The waitress came over, not recognizing me, and quickly took our order. While Madeline had been whining about not being hungry and just wanting to go home, she didn’t show it. She ordered a chicken tender basket and eagerly questioned the staff about which milkshake was their favorite.
“Good choice,” I commented after she chose a mint chocolate chip flavor.
Madeline’s eyes were guarded once more as the waitress took down my order for coffee and a BLT. When it was just the pair of us, I sipped the steaming coffee. Waiting.
“I don’t have to tell you anything.”
“I know,” I answered coolly. It was a good coffee batch. I had gotten oddly accustomed to the fancy shit that Penny kept around the house, and I was relieved to find that it hadn’t ruined Ruby’s. Hers was just as good. Maybe better.
Madeline gnawed at her lip, and I offered her what I hoped would be a comforting smile. “They have a rule at Ruby’s Diner. What happens here, it can stay here. If that’s what you need?”
To my surprise, her lips twisted, her eyes flooding as she looked around us. Her voice was thick when she spoke again. “Really?”
“Really. It’s like Vegas.” I realized what I’d said and quickly followed it up with, ”But you’re allowed to be here.”
Madeline’s hands traced invisible symbols on the table, her words coming out in a rush. “That boy… It’s not what you thought. He's my brother and he was—he is mad at me.”
Panic leapt in my chest, but I swallowed it down, forcing my hands to be steady as I lifted the mug to my lips. “Your father hasother kids?” Fuck, I hoped I was reading into this correctly. I was running short on coffee to sip.
A soft sniff. “He has a whole other family. Not that I know him. My mom was so young when they met, and she believed everything he told her. It wasn’t until after she got pregnant that the truth came out. He was married, had kids and a whole world away from us.”
Her eyes rose to meet mine. “Did you know he paid her off? He was that desperate to keep us away from his perfect little life. I don’t blame her for taking it. That’s the money she and my uncles used to start Madeline Media. Isn’t that wild? His desperation is what changed our entire lives. But still, I thought maybe something had changed as I got older. That was his son, Dell, at the dance. He must've figured it out. He’s been messaging me, asking if we could talk.”
I nodded. “And you were okay with that?”
Madeline’s lips trembled. “I love my mom; I love my uncles. I’ve even forgiven my grandparents for ignoring us, but I’ve always wanted a big family. Lots of siblings and cousins, and…” She swallowed. “Dell has that. I thought maybe if he welcomed me…”
“That your dad’s family would acknowledge you,” I finished for her, my chest aching as she nodded.
“Boom, instant family.” Madeline stared out at the diner, slender shoulders slumped.
“But it didn’t go like that.”
We were silent as a waitress put our food down between us. Thanking her, I watched as Madeline dove into her fries. Despite the red rims around her eyes, she was handling this really well. Or better than any adult I knew.
“He kept questioning me. It was like some kind of quiz over my own life. As if I was an imposter trying to steal his family away.”
“Not exactly rolling out the welcome wagon.”
Madeline shrugged, talking through her full mouth. “Nope, not even close. I feel so stupid.”
“I’m sorry, Madeline. I really am.”
She jabbed a fry in my direction. “It’s okay. I’ll be fine.”
“Fine isn’t good, and you and I both know that.”
After the first tender and just as Madeline picked up the second, a familiar voice called my name.
“Neal!”
Ruby was marching across the diner, her face split in a wide grin. “Oh my God, look at you! I have been staring at you all night, trying to figure out where I knew you from.”
I rose from the booth, capturing the tiny woman in a hug. Her laughter was muffled briefly on my stomach before I drew back. “Hi there, Ruby.”
Her hands covered her mouth as she looked me up and down, her eyes wide. “Neal, you look so good! I can’t handle it.”
To my surprise, Madeline had stood too and walked up to stand at my side, her arms slowly crossing across her chest. Ruby noticed her a moment later, pinning the angsty teen with one of her shiniest smiles.
