Chapter Twenty One
They woke up about ten and got dressed after enjoying the benefits of a shower together. They crossed the street for breakfast and coffee at the Bruggers and Caribou.
Madi drove the rental over to her mom's place she was renting out.
"My mom still owns this place, but she's renting it out. This is where I grew up, and all my "collectable items" are in the garage back there."
"Looks like a nice place."
"It served it's purpose. Within walking distance to the high school I graduated from, and the basement windows were perfect level for climbing out of. The lady that lives in this yellow house here? She's an old bitch. She was there and old before we got here. She's complained on me a few times."
"For what?"
"Parties."
"Fun."
"Anyway." She pulled away from the curb. "Once my sister and I moved out, she moved in the with devil."
"Is she really that bad?"
"She's gotten better, but yeah. You'll see." She drove along, pointing out various spots of interest.
Finally, pulling up behind her moms blue BMW SUV, she shut off the engine. She looked at Taylor, into his deep blue eyes. "I do love you."
He took her hand in his. "I know. I love you too. Don't worry." She nodded, then took a deep breath.
"Okay. Let's go." They got out of the car and made their way up to the front door. She opened the outside door and pounded hard with her fist. There was no doorbell at this door, but ther wat a porch, so you had to be loud. She saw them sitting at the kitchen table at the other end of the small house. She cought the attention of her mom. Jumping up, Rose practically ran to the door. Unlocking it, then opening it, she froze when she saw Taylor behind her daughter.
"Well, hey! Come on in. You look really familiar." She told Taylor as she held the door open for him.
"I get that alot. I'm Taylor Hanson." He shook her hand, then have her an awkward hug.
"I'm Rose, Madilynn's mom. Nice to meet you, and for you to visit. Madilynn, I didn't know you were in town."
"Me either, until yesterday." Inside the house, rose took Taylor's blue felt peacoat and red scarf, and Madilynn's cream colored peacoat with faux fur at the collar and cuffs. Then Tricia came over.
"Hello, I'm Tricia." She said in her best stuck up voice.
"Hello Tricia, I'm Taylor." They shook hands, then Madilynn exchanged hugs with Tricia while she sized Taylor up over Madilynn's shoulder. He felt uncomfortable almost instantly, and was then beginning to believe what Madi had said about her.
"Well, merry Christmas!" Madilynn said, producing two small wrapped presents.
"You didn't have to," Rose said, taking the offered gift.
"I know, but we wanted to."
"We?" Tricia said, raising an eyebrow.
"Mom, Tricia," Madilynn said, looping an arm though Taylor's and laying her head on his arm, "Taylor and I are engaged." Taylor smiled down at her, then they both looked to Rose and Tricia. As the news sank in, they began to relax.
"Well congratulations. When's the date?" Rose asked, in her uncomfortable- I don't know about this- voice.
"June seventh of next year.
"Six months?" Tricia asked.
"Yes. Hanson will be done touring then." Taylor told them.
"Well Madilynn, looks like your dream came true." Tricia said.
"Yeah, it did." Madilynn looked up and smiled at Taylor.
"Well, come on in and visit for a little bit, tell us your plans." Rose said, leading them to the kitchen table.
"Coffee? Soda?" Tricia offered as she went to refill her own cup with coffee.
"No thank you." Taylor said.
"Water please." Madilynn accepted. As her water was set in front of her, her mom and Tricia sat at the table. Underneath, Madilynn reached for Taylors hand and held it tight. He squeezed once for reassurance.
"So where's the ring?" Tricia asked, getting to the point. Madilynn lefted her left hand and set it on the table. "Holy shit." Tricia said. Taylor laughed. "That's a big rock."
"It's lovely." Rose said, taking her turn to admire it. Madilynn and Taylor smiled.
"Thank you." Madilynn said.
"So how did this start?" Tricia asked, not affraid to be blunt, even rude. Taylor squeezed her hand as he began to explain their story, knowing he was giong to have to spill Madilynn's secret Minneapolis concert.
"Well, it started when we met at my concert in Las Vegas. We do an event before the show called 'The Walk'. It's where we walk a mile without shoes to raise awareness for poverty and HIV in South Africa." He paused, waiting for comments or questions. When he got neither, he continued. "That's where I saw her. Unfortunately for me, I didn't get a chance to talk to her, as she was being selfless and helping her new friend from Austrailia, taking pictures of her with us, recording conversations and so on, when she'd been to a few other shows before, and had met us, and this was Madilynns first, and only concert of the tour."
"I didn't feel it was necessary to make a point to talk to them, seeing as I had a meet and greet before the show. I figured I'd have my golden oppertunity there to finess my way into their memory then." She smiled at Taylor sweetly while he just looked at her like she'd done something crazy. "Anyway," she said, hinting for Taylor to continue.
"Anyway," Taylor picked up, "I continued to take notice of Madilynn throughout the Walk. She was one of the few taller ones, even without shoes, so it wasn't so hard to keep an eye on her. I was disappointed when the Walk was done, and I hadn't gotten a chance to talk to her. Even get a name or anything. I didn't think I'd see her again." He looked at Madilynn with love in his eyes. He lifted her hand he held to his lips and kissed it. "So much to my grateful suprise, when she came in with the first group of meet and greeters, I'm afraid I was the shy one. And all I could manage to say to her was to ask if her name had been written on her shoe when it obviously hadn't." He gave a lopsided grin. "From there, I had managed to be the last to sign her shoe, so I was able to be next to her for the picture." He remembered how excited he'd been to have his arm around her waist. "Two pictures were taken, and they were ushered away by security before the second group came in. After the meet and greet was done, I was excited because i knew she'd be in the front row." He smiled at Madilynn again.
"I was excited because I knew I'd be in the front row."
"I remember how excited you were when you called and told me you'd won a meet and greet." Rose said, smiling. Taylor smiled at Rose, hoping for her to continue. "I hadn't heard her that happy and excited in a long time. Even going to Vegas was up in the air for a while, making arrangements and final details a month before."
"I was going crazy!" Madi laughed.
"So then a couple weeks after the show, I took a chance and used my secret screen name on hnet and sent her an email, hoping to suprise her."
"He did. Then I figured out there was a 99.8 chance it was him. At first I thought it was just another fan wanting to share expirences."
"So I should have told her to meet me somewhere, or come back stage, but I didn't get that bright idea until later." Taylor squeezed her hand again, trying to prep her for the next part. "And then after talking to me, she decided to go to our last concert of the year. When she told me she was for sure going, I told her that I'd leave two backstage passes for her at the will call window, and to meet me during the walk. So she did." He smiled at her again. "I got her and her friend second row for the show, and then afterwards they came backstage with me. Her friend had to go home, so Madilynn and I went out. She took a cab back about two thirty am." Madilynn nodded in agreement.
"Two thirty, huh?" Tricia said.
"We parted ways, but I wasn't happy with just that. I knwe there was more, so I cought up with her and suprised her at the airport, and flew home with her."
"Airport?" Rose asked.
"Wait- I remember the article. You were here, and you didn't say hello to your mother?!" Tricia took her harsh tone. Expecting it, Taylor was ready to defend.
"It was because of me she came, and she does feel bad about it, but she was already in hot water with her job about it- I'm sorry. I realize now that I was selfish in my wants. I appologize," he told them, and then turned to Madilynn, "and about your job." He said quietly.
"Her job?"
"It's okay Taylor," Madi said, ignoring Tricia's question. "I wouldn't have it any other way. If those are the sacrifices, then so be it. I love you, Taylor." Looking into his eyes, she could see his emotion.
"I love you, Madilynn, and if we wern't already engaged, I'd do it right now." Madilynn's heart melted. Still looking into Madilynn's eyes, Taylor continued his story.
"So we spent a week together at her house, and then we went to my house for a little over a week, and introduced her to my family. She got along great with them." He smiled at Rose, then Tricia, who was scowling. Unphased, Taylor kept going. "I asked her to marry me yesterday, and now we're here."
As expected, the visit was both good and bad.
"I warned you that Tricia was a bitch."
"I didn't want to jump to any conclusions, but I agree with you. She is a bitch. At least your mom was cool."
"She understands."
"So is there anyone else you want to visit, or do anything?"
"Well, maybe one last stop."
Chapter Twenty Two