Annie told Steve everything: the closet, the lack of food for the child, and the plan to sell her home out from under her.
The help arrived the very next morning. Steve’s truck pulled into the driveway, and his voice boomed through the house. When Brenda tried to argue, Steve shut her down with a single look. The confrontation was short and decisive. Steve demanded the deed and the legal papers Mark had been “holding” for their mother.
He turned to his mother and his little niece and told them to pack their things. They didn’t have much, so it took less than ten minutes.
An hour later, they were driving away from the suburbs and into the rolling hills of the countryside. They pulled up to a sturdy, well-kept farmhouse surrounded by a wild, beautiful garden. A golden retriever and a fat tabby cat were waiting on the porch; the neighbors had been looking after them while Annie was away.
For Maddie, life finally began to change. The gray days were replaced by the smell of woodsmoke, fresh milk, and the safety of a grandmother who truly loved her. They spent their mornings in the garden and their evenings baking pies in the big farmhouse kitchen.
Whenever Steve or his wife suggested that Maddie move into the city to live with them in a “proper” house, Maddie always gave the same firm answer.
She would tell them that Grandma was getting older and needed her help around the farm. Then, with a little smile, she’d tell her uncle not to worry—he’d have his own kids soon enough, and Maddie would be more than happy to come visit and help him babysit!
