so be it."
Melissa pulled a face but didn't comment on my explanation as she poured out the pancakes into perfect circles. Laurie and I had both warned our mom that this guy was trouble, and she ignored us. This was the consequence, and as much as it sucked... My mom wasn't a teenager and had already been married twice. She was almost fifty-five years old and could make her own decisions, which, by default, also meant dealing with the fallout.
While Mom was going to have a Hell of a time trying to get divorced, I was going to enjoy my relationship with Mel. We were going to move slow and actually get to know each other, and I had never been so optimistic about a relationship. Ever since I saw her confusedly staring at the directory at my building, I'd wanted her, and no family drama was going to get in the way.
Chapter 21
Melissa
Terry tied up the balloons we'd bought loosely to the passenger side headrest in my car, and I shut the trunk with a firm thump.
"Thank you for doing this with me, Terry." His head popped up over the roof of my car, and I twirled my keys absently as I opened the driver's side door. "You sure I'm not putting you out?"
"Of course not. At least you had the decency to ask about it a month in advance. I may not be a chef, but I'm a damn good cook, and I'm honored you thought of me."
Smiling as flames licked up my neck, I nodded before we both slid into the car, and Terry raked his hands through his hair.
"I'm always down for a party. I think it's really nice of you to celebrate your boyfriend's sister passing the Bar."
"I really like her, yeah. She worked hard. Being a lawyer isn't easy. Carl's idea of a party isn't that exciting, to be honest." My smile widened, and I turned on my car to jostle the gear into Reverse and twist around. My back seat was filled with stuff, and I carefully backed out of my parking spot as satisfaction gripped my chest.
Sure, it was a bit childish to have party favors and balloons with smiley faces on them. Maybe, I should've added alcohol to my grocery list because no one really liked a completely dry party.
According to Carl, though, Laurie had gotten practically blackout drunk the night she'd gotten her results after four months of anxious waiting. She'd gotten so drunk, she couldn't remember anything and had a hangover for two whole days. I didn't see how that was a fun time, but she deserved to let loose, I suppose.
"So, you're going on six months together with Carl. Are you doing anything special?"
I shook my head, but my smile didn't falter as I drove leisurely through the lot toward the exit. Terry put the window down, and the heat of late summer sucked out of my car on the gentle breeze.
"Jason and I are planning to go to the Caribbean for Christmas this year. You two should come with us."
"I'll ask, yeah. I'm not sure what we're gonna do. His mom's still struggling to divorce my dad, and I guess you could say he's not really... entertaining... anything about her divorce. Every once and in a while, she'll call, and if he doesn't like what he hears, he'll make an excuse and hang up." I didn't necessarily approve of the way Carl handled his mom, but that was also very hypocritical of me. He'd warned her, and she ignored him. That was more than enough reason to be a little apathetic about her situation. "I totally understand why he's giving her the cold shoulder, but at the same time, she's his mom..."
"'She's his mom' is the only reason you can come up with for why Carl should put up with her pity party, Mel, and it's not even a good reason. It's not the kids' responsibility to pick up after their parents' fuck ups. Even after all that shit with your dad, you don't get it."
Puffing out my lips at that, I flexed my hands on the wheel, and Terry reached over the center console to pat my forearm.
"Trust me— once you stop thinking you owe people something, your life is gonna get so much easier."
"Yeah... I don't know about that..." Curious eyes bored holes into the side of my face, and I gnawed on my inner cheek diligently. "My period is really late. I think my