It also wasn’t headed for June’s driveway; it was headed for hers.
Driving up to hers. Parking in hers.
And there she stood out in the open.
She could see in the late afternoon’s low light a man in profile behind the wheel and a smaller person in the back seat: a little boy sitting on his knees, looking out the window. A devious ploy tomake her drop her guard, no doubt. Who would suspect a summons deliverer would have a child with him?
Melanie turned to rush back inside the house but then the driver turned his head toward her and smiled as he shifted the car into park.
She felt her mouth drop open in disbelief.
Impossible.
The car door opened and Alex stepped out.
12
Melanie stood nearly frozen in place as Alex helped the little boy in the back seat climb out of the vehicle. He turned to smile at her.
Wearing faded blue jeans and a button-down shirt the color of apricots, Alex looked the same and yet completely different. Older, certainly, but it wasn’t just the passing of time that had altered her brother. Alex had been changed by years of experiences that Melanie had no knowledge of.
And was one of those becoming a father?
A second later, Alex, while holding the boy’s hand, was taking Melanie into a one-armed embrace, the tin of cookies unyielding between them.
“Nellie! Look at you. You look great!”
He smelled of lime, Lava bath soap, and salt. His light brown hair, just touching his collar and longer than she had ever seen him wear it, was scented with sea air, as if he’d just come up the hill from a lazy afternoon on the beach. He felt warm and solid against her.
Melanie finally found her voice. “I can’t believe it’s you.”
He released Melanie, stepped back, and laughed. “We never thought we’d get here!” He looked down at the little boy. “Did we, Nick? Longest drive ever!”
“He’s…Nick is—”
“He’s my kid, your nephew, and he couldn’t wait to meet you. It’s all he talked about on the drive down from San Francisco. I showed him your picture inPhotoplaywhen your movie came out. He insisted on cutting it out and putting it in his pocket. Carried it with him for days.”
Melanie glanced down at the child. His hair—wavy and long for a little boy’s—was the same honey brown as Alex’s, and he had the same nose and sprinkling of freckles that Alex did. His eyes, though, belonged to someone else: a woman Melanie did not know. Not even by a photograph.
The boy was looking up at her with a shy grin.
“You had a baby?” Melanie had so many questions. So many.
Alex let out another laugh. “And here I thought I’d lost all the baby weight.”
“No, I don’t mean that. I’m just…I’m so…”
“I know. I’m just kidding with you. I was surprised, too, when I found out I was going to be a dad. But we’ve had a good time of it, haven’t we, Nicky?”
The boy said nothing, but his shy grin expanded and he leaned into Alex’s leg.
“Okay if we come in?” Alex asked casually. “I really need to take a piss. Nicky does, too.”
“Of course. Absolutely.”
“And hey. You don’t mind if we crash here, do you?”
Melanie felt numb with equal parts both shock and elation. Ittook her a second to answer. “Not at all. I’d love to have you. For as long as you want.”
