Singing in the Rain

“Singing in the rain, singing in the rain. I’m just singing in the rain.” Kelly could still hear her little girl singing on the front porch.

“Mommy, if I play in the rain, do I still have to take a bath?” she asked, jumping in a big mud puddle. If Kelly closed her eyes she could still see her daughter covered from head to toe in mud.

It’s been almost a year since Kelly’s ex-husband took off with their little girl, Maddie-Rose.

Maddie-Rose loved the rain. She loved the rain even more than she loved the sunshine.

If it was raining, Maddie-Rose would beg Kelly to let her play outside on her swing, or just run through their yard.

Maddie-Rose loved putting on her raincoat and matching rain boots. They had unicorns and rainbows in them.

Every day since the day that Maddie-Rose disappeared, Kelly would sit on the front porch and hope that it would be the day she came home.

The police weren’t doing anything about it. They just said that her father had as much of a right to Maddie-Rose as Kelly did.

“Daddy doesn’t let me play in the rain.” Maddie-Rose would say after her weekend with him.

“He doesn’t understand that my little flower needs the rain.” Kelly would say.

Kelly’s heart would break more on rainy days knowing Maddie-Rose would not be allowed outside to play.

It was raining outside on the day Maddie-Rose was born. It was raining so hard that Maddie-Rose’s dad couldn't even see the road on the way to the hospital.

They all thought Maddie-Rose would be born on the side of the highway somewhere. But they made it to the hospital just in time.

As a baby Maddie-Rose always slept better when it rained. The real rain worked better than the sound machine they had.

As a toddler, Maddie-Rose would sit on the floor by the sliding glass door and watch the rain. She loved it best when the rain hit the window. She loved watching the raindrops race down the window.

One night when Maddie-Rose was about two-years old, she was running a fever. Kelly sat up all night with Maddie-Rose on the couch.

Kelly came across the movie ‘Singing in the Rain’ while channel surfing. When the song ‘Singing in the Rain’ came on Maddie-Rose immediately stopped crying.

Kelly ran out the next morning and bought the DVD. Maddie-Rose and Kelly would watch that movie every night at bedtime. It worked better than any bedtime story.

Whenever it would rain Maddie-Rose would go on the front porch and try to copy Gene Kelly’s dance move.

Kelly loved it but her husband thought they were both nuts. Kelly had wanted to sign Maddie-Rose up for dance lessons but never got around to it.

Every other Friday night Kelly would sit on the couch watching ‘Singing in the Rain’ when Maddie-Rose would go to her father.

After Maddie-Rose disappeared, every other Friday night Kelly would still sit on the couch and watch the same movie hoping that Maddie-Rose would come home Sunday night.

One rainy Friday night, Kelly was sitting on the couch watching the same movie.  

Her cell phone rang. She looked at the caller ID but didn’t recognize the number. She ignored the call, but the same number called right back. This time she answered it.

“Hello,” Kelly said, pausing the movie.

“Mommy,” the voice on the other end cried. “Mommy, I want to go home.”

“Maddie-Rose,” Kelly cried. “Is that you!”

“Yes, Mommy. I want to go home.” Kelly could hear other voices in the background.

Kelly couldn’t believe her ears. She was actually talking to her daughter, the daughter she hadn’t seen in almost a year.

“Maddie-Rose where are you?” Kelly jumped up trying to find her keys. All she wanted to do was jump in the car and get to her. No matter where it was.

Kelly heard some noises then another voice. “Hello, Ms. Thomas?”

“Yes,” she said standing in the middle of the room. “Whos this?”

“My name is Officer Mills,” he said. “I know this is going to sound crazy, but I need you to listen to me.”

“Where are you calling from?” Kelly asked. She found her way back to the couch. She felt her legs were about to give way.

Officer Mills told her the name of the town. It was only about an hour away.  

“There was an accident on the highway here.” he went on. “The car your daughter was riding in was hit head on. I’m sorry to say your husband was killed.”

“He’s my ex-husband.” she said. “Maddie-Rose, is she hurt? Is she in the hospital? Which hospital? I can be there in about an hour.”

“Maddie-Rose is not hurt, not a scratch on her,” he said. “But parts of the roads are closed so you won’t be able to get through.”

“But if you can drive to the nearest police station, we can get to you by helicopter. We’ll have the two of you together in no time.”

Officer Mills gave Kelly all the details she needed. The rain had let up so the helicopter would not have any problems flying.

“Can I talk to Maddie-Rose again?” she asked.

“Of course,” he said. “We’ll see you real soon.”

“Mommy,” Kelly heard her little girl's voice. “I’m going home. I miss you so much.”

“Yes, Maddie-Rose.” Kelly cried. “You’re coming home. I’ll see you real soon.”

Kelly got in her car and started driving. It had been raining all day, but just stopped a little bit ago. When Kelly pulled on to the main road she saw a rainbow. She felt as if she was driving right into it.  

Where else would Maddie-Rose be, but at the end of the rainbow?

When Kelly arrived at the police station, she was directed to where the helicopter was to land.

The rainbow that Kelly had seen, on the road was even brighter than before.  

Just as the helicopter landed, it started to rain.  

Kelly stood there in the rain as it landed. A man climbed out and reached in and pulled out Maddie-Rose.

Maddie-Rose’s little girl’s legs started running before she even hit the ground.

Kelly ran to meet Maddie-Rose. She bent down to scoop her up.

The rain came down harder.

Kelly and Maddie-Rose stood there in the rain. Maddie-Rose’s favorite weather.

As they stood there, in the rain, Maddie-Rose began to sing.

“Singing in the rain, I’m just singing in the rain.”