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Zoe wears black for a different reason today. Her mother called a few days ago, sobbing, and told Zoe that her beloved grandfather had passed away in his sleep one afternoon. Today, Zoe is on the first plane home to attend his funeral.
She has managed to pull herself together for the most part. She was never very close with her grandfather as much as she was with her grandmother, but still, there is an emptiness gaping in her chest. He was the man who taught her what a home run was, who took her to the baseball games for her birthday, and who spoiled her with Christmas cards filled with money, which her mother then plucked and set aside for “college funds”.
Though she’s hurting somewhere deep inside, Zoe is more concerned about Madison, who hasn’t been feeling well the last few days. At first, Zoe assumed she was only whining and causing a scene to prevent her from leaving, but then she felt the fever.
Cordelia and Misty offered to take care of Madison while Zoe is gone for the next two days. Despite Madison whining and protesting that she can take care of herself, Zoe agrees that Cordelia and Misty are the next best option.
Misty helps Zoe to the awaiting car with her bags early in the morning as Madison sits at the bottom of the stairs, pouting and rubbing her ear, which has been diagnosed as “disgustingly infected”. Cordelia arranged for one of the guards to escort Zoe to and from the airport so she doesn’t have to leave Madison to take her. Zoe prefers an Uber, but Cordelia insists she’s safer with a guard. No guard, no go.
After loading her bags into the car, Zoe comes back inside and wraps Madison in her arms. The blonde witch nestles her face into Zoe’s neck, burying herself there. Zoe kisses her hot forehead and looks up at Cordelia while she rocks her, a sure tell in her eye.
“Okay, I gotta go,” says Zoe to Madison, pulling away. “I’ll be back on Monday morning before you even wake up, okay? The funeral is later this afternoon, but I want you to call me after that if you’re not feeling good. Okay?”
Madison tries the magic of fluttering her eyes at Zoe in hopes to convince her to stay right here with her, but Zoe only smiles tiredly and presses a soft kiss to her head again before pulling Cordelia aside, out of Madison’s ear shot—not that she can hear well, anyway.
“She’s a real pain in the ass right now,” Zoe whispers to Cordelia. “But please, be gentle with her. She can be kind of bratty when she’s not feeling good.”
“Huh, she must not ever feel good, then,” Cordelia says with a bemused smile.
“Please take care of her,” Zoe says, somewhat distressed. “I left her antibiotics on the table with her cough syrup. She hates taking the cough medicine, so I have to put it in the syringe and and force feed it to her every few hours, or else she’ll start coughing up a lung. She might bite you, but it doesn’t hurt for long. And please, even if she’s being horrible and out of control, do not punish her. I know that’s what you usually do, but I don’t want anyone hitting her or yelling at her while she’s sick.”
“I cannot promise anything,” says the supreme. “I have to maintain order around here.”
“I mean it, Cordelia.” Zoe’s tone is hard and stern, and her eyes don’t withhold her seriousness. “Do not hit or scream at her. That’s not right. If she’s too hard to handle, just call me and I will try to calm her down. She is a tattletale; if you so much as touch a hair on her head while I’m away, I will know and it’s going to be a problem. Are we clear?”
Cordelia sighs and nods. Zoe moves back to Madison and gently reminds her to allow Cordelia to put the drops in her ears without having a tantrum. From afar, Cordelia watches them in dismay and a bit of annoyance. Zoe gives Madison a few more little kisses around her face, and then grabs her purse from the hook.
“Be careful out there,” Misty tells Zoe. “And don’t you worry, Delia and I got it together. Madison is safe with us.”
Zoe smiles. “But are you safe with Madison?”
Despite knowing it’s only a silly joke, Misty finds herself contemplating that question. She’s frozen for a minute, and Zoe just laughs and gets into the car. Misty and Cordelia stand on the porch, watching the car drive off into the distance, and when they turn around, they find Madison standing there, sulking.
“It’s about time for your ear drops, isn’t it?” Cordelia asks Madison, checking her watch.
“No,” Madison says. “I’m not taking any medicine until Zoe comes back.”
“You can’t do that, Madison,” says Cordelia. “You need to get well and there’s only so much my potions can do for you. I don’t want to have a bad time with you this weekend. Now, go get your drops and I’ll put them in for you.”
Flipping her hair over her shoulder, Madison sulks off to the kitchen to retrieve her ear drops, and Misty passes her up and goes upstairs. She brings the drops back to Cordelia and thrusts them into her hand. Cordelia takes her up to her office and sits down on the couch, patting the empty space next to her.
“Come on. Which one hurts the most?” Cordelia asks.
Madison points to her left ear and lies down longways on the couch with her head on Cordelia’s lap, her left ear exposed. Cordelia uncaps the bottle and prepares the treatment by soothingly rubbing the outer part of Madison’s ear before putting two small drops into it. She carefully tugs on her ear to allow the medication to fully travel down her ear canal, and Madison whines.
“That hurts!” Madison cries.
“I’m sorry,” says Cordelia sharply. “Now the other. Turn over.”
Madison rolls over so her other ear is exposed and she’s facing Cordelia. Cordelia repeats the same process, sans pulling on her ear. She rips a Kleenex in half and balls it up before stuffing it into Madison’s right ear to block the drainage.
“That wasn’t bad, was it?” Cordelia asks.
“I don’t like the way it feels,” Madison says, scrunching her nose. “It’s cold and weird.”
“I know, but I don’t want your eardrum to burst from the infection. Go and politely ask Misty to give you your cough medicine. You’ve not had it since you woke up, right?”
Madison shrugs. Cordelia takes that as a no, chuckles to herself, and ushers Madison downstairs to the kitchen, where Zoe left the medicine. After not finding the Cajun witch anywhere, Cordelia assumes the responsibility has been left to her. Madison sits down as Cordelia fills a plastic syringe with the clear liquid. When she puts it to Madison’s mouth, the smaller blonde turns her head to the side and securely purses her lips.
“Stop being difficult,” chides Cordelia. “Open up.”
“Oh, just fuck off.”
Normally, that profanity towards Cordelia would earn Madison a smack to the back of her hands, but Cordelia remembers what Zoe said to her. Madison usually always means what she says and doesn’t care about consequences until she’s over Cordelia’s lap, but Cordelia is forced to take it with a grain of salt this time, and she hates it.
“I’m being nice to you because you’re unwell,” Cordelia says. “But do not exceed my limits. Just because you’re sick now doesn’t mean I can’t deal with you later. So open up and take your medicine. Don’t make me have to call Zoe when she’s already upset.”
Madison finally unhinges her jaw just enough for the syringe tip to fit between them. Cordelia shoots it in all at once, and Madison’s face contorts into a sour expression. She holds the syrup there, her cheeks puffed out like a blowfish.
“Swallow,” Cordelia says. Madison shakes her head. “Right now.”
Still, Madison refuses to swallow. After a minute or so, the cough syrup begins to dribble from her mouth. Cordelia taps her foot expectantly and snaps her fingers. Madison swallows hard and shakes her head, her lips puckering outwards.
“Good girl,” Cordelia hums, rubbing the top of Madison’s head, and Madison smacks her hand away. “Stop acting like a baby. You are too old for that.”
“Pfft.”
Pinching the bridge of her nose, looking downwards, Cordelia takes a deep breath and counts to ten. She thinks of Zoe’s heeding, and decides, for the moment, that she would not want to find herself on the girl’s bad side during such a difficult time in her life. It would be more than selfish, and Cordelia is old enough to hold an authority over the young little blonde without anyone’s approval.
“I want you to get your rest,” Cordelia advises Madison. “You’ll never get well if you don’t rest. I don’t want to see you playing around until your temperature drops and you can breathe without hacking up a lung.”
“Not until Zoe comes back,” Madison states matter-of-factly, crossing her arms. “I don’t sleep without her. Ever.”
“Well, you’ll just have to learn for these few nights, okay? Come on.” Cordelia extends her hand and pulls Madison to her feet.
As they walk upstairs hand-in-hand, with Madison sluggishly trailing behind Cordelia, a strong scent of bleach hits them, causing Madison to gag. Cordelia finds Misty in the bathroom scrubbing the bathtub with a bleach bottle in one hand.
“Mist, what are you doing now?” Cordelia asks, holding her nose to avoid passing out.
“Cleaning. This tub was filthy! Even the basin in my swamp didn’t look as nasty as this!” Misty exclaims before returning to scrubbing around the drain. “That’s prolly why she got sick. We aren’t disinfecting like we should.”
“Okay, well, can you stop for today? It will make Madison sicker, and I don’t need Zoe on my back about how I didn’t take care of her,” Cordelia says.
Misty removes her yellow gloves and puts the bleach away, remorse in her bright eyes. She exits the bathroom and closes the door to contain the fumes, then feels Madison’s forehead.
“Jesus, she’s still hot,” Misty drawls. “She’s not gettin’ any better with the potions you’ve been giving her?”
Cordelia shakes her head. “No. She’s on antibiotics now to help, but it’s not doing much. She needs rest.”
“Rest, fluids, and plenty of music will help her get better,” Misty says, snapping her fingers. “I’ll bring her some orange juice and play some Stevie.”
Madison rolls her eyes.
“That’s right,” Cordelia hums, brushing a stand of hair away from Madison’s face. “Let’s go, hm?”
In Madison and Zoe’s room, Cordelia draws the curtains to a close and pulls back the comforter, motioning for Madison to get in. Madison shakes her head and wraps her arms around her little torso.
“You need to stop this,” Cordelia says. “You’re going to get in bed, have some juice, and take a long nap.”
When Madison doesn’t budge, Cordelia grabs her up off her feet and drops her into the bed, earning a sharp, deafening shriek. Madison hits at Cordelia several times, her power weakening each time. Without paying much mind, Cordelia tucks her in and kisses her forehead.
At this point, while Madison is struggling to unravel herself from the cocoon of sheets, Misty brings a glass of orange juice and sets it beside her bed.
“There ya are, Hollywood. Cold and no pulp, just the way you like it,” Misty says. “Now drink up and get some sleep.”
“You can’t do this!” Madison spits, writhing in defiance. “You aren’t my parents! I don’t have to do what you say!”
“Shh,” Cordelia whispers, smoothing back the messy blond waves of hair. She rests her hand on Madison’s forehead and smiles calmly, and Madison’s eyes begin to droop heavily.
Before Misty understands what Cordelia’s just done, Madison is out like a light, every complaint and noise vanishing as her head rolls to the side and her breathing evens out. Cordelia kisses her head and uses a snap of her fingers to turn out the lights.
“You’d be a really good mama,” Misty whispers, a hand on Cordelia’s back.
Cordelia smiles sadly, but she composes herself. “I know. I take care of them like they’re mine.”
“‘Cause they are,” Misty says with a shrug. “I mean, you clean up their mess, tell them what to do, do their laundry, feed them, and take care of them when they’re sick. That’s everything a mom does.”
“Do I get extra points because they’re witches?” Cordelia chuckles. “A regular mom doesn’t have to worry about her kid lighting something on fire with her mind.”
“You mean like when Mallory got angry and lit your favorite shoes on fire by accident?” Misty asks.
“That was Mallory?! She told me it was Queenie!”
Cordelia’s volume causes Madison to stir, so she purses her lips and walks Misty to the door, looking back at Madison once more before leaving the room with Misty close behind.
“I’ll be back to check on her,” whispers Cordelia.
“You’d better, or else you’ll have Zoe up your behind.”
Cordelia chuckles. She makes a mental note to call Zoe and let her know Madison is doing fine, just in case.
+++
Thud, thud, thud.
Cordelia jerks awake to consistent thumping from upstairs. She sits up, the open book on her chest sliding to the floor, and looks around. Misty runs into the den, barefoot, holding a tray of empty cups and bowls. Her hair is even wilder than usual; knotted at the roots and twisted at the ends.
“I have had it with that little girl,” Misty hisses. “I’ve been nice, I’ve sang to her, fed her, talked to her, and tucked her in, and she is still being hardheaded.”
“Who? And what is that noise?” Cordelia asks, rubbing the side of her head to clear away the post-nap headache.
“Madison! And that’s her kicking the wall right now! She has forced me to run up and down the stairs to bring her juice every ten minutes, and when I told her I’d just bring the jug up to her, she threw the cup at me!” Misty picks up a small cup off the tray. “Lucky for me, it’s plastic! But still, she’s actin’ like a little entitled brat! I don’t know how Zoe can tolerate her!”
“Alright, alright,” Cordelia groans as she gets up and stretches. She kisses Misty’s forehead. “I’m relieving you of your babysitting for the day. I’ll take care of Madison, and you go relax.”
Misty beams gratefully and scurries to the kitchen, and it’s not very long before Cordelia hears the tray clatter in the sink.
While the thumping continues, Cordelia ascends the stairs, her head throbbing with every noise. In Madison’s room, the girl is laid out on her bed with her feet kicking the wall above the headboard.
“Madison,” says Cordelia, making her presence known, “stop that. It’s disrespectful and annoying.”
Madison turns her head. She looks worse than before. Her eyes have sunken in quite a bit, and she’s paler, too. Cordelia bites her lip and sits next to the young woman, stilling her by placing a gentle hand on her knee.
“I said stop it,” warns Cordelia. “You look terrible. You need to lay down and sleep. I’m going to check your temperature.”
Responding with only a tiny nod, Madison watches Cordelia grab a thermometer from the bedside table. She complies easily, and opens her mouth. While Cordelia waits for the beep, she lifts Madison up and sits her against the pillows.
“Fuck,” curses the supreme to herself when she takes the thermometer only to find Madison’s temperature has risen a degree. “I’m going to give you a fever reducer. I know it tastes bad, but do not fight me on this. You need to get better.”
“No,” Madison whines.
Cordelia ignores her and pours a thick purple liquid onto a spoon. Madison shakes her head and pushes it away, causing the spoon to jerk and the medicine to fly off and stain Cordelia’s shirt.
“Madison, that’s enough!” Cordelia snaps. “I’m trying to help you, but you are being a little shit.”
“I don’t want it! I want Zoe!” Madison cries.
“Zoe’s not here, I am, so just deal with it.”
She tries, again, to give Madison the medicine, but the girl rejects it. This time, Madison sinks her teeth into Cordelia’s wrist when she gets too close, and Cordelia yelps and pulls away.
“Alright, you’ve left me no choice,” Cordelia declares. “I’ll be back.”
Madison does not move; not because Cordelia’s told her not to, but because she physically cannot walk without becoming lightheaded. So she waits for Cordelia to return, and she does return, now with the infamous wooden ruler in her hand. Gasping, Madison scoots back into the headboard, wishing herself to disappear. And she tries to transmute across the room, but because she’s feeling so poorly, she can’t.
“I’m going to have to disobey Zoe,” Cordelia says. “I am in charge. And what I say, goes. You are not listening and think you can get away because you’re sick. That is not the way this works. Hold out your hands.”
“No, please, I don’t wanna get hit,” Madison whimpers. “Zoe said you can’t do that.”
“Zoe’s not here, and I make the rules. Not Zoe. Hold them out, Madison.”
Madison takes a deep breath and holds her hands out, though they shake quite violently. She’s uncertain if it’s due to being weak or frightened.
Cordelia aligns the wood with Madison’s knuckles. “You’re getting 5 on each.”
Madison cries out when the wood smacks the back of her left hand, then the right immediately after. Cordelia alternates between the two, favoring towards her knuckles at times, until the white skin is polished cherry red like the swell of a fresh apple. Madison sobs and rubs her hot hands, and Cordelia pockets the ruler and smooths the silky blonde hair back from Madison’s face.
“Shh. That’s what happens when you don’t listen, right?” Cordelia asks. Madison nods, sniffling. “Right. Now lay down and get some sleep.”
Without so much as a peep, Madison lays against her pillow and rolls onto her side, hugging Zoe’s pillow close to her body as she sobs into the gray fabric of the pillowcase. Cordelia tucks her in and kisses her cheek.
“Sleep well.”
Cordelia turns the lights off and leaves the room, and Madison continues to cry. Her hands hurt and the ghostly scent of Zoe makes it no better. She eventually falls asleep with tear-stained cheeks and puffy eyelids.
+++
When Madison wakes, it’s with a yawn and a sneeze. Her head pounds and her throat feels dry and rough, as if she swallowed a handful of sand. Upon checking the time, she sees it’s well past dinner time. The sky is darker than a cloud of ash, littered with stars. It’s been at least a few hours since Cordelia smacked her hands.
Her hands!
She looks down at the backs of her hands, finding the left has been slightly bruised. She frowns and pulls her sleeves further down. The room smells of Zoe, though she’s been gone for nearly a day; the gentle perfume she uses in the morning tends to linger.
Laying back in the darkness, Madison grabs her phone and checks her messages. Zoe texted an hour ago to ask how she’s feeling.
Madison smiles and decides to call her. Her voice will stop the ache in her hands.
“Mads?” Zoe slurs upon answering, her voice thick with sleep. “Hey, babe. How’re you feeling?”
“Were you asleep? ‘M sorry,” Madison mumbles, rubbing her eyes.
“It’s alright. I miss you so much. Are you feeling better?”
“Mm-mm. My head hurts and I feel weak,” Madison replies. “I just wanted to hear your voice. I can’t go back to sleep without you here. I don’t feel good.”
“Oh, babes. I’m sorry. Hug my pillow and wear one of my shirts. I’ll be back before you know it,” Zoe assures, before trickling off into a serious tone. “Is Cordelia taking care of you?”
Madison pauses. She remembers Cordelia hitting her with the ruler, but she also remembers the way she acted towards her when she tried giving her medicine.
“Yeah. She’s taking good care of me,” Madison says. “Anyways, how was the funeral?”
“Quiet. My mom got into an argument with her cousin outside the church and then we all had pie,” Zoe says with a dark chuckle. “We’re burying him tomorrow morning. And I’m spending Sunday morning and afternoon with my mom, and then I’ll be on my way back home to you. I should be home around six Monday morning. It’s going to fly by, I promise.”
Madison yawns. “I hope so.”
“Get some sleep, sweet girl. You need to rest. I’ll keep checking on you. I love you.”
“Love you, too.”
Zoe hangs up, and Madison shivers. She carefully gets out of bed and grabs a cotton t-shirt of Zoe’s slipping it over her head to cover the tight fitting tank top. It loosely hugs her body, being that she’s a size smaller than Zoe, and it smells the way Zoe does when she hugs her. For the first time in a long time, Madison feels alone, and that’s the scariest part of Zoe’s absence.
+++
Cordelia played nurse for Madison once more when the young woman woke up screaming from a nightmare but was also plagued with a fever and a runny nose, also including a deep, barking cough.
She would never say it aloud, but Madison fears the ruler. She fears Cordelia losing her temper and hitting more than her hands next time. So, in the meantime, she lays quietly in bed and plays on her phone. She contemplates calling Zoe but doesn’t want to seem needy or get yelled at, so she instead reads an ebook to pass the time.
Misty seems to have sensed her boredom. She enters with Uno cards in her hand. Madison sucks in one cheek when the necromancer invites herself to sit on her bed.
“Delia told me you could use some company,” Misty says. “I know you’re missin’ Zoe real bad. And I also know that Cordelia hit you.”
Madison pouts and shrugs, moving her hands under the covers. Misty sighs sympathetically and pats Madison’s knee.
“I understand. But don’t worry your pretty little head, I’m here now to bring you out of your boredom. We’re gonna play Uno,” Misty announces as she passes out cards. “Everything is gonna be alright.”
“I didn’t ask you to do this,” Madison mumbles, picking up her cards.
“I know. But, as bad as you can be, you’re still a sister witch, and we take care of each other,” Misty states, then pauses. “I’m real sorry Cordelia hit you. Zoe told her not to, and I also don’t think it was okay.”
“I’m used to it by now.”
Misty doesn’t know what to say in response to that, so she remains quiet and they proceed to play, and Madison is good the entire time, even laughing at Misty’s stupid jokes here and there. In Misty’s eyes, Madison is not bad; she is simply misguided, and maybe Cordelia hitting her isn’t always the best option. But Misty swears she’ll save that conversation for later. Right now, she plays a few rounds with Madison and wipes her nose when it runs, and rubs her back when the hacking cough attacks.
Madison smiles at Misty when the Cajun clearly lets her win. She doesn’t dare admit she appreciates it, but her smile tells Misty the truth.
+++
That night, when Madison is feeling only the slightest bit better, she FaceTimes Zoe in hopes of seeing the beautiful face that delights her so much. On the third ring, Zoe picks up. Madison is met with the scenery of a dark room, but then lights casts upon Zoe, and Madison’s heart flutters.
“Hey, baby girl,” Zoe murmurs. “How you feeling?”
“Mph,” Madison mumbles. “Better. My fever is down some.”
“Good,” Zoe sighs in relief. “You look better, too. How has Cordelia been treating you? Is she being a good nurse?”
Madison pauses, then shrugs. She hasn’t seen Cordelia in awhile, fearing another hit or lecture. Thankfully, Misty came to her rescue instead and gave her a single dose of cough medicine along with her antibiotic, which went without a hiccup.
“She’s fine. You would be surprised. Misty has been taking care of me,” Madison says, almost bitterly. “She’s given me medicine, played games with me, and read to me.”
“Aww, see, I told you everything would be okay,” Zoe croons.
Madison rubs her heavy eyes, and Zoe’s smile falters.
“Mads? What’s that on your hand?” Zoe asks. “It’s purple.”
Madison looks at the back of her hand and lightly gasps, shoving it behind her back. Zoe’s face turns an unholy shade of red.
“Nothing. It’s nothing.”
“Did she hit you?” Zoe growls.
“Yeah, but it was because I bit her,” Madison admits. “She. . .smacked my hands with the ruler.”
Zoe takes a deep breath, controlling her anger. The way the breath shakes as it leaves her body frightens Madison.
“Okay, you shouldn’t have acted out, but she also shouldn’t have hit you,” Zoe sighs. “I told her not to put her hands on you while I was away. I’m so sorry, babes. I’ll be home soon.”
“I miss you.”
Zoe grins and taps the screen with her nose. Madison does the same, and they both giggle. For a moment, they stare at each other, just smiling through a screen.
“God, I miss you so much,” Zoe breathes. “You’re sick and I should be there to hold you and make you soup and watch Tom and Jerry with you.”
“Zo, your grandpa died,” Madison murmurs. “I’ll be sick again sometime, but you can only go to his funeral once.”
“I just feel horrible that I left you alone with Cordelia, knowing she’d do something like this,” says Zoe. “I’m the worst. I wish I could have brought you with me.”
“Stop. It’s not your fault,” Madison assures, wiping her nose with a balled up tissue. “I can handle Cordelia when I’m better. Right now, I just let Misty take care of me all she wants. Even if she’s annoying.”
Zoe bites her lip and nods, accepting Madison’s words, because what other choice does she have now? She’s hundreds of miles away from Madison, trapped in her childhood home while Madison remains sick in bed at the academy with a punishment-hungry supreme wielding a wooden ruler. The rest of this weekend does not bode well.
“Alright, Mads,” Zoe says. “Call me if you need anything. Are you wearing my clothes?”
Madison blushes and nods. She cozies up inside the sweatshirt that swallows her up.
“Good. Stay warm. Tell Misty to call me if she needs help. I love you,” Zoe says.
“I love you, too. Goodnight.”
Madison sniffles when Zoe hangs up. She lays back down and opens Prime Video on her phone, searching for something to watch. She chooses Tom and Jerry, but it’s just not the same without Zoe.
+++
Though Madison’s temperature has reduced nearly to a normal threshold, her cough has only worsened, and it’s more concerning than anything else that’s happened to the blonde’s body in the last three days.
Misty finds herself steaming up the entire bathroom using the shower. She has Madison sat atop the sink wearing pajama shorts and a thin tank top as she barks out a slew of dry, heaving coughs. Misty quickly grabs the small trash can and holds it before Madison, and Madison spits out a thick coat of phlegm.
When Madison begins to violently shake, Misty lifts her from under her arms and allows her to wrap her legs around her waist and her arms around her neck. The swamp witch moves her thick curls behind her ears to allow Madison to lay her head down on her shoulder and nestle her face in the crook of her neck.
“Just tell me if you need to throw up,” says Misty over the sound of the water pelting against the tub floor.
“Mm,” Madison mumbles, coughing.
Misty begins to rub and pat her back, a sway in her step. She wanders about the room as the steam collects around them. Madison seems to be soothed by the heat and comfort; her eyes begin to close. Misty hums a tune, perhaps some Stevie, while she moves about, a light bounce in her step.
Once Madison is fast asleep on her shoulder, her mouth slightly agape, Misty sighs in relief and leans against the sink, still patting Madison’s back. The door creaks open, and Cordelia pops her head inside. Misty looks away from her and adjusts Madison so she’s sitting more on her hip than on her belly.
“What’re you doing?” Cordelia asks Misty.
“I’m taking care of her like we told Zoe we would,” Misty replies shortly. “She’s got a real bad cough and the steam will open up her airways so she can get some actual sleep. She seems pretty comfortable.”
“She’s not a baby, Mist,” Cordelia says. “You treat her the same way Zoe does.”
Misty frowns. “She’s sick, Delia. And I don’t think what you did was right, either. I know I said she was acting like a brat, but that didn’t give you any reason or right to hit her.”
“Discipline must be consistent, Misty. It doesn’t stop just because she’s sick,” Cordelia explains. “She bit me! I couldn’t just let her bite me and get away with it.”
“Well, her hands are bruised and I don’t like that.” Misty stops patting Madison’s back, favoring rubbing it instead. “You’re gonna have an awful lot of explaining to do when Zoe gets back.”
“Madison is not a baby and Zoe is not her parent. I do not need to explain why I do what I do. It’s not my fault that Zoe babies and coddles her all the time.”
Rolling her eyes, Misty sighs and carries Madison over to the tub. Balancing Madison in one arm, she shuts the water off and moves past Cordelia, who follows her to the connected bedroom.
“Look, Delia,” Misty whispers, laying Madison into her bed, “I don’t agree with you hitting her this time. What Madison and Zoe do in their relationship, their dynamic—it’s not for us to decide. It doesn’t matter if Zoe treats her like a princess or a baby. All I’m saying is, I hope you apologize to both Madison and Zoe.”
Cordelia watches Misty, slack-jawed, as the Cajun rubs some Vick’s under Madison’s nose and on her chest. She becomes frustrated with Misty’s stance, and sighs. Misty tucks Madison in and kisses her forehead.
“Zoe will be back early in the mornin’,” Misty reminds Cordelia. “I hope you got your explanation ready for when she unleashes hell on you.”
“Oh, believe that I do, honey.”
+++
Madison wakes to a gentle weight pressed against her back. She’s met with dusty gray morning light beginning to creep in through the curtains. The sudden aroma of the room sends her senses into overdrive, and she rolls over in bed to find Zoe smiling tiredly at her.
“Good morning, my beautiful girl,” Zoe whispers. “I’m home.”
Madison pushes herself up and throws her arms around Zoe, burying her face in her neck. They say nothing for a few minutes; instead, Zoe kisses all around Madison’s face and holds her close to her body, savoring the feel of her natural warmth.
“You’re back,” Madison mumbles into Zoe’s worn black tee. “Don’t leave me again.”
“I won’t,” Zoe promises, placing a kiss to the top of Madison’s head. “I’m right here, and you’re safe now. Safe with me.”
Zoe moves to sit with her legs crossed, and Madison invites herself to sit with her legs straddling Zoe’s waist. The brunette rocks Madison back and forth and squeezes her tight.
“Let me see your hands,” Zoe says after a minute.
Nervously, Madison exposes the backs of her hands to Zoe. Though they’re faded to yellow by now, Zoe can’t help but feel the anger rising to the top. She’s careful to not allow it to spill, though.
“It’s alright now, baby,” Zoe assures. “I’m here. I’ll talk to Cordelia later. Right now, I want to lay right here with you. Queenie has my classes for today, and it’s just me and you, all day.”
Madison melts into Zoe, completely limp as the latter brings them both down onto the bed. Madison throws one leg over Zoe’s waist and snuggles up close to her chest.
“Do you want to go back to sleep?” Zoe asks.
“Only if you want to,” Madison replies.
“Nap it is.”
Madison giggles as Zoe gently rubs her sides and back.
“I love you so fucking much,” Zoe whispers against Madison’s hairline as she gently kisses it.
Madison yawns. She doesn’t need to return the saying; Zoe knows how much she loves her just by the way Madison grasps her for dear life, not once letting go.
+++
After lunch, while Madison is preoccupied with playing a round of Uno with Misty in the den, Zoe enters Cordelia’s office without a knock. She closes the door behind herself and sits in front of Cordelia, who removes her reading glasses and sighs.
“Yes, Zoe?” Cordelia asks as she clicks her pen.
“Don’t you dare act like you don’t know why I’m here,” Zoe spits. “I specifically told you not to hit Madison while I was away, and you still felt the need to use corporal punishment on her when she was sick and weak. Just what the hell is wrong with you?”
“Look, Zoe, I did what I needed to. She was being obnoxious and a brat, and I don’t tolerate that,” Cordelia says. “She was biting me, throwing things, and acting out. I don’t care if she was sick; actions have consequences. Perhaps if you did not treat her like an infant and coddle her all the time, she wouldn’t feel so entitled.”
Zoe hawks at her supreme. She swears she needs a hearing aid, because there is no way those words left Cordelia’s lips in that order.
“Excuse me? I treat her like an infant?” Zoe repeats. “Well, I’m sorry, Cordelia, but she’s been through hell. Literally! Her entire life, nobody has given a real shit about her, and I’m the only person that can love her as she is, even when she’s being difficult and a spoiled little brat! You are mistaken; I don’t baby her. I give her the love and respect nobody else has given her, including you!”
“Watch your tone,” Cordelia warns.
“What are you gonna do? Hit me? The way you hit Madison after I told you not to?” Zoe challenges as she sits straighter up. “I am so tired of you undermining me when it comes to her. I do not coddle her; I show her the love that she needs. Ever think she acts out only with you because you treat her like a villain? She seemed to get along pretty well with Misty while I was gone. In fact, they’re playing together right now. Misty had almost no problems with her, and somehow, when you’re around, she pushes your buttons. It’s because she knows it’s easy to get a rise out of you. She wants your attention, but the only attention you give her is when you want to punish or belittle her.”
Cordelia sits back in her chair, one cheek sucked in. With her face flushed, Zoe takes a deep, shaky breath as her fists clench and sweat.
“So what if I hold her all the time, and so what if I call her a princess?” Zoe says. “It’s not your business. If you’d just give her the time of fucking day, to spend actual time with her, to show her affection without threatening her, you’d see she’s not half as bad as you paint her. She acts out because you always react. When I stopped reacting to her negativity, she stopped acting like a little shit. She is actually sweet, Cordelia. You just have to give her a real chance. Stop antagonizing her all the time; she’s not your scapegoat or your emotional punching bag.”
“Zoe, I had to do what I had to do,” Cordelia explains slowly. “I don’t tolerate that behavior.”
“She behaves like that because she’s provoking you! If you’d just mind your business and leave her alone, she would stop!” Zoe slams her hands on the desk. “Why don’t you take a walk in my shoes for even a week? I’m awake in the middle of the night trying to get her back to sleep from a nightmare, and when I wake up, she’s wrapped around me and I put in a ten-minute time cushion beforehand so I can give her time with me before I have to take a shower and get ready. On my break, I go check on her so I know she’s alright. She’s waiting for me when I finish my classes, and I take just a little time out of my day to talk to her and make sure she’s okay. I run a warm bath for us both at the end of the day because it keeps her calm and makes her tired, then we lay down and watch something she enjoys. She eventually falls asleep in my arms, and then we start all over. We both go through hell, but I do it because I love her and understand she’s not acting out because she’s a bad person, she’s acting out because she wants some fucking attention and human affection.”
By the end of her rant, Zoe is practically blue in the face. Cordelia stops clicking her pen and purses her lips.
“I’m sorry, Zoe,” Cordelia murmurs. “I didn’t know what all you’re going through.”
“Yeah, well, apologize to Madison. She’s the one you hit for no reason,” Zoe spits. “I want you to make things right by the end of the day, or I’m going to take Madison and leave. I love this coven and everyone here, but I’m willing to leave for Madison’s well-being if I have to. It’s been years of you antagonizing her without actually knowing her, and I’ve had enough of it.”
Zoe gets up and leaves the room, slamming the door. Cordelia jumps at the sound. Without missing a beat, she goes to look for Madison. When she finds her, it’s by a laugh in the distance. Madison and Misty have seemingly just finished yet another round of Uno when Cordelia knocks on the doorframe to announce her presence.
“Mist, can I talk to Madison for a minute?” Cordelia asks.
Misty hesitates but eventually gives a nod, standing from the floor. She looks at Madison and pats her head before walking away, giving Cordelia a look as she exits.
Cordelia sighs and sits on the couch while Madison remains on the floor gathering the cards in her hands. She shuffles them as Cordelia struggles to concoct an apology.
“Madison, I’m sorry,” Cordelia says. “I’m very sorry I hit you. I’m sorry that I’ve been hard on you.”
“‘S okay,” Madison mumbles, looking down.
“No, it isn’t okay,” Cordelia replies. “I didn’t realize that I’m not giving you the love and support I should. I’m harder on you than the rest because I expect so much more from you. But do you feel like I give you enough attention?”
“Only when you’re mad at me.”
For some reason, that response hurts Cordelia more than it should.
“Do you feel I’m mad at you all the time?” Cordelia asks.
Madison shrugs. “Yeah. For everything I do. I’m not good enough, I screw up, I’m a bad person, blah blah blah. What else is new?”
“I’m sorry, Madison,” the supreme repeats. “I don’t ever mean to hurt you. You’re just a little harder to understand. But we can work through that. It doesn’t have to be so hard forever, right?”
Madison looks up at her. “So why don’t you try? I enjoy pissing you off because it’s so easy. You could at least try to react differently than smacking me.”
“We can work on that, but it’s give and take,” Cordelia says. “I’ll give a little, you give a little, we’ll both take from each other, and maybe we can work it all out. I’ll try to handle your outbursts differently if you promise not to have so many of them. Try working on controlling your emotions first, and I will work on disciplining you in a different way. If you want attention, just come to me. You don’t have to act out to get it. And if I need something from you, or need you to understand something, I’ll use another method that won’t hurt you. But the one thing I stand by is that you are not a baby or a princess. You must understand that. Do we have a deal?”
Madison thinks for a moment, then nods. “We have a deal.”
Cordelia sits Madison next to herself and wraps her in a tight hug. Standing in the doorway are Misty and Zoe, who watch, pleased and content with the end of their long battle.
“Come on,” Cordelia tells Madison. “Let’s all go have some ice cream. It will help your throat. I don’t even have to turn around to know Zoe and Misty are here. Aren’t they?”
Madison giggles and nods. Cordelia rolls her eyes and stands up, followed by Madison.
“You two go ahead,” Zoe tells the two older witches. “We’ll be there in a minute.”
Sharing a look, Cordelia and Misty head to the kitchen while Zoe sighs and smiles at Madison, holding her hands.
“How do you feel about this now?” Zoe asks her.
“I’m still going to be annoying sometimes. . .but I think we can work on everything else,” Madison says. “She’s just now figuring out that all I wanted was her attention? A little slow if you ask me.”
“Mads. . .” Zoe warns.
“I’m just kidding,” Madison assures, but she pauses and hesitantly looks up at Zoe. “Does this mean you can’t call me princess or baby girl anymore?”
“What? No. Screw what Cordelia thinks. You’ll always be my princess and my baby girl.” Zoe kisses her.
When Madison pulls away, she sighs contently in Zoe’s chest, feeling full and warm.
Zoe rests her chin on Madison’s head and says, “I love you, princess.”