack would you like, Madison? This car will take you anywhere you want.”

He shifted his gaze to Summer, his eyes were shimmering as the tears fought to escape. When he continued to speak to their daughter, his voice broke only slightly before returning to normal.

“Your mom took a ride in this car once. A long time ago. She sat right where she is now. She looked like a princess.”

Summer was focused on Maddox. She was, yet again, so close to him that her hand was almost touching his, as they rested on the seat. Flashes of their Prom night brought tears to her own eyes, but she refused to cry in front of her daughter. Instead, she smiled sweetly at Maddox as he spoke.

Madison shifted in her seat as she looked all around, pushing random buttons and opening compartments. “So, we can get ice cream then?” she asked, practically bouncing up and down in her seat.

Maddox smiled. “Ice cream it is. Al, take us to A La Mode,” he instructed the driver. “Have you ever been there, Madison? It has the best homemade ice cream. If I remember correctly, your mom used to love it there.”

Madison looked at Maddox. “Yes! We go there every Sunday. It's my favorite!” she beamed.

Summer laughed at her daughter's excited reaction, then looked at Maddox. “I still love it there as well. Tell her what your favorite flavor is,” she urged him as she nodded towards their daughter.

Maddox gave Summer a curious look. “Chocolate Peanut Butter,” he said, smiling. “It's been a long time since I have had it though.”

He looked at Summer, his expression soft. Maddox imagined Summer and Madison taking Sunday trips for ice cream. Then, he pictured what it might have been like if he had been there. He imagined Madison walking between them, their hands linked and it was too much for him. He bowed his head and dashed his eyes with the back of his hand, as discreetly as he could manage in such close quarters.

Madison didn't notice because she was too busy rolling the divider window up and down, but Summer did notice and suddenly felt bad. Without even thinking, she reached out and put her hand on his.

Madison giggled. “My favorite is Chocolate Peanut Butter, too!” she exclaimed, smiling wide at Maddox.

Summer smiled at him too, knowing that all these years it would still be his favorite flavor. They shared other favorites too, but he would find those out as time went on, if he chose to keep her in his life.

Maddox squeezed Summer's hand gently. He could feel the connection between them. It was as though every moment they spent together, it grew stronger, reestablished itself, like a mountain river roaring towards the ocean because it knew that's where it belonged.

“Well, Madison. You have very good taste. If your mom says it's ok, maybe we can get you an extra scoop,” he winked at her.

Madison squealed, “Yay! An extra scoop!”

Summer laughed as the limo came to a stop and they filed out.