Forbidden

Finale: We Are Family

April 18, 2013
Melinda; 38 Weeks Later

I jumped at the flash and scowled.

Pant, pant, blow... Pant, pant, blow...

"Fuck, this hurts! I am never doing this shit again," I declared, wishing I had accepted the epidural.

Pant, pant, blow... Pant, pant, blow...

"Come on, turtle candy... Let's get the little bugger out of there!"

'Let's'? She's got nerve!

Another flash goes off in my face.

Christ, doesn't she know what is a video camera?

"Mum! Seriously? Get that fucking camera away from me!"

"Lindy-pudding, language!"

Pant, pant, blow...

"Mummy, I'm sorry, but you have to leave. Now. This is all too damn annoying right now!"

Her eyes widened. "But, Taffy Apple, I'm your mum! You need me with you right now!"

"Oh, God... Please stop calling me every confection you can think of and use my name! You do remember it don't you, Mummy?"

"Melinda Iris Stanton, how on Earth could I ever forget my peanut butter brownie's name? I gave it to you, you know!"

Oh, God... Can she be any more annoying than she was at that moment? Could that be a possibility?

Mom patted my shoulder. "Pudding pop, try to relax."

Yep!

July 19, 2012
Melinda; 38 Weeks EARLIER

I dropped in my seat and quickly put my head down. I have to tell him what I did. Damn shame I can't tell him who I did it with. I would if I knew...

"Steven—"

"Melinda, don't. I know what you're going to say and I'm begging you not to."

I snorted. "You have no idea what I need to say to you, Steven."

"I can guess. What I did last night has to bug you tremendously and I think you may be tempted to call off the wedding. Before you do, please know that it will not happen again. I promise. I'll convince Darrin it was a mistake because we're both in love with other people. It only happened because it was familiar, and, basically, I was in the mood."

"Oh, God... This is not only about you and Darrin, Steven. Jesus!"

I cried into my hands. I had sex last night... really, really good sex... and I had no damn clue with whom. The Carters had staff everywhere and quite a few were men. It easily could've been one of them.

Or...

Oh... Oh, no... It wasn't... Please God, don't let it have been John! I would hurl twice and die if it was him.

My cries turned into gut wrenching sobs.

"Melinda, please calm down, Doll! You're being overly dramatic about it all, I swear!"

I continued to sob and allowed him to pull me into his arms.

When I calmed, Steven tilted my chin upward and looked in my eyes. "We can't get married now, can we, Doll?"

Slowly, I exhaled and shook my head. "No, Steven. But I still love you and I don't want to lose you as a friend. I couldn't take it if you walked out of my life."