“The nurse said you can go back at any time since you’ve been here all night.” I went to get up from the chair but Max put an arm on my shoulder, holding me down. “There’s something I wanted to talk with you about first.”
“Okay?” I questioned Max because I had no idea what he could want to talk to me about. He had told me Amelia was fine and that I could go back to see her and Melanie so, what else was there?
“Melanie didn’t call me.”Shit.I was hoping that if Max brought this up, it wouldn’t be right at this moment. “She would have always called me before but instead she called you. Why?”
“You’re asking the wrong person, Max. I got the phone call and jumped into action. I will tell you, I asked if she’d called you but she immediately told me no and I didn’t pry.”
“That’s what I was afraid of.” He rubbed a hand down his face and a look of frustration was left in place. “She’s been feeling like a burden to me and Alexa but I’ve told her over and over again that she wasn’t.”
“I think that’s something you need to talk to her about, Max.”
“I know it is but I also want to talk to you about it too, Jack.” Max leaned toward me and I knew this conversation was just between us since Alexa was keeping everyone company across the waiting room. “She could have called anyone, Jack.Anyone. But she called you.”
“Yes, she did. Is that a problem?” I wasn’t quite sure where Max was going with this but I didn’t need him getting on my case more than what he had been.
“I need you to know how important that is, Jack. I’m not going to interfere with what’s going on here but it’s clear Melanie trusts you on some level that I wasn’t aware of. She called you to help with Amelia and that speaks volumes to me.”
“I honestly don’t know what to say, Max.”
“You don’t need to say anything. Just go back there and take care of those two girls. They mean the world to our family and we don’t need to lose anyone else in it.”
“I don’t plan on losing either of them.”
“Room 716.”
I moved as fast as I could toward the double doors Melanie went through last night. The nurse behind the desk wasn’t the same as before. She waved me through the doors though and I made my way to where Amelia’s room was.
The door was labeled 716 but I couldn’t bring myself to open the door immediately. I stared at the door handle, knowing that once I opened this door, everything was about to change. I would officially be in Amelia’s life, even if Melanie hadn’t intended for it to happen like this. I wasn’t opposed to it but I just hoped she wouldn’t pull away.
I placed my hand on the door handle and opened it slowly, not knowing if either of them were sleeping inside. Amelia was wide awake, watching a video on her mom’s phone, while Melanie was sound asleep in the chair next to her.
“You’re that man!” Amelia's squeal was loud enough to stir Melanie awake.
She was adorable as she rubbed a hand over her eyes and sat up in the chair. Her gaze came straight to me and where I had always been used to seeing a scowl or a frown, there was nothing but a shining smile.
“Jack.”
Melanie got out of the chair and made her way to me and her arms wrapped around my waist. Stunned momentarily, I just stood there with my arms at my side. That was until Amelia gave me a look that told me I needed to give her mother a hug immediately. That kind of look that told me I was being stupid and needed to act fast.
I wrapped my arms around Melanie and squeezed. She melted into my arms and I could feel the relief radiating off of her. She had most likely been up a majority of the night worried about her daughter but now she didn’t just have me here. She had all of our friends here too and we would be able to take care of her.
“I’m here,” I whispered into her ear and I felt the tears seep through my shirt before I heard the sob release from her. My arms wrapped around her tighter and I looked over to Amelia who had a frown on her face that matched the one I’d always seen on her mom. When my eyes met her, a small smile appeared and I looked back down to Melanie who’d pulled away from me just enough to wipe the tears from her eyes.
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t expecting that to happen.”
“It’s okay. I told you,” I put my hand under her chin and tilted her head up toward me. “I’m here.”
Melanie grabbed my hand and pulled me over to the chair that she had been sitting in and pointed toward it. I sat in the chair and Amelia scooted over in her hospital bed and got a closer look at me.
“You kind of look like daddy but with more tattoos,” she squinted and reached her hand out, poking my face, “and more hair.”
I let out a laugh and a bigger smile came across Amelia’s face. When I looked up to Melanie, she was staring at Amelia with an awe that I wasn’t quite certain about.
“This is Jack, Amelia. He’s the man who came to help you last night.”
“I know that mommy.” Amelia rolled her eyes. “He helped me in the car and you saw him the other night.”
“That’s right, baby girl.”
