Day 3

On Day 3, the world was let in on Harry's deployment and the media went absolutely nuts. There was news of his departure everywhere; pictures of him in uniform plastered all over town. It was like every medium of press was shoving it in her face; taunting her with the reality that Harry was off fighting in a war. The headlines called out to her, the news anchors spoke to her. All she could hear, all she could see was how His Royal Highness was heading right into the thick of it. And then there was the article that was released saying that he was at the top of the Taliban hit list, detailing the things that could happen to him if he was captured.

It made her want to vomit.

And the paparazzi—the paparazzi was all over her. It was so much worse than when they were trying to figure out her name, it was so much bigger than when they thought they had nude photos of her. They were absolutely everywhere. They waited outside of her place. They were at the entrance of her parking lot at work. They were stationed outside of the clubs and restaurants she and Harry had been to. They knew where she got her hair done, they knew where she liked to buy her groceries. They knew the tiny little bookstore she liked to peruse at leisure. They were everywhere. And they were relentless with their questions.

How is Harry? Where is Harry? Does he call you? Are you worried? Is he still okay? Do you miss him?

Do you miss him? Are you out of your fucking mind? She wanted to yell—though she never did. They were everywhere with their inane questions, their invasions of her space, of her privacy, of her God given right to grieve his departure and be depressed until he returned.

It made her want to break things.

Day 5

On Day 5, Harry's friends began to settle around her; circle the wagons. Ella had always been there, from day one—sleeping over the first two nights and taking Maddie to her home the next. But on Day 5, Harry's friends rallied.

Bishop was first—Bishop was always. When he showed up at her office door that day, after a long day with clients, Maddie was so shocked to see him, she almost knocked him over as she hurried past him.

When he told her his car was parked in the parking garage, and that the press had no idea that he drove a car, much less what it looked like, she felt the very beginnings of an emotional melt down. And when he tossed her his keys and told her she could drive it until the press figured her out—at which time he would switch it out for something else—she had to sit down in her chair to keep from falling.

She didn't care what snarky comments Harry made about Bishop, she loved this man. And she knew Harry did too.

Next it was Penelope. Her sister's best friend's roommate worked at the salon Maddie frequented. And, as a result of some sordid tale from university, she was still in debt to Penelope. Calling in that favor, she invited Maddie over to her place where, over a bottle of wine, they both enjoyed manicures, pedicures, and a full cut and color. As silly as it seemed, the pampering made Maddie feel like a new woman. And she didn't have to hide behind a magazine or sneak in the back door to make it happen.

They were all there; Leo offering a safe, press-free haven and a booth in the back for the nights she wanted to come out, and sending food home for her to enjoy on the nights when she didn't.

Kiki and Sean returned from their honeymoon and stepped right onto the defensive team that surrounded Maddie. They were all there; Ella, Bishop, Kiki, Sean, Penelope, Anne, Leo. They were there to pull her through the crowds, there to help shield the onslaught of cameras and, when she couldn't handle it, they were there with a bottle of tequila.

They loved her—and Harry—too much to leave her out there on her own. This was how they protected him. This was how they watched after her.

Day 11

On Day 11 Maddie started to feel better. Her lungs were expanding more, her heart not quite as heavy. She wasn't crying herself to sleep as much and had found that she wasn't avoiding wearing makeup in order to sidestep any embarrassing smudges.

The media attention had begun to wane a bit. She could look at a newspaper stand. She could watch the nightly news.

Though she was nowhere near ready to say things were getting easier. She had put up her vases of marbles and she felt comfortable saying things were getting closer to the end. With every day, things were getting closer to the end. But not easier. It wouldn't be easier until Harry was home; safe and in her arms.

But she could come out of hiding. She could walk through her day without her sunglasses. She could go to the grocery store again. The media was still there, but the newness of the story had worn off and, when Justin Bieber was caught cheating on his movie star girlfriend, there were bigger stories to print.

Maddie wanted to send a gift basket to that little shit with the ridiculous hair. But instead she went back to her favorite bookstore and wasted an entire afternoon.

Day 18

Day 18 was Valentine's Day and Maddie had been dreading it for a good solid week; though when the day actually rolled around, she found that it wasn't quite so bad. She spent the morning in a meeting, met with the group she ran for early childhood kiddos and joined the staff in passing out goodies to their regular patients. Feeling gracious, she took on an extra shift that night, allowing one of her colleagues to take her girlfriend out for a romantic evening.

When Maddie finally left the hospital, she stopped off at a bakery a few blocks from her place to buy a pastry and walk the rest of the way. There was something about the crisp white snow, the brisk air, that made her feel refreshed; not as heavy. Turning the corner towards her house, she caught something out of the corner of her eye. Squinting, she tried to focus on the stairs leading up to her place. Was that...

"Goddamn it Forrester!" Bishop's voice called out into the night. "We have been sitting here for hours! Would you hurry up and let us in your bloody place before my pecker freezes, falls off, and shatters at Ella's feet!" Maddie could hear Ella giggle as she hushed him.

"What in the hell are you two doing here?" Maddie hurried towards them; looking at their pink noses, their bundled bodies.

"Waiting for you," Ella hugged her best friend; kissing her softly on the cheek. "I thought you were working early today?"

"I took an extra shift so Miranda and Jamie could..."

"DOOR!" Bishop groaned. "Could you open the door before we dive into the gossip circuit at the hospital?!"

"Wow," Maddie snickered, moving past them both to do as he asked. "Bishop is an entirely different man when he's cold." Ella smiled apologetically, moving quickly into the heated hallway that greeted them. Taking the stairs to generate more friction in their cold legs, the three of them were in Maddie's apartment in no time. "I still don't understand..." She looked them over as she shrugged out of her coat, unwrapping her scarf. "It's Valentine's Day. Don't you two have plans?"

"We did," Bishops sighed, his fingers and his mood thawing as he took Ella's coat from her. "We had dinner, we had drinks...this is the next part of our plans."

"Me?" Maddie laughed. "Hanging out with gloomy me is part of your Valentine's Day plans? You don't have to do this, you know..." She looked to Ella. "I know you love me, but you shouldn't make him be here tonight. I'm going to be fine. I have my pastry and a bottle of..."

"It's not me," Ella shook her head, slipping off her heels and moving to Maddie's couch. "I'm not making him be here. He's making me. Well, not making me but...you get it."

"What?" Maddie's smile pulsed as she turned to Bishop. "I don't understand. Why would you..."

"This..." Bishop's arm extended and there, hanging from his hand, was a bright red gift bag.

"You brought me a gift?" Her eyes flashed from the bag to his and he shook his head. "Then who..."

"A little bird. Or a big bird. An Apache bird..." Bishop chuckled at his own joke. "Harry left this with me. He asked me to bring it to you tonight and, well, the Captain gets what the Captain wants and..." Maddie's hands moved to her mouth, her eyes welling with tears. "I have a gift. I have wine and I have Ella...in case you need to cuddle. Because I am not allowed to cuddle. He was incredibly clear about that." Maddie managed a laugh through her tears, her heart confused at the overwhelming sadness that was mixing with the smile on her face.

"I don't know what to..." Maddie shook her head and, upon Bishop's coaxing, took the gift bag from him. Ella patted the spot next to her on the couch and Maddie was quick to sit there, pulling a blanket from the back and draping it over her and Ella's legs. She stared at the red bag in her lap, almost afraid to touch it; afraid of what it could to do her.

"Go ahead darling," Ella nudged her lightly as Bishop stepped out of the room to open the bottle of wine and find glasses. Taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly, Maddie steeled herself and pulled out the tissue paper that had been stuffed inside. The bag was unnecessarily large for the long, slim box that was nestled at the bottom.

The bag fell from her lap onto the floor next to the tissue paper as her fingers held onto the box carefully; almost reverently—taking in its shape, its color, its weight. Trying to push down the lump in her throat, she pulled at the silver ribbon and lifted the lid off the box. Her fingers were gentle as she lifted the delicate silver chain from the box; pulling it up and out.

"A necklace?" Ella smiled, leaning in closer as Maddie pulled the end of it from the box. Maddie's other hand reached out, cupping the small, simple pendant that hung at the end. Pulling it closer, her eyes read the word and instantly filled with tears.

"Ubuntu..." Maddie whispered; her head hanging as she began to sob.

"Oh honey, come here," Ella moved, pulling her friend into her arms; cradling her head to her like a small child. The box fell from Maddie's lap, the chain held tight in her hand, as she leaned into Ella; waves of sadness washing over her.

When Bishop returned, he had three glasses of wine in his hands, but he took one look at the couch and sat them on the table. Ella looked up at him with wide, wet eyes and he sighed heavily. Moving to sit on the table in front of the couch, his hand reached out to Maddie; rubbing down her back in a soothing way; his heart hurting for her. He let her cry for a good minute, let her wallow and sob and then, he cleared his throat and spoke softly.

"You know...I don't know if it'll help or not..." Ella looked to him as Maddie sniffed and quieted for a second. "But I thought you should know...my pecker has thawed. No worries about it crashing to the floor and shattering."

There was a split second, a pause in the room where Ella thought over just how much it would hurt if she were to punch him. And then, in the very next second, laughter erupted.

And just like that, Maddie was pulled from the darkness.

This was how they protected him. This was how they looked after her.

Eventually Ella helped secure the necklace around her neck and Bishop distributed the glasses of wine and joined them on the couch. Toasting Captain Wales, they tipped back their drinks and sighed into the moment.

That night, after an entire bottle had been emptied, after she shoved Bishop and Ella out the door to a cab—insisting they have some time to the two of them, Maddie went over to her mantle and, her fingers stroking the pendant Harry had left for her, she pulled the marble from her pocket and dropped it in the "Days Passed" vase with a smile.

Day 18. Check.