The next morning came and Todd was getting ready for work as usual. “I’ll be home in a few hours.” he said. “I just have to go and make sure the day schedule is straight then I’m coming home to get you two.” He gave her a kiss good-bye. “Be ready when I get here, okay?” he smiled.
“We will, I promise.” she said as he walked out the door. The next couple hours seemed to drag by as she was so excited about that afternoon. Hope was in her high chair eating and Madeline sat down next to her. “We’re going to do something fun today, sweetie.” She said to Hope as she wiped her face. “Daddy’s going to find us a new house!”
Hope smiled at Madeline. “Da da?” she said.
Madeline laughed. “Yup, da da.” Madeline lifted her out of her high chair. “We need to go get you dressed…” just then Madeline got dizzy. “Whoa,” she said as she set Hope on the floor.
“Ugh… I hope I’m not catching that flu going around.” Madeline wiped her forehead as she felt better. “Alright, let’s go get cleaned up and take a short nap before daddy gets here.”



Madeline wiped Hope clean and put her in a nice blue dress. “Are you getting excited?” she asked Hope.
“ma ma?” Hope said.
Madeline picked her up and carried her to the crib. “I love you so much, baby girl,” she said, holding the little girl in her arms. “This is going to be a whole new beginning for us. You, me, and daddy.” She gave Hope a kiss and laid her in her crib.
“ma ma?” Hope said again.
Madeline laughed. “Take your nap, baby. By the time you wake up, daddy will be home and it will be time for us to go.” she tucked her in. “I love you.” Madeline walked out of the room and closed the door.



Suddenly she started getting a headache. She held her head in her hands. “Oh man.” she said. “Not today, I can’t be getting sick now.” She started towards the bed. Her headache got worse. Madeline started getting very dizzy, the room was spinning around. She tried to get to the bed but before she did, she collapsed into the floor.



It was 1 o’clock when Todd came home from work. He walked up the front steps to the door. He swung it open, expecting to see her in the kitchen. “Madeline!” he called through the house. “Madeline, are you guys ready, let’s go!” No answer. He looked in the living room, nothing. He sighed. “I bet she’s still getting ready.” he said to himself. He started walking to the bedroom. Opening the door, he called to her “Madeline, are you ready to go? I got some flyers from the realtor I want you to…” he stopped. His heart collapsed in his chest when he saw Madeline lying still on the floor. “Oh my god” he said, running up to her. He knelt down, trying to wake her. “Madeline, baby, wake up” he said to her. “Madeline? Madeline!” He started to panic. He ran into the living room to call 911. “Please!” he said, “send someone quick! My wife is unconscious!” He hung up the phone and ran back into the bedroom. He got to his knees beside her and pulled her lifeless body in his lap. “Madeline, wake up, please.” he pleaded, brushing the hair from her face. “Madeline, wake up baby, we have to leave, come on!” tears were coming down his face as he rocked her back and forth. “Come on, Madeline, wake up. Get Hope so we can go… come on, Madeline….”



Before he knew it the ambulance showed up. They rushed into the house, pushing Todd to the side. Todd watched them anxiously as they worked on Madeline in the bedroom.
A policeman came up to him and touched his arm. “Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to step outside.” he said.
Todd pulled away. “No, that’s my wife in there. I’m not leaving her!”
He grabbed Todd’s arm again. “Please, sir, come outside. We need you to go outside if you want to help her.”
Todd took one last look at Madeline and reluctantly walked outside with him. He stood there, waiting for what seemed like an eternity. He stared at the door, wondering what was going on. What were they doing to Madeline? Why wouldn’t they just let her come outside? We have to leave, he thought.



Moments later, the policeman came back through the door. He started walking towards him.
Todd rushed over to him. “How is she?” he asked, anxiously.
The cop looked him in the eyes, a very serious expression on his face. “I’m sorry sir. We did all we could.”
Todd looked at him, confused. “What? What are you talking about, just let me see her!” He tried to push past him to the house.
He stopped him. “I’m sorry, sir.” He said again. “It was just too late.”
The words hit him like a ton of bricks. Todd felt weak like his legs went numb. “No..” he said, shaking his head. “No, please, no.” His eyes filled with tears as he pleaded the cop for a different answer. He looked at Todd with sympathy. “I’m so sorry, sir.” Todd felt his legs give out from underneath him. He fell to his knees, his head in his hands. “Oh god, no… please no…” he lost it. He felt as if the world was spinning out of his control and he was doing everything he could to get it back. She couldn’t be gone, he thought. “No…” he said softly as he stood in the front yard on his knees, crying. “No, Madeline, please come back to me, baby, please.” He could hear Hope crying in the background. Todd’s body shook as he cried with his head in his hands. “This can’t be happening. Please, Madeline, I love you so much, come back….”