Page 37 of Only in Our Dream
Mia offered a sympathetic smile. “I know all of this has been a lot for you. Especially with Rob,” she hesitated slightly, looking unsure if she should say anything more, “well. You know.”
And Melanie did know. She knew in a town as small as Moonflower Cove that word would get out about her husband’s new girlfriend. Especially to his sister-in-law. There was little doubt in Melanie’s mind that Rob had told his brother about Janet.
Janet.
Melanie tried not to scoff at the name.
The only thing keeping her from being bitter was the fact she now was free to pursue things with Cameron. Because, unlike Rob, Melanie wasn’t a cheater.
“You know, I selfishly hate losing you as part of the family, but it’s also so great to see you so happy again. It reminds me of when I first met you.”
Melanie cocked her head. “What do you mean?”
“You know,” Mia suddenly looked nervous, “you just look happy. Not that you weren’t happy before. With Rob. I’m sure you were. I mean, why else would you have stayed married for so long?”
Mia’s nervous laugh matched how Melanie felt.
“I’m just glad you’re happy. That’s all.”
“Thanks, Mia.”
“And I’m sorry if I overstepped. You know me,” she sighed, “always talking before thinking.”
“It’s okay.” Melanie waved her off. “It’s my fault for not reaching out before now.”
“Let’s not let that happen again, okay?”
“For sure.”
“Maybe we can grab dinner sometime soon? Maybe after the holidays?”
“That would be nice.”
“Great. It’s a date.”
Melanie tried not to overthink about the implication that she was no longer invited to the Sullivan family Thanksgiving. The thought settled hard in the pit of her stomach. It was something she hadn’t thought about until now. All her holidays had been spent with Rob’s family since Melanie didn’t have close family. Although she knew she could spend Thanksgiving with any of her friends, she also knew they all had their own traditions she didn’t want to butt into.
There were clearly still some things that Melanie hadn’t thought about when it came to divorce.
Ugh. Divorce life is weird.
“Jade and the kids are on the playground, if you want to say hi.”
“Yeah, for sure.” Melanie rubbed Lucy’s ears. “I’m just going to take Lucy to the dog park really quick and let her run some more energy out, but I’ll be back.”
“How about I send Jade down your way?”
Mia seemed to know that Melanie was unsure about seeing Jade or her kids. Not that Melanie didn’t want to see them. She did. Melanie just wished she had a better excuse to duck out before seeing her eldest niece for the first time post-divorce announcement.
After saying goodbye and promising again to meet up, Melanie walked to the dog park with Lucy by her side. There were a few other dogs in the fenced in area, so Lucy quicklyscampered off to see her friends. Melanie recognized a few of the dogs, more so than their owners, from previous visits to the park. Crossing her arms over her chest, Melanie made her way over to the corner to the large fenced-in area that was bathed in sunlight. She took a seat on the wooden bench as she watched Lucy run around with a Golden Retriever.
Her eyes shifted to the woman walking in through the gate. Melanie smiled sweetly at her niece. Jade Strickland was the spitting image of her mother with her blue-green eyes and dark blonde hair. The dark green jacket was zipped halfway up, revealing an Eagles sweatshirt. She waved shyly at Melanie as Melanie stood to hug her.
“Hey,” Jade’s sweet voice made Melanie smile as she pulled her niece into a hug.
“Hey, sweetheart.” Melanie kissed her cheek. “It’s good to see you.”
“It’s good to see you, too, Aunt Mel.” They sat back down on the bench, turning slightly to face each other with their knees touching. “I’m sorry I haven’t called. I didn’t know what to say.”
