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We walked through the entryway, Melissa’s hand firmly in mine as I pulled her through. “Sit,” I demanded and she did as I asked, but folded her arms over her chest and put on that stubborn face I know so well.
“Oh! Hi, Melissa. ” Gran smiled. “Are you two okay? What’s going on? Is the baby all right?” She eyed my belly and I nodded.
“Everything’s good, Gran. I just needed to bring Melissa here. ”
Gran’s brow furrowed, but I knew it was part of her act. “Whatever for, dear?”
“Because for some reason she won’t date Dean. And I know it isn’t because she doesn’t like him, or miss him, or any normal reason. I figured that only you and Gramps could get to the bottom of this. So, go on. Work your magic. Use your granny voodoo on her. ”
Gran and Gramps laughed, full-out belly laughs. “Granny voodoo. That’s great, Kitten,” Gramps said between fits of laughter.
“I’m not kidding! She’s broken,” I shouted, pointing at my now terrified best friend. “Fix her!”
“Well, I will admit that I’m not sure why it’s taken this long for the two of you kids to get together,” Gran began. “Why don’t you tell me what the problem is, Melissa?”
Melissa inhaled deeply, her gaze shifting between the three of us all staring at her. “There is no problem. Maybe that’s the problem?”
“What?” Gramps scratched his head, completely taken aback by her answer.
“Go on,” Gran prompted, her tone sympathetic. It’s how she always sucks them in.
“That’s it. There’s no problem,” Melissa said, obviously trying to sound confident.
“Do you like Dean?” I asked the most obvious question of them all and watched as her face softened the way it had when she first mentioned him back in the student union when we were in college.
All eyes fixed on Melissa, waiting for her answer. She looked down and wiped at her eyes. “Of course I like him. I’ve never liked anyone so much before. ”
I stood there, shocked. This made absolutely no sense at all to me. I shook my head and said, “Seriously? Then what the hell are we doing here? Why aren’t you with him?”
Gran huffed out a breath before pulling a bottle of wine from the cupboard. Opening the bottle, she poured three glasses, then filled a fourth with cold water. “Sorry to drink in front of you, dear,” she said in apology, handing me the glass filled with water.
“It’s okay. Wine doesn’t sound good anyway. ” I patted my stomach.
She placed one of the glasses in front of Melissa. “Drink. Let’s discuss this. ”
“You girls make everything so complicated. Don’t you know us men are simple folk?” Gramps asked as he sipped his wine.
Gran held a hand in the air to stop him, then asked Melissa, “You’re scared, aren’t you, dear?”
Gramps nodded. “It’s so obvious. ”
My head swiveled back and forth as Melissa’s tears fell. “What is? What’s obvious?” I asked, completely confused.
“She’s afraid it won’t work. That they won’t last,” Gran said softly as she watched Melissa.
Gramps smacked the kitchen counter with his hand. “Kitten, what’s wrong with your girl?”
“She’s just scared. That’s all this is. Pure fear,” Gran said.
“Seriously?” I asked Melissa. “But you’re like the most fearless person I know. You’re always telling people what they should be doing. Always encouraging and always telling them to take risks. ”
“It’s easy to tell other people what to do,” she admitted. “It’s a lot harder to apply your advice to your own life, especially when you don’t see it as clearly. ”
“What the hell are you talking about?” I asked.
Melissa sighed. “I knew that you and Jack were meant to be together. I could see it, you know? I always told you that. So it’s easy for me to push you to go for something that’s so obvious to me and everyone else around you. But I don’t see myself or my situation with the same kind of clarity. ”
“Really?” I said with a snort. “Why don’t I believe you?”
