Chapter 8 - The First Night Home
The new house in Oakridge was bathed in the warmth, golden glow of recessed lighting. The moving trucks wouldn't arrive until tomorrow, but Dr. Hayes and her team had already stocked the kitchen, filled the refrigerator with fresh food, and set up a temporary nursery in the sunny corner bedroom upstairs.
Maddie stood in the middle of her new bedroom, spinning slowly in a circle.
She was wearing brand-new pink flannel pajamas that actually fit her wrists and ankles, and her hair had been gently washed and brushed out. On the twin bed behind her sat a mountain of brand-new stuffed animals, books, and art supplies.
In the adjoining room, baby Emma was fast asleep in a wooden crib with a mechanical mobile playing a soft, lullaby tune overhead.
Elliot stood in the doorway, leaning against the doorframe with his suit jacket off and his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, watching her.
Maddie stopped spinning and looked at him, her big eyes reflected the warm light of the room. She walked over slowly, stopping right in front of him.
"Is this really mine?" she asked in a tiny voice, looking down at the soft carpet beneath her bare feet. "We don't have to leave tomorrow?"
"You never have to leave, Maddie," Elliot said softly, crouching down so he was eye-level with her. "This is your home now. Your room. Your safe place."
Maddie hesitated for a second, then did something she hadn't done since he met her in the lobby.
She wrapped her small arms around his neck, burying her face against his shoulders, holding on with a fierce, desperate grip that told him she finally understood she was safe.
Elliot closed his eyes, wrapping his arms around her small frame, feeling the last cold, bitter ghost of his own childhood finally lay down and rest.
"I love you, Dad," she whispered against his collarbone.
May you like
Elliot froze for a second split, the word Dad echoing through his heart like a bell tolling in an empty cathedral. A thick knot formed in his throat, and for the first time in thirty years, hot tears spilled over his eyelashes.
"I love you too, sweetheart," he choked out, holding her a little tighter. "I've got you. Always."
