MADISON COULDN’T BELIEVE THAT Stephanie was meeting Dad for breakfast again. Dad said Stephanie was coming over to help with an important business presentation. Of course, he couldn’t get anything done in the middle of his morning rush. He ran around the kitchen wearing his good pants and undershirt but no socks and no dress shirt, because he hadn’t ironed it yet.
Madison chuckled to herself as she slurped down her bowl of Toasty-Os. This was the Dad she remembered from mornings at home back before the big D. This was the Dad who used to be married to Mom. Crazy Dad.
She missed seeing him every day.
“Should I wear the blue or red tie, Maddie?” Dad asked.
Madison shrugged. “What about the orange one?” she said.
“Orange? What?” Dad looked panicked for a moment. Then he stopped in his tracks. “Oh, I see. What a joker.”
He came over and gave her a huge squeeze.
Ding-a-ling. Ding-a-ling.
“Dad, you have to do something about that doorbell. It sounds so lame,” Madison said.
Phin leaped up, barking at the doorbell like an attack dog. Once he saw Stephanie, however, the pug turned to mush. He loved Stephanie because she always gave him fake bacon strips and scratched his back in exactly the right place.
“Good morning, troops!” Stephanie said, swinging her briefcase onto the counter.
“Hey,” Dad said, giving her a little kiss. Madison cringed. It was way too weird to watch her parents kiss, let alone watch them kiss other people.
“Aren’t you dressed yet? Where’s your shirt?” Stephanie asked.
“Oh no! I knew there was something I forgot!” Dad cried. He dashed out of the room like the scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz, all floppy and confused.
Madison took another bite of cereal and smiled at Stephanie. “He’s been standing around like that for a half hour,” Madison said. “What a dork.”
Stephanie giggled. “That’s what I love about him,” she said. “So how’s the baby-sitting going?”
“Okay,” Madison said. “Yesterday was better, but Eliot isn’t very happy a lot of the time. I’m learning to deal with that.”
“Isn’t happy? Why not?” Stephanie asked.
“He cries a lot. He doesn’t like it when I change his diaper. He hates it when we try to sing songs, like he knows I’m a really bad singer. Is that possible? And he threw my bag into the pool the other day,” Madison said.
“He’s two and a half, right?” Stephanie asked.
“Yeah,” Madison said. “What does that have to do with it? He hates me. I know when someone hates me, and HE hates me.”
Stephanie poured herself a cup of coffee from the drip machine on the counter. “Maddie,” she said. “No two-year-old hates anyone. He just doesn’t know you. I’m sure that he’s upset about something, but I bet it isn’t you.”
“How do you know that?” Madison asked.
“You said he has a new sister, right? He probably is jealous of her.”
Madison’s jaw dropped. A giant neon bulb went on inside her head. Of course that was it! Eliot didn’t hate Madison. He hated Becka.
But that didn’t make sense, either.
Eliot loved his little sister. He hugged her whenever he had the chance. He gave her one of his favorite stuffed animals. He even liked watching Becka fall asleep.
Madison put her head in her hands. “Stephanie, it must be me. I try everything I know to make him happy. And it’s only been a week or so, but I think that maybe this isn’t the right job—”
“Don’t say that!” Stephanie said, interrupting. “This is all a minor setback.”
Madison knew this was one of those bonding moments when Stephanie got this “trust me, I know what you’re talking about” look in her eye.
“What do you know about baby-sitting?” Madison asked.
“What do I know about baby-sitting? You name it. I baby-sat in high school and college to help pay bills,” Stephanie explained. “And don’t forget I have a family of a hundred or so relatives—cousins, nieces, nephews—most of whom I baby-sat at some point in my life.”
Madison had forgotten how big Stephanie’s family back in Texas was. She couldn’t imagine having that many people turn up at a barbecue or other family event.
“I baby-sat this little girl once and she would not smile. Not once. Not ever.”
“Come on,” Madison said. “Every baby smiles.”
Stephanie shook her head. “Oh no, not Jessie. That was her name. And of course, just like you, I thought she HATED me.”
Madison listened close. “So what did you do?” she asked.
“I became her friend,” Stephanie explained. “When Jessie was grumpy, I just let her be. And when I didn’t force it, she came around. One day Jessie just grinned right at me. Needless to say, I melted.”
“But if Eliot is only two…how can I be his friend? He doesn’t want me. He wants his mom,” Madison said.
“Maddie, little Eliot needs you to be his friend more than anything, no matter what he does. He doesn’t know about being bad or hate yet. Like you said, he’s only two! And sure he wants his mom, but he’ll get used to you. He’ll realize that you’re the one giving him special attention. Be patient.”
Everything Stephanie was saying was like what Mom had said. Although Madison didn’t like to admit it, Stephanie really was a little like a fill-in mom while the real one was in Australia. She took time to really listen.
“Madison Finn!” Dad shouted from the doorway. His shirt was ironed, buttoned, and cuff-linked, and he was wearing the red tie. “We have to go, young lady. You’re due at Mrs. Reed’s in ten minutes.”
Madison leaped up from where she’d been sitting and lunged for Stephanie. She held on tight.
“Thanks, Steph,” Madison said. “I know sometimes I’m not so patient with you, either, and—”
“Madison, go to work and forget about me. Focus on Eliot.” Stephanie patted Madison on the shoulder. “I’ll see you later.”
“What’s going on?” Dad asked.
“Girl talk,” Stephanie said with a wink.
“What’s this? I go to iron one shirt and suddenly you two are having some secret conversation?”
Madison kissed Dad on the cheek. “We were talking about YOU, Dad,” she teased, racing out of the room to fix her hair and stuff a bathing suit and towel into her bag. They’d be hanging out at the Lake Dora pool today. The sun was shining hot, and the temperature outside was at least seventy-five degrees at eight-thirty in the morning.
Believing in the karma of the universe was how Madison explained Eliot’s mood that day. He was happier than she’d ever seen him, and Madison became convinced that was all because of her talk with Stephanie that morning.
Madison had prepared herself for another battle of wills, expecting Eliot to be running around the pool like he’d done before. But today he was content to stay close to the chairs where Madison sat with Mrs. Reed and Becka.
Sometime around noon, Madison took him for a long walk. He was quiet and curious. It made it easier to have a real conversation.
“Are you excited about Pool Day?” Madison asked.
“Yah, yah.” Eliot nodded. “I can thwim! Mama says.”
Madison nodded right back. “And you’re a good swimmer with your horsey on, right, Eliot?”
“Right, Maddie,” he said with a smile.
They walked down by Lake Dora and watched some kids testing out a couple of new remote-control sailboats. Eliot liked standing down by the lake water and squishing sand through his fingers and toes. Madison let him wade into the wake of the water a little bit until he got nervous. Then they decided—together—to head back to the pool.
Mrs. Reed was sitting around the pool with a good friend who also had an infant. They were stretched out in the shade under a striped umbrella with the babies fast asleep on their bellies. Madison waved from way across the pool and waited for a wave back.
That’s when it happened.
Eliot, who had been walking slowly next to Madison, ran ahead toward the pool. Madison let out a little gasp. He wasn’t wearing his inflatable horsey and she could see him not looking and running too fast toward the edge….
“Eliot!” Madison called out.
Thwoomp!
Before he could reach the edge, Eliot tripped on the pool deck.
Splat!
Madison saw Mrs. Reed stand up across the way, one hand holding Becka and the other hand covering her mouth like she was gasping. She’d heard Madison’s cry.
By now a few other kids ran over toward Eliot.
“Hey!” someone shouted. A whistle blew. “No running!”
It was Hart yelling. The lifeguard director sent him over.
Madison raced over to Eliot, who pushed himself up onto his knees.
“AAAAAAAAH!” he wailed.
He had a small scrape on his shin and a teeny little bump on his knee. There was no real bleeding. He would probably get a bruise.
Mrs. Reed came running.
Hart leaned down to made sure that nothing else had happened to Eliot. He was crying loudly by now.
“Eliot, are you okay?” Madison asked.
She expected him to look at her with that usual crabby stare, the kind he’d been giving her since their relationship began. Or at least for Eliot to scream, “I want my mama.”
But he didn’t—at least not at that moment.
As Hart helped Eliot to get up, Eliot turned right toward Madison and extended his arms.
“Maddie!” he cried. Was he looking for a hug? Madison grabbed and held close.
Mrs. Reed arrived on the scene moments later. “Is everything okay?” she asked. “Oh, poor Eliot. Mama told you not to run at the pool.”
Eliot sniffled. “Maddie! Maddie!” he said, burying his face in Madison’s neck.
Mrs. Reed leaned in. “Well, at least he’s okay,” she said, taking Eliot into her own arms. He was still crying, but “Maddie” had changed to “Mama.”
“I’m so sorry, Mrs. Reed,” Madison said.
“Accidents happen,” Mrs. Reed replied. “Just as long as he’s okay. We’re all okay. Right?”
When the crowd had left and the pool medic checked out Eliot’s scrapes, Madison and Mrs. Reed took him back over to the chairs. Mrs. Reed’s friend was still watching Becka.
“Boo-boo,” Eliot said, trying to pick at his Band-Aid.
“Don’t touch,” Mrs. Reed said, swatting at his little hand. “I know it hurts, sweetie. But that will make it all better.”
Eliot looked up at Madison. “Boo-boo,” he said.
Madison went to rub his back, but he pulled away.
“Mama!” Eliot wailed.
Mrs. Reed turned to him. “What, honey? Why don’t you play with Madison?”
“No, I don’t wanna!” Eliot said.
Madison sat back in her chair and took a deep breath. She could feel the perspiration rolling down her back. It was more than the heat. It was nerves.
“I’m sorry,” she said to Mrs. Reed again. “It’s all my fault.”
“Oh, Madison,” Mrs. Reed said. “He’ll get over it. Don’t worry. Like I said, it was an accident. You’ll be more careful next time. Tomorrow is another day.”
Madison wasn’t sure she’d even make it to tomorrow.
She’d been baby-sitting for less than a week, and she already had page after page of disaster files.
What could possibly happen next?
Madison didn’t tell Dad about the pool incident right away when she got home. She wanted to chat with someone else about it first.
Amazingly, Bigwheels was online and she could chat, too, from camp.
That was a good omen.
Madison wrote quickly, explaining what had happened at Lake Dora that afternoon. Bigwheels was very understanding.
<MadFinn>: so she told me not 2 worry but I am
<Bigwheels>: he didn’t get hurt tho
<MadFinn>: FYA—Hart saw the whole thing & prob thinks I’m the world’s worst sitter EVER
<Bigwheels>: NT
<MadFinn>: thanx for talking I know ur @ camp
<Bigwheels>: I’m not the only 1 who’s online w/keypals
<MadFinn>: I feel so %-Z
<Bigwheels>: b/c you are!
<MadFinn>: VVF
<Bigwheels>: soooo what else is gnu
<MadFinn>: my mom is still in Austrailia wait how do u spell that?
<Bigwheels>: Australia
<MadFinn>: well my dad and his gf are here, which is kool beans even when they KISS in front of me
<Bigwheels>: ONNA
<MadFinn>: how many times have u kissed someone?
<Bigwheels>: 1 and it wasn’t very long
<MadFinn>: me 2
<Bigwheels>: so what will u do tomorrow @ baby-sitting???
<MadFinn>: put on a Barney costume LOL oh y is it soooo hard?!!
<Bigwheels>: I think ur great & Eliot will think so soon
<MadFinn>: thanks :-)
<Bigwheels>: just don’t let him put carrots in the DVD player LOL
<MadFinn>: have fun horseback riding 2day
<Bigwheels>: tx see ya
<MadFinn>: TTFN
Madison said her good-byes and was about to log off completely when her computer pinged. Someone else sent her a message.
<BalletGrl>: Maddie! We’re meeting @ Freeze Palace 4 ice cream in an hour wanna come?
Madison couldn’t believe it. She hit REPLY and sent a message right back.
<MadFinn>: I will TOTALLY be there! C U! :-)
She disconnected and dashed to her closet. She would have to change out of her clothes. She yanked a sleeveless ruffled blouse and a patchwork skirt off a hanger. She hardly ever wore skirts anymore.
But Madison wanted to look extra pretty, just in case a certain someone else was at Freeze Palace, too.