All of them who were at Daniel's house when the police came were taken down to the station and their parents were called. One by one, their parents came and scolded their kids' ears off. Sonia Perez, Maddy's mom, came as well and she yelled at Maddy as well. But Maddy was unresponsive. She didn't say a word and hadn't said a word since they left the crime scene.
Her mind was cycling through everything that her Teddy had said. She was searching for the key to her heaven, the one thing she had to do to make all of her problems fade away according to Sonny. She couldn't ask Sonny what she meant, she wasn't allowed to see her because she was being questioned. She didn't get even a glimpse at Sam or Becca no matter how hard she tried from the bench she was confined to along with the others.
They got her checked by a medic and they reported that Maddy was perfectly okay, physically. "She's only in a state of shock and needs some rest. I suggest that you take her statement tomorrow morning detective. And Mrs. Perez, I suggest that you make sure she eats a good amount of food."
The detective asked, "You sure this is not an act."
"It's ...textbook unresponsiveness. Like, literally what we've seen on traumatized patients. So just give her some time." He looked at Sonia and said, "If by tomorrow morning she's still not talking or anything, go to the hospital immediately. If she starts functioning normally again, take her to a psychiatrist in a week."
"Sure sir." Like we have any money for that. Pfft.
"Ok... You and your ward are free to go then. Please come back tomorrow at least before 11am if she's alright," said the detective to Sonia.
Maddy heard everything and walked out of the station without even waving her friends goodbye.
Once she got home, she didn't bother to bathe or remove her makeup. She changed out of her costume and slipped into a pair of pajamas before tucking herself in. Her mom came to check in on her as promised, and till then, her brain hit play on the reruns of the day's events - how it started so well and ended so bad. She was exhausted from searching for the supernaturally shining, golden key.
Her mom knocked on the door with her rosary in hand. Maddy smiled weakly, making it the first expression on her face since Sonny was arrested. Mrs. Perez took a seat on the right of her only child and took her right hand into her own before saying a prayer.
Maddy wanted to close her eyes, she wanted to believe in someone with greater power than her for once, but couldn't for more than 30 seconds. She opened her eyes to watch tears stream silently down her mother's tightly shut eyes. That's when the dams in her eyes began to crack. When she realized that Sonia was about to reach the end of her prayer, she pushed back the floods with all of her might.
She said "amen" with her mother for the first time since elementary school and Sonia opened her eyes with a smile. Sonia's left, rosary-tangled fingers brushed down from her forehead to her cheekbone and she said, "*Te amo mija." She bent down and placed a kiss on Maddy's forehead.
Maddy replied with, "Good night mama."
"Good night." She got up, turned off the lights, close the door and left.
The second her mother's footsteps were no longer audible, a silent tsunami burst out from her dams. She sobbed so hard, that within a minute, tears were trickling down her ears and into her hair. No matter how uncomfortable it was she couldn't wipe her tears, she didn't have any strength left in her.
She cried herself to sleep.
*****
"Ms. Perez. Are you sure that what you said is really what happened? Are you sure you're not trying to cover up for Ms. Rosenberg? Because from the others' statements we understand that you are in a relationship with her."
YOU ARE READING
Maddy and Me
Romance"I really do love you. It didn't start in a good place, I admit, but these feelings I've grown for you are very much real!" said Maddy, crying. "And how am I supposed to know if that's true? This entire thing could just be in my head! Maybe you foun...
