Page 108 of Before the Encore

Conversation from the next room caught her attention. The Northern lilt to her mum’s voice carried. “Madison’s not like that. And if you think she is, you don’t know her.”

Anger spiked, sharp and volatile. Madison stormed through into the next room.

“With all due respect, Mrs Moore, it’s you that doesn’t know your daughter.” Bonnie stood with her back to Madison, the photo album lay open on the sofa. “I won’t let you bad mouth her. She’s not any of those things.”

Her mum locked eyes with Madison, a smug look on her face. “You’ve got yourself a good one here, Maddy.”

“Mum.” Madison’s jaw tensed, glancing between them. Bonnie stood straight, hackles prickling. “What did you do?”

“Just seeing if she was serious about you. Don’t worry, she passed.” The way she had the audacity to look surprised by Madison’s anger only fuelled it more.

“What gives you the right?” Her heart thundered in her chest, the pressure bursting the lid off her emotions. “You don’t get to speak to her like that.”

“I’m sorry. I’m just protective of you.”

“That’s rich.” Madison scoffed. “You’re the one person I needed protecting from. Where were you then?”

The words clawed out of her throat, fierce and punishing, striking her mum like a slap to the face.

Ruby froze beside her. Bonnie glanced at Madison, but she couldn’t look away from her mum, the rage eating her up inside.

“Maddy—” Ruby tried, but it was too late.

“You might have fooled Ruby into thinking you’ve changed. But you’ll never fool me. I know every trick in your book. The house might look clean, but where’ve you hidden your dirty stash? In your wardrobe? Under the bed?” Spit flew from her mouth. “Now I’m out of the picture, you’ve dragged Ruby in to do your bidding! That’s not fair. None of this is fair. Look around. You’re incapable of looking after yourself. If anyone is the deadbeat, heartless fuck-up, Mum. It’s not me. It’s you.”

Tears slipped down her mum’s cheeks. But Madison refused to feel guilty. She refused to take it back, even though the sight of her mum crying turned her stomach inside out.

“I’m so sorry. You’re right.” Glassy eyes held hers. She brushed the tears with her fingers. “There’s so much I have to apologise to you for.”

“No shit. Yet instead of starting with that, you put on this show of happy families before interrogating my girlfriend. I don’t need you to tell me how great she is—I know that. She’s everything to me, yet you treat her like she’s disposable. She’s everything. She’s…I…” A swell of emotion gripped her heart as her gaze locked with Bonnie’s, those big browns reaching deep inside, touching that sensitive place Madison struggled to find on her own. She didn’t want to say it, but her feelings burst from her, too big for her chest to contain. “I love her.”

Madison dropped her chin and let out a laugh—half breath, half relief.

“This is not how I wanted to tell you, in the middle of a family argument in my old living room. But it doesn’t make it less true.” She closed the distance between them, placing her hands on the chiffon around her waist and curling her fingers into the softness. “I love you.”

Bonnie’s mouth shifted from surprise into a gorgeous smile. “I love you too.” Bonnie kissed her, soft, gentle, speaking a million words. Madison cupped her face.

“Do you want to leave?” Bonnie asked.

Madison threaded her fingers in hers. “Let’s go.”

“You’re nothing like your dad.”

Madison stilled. The wind fell out of her sails.

“I should never have said that to you. I shouldn’t have done many things.” Her mum paused, her words coming out in a sigh. “But I’m so sorry, Madison. The drink—we both know it doesn’t make me a good person. I put too much on you. Half of it, I don’t even remember, which also isn’t fair.”

Madison turned to face her, surprised by her mum’s honesty.

“I don’t expect you to forgive me so easily, but I hope you can see I’m trying.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out a little green token. She passed it to Madison, who eyed it suspiciously. Her mum held it out, waiting for her to take it.

Madison plucked it, following the ridge with her finger. Three months sobriety. Turning it over, she read, One step at a time.

“You cleaned up?” Madison asked.

Her mum nodded. “There’s nothing hidden. I promise. You can look. Turn up the floorboards if you want.”

She thumbed the token between her fingers. She wanted to believe it. “And the house?” she asked.