Page 42 of Harts & Hurts

I giggled lightly. “Yeah, I’m all about him too.”

She grinned. “It shows. Anyway, thank you for handling my little brother’s heart with care. This is a precarious situation. Thank you for looking past his last name and seeing the man that he is. You three make a real cute little family.” She sighed. “I know nobody wanted things to be this way. In a perfect world, Fisher and Ashlynn would be here, raising Melrose themselves. But since they can’t be, I’m glad it’s you, Anistyn. At first, I couldn’t understand why they wouldn’t leave guardianship to my mother . . . or your mother. Why leave it to you guys? But now I think I understand.”

“Personally, I think they chose Griffin and me because they knew that we didn’t buy into this whole family feud thing. I loved Fisher. I would crash at their apartment almost every weekend when I was at Hale-Williams. Ashlynn would feed me home-cooked meals while Fisher gave me boyfriend advice and slipped me cash.” I chuckled at the memory. “He was the quintessential big brother. He would threaten to come on campus and box the shit outta anybody who gave me problems. He was family to me.”

“That sounds just like him. I never knew that you had a relationship with him.”

“I don’t think anybody did, because they didn’t really talk to anybody about what went on in their home. Not many people were receptive to hearing about a Melrose and a Hart loving each other and living good. Griffin has his own story. He had his own dealings with Ashlynn where she made him feel like family. You should ask him about that. I think that’s why they chose us. They knew that we wouldn’t be on anything that would give Melrose misgivings about one side of her bloodline or the other.”

“They chose the right family members.”

“I think so.”

She sighed again. “I hope I get the opportunity to really know you, Anistyn. Beyond you being a Melrose or the person that’s raising my niece. I hope I get the opportunity to really know you.”

“You should set something up with Griff. Maybe we could go on a double date.” I snapped my fingers. “Or maybe like a . . . family date. You and your husband could bring your kids, and we could bring Melrose. We could do something family friendly.”

Her head was nodding before I even finished the thought. “I love that idea. We should definitely do that. I’m gonna talk to my brother about it.”

Two weeks after we finally moved into the main house, our presence was requested in Fort Jackson. My mother had decided to organize a memorial for what would have been Ashlynn and Fisher’s fifth wedding anniversary. She’d asked us to come, specifically to bring Melrose, who she wanted to be a part of the memorial.

We got into town early Saturday morning and checked into two separate rooms at the local bed and breakfast—one for Melrose and me, and one for Griffin so the town wouldn’t talk.

When Yolanda found out that we were in town, she invited us to her house for lunch. I couldn’t agree to stepping into the lion’s den. I didn’t trust Yolanda like that. The second the words left my mouth to tell Griffin that I didn’t feel comfortable going into his family’s home, I started to feel guilty. I offered up the compromise that we could meet her for lunch at a local restaurant. She agreed, and that afternoon, Griffin and I walked into Good Bites on the Banks, with Melrose in tow.

Good Bites on the Banks was a favorite restaurant. They were the rare Michelin-starred restaurant located just outside the town limits of Fort Jackson.

“You okay?” Griffin questioned as we walked into the restaurant. Melrose was in my arms, and Griffin’s hand rested easily on my lower back.

“I have butterflies jumping in my stomach, but I’ll be okay. This is important. It’s important that you reopen communication with your mom. You only have one.” Mariah’s words about never knowing when a loved one would leave the Earth resonated with me. The last thing I wanted to have happen was for something to go down with Mrs. Hart while Griffin wasn’t speaking to her.

The hostess led us to a table in the back, near the windows. I appreciated having a view of the ocean because the water always gave me a sense of calm. With the way the butterflies were tearing up my stomach, I needed a sense of calm. Melrose fussed a little in my arms, and I guessed that it was because she was picking up on my stress level. “You should take her. My anxiety is probably what’s setting her off.”

“Shit, she ain’t gon’ be no better off with me. I’m nervous as hell too. My mind is working overtime to try to figure out what this lady wants to talk about.”

Mrs. Hart sat at the table with Mr. Hart and Marissa. Seeing Marissa at the table made everything I was already feeling intensify. I didn’t like her. It was going to be hard enough to deal with Mrs. Hart; I hated that she had been added to the mix.

They were all seated on one side of the table. I took the inside seat across from them, and Griffin sat down beside me. I basically clutched Melrose to my chest like she was some type of shield. “Hello,” I mumbled in a tone so low that I barely even heard myself.

Mrs. Hart and Marissa muttered their greetings.

“Hey, Anistyn.” Mr. Hart shot me a dimpled grin that reminded me of both of his sons. “You up to letting me hold my grandbaby?”

That snapped me out of whatever trance I’d been in. “Uh, sure.” I stood up and walked to the other side of the table, handing the baby to him.

“What’s up, Pops? Hey, Ma. What’s up, Marissa?”

Everybody returned his greeting.

“Thanks for agreeing to this, Griff,” Mrs. Hart said, and I had never seen her so reticent. She usually had more to say than most people wanted to hear from her.

“You’re welcome.”

The waiter came by, filling everybody’s empty water glasses with iced water. Because the restaurant was a local favorite, none of us needed much time to go over the menu. We were ready to place our orders. Once he had taken them and moved away, Mrs. Hart cleared her throat. “Anistyn,” she began.

My head popped up because, why was she addressing me? Wasn’t she supposed to be trying to smooth things over with her son?

“I owe you an apology. The day I showed up at Griffin’s guesthouse, I was in the wrong, all the way around. I was wrong for having Melrose’s ears pierced without your permission. I was wrong for trying to demean and belittle you. And I was so, so wrong for doing what I did after you left. There is no excuse for me reporting you to CPS. When Griff went off on me about the possible consequences of me making a complaint, I was stunned. I can’t explain my thoughts or my actions, but I never thought that they might lead to Melrose ending up in foster care.”