Happy Friday! Chapter 4 is going to be a 2-parter, since it got a little long winded. So here is Chapter 4 Part 1. Enjoy!
Chapter 4Part 1Melanie was putting some dishes away when she heard the kitchen door and turned to find Maggie, holding Parker’s hand and guiding him in the house.
Maggie smiled up at Melanie, and leaned down to Parker, “Can you go give Melanie a hug?” She let go of his hand as he ran over to Melanie and gave her a hug, as she scooped him up. She closed her eyes tightly, as tears dripped to her cheeks. Maggie wiped her own tears, setting her things down on the table she stood, watching. Parker released himself from the hug and leaned back to look at her.
He touched her tear with his index finger, “Why you crying? Don’t cry!”
Melanie smiled, “I’m not sad… I’m happy.”
He looked confused at her, then back to Maggie. “She crying.”
Maggie nods, “It’s okay, honey. She is happy to see you!”
He looks back to Melanie and smiles, hugging her again.
Melanie looks to Maggie, who nods, “Is he not the sweetest thing?”
Parker leans back and rests quietly in Melanie’s arms. Melanie kisses his head and looks down at him, “So, young man, are you hungry?”
Parker shrugs, then his face lights up, “Cookie?!”
Melanie laughs and looks to Maggie, “Well, I think I have the supplies, if maybe grandma can teach us how to make her famous chocolate chip cookies?!”
She looks back to Maggie; Parker follows and points to her, “Grandma?”
Maggie smiles, as Melanie laughs, “Well she’s my grandma...” she looks back at Maggie, “But I guess she’s kind of your grandma too, huh?”
Parker nods happily as Maggie makes her way over to them, “You two go get Parker the stool so we can get baking!”
Melanie sets him down and they scurry away. Maggie takes a deep breath, wipes her tears, then begins to gather things from the kitchen to bake with.
Baking was in full swing and Parker couldn’t have been happier. He stood at the island on a step stool, with Melanie and Maggie on either side of him, in the midst of a huge flour cloud, mixing his own small separate bowl of batter. He pats Maggie’s arm, to get her attention.
She looks down at him and laughs, “Parker! You have flour all over your face…”
Melanie chuckles and walks to the other side and observes the Parker sized hand print on her grandmother’s sleeve, “Yah, and now all over your shirt!”
They both laugh as Parker goes back to mixing and Maggie and Melanie begin to plop their cookies on the cookie sheet.
He observes, “Hey! I needa do dat too!” He puts his spoon into the batter and uses his other bare hand to collect the excess batter and plops a large dollop in the middle of the cookie sheet.
Maggie laughs, “Do you think you’re making a cookie cake, my love?”
He smiles up at her and nods, “Really really BIG cookie!!”
They all laugh and continue to keep busy when someone knocks at the door, and then the door opens. Maggie and Melanie both look up to find a smiling Daniel in the doorway.
Melanie smiles, “Dad!”
Parker looks up, “Dad?!”
Daniel’s face falls, Maggie and Melanie both look up.
Melanie points to Daniel, “That’s my dad!”
“My dad too?” Parker questions, confused.
Melanie looks at Daniel who is standing, silently looking at the little boy. She smiles, nervously, “No, Parker, just my dad.”
Parker looks up at Maggie, “My grandma?”
Daniel sighs, and shakes his head, wondering what he may have gotten himself into and fighting the urge to turn around and walk back out the door.
Maggie laughs nervously, catching Daniel’s look, “He’s confused, because Melanie told him that I was her grandma, and I could be his grandma too… just a little, uh- I’m sorry, darling.” She sighs.
Daniel shakes his head and makes his way over to Maggie, “It’s fine…” He kisses her cheek and then hugs Melanie. He addresses Parker and can’t help but laugh at the flour all over his face, a face that is the spitting image of Phillip.
Maggie leans down, “That’s Daniel, can you say hi?”
Parker smiles, “Hi, Daniel! Wanna make cookie?”
He laughs, “I think I’ll pass on the baking. But I’m glad to see that the 3 of you are having fun!”
Parker giggles, “Look ah- my big cookie!!” he points to the huge plop of batter on the cookie sheet.
Maggie raises her eyebrows and nods.
Daniel laughs, “I think you messed up the pattern, Parker…”
“And she thought baking with ME was difficult!” Melanie laughs.
They all laugh and continue to bake, as Daniel helps himself to the bag of chocolate chips.
After Maggie and Parker had headed home, Daniel was sitting at the kitchen table as Melanie scurried around the kitchen, putting things back in their place.
She turned to face him, “You’ve been working all day- you’re probably starving! Want me to make you something? Or we could order a pizza, maybe?”
He shakes his head, smiling, “I’m fine, honey. I really am. Is, uh, Chad working tonight?”
“Yeah,” She leans over and flicks the switch for the dish washer before turning and walking to the refrigerator, peering inside, she pulls out leftover casserole, with a smile, “Chicken casserole?”
“Oh, yes.” He nods, ushering her to bring it over, “Broccoli in it?”
“No, Peas.” She grabs two forks and sets the dish on the table in front of them.
He smiles, “The best!” He digs his fork in and enjoys the cold casserole, “I’m glad the cook isn’t here to see this…” He raises an eye brow.
Melanie laughs, “Hah, yeah. Oh, you mean, Chef Maggie, the ‘warm that up!’ police?”
Daniel laughs, shaking his head, enjoying another bite, he looks up at Melanie, “So, how are you doing?”
She looks at him, her smile fading, she shrugs, “Fine. How about you? I’m sorry about all of that with Parker…”
“Oh, no. Don’t apologize. It’s no big deal. I’m glad you got to spend some time with him.”
She raises her eyebrows and nods, “Yeah. Probably will get plenty opportunities to do so, since Phillip isn’t going anywhere any time soon.”
Daniel’s eyes widen, “He’s moving back?”
She nods, her mouth full of food, “Yep. He’s going to run Titan, apparently.”
“I should have seen that coming. Well, that’s going to be different, right?”
She shrugs, “I guess.”
“What does Chad think of all of this?” Daniel looks up with his eyes.
She lowers her brow, “What do you mean?”
“Has he had anything to say about any of this?”
She shakes her head, “Just that he’s sorry I have to deal with it.”
Daniel gets up, grabbing a glass, and heads to the refrigerator filling it with water.
Melanie turns in her chair, to face him, “Why did you ask me that?”
“I don’t know,” He heads back to the table and sits down, “Chad’s your boyfriend. You guys are pretty serious. And your ex-husband just came back to town.”
“Oh, Chad doesn’t care!” She brushes it off, “It’s not like there is anything he has to worry about! Phillip and I were done a long time ago.”
Daniel set his water down and looked at her intently as she picked at the casserole, “Why did it bother you so much to see him today, then?”
She tilts her head confused, “Dad, are you serious? It just did! Like you said, he’s my ex husband!”
Daniel shrugged, “Okay. I just want you to be honest with yourself, that’s all.”
“What are you saying?”
He sighs, “I’m just saying that I know your position. I have my fair share of ex’s. But there are some that could walk back into my life after years of not having contact and it wouldn’t bother me at all. There are others… that I would have a hard time with.” He shrugs.
She continues to play with the casserole, her eyes looking up to meet his, “Phillip hurt me. He hurt you. There is no going back from that.”
“It’s been a long time, though… it would be normal for you to be feeling something.”
She takes a deep breath and stands abruptly from the table, taking the casserole with her, “Well I’m not.” She opens the garbage and dumps the few remnants of casserole. She looks back to him, “Why would you say that?”
Daniel smiles small, “You’re my daughter. I just know you pretty well… and the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”
She sets the dish in the sink and comes back to the table, sitting down, she takes a deep breath before focusing on picking her nail polish, “But, I love Chad.” She looks up, her eyes misty.
“Of course you do… I never said that you didn’t. But you loved Phillip at one time too.”
“I did. But that was in the past.” She looks up, “I mean, if Chloe came back, you wouldn’t have any feelings for her! When it’s over, it’s over.” She shrugs.
He raises an eyebrow, “I loved Chloe… if she walked through that door right now, I can tell you it would not be easy.”
“Well it’s not supposed to be, right? That’s how you are supposed to feel when you see an ex. When you were so in love with somebody at one time, it’s going to be hard to see them again. I mean, those feelings don’t just disappear.”
Daniel’s eyes widen, “Are you listening to yourself?”
She looked up, wide-eyed, “What?”
“You should take your own advice…”
She looks up, her eyes narrow, “So should you!” She mocked.
He chuckles, taking another drink of water, as Melanie sits, slumped in the chair, focusing on her hands.
She sighs, meeting her father's eyes, "Listen, just because you have feelings for someone doesn't mean you can be together. Obviously. Doesn't even mean that you WANT to be together!! I'll just have to get used this, that's all. It's nothing..." She shakes her head, with a nervous chuckle.
