Up until this point Madison was able to successfully conceal her morning sickness from Brandon. She was only ever sick in the early morning and she was able to finish in the bathroom before he awoke or use the downstairs bathroom when he showered. But all good things must come to an end.

Her morning sickness had been extremely bad this morning and no matter how hard she tried she wasn't able to shake the nauseous feeling. She had a cup of tea at the side that was still warm but she had barely drunk anything. She was nibbling on saltine crackers but still nothing worked. Maybe cooking the bacon had just put her over the top because the moment she got a sniff of it she was rushing to the washroom.

As luck would have it she pushed herself against Brandon who was coming through the hallway. Although he called after her she still rushed away. Without a chance to close the door she fell to her knees and was sick into the bowl.

Brandon entered the bathroom behind her "Babe are you-," he gasped when he saw her on her knees gagging. Quickly he jumped into his role as husband. He closed the door so the children wouldn't be able to see and he kneeled next to her. His hands gently pulled her hair out of her face.

Softly he would whisper soothing words to her and he stroked her hair lovingly. When she was finally finished and was able to sit straight Brandon got her a glass of cool water.

She rinsed out her mouth and smiled softly at him "thank you dear. I'm so sorry you had to see me this way. Maybe it's just a twenty-four hour bug".

Brandon reached forward and felt her forehead "you're not warm but you do seem a little pale. Have you been feeling like this all morning?"

Madison sighed and nodded, she leaned back against his chest and rested her head against his shoulder. She took a few deep breaths before she was finally able to stand again. "I'm okay dear I swear" she glanced at the clock "if you don't leave soon you're going to be late".

Brandon sighed a little "I don't feel comfortable leaving you here alone. I have a meeting this morning that I cant cancel now but I can take the afternoon off and will be home at lunch time". He really wished he could have stayed the entire day but there was no way of getting out of the meeting. But he also couldn't leave his wife alone for the whole morning. What if she got sick again and no one was there to help her. He leaned forward and gave her cheek a kiss "I'll drive the kids to school". He headed to the kitchen to get a bowl of cereal for each kid ready before he headed upstairs.

He knocked on the kid's door each in a rush before he snuck off to his own room to make a few calls. First he tried getting in contact with Madison's friend Brooklyn but he forgot she was busy with work today. His mother was having the woman over to tea but said she could cancel if he really needed her to. He tried Isabella but she wasn't available either. He thought he was out of options until he remember her one old friend.

He searched his phone until he finally found her number. "Hey Kennedy" he said a little more cheerful then he should have been. This was his last chance and he really didn't want to leave Madison alone.

"Hello?" Kennedy answered back a little shocked "Mister Haywood?"

"Brandon" he corrected "you're my wife's friend, you get to call me by my first name".

"Is there something wrong?" Kennedy asked now sounding a little concerned but not overly "is there something I can do for you?"

"Well you see I was wondering if you were free today".

"Umm... excuse me?" was Kennedy's answer.

Brandon then realized how bad that must have sounded. He randomly called a woman up and asked if she was free today. That could not have given a good impression. "No, not like that I swear" he said quickly trying to fix things "I am very much dedicated to my wife. Well I mean we love each other. And we are loyal. So there is nothing like that going on I swear".

He could have sworn he head the woman chuckle at him on the other end. "I never meant to make it seem like I thought you were hitting on me or anything Brandon... I've been down that road before and I would never go back there again".

He sighed a little in relief that she hadn't taken it in the wrong way. "Anyways I guess I should fully explain what I mean. Madison seems to have come down with the flu and I have a meeting to go to but I don't want to leave her alone. I can come back at lunch so it's only for the morning. I know you work at the clinic and was a close friend of hers. Is there any way you can come for the morning to stay with her? Only a couple hours I promise".

"I'll need to get Caleb to school. But yeah I can come by for a little" she seemed a little nervous but said yes nonetheless and he couldn't be happier.

"thank you" Brandon sighed in relief. The call was ended and he shoved his phone away.

"daddy we are going to be late" Emma called up to him. he checked his watch and she was right. They were already five minutes late for leaving the house. He rushed to grab his bag and tug a tie on. he ran downstairs and assisted the children in getting their coats on.

"babe we are going now" he called to Madison "Kennedy will be here soon to check up on you". He didn't even give her a chance to say anything. Instead he rushes out with the kids.

Maybe it was a good thing he didn't stick around for the answer because Madison would not have given a reply that was appropriate for little girl's ears. She groaned and rested her head back against the couch. Of all the damn people he could have called he decided to contact the one woman she couldn't stand? The one person that could ruin everyone?

The time passed by a lot faster than Madison would have liked. It felt as though it had only been two minutes by the time there was a knock on the door signaling Kennedy's arrival. With yet another groan she pushed herself off the couch and trudged towards the door. She had just barely opened the door when her stomach jerked forward again.

Madison grabbed onto her mouth and rushed off towards the bathroom, leaving Kennedy to welcome herself into the house. The new houseguest was a little stunned when the door swung open only to see Madison rushing off.

It didn't take Kennedy long to get to work in the house. She showed no hesitation in making herself feel at home. By the time Madison came back from the washroom Kennedy was already set up in the kitchen with a tray of tea and toast ready. She glanced over at the sickly woman and shook her head "get straight back to the couch. I got this" Kennedy said grabbing the tray and following after Madison.

"Thanks" Madison mumbled a little when Kennedy placed the tray down. This was extremely uncomfortable for both of them. Neither of them – especially Madison – wanted to be stuck in a home with each other all day. However Kennedy tried to look on the bright side.

"It's no problem," Kennedy said glancing over at the other woman. She took a seat in the over stuffed easy boy chair "maybe it'll give us a chance to talk finally".

Madison let out a big sigh "there is nothing to talk about" she insisted.

"You're still mad at me," Kennedy pointed out the obvious.

"You slept with my fiancé" Madison said, "You are the reason my daughters grew up without a father".

Kennedy bit her lip, she was trying to hold it back but for seven years she has been wanting to say this to Madison and now seemed a good a time as any. "You're only blaming me because you don't want to blame yourself".

"Excuse me?" Madison sat up, her jaw hanging open. she was completely stunned. The nerve of this woman! How could this woman walk into her life as if nothing happened and now blame her for her fiancé's cheating? She didn't force him to crawl into bed with her best friend. If it was anyone who forced him than it was Kennedy.

"Look Madison I'm not trying to place all the blame on you. Yes I shouldn't have slept with him. That was extremely wrong of me and I can't be more sorry," Kennedy said. She took a deep sigh as if she was nervous before continuing "but the truth is – which you already know – he was already sleeping with several other woman. I was sadly only one of many. You knew that Madison and the truth is you could have confronted him about it but you didn't. You let the cheating continue. And honestly even when it came to a head you ran away. Now I'm not saying you should have stayed with him, you made the right choice by leaving him but you could have stayed in contact with him. You could have sued for joint custody and child support. But you didn't Madison. You ran away and hid the kids from him. In fact I would question if you ever even told him about Emma and Ella".

That felt like a stab in the heart for Madison. The truthful words hurt her. She could have fought harder for her children to have connection with their father but she didn't. She packed up and ran away. She kept telling herself that if he really wanted to be with her than he would have found her. But maybe she made it too difficult for him to get involved. Her face burned with embarrassment and she couldn't even look away from Kennedy.

"I'm not saying this to be mean or to upset you Madison" Kennedy said moving the chair closer to her "I'm saying it because you need to face reality.  Made a mistake, I shouldn't have slept with Alex and I certainly shouldn't have believed he ever once could love me. But the reality is that I don't regret it. Yes I am sorry I hurt your heart but I don't regret it because now I have Caleb and Callum. Without Alex I would have my greatest blessing".

Madison hesitated for a moment. She understood what the woman was trying to say. She wouldn't have Noah, Emma or Ella if it weren't for Alex. They were the three greatest things in her life and she had them because of him. But she also realized if it hadn't been for Kennedy then she wouldn't have Brandon in her life and she wouldn't have this baby on the way. Kennedy was right, she knew he was cheating but she choose not to leave and truth be told if she hadn't caught the two of them in bed together then she most likely never would have left him. Without leaving him that means she never would have met Brandon. And as where her life is right now she couldn't image living without him.

"I'm sorry Kennedy" Madison finally forced out in a small whisper. "I never should have used you as a sacrifice. You were an easy excuse for my own disappointment. It was easier to blame you than to face reality with my own consequences."

Kennedy smiled softly and reached forward. Her soft hand clasped onto hers. "It's alright Maddie, I forgive you".

"But I don't forgive myself" it was as if her heart was starting to melt. She was warming up to the possibility of welcoming Kennedy back into her life. And maybe, just maybe, realizing that she had some blame in the outcome.

"You will' Kennedy said softly "I had a hard time forgiving myself too. It took me a long time to realize we all make choices and we all make our own mistakes". She smiled softly  "it wasn't until Caleb came along did I realize that all my actions had a reaction. And Caleb was the best reaction I ever had. I stopped blaming myself after that."

Madison's mind drifted to the through of her baby again. The baby she shared with Brandon. She thought about actions and reactions. If she hadn't agreed to this contract with the Haywood's then she never would have moved in with Brandon and she never would have conceived his child.

"Take you and Brandon for example" Kennedy said as if she was reading her mind "if you hadn't separated from Alexander than you never would have gotten the chance to meet and fall in love with Brandon". Kennedy leaned in close, a small smirk playing on her lips as she whispered "and you wouldn't be pregnant with his child".

"P-pregnant?" Madison stuttered out. She thought she had hidden it really well. But here this woman was – who had only seen her for an hour – and she already knew she was expecting.

"You are expecting aren't you?" Kennedy asked titling her head to the side a little. "I mean it isn't really obvious but I've seen you when you were pregnant with your other three children. You were sick when I first came in" she pointed out " and your breasts are larger than normal. And of course you're not wearing any slippers, which you absolutely love, so that means to me that your feet are swollen. To top it off you are drinking peppermint tea, which you usually hate but love when you have a baby on the way".

Madison blushed a little unable to deny any of those facts because they were all true.

"When are you due?" Kennedy asked.

"May".

"I'm guessing you haven't told him yet" Kennedy said "considering her called me worried about you having the flu".

"No" Madison agreed, "I haven't told him yet. I wasn't sure how to go about it. There are a lot of variables to take into consideration".

"I understand" Kennedy said "it can't be easy since his accident and it's been several years since you had a baby around the house. Its natural to be nervous".

Madison nodded thinking that would be the best thing to agree to. It was better than telling her the truth about not actually being married.

"Do you know the gender yet?" Kennedy said trying to lighten the conversation.

"Not yet" Madison said. Without thinking about it her hand rested softly and securely on her belly where a small round ball was starting to form.

"But you've been to the doctor right?" Kennedy asked.

"Doctor?" Brandon had slipped into the house without being noticed.

Madison gasped a little in surprise. Was it possible that Brandon heard what she said about having a baby?

"Does she need to get to a doctor?" Brandon asked moving forward. He was talking to Kennedy but his worried eyes didn't leave Madison's face.

"No" Kennedy smiled kindly "I think it's just a little flu bug but I still wanted to confirm with her. As long as she feels well enough then don't worry about a doctor. I am certain she will be fine".

Brandon sighed a little in relief and sat on the edge of the couch, his hand resting on Madison's leg. "Are you feeling alright sweetness?" he asked softly.

Madison smiled and nodded "I promise baby I'm alright".

He smiled a little and kissed the top of her head "okay baby. I'm glad you're okay".

But was she really? Her heart ached a little. She was lying to such a good man. How could she do that? She was so nervous about telling him she was having a baby. But he has been nothing but kind to her and her child. He would make a great father to another little one.

So why was she so nervous to tell him?