Chapter 3

            “Hey look who’s talking… Maddy what is my little nephew saying?” Rick made faces at her stomach on the set. She hugged him when he stood up and laughed.

“Your niece says Uncle Rick is special.”

“Funny… let me get back to work.” Gwen came up as he left.

“Welcome back lady.”

“Thanks G, and thanks for getting all this together so fast.”

“Are you kidding? I’ve had to break hearts telling them that you where on hiatus.”

“I wish…” Madison laughed.

“Oh here,” Gwen handed over a gift bag. “It’s not much, but it is a start.”

Madison opened it a pulled out a beautiful quilted baby blanket.

“Oh my goodness, you didn’t have to do that… This is terrific.”

“Yeah, well since you travel in the best circles now and they can afford just about anything. I decided to give you something homemade with a little Texas flavor.

“Gwen… Money could never replace you.” She pulled her into a hug. Rick returned with a camera complete with flash cord confused at the scene.

“Chicks,” he shook his head.

            Celebrating his free agent status Jason Kidd was updating his headshots. Rick tried to act like he wasn’t star struck. He was a nice guy and he brought his wife and kids with him. Madison was a bit sentimental at the “Family”. Madison pulled off some awesome shots and they were done. After saying goodbye she went home. She had just walked into the house when the phone rang.

“Hello?”

“Maddy.”

“Hey baby,” she said into the phone.

“I’m on my way home, want me to bring dinner.”

“That sounds good, go to Sonic. I want two orders of fried pickles and cherry limeade.”

“Gross! And you wonder why you throw up all the time.”

“No it’s good. You should try it.”

“No thanks, seriously though we need to talk when I get home.”

“Uh-oh, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing, just work.”

“Ok see you when you get here, please be careful.”

“No problem, love you.”

“I love you too…”

**************

“So you will go to Chicago, LA, St. Louis, Atlanta, New York, and Jersey, DC…”

“The list goes on and on, but we end with a huge blow out at the palms in Vegas.

“Oh baby you are going to be gone all month.”

“I know are you going to be ok?”

“Are you kidding, I’m going to party.”

“Oh really,” Lance nuzzled her neck with kisses and tickled her sides. Pulling him close she convinced him to stop with a long kiss. She felt an excitement awaken in her.

“I’ve missed you,” she whispered in his ear wrapping her legs around him. He stopped and looked at her face. Smiling, Madison kissed him again.

“Can we? I mean is it ok?”

            Monday morning was slightly hectic for the couple. Lance drove her mustang to Lakeland, where they were meeting the buses. It was a bit of an emotional goodbye for the guys. Brianna’s cooing kept Kelly strong while Joey said goodbye to them. He boarded quickly so not to lose it in front of the other guys. Danni seemed to go over a checklist of meetings for Chris not to forget. She was acting more like a secretary than his girlfriend. He finally gave her a kiss full on the lips. Justin and JC said goodbye to their families. All the commotion didn’t register in Madison’s mind. She had not been away from Lance for more than a day in the last three months. She fought back tears as he held her tight. “I want you to call me after you pick up Shawna from the airport. Ok?”

“Yes Dad,” she said with a smile. “I’m going to miss you Lance.” She finished seriously.

“Not as much as I’ll miss you.” His eyes were deep and green as he spoke in the deep bass voice he knew she loved. “I love you Madison Davis.”

“I love you Lance Davis… Bass!” she seemed to stumble unconsciously and tried to cover is quickly.

“Davis?” his look changed to concern.

“Sorry babe,” she tried to smile. “Glitch in the matrix!” she finally spit out.

“Umm, is there something you need to tell me?” His mind was half reading into his own thoughts and half wondering what she meant.

“No, it just came out wrong… I really don’t why I said it.”

“Madison…”

“Really, I just blurted it out.”

“Madison…”

“Before I knew it there it was.”

“Madison!”

“What?” she stopped avoiding him and looked at him with big eyes.

“Are you trying to say you want to get married?”

“Lance come on,” she stepped back. “It was a slip of the tongue.”

“Why won’t you talk about it? Why don’t we ever talk about getting married?”

“Ugh I don’t know…”

“Well?”

“Well now is not the time, everyone is staring at us.” She whispered peering around his arm. It seemed everyone was getting on the bus. Lance turned around and put up “one” to Johnny then looked at Madison.

“This conversation is not over.”

“I love you”

“I love you more,” he held her and then kissed her. When it was over she handed him his laptop as he kissed her stomach. “Bye baby, Daddy be back soon.” With that he gave her one more peck then walked over the bus. She joined the girls waving and crying as the buses pulled away. When the last one disappeared into traffic her phone rang. Shawna’s plane had landed.

            “Hey sweetie!” Madison hugged her sister hello.

“Maddy look at you!” Shawna gasped afraid to touch her belly.

“Come on, I’m double parked.” She laughed pulling a bag off her shoulder. In the car on the way home she told her that they needed to stop by the store.

“Lance never eats much during hell week and you may not want some of the stuff I’ve been eating.”

“Ewe, your doing that whole science project stuff aren’t you?”

“Pretty much.”

“Gross.” Shawna teased as they exited the highway. Once they made it home with groceries, luggage, and take out they tried to settle in. They left the food in the kitchen and Madison showed her around the house. When they were upstairs she showed her room, which was next to what was going to be the new nursery.

“Here is your room, get unpacked and all. Wash up and I’ll get the food put away.”

“Ok,” Shawna looked around and let out a deep breath.

“I’m so happy you’re here.” Madison hugged her one more time.

“Sis, I can’t breathe…” She joked.

“Meanie!”

“You need to get out more.” Madison left the room laughing and headed back to the kitchen.

            When she passed the phone it rang giving her a jolt in the silence.

“Hello?” Madison answered the phone to an unfamiliar voice.

“Madison, this is Faith. Lance wanted me to get you on the line. Hang on.”

“Ok, thanks.” Madison put the voice with the new PA that she had seen that morning. Her blonde hair had been pinned up showing off her shoulders from under her thin tank top. The other girls had planted a seed of jealousy. Kelly had rolled her eyes when Faith had tried to make baby talk with Brianna, Madison refocused when Lance came onto the line.

“I asked you to call me.” He stated.

“Yeah care bear… I just got home. Shawna and I went to the store. Where are you?”

“We are in Tennessee, Justin is having a fit.”

“Aww, I bet.” She balanced the phone on her shoulder to put up some froze food.

“So where did we leave off? Ahh… yes, why you won’t marry me…”

“Don’t say it like that, and would you look at the time.”

“Don’t even try it girl.”

“No really I have groceries to put up and children to feed.”

“Children?”

“Shawna and Jasper…” She smiled devilishly to come up with such a name.

“Jasper!?” he quickly questioned. “No you are not naming my son Jasper.”

“Why?” she pretended to be disappointed.

“Jasper is the name of the dog from Chuck E Cheese!” he said. She busted out laughing and held on to the phone leaning over the counter.

“Yep Jasper the son of PooFoo.” She kept the joke going.” He laughed so hard tears came to his eyes. Chris sat down across from him wondering what was wrong with him.

“You’re so not funny,” he finally squealed.

“Baby, you know I’m joking.”

“Yeah I know it.” He closed his eyes and regained his composure.

“Well Shawna is down here and I’m hungry.”

“Ok baby, I love you.”

“I love you too, good night.”

“Bye.”

“Bye.” She clicked off the phone.

            Lance plugged up his phone to charge and propped his feet up. Chris asked about the laughter from his seat.

“You know Maddy, she has a strange sense of humor.”

“Yeah. So Papa when is the wedding?” Justin and JC seemed to stop in mid-conversation to hear his answer. Lance felt a twist in his stomach to have all the attention on him.

“Ahg, who knows?” He tried to play it off.

“Have you guys talked about it?” JC asked.

“Umm”

“Sure they have!” Justin butted in to his answer. “Haven’t you?”

“Well, uhgg…” he mumbled closing his eyes.

“Are you serious?” Chris exclaimed. They all seemed to moan in disappointment.

“I know,” he sat up looking at them. “I know that it’s bad.”

“You are the business minded one. It’s seems like that would have been the first thing you would have done. I’m sure this is not just one of those subjects you guys have just overlooked.”
“What’s going on with you Lance?” JC asked.

“Y’all things have been so crazy. So much is going on and she never brought it up. Then when I was going to talk to her about it, she cut me off and said she wanted to go back to work. I just… ya know how independent she is.”

“Yeah,” Justin nodded in agreement.

“It’s worse now she is like superwoman or something. I’m lucky if she lets me take her to dinner. I just don’t want to hold her back from everything she wants to do and she has given me anything to go on that she wants to marry me.”

“Did you ever think maybe she is doing all this, making herself busy, running the world and all that… for you?” Joey had joined them and got into the conversation.

“What do you mean?”

“Same thing Kelly did with Bree. She ran herself into the ground and I thought I wasn’t doing something right. I wasn’t helping or something. So I finally got her to break down and tell me. She did all that because she wanted to prove that she could be a good Mom to our child. She said Brianna and I deserved the best and that she would be the best even if it killed her. You have to talk to Madison, let her know you recognize what a good job she is doing and that you want her for a wife and the mother of your kids. You have to keep the lines open or you will lose everything.” The room was silent taking in everything their brother had just said. Joey looked around at the serious faces and smiled. “That was deep.” He snorted standing up he farted loudly and exited the room. Everyone laughed and scrambled to escape the smell.

            That night Lance turned off his laptop. Joey’s words burned into his head as he went back and forth. It was not his fault they had not discussed it, right? She should have brought it up if it was bothering her. No, Lance you’re the man… be a man. In his moment of emotional growth Justin stumbled to the table. His bunk offered no solace to his homesickness.

“Hey man.”

“Can’t sleep?”

“Nah… you?”

“Just finishing up some contracts for…”

“Stop! I don’t want to know.” Justin interrupted groggily and laid his head on the table. Lance laughed and leaned back trying to see out the window.

“Ok so what do you want to talk about?”

“I don’t know… Are you thinking about what Joe said?” Justin asked. Lance made eye contact with him and then fumbled with his pen on the table.

“Yeah, Madison and I always talk. We tell each other everything, she never said anything though.”

“Did you ever bring it up?”

“Well… no. Not to the point of “Give me an answer now””

“Have you thought about it?”

“Yeah all the time.”

“Then why haven’t you asked her?”

“I’m not sure… I’m afraid of her sometimes. I’m afraid of pushing her away.”

“Yeah I’m afraid of her too.” Justin joked.

“That’s not what I said.” Lance tried not to laugh. “Seriously though why hasn’t she said anything?”

“Come on Lance, you know southern girls better than that, especially Madison. She is waiting for you to get down on one knee and all that. Even if she wasn’t pregnant, she doesn’t want to be a burden. She is just not like that.”

“I would never think of her like that.”

“We all know that, but she makes her own way and she would never try to tie you down if you didn’t want to be.”

“Yeah her way or the highway, every time.”

“Nah, she is just so afraid of being a leech sometimes she comes off prideful.”

“Yeah. I guess I just need to talk to her make her listen.”

“Good luck,” Justin smiled and stood up to give the bunk another try. When he got to the door he turned back. “If she kills you, can I have your laptop? Krista has been after me to get a new web cam. It’ll save me a trip.”

“Git outta here!” Lance laughed throwing his pen across the room.

“Cam and a pen, thanks.” Justin smiled before ducking out of the room.

Chapter 4

            “Hello?”

“Miss Davis?”

“Which one are you looking for?”

“Madison.”

“One moment, this is her sister.”

“Alright then.” Shawna quickly ran the phone out to the patio where Madison was watering a few plants.

“This is Madison.”

“Ms. Davis this is Avery, Dr. Stone’s nurse.”

“Yes hello.”

“Dr. Stone asked me an appointment for you to come in.”

“I have one in two weeks, the fifth I believe.”

“Yes but this is concerning your blood work results. She would like to see you as soon as possible. I have tomorrow at nine, does that work for you.”

“Umm, yes… Is everything ok?”

“Ms. Davis I’m not at liberty to say, but I can tell you that it’s just a few precautions that she wants to go over with you.”

“Okay,” Madison squeaked out with fear choking up her throat.

“See you tomorrow Ms. Davis.”

“Thank you.” Madison clicked off the phone and turned off the water. She went into the house a bit dazed.

            Shawna was looking over some slides from the shoot in the kitchen at the table. “Who was that? Did we get a job?”

“Huh? Uh… no.”

“Are you ok?” Shawna asked hearing her stutter, she stopped what she was doing to look a Madison’s face.

“Yeah, that was the doctor’s office. I have to go in tomorrow.”

“Why?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Well it’s probably nothing.”

“Yeah,” Madison tried to shake the feeling off. The phone rang, still clutched in her hand she answered.

“Hi!”

“Lance?”

“Yeah, who else would it be?”

“Oh sorry I can barely hear you.”

“Really? I can hear you fine.”

“Strange…” she sat down.

“How are you feeling?”

“Great, I have a shoot tomorrow. So Shawna and I will be gone most of the day. Are you guys in Chicago?”

“We just got here, this hotel reminds me of Veronica’s villa.”

“No way,” she laughed.

“Yep, just no drunk Maddy.”

“Funny…” they both laughed a bit.

“I have some time before the in-store and I wanted to talk to you about something.”

“What is it?”

“This is an awful way to do it, but I need to get it out. I love you and I think we should get married. With everything we’ve been through and making it out on top… Even if we weren’t having this baby I still couldn’t live without you. I need you with me. Will you marry me?”

“Lance…” she breathlessly whispered followed by a long pause. She was crying and couldn’t make a sound.

“Hello?” Shawna’s voice poured in the phone.

“Shawn? Where is she?”

“She is right here crying. What did you do to her?”

“Shawn please, tell her I love her.” Shawna wiped Madison’s face and gave her a hug. “Lance says he loves you…” Madison hugged her back and took the phone back. Lance heard the movement then the shallow breathing.

“Madison are you there?”

“Yes,” she forced the sound from her throat. “I love you baby.”

“Then it that a yes?” he asked almost shouting.

“Yes,” she cried. “Yes,” She held tight to the phone so he would be closer to her.

            They sat cooing on the phone for the next hour before he was called to work. It was the best in-store in the history of music in his opinion. For every autograph he signed he gave out three hugs. The fans cried to meet the group and he cried on the inside to meet them. He was on a Zen like high that could not be broken. The guys figured out why he was so chipper. Only love could have that effect on the businessman.

            Back at home Madison was so excited telling Shawna she cried some more. She felt like her body could explode at any minute. “You should have told him about the doctor Maddy.” The words were sobering and Madison tried to be strong about it.

“He has enough on his mind without fussing over me. Besides it’s a bullshit appointment.”

“But…”

“No… No buts, now I don’t want to hear another word about it.”

“Fine!” Shawna put away the work and left the room. She didn’t mean to hound Madison, but Lance should know what was going on just in case.

            Later Madison felt bad about the confrontation as well. She said a little prayer and went down to the game room. Shawna had been hiding out in there most of the afternoon.

“Can I play?” She nudged the free controller.

“Sure,” Shawn acted a bit shocked at the request. They restarted the game and slowly began talking. “Ha, you have to stop the car before you get out.” She instructed.

“I know, ah there it goes.”

“You better run!”

“Ouch, it killed me!” Madison laughed feeling the pain for her man. “This is violent.”

“That’s the appeal.” Shawna laughed and quickly passed three levels in the time it took Madison to die on the first.

“Yeah, ya know… I really appreciate you coming out here to stay with me.”

“No problem, you would do the same for me.”

“True, how are things at home.”

“Different, real different.”

“What?”

“They are different around me now.” She said slowly not really wanting to get on the subject.

“How do you mean?”

“Well ya know how Dad used to let me help him with his model cars, he doesn’t ask me to do that anymore. Mama never goofs around with me like she use to.”

“I’m sure they have not changed on purpose, maybe you are just reading into it.”

“Maybe, but when I talk about school they just talk about me exploring all my options. What kind of strings they will have to pull, now that I’m doing home school.”

“Well things change when you get older, and you know how Dad feels about school.”

“I just want things to be like they were before…” Shawna stopped when her car crashed. “Before…”

“I understand.” Madison knew she must have been feeling the effects of regret.

“Well, life’s a bitch.”

“Whatever it’s worth, I love you as much as I did before… before.” Shawna let a tear run down her cheek and she leaned into Madison.

“Do you mean it?” she asked between sobs.

“Of course I do.” Madison petted her hair and babied her a bit. “Shawna we all love you. No matter what you do in this life we will always love you. That will never change little sister.” Shawna cried on for a while before curling up on the couch and falling asleep. She needed to shed some tears. Ever since the abortion they had all shunned her in a way. Madison knew her parents just could not find the right words. What do you say in a moment like that? Madison covered her up and watched her sleep for a while. She promised herself that her child would always know how much she loved him.

Her mind raced over the events as she turned everything off and went upstairs. The doctor’s call scared her into a daze, and then the phone proposal put her on cloud nine. It was not the most conventional way of deciding the rest of your life but nothing with Lance had been conventional yet, why start now?

The Doctor’s office

            “Madison thank you for coming in.” Dr. Stone entered the room and shook her hand.

“No problem,” she tried to smile. The doctor took her seat on the stool in the middle of the room opening her chart.

“We received your blood work from the lab. There are some things here that concern me.”

“My blood pressure? I’ve been trying to work on that.”

“Have you noticed a change? It was high when you came in today.”

“I check it at the drug store, but it never changes much.”

“No I suppose it wouldn’t. Your BP is only a factor.”

“Factor… in what?”

“Madison, all the tests that I have run tell me you have a condition called pre-eclamsia. There is protein in your urine and your white blood cell levels are high. All this explains why you are still sick and fatigued more so that you should be at this point in your pregnancy.”

“Ok stop,” Madison was trying to take it all in. “So am I’m sick? Is it dangerous? What can I do?”

“First calm down, we can do much more now than we could twenty years ago. I’m starting you on mild medication it takes about a week to safely become effective. I would like you to refrain from any strenuous activity, even if it is for pregnant women. No yoga, moving furniture, hiking, or anything out of the ordinary. I would like you to take a leave from work. Lance said you had a high stress job the last time you guys were here, so doctor’s orders. This a very delicate time for you.”

“Yes, that is not a problem. You answered all my questions except the most important one.” Madison looked up at her bracing herself for the worse. “Is it dangerous?” she asked again.

“Yes, this is a very serious condition. It can prove fatal for you and your baby. It could cause premature birth, if it fully develops you will have seizures all the complications 

that it causes. If anything should happen like dizziness, bleeding, cramping, excessive vomiting, you call me day or night.”

            Madison could feel the blood drain from her head. She had so many questions and no voice to ask them. She slumped her shoulders and dropped her head. She couldn’t help but cry. She felt the baby kick when Dr. Stone touched her stomach and it broke her heart. “Sweetie, you just have to be careful, you are going to deliver a healthy baby and things are going to be fine.” She cursed herself on the inside for telling her that. All the proof was there. Madison was sick and she was on thin ice.

            She found her bearings after an exam and they took some more blood. Dr. Stone gave her prescription and Avery walked her out to the waiting room to find Shawna. She panicked to see that Madison had been crying.

“What happened?”

“I’ll tell you in car let’s go.” Avery advised her to be careful and that she would see her

soon. It was Madison’s turn to cry to Shawna. The news scared her and she just needed to build up the nerve to tell Lance.

            Madison was upset and she tried to calm her nerves before she made that call. Her heart raced faster and faster with each ring. “Hello?”

“Who is this?” Madison was caught off guard by a female voice.

“This is Faith, can I help you?” Madison remembered her and tried to ignore her own pretenses about the girl. Even though the seed had grown since Lance had been gone. They had been on MTV for a tour update and while they collaged small clips from the bus and backstage together to show during the interview Madison saw Faith next to Lance in almost every frame they shot. Lance seemed completely oblivious to the fact, still she was a jealous person.

“May I speak to Lance, this is his phone right.”

“Yeah Maddy, but he is busy.” She said in a sarcastic tone.

“Faith, can you just put Lance on the phone.”

“I’m sorry Maddy he is in a press conference.”

“Then why are you answering his phone?” Madison was aggravated and almost shouting

at this point. The line went dead with a click.

            “Madison who are you yelling at?” Shawna came into the living room.

“That bitch Faith just hung up on me! After everything I’ve been through today!”

“Calm down, who is Faith?” The phone rang, Lance’s number read across the caller id

and Madison quickly answered it.

“Maddy? We must have been cut off.” Faith had called her back from his phone.

“How convenient for you.”

“W-what?” She sounded shocked. Her games were getting to Madison and she could tell.

“Put Lance on the phone right now or stay away from me from here on out!”

“Madison, I’m sorry I can’t do that. He is in a meeting.”

“I thought it was a press conference. Come on girl get your story straight.” Madison had her cornered with no escape.

“You are over reacting, maybe you should go lay down and get some rest.” Faith was as condescending as Madison was mad.

“You better talk to him before I do.” Madison cut off the phone and threw it on the couch.

***********

            Justin opened the SUV door when Faith came into view. Her tank strap was hanging off her shoulder and she smiled sweetly at him. She shifted in her seat as he climbed in next to her. “Where’s Lance?” she asked moving away from him. He sensed her being uneasy around him and rolled his eyes. As pretty as she was she paled in comparison to his Krista.

“He’s right there.” Lance opened the door with Melinda and Chris right behind him. Faith realized why Justin had sat on the same row. Everyone bunched in as they headed back to the hotel.

“Lance I found your phone.” Faith handed it over.

“Thanks, ump…”

“What?” she question worried.

“Madison, I thought she would have called by now.” Lance shut the phone and they rode in silence. That was until Justin made and effort to call Krista and pour on the sugar. He cooed over her and then begged her to come to Vegas for the finale.

“No I love you more, no you hang up first, ok same time…” Chris made a face at Lance like he was going to gag.

Later That Night

            Lance had eaten and just gotten out of the shower. He found himself answering the door in his shorts with the phone in his hand. He saw Faith standing in front of him. Her outfit could hardly be qualified as clothes. Still he had come to expect nothing more from her. “What?” he asked quickly.

“I left my planner in that army bag you had me carrying today.” She smiled. Backing into the room he jumped on the couch pulling the bag to his lap. She sat on the arm next to him. “Ok, I’ve seen the flames on Chris, but what is this?” she flirted pointing to the Japanese symbol on his leg. Lance jumped when she touched him.

“I’m sorry,” she stood up innocently.

“No, it’s ok. I just…” he finally pulled out the orange nylon planner. He stood up handing it over. “It means faith.”

“Huh?” She asked in a whisper trying to be seductive.

“The tattoo, it means faith.” He repeated himself distracted when she touched his hand taking the planner from him.

“Like me…” she licked her lips and stepped toward him. She put her arms around his neck and she pulled on the back of his neck to kiss him. Right before their lips met he stopped. He pulled her arms down and turned his back on her.

“No, like the religion.” He crossed the room and opened the door for her to leave. In her rejection she was angry and stormed to the door. Before she left she stopped and stared up at him.

            “Madison did call, but we were cut off. I called her back and she was hysterical.”

“What! When?” his mouth dropped open.

“Around one, that’s how I found your phone it, was in the back pocket of the seat. I didn’t want to tell you in front of everyone.”

“Why did you answer it?”

“That’s my job remember?”

“Get out of my face!”

“Lance!”

“”No! You need to go pack because as soon as I call Johnny you’re gone!”

“Like I’d want to stay Lance. You’re so uptight, it’s not like your married.”

“Get out!” Lance yelled loudly toward the hallway knowing that if he made a big enough scene security would come.

**************

            This was a bad situation, wrong, wrong, wrong… Lance’s mind raced. Madison called and she was upset. Why? What happened? His fingers dialed home before he could stop himself to answer any questions. The rings seemed to take a million years to pass. No he wasn’t married but…

“Madison, baby what’s wrong?”

“Where should I fucking start?”

“I know you’re mad, I had no idea you called until just now.”

“I’m surprised she told you at all.”

“Me too, I’m 2waying Johnny right now. She's guilty of with holding information, sedition, sexual harassment. Uhg, we have to get better employee scanners.”

“What did you say?”

“Huh? When baby?” Lance was pushing the buttons on the pager, distracted from the conversation.

“Just now, sexual harassment. What the hell?”

“She came to my room and wanted her planner then she tried to kiss me and I threw her out.”

“What?”

“Yeah I told her to leave and she yelled something about me not being married.”

“Ah that bitch does not know me, I will drag that trick!”

“Madison, baby calm down. Remember no stress.”

“Well it’s a little late for that, I’m sorry but come on.”

            “Can we talk about something else? How was your shoot today?”

“Shoot?”

“Today… right?”

“Oh, the shoot. It was canceled.” She struggled to remember their last conversation.

“Bummer.”

“Yeah… the doctor called…”

“Why?” Lance’s throat almost closed.

“She wanted to tell me about my test results.”

“Is everything ok? Did she find out why you are still sick after all this time?”

“Yes…” Madison fell quite.

“Well, what did she say Maddy?”

“Umm, I have a condition called Pre-Eclampsia.”

“Is it serious? Wait, what does “PRE” mean?”

“It’s serious, if it fully develops then I may have seizures and a lot of complications.”

“Oh my god Madison!” the conversation had turned into infinite panic. “I’m coming home!”

“No!” She shouted. “Lance I’m scared too and I want you here, but you can’t just leave work.”

“Madison!”

“Besides, nothing has happened yet and you’ll be home in a week anyways.”

“Please Madison, be reasonable.”

“No baby… I’m ok, I’m fine. I can’t have you coming home just to hawk me for the next three months.” There was silence on the line, everything was sinking in and solutions were being planned. Nothing could have prepared them for the news, but as it was this is what they were going to have to deal with. He put his head back on the couch and let a tear escape the corner of his eye. He felt dizzy and sick, wanting to be home with her so he could take care of her.

“Why do you have to be so stubborn, I’m the Taurus remember.” He finally let out a pocket of air that he couldn’t hold in any longer. Madison let out a soft laugh and tried to calm him down. Even though when she started talking he could hear that she was crying.

“Courtney called me today… They are coming to see me.”

“That sounds nice.”

“Yeah it’s only for the weekend though.”

“You’re not going back to work!” He shouted out of the blue.

“That was random.” She snapped back from being scolded.

“I mean it Madison, don’t even think about it now!”

“Chill drama king, the doctor already told me that.” She hated the tone in his voice.

“Yeah…well,” he searched for the words to make his point, but just stuttered a bit.

“You promised not to yell at me anymore.”

“I’m sorry Madison, but I’m freaking out here.”

“I know I am too, but she said with this medicine and taking it easy everything should be fine.”

“Ok…”

“I love you Daddy Lance.”

“I love you Mama Maddy.” She forced a smile and held the phone tight.