Status: Complete ♥

Standing Up

1/1

Life isn't always filled with rainbows and butterflies. Life can be hard and it can be painful, but Maddie had always been able to find the beauty that lay beyond the dark times. She greeted every new day with a smile and lived her life trying to see the positive in everything that life threw her way, but things weren't as great as she led everyone to believe.

Hidden under her clothes was the proof of that, her skin was littered with bruises and scars from the secret she had been keeping. Whilst on the outside she seemed happy and as carefree as ever, the inside told a totally different story. A story of fear, one that held pain and the scars of months of abuse from the person that claimed to love her.

Approaching her older brother's front door, Maddie took a deep breath and lightly knocked. Offering him a smile as he answered, she walked inside and put her jacket over the back of the sofa.

"Nix is really excited about spending some time with his favorite auntie," Sean said as he joined her, "He's really missed you... we've really missed you."

"I've missed you both too," Maddie replied, "What time is mum dropping him off?"

"In about ten minutes," Sean informed her, "Do you want a drink?"

"OJ please."

Following Sean into the kitchen, she took a seat at the table and watched in silence as her drink was poured. Hearing someone knock, Maddie waited while Sean went to answer it and smiled as she heard the sound of her nephew running in her direction.

"Aunty Maddie," Nixon squealed, entering the kitchen and throwing himself into her waiting arms.

"Hey there ninja," Maddie said, kissing the little boys head and shifting him onto her hip, "Are you ready to have some fun today?"

"Yeah, where are we going?"

"It's a secret," Maddie whispered as her mum walked into the kitchen, "Why don't you go grab your backpack, bud."

"He hasn't had any lunch, so you'll have to get him something and make sure he eats it," her mum instructed, causing Maddie to roll her eyes as she made her way into the living room and grabbed her jacket.

"I have taken Nix out on my own before."

Knowing that her mum was just trying to start an argument, Maddie waited for Nixon to give his dad a hug goodbye and led him outside to the car. Making sure that he was strapped in properly, she climbed into the driver's seat and honked once as they pulled away from the house.

Grabbing them some lunch at their favorite diner, Maddie drove to the farm that had recently opened and grinned as Nixon's eyes lit up. Eating their food at an empty picnic table, Maddie bought Nixon some food to feed the animals with and felt a warmth spread through her as he giggled excitedly.

"Can we go see the baby bunnies and chicks?" Nixon asked, once he had finished feeding the animals and they had ridden the Ferris wheel a few times.

"Of course, but we'll have to head home after that," Maddie told him, causing the young boy to pout and reluctantly nod in agreement.

"Can I get a souvenir?"

"Only if you buy daddy one too."

"Okay."

Taking Nixon over to where all the baby animals were, Maddie led him inside and quickly found the rabbits. Crouching down beside him with a small smile, she pulled out her phone and took a picture of them.

Looking at the picture, she realized that, for the first time in ages, the smile on her face was real and it felt good to be away from the toxic environment in which she lived. Feeling a pair of little arms wrap around her waist, she picked the little boy up and kissed his cheek.

"How about we go to the gift shop now?" Maddie suggested, earning a nod from Nixon, "We can look at the chicks on the way."

"Why are you sad?" Nixon inquired, wiping away a few stray tears that Maddie hadn't realized had escaped, "Didn't you have fun?"

"I'm not sad, bud, how can I be sad with you around?"

"Why are you crying then?"

"That's a grown-up conversation that I need to have with your daddy, but I promise that I'll be okay and that we will do lots more fun things together from now on."

"I'd like that," Nixon whispered, kissing Maddie's cheek and resting his head on her shoulder as they made their way towards the gift shop.

Arriving back at her brother's house an hour later, Maddie helped Nixon out of the car and laughed as he ran up the path to where his dad was waiting. Collecting his things off the back seat, she followed them inside and closed the front door behind her.

"Do you want to stay for some dinner?" Sean asked, once he had settled Nixon in front of the television and joined her back in the kitchen.

"Sure."

"You can talk to me, Mads, if there's something wrong or you need advice," Sean stated as he stood opposite her cutting vegetables, "You're my little sister and I want to help, but I can't if you won't open up to me."

"I.." Maddie started, feeling her lip tremble and her eyes start to burn as she fought back tears.

"Hey," Sean mumbled, dropping the knife on the counter and pulling her into a hug as the pent-up emotion of the last few months overflowed, "It's okay... I've got you."

"I don't want to go back there," Maddie finally admitted, holding onto Sean tightly and focusing on the safety that his arms offered as she continued, "I can't do it anymore."

"Do what?"

Pulling back, Maddie rolled up the sleeves of her jumper and held them out for her brother to see. He just looked at them confused at first, but that confusion quickly turned to anger and Maddie quickly covered her arms up again.

"Can I stay with you... please?"

"You don't have to ask, Maddie," Sean replied, pushing the anger away and tilting her chin, "I'll go get some of your things after we eat."

Feeling the heaviness she had felt lift off her chest, Maddie nodded and hugged him again. She had always believed that staying showed weakness, but the truth was that finding her voice and walking away showed true bravery in the face of fear. In the coming months, Maddie would find the fire that her ex had extinguished and she would realize that standing alone was better than standing with someone who had no real guilt about hurting her.
♠ ♠ ♠
...