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The next few days were the hardest Todd had ever known. He hadn’t heard anything from Madeline, hadn’t seen her anywhere in town. He tried to pick up where he left off before Madeline came around but nothing was the same. He made himself get out of bed, fix his meals, and take care of the house but somehow it hurt worse all the time. One afternoon he got up from his lunch, washed his dishes and walked into the living room. He cut on the TV only to see their show… the show he and Madeline watched together. The show they were watching when they shared their first kiss. He lost it. He finally let all his emotions go. He stood there, in the living room, crying like a young boy. “I just don’t get it.” He said to himself. “Why bring her to me if you were just going to take her away?” He wiped his tears from his eyes and walked outside. He stared up at the sky, as if he was looking for something. “Momma, I could really use your hand right now.” He looked around at the trees, the snow, and the people driving down the road. Suddenly he realized, life goes on. “I have to keep moving on.” he whispered.



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The next few weeks following he forced himself into a routine. He kept looking for a job, spent a lot of time training Jake, and fixing what he could with the house. He kept cooking, trying to perfect those recipes of his mothers. Who knows, maybe someday he would be cooking for someone else. It was getting closer to spring but it seemed as if the days were only getting colder. Will it ever be warm again? He thought. And although he still hadn’t heard from Madeline, he thought about her all the time. He was angry, but deep inside he loved her. No one could ever replace her in his heart.



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Todd woke one morning to the sound of a lady yelling in his front yard. He jumped out of bed only to find snow on the ground once again. “Dang it.” He said, frustrated. He put on his coat and walked outside through the snow. The lady from the trailer court was standing there, yelling at Jake while he dug another hole. “Todd Franklin!” She exclaimed. “We have talked about this before and I warned you… you said you were going to fix this place up and look! Nothing has changed!” Todd tried to calm her down. “I know, I know, I’m sorry ma’am! It’s just that I’ve been through a pretty rough time lately and I still haven’t found a job…” she interrupted him, shaking her head. “Enough excuses, Todd. I want some proof, some sort of proof right now that you have plans to fix this place up or you are out!” She yelled. Todd didn’t know what to say. “Um, well, I…” he was at a loss for words. This was it, he thought. “It’s me.” a woman’s voice said from behind them. “I’m your proof.”



They turned around. Todd couldn’t believe his eyes. It was Madeline! She reached out to shake the lady‘s hand. “My name is Madeline. Todd hired me to do some cleaning and painting in the trailer for him. Today is my first day, actually.” she said. The lady from the trailer court looked surprised. “Oh, well, okay then Todd it looks like you have things under control.” She started to walk away. “Have a good afternoon, you two.” Madeline waved to her sweetly. “Bye bye.” She said. She turned to Todd who still stood there silent with surprise and bewilderment. He finally spoke “Madeline… what are you…why…” He stood up straight and cleared his throat. “Thank you for that.” He turned and started walking to the door.



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Madeline stopped him. “Todd, please wait. We need to talk.” Todd turned back around. “Oh yeah? About what.” He said coldly. Madeline had a look of sadness in her eyes that Todd had never seen. “About what happened Todd. Please let me explain…” Todd shook his head. “You don’t have to explain. I already know what’s going on.” Madeline looked surprised. She was fidgeting with her dress nervously. “You do?” She asked quietly. Todd had anger in his voice. “Yes, I figured it all out, Madeline. You’re married.” She looked at the ground. “Why, Madeline? Why didn’t you tell me? Why did you do all of this?” Madeline wiped a tear away from her eye. It was killing Todd to see her so upset, but he felt so betrayed by her. She looked him in the eyes and said “you’re right, Todd. I am married.” Todd kicked the dirt and started to walk away again. “But wait Todd, please, it’s not what you think!” He turned back around again. “Oh yeah?” He said. “Yes!” she said “please let me finish.”



She took a deep breath and stood up straight. It began to snow even harder. Todd’s heart was aching fearing what she might tell him next. “I was married.” she started. “for six months. My husband was a monster. He was abusive to me and wouldn’t allow me to leave. I was afraid for my life, so I snuck out one night and hitchhiked to the nearest town.” More tears came down her face. “I finally got the courage to leave but I had no place to go. I walked around town until I found the shelter on the other side of town that allowed me to stay.” Madeline stopped. Todd couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “I’m homeless, Todd.” She wiped her tears. Todd wanted to believe it all, he really did, but he was still angry. “But what about the gypsy? And the leaving every night? I just don’t know.” Todd shook his head. Madeline started again. “I hired the gypsy with the little money I had in hopes that I would find a good roommate, so I could leave the shelter. The shelter has a curfew so I had to be home by eight every night or they would make me move out. I didn’t have anywhere else to go, Todd.” He suddenly felt horrible. All this that she had been going through and he thought the worst of her. But why didn’t she say anything? “Why didn’t you tell me, Madeline?”



She put her head in her hands. “I didn’t expect to meet you, Todd. We got so close and I didn’t want to burden you with my problems when you had your own.” She sniffled. “I thought you would be better off without me in your life. I didn’t plan for all of this. I didn’t plan to fall in love with you.” Todd perked up. “Love?” He said quietly. “Yes, Todd. I love you.” She picked her head up and looked at him. It felt as if the earth stopped moving. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He reached his arms out to pull her to him but she stepped back. “Wait Todd. There’s something else I have to tell you.”



Her face got very serious. Todd began to get nervous all over again. “Yes, Madeline? What is it?” She took another deep breath. He could see her hands trembling. “I um,… I’m pregnant Todd.” Todd felt dizzy. Everything was a blur. He just couldn’t believe what was happening. Just hours ago his world was falling apart at the seams and now Madeline was here, she loved him, and she was carrying his child. Once he was able to breathe again, he spoke “you’re pregnant?” Madeline smiled at him. That same warm smile that he had been longing for all these weeks. “Yes, I am.” She reached out for his hands. They were cold and sweaty but she squeezed them anyway. “We’re having a baby, Todd.”



His heart was so full of happiness at this moment he thought it would burst. He pulled Madeline to him and hugged her tightly. “I love you, Madeline.” She hugged him back. “I love you too, Todd. So much.” Todd lifted his head up from her. “Stay with me, Madeline.“ He pleaded with her. “Move in here… please. I know it isn’t much, but we can fix it up. I’ll do whatever I can to make this place fit for you and our baby, just please stay.” His biggest fear at this moment was to see her walking away from him again taking their baby with her. Those next few seconds were an eternity to him, just waiting for the answer. Madeline looked up at him and grinned. “Of course I’ll stay with you, Todd. There’s nowhere else in the world I’d rather be.” Todd breathed a huge sigh of relief. He picked Madeline off the ground in a huge embrace. All was right with the world again.