The excitement of a visitor quickly faded from her eyes once she understood he was there strictly on orders. She hadn't expected such a visit to come so soon after her release, but she understood that it was his duty.
Madeline nodded her head in understanding and felt a little silly for greeting him as little more than a guest. "I apologize for interrupting your work, then. It was just very difficult to not notice you were there. Well...not exactly you, more like your presence. It was...very obvious to me, was all. Please let me know if you need anything, though. I'll be inside." And with that she was backing away to return to her home again, feeling entirely silly and upset for confronting a man of authority. She resumed her work quietly, despite the constant, dull presence of the Mordecai.
It was several hours later with the moon shining proudly in the sky that her mother returned home. Maddie felt such guilt over it, knowing she had stayed late to finish the duties of two people at their storefront, but she greeted her as warmly as ever. The younger woman set aside her work and had their supper plated within minutes as she listened to her complaints about her day at their shop. They were nearly silent at the table, but she could not hide from the questioning eyes boring into her as she gave few words about her own day. "A Mordecai is here," she finally told her.
"In...the house?" came the wary, assuming question. "Well why aren't they having a meal with us?"
"No, he's... he's outside. If he hasn't left. I don't think he has. He said he was 'observing' to make sure I was following the law still," Maddie explained.
"Well...I just hope that doesn't become a regular job for them. The last thing you need is more attention about this, and I'm sure the neighbors will start to notice if they're hanging around often. Take care of yourself, Maddie. Behave as you should and I'm certain your life will continue on as normal as it ever has." The encouragement was heartfelt, but she knew it wasn't particularly likely for a recognized mage to have a normal, "human" life.
Once their dishes were put away she peered out into the darkness through a window by the door. It still felt like he was near but she certainly couldn't see him. She returned to their kitchen to make up a small tray of food while she stored the rest of what remained of their dinner. A slice of roast, a bowl of soup, a hunk of bread and a mug of water were set out neatly.
As she passed her mother on her way to the door she noticed she was holding a letter of some sort. Realizing she'd been caught she flashed an apologetic, weary smile her daughter's way. "From you father," she prompted, as if she should have known. "He's invited us out to visit him. Given the date, I doubt he's heard of your...incident yet." The young woman smiled sadly.
"You'll likely visit alone. I doubt I would receive permission to travel so far from home."
"Couldn't hurt to request it, could it?" Her mother shrugged, not wanting to get her hopes up too high over it. Noticing the tray she carried, though, she waved her along. "Go on, don't let that get cold. Kind of you to offer a stranger a meal," she observed.
Madeline didn't think it was overly kind. Rather, a gesture of comfort from one human soul to another. As she exited the house, though, she felt more lost than ever. Her quiet footsteps carried her out towards the road where she'd last seen him, but she couldn't be certain of where he was as his gift lent her no clues to his exact location. "Mordecai Dempsey?" she called gently, wary of drawing any neighbors from their homes. "May we speak for a moment? If you have the time."