Nightingale (Sequel to Solider Boy)

Twenty-Seven

Melody had never really liked plane rides, but she decided they were even worse when you couldn't stop crying during the flight. For the sake of the other passengers, Melody willed herself to be silent as she looked out at the sky, watching it go from bright daylight to darkness as they made the trip from Wakanda to New York. She'd felt eyes the eyes of her fellow passenger next to her as they flew, but thankfully, the young man said nothing to her. 

Though she knew that she had made the logical choice, it didn't dull the pain that came with making it. She and James lived in two different worlds that were miles away from each other, literally and metaphorically. There was no way to make them work  out. But even so, that knowledge didn't take away the pain.

All in all, as Melody left the plane, no longer crying, but she'd glimpsed herself in the dark windows, her eyes were red and puffy, both from lack of sleep and constant crying. For how tired she was, she also managed to be thankful, inwardly that she would have a few days to adjust to New York time before returning to work. Hopefully that would be enough time to cry herself out and then, when it was time to return to work, she'd actually look like a human being. 

She made her way through the airport in a daze, ready to grab her luggage, get out and hail a cab back to her apartment, however, as she made her way towards the exit, all plans of hailing a taxi vanished from her mind and her weariness faded as though she'd just downed an entire glass of espresso. 

Derrick was waiting at the ground floor, holding a paper sign that read "Mel Frasier" and he  was smiling at her. Despite her tiredness and her grief, Melody felt a smile come to her face. She hadn't expected any sort of welcome when she got back, least of all from him. She hadn't spoken to him before she'd left, not after that phone call from Sharon that had brought her to Wakanda.

"What are you doing here?" Melody asked as she approached him and Derrick smiled at her. His curly hair was combed back, like usual, but it was a bit messy, probably from wearing scrub caps. His smile, as always, was as warm, just like snuggling under a quilt. 

"Hello to you too," he said and she blushed and Derrick only laughed. "I thought you might need a ride home."

"You didn't have to do that," she told him and he merely shrugged.

"I know." Derrick's smile got a bit smaller, but it never lost an ounce of it's warmth. "If you'd rather not have to spend a twenty minute drive with me I can call a cab for you." 

Truthfully, Melody wouldn't have minded a little more time alone. The weight of being under her secrets again, the pained expression on James's face as they'd said goodbye for the last time all pained her like physical blows. She didn't want anyone to be around to see that. And yet..."Live better," she heard James's voice in her mind, the promise she'd made to him, that she would try to do that. 

Melody smiled tiredly at Derrick. "I'd love a ride."

***

The ride to her apartment was quiet, the only real sound being that of the jazz CD, Derrick loved pouring from the stereo and the sounds of New York city outside the car. Melody wasn't so fond of jazz, but she loved the sounds of the city. It had been something she'd missed while she was in Wakanka, it had been a bit hard to sleep because it was so quiet there. However, the sound of James's heartbeat and his arm around her had been a small price to pay indeed...

Don't think about him,  Melody thought firmly to herself, feeling tears well up in her eyes. It's over. Dwelling on that won't change it. She'd made her choice and all choices had consequences and her choice to stay away from Wakanda meant that James, important to her as he was, was now part of her past. There was no way she could alleviate that consequence, so Melody knew it was best to start learning to live with it. 

But time had eventually dulled the sting and Melody knew the same would happen again. A portion of her heart would always belong to him, but that was the nature of love, she was learning. It was possible to love two people at the same time. Derrick had taught her that.

Already, Melody was recalling that one night in his apartment, the night she'd learned that lesson from his experience. His story about Audrey, his late wife whom he'd lost to cancer. Derrick's separation from his love was even more permeant than her own. and with enough time, he'd found a way to start moving on. To think about her without feeling like his heart was being ripped out.

Melody resolved to hope that the same would be true for her. Someday at least. 

" "We're here," Derrick's soothing voice told her and Melody looked outside the window to the street-lamp lit world outside. Sure enough, the looming brick building that housed her apartment was right outside.

"Thank you," she said, "for bringing me home."

"You're very welcome." He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, looking straight ahead again, no longer smiling. Melody knew Derrick well enough to know he was working a problem out. "Mel, about what I said, before you left on your vacation. I never got an answer."

Melody sunk back into her seat. Of course they'd wound up here. She'd been expecting it, but not this soon. But then again, it did make sense, patient as Derrick was, waiting almost a month for an answer to a question like that was quiet a long time. Her broken heart twanged in her chest, reminding her as she looked into his blue eyes that they were just a bit lighter than James's...They weren't right, they weren't the eyes of the man she loved. That smile, nice and warm as it was, wasn't the one who could put a stop to the pain she was feeling now.

Melody again, recalled the night Derrick had told her he loved her, the night he'd told her about Audrey and her. The night she'd learned another thing about love that had been previously unknown to her. I'll always love James, she thought to herself. But he's my past. He has to be. He and I don't have a future. But you and I, we could. And you wanted to give us a try again...

Derrick would never be James, but Melody knew, from their past, that she could be happy with him. Not the same way it was with James, but still, happy nonetheless, just a different sort. If she let it happen, maybe it would be enough.

"Do you want to come up?" she asked at last. "I think we need to talk."

Derrick regarded her with wide eyes for a moment, but it faded and his smile replaced it. "Sure."

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