Page 40 of Takedown

“Have you told your father?” Mrs. Dupree ignores Alex.

“He’s on a cruise ship with his girlfriend. I’ll tell him when he comes home in a few days.” The room goes deathly quiet at the mention of the girlfriend.

“And Adam.” She puts those calculating eyes back on me. “Have you told your parents about this unexpected—” she waves her hand around until she finds the right word, “union?”

“We told my mother yesterday, and she’s thrilled. She loves Mel.”

“Oh, yes. She’s been texting Mellie all day,” Alex says with a high-pitched laugh. “Show everyone that naked baby picture of Adam she texted you, Mellie.”

“Please don’t,” Jason says.

“Oh.” If I didn’t know any better, I’d think Mrs. Dupree was hurt at the prospect of Mel and my mother getting close. “It would have been nice if I was given the same courtesy as Adam’s mother, but here we are.”

“Mom,” Jason says, “they eloped. I’m sure Flynn’s mother was as surprised as you were.”

“Yeah, same, but with the tiny exception of being happy for us,” Mellie throws out. “You know what it’s like to be happy for your child, right, Mother? Oh, wait. That rule only applies to one of your children.”

I squeeze Mel’s thigh, but she’s so tense her shoulders are practically to her ears.

“That’s not true.” Her mother’s words are whispered, but I hear the tortured pain. “That’s never been true.”

Melanie stands, and I stand too. “I heard it with my own ears, so you don’t get to walk that back.”

“Let’s just leave, Mel,” I say to her. I’d love to hear more but not in front of Addy.

“No one is leaving,” Jason says, standing up abruptly. “Flynn, you want to be a part of this family, sit down. Mellie, come on. Please, stay.”

“Not if she’s going to continue to upset my wife,” I say to Jason.

“I’m only trying to have a conversation. I’m not trying to upset you, Melanie. I’m not trying to upset anyone.” Mrs. Dupree shakes her head. She looks up and her eyes have pooled with tears. “I just want to talk.”

“Talk, Auntie,” Addison says.

Mel looks at me, nods and we sit back down. The only person still eating now is Addy, who’s chewing on a drumstick.

“Mellie, are you going into the office tomorrow?” Alex asks. “I’m officially working remote until the baby comes.”

Mel exhales loudly through her nose and nods at Alex. She picks up her fork, and I do the same.

“I’m going in for the first half of the day. I’m interviewing two people tomorrow, but we have a furniture delivery, so I’ll be home for that.” Warmth spreads through me when she refers to the apartment upstairs as home. Most of the furniture is gone. Mel even had the place painted a few days ago.

“Oh, that sounds exciting,” her mother says with false enthusiasm. “And you’ll be choosing who to hire?”

“Iamthe hiring manager,” Mel says.

“And what about you, Adam? You’re a teacher, right? I worked in the public schools back in New Jersey. I was a librarian.”

“I’m a vice principal, Mrs. Dupree, but I taught math before that.”

“Tell me about your parents.”

“It’s always been just me and my ma,” I tell her. “She’s wonderful, but a little nutty. Right, Mel?”

“Not to me. I kinda love her,” Mel says, and I can’t help the feeling in my chest about my wife loving my mother.

“And she was okay with this?” she asks, gesturing to me and Mel.

“He’s already answered that,” Mel says.

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