Melt My Heart

by Anna Cove

  She would not let that happen to her and Laura.

  "I can imagine how tired you are with how much you wake at night with Aaron," she said, attempting to empathize the way her therapist had taught her. "Plus, caring for someone twenty-four seven... I never realized how relentless it was before Aaron."

  "Yes..." Laura said. "But it's not like I don't have space for anything else. I have room for you, and other things."

  "Oh, I'm not..." Dylan turned around and started walking backward so she could face Laura. "I'm not trying to demand more attention."

  Laura pulled a strand of hair out of her mouth and glanced away.

  What was she hiding? What was so bad that she couldn't tell Dylan? Dylan felt like she could see the shape of the thing, but not the details. Get to the point, Wilson. "I'm just trying to make sure that we're okay, that there's nothing I can do to help us move forward. I've been going to therapy, like you asked, and I think... no I know I'm healthier than ever. I want to be the best partner I possibly can to you. And the only way we can do that is if we share our feelings."

  Dylan touched Laura's shoulder. Just the light tap made her stop walking, made her come back from that distracted place, made her look Dylan in the face. There was something. Dylan could see it. Feel it.

  "Whatever it is, you don't have to worry about me falling apart or leaving again. I've got support systems. I'm talking to people. I can handle it, I promise. Unless..." Dylan shifted, dropping her hand to her side as something she hadn't considered came to the fore of her mind. "Unless you don't want to be with me. I mean... I can take that, too, I guess."

  "Dylan." Laura grasped Dylan's hand and squeezed it. She brought it to the center of her chest. Dylan felt her heart beat a steady rhythm. "I want to be with you."

  Dylan believed her. How could they be so connected in this moment and be lying to one another? Unless Laura is lying to herself, her brain said, jumping to the worst possible conclusion. "Then what is it?"

  "Cal called me the other day. He has some papers for me to sign. The Beautiful Ones agreed to release me without a lawsuit."

  "That's great! So what's bothering you?"

  Laura played with her hands. "I'm really nervous. I've always had a cast and a crew and a team around me. Now, striking out on my own... I don't know if I can do it."

  Dylan was so happy that this wasn't about her that she practically gushed with joy. "But you're brilliant. You've got talent. You're determined and you know what you want. I've seen what you can make and how good you are at drawing people out. Look what you did with me, and I was arguably an impossible case. If anyone can strike out on their own and succeed, Laura, it's you."

  Laura smiled in a way Dylan hadn't seen for a long time. Then her body melted into Dylan and she kissed her on the lips. "You're adorable, you know that?"

  "And you're gorgeous," Dylan said, running her fingers through Laura's long waves. She still couldn't believe that Laura was hers.

  But whatever was bothering Laura was still there. Dylan could still see it, like a rain cloud hovering over Laura's head. She stepped back a little so she could breathe her own oxygen and think clearly. "But there's something else bothering you. What is it?"

  "I want a career. I need my career. Heading up that search operation for Jo—"

  "Which you killed, by the way," Dylan said. She still felt guilty for how she had treated Laura that day. No amount of these interjections would make up for it, but she would try anyway. She would try until she died.

  "Thank you. It made me see that I was born to direct people. It's not like I want to go back to The Beautiful Ones or anything, but..." Laura's eyes grew worried and she searched Dylan's face as she spoke.

  What was she looking for? "Am I missing something? Why do you look so concerned?"

  "Because it could be brutal. Whatever it takes could mean getting involved in things that would bring the paparazzi back into my life. It could mean moving back to L.A. or New York. It could mean travel and lots of time away from one another. I've lived this life before with a partner. It's hard on a relationship."

  Dylan didn't want to plaster it over with platitudes. People had often done that with her after Katie had died, as if they couldn't stand the spot on the wall and they had to paper it over so they couldn't see what was underneath. What they didn't realize was that the spot was grease, and it would soak through the wallpaper in very little time at all.

  So, she considered what Laura was saying. It would be hard. They would either try for something long distance or, if Dylan really wanted it to work, she would pack up her life and move to the city with her... and just when she had started to develop a life here in Love Falls. But she could easily get a job in the city. Or maybe she could do something else. Stay home with Aaron or start a nonprofit organization.

  Her kids.

  Leaving them would be the hardest part. That and not having Sky. But the thought of losing Laura and Aaron at this point was not only hard, but unimaginable. Even if Dylan came up once a month, she could maintain her friendship with Skylar. She would just have to make an effort. God knows it was her turn to make an effort in her relationships. Better Together would find another mentor. Maybe even Kell would do it.

  Maybe not Kell. Not Sky, but maybe one of the other women on the crew team? Dylan wished she had gotten to know them better. Alex seemed nice, and her experience as a therapist would be useful in helping some of the kids. Maybe she and her wife Jenny could do it together. Maybe they could all take turns.

  Dylan shook her head. She was getting into the weeds when all she needed to know was that she wanted to be with Laura. That was it.

  She held Laura's hands and gave them a squeeze. "I'm willing to do whatever it takes to be with you. If that means going down to the city, fine. If that means dealing with the paparazzi—I will be the best bodyguard you have ever met in your entire life. If that means attending a few galas and parties, I will rent a tux and be your date. If you want that," she added shyly.

  Laura's face broke into that smile that made her look like she'd never suffered a single pain in her entire life. It was only because Dylan knew her history, how she had grown up as an orphan, and what she had gone through to get to this point, that she knew that smile was the most amazing sight in the entire world. "I would be honored to have you as my date to this fictional gala, and I would be the luckiest woman in the room."

  Laura slid her palms over Dylan's shoulders and drew her in for a kiss. It may have lacked the intensity of other kisses, but it had so much more in it. It had relief and love and forgiveness, and Dylan drank it all down like she had been stranded in the desert without water for a day. Dylan's happiness soared higher than she thought possible.

  She broke away. "When do we leave?"

  "Well, not 'til after the carnival, obviously. We can stay as long as possible, until I need to start taking meetings." Laura spoke in an excited way now, and it only made Dylan happier to see that whatever was between them had cleared. That only potential and possibility and this new life was between them now. "I don't know how long that will take, but I know what I want now. I'm not going to give up. I'm going to keep pounding on doors and making calls until they're all sick of me."

  "You'll be great."

  Laura kissed Dylan again and again on the lips. "I can't wait to start our lives together."

  Dylan kissed her back, giggling like a little girl. "I think we already have."

  On their way back to the cabin, Dylan felt like she was walking on air. They spoke about New York City like they never had before. Laura told Dylan about all the cool places to eat and hang out. They talked about the touristy things that were on Dylan's bucket list. They made plans.

  They arrived back at the cabin far lighter than when they'd left, with only the future stretching out before them.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  "OH, YES, THANK YOU for your time. I completely understand where you're coming from."

  Laura hung up the pho
ne and set it in her lap. It was the tenth phone call she'd made that morning, the fifty-seventh this week, and she'd received the same answer every time. No one was willing to work with her. No one knew anyone who was looking for what she had to offer. And she could hear in the tone of their voices—a pall over every phone call—no one had forgotten who she was. No one had forgiven her for her violent and very public outburst. As far as everyone in the film industry was concerned, she was radioactive.

  This might have discouraged her once, but now she had the inspiration she needed to persist in the form of Dylan and Aaron. They lay on the floor as the baby did his tummy time exercises. It was adorable, the way Dylan made faces at him, the way Aaron mimicked Dylan, and Laura found herself smiling at the sight. She had a family, for the first time in her life, and just the thought made her feel an overwhelming rush of emotions.

  She shook the emotions away and tapped out the next number.

  "Have you thought about going indie? About financing your own film?" Dylan asked, interrupting Laura's inner pep talk to herself.

  "I did that with my shorts. I just can't get them to the quality that I'd like to achieve."

  Dylan sat up. "Well, look at all those videos you've taken of us with just your phone. I'm guessing you have the equipment. You can buy it if you don't. Or I can buy it for you."

  "It's not about the money." If it was, Laura could just buy her way into a deal. Though it was adorable Dylan was offering to gift equipment to her, nonetheless. "Making a movie takes a lot of different people in many different roles. Researchers and production assistants and—"

  "Well, what if you did something more personal and intimate than what you've done before? You wouldn't need all those people. Sky knows a little something about marketing. I'm sure she can help you with it."

  "Thanks, but... are you just suggesting this so we don't have to move to New York City?"

  Dylan raised an eyebrow. "I'm fine going wherever we need to go for you, love. I'll go to New York City, Los Angeles, Mumbai or the North Pole. I'm just trying to get that beautiful brain of yours thinking in a different way."

  I don't want to do this in a different way, Laura's "beautiful" brain whined. She wanted funding, and the backing of a studio. She stood, stretched, and went to the refrigerator for a glass of homemade iced tea. She poured two and brought one to Dylan.

  By that time, Dylan had transferred Aaron into her lap and was pretending to eat his belly—nom nom nom nom—and his laughs echoed through the house. Laura felt separate, apart, grumpy, and rickety. She eased herself down on the floor with them, hoping to soak in their joy. She leaned her head on Dylan's shoulder. Dylan leaned her head on top of hers and Laura let out a long sigh.

  Aaron stilled, seeming to sense the vibe in the room.

  "I don't know if I can get anyone to take me seriously. I think I stayed in the soap world for too long. Those two rom-coms I did recently didn't help either."

  "You're going to succeed at this," Dylan murmured into her hair. "I know it. I know it."

  Laura breathed in Dylan's quiet strength and tried to hold on to it. But she was tired. So, so tired.

  "You'll feel better after today. After you sign those papers for The Beautiful Ones. Then you won't be in limbo with your career any longer, and you can use all your vast resources for your documentaries."

  "You're right." Laura lifted her heavy head. "Are you two okay? I'm going to go into the bedroom and make a few more calls before Cal gets here. I can focus better without you guys shrieking in the background."

  "Yeah, we're fine. Right, buddy?"

  Aaron smiled. Laura leaned down and kissed him on the cheek, then she kissed Dylan as well, lingering for a moment. "You're a wise, wise woman, Dylan Wilson."

  "Only because of you, Laura Munro."

  Laura lifted her eyebrows and shook her head. "It was all you."

  "Fine, it was all me, but I'm only admitting that so we can stop this madness and you can make your phone calls. Go!" Dylan swatted Laura's butt. Laughter followed her into the bedroom.

  Five failed calls later, Aaron was crying for food, Dylan was knocking on the door, and the doorbell was ringing. Laura opened the bedroom door and gathered Aaron in her arms. "Can you get the door for me?"

  "Sure." Dylan ran a hand through her hair, her nerves showing themselves.

  "I'll be as fast as I can."

  "No problem." Dylan nodded once, as if to reassure herself. "Take your time. I'll get Cal something to eat and drink while we're waiting."

  Laura left the door open a crack in case Dylan needed her. She started feeding Aaron. Cal and Dylan were in the kitchen speaking quietly. She couldn't make out what they were saying but their tones sounded genial enough. She relaxed into the backboard of the bed, the sleepy hormones making her eyes droop. It was odd, she thought in that liminal space, how the most important people in her life were now together in one place.

  She jolted awake sometime later. There was silence outside, and Aaron was asleep in her arms. The clock read past two which meant that she had been in there for a half hour. Where had her guests gone? Maybe for a walk, or one of them was in the bathroom. Maybe they'd had a fight and Cal had gone outside or home. She hoped it wasn't the latter as she really needed some closure before she could move forward.

  No matter the case, it was time to go out there and see.

  Laura eased Aaron into his bassinet as slowly as she could so as not to wake him, but just as she was freeing her fingertips from underneath his weight, the door opened and its squeak made Aaron's eyes shoot open. He looked at her and started wailing. There was no way he'd go back to sleep now so Laura picked him up and put him over her shoulder.

  "I'm so sorry," Dylan whispered, cringing. "I should have waited. I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

  Laura hushed Aaron and bounced him. "It's fine. I almost never get him from my arms into the bassinet anyway. Is Cal still here?"

  Something crossed over Dylan's face, but it was so subtle Laura couldn't be sure she had seen anything. Dylan entered the room and closed the door behind her. It was a tension around the eyes. That's what was different. "He's fine. He's in the kitchen eating his second sandwich. Healthy appetite, that one."

  Dylan lingered as Aaron calmed, his cries dwindling to murmurs.

  "What is it?" Laura asked.

  "Nothing, I just... never mind. It's fine." She gave Laura a tight smile. "I'll take Aaron and you can go out there and sign the papers."

  "No, I'd like to introduce Aaron to Cal. Let's go have some lunch and then we'll move on to business."

  Dylan compressed her lips in a thin line and nodded. She was acting weird. Had something happened? If so, she didn't have time to get into it now.

  "Well, let's go." Laura double-checked her blouse to make sure it was buttoned correctly and made her entrance back into the cabin.

  Cal's whole face brightened as he saw her. He put down his sandwich, rubbed his hands together, and launched off the stool in her direction. "Lo! You look great."

  Laura had been nervous about this moment. Would he sulk? Would he be upset about this whole thing? Would she feel resentment toward him? But when he crushed her into a hug, it all felt right again. He kissed the side of her head, then pulled back and held her by the shoulders. "How are you feeling, mama?"

  No one had asked her that in a long time. "Tired," she said.

  "You're glowing." He leaned forward and kissed her cheek. "God, I missed you so much."

  "I've missed you, too." Laura took in every bit of him. He was both familiar, familiar enough to seem almost like a part of her, and foreign in that there was something different about him. Laura couldn't pinpoint what it was. He was wearing the same suit, the same charming smile. His voice sounded the same. Had it just been that she hadn't seen him for a while?

  She really had missed him. She missed having a friend who knew her before she became Laura Munro. Who had seen her through her dark times and therapy and recovery
and building a career. Tears pricked her eyes as she realized their relationship was about to shift in a big way.

  After a few moments, Laura cleared her throat of its gathering scruff and turned toward Dylan. "I'm sure you two introduced yourselves to one another, but Dylan, this is Cal, my best friend in the world, and Cal, this is Dylan, my girlfriend."

  "Girlfriend? Wait. You mean, you two..." His finger traveled between them. Confusion, denial, and confusion again flitted across his perfect features.

  Laura stretched her free arm around Dylan's waist, bringing her close. "Yes," she said simply.

  Cal's face blanked of emotion. "You know what? I am dying to hold that little guy. Pass him over."

  Laura didn't so much hand Aaron to Cal as Cal lifted him from her arms. And she let him, trading a glance with Dylan. They had a whole conversation in silence.

  Why didn't you introduce yourself as my girlfriend?

  Why would I?

  Laura could infer the rest. She wasn't going to jump to conclusions and think Dylan was ashamed of her. She knew she wasn't. Dylan was respecting her, allowing Laura to tell who she wanted to. It was the adult thing to do in the relationship and Laura loved her more for it.

  She dragged Dylan toward her for a kiss.

  Cal lifted Aaron and swung him around like an airplane. Laura broke the kiss, her motherly instincts knotting her chest. "Be careful with him," she said, unable to help herself.

  Cal eased him to a stop and gathered him close. "Mommy doesn't want Uncle Cal to play with you like that so we'll just sit here and do some nice things while she makes out with her girlfriend."

  "Cal."

  "What? He likes it. And he likes being turned upside down too. Ahhhh." He tipped Aaron over until he was upside down. Aaron squealed and so did Laura when she saw how close his head came to the ground.

  "Okay, that's enough," she said. "I'll take him back now."

  Cal righted the baby and walked over to Laura. He brushed his whole side up against her as he transferred Aaron back into her arms. "He's almost as beautiful as you, Lo."