Page 13 of Forbidden Secrets
“It’s better if I meet you there since I’ll have to drop my daughter off.I’ll text you if there’s a problem with childcare.”
“Okay.”After swapping numbers, he said, “I’m looking forward to it.”
Stepping out of the bank and onto the sun-warmed boardwalk, Melanie reminded herself people could change.Fifteen years had passed, and Chase wasn’t the same person he’d been in high school, and neither was she.
Maybe he deserved the benefit of the doubt.
But the truth was, she wanted to uncover anything he knew and had only agreed to meet him as a first step into her investigation.
CHAPTER FOUR
Melanie and Addy had reestablished their morning routine and it had run well all week.Except Friday morning.Addy insisted only her purple and pink striped socks would work with her outfit, and while Mel was pretty sure two purple and pink socks had gone into the washer, only one had made it out of the dryer.In the laundry room, she pawed through the basket of clean clothes.
“You need to be flexible, Addy.”She held up matching socks.“I don’t know where the other striped sock is, but you have two purple ones right here that match, and if we don’t hurry, you’ll miss the bus.”
“I want my striped socks and if I miss the bus, you can take me.”
“I’m wearing flannel pants and a sweatshirt with a bleach stain.I haven’t had caffeine.And the bus driver takes you to school so I don’t have to.”
Addy glared at her mutinously.“Nobody cares what moms wear and you’re grumpy.”
“Nobody cares if your socks are pink and purple either, and I’m not grumpy.”Was she?Waking that morning with the realization that this evening she was meeting Chase could lead to a case of the grumps.
Did he think it was a date?She’d text him and suggest a time before the “date zone” she pegged at from six to nine.Maybe she could get away with only having a glass of wine.
But her immediate challenge was getting Addy out the door and on the bus.
Melanie pushed aside the laundry basket and studied her daughter.Addy was not a difficult child and could usually be reasoned with, but she’d been out of sorts since she’d gotten home the previous afternoon.
“What’s going on, Addy?Did something happen at school that upset you?”
Addy hung her head and shrugged her thin shoulders.
“Adelyn?”
Another shrug, then she mumbled, “This kid called me gummy because my top teeth came out.”
Mel sat next to Addy on the floor where they leaned with their backs against the washer.
“Who called you gummy?”
“A boy on the playground.He’s in the other first grade class.His name is Liam.Liam’s a dumb name and he’s mean.”
“You know everyone loses their teeth and the new ones grow back.Yours will come in soon.But Liam calling you gummy is unkind.People say hurtful things for all sorts of reasons, but it doesn’t make it right.”
“He pushed me when we were in line.”
“He pushed you?”Oh hell no.“Tell me what happened.”She wrapped an arm around Addy’s shoulders and brought her into her side.
“We were lining up to go to the library and he pushed me and took cuts.”Addy’s tone was indignant.“But Olivia told him he’s a pathetic little worm and I told him not to push me again.”
Mel wanted to do more than call Liam a pathetic little worm, but being an adult meant she couldn’t hunt the kid down.“I’m glad you’re sticking up for yourself and that Olivia backed you up.Though calling him a name back probably doesn’t help.
But Addy?I want you to tell your teacher if he keeps it up.He’s being a bully, and isnotallowed to touch you.”The kid needed to have that drilled into his head.
“Okay.”Addy’s sigh was heavy for a six-year-old.“I guess I’ll wear the purple socks.”
Melanie kissed her daughter on the top of her head and held her close for another moment.
