Ready-Made Family

Chapter Four

Its not that she didn't want him to come home – this was his house after all and he deserved to rest and relax at home. But she just wished she didn't have to be here at the same time as him. She knew that she signed onto the contract, but she wasn't sure what to expect. And to be honest she was nervous – or more like scared. She really had no idea what Brandon was like and she want sure what he would be like. From the two short encounters he seemed nice enough, but that was when others were around. What would he be like one on one?

And further more what did the Haywood's mean by acting like his wife? She could cook and clean but they couldn't expect her to do other things right? She knew a kiss here or there might be needed, but she wasn't willing to offer him anything more than that.

Ella came walking into the dinning room letting out a big yawn as she rubbed her eyes. At least she saved Madison from having to talk about Brandon.

Madison giggled a little and set Emma on the ground "good morning sweetness". She gave Ella a kiss on her head and stood "sounds like it must be breakfast time" she commented when the girl's stomach rumbled.

"Pancakes?" Ella asked with another small yawn.

"Pancakes with chocolate chips" Madison said remembering the fact about how Brandon liked anything with chocolate.

"Yes please!" Emma cheered. She gave a little dance around the dinning room table.

She laughed and shook her head in a playful way "okay girls go get changed and wake Noah up, I want him to be down here when your d-dad arrives". She stumbled over the word. It was her first time ever really talking about him in that way, other than telling the kids yesterday.

"When is he coming?" Ella asked the same question her sister did minutes ago.

"In about an hour" she answered "your grandparents will drop him off. Now go get ready". She shooed the girls to their rooms and head into the kitchen. It was beautiful kitchen with all the newest appliances. It was pained a sunny yellow with a wallpaper boarder of lemons, in fact the kitchen even smelt of lemons.

Madison laughed a little to herself "so much for not liking citrus fruit".

She made quick work of putting together a breakfast of chocolate chip pancakes and sliced apples with orange juice. She set the table for four and paused for a moment – it was impulse for her to set it for four but she realized now that it would have to be for five. She wouldn't want to make that mistake with Brandon around.

She added another setting to the table and glanced over at the clock. It was nearly time for him to arrive. "Kids" she called to them "come on down. Your dad will be here any minute".

Noah trudged down the stairs scowling "he isn't my dad and I wont call him that". He was still dressed in his checkerboard pajama pants and had on an old AC/DC shirt.

"You have to Noah" Madison sighed, "I know this is hard but I don't have any other choice. And I read the contract fully last night. We truly don't have a choice. If any of us break this contract then we can be sued and lose even more than we would have gotten".

Noah sighed and looked down "I don't like it".

Madison crossed the room and tugged him into a warm hug "I don't like it either buddy. But we have no choice. This is what I had to do to keep our family together".

"I wish there was another way," Noah groaned a little in defeat.

"I do too" and she meant it. But her mind couldn't say away from the fact about what would have happened without this offer. She wasn't able to reach the payments on her home. The apartment would have been taken away from her, she would be forced to find another cheap enough place or be forced to live in her car.