Chocolate

New York Ice

Sliding her satiny silver ring off her thin finger, Melody Kinsey, rather Melody Harkin, sighed, looking at her pathetic reflection in the mirror. Life was easier when she was Melody Harkin. 25 years old, glossy blonde hair and eyes full of potential and happiness. She went to clubs on Friday nights with her friends and bars on Saturdays with her close friend, Pam, hoping to meet someone new and good looking and endorsed. And on one of those Saturday nights she met Gabriel Kinsey, tall and enthralling and they were together for 2 years before he proposed on the ice in December in New York City. They decided to move out to California when she was 28 and married and pregnant with their first child. Noelle was born in May. 10 year old Brady and 6 year old Roman came years later.

Melody began to notice Gabriel's distancing on Roman's third birthday. January 13th and she had just turned 42 a week prior and Roman was a year older and she laid in bed next Gabriel after singing Roman a night song and upon trying to kiss him, he pushed her off. He'd done it before, but then he was burning with anger of some sort. From then, everything was forced and fake, besides the late nights screaming at each other for reasons unbeknownst to either of them. Her young sons and growing daughter were the only reasons why he was worth it and she prayed that someday Gabriel would realize that she was the Melody that he met at a bar that Saturday night and the same Melody that he proposed to on the New York ice and even though she was 19 years older, she was still the same Melody who he shared a tiny apartment with where they found out she was pregnant with Noelle and she could only hope that he would remember that happiness he felt then and strive to achieve it again, no matter what.

The thoughts drifted from her mind when her sons whined and screamed. She could barely move herself from the place she stood at, paralyzed by heartache and longing for the life she used to have. Or the husband she used to have.