3.17 Changes

"So tell me, how come your entire family was so bloody sure we were going to have a son?" Madeline asked the next day. "Shh! I'm watching this show!" "Ryan!" Maddie punched him on the shoulder to get his attention.

"Oh alright then...You know those watermelons my mother kept feeding you?" "Yes, what's that all about? Was she trying out some new recipes or what?" Ryan grins while turning the volume of the television down, "I bet she was, but not for the recipes, have you never heard of those old wife's tales that say that if you eat a lot of watermelons while being pregnant you get a girl?" Madeline's jaw dropped while silently staring at Ryan, "you are not serious are you? Your mother believes that kind of stuff? Don't tell me she fed it to Angel as well and that this is that theory you were talking about to explain why Derrick does have three girls?"
Ryan chuckles when he sees how taken aback she is by his story, "well no, that's probably because our yard is filled with apple-trees, and Derrick and Angel don't live here anymore, so they were not under the influence of the apple-trees." Madeline is not sure if she should take Ryan serious anymore, she just sits there and stares at the screen.

"Apple-trees...Right, should remember that, under the influence of the apple-trees..." Ryan rolls his eyes at Madeline for making this a ridiculous subject. "I'm serious, watermelons make girls, apples make boys! My father was just a boy by chance, though I do believe my grandfather had apple- trees in his yard, should ask him that some day!" Ryan was starting to like this conversation when Madeline's jaw dropped again "ask your grandfather?? Who has been long dead?" Ryan starts to nod enthusiastically "yes! don't tell me you haven't seen him around yet? But anyways, my mother has been growing apple-trees ever since she and my dad move into that house on the beach. When they moved back here, she took some seeds with her to continue growing them. It's just apple trees, I've never seen her grow anything else." Madeline looked at Ryan again, "you are serious are you?" Ryan puts on his serious face, "I'm dead serious, if we'd ever want a girl, we'd have to wait until my mother stops growing her apple-trees..." Madeline's jaw drops again, but this time not about the conversation but about Ryan's choise of words, she wonders if he even realized what he just said. "I'm eh, okay, I think I'm going to go fish a bit more..." Madeline cowers and rushes off to the waters, all tangled up inside about the jolt of happiness that went straight through her heart.

After that, life went on as normal. Luke and Madeline slept in Rafe's room, while Rafe kept sleeping in his father bed. And the more life went on as normal, the more Madeline thinks Ryan had probably not known what he said that day. They were still friends, but she noticed Ryan was mostly gone when she was home. Truth be told, when he was home, it would not take her long before she'd run back to the water.

Rafe adored his little brother, at most times, he'd be standing in their bedroom looking at Luke, wondering if he'd be able to go out with him when he grows up, perhaps he could teach him where to find the best rocks.

But much to his father relieve, Rafe did not spend all his free time at his baby brother's side wondering what it will be like when Luke grows up. He has been bringing home a friend quite regularly lately, and his father was happy to see Rafe was finally coming out of his shell. Perhaps taking Madeline in was a good idea after all, she apparently had a good influence on Rafe.

Ryan is not sure where the time went when his oldest son is already growing into a teenager. Satya's father showed up, he is quite excited to see his only grandson becoming a teenager. He would never have thought he'd live this long. Rafe on the other hand remembers his last birthday crystal clear, his mother holding him tight. "Dad? Can I wish for mom to come back when I blow out the candles? If only just for my birthday?" Ryan kneels down and hugs his son, not sure what to see. Most of the time Rafe is a very happy boy, and he rarely mentions his mother anymore, but times like these always make it hard. "You can try son, but she can't come back. No matter how much she would want to." Rafe wrestles himself loose from his fathers arms, he doesn't look to disappointed when he steps back up to the candles, "I know! I'm going to wish for Maddie to be my new mom!"

As the birthday glitter starts to surround Rafe, Ryan looks at Madeline to see how she feels about Rafe's birthday wish. Though she looks a bit shocked at first, she does give him a nod to tell him she does not mind his wish, and he decides to tell Rafe that it is okay if he wants to call Madeline mom. 

When the glitters fade a way, Rafe comes out not quite looking the way he should look, his new friend seems shocked at the prospect of being a teenager like that, though Rafe's cousin Michelle doesn't seem te look scared by it.

Though when they wait for a minute, she is relieved to see Rafe comes out looking like one fine teenager. Rafe feels great now that he is a teenager. He feels as though he can manage to do everything, and he feels the need to go and do something extreme.

But not before his baby brother got his turn at the cake. Madeline is excited to see her little baby boy grow up into a toddler, wondering what he will look like, how he will look like, if he would still be the quiet, easy going toddler or if he would take after his dad, seeking attention by acting dramatic.

Luke grows up looking almost identical to his father on the outside, but looking at all those people in the house, it is obvious that Luke takes after his mom on the inside, seeking refugee on his fathers arm. Though not a coward, he does seem a bit taken aback by the crowd. It takes him a few minutes, but then he motions for the floor and crawls around all those legs without hesitation.

When everybody is eating the cake, Akhil takes a few minutes to talk to Madeline. Rafe has been visiting his grandfather on a regular base, but it has been a while since he visited Ryan. It reminded him to much of what he had lost. He remembers Madeline vividly from when she took care of Satya, and Satya always spoke very highly of her, but he is not sure what to think of the fact that she and Ryan are now living together, have a child but apparently no relationship other then being "just friends". He has tried to question his grandson about this, but he was to young at the time to understand. He could read in between the lines though, and understands very well that his grandson came to see her as a mother, even though he does not call her mom yet. Rafe stands by nervously, hoping his grandfather won't say anything that could perhaps scare Madeline away. "So...your son is almost an exact duplicate of Ryan isn't he?" Madeline is not sure if this means he questioned Ryan's fatherhood, or if it is meant to break the ice, but she feels uncomfortable by the question, but before she can answer he continues, "will there be more siblings coming for my grandson in the future?" Madeline is take aback by this question and lashes out, "what do you want to know? If I'm here to stay? If Ryan and I are romantically involved? If I will be a bad influence to your son? Well let me tell you, I love your son, and mine as well, even though he was not planned at all, but Ryan and I are not in a relationship..." She never thought that saying it out loud would hurt, but it did, and her voice broke off, but she kept looking at the old man, trying to keep up the courage of which she didn't even know she possessed. 

A smile breaks through on the old mans face, "but you do love him" he states as he turns around to grab the last piece of the cake and scurries off. 

Madeline stands there in shock when Rafe turns to face her, "you do?" She looks at Rafe not sure what to say, "I do what?" She's starting to stammer, her thoughts jumping through her mind, she didn't even realized she loved Ryan, not until this old man told her. "You love my dad?" Her face turns pale when she realizes this is his son asking that question, "please don't tell him okay? I'm afraid it would ruin everything." Rafe assures her he won't when a plan starts to take form inside his head. 

--------------------------------------Notes-------------------------------------

Sorry for the short chapter :D but it's my sons first birthday today and I thought it would be fun to end this one with a birthday (sort of...)

And also sorry for the lack of updates this week, but I've been a bit busy, and we have snow and ice here :) so I spend a lot of time outside with the children.