* * *
"Lay wif Ava?" The sweet little voice of Maddy's two year-old niece
stirred her out of her reverie; she looked down to see the toddler's
beautiful face beaming at her, while her arms clutched her favorite stuffed
teddy bear to her chest.
"Hi bella girl!" Maddy scooped her up and brought her into the bed,
where she immediately curled up in her aunt's embrace. And as with every
other night since her arrival, Madeline knew that somehow Ava would
end up in a ball on the floor by the time the sunbeams flooded through
the curtains. But as she smoothed the child's wavy light brown hair, she
felt an amazing sense of gratitude for having this unexpected time with
her and her twin brother. Who knew how long it would be before their
paths crossed again, now that Maddy would be logging air miles to Philly
in her free time? It seemed so strange, yet wonderful that she was finally
about to embark on this life-changing adventure.
Though all of her siblings were supportive of her decision, leaving
Louis behind had been especially difficult, but Maddy promised to write
regularly and talk on the phone often. Although logically she recognized
her right as an adult to make this move, a nagging guilt persisted over her
special brother. How could he truly understand what was really going on?
And besides assuring him repeatedly that she would always be there for
him, there was little else she could do.
Damian in particular understood his sister's need to find her own way
in a new place. He'd originally inquired about the possibility of a Nashville
residency, but Maddy quickly squelched that idea for a myriad of reasons,
not the least of which was its geographical distance from Kenny.
However, with the entire Rose family in the dark over her primary
motivation for relocating, she'd assured her brother that while she
appreciated the gesture, her own personal growth required her to create a
new life from scratch.
And though Carmella and Frank were generously offering temporary
shelter, Maddy was determined to find her own apartment-and
identity-as soon as possible. Fully accepting the mantra, "If it's meant to
be, it's up to me," she was infused with determination to succeed on her
own terms in an un-chartered land where she would simply be Madeline
Rose-not Dr. Rose's daughter, Lori's sister, spoiled rich girl or perennial
loser in love.
As Ava drifted off to sleep, Maddy pulled out a special gift from
Damian, a hardcover copy of William J. Bennett's The Book of Virtues: A
Treasury of Great Moral Stories. Opening the cover, she re-read her brother's
genuine, handwritten words and pondered their inherent truth: