I Know It Breaks Your Heart

"Yeah," was all that Zacky could manage to grumble before hanging up the phone. His heart had sunk and truly, all he wanted to do was go back all those years and make a different choice. It wasn't the first time he had felt regret but this feeling was so entirely different. Maddy was at stake here, she hadn't been before. It had simply been a relationship with Emily that he had so brazenly thrown away while trying to find a way to help her, to care for her. All because Zacky had been stupid. He was still stupid but now he didn't have as much of a choice because at the end of the day, Zacky had a baby girl. That didn't even know who he was.

The thought caused Zacky to growl, throwing his phone the rest of the way down the stairs. Shoving to his feet, Zacky stormed the rest of the way before heading over to the front door. He pulled his shoes on, along with a weathered, black leather jacket. Reluctantly stepping over to grab his phone, Zacky left the house. It wasn't all that surprising to find that his phone was broken so the first stop had been the Apple Store where they would replace the screen on his phone. While they did that, Zacky headed to the bank to set up the trust fund for Maddy

Emily sighed raggedly when she heard the phone click, signaling that Zacky had hung up. She knew him well enough to know that she'd irritated him somehow, but what she'd said to do that, she didn't know. Emily sat her phone aside and went over to Maddy, crouching down next to the toddler and resting her hand on her knee. "Are you ready to come out of time out now?" Emily asked. Maddy nodded her head. "Well you know what you have to do, sweetheart."

Maddy was still for a second before she turned to Emily and wrapped her tiny arms around Emily's neck. "Sorry Mommy," she whispered.

"And you won't snatch Mommy's phone away again?" Emily asked, and Maddy nodded. Emily smiled softly. "Okay, you can come out of time out now. Let's go finish watching your cartoon."

"Zack come play, Mommy?" Maddy asked, looking at Emily as she climbed onto the couch.

Emily sighed. "Well I don't know about play, baby," she said. "But Zack is coming over to see us on Saturday. Maybe you can talk him into playing tea party with you." Wouldn't that be a sight. Zacky, crammed at a pink plastic table, sipping fake tea out of a plastic cup, probably with a little tiara on his head.

It had taken every ounce of his will power to do what had to be done. Zacky wanted nothing more than to leave Emily and Maddy alone because he knew that was what was for the best. It was better to leave them alone because at least no one would go looking for them then. He hoped. But he couldn't just let Maddy grow up without a future that he could easily provide for her. That was the least he could do, right? For everything that he had already missed and everything that he would miss in the future, Zacky could at least make sure that she was well taken care of.

Sighing, Zacky's shoulders sagged as he glanced over to the suitcase sitting in his passenger seat. He ground his teeth together, lifting his gaze to catch sight of the house Emily lived in. With his baby girl. His heart squeezed at the thought and he let out a ragged sigh, wondering if it would just be better to drop the suitcase off, ring the doorbell, and leave.

Zacky muttered under his breath as he climbed out, making his way toward the house, up the walkway. He cleared his throat as he reached the door. Hesitating as he raised a fist, Zacky studied the lines in the door for a good minute before he knocked, his grip tightening around the suitcase in his hand. Say hello, hand over the cash, and leave. That was the game plan because any other option only led to a disaster in Zacky's eyes.

"Mommy, can I play your phone?" Maddy asked, looking up at Emily with the bright eyes she used when she wanted something. They were the same shade as Zacky's and that didn't help Emily's case, so she handed her phone to the toddler after turning off the mobile data.

"Only fifteen minutes, okay?" Emily said, and Maddy nodded her head, her eyes already glued to the phone. Emily felt bad for letting Maddy play games on her phone, but sometimes it was the only way she could get the toddler to sit down so she could get a few minutes of peace and quiet. And God forbid Emily tried to take Maddy to the grocery store without the distraction of the phone. Emily turned her head when she heard a knock on the door, wondering who it could be in the middle of the afternoon. She heard Maddy start to get up from the couch and she turned a stern look on the toddler, who shrunk back into her seat. "Play your game, sweetheart," Emily said, making her way over to the door. "I'm sorry, but I don't have enough money to buy any cookies--" Emily started as she opened the door, anticipating a girl scout or two. Her words were stolen out of her mouth when she saw Zacky standing on her doorstep. What was he doing here? He was supposed to call or text first to let her know that he was coming and...and...Maddy was on the couch.

"Zacky, what are you doing here?" Emily asked. Her eyes flickered to the briefcase in his hands. "And what's in that briefcase?" As soon as that question left her mouth, Emily realized what was in the briefcase, and her mouth pressed into a frown. "I thought I told you not to bring a lot of money?" she hissed to Zacky. "I can't deposit that into my account all at once, they'll think I robbed a fucking bank."

Too late, Emily realized that the curse word would draw Maddy's attention, as it always did on the rare occasions that Emily let one slip. "Ooh, you say a bad word, Mommy!" Maddy shouted. She came up to Emily and wrapped her arms around her leg. Her eyes traveled up Zacky's form, growing wider by the second. "Who this?"

[sorry I rambled so much ]

(pls don't apologize. I've done that to you on occasion )

"S'not all cash," Zacky tried to defend with a huff as he shook his head. "There's some forms that I need filled out so that I can properly open the trustfund for..." Zacky trailed off, his eyes darting down to where Maddy hid behind Emily's legs. His breath caught in his throat as he watched her for a moment, wanting nothing more than to lean down and scoop her up into his arms. What he wouldn't give for the ability, what he wouldn't do to be able to take her out for ice cream after her first day of school... his thoughts raced through his mind before they stopped suddenly, as Maddy spoke. Drawing in a deep breath, he slowly knelt down to set the case on the ground as he moved to Maddy's level.

It took all of Zacky's self control right then and there not to introduce himself and invite himself in. Play with her, whatever the little girl wanted. "I think we spoke on the phone a few days ago. I'm Zacky," he spoke softly, not wanting to spook her. He refused to look up to Emily, almost positive he would be met with a disapproving gaze.

"But I can't stay today, princess. I wish I could play but I can't," Zacky paused to wet his lips. He studied the young girl for a moment before speaking again, "when I get some time to myself, I might be able to come back, okay? But we'll just have to see how things turn out."

"Why don't you run along and play/ I just need to talk to your Mommy." Watching Maddy run off broke him even more but he forced himself to stand back up, his shoulders pulling together as his fixed his gaze on Emily.

"I'm putting it in a trust fudn so that she'll be able to touch it as soon as she turns 18 if she wants. I just need this paper filled out by next weekend when I stop by again. In case..." Zacky trailed off to take a deep breath. "In case something happens to me, the account will still be there for her."

Maddy's eyes lit up with recognition when she heard Zacky's name, and as Emily watched, excitement spread across her little girl's face. Of course Maddy was already seeing him as a new playmate. And Emily was sure she was going to have to be the one to break the bad news to Maddy, but surprisingly, Zacky did that himself. Maddy seemed disappointed that Zacky couldn't stay and play and Emily felt awful, but Maddy just wasn't ready to know who Zacky was to her. And Emily didn't want to fully immerse her or her little girl in the drama that was sure to come with welcoming Zacky back into their lives.

When Zacky mentioned a trust fund, Emily nodded. That she was okay with, since it surely wouldn't look as suspicious to her bank as depositing a large sum of money into her account. And it would accrue interest as far as Emily knew, which would provide Maddy a bit of financial stability whenever she was old enough to move out on her own. Or if, God forbid, something ever happened to Emily. "Okay, just give me the form and I'll fill it out," Emily said, finally speaking to Zacky. "Just let me know before you stop by next time, so I'll be expecting you. And Zack." Emily paused here, making sure she had Zacky's full attention before she continued. "If you're going to keep coming around, we're going to have to talk about what we're going to tell Maddy. I don't care what it is, but I just don't want my little girl to get attached to you only for you to leave. I don't want her hurt. And I know she's little Zacky, but she's going to start asking about you if you keep coming around. And she's already starting to ask about her daddy, because she's the only one at the daycare who doesn't have one. So just...I need you to think very hard about how much you're going to be around and how much you want to be involved in her life because if you hurt Maddy, I swear to God I will come down on you like a ton of bricks. I might be little, but I can be mean when I want. You should remember that. And I'm a mother now, so it's even worse than you remember."

Zacky handed over the suitcase that had a few thousand dollars inside and the forms that he needed filled out in order to open the trust fund account in Maddy's name. He let out a breath he hadn't even realized that he had been holding in when his arm dropped back to his side, grinding his teeth together as he looked away from Emily. This was worse than Zacky could have ever imagined, really. He wanted to step inside and pretend like this was the life that he was living because it was the life he had meant to have when he first moved out to California. But he had screwed everything up when he stepped into this sort of lifestyle. Sure, he had only meant to care for Emily but the road to Hell was paved with good intentions.

Shrugging his shoulders when Emily mentioned telling Maddy something, Zacky couldn't even open his mouth because what would he have even said? He knew that Emily was being honest and sometimes the truth hurt but when it came to Maddy, he couldn't just demand and receive what he wanted like he was so used to. His lips quirked into a hint of smile at Emily's threat as he gave a nod of his head. "Oh, I remember, Em." The nickname fell from his lips before he could stop it from happening.

"I'll probably stop by sometime during the week to collect the forms.." Zacky trailed off, his eyes narrowing a bit. "After 6pm, right?"

Emily could tell when Zacky handed her the briefcase that it had a decent amount of money in it, and she couldn't help but frown. Carrying around that much cash just made her so uncomfortable. She was sure it would still arise suspicion if she deposited that much money at once, so she would have to do it a little at a time, which would she would have to keep it hidden somewhere in her apartment and there weren't many places that Maddy's prying little hands couldn't find. Emily felt her heart leap into her throat when her old nickname slipped past Zacky's lips. How long had it been since she'd heard him call her that? So long, but it still brought a flood of memories back and it made Emily feel like she'd been punched in the stomach. Why couldn't things have worked out the way she wanted them to? Why did Zacky have to go and get involved in crimes and ruin everything?

Emily only looked up when she heard Zacky saying something else. "After five is fine," Emily muttered. "I teach second grade, there really isn't a lot of paperwork that I have to do." Emily sighed, gripping the handle of the briefcase. "So...I guess you have to go now?"

"No!" Emily glanced back at the sharp exclamation, seeing Maddy scurrying over. She slipped past Emily and latched onto the leg of Zacky's jeans. "Stay."

Emily frowned, reaching down to pry Maddy hands from Zacky's jeans. "No baby, Zack has to go," she said, feeling her heart start to break at the look on Maddy's face.

The little girl stomped her foot, looking up at Emily with fury in her little green eyes. "No!" she shrieked again. "Zack stay! I want him to play! Stay!"

"Zacky has to leave," Emily said more firmly. Maddy continued to pout and whine for Zacky to stay, even reaching out to smack Emily on the leg. Emily quickly reached around to swat Maddy on the behind. "Madison Alice, you do not hit Mommy," she scolded. "Now I've already told you that Zacky has to leave."

"But I want him to stay," Maddy whimpered.

Zacky started to nod, opening his mouth to cement the fact that he would be over some time during the week. He just hoped that he would remember to text her first so that she wouldn't be as surprised as she was with this visit - but his words fell short of being heard when Maddy shouted, rushing over from where she had been sitting on the couch. His lips twisted into a frown as his brows pulled together. He couldn't understand why the little girl was already so attached to him - maybe she felt something about him? Hell, Zacky didn't know nor was it his place to ask.

Jolting back in surprise, Zacky looked down to Maddy, his frown only growing as she attached herself to him. He looked up to Emily, silently pleading for help. As much as he wanted to stay and play with Maddy, he knew how ridiculous such a suggestion was. There was no way he could keep the two of them safe if he involved himself in their lives. He had seen it time and time again with others in the lifestyle - it would eventually take its toll on the family and the parents would split or, if worse things happened, the family would get hurt. Zacky hadn't been with Emily in years but he didn't want to see her hurt, especially now that he knew she was his daughter's mother.

Zacky's eyes narrowed a bit as Maddy lashed out at her mother. He bent down, his attention focused on the young girl now. He waited until Maddy finished before he spoke, "I told you that I might be able to come by again to play but I can't if you're going to hit Mommy just because I can't stay." Zacky made sure to keep his voice even as he shook his head, frowning when Maddy looked like she was about to cry.

Zacky held out his hand, offering up his pinky. "I pinky promise I'll play next time I stop by. So I don't want to hear about you being mean to Mommy any more, okay?"

Emily honestly hadn't been this embarrassed in so long. She knew tantrums came hand in hand with having a toddler, and this certainly hadn't been the first time that Maddy had had a meltdown. But the fact that it was in front of Zacky and over Zacky just deeply embarrassed her. Emily frowned as she watched Zacky crouch down to Maddy's level. The little girl frowned at Zacky as she was scolded again, sniffling and looking down at her feet. When Zacky offered up his pinky, Maddy wrapped her whole hand around it, obviously not really sure what Zacky meant by pinky promise. "Okay," she mumbled. "We play tea party."

"Tea party sounds like fun, baby," Emily said, forcing a smile onto her face. She ushered the toddler away from Zacky. "Now, Zacky really has to go, so say bye bye."

"Bye bye, Mr. Zacky," Maddy chirped. Now that she'd been promised playtime the next time that Zacky visited, she was in a much better mood.

After Zacky had gone, Emily took the briefcase down to her room and stashed it in her closet. When she came back to the living room, Maddy was sitting on the couch, watching TV again. Emily took a seat and pulled Maddy over, running her fingers through her little girl's soft brown hair. "Maddy baby, why did you want Zacky to stay so badly?" Emily asked. The toddler normally wasn't so keen on strangers, so it was odd that she'd grown so attached to Zacky so quickly.

"Everybody else have one," Maddy muttered.

"Has one what, baby?" Emily prodded.

"A daddy," Maddy answered, and Emily felt her heart leep into her throat. "And since me no have a daddy, want Zack."

Zacky turned and those steps that he took away from Emily's front door were some of the hardest that he had ever taken in his life. It felt like with each step, his feet were getting heavier, his legs growing weaker as he moved to his vehicle. He climbed inside, letting out a ragged breath as he slumped forward against the steering wheel. He closed his eyes, his jaw tensing as he wondered what his life would have been like if he had never screwed up all of those years ago. In all likelihood, Zacky and Emily would still be struggling because as two young parents trying to establish themselves in a new state... Zacky shook his head, willing the thoughts away as he shoved the key into the ignition. The engine roared to life and he wasted no time in driving away from the suffocating feeling of overwhelming guilt.

The moment that he arrived home, Zacky headed up to his bedroom where he changed into a pair of basketball shorts and a wife beater. He grabbed his gym bag and headed right back out, driving down to the gym that he regularly attended. It was owned by a friend of his so he never had to bother with paying a fee or anything ridiculous like that.

Zacky spent the better part of the evening working out, trying to process the feelings that still lingered. He had a daughter and God, she was the prettiest little girl that he had ever seen in his life. And he would never know her all because he had made mistake after mistake - he never got to see her first steps or hear her first words or... anything that a parent looked forward to.

Dropping by a local sub shop, Zacky grabbed some food and made his way home intent on drowning out the guilt and anger that he still felt.

Emily opened her mouth and then closed it again. How was she supposed to respond to that? Maddy was too young to understand what was going on, how the mistakes Zacky had made long before her birth had started them all down the road they were on now. She would never understand why Emily had to walk away and why she didn't go back when she found out that she was pregnant. "Maddy sweetheart, everybody has a daddy," Emily explained gently. "If you didn't have one, you wouldn't be here. But...sometimes a daddy ends up being a bad person and it's not good for him to be around."

Maddy looked up at Emily, and she felt like she'd been punched in the gut. Her eyes looked so much like Zacky's that sometimes it was hard go look at them. "My daddy a bad person?"

Emily thought of Zacky and all of the things he'd done, how many lies he'd told and how many lives he might've ruined. But then she thought about how he didn't question it when Emily told him he was a father, and how he was putting his pride aside and Maddy's best interests at heart when he gave Emily money and started to trust fund for Maddy. "He used to be, baby," Emily finally said. She managed a weak smile. "But let's talk about something else, okay? Are you hungry? I'll make some mac and cheese."

Each day that passed, Zacky was even more agitated than he had been previously. The people that worked for him took note with how testy he had been over the past few days. No one knew why and when someone even attempted to breech the subject with the man, Zacky lost his temper. He'd broken a man's nose for asking what had gotten under his skin. Zacky had felt something that he wasn't very used to feeling - guilt for such a thing- but he sure as shit wasn't about to admit that to anyone. He went on as if life was normal.

Four days had passed since Zacky had last spoken to Emily and Maddy and he knew he wasn't ready to see them again. He didn't know how he was supposed to spend an hour or two in Emily's home, playing with Maddy, without the little girl knowing his relation to her. But he had told Emily that he would be there to collect the forms and he had no intention on ever letting her down again.

Sighing as he pulled up to his house, Zacky stared up at the extravagant entrance. This was what he had worked so hard for and yet, Zacky had lost what mattered most to him. He had lost Emily and apparently, he had lost the chance to raise his daughter as well.

Lifting his hips, Zacky pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed Emily's number. He sighed as he held the phone to his ear, not waiting the moment that she picked up. "Hey, uh. It's me," Zacky paused to drag in a breathe. "I just wanted to stop by to pick up the forms for the trust fund. If tonight works for you, that'd be great."

"Madison Alice, I need you to pick up your toys from the living room, please!" Emily shouted. She was pulling papers out of the little backpack Maddy took to daycare, checking to see if any of the teachers had sent home pertinent information. Of course they were usually just memos about upcoming events at the daycare, parties and things of the like. This time Emily only found one, and as she read over it, she sighed. Donuts with Dad! This Friday, all dads (or uncles or grandpas) are invited to the daycare for donuts and juice. The event will begin at 10AM and should last about thirty to forty five minutes. Hope to see you there! Emily sat the paper on the counter where Maddy couldn't reach it, not really wanting to have this conversation with the toddler right now. Speaking of toddlers, Maddy was still no where to be found. "Madison Alice! Get in here and pick up your toys right now! I'm going to be starting on supper soon."

Seconds later, Maddy came scampering down the hall, her Disney princess basket dragging behind her. Emily smiled, turning her attention away when her phone started to ring. It was from an unknown number, but not an unfamiliar one. She knew that it was Zacky calling, and she took a deep breath as she answered and put the phone to her ear. "Hey," Emily said softly. She listened to Zacky as he spoke, her breath catching in her chest for a split second when Zacky asked if he could come over. "Um yeah, tonight is fine," Emily whispered. "I just hope you remember that you promised Maddy that you would stay and play this time. As much as I don't like the idea, you promised, Zack. And you will not break a promise to this sweet little angel."

Emily mumbled a goodbye when she heard Maddy calling out to her, hanging up and setting her phone on the counter. "Good job, Maddy!" she exclaimed. "You picked up all your toys! Now go put them in your room so you can help Mommy with supper. We're going to have chicken, okay?"

"Chicken?" Maddy repeated, sounding a little confused. "I thought we have fish sticks."

"Well someone is coming over for supper, so I thought we'd have something more special," Emily answered. "Now go put your toys in your room."

Zacky sighed as he dropped his cell phone into the centre console of his SUV, wanting nothing more than to back out of the promise he had made to Maddy. He wanted to be a part of her life but he also knew how horrible of an idea that would end up being. It was not a good idea for them to pretend that it would happen again because as much as he didn't like it, he knew all too well the sort of threat that loomed over his head for what felt like the better part of his life. He ran his hands down over his jeans, trying to rid him of the sweat before he turned over the engine. He sighed, closing his eyes as he prayed that everything would go well before he finally pulled away from his house.

He headed over to Emily's, the radio turned down as his head swam in thoughts. Some were amazing and he wanted to make them reality and others? The were exactly what would be the end result should they ever get as close as Zacky longed for.

Swallowing around the lump that had suddenly formed in his throat, Zacky drove all the way down to Emily's. He looked up at the front door, wondering if it would be best for him to simply turn around and leave but he decided against it. Reluctantly, Zacky climbed out of the vehicle and headed up to the front door.

Zacky raised his fist, knocking loudly. After the first few times, he stepped backward, shoving his hands into his pockets as he waited for Emily to either ignore him or to let him in. Maybe if he was lucky, the first would end up happening. Maybe.

Emily was in the kitchen with Maddy mashing the potatoes when there was a knock at the door. She knew who was here, and she sighed softly. "Alright Maddy, I need you to get down from the stool while Mommy goes to answer the door," Emily said. She grabbed Maddy by the armpits and lifted her down from the stool, heading into the living room. Not surprisingly, Maddy was right on her heels, excited as usual about having a visitor. Emily took a deep breath as she opened the door, trying to force a smile onto her face when she saw Zacky. "Come on in, Zack," she said. "I'm in the middle of cooking dinner, so just come into the kitchen."

"We having chicken!" Maddy exclaimed. "And potatoes. I help."

"Yeah, Maddy's a good little helper," Emily said, smiling at the toddler. As she walked into the chicken, she grabbed the papers for Maddy's trust fund off of the counter, unknowingly grabbing the paper for Maddy's Donuts with Dad at the daycare as well. She handed the stack of papers to Zacky before helping Maddy back onto the stool. "Make sure the potatoes are mashed up really good, baby," Emily said to Maddy. "We don't want any lumps." She leaned against the counter, watching Maddy for a second before she looked over at Zacky. "Were you going to stay for dinner? You don't have to, but there's definitely enough food."

Zacky looked up when the front door began to open, the tiniest hint of a smile on his lips. He wanted to reach forward and hug her, express some sort of joy at seeing her again but that wasn't an option. He knew Emily well enough to know that she was uncomfortable - that smile on her face was anything but genuine. His eyes drifted down, his smile growing just a bit more when Maddy appeared.

"Chicken and potatoes?" Zacky's voice rose a bit as he followed them inside, trying his best to make the little girl smile. He wasn't all that good at making people smile but damn if he wasn't going to try for Maddy. "I bet it'll be nummy!"

His attention had been focused on the little girl, his knuckles tightening around the paper in his hand as Maddy continued. His heart squeezed at the thought - Maddy was so adorable and innocent and... and his daughter. Clearing his throat, Zacky shook his head as he looked back up to Emily. His eyes widened at the offer, his eyes darting over to Maddy and back over to Emily before back over to the child all over again. "I... I, uh, I guess. I mean, I did promise Maddy, right?" Zacky grimaced, hating that he sounded so forced but he now felt trapped. This wasn't what he had planned, he had planned on sipping at an empty cup for a few minutes before skipping out. Before he could form any real bond.

Zacky offered a stiff smile as he looked back to Emily. "Anything I can help with, Em?"

Emily could tell that her offer to stay for dinner had made Zacky uncomfortable, and instantly she felt stupid. What was she doing? Why was she trying to pull Zacky back into her life? He was dangerous, the lifestyle he led was dangerous. It was the entire reason that she'd walked away from him in the first place. But Emily knew that Maddy deserved to know her father, even if she didn't know that he was her father. And Emily was sure that in their time apart, Zacky had acquired a means of protecting himself and the people close to him. So as long he was able to keep his work away from Maddy, what was the harm? This was for Maddy, that was it. "Uh, you can mix up a pitcher of strawberry kiwi kool-aid if you want," Emily said, answering Zacky's question. "It's just about the only thing Maddy will drink right now. I have a three-nager."

"Done with potatoes!" Maddy chirped, obviously not even noticing that Emily had just been talking to her.

"Well let me look at them." Emily went over and used the potato masher to stir the potatoes, checking for any lumps. When she didn't see any, Emily smiled at Maddy. "The potatoes look very good, baby! You did a good job. Now do you want to get Mommy the milk and the butter from the fridge? Maybe Mr. Zack can help you carry the milk, because it's heavy."

Zacky pulled out his phone, his fingers flying over the buttons as he sent a text to Brian. The man had been his right hand for the longest that he could remember, if he ever had a concern, Brian was who he went to first and foremost. He had plans later on in the evening that he would likely be late for now but he was in no position to say no to Emily. Not when Maddy seemed so excited for him to be here. Which made him wonder - had Emily told her? He wanted to out right ask but he couldn't bring himself to because he wasn't all that sure what answer he wanted to hear more. No would likely be the best answer - less strings attached but just the thought of Maddy looking at him and calling him 'Daddy' made his heart swell in a way that he hadn't been expecting.

Clearing his throat, Zacky shoved his phone back into his pocket after turning it off. No one would be interrupting them tonight.

Perking up when Emily mentioned his name, Zacky was a little too eager to follow after Maddy, letting the little girl pull open the refrigerator before he leaned into it to pick up the milk. Even as they walked back over toward Emily, Zacky was careful to lean down so that Maddy could keep a hand on the handle. Once Emily had both the milk and butter, Zacky set about mixing up the kool-aid.

"I mean, Maddy isn't really wrong. The best kool-aid is strawberry kiwi!" Zacky exclaimed, looking down to Maddy, winking before he straightened back up. "Isn't that right, sweetheart?"

Maddy didn't wait for Zacky as she scampered over to the fridge, sticking out her tongue as she tugged open the door. As they carried the milk over to the counter it was obvious that Zacky was supporting the weight of the jug, but Emily found it absolutely precious how he let Maddy think that she was the one carrying it. He got on so well with her, and it started to make Emily wonder if she was making a mistake by trying to keep Zacky out of Maddy's life. Sure, he'd made mistakes in the past, but so had she. And Maddy obviously had grown attached to Zacky. But whenever Emily's thoughts started to drift towards letting Zacky back into their lives, she remembered what had made her walk away in the first place. Zacky led a dangerous type of life, the sort she didn't want Maddy involved with in anyway possible.

"Right!" Maddy chirped, obviously pleased that Zacky had agreed with her about the kool-aid. "The best. Is my favorite!"

Emily smiled softly as she finished mixing up the potatoes. "Alright baby, get out of the way while Mommy takes the chicken out of the oven. It's hot, so don't touch the pan." As Emily pulled the chicken out of his the oven, Maddy scampered over to Zacky to show her the scar on her palm that she'd gotten from grabbing a hot pan that had just come out of the oven. She'd worried Emily so badly that day and from then on Emily always tried to make sure the toddler was nowhere near when she was removing something from the oven. "Alright little missy, it's time to wash your hands for supper!" Emily said. She helped Maddy wash her hands before having her go sit at the small table. "Could you help me carry the food over to the table?" Emily asked, looking at Zacky.