“Yeah?”
“Tell Melanie…tell Melanie that I’m glad she’s doing well. It’s all I ever wanted for her.”
My heart squeezes. “Sure, Dad. I’ll tell her.”
“It’s all I ever wanted for you, too.”
“I know, Dad. I know.”
After we say our final goodbyes, I turn the phone over anxiously in my hand, telling myself that he’ll be fine. While he wasn’t necessarily supportive of my decision, he never tried to stop me. He understood that I couldn’t stay in that town. I couldn’tdiein that town. It was eating me alive. He knows that. And he has Becca to keep him company, now. He doesn’t need me.
Keep telling yourself that.
Swallowing my guilt, I make my way downstairs to the kitchen. Mel’s seated at the island, a freshly opened bottle of wine in front of her and a hefty glass in her hand. She doesn’t glance up as I enter, engrossed in something on her phone.
“Hey,” I say brightly. “I just talked to Dad.” She doesn’t comment. Doesn’t even look up. “He says he’s happy to hear you’re doing so well.” Still nothing. “He’s still working for New Day Construction, in case you were wondering, but he’s a manager now. Got promoted four years ago, I think. He’s been seeing this woman named Becca.” Her eyes shift up then, but I can’t read them. “She’s nice. Works at the library. It’s hard to picture Dad with anyone but-”
“Do you drink?” she asks, cutting me off.
I stare at her, confused by her interruption, and my words come out slow. “Sometimes, I guess.”
It’s not technically a lie. There’s not much to do in small towns. The closest movie theater is an hour away, the closest mall two hours. Trouble is the only way to pass the time, and for a while, I got lost in it. The drinking. The partying. The boys. It’s near impossible to avoid when you’re trying so hard to fit in. When you’re killing yourself to please everyone around you.
The contact from Mel is what pulled me out of my downward spiral.
Without asking for further elaboration, she stands and walks over to one of the cabinets, reaching in and grabbing a second enormous glass. She pours way too much before passing it to me, and I cradle the delicate stem with the utmost care. The last thing I want to do is break one of her fancy wine glasses or waste her expensive wine.
Unsure of what to expect, I take a hesitant sip. It tastes like bitter grape juice, and I’m not sure if I like it, but I haven’t had much exposure to wine. Dad’s fridge is always stocked with beer, and the parties only offered liquor, the cheaper the better. Wine always seemed too sophisticated.
“You just came back from a trip, didn’t you?” I ask. “Was it for work?”
She nods and takes a sip from her glass. “I was in Los Angeles.”
“Really? Wow, I would love to go to California. Do you travel a lot?”
“Yes. I have to go back on Monday. I’ll be gone for a week.”
My face falls. “Oh. You do?”
A brief look of annoyance flashes across her face. When she speaks, her tone is defensive. “I told you it wasn’t a good time right now, Violet, which you would know if you called before you showed up unannounced.”
Her words sting, but I chalk it up to work stress. Or Landon stress. Or maybe both. “I didn’t have your number.”
“Things are complicated right now,” she continues, as though I never said anything. “You’ll just have to deal without me.”
I bite the inside of my cheek before asking, “Won’t Landon feel weird with me here?”
“He’ll be fine,” she says with an eyeroll. “I doubt you’ll even see him. He spends all his time at that fucking company.”
I force a smile, desperately wanting our first night to be happy and memorable. “It’s really okay, Mel. I’ll focus on finding a job while you’re gone.”
She swirls her wine around her glass. “What kind of job are you looking for?”
I shrug. “Anything. Waitress, receptionist, camp counselor.”
“So, any job that doesn’t require a degree.”
I smile at her. “I mean, besides porn, pretty much. I do have some standards.”
