It took only one and a phone call from Alex.
Her parents had left one late summer morning after her freshman year for Minneapolis for an annual teachers’ conference they routinely attended. It was a little after two p.m. when the phone rang. She answered it on the third ring.
“Hi, Nellie.”
Alex.
Joy and surprise and something akin to sadness had filled Melanie in an instant and she could not find her voice.
“Mel, you there?” Alex had said, when Melanie said nothing.
“Alex…” Melanie finally spoke.
“Hey. Mom and Dad aren’t home, are they?”
“I can’t believe it’s you. Where are you?”
“You’re alone, right? Mom and Dad have left for that thing in Minnesota, yes?”
Alex hadn’t sounded like he was calling from across a faraway ocean, and this replaced surprise with hope. “Yes. Yes, they’re gone. Where are you?”
“I need to keep it short, Nellie. I just wanted you to know I am back in the States for just a little while. I’ve been thinking about you and I wanted to know how you are.”
“I’m fine, I suppose. Can’t you tell me where you are?”
“Yousupposeyou’re fine? Why? What’s up?”
“Alex, please, can’t you just come home? Please?”
“Mel. Omaha isn’t home for me anymore. I can’t come home because that’s not my home.”
“Then just come back to visit. You don’t have to stay. I just…I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you, too, but Nebraska isn’t on the itinerary at the moment. Why do you onlysupposeyou’re fine?”
“Because…because…I don’t want to be here anymore, either,” Melanie had said in a sudden rush of found words. “I want to be in California. I want to be in films. I want to be an actress. In Hollywood.”
Alex had been quiet for only a moment. “Well, then I think you should go and be one.”
Melanie had laughed. “Right. It’s not that easy.”
“Going? Sure, it is. What’s keeping you? God knows you’ve got the talent and looks.”
“It takes money, Alex. I’ve saved some but I don’t know if it’s enough. It won’t last forever.”
“Is it enough to get there?”
“Well, yes, but—”
“So go. Get a job there. I assume that’s what you’re doing now, right? Working to earn money? You can do that there. And then you’d already be right where you want to be.”
Melanie paused too long and Alex spoke again.
“Look, I promised my friend I wouldn’t be on his phone more than a minute. It’s long distance. I’ve got to skedaddle, Mel. But I want you to promise me you’ll go to California. Don’t give up on your dream. Promise me you won’t.”
“Wait, Alex!” Melanie shouted. “Please don’t hang up! Please!”
“Here’s what I want you to do, Melanie. BJ has a friend in LA. I’m going to give you Rich’s address and as soon as you’re settled in Hollywood, I want you to go over to his place and give him yournew address and phone number, okay? I’ll get it from him and I’ll call you sometime, okay? Got a pen?”
