The Third Catch

Chapter 6: Waking From a Dream

"Mel..  What the.."  But before her dad could get another word out, he felt himself stumble backwards a few steps.  As Melanie flung herself into him, her arms wrapping around his neck, hugging him tightly before she felt tears start to fall down her face.  "I'm sorry.."  She whispered.  "I'm so sorry.."  Brian wrapped his arms around his daughter hugging her back tightly suddenly feeling very worried.  He and Jennifer had been quite worried about her since Paul's accident.  They haven't really heard from her since the funeral.  They had tried to call her a couple of times, but it seemed that she had chosen to ignore their calls.  "I, I wanted to call the two of you..  And..  And I should of but I couldn't.... I'm sorry.."  Melanie began to ramble.  She could feel herself shaking as she began to cry a little harder as she felt her father's embrace.  For the last year, Melanie had been able to feel nothing but numbness with Paul's accident.  Now that she was starting to feel again, all of her emotions were rushing back at her all at once.  One big mess.  She didn't know how to handle them.  She had been used to trying to be strong, or wanting to pretend that things had never happened.  But now she couldn't.  She had to accept them.  "Melanie what's going on?"  Brian asked worriedly.  Since Melanie had chosen to lock them out of her life, they had no idea what had happened with her this last year.  But Melanie was too worked up, so when she tried to explain a few things in her state, they came out as mumblings, and  Brian couldn't understand anything at all what she was saying. 

Brian was curious, wanting answers with why Melanie had chosen to stop talking to them, then all of a sudden chose to appear at their doorsteps.  But he knew with his daughter, he would have to be patient.  Melanie would explain things when she was ready to.  He did his best instead to try to remain calm, trying to get Melanie calmed down so he could at least understand what she was telling him.  "Come on, why don't we go into the kitchen to sit down.  I can get you some coffee or something to eat if you want."  Melanie wasn't really hungry, she also didn't want anything to drink.  Brian let out a small sigh when she at least agreed to follow him to the kitchen.  They had just gotten into the kitchen and Melanie had sat down when they heard another set of footsteps approaching them, his wife Jennifer.

"Brian?  Who was.."  But she stopped mid sentence when she realized who it was.  Jennifer took a deep breath as she spotted Melanie sitting at the kitchen table.  Suddenly feeling a few tears coming down her face as she saw her daughter sitting there.  She quickly rushed over to her wrapping her arms around Melanie awkwardly since Melanie was sitting.  "Melanie, is that really you?"  She asked as Melanie stood up to give her a hug back in return.  Jennifer gave her daughter a small smile.  She hadn't seen or heard from her since Paul's funeral.  Jennifer had been worried for her daughter.  She was afraid that she had been ignoring them because they had done something wrong.  She had no idea why exactly all of a sudden her daughter had chosen to cut them out of their lives.  Melanie still felt a bit of that numbness in her, she didn't really know or realize what she was all doing.  She didn't really even think of this as her first choice to come to.  She had planned on going someplace far from everyone.  But for some reason, she had chosen to come here, back home.  It was the place she could feel more like herself, that she felt safest, next to being with Paul.  But she could no longer see or be with him, so she came to the second best place.  Melanie was hesitant at first to return the hug from her mother but she did anyways.  She closed her eyes slightly as the two of them hugged.  She missed them, she missed being home, here in Washington.  Jennifer reached up to wipe some of the tears that were falling down her daughter's face that Melanie was unaware she had let escape.  "I, I think I ruined everything."  Melane whispered.  "Everyone always ends up leaving me."  She choked out.

Brian and Jennifer glanced at each other a moment slightly confused.  They weren't quite sure how to respond to that, since they were unaware of what happened beforehand.  "Woah, hold on there, why don't you start us off at the beginning.  Your mother can get some coffee made and she just made some cookies for dessert."  Brian suggested.  He knew Melanie already had let him know that she wasn't really hungry for anything.  But he still thought he should offer.  Melanie was tempted, but she didn't want to give in.  "I'm not really hungry."  She said again as she sat back down.  "It's a long story."  Melanie stated.  Brian gave a small nod.  "Well, we have plenty of time"