Page 52 of Only in Our Dream
“I’m serious, Mel. You’re too hard on yourself sometimes. You have to give yourself some grace. Nothing about the last few months has been easy for you. You have earned the right to process that however you’ve needed. The girls will understand. They love you too much not to.”
She knew Cameron was right. Jade, Hunter, and Ashlyn loved her. Melanie knew that from their texts over the years, and especially since the divorce was announced. If anything, Melanie just needed to make time for them too so she felt less guilty about how happy she was at the idea of spending Christmas with the West family instead.
“You’re right.”
“I hate hearing that.” Cameron smirked, taking a sip of her Diet Coke.
“So,” she sat up in her seat slightly, “any ideas what I can get you or the kids for Christmas?”
“The kids are too spoiled. They don’t need anything.”
Melanie waved Cameron off dismissively with a laugh.
“Me, on the other hand,” Cameron twirled her hair around her finger, “I can think of a few things I want.”
“Oh, really now. Like what?”
“Like to finally be able to kiss you without feeling guilty.”
A heat coursed through Melanie’s body unlike anything she’d ever experienced before. Her palms started to sweat as she felt her face flashing. How did Cameron have such a pull over her like that? Licking her lips, Melanie tried to compose herself.
“Well, then let’s hope Santa brings me a finalized divorce for Christmas so we can make that happen.”
Chapter 17
Cameron
Being the good Southern woman her mama raised her to be, Cameron was born to be the host of any party. Especially if the parties were holiday themed. She loved decorating for Christmas more than anything, which was why she and the kids usually went all out for the holiday. Although she didn’t have big parties with lots of her friends, she did have the kids invite their own friends over for a party before the Christmas break.
Cameron grew more concerned each year that her house wouldn’t survive the presence of two dozen teenagers. How they could eatso muchfood was beyond her. Bottomless pits. That’s what teenagers were.
Thankfully for Cameron, that party had been over a week ago and her house and her refrigerator had returned to normal. Or well, as normal as could be for Christmas Eve. Cameron felt beyond frazzled at the idea that Melanie was spending her first Christmas with them.
Ever.
Never in their friendship had they spent the holiday together. Melanie was usually with Rob’s family while Cameron was withher kids. Sure, they’d gone to their fair share of the hospital’s Christmas parties together. But there was something different about Melanie coming over toherhouse for the holiday.
It would be their first holiday as an unofficial couple. Very unofficial, since Melanie’s divorce still wasn’t finalized. Cameron had selfishly hoped it would be before Christmas as her own little Christmas miracle. After all, Cameron wanted nothing more than to kiss Melanie freely under some mistletoe as if they were a part of some cheesy holiday movie.
But out of her deep respect for Melanie, Cameron would wait until the divorce was final.
Even if the wait killed her.
At least she had other things to focus on today. With Melanie set to arrive early the next morning, Cameron was desperately cleaning every inch of the house. Not that Melanie would give a shit. She’d seen the house when the kids were young and Cameron was working over forty hours a week. Although she knew Melanie wouldn’t care if there was dust on the mantle, it mattered to Cameron. She wanted to have a perfect holiday experience for her, the kids, and, of course, Melanie.
“Mother?” Dylan pulled Cameron from her thoughts, but that didn’t stop her from continuing to scrub the baseboards.
“Yeah?”
“What are you doing?”
“Cleaning the baseboards.”
“Why?”
Pausing, Cameron thought for a second as she watched the water from the sponge in her hand drip slowly onto the hardwood. Whywasshe on her hands and knees cleaning the baseboards when they’d never once been cleaned in all the years they’d lived there? It was a valid question.
“Because they’re dirty?” Cameron looked up at her daughter, whose arms were crossed over her chest. “I’m just trying to get the house clean.”
