Turning A New Leaf

Fifty-Four

****

"You...have a child?" Brad asked Madison in disbelief. He was borderline disgusted to just be learning of this.

Madison looked down at her neatly manicured acrylics, "I didn't think it mattered, it's not like I get to see her anyway," she mumbled.

Brad knew he had a tendency to be somewhat judgmental of others but felt justified in this scenario. His girlfriend had neglected the fact that she, at some point, had a child of whom she lost custody of and didn't feel it was important to mention.

"I mean, if we are in a relationship, that's something you should mention?"

"It literally doesn't even affect you though!" She countered, "And if we are gonna be throwing stones, don't you have a kid on the way with that slut, Holly?"

Brad clenched his jaw, "She got rid of it."

Madison glared at him, "Then why did she tell your wife?"

Why was this bitch asking so many fucking questions? They weren't talking about Brad and his life, the conversation was about her and this child she failed to mention she had. Of course, it didn't seem like Madison wanted to take responsibility for her actions which was why she was trying to deflect onto him, bringing up that whore.

"That's irrelevant," he snapped, "Why don't you have your kid?"

Madison stared at him, dumbfounded, wanting to gesture around the room to the scattered needles, and empty dope bags. Shit, herself even.

Swallowing, "Deangelo's mom took her from me after he died. She just wanted her to replace her son," she replied bitterly, it was the lie she told herself to justify her failure as a mother.

The truth was Madison's drug addiction spiraled out of control after Deangelo died and when Jade had fallen face first off a porch at a year old, Madison had been spun the fuck out in the ER with her, acting erratically which resulted in a call from CPS.

She'd been living in, well, a filthy trap house with the toddler that was deemed unsafe and CPS had stepped in, temporarily placing Jade with Deangelo's mother, Trina.

The caseworker had ordered Madison to attend parenting classes, drug treatment with random drug tests, and find a safe living environment. She had moved to a sober friend's apartment while half-assing the requirements to regain custody of her daughter.

Eventually, get old habits reared their ugly head. She began missing the visits and when she did show up, she was so high that they wouldn't even allow her to see Jade.

The nail in the coffin had been when Jade called Trina "Momma" in front of Madison, resulting in Madison hurling insults and personal attacks at the older woman in the middle of the DCS office. Jade, who was three at the time, hid behind Trina, hugging her legs and sobbing, "Momma, I'm scared!"

Madison struck Trina with her open palm across the face, "You stole my baby! You stole her and turned her against me, you miserable cunt!"

That incident had resulted in a week in jail, her visits with Baby Jade being stripped from her and the CPS caseworker pushing to have her parental rights terminated. Later that year, Jade was adopted by Deangelo's conniving cunt of a mother, never to see Madison again.

Madison would lie awake at night, imagining the perfect life they would have had if Deangelo hadn't died, if she hadn't lost her daughter to Trina. They could have had a cute little house in the country and maybe even a few more kids.

She missed Deangelo and missed seeing him in Baby Jade's face. Jade had his tawny brown skin, his full lips, and wide nose with her green eyes. Jade had light brown curls that Madison had delighted in styling.

Before Deangelo passed, he would sit down with Baby Jade on his lap, braiding her hair. She always fussed for anyone else but when Daddy did her hair, she would sit still, babbling to him. They'd have full-on conversations, him talking to her like he knew what she was saying and she'd babble on back.

Deangelo had been one of the most chill, peaceful dudes anyone could ever come across and he got along well with everyone. He'd kick it with the jocks, the thugs, goth kids, ravers, and even the nerds.

Madison had about died of laughter when she found out that he was going to the local game store twice a week. One night was for D & D, the other was Magic the Gathering tournaments. Other nights he'd be at his homeboy's house making music while watching WWE.

A lot of people remember their loved ones who had passed on as being saintly but Madison felt that Deangelo really had been the beautiful soul she remembered and there wasn't a single person who'd met him who would have refuted that claim.

The only time he had ever hurt her, and Madison did not entirely blame him was when he had slept with Lainey.

It happened one time. They had been at a house party, one of those parties that never seemed to end. Madison had ultimately passed out in the living room. At some point, Lainey and Deangelo were alone and had sex, something he had fessed up to immediately.

He said that they'd been faded, Lainey kissed him and made some gross comment about how she always "wanted to be with a black guy".  They wound up having sex. No condom, nothing.

Deangelo had been wracked with guilt, genuine guilt, and shame. Lainey had just said "Oh but we were drunk," as if that excused it. Madison didn't have an anger problem and stayed chill but best believe Lainey got the ass beating of a lifetime for that.

Their friendship eventually was salvaged, they'd been friends for so long it was hard to not have her as part of her life, though she never could fully forgive Lainey for doing her dirty like that.

That grudge was a big reason as to why she'd ended up sleeping with Krist, let her see how it hurt. Only Lainey held onto the grudge for months, dragging that shit on and on. Obviously, it had been a crappy thing for Madison to do but at the same time, it wasn't like Lainey was even with that dude at the time nor did they have a family like she had with Deangelo.

There were times when Madison found herself becoming angry again about the betrayal, even after Lainey had passed. They were both gone, though, all Madison could do was hope that Heaven was real and Lainey was up there was Deangelo at a dope music festival together watching over her and Baby Jade.