Melanie

“Mom, is the invitation still open to go with you to Mexico? I think I’ve changed my mind about going with you.”

She agreed that it was and told me that she wanted me to go with her. It was going to be nice, just me and her. I didn’t tell her why I had the sudden change of heart and it didn’t look like she cared. All she cared about was not having to go alone and I didn’t blame her. I wouldn’t want to have gone alone either. But I had to get out of Jefferson for a while. It was a bit too much for me.

Scott and Carl had taken off right after Bianca left and I watched them go but said nothing. I don’t know what I was going to do, but I knew that I needed some time to think and it looked like Carl had some of his own decisions to make. I wasn’t going to be the one to mess up a little family. The very word stuck in my throat, but at the end of the day, it was, what it was and I was just going to have to be okay with it. There was no amount of upset that was going to make me feel any better.

Pushing all of that to the side, I started to pack, as well as mom. She’d wanted to get some of the closet cleaned out before she left, but we both decided we’d done enough. Packing was far more important in both of our eyes.

Scott didn’t come back till after I was asleep and the next morning we had to leave for the airport. Instead of waking him up for a ride, we took a cab and I was excited to get away. My mind was still on the troubles at home, but I knew that worrying about it wasn’t going to help, so I was bound and determined to make the best of it.

“You’re really quiet this morning.”

“Just tired. I was too excited to sleep, so I should sleep well on the flight.”

“It’s not too long of one either.”

“I know. It’ll be a good nap.”

“Is something going on that I don’t know about? I feel like no one tells me anything anymore since the funeral. I’m not going to crack under the pressure Melanie.”

“It’s nothing mom.”

She tsked me and I knew that I had upset her. She wanted to know what was going on and since our relationship had always been good, I could see why she felt that way. I was spending a lot of time with Carl, which made me spend less time with her. It wasn’t because I was avoiding her though; I’d just fallen in love and wanted to spend every minute with him.

“You said that, but your face and your eyes say something else Melanie. You are my daughter and I know when something is wrong with you.”

“It’s Carl.”

“I thought you two were doing well?”

“We are, or well, we were until Bianca had to go and ruin it all.”

“He got back with Bianca? I didn’t think he would do that.”

“No, he hasn’t gotten back with her yet. But I guess it will only be a matter of time since she’s pregnant with his kid.”

“No!”

I shook my head and I met the eyes of the cab driver through the rearview mirror.

“Yes, she came by yesterday and I heard her tell him that.”

“Just because she said it doesn’t mean it’s true.”

While I wanted to believe that and to believe that there was some way that it was all just a hoax, I knew that I was going to have to accept it. I could deny it all I wanted, but another woman was going to have his baby. It felt like I was too late.

“I think it is. Why would she say that if it wasn’t?”

“It’s a classic move for a woman to say she is pregnant and really she is just trying to keep the man. She could just be saying that to try and get him back.”

“What happens when they aren’t pregnant?”

“Well, I guess that she expects him to be too in love with her and will forgive her. Most likely she hasn’t thought it through. Even if it is true, that doesn’t mean that he wants to be with her.”

Everything she said I wanted to be true, but could I be with Carl and always has Bianca around to deal with? I wanted him all to myself. I envisioned me and him having kids together, not raising another woman’s kid. It just didn’t mesh with how I had played it all out in my head.

“I don’t know if you’re right or not. I wish you were, but I have a feeling that this is going to be it for us. He doesn’t want to tell Scott anyways, so it doesn’t matter. We can never be together in secret. Maybe I was wrong about him.”

“You’re not. You have to have more faith Melanie. Just let things work themselves out but promise me that you’ll forget about it for a while. Let’s enjoy ourselves. It’s all going to work out. Just wait and see.”

“When did you become so positive?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t want to be sad anymore and negative. I’m going to hope for the best from now on.”

I wanted to take a page from her book. I wasn’t that sure if it would help or if anything would change, but I did want to feel better. I was sick of being sad about it all. She was right. I should enjoy myself and when I got back home, I would see where all of the chips fell. If she could be chipper, I should be able to be as well.