by Grace Palmer
Drew sat back and glanced at Rachel, who gave him a thumbs up. Yeah, this job was boring, but at least he seemed to be getting the hang of it. One way or another, he’d have to make it work.
4
Melanie
Melanie sat at her usual table at The Roast and stirred a packet of stevia into her latte. Outside, she watched as the Wilsons, who owned the hardware shop across the street, attached their Christmas lights to the storefront windows. She smiled when Mrs. Wilson hoisted up their daughter, Laurel, so she could help. The little girl had to be about three years old now. She was a precious child who was very attached to the family’s Border collie, Jack. Jack was among Melanie’s favorite patients at her clinic—always easy to examine and treat and extremely partial to face licks.
“Can I get you anything else?” the waitress, a young girl of about twenty, asked. Melanie was about to answer when a voice called out from behind.
“She would like a cream puff, bourbon vanilla. And a chocolate bomb.” Vivienne Russell smiled brightly at her. Melanie looked up and smiled at the tall brunette woman who smiled down at her.
“We’re out of choc bombs,” the young girl replied. In reality, Melanie was not much younger than Vivienne, but she was always marveling at the woman’s vigor. She was not only the proprietor of the most popular coffee house on Willow Beach, but also mom to two rambunctious boys and a newborn. It was a marvel that she managed to keep such high spirits all the time.
“We have a couple stashed away in the back, in my office,” Vivienne said with a teasing nudge of the elbow to her employee. “For special occasions.”
She winked, but Melanie hardly noticed. She was too mesmerized by Vivienne’s newborn son, who was presently strapped into the baby-Bjorn on his mother’s chest. Noticing her fascination, Vivienne turned so she could get a better look.
The boy, whose name was Ethan, was asleep. He had chubby cheeks and a headful of chestnut colored hair, partially hidden under a knitted wool cap. She wasn’t sure if her mind was playing tricks on her, but Melanie was sure the pleasant new baby scent still clung to the child, mixed with the vanilla which always seemed to hover around Vivienne.
“Isn’t he precious?” His mother beamed at her. “I find myself staring at him at all hours and can’t quite believe that he is mine.” She cradled his head gently and kissed his wool cap.
“He’s gorgeous. You are so lucky, Viv.”
“I think so. Although Dan and Grant are still highly upset that we didn’t have a girl. They are nuts about Ethan, but they insist we try again for a girl as soon as possible.”
She chuckled. Then, suddenly, her eyes grew wide, and she snapped her fingers like a lightbulb was lighting up over her head. “Hey, something just occurred to me: I’m having a Netflix and wine night with Tasha next Thursday. Why don’t you join us? I’ll be chilling with a cup of hot chocolate instead of wine, of course, so you’ll have to do my drinking for me.”
Vivienne winked again, so casual and carefree. Her happiness radiated off of her and made Melanie both happy and a little sad. Happy for her friend, and sad because a part of her—a growing part, if she was honest—wanted to trade places with Vivienne.
“Mel?” Vivienne grinned at her when she looked up.
“Yes! I’m sorry, that was rude. Yes, I would love to.”
“Wonderful! I could really use some girl time. Jordyn can watch the boys. And I know you can’t wait to hold this little fellow again.” Vivienne rocked her boy gently back and forth.
Melanie blushed, feeling self-conscious about how obvious her preoccupation with the baby was.
Vivienne laughed. “No need to be embarrassed. Everyone is obsessed with Ethan, me included. He’s more popular than I could ever hope to be. Maybe it’s about time you had a little one of your own. Drop a few hints in Colin’s direction, you know what I mean?” She waggled her hips teasingly, but before Melanie could reply, the waitress returned with a plate containing the mouthwatering cream puff and a couple of Vivienne’s famous chocolate bombs.
“It’s on the house,” she told the waitress before leaving.
Melanie protested, “You don’t have to…”
“I won’t hear it. Enjoy your meal. I have to go and make sure my house is ready for the Walkabout tonight. You are coming, right?”
Melanie nodded. “Of course. The whole family is planning to walk together. Are you coming to Mom’s after party?”
Vivienne grimaced at this and shook her head. “I would like to, but I like sleep more these days. But you have a great time, yeah? I’ll see you next week.”
She departed then, leaving Melanie with a plate full of desserts she hadn’t planned on eating and a heart aching more than ever with the desire to have a baby. She sighed then and picked up her fork. For now, she’d have to fill the void inside of her with sweets.
“There you are!” Ashley called out when Melanie stepped back into the office after lunch. The young woman’s eyes were wide and her face flushed.
“What is the matter, Ashley? Did something happen?”
She nodded then and crossed the waiting room. “I was about to page you. Mrs. Swanson came in with a stray cat. A very, very pregnant stray cat. It’s getting ready to give birth, but I think there is something wrong.”
Melanie’s eyes wandered toward the young woman’s hand. It was bleeding from where the cat had scratched her up. This was unusual for Ashley, as she was very good with the animals—a natural, really.
When her brother Drew first approached Melanie about giving his girlfriend a job in her practice so she could get her feet wet while waiting to enroll in veterinary school, she’d been hesitant. She didn’t like hiring friends or family. She’d done it in the past and it hardly ever went well.
But Ashley was proving to be the exception to the rule. Thus far, she had not given Melanie any reason for regret. The opposite was true, in fact. She was wonderful with both the animals and their parents who frequented the practice. She couldn’t remember the last time Ashley got so much as a scratch on her.
“I think the kittens are in trouble, and the mama is definitely in distress.”
Melanie took off her coat, threw it over the reception desk, and rushed into the exam room where the cat was thrashing in the carrier. “Mrs. Swanson left?”
Ashley nodded. “She dropped the cat and booked it. She wanted to make sure we weren’t going to charge her for anything.”
Melanie scoffed at this. ‘Of course, she did. You haven’t had the questionable pleasure of dealing with her until now. She thinks she knows what’s wrong with any of her animals before I so much as get a look at them. She knows just what kind of treatment they need and will argue with you over every little detail. And then she will haggle over the bill. A true joy. And she just so happens to be my neighbor as well.”
Ashley winced. “That’s tough luck.”
Melanie grimaced in agreement and then peered into the carrier. The cat’s bright yellow eyes sparkled at her from inside. She hissed, a wave of terrible cat breath rolling out to hit Melanie square in the face.
“Well, on top of being pregnant, she likely has gingivitis or something worse, judging the smell.”
She opened the carrier and stuck her hand inside while Ashley watched her carefully, soaking in every movement.
After an exam and x-rays, both accompanied by much hissing and growling by the large, orange-and-white tabby cat, she returned the feline to the carrier.
“The issue is that her pelvic canal is too narrow and the kittens can’t get out. It looks like the litter is on the large side as well. She is young, no more than two years. Probably her first litter.” She stopped her flow of words and looked up at Ashley. “So, future Dr. Ashley Pearson, what do you recommend?”
Ashley licked her lips and fixed her eyes on the cat. The uncertainty was evident on her face and Melanie found herself reminded of her own early years. Every decision was fretted and mulled over again and again.
She smiled at her assistant. “You’re here to make mistakes, get your hands dirty. And you already know a lot. There are several options here moving forward. It’s just figuring out the best approach.”
Ashley nodded then. “I would move forward with a Caesarean section, in that case. Since she is so young and we don’t know how long she’s been in distress.”
Melanie grinned approvingly. “That’s what I would have chosen as well. Now, help me set up the operating room. But first, let’s pop out and have Annie reschedule the appointments for this afternoon.”
After Ashley left, Melanie bent down and looked into the carrier again. The cat was all the way in the back, hissing still and clearly in pain. “Don’t worry, Mama. We’ll get the babies out of you and before you know it, everything is going to be alright. Promise. I’m not going to let you die two weeks before Christmas. And certainly not on Walkabout Day.”
She stood straight and sighed, hoping that she was right.
Melanie walked up the sidewalk toward the Cape Cod-style home she shared with Colin. She smiled as she remembered the first time that he’d taken her to look at it. How at home she felt the moment she stepped inside, how strange it was that the house of his dreams was also her the house of hers.
She was about to turn up into her driveway, having walked home from the Wholesome Grocer market, when Lily Evans came her way, pushing a baby stroller in front of her. She waved Melanie down when she saw her.
“Dr. Baldwin! How are the kittens?”
Melanie turned, her cloth grocery bag in hand and tried to focus on Lily, instead of her baby.
“Mom said she dropped a pregnant stray off at your office earlier,” Lily explained.
Melanie did her best to relax. After all, Lily Evans was much more pleasant than her mother, Mrs. Swanson. “The cat is fine. We did a C-section, and I’m pleased to report all went well. Mother and all five kittens are fine.”
The woman’s face lit up in delight. “Wonderful news!” She bent forward and slipped into a baby voice as she addressed the child in the push cart. “See? Grandma might be a grumpy lady, but she loves furry babies.”
Melanie could not help herself. She glanced forward and peeked into the stroller. Her heart leapt as she saw the baby, a little girl who looked at her wide eyes and giggled.
“Going to the Walkabout later?” Lily asked.
Melanie tore her gaze from the child and focused her attention to the mother. “Yes, we are.”
“Great! Perhaps I’ll see you when you pass by our house. We’ll be standing outside, waving our hearts out while dressed as elves.”
Melanie chuckled politely and watched as they made their way down the street. She went up into the house and noticed at once that all the lights were on, a sure sign that Colin was home. He had a habit of lighting up the entire house as if electricity was free.
“Colin?” she called out as she heaved the shopping onto the kitchen counter. No answer.
Bandit, their little black rescue dog, greeted her with so much enthusiasm she almost tumbled over backwards. “Good boy, good boy. Now settle down, will you?” She leaned down and kissed the dog who then took off.
A moment later, the sound of a squeaking toy could be heard. He was such a wonderful dog. It was all thanks to him and his unfortunate run-in with Colin’s car that her life had turned out the way it had.
And what an almost perfect life it was, in an almost perfect house. She ran her hands over the granite counter tops. At least the kitchen was coming together, although other parts of the house still needed work, to put it mildly. It was livable, but she looked forward to finally being able to relax in their completed home.
She unpacked the groceries, leaving the free-range chicken and salad on the counter.
“Colin?” she called out again. When he didn’t reply, she headed toward their bedroom. The sound of water running in the shower greeted her and a pile of his clothes were on the floor. She picked them up and carried them downstairs with her, throwing them into the laundry hamper.
She glanced at the clock. Colin liked to take long showers, the kind that steamed up the entire room so much it was as though you were in a fog-filled landscape. She might have time to throw the salad together before he was done. Maybe even get the chicken ready for the oven.
Deciding that was the way to go, she returned to the kitchen and started on the salad. That done, she moved on to chop the onions when she heard Colin’s footsteps heading her way. Twenty minutes, about right for his usual shower time.
She smiled to herself. She’d planned the evening out in her head already. They’d have dinner, then relax for a little bit before heading out to the Walkabout, ending the day at her mother’s inn for the after party. She had been looking forward to it all day. And perhaps, just perhaps, there would be a chance to talk about the future. They’d been engaged for more than a year now, after all. Was a baby out of the question?
“Oh. Hi.” His hair was still wet from the shower and his tone weirdly flat. He opened the fridge without looking closer at her and popped a can of beer open.
Melanie’s smile faded at the state of him. His face had that strained expression she’d first seen the day Colin had run into Derek, her ex-husband, and realized Melanie hadn’t quite made up her mind about who she wanted to be with. She’d seen the expression a few times still, though never caused by her, fortunately.
“Hi. You okay?”
He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before shrugging. “Been better.”
She wetted her lips at this. “What happened?”
He nodded his chin toward the chicken and salad. “What’s that for?”
She frowned. Had he forgotten already? “Dinner?”
He shook his head. “Not hungry.” He took a swig of his beer.
“Liquid dinner tonight?” She was aware her voice sounded strained. She felt strained. She’d gone out of her way to put dinner together for them, and now he was waving it off with a monosyllabic grunt? Why?
Silently, she took the chicken and threw it in the freezer with enough force to let him know she was annoyed.
He noticed at once. She could tell by the way he sighed. “Mel.”
“It’s fine, Colin. I’ll just have my salad and then we can go to the Walkabout. You can always eat something at the afterparty later.”
A sharp intake of air made her look around. The expression on his face had changed to something full of regret.
“No, Colin. Don’t tell me you don’t want to go.”
He shrugged again. There was little Melanie disliked as much as the silent shrug treatment.
“What happened? You were in a good mood when I called you this afternoon.”
He leaned against the doorframe of their finished kitchen. “Had to let Alfie go. Sucks.”
“Alfie?” She frowned. A talented carpenter and all-around handyman, Alfie started working part-time with Colin, putting the finishing touches on the house. He was supposed to stay on until all the jobs that needed a second pair of hands were completed. Something must have soured between them.
Colin walked past her to the sink and poured what was left of the beer down the drain. Then, he turned and waved it in her direction before tossing it in the recycle bin.
“This. He was drunk again.”
“Oh, no, not again. I’m sorry Colin.”
He sighed. “Can’t be helped. He brought it on himself. Still, you know how I hate confrontation and firing him was unpleasant. He gave me the whole spiel. How is he supposed to pay his child support now? His ex-wife won’t let him see the kids if he can’t pay. How is he supposed to give them a nice Christmas? I ruined it for him, he claims. I’m a terrible person who ruined his life and he won’t stand for it. Said he’ll make me pay.”
Melanie made her way toward him and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head against his broad chest. “I’m sorry, Colin. You know that’s just the anger talking, of course. He can’t take responsibility for his own
mess-ups, so he needs to place it all elsewhere.” She felt his arms wrap around her shoulders, pulling her close.
“I know, Mel. I know. Thank you for understanding.”
They stood that way for a few moments until he pulled away. “Sorry about dinner. Salad’s probably soggy by now.”
“Probably, yeah. We can get a slice of pizza at Romano’s before the Walkabout. We can walk through the little Christmas market in the Founder’s Park while we eat, too. Check out the snow and the lights.”
He pressed his lips together and nodded. It was obvious he wanted nothing more than to skip out on the Walkabout, but she also knew that he felt guilty enough over ruining their dinner.
“Let me get my shoes on,” he said begrudgingly.
They arrived at Romano’s twenty minutes later. Leaving the house seemed to have improved Colin’s mood, at least marginally. Perhaps it was the snow flurries that were dancing through the air.
Colin jumped out of the car to retrieve the pizza, leaving Melanie in the car. She leaned her head out to watch the spectacle. Slowly but surely, the cobble stones on Main Street were beginning to disappear under a blanket of white. She smiled. This evening might turn out a success, after all.
When Colin re-entered the car, the smell of the freshly baked pizza made her stomach growl.
“Wanna eat in the car? Or step out and have pizza while we walk?”
He pointed out to the front of the restaurant where a line had formed. However, the wooden bench outside still had seating available.
She shook her head. “I think I changed my mind about the market. We’ll do a lot of walking anyway. Let’s park down the street, closer to where the Walkabout starts. I told Tasha we’d meet them there, at the Kennedy statue. We can eat while we wait.”
Colin gave her a nod and after another five-minute drive, they backed into the last available spot, wedged between a pickup truck and a Prius.
