Page 60 of Takedown

I reach into my back pocket, pull out, and open my wallet. She looks in it, only to give me a smug smile when I pull out two five-dollar bills.

“Damn. I guess you’re right, love.”

Then she straddles me and kisses me deep. She starts to grind and pull my shirt over my head, and I break the kiss long enough for her to take the shirt off.

“All that talk about equality has made me horny,” she whispers against my mouth. I stand, and she wraps her legs around me.

“I’m going to give you fifty million orgasms.”

“Oh, my poor, broke, and delusional husband. I’ll settle for two.”

The instant we get in the bedroom, and I slam the door shut with my foot, I toss her on the bed, and dive on top of her. She screams and laughs at the same time until I silence her with my mouth.

31

“Don’t let Addy see that or she’ll never leave you alone about it,” Alex says.

I take the bridal magazine from her and admire the miniature dress. “It’s similar to mine, so she’ll match her auntie.”

“I hope she doesn’t experience a bout of shyness. She gets like that sometimes.”

“Yeah, but it will be a small wedding. Eighty people at the absolute most.”

“I hate to break it to you, Mellie, but eighty people at a wedding is not exactly small.” Alex’s smile drops. She lifts her heavy bulk and inches closer to me. “Are you planning on inviting your mother?” she whispers. She looks around, likely ensuring that my mother’s not hovering.

“Of course, I am,” I tell her. “Don’t start with me, Alex, okay? Things got ugly enough with Jason a few days ago.” I lean back on the couch and drop the magazine on the coffee table. “It’s not fair that she gets to come here and cause all this drama.” I sigh loudly and close my eyes.

“You know I’m always team Mellie.”

“I know. I’m sorry. I just don’t need another guilt trip from your husband.”

“He’s stuck in the middle. He loves both of you.”

“I’m not asking him to choose. I’m not asking him to take sides. I am going to tell him off if he tries to pull some shit like he did the other day again. I want to focus on the wedding. Too bad you can’t come test the food with us. Ananda’s meeting us there Saturday afternoon. Thank goodness for Molly,” I say with a sigh just as my mother walks into the living room. The pinched look on her face must mean she heard what I said about Adam’s mother. She comes over, sits on the end of the couch, and picks up my bridal magazine. She reaches for the reading glasses sitting on top of her head and puts them on.

“Oh, Alex, I got Addy to sleep. She put up a hard fight.” She flips the pages and says, “Is your dress in here, Melanie?”

This is the first time I’ve seen her since last week. She looks thinner, and her crows feet are more pronounced, but I keep my mouth shut. Maybe she’s tired from running after a two-year-old all day. I lift my hand and gesture for the magazine back.

I flip through until I come to the marked page. “Something like this,” I tell her. “It’s the same designer. That’s not the exact dress, but it’s very similar.” She lifts the magazine and studies the dress. I wait for her to say something negative like she always does. I look at Alex, and it looks like she’s holding her breath.

“It’s pretty,” she says, surprising me. “I knew you wouldn’t care for the frilly stuff. This will look good on you.” My mother’s face spreads into a genuine smile.

“Thank you.” I take the magazine and flip to the back. “This is what Addison is going to wear. She has a poufy version of my dress. Molly wants to know if you want to get dark blue dresses to offset the light blue that Alex and Ananda are wearing.”

Her smile dips as soon as she hears the name Molly. She purses her lips and takes her reading glasses off her face. Alex stands up, her stomach protruding. She places a hand on it and wobbles away, telling us that the baby is sitting on her bladder.

“I suppose that means I’m invited to my daughter’s wedding then. I honestly wasn’t sure until just now. I guess I should be grateful.”

Deciding not to take the bait, I say, “I was always going to invite you.” I stand and take the magazine. “Let’s not do this.”

“Running away again.” That stops me in my tracks. Adam telling me that I’m a runner comes to mind. So, I stand my ground and turn to face her. “Every time I come near you, you flee.” I stand there in stony silence and wait for her to say more. “I’m your mother. We should be able to have a conversation, Melanie. I’m not perfect, but I never laid a hand on you. I’ve always loved you and wanted the best for you. I still do.”

“You have a funny way of showing it.”

“Why? Because I pushed you? Because I had high expectations.”

“Because you spent my entire life making me feel less than when I couldn’t meet the expectations that you set. Because on one of the most important days of my life, I heard you tell my aunt that you wish you had stopped having kids after you had Jason. And that I was nothing but trouble and difficult to be around. I thought you’d appreciate my absence.”

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