THE LIFE PLAN
MEL
Mel lay awake in bed, early in the morning, before the sun rose. Looking toward Jason, she smiled into the dark at the sound of his even, steady breathing. He slept so soundly, she almost couldn't wait for sunrise so that she would watch him sleep for a few minutes. He almost always got out of bed before she did lately, so she hardly ever got to wake up next to him.
Letting out a breath, she knew today wouldn't be the day, either. She had some things she wanted to take care of and she was currently wide awake so she decided she might as well get started. Oddly enough, she felt energized. Very rarely was she so ready to get up and go before nine in the morning. But here it was close to five and she was ready to get out of the bed.
Quietly, she slid out of the bed, so not to disturb Jason, and she slipped on a t-shirt and a pair of pants and made her way into the kitchen to start the coffee maker. She showered as the coffee brewed and, after pouring herself a cup, she curled up in the desk chair by the living room window and held her cell phone to her ear as she watched the sun slowly turn the sky a dark shade of blue outside.
"Hey," Taylor said when he answered. "I'm kind of surprised to be hearing from you."
"I didn't mean to wake you up," she responded.
"I wasn't asleep."
Her heart was heavy at the sound of his voice. She felt awkward. And ashamed. Though she didn't feel she had anything to be ashamed of. The heart wanted what the heart wanted and hers belonged to Jason. Still, though. It was fast and sudden and--she could only pray that, by a long shot, Taylor MIGHT understand.
"Are you there?" he asked, shaking her out of a silence she had apparently fallen into.
"Yeah," she replied.
"Look, Mel, I'm glad you called. We need to talk."
"Yeah," she agreed. "We do. I'm, uh, I'm moving out of the apartment."
"I'll be honest, I'm surprised you haven't done it yet."
"I've been dealing with...stuff...and I had to wait for the new one to come available, so--"
"It's good to hear your voice," he said. "It's been too long."
Unexpectedly, Mel started to cry. Where it came from, she had no idea. "I'm so sorry," she said through her tears.
"What? Why are you crying? There's no need to cry."
"He kept pressuring me and pressuring me to tell you," she sobbed. "And I kept putting it off and I--and then my mom said it got out and--"
"It's okay," he said quietly. "I'm not mad."
Mel sniffed into the phone, stunned. "You're not?"
"I'm not. I always knew, Mel. And I think that's why I tried so hard, but it was just so painfully obvious. To everyone but you, apparently. And that last time, when he ended up in the hospital and you--you let him go for me. I knew. I know it was more for him than it was for me. You were miserable and I couldn't make you happy. After you left, everything became clear. And that's why I suggested you call Jason. Because I knew it would happen."
"You let me go..."
"I had to. I had to let you be happy. I had to let you love him."
"I never meant to hurt you."
"I know."
"I never cheated on you."
"I know."
"I did love you, Tay."
"I know. I loved you, too. I just--I don't think it was the same. I think there was a lot of history behind it. A lot of unfinished business from the past that we may have masked as something that it wasn't. You know?"
Mel nodded into the phone. "Yeah."
"I wasn't shocked when I found out. A little hurt that I didn't hear it from you first--"
"How did you even find out?"
"There were pictures of you kissing him in the park. I knew. But I've had time to accept it. I'm in therapy and that's really helping a lot. It doesn't keep me from missing you, though."
"I miss you, too," she said quietly. "Do you think, maybe, I don't know, somewhere down the line that maybe we could be friends? I don't want to lose you again."
"I don't want to lose you, either. I don't want another ten years to pass before I hear from you again. I think after some time, that would be possible, yeah."
"How are you?"
"Um, I'm okay. I'm in a better place. Seeing things in a new perspective, I think. It's taking some adjusting. My hand is healed now, so we're catching up on some work. How are you? Are you happy?"
"Yes," she whispered.
"Good. That's all I ever wanted."
"Um, I'm selling the house..."
"I know. I moved out of it a month ago."
"You--you did?"
"Yeah. I rented a house over in Broken Arrow till I get back on my feet again."
"I don't know what I'm gonna do," she said to him. "I'm not sure staying in New York is an option. I don't feel like I should come back to Tulsa. I feel lost. I shouldn't even be coming to you with this, considering, but--I've never been technically homeless before. I have no idea what my next move is gonna be."
"It's okay," he said softly. "Home is wherever he is. Okay? Trust him. Let him show you the way. You're starting a brand new life now. All of us are. The world is our oyster. We can do whatever we want."
"It's scary."
"I know."
"I've never not had the answers before."
"I know. But in a way, doesn't that feeling excite you? Even just a little?"
Letting his words sink in, she knew he was right. Still unsure how to take his attitude, she said to him, "I can't believe you're being so understanding of this."
"I started my journey to acceptance awhile ago. I practically shoved you into his arms, Mel. I know he can make you happy. Happier than I can. I know you love him. I knew it the very first night he came into the picture."
Taking a deep breath, struggling to keep the tears at bay before they flowed again, she said, "I'm coming home. Soon. Within the week. I scheduled an appraisal on the house. I'd like you to be there. If you want to be."
"Yeah," he said softly. "Yeah, I'll be there."
"Take care of yourself, okay?" she said.
"I will. You, too."
Minutes later, they ended the call.
Letting out a breath, she looked out the window as the sun began to peek over the horizon. In a way, she felt lighter. Talking to Taylor helped, Jason had been right. She had to stop being so stubborn all the time when advice was thrown her way. She needed to be more open minded and accepting of others' feelings and opinions. Maybe that would be part of the new life she was starting, as Tay had suggested. He was right. She was starting a brand new life and so was he and so was Jason. She wasn't the only one making major life adjustments here. And she needed to start acting like it.
Mel finished her cup of coffee, checked in on a sleeping Jason and smiled, and then started her morning.
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JASON
Jason woke up to the sunlight streaming in the bedroom and an empty bed. Well, this was different. He rolled onto his back and rubbed his face with both of his hands. How in the hell was she awake? Not only had she worn him out when they got home--a thought which he had to smile at--but then she turned around and had that epic nightmare hours later.
He sighed as he recalled the nightmare. It scared the shit out of him, it was unlike anything he'd ever experienced--and he wasn't even the one having the dream. Mel woke up screaming. Ear-piercing screams, so loud he was surprised the neighbors didn't beat down the front door or call the cops. He had shot up in the bed and flipped on the bedside lamp. By the time he could see her, she was flailing her arms into the air and beating the mattress beside her. He knew you weren't supposed to wake a person in the middle of a nightmare, but he was so desperate to make her stop that he reached for her wrists as well as he could grip them, and pulled her up off her back. An act which he lived to regret, seeing as she nearly got a couple good blows to his face before she collapsed into a fit of tears against his chest. He had held her and kissed her and told her everything was okay until she fell asleep again. He didn't fall asleep for what seemed like hours after that. He couldn't stop thinking about it.
And now here she was, absent from the bed. She had to be a zombie, wherever she was. She had to be exhausted.
Pulling on a pair of jeans and a white tank top, Jason shuffled into the living room and straight into the kitchen. Pouring himself a glass of orange juice, he stepped into the doorway of the kitchen and spied Mel at the desk by the living room window. At the sight, he stopped and leaned into the doorway, drinking his juice while he watched her.
She looked...perky, for lack of a better term. Her long, dark hair was pulled back into a low ponytail and her glasses sat on her face. She sat with her feet tucked against her in the desk chair as her laptop sat open and she shuffled through a sea of paperwork that lay strewn out on the desk. She looked up and flashed an award-winning smile at him. "Good morning, sunshine! Sleep well?"
"I could have slept better..." he responded warily.
"Aww. I'm sorry. You could go back to bed."
"No," he said, his voice still groggy from sleep. "I'm good. I'm up. What are you doing? I can't believe you're awake."
"I've been a busy bee this morning," she said cheerfully. Then her tone grew serious. "I called Tay this morning."
"Really. How did that go?"
"Better than expected. I told him I was moving out of the apartment, selling the house..."
"And...us?"
"He already knew. I mean, I told him. But he already knew."
"And he didn't fly off the handle or grovel into the phone, begging you to come back?"
Dropping her pen, Mel jerked her glasses off of her face. "Is that what you WANT? Is this a man thing? Is it why you were so hell-bent on me telling him? So you could gloat and say that you finally won? Like I'm some kind of prize or something?"
The blood drained from his face and his jaw dropped. He couldn't control it. First of all, why had he said such an assholish thing to begin with? And secondly, he had no idea how it sounded when he said it. And with a reply like that, he felt like a complete bastard. "No," he said. "Nothing like that. I just--I was making conversation is all."
"Some conversation," she muttered as she put her glasses back on her face.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean for it to come out the way it sounded."
"Yeah. Well. It's done, I got it out of the way. On to greener pastures, I suppose."
"You suppose?"
"Are you gonna continue saying fucked up shit like the line you just gave me a second ago?"
"No."
"Then okay. Greener pastures. Maybe sandier ones. Who knows?"
"Sandier ones? You've got my attention now."
As she rifled through the paperwork, she said, "This morning, I got up, I made coffee, I called Tay, I went to a kickboxing class, signed the lease on the new apartment, and now I'm making a life plan."
"Kickboxing?" Jason smiled, amused. "I didn't know you kick boxed."
She smiled back up at him and relief washed over him. He had always been so confident with her and now the idea of disappointing her scared the shit out of him. He had a lot to learn with her. "Oh yeah," she responded. "Back when I lived here before, I kick boxed on a regular basis. I used to love it. So I went this morning for the first time in years. It felt great!"
"Mm," he muttered as he took a sip of his drink. "So, this life plan of yours. Does it include me?"
She looked at him as if he were crazy. "Of course it does. Why wouldn't it?"
"Even after I offended you with my asshole comment?" He smiled as he walked over to her and took a seat across from her.
She smirked at him and he thought he detected a slight batting of the eyelashes. He grinned at how adorable the expression was. "I can forgive you for your little miscommunication," she said. "But, yes, I'm putting together a life plan. I'm moving into the new apartment, going home to Tulsa to sell the house, and then you and I are going to Hawaii. That's as far as I've gotten."
His eyes widened at her. "Uh, Hawaii?"
"Yeah. It's time you went home and it's time I meet your family."
"And--okay, so, what about work? I still have work."
She shrugged. "I know. It's only a skeleton plan, we can fill in the blanks as we go. No biggie. Oh, and I'm quitting therapy."
With each bomb she dropped, he was ready to pass out. "Excuse me? Quitting therapy?"
"I don't need it."
"But you've only been to one session."
"Yeah. And I don't need it."
"What about that little nightmare you had last night, Mel? You don't want to talk to anyone about that?"
She looked across the desk at him, confused. "Nightmare? I didn't even dream last night, I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Oh, so now you're going to deny it."
"No. I'm telling you, I didn't have a nightmare last night. I didn't even dream. Maybe YOU dreamed it."
Jason fell silent as he studied her face. She spoke the truth. He didn't understand it. "You had a nightmare last night. A violent one. A loud one."
"Seriously?"
He nodded. "Yeah. And you don't remember it? At all?"
She shook her head slowly. "No."
"You woke up screaming, you were fighting, and then you cried. It was horrible."
"I had no idea..."
"Give therapy another week."
"Jason--"
"You need to tell your therapist what happened. I don't want to see you go through that again."
"Who says it'll happen again?"
"I don't wanna take the chance."
She looked back into his eyes for a moment before she sighed. "Okay. Okay. I'll give it one more week. And then we're out of here. On to greener--and sandier--pastures. Okay?"
He leaned across the desk and smiled at her. "Have I told you how beautiful you are this morning?"
Blushing, Mel grinned. "No."
"Well, you are. I'm the luckiest asshole in the world."
"You're not an asshole. You wanna help me pack today?"
"Yeah. I got a couple things I gotta do, though. I gotta hit the gym and I have a conference call this afternoon. You know that script I was reading the other day? They want to talk to me about an audition."
Leaving her chair, she came around the desk and parked herself on Jason's knee, wrapping her arms around his neck. "That's awesome," she said, hugging him. "I'm so glad you're getting back into acting again."
Letting the hug linger for a moment because he loved the way she felt, he pulled his face away and looked at her. "You are? Because it requires months of filming, on location..."
"Yeah," she said. "I love watching you act. I love your movies. You're my favorite superhero."
He had to chuckle at her. "I've never played a superhero."
"Well you're MY hero. That's what counts."
"That, it does," he replied. "How 'bout I take you to bed and show you how I would play a superhero?"
She grinned. "Already? Just last night--"
"You wore me out last night, woman. I'll admit it. But damn if I can't get enough of you."
Taking his face in her hands, she kissed him and he pulled her tighter against him. Breaking the kiss, she looked in his eyes. "Have I told you this morning that I love you?" she whispered, stealing his line from earlier.
He smiled at her, sweeping her hair from her shoulder. "I feel it every second of every day," he whispered back.
She giggled as he picked her up and carried her back to bed. Her demeanor this morning had excited him. For the first time since he'd met her, he was finally seeing her again--the Melody he fell in love with all that time ago. Jason couldn't have been happier.
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A week went by. A long, busy week. Mel went to therapy again and she came home with pills--something Jason wasn't entirely thrilled with, but if the therapist thought they might help, then so be it. He'd helped her move out of the Corinthian and they'd moved into the new apartment downtown--together. Transporting the rest of his things from the hotel room he still kept into the new apartment was an interesting feeling. Almost like it was official that he was sharing a life with her. It excited him and it scared him all at the same time.
Now they walked through the airport in Tulsa and his heart pounded, thought he would never let her know it. He couldn't be selfish with his feelings however--he glanced down at her as they walked and he couldn't imagine what she must be feeling. Their new relationship had come on fast--fast by an outsider's definition, anyway. He was aware of that. And everyone in Tulsa knew her and if they didn't know her, they at least recognized her. They knew who she was and who she was associated with.
He had to admire the little woman, though. He had to admire the hell out of her. She walked through that airport, her hand in his, with her head held high and her confidence on point. The cameras followed, as they always did. The one thing Jason always did like about coming to places like, Tulsa, however, was that the cameras weren't near as bad as they were in a bigger city. It was also a change in pace that they were after Mel this time and not him. It angered him, knowing their purpose, but as long as she didn't act bothered, he was going to be on his best behavior and stand by her.
She'd had the cab take her to her house to get her Jeep. She'd stood in the driveway with him for a few minutes, scared to walk in the door. Taylor didn't live there anymore, but that wasn't even close to being the issue. It was the fact that she was ready to close the door on that chapter in her life and it pained her, in some way, to still have to be faced with it.
After finally retrieving the keys from inside and pulling the Jeep out of the garage, they headed straight for her parents' house. Upon asking her why they didn't just stay at her house, her response had been that she never planned to sleep another night in that house ever again. He respected her answer and he never said another word about it.
His nerves came back when they walked into her parents' house. He hadn't been there in several years. It was a modest, two story home, at least a third of the size that Mel's house was. It was warm and inviting and he immediately felt at home there--until Mel's father walked into the room.
Mel's reunion with Susan was heartwarming. He knew Mel missed her mother and he was happy to be able to accompany her home. To his surprise, Susan approached him and hugged him as well. "Welcome home, sweetheart," she had said to him. "Thank you so much for taking care of my daughter. You'll never know how much that means to me--or her."
Jason smiled down at Susan when Mel's father, Paul, approached him. His posture was stiff and his demeanor was curt. "Jason," he said, extending a hand to him.
He took Paul's hand and shook it. "Hello, Mr. Banks. How are you?"
"I've been better," he answered bluntly.
Realizing that his own presence was obviously a problem, Jason couldn't help but stand a little straighter himself. He had no idea how this trip was going to go, but it was painfully apparent that the man of the house did not want him there. He felt like he was stuck between a rock and a hard place--between the endless smile on his girlfriend's face and the stone-cold expression on her father's.
Susan had prepared Mel's old bedroom for the two of them and Jason instantly felt awkward for sharing a bed with Mel, for the sole fact that the old man would be sleeping just down the hall.
Mel must have sensed the tension because as they were upstairs, unpacking in the bedroom, she looked at him and said, "Baby, what's the matter?"
"Nothing," he said.
"Yes, there his," she replied, her eyes boring into his. "Spill it."
"It's nothing," he said. "Just--I don't think your father wants me here."
"Oh please," she waved him off and went back to her suitcase. "He comes across as a little stern sometimes, but it's nothing, really."
"I'm serious. I'm a man, I can tell. He doesn't like me."
"He's just--he's just not used to you. He'll come around. I promise."
"And if he doesn't?"
Mel's eyes darted around the room for an answer. "Well, then...that'll be his problem. He'll be the one missing out on a great man. Not me."
Jason smiled at her, grateful for her words. Didn't help the way he felt, however.
After she'd finished unpacking, she was ready to go downstairs. Jason said he would be right behind her in a few minutes. He needed a moment to himself to figure out what to do about Paul. Jason had never been one to be intimidated by anyone. He had never been one to cower or hide or bow to the whim of another man. On any level. But this one was important. This one was Mel's father. Jason loved Mel and it was important to him to be on good terms with her family, as well. Paul would be a hard one to crack, but Jason was determined.
--------------
As Jason made his way down the stairs, he heard raised voices coming from the kitchen. He stopped before he made it to the doorway, their tones sounding like something he shouldn't interrupt. He wasn't the type to eavesdrop, but he couldn't help himself when he heard his own name.
"What are you thinking?" Paul said harshly. "Are you even thinking at all?"
"I'm not understanding what the issue is!" Mel argued. "You're acting like I'm still a teenager or something!"
"It's just not natural, the way you're traipsing off from one man to another--what's the next one going to think?"
"There won't BE a next one, Daddy, I LOVE him!"
"Yeah? Well you just loved Taylor three months ago, Melody, I don't think you know WHAT you want or who you love!"
"Things are different! Things have changed! I don't expect you to understand it, but I do expect you to support me in my decisions AND my relationships!"
"I don't have to support anything and I don't have to have any part in this abomination you call a relationship!"
"Paul!" Susan scolded. "He's a good man!"
Paul scoffed loudly. "Good for what?"
Mel's voice was nearly inaudible now. "How dare you? I can't believe you."
And before Jason could make an escape, she rounded the corner and came face-to-face with him, her eyes wide.
He looked down at her for a moment before she glanced guiltily down at her hands and then brushed past him and headed up the stairs. Reluctantly, he followed.
As he stepped into the bedroom, he witnessed her hastily throwing clothes back into her suitcase. Jason sighed. "Mel, what are you doing?"
"We're getting out of here," she responded.
"No, you're not, unpack your suitcase. I'll get a hotel, but you're staying here."
"Absolutely not. I won't stay anywhere that you won't be."
"Then I guess we're staying here. Because I'm not about to allow you to just walk out on your family like that without some kind of resolution."
Mel straightened up from the suitcase that lay open on the bed and she raised an eyebrow at him. "ALLOW me?"
He raised an eyebrow to match.
Defeated, Mel sighed and sat down on the end of the bed. "I'm sorry you had to hear any of that," she said. "And I'm sorry about my dad. He and Tay--they kinda bonded after my first miscarriage and--he can be set in his ways. He'll come around."
Jason nodded solemnly. "I know. I'd be offended if I didn't realize that, from the outside looking in, this is a rather odd situation, you and I. Only those of us involved will ever truly understand it and the outsiders can try, but--you gotta give it time. He's your father, he loves you--he's doing his job."
Mel looked up at him. "How can you just hear things like that and just--be okay with it?"
He shrugged. "I get it. If I had a daughter in the same situation, I'd probably be the same way. The truth is, I don't know your parents very well at all and you've never even met mine--which I regret to this day. Everything's brand new now, for all of us. It'll be a journey, but it'll be what we make it. And we'll make it a good one, I promise."
He winked at her as she smiled at him and tucked her hair behind her ear. "Wanna help me unpack?" she asked sheepishly.
He smiled. "I thought you'd never ask."
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SUSAN
Susan sat up in bed next to her husband, filling out a crossword puzzle. Her heart wasn't in it, however, and she couldn't help but continue to glance over at Paul as he leafed through one of his playbooks for the ball team. Finally, he noticed her constant observation. "Why do you keep looking at me like that?" he asked her.
"You know why."
He sighed, exasperated, as he took off his glasses and put down the playbook. "So you're mad at me, too, then?"
"I think you're being too hard on her."
"I'm sorry, but I don't think I am. How can she just change on a dime like that? I don't understand it. And what do we know about this guy anyway? Did she really actually love Taylor, to be able to move on so quickly? Is this a woman-thing?"
"Paul, I don't think she and Taylor--they--they loved each other. And I'm sure they still do. But I think maybe they tried to hold on to something that wasn't there. I mean, between us and Di and Walker, we've been shoving them together since they were babies. Maybe they tried to get married because they felt like they had to. After so much time."
"She was meant to marry him, Susan. That's how it's always been."
"Well, nobody counted on Jason showing up, then, did they?"
"Taylor's like my son. He practically is my son. I wanted him to marry my daughter, have my grandkids..."
"Well, now maybe that's Jason's role."
Paul scowled at his wife. "He is not husband material. Mr. Hollywood Bachelor, traveling all over the world, doing god knows what with god knows who. What kind of a life is that for her?"
"The same one she would have had with Taylor. With him touring all over the place, promoting the band..."
The scowl remained on Paul's face.
"What is so bad about Jason? You've met him several times already. Mel is crazy about him, she always has been. And you said so yourself, you'd give anything to see her smile again the way she did that first weekend he was here. And now she IS. Why can't you just be happy for her?"
"Because I'm waiting on him to break her heart," he answered. "Just like they all do."
At that moment, the blood-curdling scream flowed into their room from down the hall and Susan and Paul were out of the bed in a flash. "I'll kill him," Paul muttered as they threw on their robes. "I'll kill him!"
Running down the hall, Susan threw Mel's bedroom door open and flipped on the light and her eyes widened at the scene. Jason sat up in bed in an olive-green tank top while her daughter screamed and cried and listlessly wailed her fists at him, with no apparent intended target.
Jason looked up at Susan and Paul helplessly as he dodged Mel's arms. All three of them were speechless as they watched Mel's night terror in live animation. From behind her, Paul attempted to get in the room but Susan blocked him and whispered, "You're not supposed to wake them up."
After a moment, when it seemed like Mel had exhausted herself, Jason gently put her hands at her sides and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her close to him. She cried as she calmed down and he rocked her and stroked her hair as her tears slowly subsided.
He looked up at the two of them and said quietly, "I go through this at least two or three times a week."
Behind her, Susan heard Paul huff and then he turned and walked down the hall, making his way downstairs. She then looked at Jason as he comforted her daughter. "Get her back to sleep and then come downstairs. Okay?"
Jason nodded as she pulled the door to.
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Susan sat calmly at the kitchen table as her husband paced by the sink. The water she had heated for tea was just finishing when Jason made his way down. She smiled up at him as he stood in the doorway. "Come, have a seat by me. Would you like some chamomile?"
As he sat, Jason smiled graciously. "Um, no thank you--"
"When my wife invites you into her home and offers you tea, you say yes," Paul suddenly said, staring hard at Jason.
Jason's eyes darted from Paul to Susan and he smiled at her. "That would be great," he said to her. "Thank you."
"So what happened up there?" Susan asked as she rose from the table to prepare the tea.
"Um, the doctor thinks it's some form of postpartum. I can't be sure, though. She seems fine during the day, it's just getting through the night that can be difficult."
"What does she dream about? Has she told you?"
"She doesn't know. She never remembers."
"What are they doing for it?" she asked as she served the tea and sat back down in her chair.
"They gave her sleeping pills, but you see how well that's working."
Susan frowned at him and covered her hand with is. "I'm sorry you're having to go through this, sweetie."
"I'm not," he responded.
Susan's eye caught Paul's movement as he moved toward the table and eyed Jason. "What sort of sadistic comment is that?"
Susan was surprised when Jason's expression suddenly matched her husband's as he glared back at him. "I mean it's not my problem. She's the one who's suffering and I'm only happy to be there to take care of her."
"For now."
"Excuse me?"
"You're happy to be there for now. And then her baggage will get to be too much for you, and countless Hollywood models will flaunt themselves in front of your face and then you'll look at her and wonder what the hell did you do with your life, wasting it with her? And then you'll give her up. Just like John did, just like Taylor did."
"John didn't--"
"Oh cut the crap, I know what happened with John."
Jason narrowed his eyes at Paul. "You are so far off the mark, I can't even understand how you got there."
Paul leaned over the table. "What are your intentions with my daughter?"
"I'm going to marry her."
Paul scoffed, amused. "Marry her? You think you're going to marry her--"
"I don't think, I KNOW."
"Your confidence astounds me. You're going to marry a woman who has a life-long history with a man she was due to marry, what, any day now?"
"A man who threw her away!"
"A man who loves her! And knows her! A man she's spent her entire life with!"
Jason's fist suddenly pounded the table, the silverware clanging against the tea saucers. "THREE TIMES! THREE TIMES he threw her away with his indecisiveness! Three times he couldn't decide if he wanted her or not! THREE TIMES! Do you know how many times it took me to figure out that I couldn't live without her? ONCE! You look at all the shit he's done to her and you have the audacity to come at me like I'M the bad guy here?"
"You watch your goddamned mouth in the presence of my wife!"
"Your daughter's mouth is filthier than his, Paul, and YOU know where she gets it!" Susan suddenly scolded her husband, getting caught up in the heat of the moment.
The room calmed for a moment as Paul continued to pace.
"Here's another number for you," Jason continued calmly, accusingly. "Two. Two is the number of times she was pregnant with his child. Two is the number of times her body rejected it. Her own body rejected him, beyond her control. If that's not a sign--if that's not fate--I don't know what is. You're a Christian man, aren't you? Think about it."
Paul stopped pacing and looked hard at Jason. "Christian, huh? You think you're gonna get a blessing out of me? You think you can just waltz in here and claim you care so much about my daughter--"
"I LOVE your daughter--"
"--with all her baggage--she's damaged goods, she is emotionally and mentally broken, she's unstable, hard-headed, unpredictable, and as wild as they come. You think after a year or two, you're gonna wanna stick around for that? So I can give you my blessing for you to go and break her heart and drive her to god knows where after THAT rejection? You got another thing coming, pal."
Suddenly, Jason stood up and leaned himself across the table toward Mel's father. "She is NONE of those things, she is PERFECT! There is NOTHING wrong with her and I'm not gonna sit here and allow you--no matter WHO you are--to talk about her like she's some kind of invalid! She is a grown woman and I love her and I WILL marry her, she WILL be happy, and I don't need yours or anyone else's approval to make it happen!"
Susan watched in horror as Paul leaned back into Jason across the table and looked up at him, shooting daggers from his eyes. "You got some fight in you, boy." And then his eyes softened a little. "I like that."
As both men eased themselves off the table, Paul continued to talk. "My daughter needs a man like that. Who's not afraid of her. Who can match her. Who can handle her. Taylor couldn't do that. If that were him sitting there right now, I can guarantee he'd be shitting his pants. But not you. You were about to show me what you're made of and I like it. I got a lot of respect for a man who knows who he is."
"Well I know who I am," Jason said. "And I'm not Taylor. And to be honest, constantly being compared to him is getting a little old."
"That's fair. But just know this. That's my little girl up there. My ONLY little girl. And if you're going to be the one, just know--I don't care how big or burly or CONFIDENT you think you are--I'm a veteran of the United States Marine Corps and I've killed many men in my lifetime--for real, not on a movie set, shooting blanks. I know exactly where to aim at any given second. I am her father. I am the ONLY man who will ever be more important to her than you. And if you EVER hurt a single hair on my little girl's head, I guarantee I will be the ONLY man in her life. Do I make myself clear?"
Susan witnessed Jason fighting to keep his mouth from smiling, but he couldn't keep it out of his eyes. He extended his hand to her husband and shook it. "Yes, sir. And thank you for your service."
Paul stood a little straighter and Susan knew the look. He was eating crow. I huge, heaping helping of it. She giggled a little on the inside. He shook Jason's hand and then adjusted his robe. "I'm off to bed now. I'll see the both of you in the morning."
And with that, Paul disappeared around the corner.
Jason let out a breath and rubbed the back of his neck. Susan felt so bad for the poor guy. "Don't mind him," she said softly. "He's very protective over Mel. She's always been daddy's little girl and she's kinda had it rough with relationships growing up--I don't have to tell you that. Anyway, when she hurts, he hurts, and he only wants to protect her." She laughed a little. "I have to remind him of her age sometimes, but I know he looks at her and still sees the six-year-old who worshipped him every day when he walked through the door."
Jason smiled at her. "It's okay. I'm actually glad this got hashed out--I think I'd be offended if I didn't get the proverbial 'I'll kill you' speech."
Susan walked over to him and reached up, taking his face in her hands. "I know you love my daughter. I always knew you did. And deep down, I've always known that she loves you, too. I just had to step back and let her figure it out on her own. But don't you worry about me or her father or anyone else. Just like you said. What you have is yours and nobody can take that from you. Okay? If anyone's giving blessings around here, you have mine."
"Thank you," he said softly. "That means a lot."
---------------------------------------------------------
JASON
The next day was Sunday. Mel had no recollection of her episode from the previous night and Jason was surprised when she ended up being the one who woke him up. "Jason," he heard her whisper in his ear as he struggled to open his eyes. "Jason."
Slowly he turned his head and looked at her as she lay propped up on his chest, looking down at him. She grinned at him, biting her lip. He knew that smile..."Tell me you haven't managed to get into some kind of trouble already..."
She raised her eyebrows playfully. "Not yet." Then she glanced down his body as he lay on his back. "But if you promise to be quiet, I promise to take care of that for you."
Narrowing his eyes in confusion for a moment, he realized what she was talking about and he looked down at the erection he sported underneath the sheet. He grinned in disbelief. "Oh shit, no," he objected, his voice groggy with sleep.
She raised her eyebrows at him. "No? What if I don't give you a choice?"
"Not in your parents' house." Then he lowered his voice to as quiet a whisper as he could. "I promise you, I will fuck you any damn where you want me to--just not here."
"Chicken."
"I'll claim that title. Though I'm a respectful chicken."
Mel pouted. "Respectful chickens are no fun."
"Sure we are. We thrive on the anticipation."
"I don't."
"You will."
His arm tucked behind his head, they lay in silence for a moment before Jason reached up and ran his fingers through her hair, toying with a strand of it that fell over her shoulder. "You had another nightmare last night."
Mel's eyes dropped in shame. "I'm sorry. Was it bad?"
"Pretty bad. And loud. Woke your parents up."
"Did they come in here?"
"Yeah."
"Shit. Jason, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I bet my dad is so pissed..."
"I don't think so," he answered. "We, uh, we talked last night. Sort of. I think he's okay now."
Mel's face looked hopeful. "Really?"
He smiled at her, his face still numb from sleep. "Yeah. I think we're good."
A little later, once Jason and Mel had showered and gotten ready for their day, Jason found Paul alone in the living room. Not having spoken to him since the previous night, he took a deep breath before he stepped into the room. "So, uh, who's winning?"
He helped himself to an armchair that sat next to the sofa Paul sat on. Paul glanced at Jason. "Just highlights right now. Game's later. You into football?"
"Every time I can catch a moment to watch."
Paul flashed a controlled smile at him and reached to the floor beside him, pulling a beer from an ice bucket. "Beer?"
Jason smiled and accepted it. "Thanks." Then he eyed the beer bucket. "Beer bucket in your living room, huh? Impressive."
"I'm not the kind of man who expects my wife to bring me beer. Made that mistake one time. But I'm sure not gonna go and get it myself, either. This was the compromise."
Jason had to chuckle. In spite of himself, the more the old man spoke, the more he liked him. "That sounds familiar."
Paul glanced at Jason as he took a swig of beer. "You ever asked Mel to bring you a beer?"
Jason smiled and shook his head. "No. But your outcome, there, looks like something I might expect out of her."
"She gets it from her mother, you know." Paul shook his head as he reminisced. "When I met Susan, I was a womanizer. Confident. Different girl every week. Wild as they came."
"You met her in college?"
"Nope. The Marines. She was a secretary and I walked by her desk every day. I had just made staff sergeant and I was a cocky son of a bitch. I thought my shit didn't stink and all the ladies wanted me. Except for Susan. She wanted nothing to do with me and she was the only one I wanted. You ever been in that situation?"
Jason narrowed his eyes in thought. In a way, he supposed so. "Yeah...in a way, guess..."
"Melody?"
"Yeah."
"Figures. Like I said, she gets it from her mother. Susan was a little spitfire, let me tell you. Marines flirted with her constantly and she didn't take shit off any of them. She stood up for what she believed in and was headstrong on her opinions. I pursued that woman hard for an entire year. When I got promoted to Gunnery Sergeant, she finally agreed to go to dinner with me. I took her out, kissed her on her doorstep and when she looked me in the eye and said, 'Goodnight, Gunny,' I knew I had her. Hook, line, and sinker. And now here we are, still happily married, still the love of my life."
Jason smiled at Paul, touched that he shared this story with him. He found himself nodding. "That's fantastic."
"Yeah. Mel always begged me to tell that story. She was a little romantic growing up. A dreamer. And a spitfire, just like her mother."
"Still is."
"Good luck, my friend. The best ones are difficult to handle."
The two focused on the television for a minute or two, commenting on the game, when Paul opened a new beer and looked at Jason again. "So what are you about, son? How come nobody's ever heard your story?"
Jason shifted in his seat and crossed his ankle over his knee. "Uh, not really much to tell. Grew up in Hawaii. Mom's white, father's Hawaiian. Old man ran out on us when I was a kid, and I became the man of the house."
"Your mom still in Hawaii?"
"Yeah."
"Can't blame her for not wanting to leave. You close to her?"
"Very. She's my world."
"Good, good. You take care of her?"
"Definitely. I don't get to see her as often as I'd like, but I talk to her almost daily. She's got a lot of support around her there and she's a strong woman so I don't have to worry about her too much. But yeah, she's definitely taken care of."
"You go to college?"
Jason shook his head. "No."
"Neither did Melody. I nearly had a heart attack when she ran off to New York with her friend. She was only nineteen. Never really been away from Tulsa, except on a couple of occasions when I let her go to New York or LA with Taylor and his brothers. I couldn't say no. He wanted to show her the world and I wanted her to see it."
"Believe me, she's seeing it now."
"With you, I hear."
"Well, just Cabo and Ireland, but I plan to show her Hawaii next."
"She'll love it there."
"I hope so."
"So you didn't go to college..."
"No. No college. Not that I sucked in high school or anything. I was real active growing up, with my cousins and such. We were dare devils." Jason paused to smile at his own memory. "We did it all, surfing, cliff diving, go karts, dune buggies--a dune buggy is actually how I got to where I am today."
"No kidding?"
"No kidding. I was maybe seventeen or so and my cousins and I were driving dune buggies all over this private beach and I flipped mine. And it flipped and it flipped and it flipped, at least five times until I was ready to puke. And when I stopped, upside down, and realized that I had miraculously managed to not get a single mark on me, I decided right then that I wanted to do stunts for a living. After that, my cousins and I found all sorts of dangerous things to get into, I was into it all. One thing led to another and I became a professional stuntman. Doing stunts got me an audition for my first starring role and now here I am."
"And not a damn soul will leave you alone now."
"Comes with the territory, I guess."
"Well, good for you, kid. Good for you." Paul adjusted himself in his seat and looked over at Jason. "Look, uh, I know I was rough on you last night. But you gotta understand it from my point of view. Things just seem to be moving awful fast and I get concerned, you know?"
"I know. But we've known each other for a long time. And I've loved her since day one. And I went through it--went through a lot of hell and took a lot of hits to get to where I am with her today. And if I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't change a thing. I guess I'm not a...a womanizer? Like you said you used to be? I've never been much for dating around or sleeping around or anything like that. Your daughter's the first woman I ever fell for--and I'm still learning. I have no idea what I'm doing or even how to do it. But I do know that I'll follow that woman any damn where she wants to lead me and not think twice about it."
Paul side-glanced at him and smiled. "If she jumped off a bridge, would you do it, too?"
"I'd jump first."
"That's my boy."
Mel came into the living room and walked around Jason's chair, perching herself on the arm of it. "What are we watching?"
"Nothing, yet," her father responded. "Game's later."
"So you're GONNA be watching the game," she clarified.
"Yes, ma'am," Paul said.
Mel nodded in response before she looked down at Jason. "I gotta go meet the appraiser. It won't take long. You wanna come with?"
"Uh, yeah," Jason answered. The truth was, he wanted to be wherever she was, no matter where that happened to be.
"Aw, leave him here," Paul suddenly spoke up. "The boy's comfortable, don't uproot him just for a five minute appraisal. Let him have some guy time, let him have an afternoon in front of the TV. I'm sure he doesn't get that very often."
Mel looked down at him expectantly and Jason was speechless. As much as he wanted to leave with her, the truth was, the old man's proposal sounded pretty good. He had to cave. "Uh, unless you really need me there..."
She glanced at her father and then back at him. Jason braced himself, but was relieved at the smile that crossed her face. "Okay," she said. "You boys have fun. I won't be gone long. Don't get into any trouble while I'm gone." Then she kissed Jason and headed for the front door.
"Not making any promises!" Paul called to her as she left.
Jason smiled and turned up his beer. Glancing at Paul, he raised his beer bottle in a silent toast and was instantly at ease. It was the most comfortable he'd felt in a long time.
----------------------------------------------------
MEL
Getting an appraisal on a Sunday was unheard of, as was really any service or business transaction. Mel didn't normaly like to flaunt her wealth, but she also had no shame in using it to get something she desperately wanted, either. This appraisal was something that needed to happen ASAP and Sunday happened to be the most convenient day for her. So she decided to make it convenient for the appraiser, as well.
Driving to the house, Mel smiled. She had no idea what went on with Jason and her father the previous night, but apparently it had worked out for the better. She was thrilled to see them getting along and she felt like it was one more things he could check off her list going into her new life journey.
Then she pulled up in the driveway and her smile disappeared. Taylor was already there. A flood of emotions came rushing back and she didn't want to go in. And then she thought of Jason waiting for her at her parents' house and she was determined to get this over with as quickly and painlessly as possible.
When she walked in the house, he was standing in the middle of the living room. Turning around, Taylor smiled at her. He looked amazing. She looked around at the house, then at him, and then she smiled, fighting an epic internal battle to keep her emotions hidden.
"It looks so empty in here," she observed.
"Yeah," he answered. "I, uh, I took everything that was mine. Wasn't much."
"You could have taken more. You could have taken it all. I don't know what I'm gonna do with any of it. I don't even know where I'm going."
"Mel, I--I don't think I should have come here. I thought I was strong enough, but seeing you standing here--in our house--I think it's too much for me."
Tears sprang to her eyes instantly and her voice cracked. "We have a lot of good memories here." She smiled through her tears. "I'm gonna miss my bathroom."
Tay laughed and she could tell he was getting choked up, as well. "Yeah. The one you constantly locked yourself in?"
She laughed with him. "It was good for that." Then she grew serious again. "I don't think I'm staying in Tulsa."
He nodded. "I didn't figure you would."
"I don't know where I'm going. And I know this is hard for you. But I wanted to see you before I took off, wherever I end up. You still mean a lot to me, Tay. You always have. You always will. We've been through a lot together--"
"But it's time to move on," he finished, his voice cracking. "I know."
She glanced down at her hands. "I'll miss you."
"Stop saying that like this is for good," he said. "You're still my best friend. You're the one person I can trust, even over my brothers. There aren't a lot of people in my life who know the real me--outside of Taylor Hanson. One of these days, I'd like to be able to call you up and spill my guts."
Mel smiled and nodded, wiping her eyes. "I'd like that."
Walking from the living room and toward the foyer where Mel had stood since she'd walked in, he said, "So, um, the appraiser's going to be here soon. I don't want him getting the wrong idea, so I'm gonna go. Don't be a stranger, okay?"
Unable to help herself, she threw her arms around his neck and bawled into his shoulder. In her ear, she heard him sniff and she felt his shoulder's shaking as well. He cried as hard as she did and they both stood there, hugging each other in tears for as long as they could before he finally pulled away from her and turned around to wipe his eyes. She had to smile as she wiped her own. That was Tay, forever having too much pride to show his face when he cried.
Mel heard the sound of a vehicle in the driveway and was actually grateful that the appraiser showed up before Tay left. This goodbye couldn't get any worse and she didn't feel like dragging it out. At least the appraiser would be a neutral presence and it wouldn't be as easy to drum up any emotion with him around.
Watching Tay drive out of the driveway made it official. It was over. The house was being appraised, Tay was gone, and Mel was on her own. With Jason. Mel thought of Jason and she smiled. He always made her smile. Always made her feel better. It was one of the many reasons why she loved him and one of the many reasons she knew she made the right decision.
However, she was glad to have had this closure with Tay, closure they hadn't gotten all those years ago.
----------------
Mel walked into her parents' house to the sound of uproarious laughter and suddenly the heavy emotions she'd felt floated away as she watched Jason and her father laugh and cut up with each other. Neither one of them had noticed her walk in.
Eying them as she walked past them and into the kitchen, she found her mother at the kitchen table, hard at work on a crossword puzzle. "What is going on in there?" Mel asked her.
Susan looked up at her daughter and smiled, "They have REALLY hit it off. I haven't actually gone in there, but I've been listening to them the entire time and I can tell, you father adores Jason. I knew he would."
"What happened last night?" Mel asked. Curiosity had been killing her since Jason mentioned it earlier.
"Well, after Jason got you back to sleep, he came downstairs and--well, he and your father exchanged some very strong opinions."
Mel's face met her palm and she squeezed her eyes shut. "Oh god..."
"BUT Jason did not show any fear and I think your father respects him for it. Your father had some strong opinions about the situation in here last night and Jason stuck up for you and your relationship a hundred percent. I was proud of him."
"Jason had to stick up for ME? Against Daddy?"
"He didn't say anything to Jason that he hadn't already said to your face, dear--mostly. But Jason stood his ground. And by the end of it, they shook hands and went to bed. And now they're in there having a big time with each other. You picked a winner, Melody."
Glancing behind her and into the living room, Mel smiled. "I think he picked me."
Mel's smile was short-lived when Jason's voice rang out from the living room. "Mel, gorgeous, we're out of beer in here."
Her eyes narrowed at her mother as they both heard the snickers coming from the living room. "Do WHAT?"
"Come on, honey," he said. "Please?" Mel wanted to melt at the pout in his tone.
"Don't you cave," her mother warned.
"But he's using the voice, Mama!" she hissed at him.
"Your daddy put him up to this, I just know it. He knows better."
Narrowing her eyes, Mel leaned in the doorway to the living room. "I am absolutely NOT going to bring you a beer."
"Well--but you bought me one last week. Two, if I remember correctly."
"Good one, son," her father chimed in. Mel glared at him.
"Well that was different," she said. "Completely different. I am not going to be the 'honey, bring me a beer' woman, you know why? Because what's going to happen when I bring you one? You're gonna ask for another one. And another one. And another one after that and for the rest of my life, I'm going to be bringing you beer and when it's all said and done with, an old and decrepit version of Dwayne Johnson is going to be laid up in a recliner in a condiment-stained white t-shirt, playing you in a hokey Lifetime movie about the woman who lit her man's recliner on fire while he was still in it BECAUSE SHE SPENT HER LIFE BRINGING HIS LAZY ASS BEER!"
The house fell silent for a moment before Jason looked over at Paul and said, "So where do I find a beer bucket like that?"
Smiling, Mel high-fived her mother and sat back down with her at the kitchen table.
MEL
Mel lay awake in bed, early in the morning, before the sun rose. Looking toward Jason, she smiled into the dark at the sound of his even, steady breathing. He slept so soundly, she almost couldn't wait for sunrise so that she would watch him sleep for a few minutes. He almost always got out of bed before she did lately, so she hardly ever got to wake up next to him.
Letting out a breath, she knew today wouldn't be the day, either. She had some things she wanted to take care of and she was currently wide awake so she decided she might as well get started. Oddly enough, she felt energized. Very rarely was she so ready to get up and go before nine in the morning. But here it was close to five and she was ready to get out of the bed.
Quietly, she slid out of the bed, so not to disturb Jason, and she slipped on a t-shirt and a pair of pants and made her way into the kitchen to start the coffee maker. She showered as the coffee brewed and, after pouring herself a cup, she curled up in the desk chair by the living room window and held her cell phone to her ear as she watched the sun slowly turn the sky a dark shade of blue outside.
"Hey," Taylor said when he answered. "I'm kind of surprised to be hearing from you."
"I didn't mean to wake you up," she responded.
"I wasn't asleep."
Her heart was heavy at the sound of his voice. She felt awkward. And ashamed. Though she didn't feel she had anything to be ashamed of. The heart wanted what the heart wanted and hers belonged to Jason. Still, though. It was fast and sudden and--she could only pray that, by a long shot, Taylor MIGHT understand.
"Are you there?" he asked, shaking her out of a silence she had apparently fallen into.
"Yeah," she replied.
"Look, Mel, I'm glad you called. We need to talk."
"Yeah," she agreed. "We do. I'm, uh, I'm moving out of the apartment."
"I'll be honest, I'm surprised you haven't done it yet."
"I've been dealing with...stuff...and I had to wait for the new one to come available, so--"
"It's good to hear your voice," he said. "It's been too long."
Unexpectedly, Mel started to cry. Where it came from, she had no idea. "I'm so sorry," she said through her tears.
"What? Why are you crying? There's no need to cry."
"He kept pressuring me and pressuring me to tell you," she sobbed. "And I kept putting it off and I--and then my mom said it got out and--"
"It's okay," he said quietly. "I'm not mad."
Mel sniffed into the phone, stunned. "You're not?"
"I'm not. I always knew, Mel. And I think that's why I tried so hard, but it was just so painfully obvious. To everyone but you, apparently. And that last time, when he ended up in the hospital and you--you let him go for me. I knew. I know it was more for him than it was for me. You were miserable and I couldn't make you happy. After you left, everything became clear. And that's why I suggested you call Jason. Because I knew it would happen."
"You let me go..."
"I had to. I had to let you be happy. I had to let you love him."
"I never meant to hurt you."
"I know."
"I never cheated on you."
"I know."
"I did love you, Tay."
"I know. I loved you, too. I just--I don't think it was the same. I think there was a lot of history behind it. A lot of unfinished business from the past that we may have masked as something that it wasn't. You know?"
Mel nodded into the phone. "Yeah."
"I wasn't shocked when I found out. A little hurt that I didn't hear it from you first--"
"How did you even find out?"
"There were pictures of you kissing him in the park. I knew. But I've had time to accept it. I'm in therapy and that's really helping a lot. It doesn't keep me from missing you, though."
"I miss you, too," she said quietly. "Do you think, maybe, I don't know, somewhere down the line that maybe we could be friends? I don't want to lose you again."
"I don't want to lose you, either. I don't want another ten years to pass before I hear from you again. I think after some time, that would be possible, yeah."
"How are you?"
"Um, I'm okay. I'm in a better place. Seeing things in a new perspective, I think. It's taking some adjusting. My hand is healed now, so we're catching up on some work. How are you? Are you happy?"
"Yes," she whispered.
"Good. That's all I ever wanted."
"Um, I'm selling the house..."
"I know. I moved out of it a month ago."
"You--you did?"
"Yeah. I rented a house over in Broken Arrow till I get back on my feet again."
"I don't know what I'm gonna do," she said to him. "I'm not sure staying in New York is an option. I don't feel like I should come back to Tulsa. I feel lost. I shouldn't even be coming to you with this, considering, but--I've never been technically homeless before. I have no idea what my next move is gonna be."
"It's okay," he said softly. "Home is wherever he is. Okay? Trust him. Let him show you the way. You're starting a brand new life now. All of us are. The world is our oyster. We can do whatever we want."
"It's scary."
"I know."
"I've never not had the answers before."
"I know. But in a way, doesn't that feeling excite you? Even just a little?"
Letting his words sink in, she knew he was right. Still unsure how to take his attitude, she said to him, "I can't believe you're being so understanding of this."
"I started my journey to acceptance awhile ago. I practically shoved you into his arms, Mel. I know he can make you happy. Happier than I can. I know you love him. I knew it the very first night he came into the picture."
Taking a deep breath, struggling to keep the tears at bay before they flowed again, she said, "I'm coming home. Soon. Within the week. I scheduled an appraisal on the house. I'd like you to be there. If you want to be."
"Yeah," he said softly. "Yeah, I'll be there."
"Take care of yourself, okay?" she said.
"I will. You, too."
Minutes later, they ended the call.
Letting out a breath, she looked out the window as the sun began to peek over the horizon. In a way, she felt lighter. Talking to Taylor helped, Jason had been right. She had to stop being so stubborn all the time when advice was thrown her way. She needed to be more open minded and accepting of others' feelings and opinions. Maybe that would be part of the new life she was starting, as Tay had suggested. He was right. She was starting a brand new life and so was he and so was Jason. She wasn't the only one making major life adjustments here. And she needed to start acting like it.
Mel finished her cup of coffee, checked in on a sleeping Jason and smiled, and then started her morning.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
JASON
Jason woke up to the sunlight streaming in the bedroom and an empty bed. Well, this was different. He rolled onto his back and rubbed his face with both of his hands. How in the hell was she awake? Not only had she worn him out when they got home--a thought which he had to smile at--but then she turned around and had that epic nightmare hours later.
He sighed as he recalled the nightmare. It scared the shit out of him, it was unlike anything he'd ever experienced--and he wasn't even the one having the dream. Mel woke up screaming. Ear-piercing screams, so loud he was surprised the neighbors didn't beat down the front door or call the cops. He had shot up in the bed and flipped on the bedside lamp. By the time he could see her, she was flailing her arms into the air and beating the mattress beside her. He knew you weren't supposed to wake a person in the middle of a nightmare, but he was so desperate to make her stop that he reached for her wrists as well as he could grip them, and pulled her up off her back. An act which he lived to regret, seeing as she nearly got a couple good blows to his face before she collapsed into a fit of tears against his chest. He had held her and kissed her and told her everything was okay until she fell asleep again. He didn't fall asleep for what seemed like hours after that. He couldn't stop thinking about it.
And now here she was, absent from the bed. She had to be a zombie, wherever she was. She had to be exhausted.
Pulling on a pair of jeans and a white tank top, Jason shuffled into the living room and straight into the kitchen. Pouring himself a glass of orange juice, he stepped into the doorway of the kitchen and spied Mel at the desk by the living room window. At the sight, he stopped and leaned into the doorway, drinking his juice while he watched her.
She looked...perky, for lack of a better term. Her long, dark hair was pulled back into a low ponytail and her glasses sat on her face. She sat with her feet tucked against her in the desk chair as her laptop sat open and she shuffled through a sea of paperwork that lay strewn out on the desk. She looked up and flashed an award-winning smile at him. "Good morning, sunshine! Sleep well?"
"I could have slept better..." he responded warily.
"Aww. I'm sorry. You could go back to bed."
"No," he said, his voice still groggy from sleep. "I'm good. I'm up. What are you doing? I can't believe you're awake."
"I've been a busy bee this morning," she said cheerfully. Then her tone grew serious. "I called Tay this morning."
"Really. How did that go?"
"Better than expected. I told him I was moving out of the apartment, selling the house..."
"And...us?"
"He already knew. I mean, I told him. But he already knew."
"And he didn't fly off the handle or grovel into the phone, begging you to come back?"
Dropping her pen, Mel jerked her glasses off of her face. "Is that what you WANT? Is this a man thing? Is it why you were so hell-bent on me telling him? So you could gloat and say that you finally won? Like I'm some kind of prize or something?"
The blood drained from his face and his jaw dropped. He couldn't control it. First of all, why had he said such an assholish thing to begin with? And secondly, he had no idea how it sounded when he said it. And with a reply like that, he felt like a complete bastard. "No," he said. "Nothing like that. I just--I was making conversation is all."
"Some conversation," she muttered as she put her glasses back on her face.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean for it to come out the way it sounded."
"Yeah. Well. It's done, I got it out of the way. On to greener pastures, I suppose."
"You suppose?"
"Are you gonna continue saying fucked up shit like the line you just gave me a second ago?"
"No."
"Then okay. Greener pastures. Maybe sandier ones. Who knows?"
"Sandier ones? You've got my attention now."
As she rifled through the paperwork, she said, "This morning, I got up, I made coffee, I called Tay, I went to a kickboxing class, signed the lease on the new apartment, and now I'm making a life plan."
"Kickboxing?" Jason smiled, amused. "I didn't know you kick boxed."
She smiled back up at him and relief washed over him. He had always been so confident with her and now the idea of disappointing her scared the shit out of him. He had a lot to learn with her. "Oh yeah," she responded. "Back when I lived here before, I kick boxed on a regular basis. I used to love it. So I went this morning for the first time in years. It felt great!"
"Mm," he muttered as he took a sip of his drink. "So, this life plan of yours. Does it include me?"
She looked at him as if he were crazy. "Of course it does. Why wouldn't it?"
"Even after I offended you with my asshole comment?" He smiled as he walked over to her and took a seat across from her.
She smirked at him and he thought he detected a slight batting of the eyelashes. He grinned at how adorable the expression was. "I can forgive you for your little miscommunication," she said. "But, yes, I'm putting together a life plan. I'm moving into the new apartment, going home to Tulsa to sell the house, and then you and I are going to Hawaii. That's as far as I've gotten."
His eyes widened at her. "Uh, Hawaii?"
"Yeah. It's time you went home and it's time I meet your family."
"And--okay, so, what about work? I still have work."
She shrugged. "I know. It's only a skeleton plan, we can fill in the blanks as we go. No biggie. Oh, and I'm quitting therapy."
With each bomb she dropped, he was ready to pass out. "Excuse me? Quitting therapy?"
"I don't need it."
"But you've only been to one session."
"Yeah. And I don't need it."
"What about that little nightmare you had last night, Mel? You don't want to talk to anyone about that?"
She looked across the desk at him, confused. "Nightmare? I didn't even dream last night, I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Oh, so now you're going to deny it."
"No. I'm telling you, I didn't have a nightmare last night. I didn't even dream. Maybe YOU dreamed it."
Jason fell silent as he studied her face. She spoke the truth. He didn't understand it. "You had a nightmare last night. A violent one. A loud one."
"Seriously?"
He nodded. "Yeah. And you don't remember it? At all?"
She shook her head slowly. "No."
"You woke up screaming, you were fighting, and then you cried. It was horrible."
"I had no idea..."
"Give therapy another week."
"Jason--"
"You need to tell your therapist what happened. I don't want to see you go through that again."
"Who says it'll happen again?"
"I don't wanna take the chance."
She looked back into his eyes for a moment before she sighed. "Okay. Okay. I'll give it one more week. And then we're out of here. On to greener--and sandier--pastures. Okay?"
He leaned across the desk and smiled at her. "Have I told you how beautiful you are this morning?"
Blushing, Mel grinned. "No."
"Well, you are. I'm the luckiest asshole in the world."
"You're not an asshole. You wanna help me pack today?"
"Yeah. I got a couple things I gotta do, though. I gotta hit the gym and I have a conference call this afternoon. You know that script I was reading the other day? They want to talk to me about an audition."
Leaving her chair, she came around the desk and parked herself on Jason's knee, wrapping her arms around his neck. "That's awesome," she said, hugging him. "I'm so glad you're getting back into acting again."
Letting the hug linger for a moment because he loved the way she felt, he pulled his face away and looked at her. "You are? Because it requires months of filming, on location..."
"Yeah," she said. "I love watching you act. I love your movies. You're my favorite superhero."
He had to chuckle at her. "I've never played a superhero."
"Well you're MY hero. That's what counts."
"That, it does," he replied. "How 'bout I take you to bed and show you how I would play a superhero?"
She grinned. "Already? Just last night--"
"You wore me out last night, woman. I'll admit it. But damn if I can't get enough of you."
Taking his face in her hands, she kissed him and he pulled her tighter against him. Breaking the kiss, she looked in his eyes. "Have I told you this morning that I love you?" she whispered, stealing his line from earlier.
He smiled at her, sweeping her hair from her shoulder. "I feel it every second of every day," he whispered back.
She giggled as he picked her up and carried her back to bed. Her demeanor this morning had excited him. For the first time since he'd met her, he was finally seeing her again--the Melody he fell in love with all that time ago. Jason couldn't have been happier.
----------------
A week went by. A long, busy week. Mel went to therapy again and she came home with pills--something Jason wasn't entirely thrilled with, but if the therapist thought they might help, then so be it. He'd helped her move out of the Corinthian and they'd moved into the new apartment downtown--together. Transporting the rest of his things from the hotel room he still kept into the new apartment was an interesting feeling. Almost like it was official that he was sharing a life with her. It excited him and it scared him all at the same time.
Now they walked through the airport in Tulsa and his heart pounded, thought he would never let her know it. He couldn't be selfish with his feelings however--he glanced down at her as they walked and he couldn't imagine what she must be feeling. Their new relationship had come on fast--fast by an outsider's definition, anyway. He was aware of that. And everyone in Tulsa knew her and if they didn't know her, they at least recognized her. They knew who she was and who she was associated with.
He had to admire the little woman, though. He had to admire the hell out of her. She walked through that airport, her hand in his, with her head held high and her confidence on point. The cameras followed, as they always did. The one thing Jason always did like about coming to places like, Tulsa, however, was that the cameras weren't near as bad as they were in a bigger city. It was also a change in pace that they were after Mel this time and not him. It angered him, knowing their purpose, but as long as she didn't act bothered, he was going to be on his best behavior and stand by her.
She'd had the cab take her to her house to get her Jeep. She'd stood in the driveway with him for a few minutes, scared to walk in the door. Taylor didn't live there anymore, but that wasn't even close to being the issue. It was the fact that she was ready to close the door on that chapter in her life and it pained her, in some way, to still have to be faced with it.
After finally retrieving the keys from inside and pulling the Jeep out of the garage, they headed straight for her parents' house. Upon asking her why they didn't just stay at her house, her response had been that she never planned to sleep another night in that house ever again. He respected her answer and he never said another word about it.
His nerves came back when they walked into her parents' house. He hadn't been there in several years. It was a modest, two story home, at least a third of the size that Mel's house was. It was warm and inviting and he immediately felt at home there--until Mel's father walked into the room.
Mel's reunion with Susan was heartwarming. He knew Mel missed her mother and he was happy to be able to accompany her home. To his surprise, Susan approached him and hugged him as well. "Welcome home, sweetheart," she had said to him. "Thank you so much for taking care of my daughter. You'll never know how much that means to me--or her."
Jason smiled down at Susan when Mel's father, Paul, approached him. His posture was stiff and his demeanor was curt. "Jason," he said, extending a hand to him.
He took Paul's hand and shook it. "Hello, Mr. Banks. How are you?"
"I've been better," he answered bluntly.
Realizing that his own presence was obviously a problem, Jason couldn't help but stand a little straighter himself. He had no idea how this trip was going to go, but it was painfully apparent that the man of the house did not want him there. He felt like he was stuck between a rock and a hard place--between the endless smile on his girlfriend's face and the stone-cold expression on her father's.
Susan had prepared Mel's old bedroom for the two of them and Jason instantly felt awkward for sharing a bed with Mel, for the sole fact that the old man would be sleeping just down the hall.
Mel must have sensed the tension because as they were upstairs, unpacking in the bedroom, she looked at him and said, "Baby, what's the matter?"
"Nothing," he said.
"Yes, there his," she replied, her eyes boring into his. "Spill it."
"It's nothing," he said. "Just--I don't think your father wants me here."
"Oh please," she waved him off and went back to her suitcase. "He comes across as a little stern sometimes, but it's nothing, really."
"I'm serious. I'm a man, I can tell. He doesn't like me."
"He's just--he's just not used to you. He'll come around. I promise."
"And if he doesn't?"
Mel's eyes darted around the room for an answer. "Well, then...that'll be his problem. He'll be the one missing out on a great man. Not me."
Jason smiled at her, grateful for her words. Didn't help the way he felt, however.
After she'd finished unpacking, she was ready to go downstairs. Jason said he would be right behind her in a few minutes. He needed a moment to himself to figure out what to do about Paul. Jason had never been one to be intimidated by anyone. He had never been one to cower or hide or bow to the whim of another man. On any level. But this one was important. This one was Mel's father. Jason loved Mel and it was important to him to be on good terms with her family, as well. Paul would be a hard one to crack, but Jason was determined.
--------------
As Jason made his way down the stairs, he heard raised voices coming from the kitchen. He stopped before he made it to the doorway, their tones sounding like something he shouldn't interrupt. He wasn't the type to eavesdrop, but he couldn't help himself when he heard his own name.
"What are you thinking?" Paul said harshly. "Are you even thinking at all?"
"I'm not understanding what the issue is!" Mel argued. "You're acting like I'm still a teenager or something!"
"It's just not natural, the way you're traipsing off from one man to another--what's the next one going to think?"
"There won't BE a next one, Daddy, I LOVE him!"
"Yeah? Well you just loved Taylor three months ago, Melody, I don't think you know WHAT you want or who you love!"
"Things are different! Things have changed! I don't expect you to understand it, but I do expect you to support me in my decisions AND my relationships!"
"I don't have to support anything and I don't have to have any part in this abomination you call a relationship!"
"Paul!" Susan scolded. "He's a good man!"
Paul scoffed loudly. "Good for what?"
Mel's voice was nearly inaudible now. "How dare you? I can't believe you."
And before Jason could make an escape, she rounded the corner and came face-to-face with him, her eyes wide.
He looked down at her for a moment before she glanced guiltily down at her hands and then brushed past him and headed up the stairs. Reluctantly, he followed.
As he stepped into the bedroom, he witnessed her hastily throwing clothes back into her suitcase. Jason sighed. "Mel, what are you doing?"
"We're getting out of here," she responded.
"No, you're not, unpack your suitcase. I'll get a hotel, but you're staying here."
"Absolutely not. I won't stay anywhere that you won't be."
"Then I guess we're staying here. Because I'm not about to allow you to just walk out on your family like that without some kind of resolution."
Mel straightened up from the suitcase that lay open on the bed and she raised an eyebrow at him. "ALLOW me?"
He raised an eyebrow to match.
Defeated, Mel sighed and sat down on the end of the bed. "I'm sorry you had to hear any of that," she said. "And I'm sorry about my dad. He and Tay--they kinda bonded after my first miscarriage and--he can be set in his ways. He'll come around."
Jason nodded solemnly. "I know. I'd be offended if I didn't realize that, from the outside looking in, this is a rather odd situation, you and I. Only those of us involved will ever truly understand it and the outsiders can try, but--you gotta give it time. He's your father, he loves you--he's doing his job."
Mel looked up at him. "How can you just hear things like that and just--be okay with it?"
He shrugged. "I get it. If I had a daughter in the same situation, I'd probably be the same way. The truth is, I don't know your parents very well at all and you've never even met mine--which I regret to this day. Everything's brand new now, for all of us. It'll be a journey, but it'll be what we make it. And we'll make it a good one, I promise."
He winked at her as she smiled at him and tucked her hair behind her ear. "Wanna help me unpack?" she asked sheepishly.
He smiled. "I thought you'd never ask."
-----------------------------------------------------------------
SUSAN
Susan sat up in bed next to her husband, filling out a crossword puzzle. Her heart wasn't in it, however, and she couldn't help but continue to glance over at Paul as he leafed through one of his playbooks for the ball team. Finally, he noticed her constant observation. "Why do you keep looking at me like that?" he asked her.
"You know why."
He sighed, exasperated, as he took off his glasses and put down the playbook. "So you're mad at me, too, then?"
"I think you're being too hard on her."
"I'm sorry, but I don't think I am. How can she just change on a dime like that? I don't understand it. And what do we know about this guy anyway? Did she really actually love Taylor, to be able to move on so quickly? Is this a woman-thing?"
"Paul, I don't think she and Taylor--they--they loved each other. And I'm sure they still do. But I think maybe they tried to hold on to something that wasn't there. I mean, between us and Di and Walker, we've been shoving them together since they were babies. Maybe they tried to get married because they felt like they had to. After so much time."
"She was meant to marry him, Susan. That's how it's always been."
"Well, nobody counted on Jason showing up, then, did they?"
"Taylor's like my son. He practically is my son. I wanted him to marry my daughter, have my grandkids..."
"Well, now maybe that's Jason's role."
Paul scowled at his wife. "He is not husband material. Mr. Hollywood Bachelor, traveling all over the world, doing god knows what with god knows who. What kind of a life is that for her?"
"The same one she would have had with Taylor. With him touring all over the place, promoting the band..."
The scowl remained on Paul's face.
"What is so bad about Jason? You've met him several times already. Mel is crazy about him, she always has been. And you said so yourself, you'd give anything to see her smile again the way she did that first weekend he was here. And now she IS. Why can't you just be happy for her?"
"Because I'm waiting on him to break her heart," he answered. "Just like they all do."
At that moment, the blood-curdling scream flowed into their room from down the hall and Susan and Paul were out of the bed in a flash. "I'll kill him," Paul muttered as they threw on their robes. "I'll kill him!"
Running down the hall, Susan threw Mel's bedroom door open and flipped on the light and her eyes widened at the scene. Jason sat up in bed in an olive-green tank top while her daughter screamed and cried and listlessly wailed her fists at him, with no apparent intended target.
Jason looked up at Susan and Paul helplessly as he dodged Mel's arms. All three of them were speechless as they watched Mel's night terror in live animation. From behind her, Paul attempted to get in the room but Susan blocked him and whispered, "You're not supposed to wake them up."
After a moment, when it seemed like Mel had exhausted herself, Jason gently put her hands at her sides and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her close to him. She cried as she calmed down and he rocked her and stroked her hair as her tears slowly subsided.
He looked up at the two of them and said quietly, "I go through this at least two or three times a week."
Behind her, Susan heard Paul huff and then he turned and walked down the hall, making his way downstairs. She then looked at Jason as he comforted her daughter. "Get her back to sleep and then come downstairs. Okay?"
Jason nodded as she pulled the door to.
-------------
Susan sat calmly at the kitchen table as her husband paced by the sink. The water she had heated for tea was just finishing when Jason made his way down. She smiled up at him as he stood in the doorway. "Come, have a seat by me. Would you like some chamomile?"
As he sat, Jason smiled graciously. "Um, no thank you--"
"When my wife invites you into her home and offers you tea, you say yes," Paul suddenly said, staring hard at Jason.
Jason's eyes darted from Paul to Susan and he smiled at her. "That would be great," he said to her. "Thank you."
"So what happened up there?" Susan asked as she rose from the table to prepare the tea.
"Um, the doctor thinks it's some form of postpartum. I can't be sure, though. She seems fine during the day, it's just getting through the night that can be difficult."
"What does she dream about? Has she told you?"
"She doesn't know. She never remembers."
"What are they doing for it?" she asked as she served the tea and sat back down in her chair.
"They gave her sleeping pills, but you see how well that's working."
Susan frowned at him and covered her hand with is. "I'm sorry you're having to go through this, sweetie."
"I'm not," he responded.
Susan's eye caught Paul's movement as he moved toward the table and eyed Jason. "What sort of sadistic comment is that?"
Susan was surprised when Jason's expression suddenly matched her husband's as he glared back at him. "I mean it's not my problem. She's the one who's suffering and I'm only happy to be there to take care of her."
"For now."
"Excuse me?"
"You're happy to be there for now. And then her baggage will get to be too much for you, and countless Hollywood models will flaunt themselves in front of your face and then you'll look at her and wonder what the hell did you do with your life, wasting it with her? And then you'll give her up. Just like John did, just like Taylor did."
"John didn't--"
"Oh cut the crap, I know what happened with John."
Jason narrowed his eyes at Paul. "You are so far off the mark, I can't even understand how you got there."
Paul leaned over the table. "What are your intentions with my daughter?"
"I'm going to marry her."
Paul scoffed, amused. "Marry her? You think you're going to marry her--"
"I don't think, I KNOW."
"Your confidence astounds me. You're going to marry a woman who has a life-long history with a man she was due to marry, what, any day now?"
"A man who threw her away!"
"A man who loves her! And knows her! A man she's spent her entire life with!"
Jason's fist suddenly pounded the table, the silverware clanging against the tea saucers. "THREE TIMES! THREE TIMES he threw her away with his indecisiveness! Three times he couldn't decide if he wanted her or not! THREE TIMES! Do you know how many times it took me to figure out that I couldn't live without her? ONCE! You look at all the shit he's done to her and you have the audacity to come at me like I'M the bad guy here?"
"You watch your goddamned mouth in the presence of my wife!"
"Your daughter's mouth is filthier than his, Paul, and YOU know where she gets it!" Susan suddenly scolded her husband, getting caught up in the heat of the moment.
The room calmed for a moment as Paul continued to pace.
"Here's another number for you," Jason continued calmly, accusingly. "Two. Two is the number of times she was pregnant with his child. Two is the number of times her body rejected it. Her own body rejected him, beyond her control. If that's not a sign--if that's not fate--I don't know what is. You're a Christian man, aren't you? Think about it."
Paul stopped pacing and looked hard at Jason. "Christian, huh? You think you're gonna get a blessing out of me? You think you can just waltz in here and claim you care so much about my daughter--"
"I LOVE your daughter--"
"--with all her baggage--she's damaged goods, she is emotionally and mentally broken, she's unstable, hard-headed, unpredictable, and as wild as they come. You think after a year or two, you're gonna wanna stick around for that? So I can give you my blessing for you to go and break her heart and drive her to god knows where after THAT rejection? You got another thing coming, pal."
Suddenly, Jason stood up and leaned himself across the table toward Mel's father. "She is NONE of those things, she is PERFECT! There is NOTHING wrong with her and I'm not gonna sit here and allow you--no matter WHO you are--to talk about her like she's some kind of invalid! She is a grown woman and I love her and I WILL marry her, she WILL be happy, and I don't need yours or anyone else's approval to make it happen!"
Susan watched in horror as Paul leaned back into Jason across the table and looked up at him, shooting daggers from his eyes. "You got some fight in you, boy." And then his eyes softened a little. "I like that."
As both men eased themselves off the table, Paul continued to talk. "My daughter needs a man like that. Who's not afraid of her. Who can match her. Who can handle her. Taylor couldn't do that. If that were him sitting there right now, I can guarantee he'd be shitting his pants. But not you. You were about to show me what you're made of and I like it. I got a lot of respect for a man who knows who he is."
"Well I know who I am," Jason said. "And I'm not Taylor. And to be honest, constantly being compared to him is getting a little old."
"That's fair. But just know this. That's my little girl up there. My ONLY little girl. And if you're going to be the one, just know--I don't care how big or burly or CONFIDENT you think you are--I'm a veteran of the United States Marine Corps and I've killed many men in my lifetime--for real, not on a movie set, shooting blanks. I know exactly where to aim at any given second. I am her father. I am the ONLY man who will ever be more important to her than you. And if you EVER hurt a single hair on my little girl's head, I guarantee I will be the ONLY man in her life. Do I make myself clear?"
Susan witnessed Jason fighting to keep his mouth from smiling, but he couldn't keep it out of his eyes. He extended his hand to her husband and shook it. "Yes, sir. And thank you for your service."
Paul stood a little straighter and Susan knew the look. He was eating crow. I huge, heaping helping of it. She giggled a little on the inside. He shook Jason's hand and then adjusted his robe. "I'm off to bed now. I'll see the both of you in the morning."
And with that, Paul disappeared around the corner.
Jason let out a breath and rubbed the back of his neck. Susan felt so bad for the poor guy. "Don't mind him," she said softly. "He's very protective over Mel. She's always been daddy's little girl and she's kinda had it rough with relationships growing up--I don't have to tell you that. Anyway, when she hurts, he hurts, and he only wants to protect her." She laughed a little. "I have to remind him of her age sometimes, but I know he looks at her and still sees the six-year-old who worshipped him every day when he walked through the door."
Jason smiled at her. "It's okay. I'm actually glad this got hashed out--I think I'd be offended if I didn't get the proverbial 'I'll kill you' speech."
Susan walked over to him and reached up, taking his face in her hands. "I know you love my daughter. I always knew you did. And deep down, I've always known that she loves you, too. I just had to step back and let her figure it out on her own. But don't you worry about me or her father or anyone else. Just like you said. What you have is yours and nobody can take that from you. Okay? If anyone's giving blessings around here, you have mine."
"Thank you," he said softly. "That means a lot."
---------------------------------------------------------
JASON
The next day was Sunday. Mel had no recollection of her episode from the previous night and Jason was surprised when she ended up being the one who woke him up. "Jason," he heard her whisper in his ear as he struggled to open his eyes. "Jason."
Slowly he turned his head and looked at her as she lay propped up on his chest, looking down at him. She grinned at him, biting her lip. He knew that smile..."Tell me you haven't managed to get into some kind of trouble already..."
She raised her eyebrows playfully. "Not yet." Then she glanced down his body as he lay on his back. "But if you promise to be quiet, I promise to take care of that for you."
Narrowing his eyes in confusion for a moment, he realized what she was talking about and he looked down at the erection he sported underneath the sheet. He grinned in disbelief. "Oh shit, no," he objected, his voice groggy with sleep.
She raised her eyebrows at him. "No? What if I don't give you a choice?"
"Not in your parents' house." Then he lowered his voice to as quiet a whisper as he could. "I promise you, I will fuck you any damn where you want me to--just not here."
"Chicken."
"I'll claim that title. Though I'm a respectful chicken."
Mel pouted. "Respectful chickens are no fun."
"Sure we are. We thrive on the anticipation."
"I don't."
"You will."
His arm tucked behind his head, they lay in silence for a moment before Jason reached up and ran his fingers through her hair, toying with a strand of it that fell over her shoulder. "You had another nightmare last night."
Mel's eyes dropped in shame. "I'm sorry. Was it bad?"
"Pretty bad. And loud. Woke your parents up."
"Did they come in here?"
"Yeah."
"Shit. Jason, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I bet my dad is so pissed..."
"I don't think so," he answered. "We, uh, we talked last night. Sort of. I think he's okay now."
Mel's face looked hopeful. "Really?"
He smiled at her, his face still numb from sleep. "Yeah. I think we're good."
A little later, once Jason and Mel had showered and gotten ready for their day, Jason found Paul alone in the living room. Not having spoken to him since the previous night, he took a deep breath before he stepped into the room. "So, uh, who's winning?"
He helped himself to an armchair that sat next to the sofa Paul sat on. Paul glanced at Jason. "Just highlights right now. Game's later. You into football?"
"Every time I can catch a moment to watch."
Paul flashed a controlled smile at him and reached to the floor beside him, pulling a beer from an ice bucket. "Beer?"
Jason smiled and accepted it. "Thanks." Then he eyed the beer bucket. "Beer bucket in your living room, huh? Impressive."
"I'm not the kind of man who expects my wife to bring me beer. Made that mistake one time. But I'm sure not gonna go and get it myself, either. This was the compromise."
Jason had to chuckle. In spite of himself, the more the old man spoke, the more he liked him. "That sounds familiar."
Paul glanced at Jason as he took a swig of beer. "You ever asked Mel to bring you a beer?"
Jason smiled and shook his head. "No. But your outcome, there, looks like something I might expect out of her."
"She gets it from her mother, you know." Paul shook his head as he reminisced. "When I met Susan, I was a womanizer. Confident. Different girl every week. Wild as they came."
"You met her in college?"
"Nope. The Marines. She was a secretary and I walked by her desk every day. I had just made staff sergeant and I was a cocky son of a bitch. I thought my shit didn't stink and all the ladies wanted me. Except for Susan. She wanted nothing to do with me and she was the only one I wanted. You ever been in that situation?"
Jason narrowed his eyes in thought. In a way, he supposed so. "Yeah...in a way, guess..."
"Melody?"
"Yeah."
"Figures. Like I said, she gets it from her mother. Susan was a little spitfire, let me tell you. Marines flirted with her constantly and she didn't take shit off any of them. She stood up for what she believed in and was headstrong on her opinions. I pursued that woman hard for an entire year. When I got promoted to Gunnery Sergeant, she finally agreed to go to dinner with me. I took her out, kissed her on her doorstep and when she looked me in the eye and said, 'Goodnight, Gunny,' I knew I had her. Hook, line, and sinker. And now here we are, still happily married, still the love of my life."
Jason smiled at Paul, touched that he shared this story with him. He found himself nodding. "That's fantastic."
"Yeah. Mel always begged me to tell that story. She was a little romantic growing up. A dreamer. And a spitfire, just like her mother."
"Still is."
"Good luck, my friend. The best ones are difficult to handle."
The two focused on the television for a minute or two, commenting on the game, when Paul opened a new beer and looked at Jason again. "So what are you about, son? How come nobody's ever heard your story?"
Jason shifted in his seat and crossed his ankle over his knee. "Uh, not really much to tell. Grew up in Hawaii. Mom's white, father's Hawaiian. Old man ran out on us when I was a kid, and I became the man of the house."
"Your mom still in Hawaii?"
"Yeah."
"Can't blame her for not wanting to leave. You close to her?"
"Very. She's my world."
"Good, good. You take care of her?"
"Definitely. I don't get to see her as often as I'd like, but I talk to her almost daily. She's got a lot of support around her there and she's a strong woman so I don't have to worry about her too much. But yeah, she's definitely taken care of."
"You go to college?"
Jason shook his head. "No."
"Neither did Melody. I nearly had a heart attack when she ran off to New York with her friend. She was only nineteen. Never really been away from Tulsa, except on a couple of occasions when I let her go to New York or LA with Taylor and his brothers. I couldn't say no. He wanted to show her the world and I wanted her to see it."
"Believe me, she's seeing it now."
"With you, I hear."
"Well, just Cabo and Ireland, but I plan to show her Hawaii next."
"She'll love it there."
"I hope so."
"So you didn't go to college..."
"No. No college. Not that I sucked in high school or anything. I was real active growing up, with my cousins and such. We were dare devils." Jason paused to smile at his own memory. "We did it all, surfing, cliff diving, go karts, dune buggies--a dune buggy is actually how I got to where I am today."
"No kidding?"
"No kidding. I was maybe seventeen or so and my cousins and I were driving dune buggies all over this private beach and I flipped mine. And it flipped and it flipped and it flipped, at least five times until I was ready to puke. And when I stopped, upside down, and realized that I had miraculously managed to not get a single mark on me, I decided right then that I wanted to do stunts for a living. After that, my cousins and I found all sorts of dangerous things to get into, I was into it all. One thing led to another and I became a professional stuntman. Doing stunts got me an audition for my first starring role and now here I am."
"And not a damn soul will leave you alone now."
"Comes with the territory, I guess."
"Well, good for you, kid. Good for you." Paul adjusted himself in his seat and looked over at Jason. "Look, uh, I know I was rough on you last night. But you gotta understand it from my point of view. Things just seem to be moving awful fast and I get concerned, you know?"
"I know. But we've known each other for a long time. And I've loved her since day one. And I went through it--went through a lot of hell and took a lot of hits to get to where I am with her today. And if I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't change a thing. I guess I'm not a...a womanizer? Like you said you used to be? I've never been much for dating around or sleeping around or anything like that. Your daughter's the first woman I ever fell for--and I'm still learning. I have no idea what I'm doing or even how to do it. But I do know that I'll follow that woman any damn where she wants to lead me and not think twice about it."
Paul side-glanced at him and smiled. "If she jumped off a bridge, would you do it, too?"
"I'd jump first."
"That's my boy."
Mel came into the living room and walked around Jason's chair, perching herself on the arm of it. "What are we watching?"
"Nothing, yet," her father responded. "Game's later."
"So you're GONNA be watching the game," she clarified.
"Yes, ma'am," Paul said.
Mel nodded in response before she looked down at Jason. "I gotta go meet the appraiser. It won't take long. You wanna come with?"
"Uh, yeah," Jason answered. The truth was, he wanted to be wherever she was, no matter where that happened to be.
"Aw, leave him here," Paul suddenly spoke up. "The boy's comfortable, don't uproot him just for a five minute appraisal. Let him have some guy time, let him have an afternoon in front of the TV. I'm sure he doesn't get that very often."
Mel looked down at him expectantly and Jason was speechless. As much as he wanted to leave with her, the truth was, the old man's proposal sounded pretty good. He had to cave. "Uh, unless you really need me there..."
She glanced at her father and then back at him. Jason braced himself, but was relieved at the smile that crossed her face. "Okay," she said. "You boys have fun. I won't be gone long. Don't get into any trouble while I'm gone." Then she kissed Jason and headed for the front door.
"Not making any promises!" Paul called to her as she left.
Jason smiled and turned up his beer. Glancing at Paul, he raised his beer bottle in a silent toast and was instantly at ease. It was the most comfortable he'd felt in a long time.
----------------------------------------------------
MEL
Getting an appraisal on a Sunday was unheard of, as was really any service or business transaction. Mel didn't normaly like to flaunt her wealth, but she also had no shame in using it to get something she desperately wanted, either. This appraisal was something that needed to happen ASAP and Sunday happened to be the most convenient day for her. So she decided to make it convenient for the appraiser, as well.
Driving to the house, Mel smiled. She had no idea what went on with Jason and her father the previous night, but apparently it had worked out for the better. She was thrilled to see them getting along and she felt like it was one more things he could check off her list going into her new life journey.
Then she pulled up in the driveway and her smile disappeared. Taylor was already there. A flood of emotions came rushing back and she didn't want to go in. And then she thought of Jason waiting for her at her parents' house and she was determined to get this over with as quickly and painlessly as possible.
When she walked in the house, he was standing in the middle of the living room. Turning around, Taylor smiled at her. He looked amazing. She looked around at the house, then at him, and then she smiled, fighting an epic internal battle to keep her emotions hidden.
"It looks so empty in here," she observed.
"Yeah," he answered. "I, uh, I took everything that was mine. Wasn't much."
"You could have taken more. You could have taken it all. I don't know what I'm gonna do with any of it. I don't even know where I'm going."
"Mel, I--I don't think I should have come here. I thought I was strong enough, but seeing you standing here--in our house--I think it's too much for me."
Tears sprang to her eyes instantly and her voice cracked. "We have a lot of good memories here." She smiled through her tears. "I'm gonna miss my bathroom."
Tay laughed and she could tell he was getting choked up, as well. "Yeah. The one you constantly locked yourself in?"
She laughed with him. "It was good for that." Then she grew serious again. "I don't think I'm staying in Tulsa."
He nodded. "I didn't figure you would."
"I don't know where I'm going. And I know this is hard for you. But I wanted to see you before I took off, wherever I end up. You still mean a lot to me, Tay. You always have. You always will. We've been through a lot together--"
"But it's time to move on," he finished, his voice cracking. "I know."
She glanced down at her hands. "I'll miss you."
"Stop saying that like this is for good," he said. "You're still my best friend. You're the one person I can trust, even over my brothers. There aren't a lot of people in my life who know the real me--outside of Taylor Hanson. One of these days, I'd like to be able to call you up and spill my guts."
Mel smiled and nodded, wiping her eyes. "I'd like that."
Walking from the living room and toward the foyer where Mel had stood since she'd walked in, he said, "So, um, the appraiser's going to be here soon. I don't want him getting the wrong idea, so I'm gonna go. Don't be a stranger, okay?"
Unable to help herself, she threw her arms around his neck and bawled into his shoulder. In her ear, she heard him sniff and she felt his shoulder's shaking as well. He cried as hard as she did and they both stood there, hugging each other in tears for as long as they could before he finally pulled away from her and turned around to wipe his eyes. She had to smile as she wiped her own. That was Tay, forever having too much pride to show his face when he cried.
Mel heard the sound of a vehicle in the driveway and was actually grateful that the appraiser showed up before Tay left. This goodbye couldn't get any worse and she didn't feel like dragging it out. At least the appraiser would be a neutral presence and it wouldn't be as easy to drum up any emotion with him around.
Watching Tay drive out of the driveway made it official. It was over. The house was being appraised, Tay was gone, and Mel was on her own. With Jason. Mel thought of Jason and she smiled. He always made her smile. Always made her feel better. It was one of the many reasons why she loved him and one of the many reasons she knew she made the right decision.
However, she was glad to have had this closure with Tay, closure they hadn't gotten all those years ago.
----------------
Mel walked into her parents' house to the sound of uproarious laughter and suddenly the heavy emotions she'd felt floated away as she watched Jason and her father laugh and cut up with each other. Neither one of them had noticed her walk in.
Eying them as she walked past them and into the kitchen, she found her mother at the kitchen table, hard at work on a crossword puzzle. "What is going on in there?" Mel asked her.
Susan looked up at her daughter and smiled, "They have REALLY hit it off. I haven't actually gone in there, but I've been listening to them the entire time and I can tell, you father adores Jason. I knew he would."
"What happened last night?" Mel asked. Curiosity had been killing her since Jason mentioned it earlier.
"Well, after Jason got you back to sleep, he came downstairs and--well, he and your father exchanged some very strong opinions."
Mel's face met her palm and she squeezed her eyes shut. "Oh god..."
"BUT Jason did not show any fear and I think your father respects him for it. Your father had some strong opinions about the situation in here last night and Jason stuck up for you and your relationship a hundred percent. I was proud of him."
"Jason had to stick up for ME? Against Daddy?"
"He didn't say anything to Jason that he hadn't already said to your face, dear--mostly. But Jason stood his ground. And by the end of it, they shook hands and went to bed. And now they're in there having a big time with each other. You picked a winner, Melody."
Glancing behind her and into the living room, Mel smiled. "I think he picked me."
Mel's smile was short-lived when Jason's voice rang out from the living room. "Mel, gorgeous, we're out of beer in here."
Her eyes narrowed at her mother as they both heard the snickers coming from the living room. "Do WHAT?"
"Come on, honey," he said. "Please?" Mel wanted to melt at the pout in his tone.
"Don't you cave," her mother warned.
"But he's using the voice, Mama!" she hissed at him.
"Your daddy put him up to this, I just know it. He knows better."
Narrowing her eyes, Mel leaned in the doorway to the living room. "I am absolutely NOT going to bring you a beer."
"Well--but you bought me one last week. Two, if I remember correctly."
"Good one, son," her father chimed in. Mel glared at him.
"Well that was different," she said. "Completely different. I am not going to be the 'honey, bring me a beer' woman, you know why? Because what's going to happen when I bring you one? You're gonna ask for another one. And another one. And another one after that and for the rest of my life, I'm going to be bringing you beer and when it's all said and done with, an old and decrepit version of Dwayne Johnson is going to be laid up in a recliner in a condiment-stained white t-shirt, playing you in a hokey Lifetime movie about the woman who lit her man's recliner on fire while he was still in it BECAUSE SHE SPENT HER LIFE BRINGING HIS LAZY ASS BEER!"
The house fell silent for a moment before Jason looked over at Paul and said, "So where do I find a beer bucket like that?"
Smiling, Mel high-fived her mother and sat back down with her at the kitchen table.