The Third Catch

Chapter 13: Freed From the Past

Melanie woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of Beth crying.  She stirred a little mumbling to herself before slowly opening her eyes and letting out a small sigh.  It was the third night in a row that she had been woken up.  She had been hoping that tonight she could get a full night's sleep.  She slowly sat up to crawl out of bed, but felt Anthony stopping her as he placed his hand on her arm.  She glanced over at him as he reached over and turned on the light.  "I've got it.  You stay and get some rest."  Melanie seemed a bit hesitant even if she was rather tired.  The last few nights, Beth had hardly slept and was awake most of the night, and those few nights, she seemed to have wanted Melanie.  Melanie was worried it was of the fact that Beth was aware what was going on.  That Beth was worried Melanie would choose to leave them again and Beth simply wanted Melanie there to make sure she was still there, and not going anywhere.  Melanie knew that she was just a newborn.  Beth couldn't really be aware of many things just yet.  But they were thoughts that Melanie still couldn't help but think.  "Are you sure?  I can get her.  She might need to be fed."

Anthony smiled.  "No no.  You need sleep.  I can come to you if she is hungry."  Melanie nodded smiling back in return.  "Thank you."  Anthony nodded, leaning forward to give Melanie a kiss on the forehead before exiting out of the room to head to Beth's.  Melanie crawled back under the covers starting to drift back off to sleep.  She noticed that once Anthony had gone into the room, Bethany seemed to have settled down.  She was ready to drift off to sleep when she could hear the sound of Anthony's voice starting to sing, giving a small smile to herself as she listened.  She assumed that Anthony was unaware that she could hear him singing.  Being slightly curious, she crawled out of bed making her way into the nursery, standing quietly in the doorway watching as he was rocking Beth, singing to try to get her to go back to sleep.  It had been a while since she had heard him sing, and the last time, Melanie had joined in on singing with him.  But she didn't want to ruin the moment with his daughter so she continued to stand there quietly as he began to sing the chorus to Butterfly Kisses.

"I can definitely tell you have done this before."  She grinned once he had finished.  Anthony glanced over as he heard Melanie speaking.  He was caught slightly off guard, not expecting her to be standing there.  "I've babysat my cousins before.  They always liked when I brought my guitar to sing to them during nap time.  Greta suggested it because one of my cousins had trouble sleeping.  Guess it sort of became a tradition."  Melanie nodded before approaching closer to Anthony.  Little by little she was starting to learn things about him.  Little things about him that made her start to like him even more.  "I am sure that Beth would love that as well."  He gave a small nod in return.  "I am sure that she would."  He glanced down to see that Beth was still awake but she was no longer crying.  Melanie watched the two of them together.  "Was she doing okay?"  "She's doing fine.  I think she was just looking for someone to hang out with her for awhile."  He grinned.

Melanie grinned back.  "I think she's definitely going to turn out to be a daddy's girl.  She seems to settle down a lot quicker when you have her than with me."  Anthony glanced at Melanie letting out a small laugh.  "Perhaps only for the teenage years she'll love me.  The rest of the times I think she'll be a mama's girl."  He teased.  "She seems quite attached to you already."  Melanie stayed quiet for a few moments.  "I believe only because she might think I may run off on her again."  She said quietly.  Once again stating her thoughts out loud.  Anthony studied Mel closely hearing her words.  Before standing up and placing Bethany back into the crib, then walked over to Melanie resting his hand on her shoulder.

"Mel..  You don't need to keep dwelling on that.  She's a newborn, she doesn't even know what is going on yet.  What matters now is that you chose to come back.  She knows that you love her, she knows that you're going to be here to stay."  He took a deep breath before continuing on his next words.  "Even..  Even if for some reason us two don't work out?  I know that you aren't going to leave, or ditch her again.  That you will always be here to help for Beth no matter what."

Melanie remained quiet as she listened to Anthony speak.  She knew that he was worried about her leaving them again.  Melanie knew she had to prove to him that she was planning on staying, sticking by him and their daughter no matter what.  She was truly hoping that she could take everyone's advice, allow for herself to feel again.  To be happy with someone.  She wanted to be happy with Anthony and Beth.  But if for some reason it wouldn't work out.  She was most certain that she would still always be there for her daughter no matter what.  Just as Anthony said he would be.  Melanie wouldn't take the coward way out this time.  She would stay, let Bethany know she loved her.  That she would do whatever it took no matter what to be in her life, to show Beth that she was the most important person.  Melanie already knew that she would do whatever it took to protect and keep Beth safe.  She was very certain that Anthony was going to do the same.  Melanie took a deep breath nodding.  "I still can't help but think it."  Anthony looked at Beth to see she was starting to fall asleep again. 

"Bethany loves you Melanie.  She always will because you're her mother.  She knows that you won't abandon her, and neither will I.  She knows that we will do whatever it takes to always be a part of her life.  That we will always be there to help her.  She wants to spend time with you.  She wants to spend time with both of us."  Anthony let his arms wrap around Melanie, pulling her close to him.  Feeling Anthony pulling her close, she wrapped her arms around his neck in return.  "You don't need to keep feeling guilty, you don't need to keep punishing yourself for what happened.  You're here now, thats what counts."  He whispered.

Melanie sighed as she heard his words.  She knew he was right.  She just needed to believe that herself.  She couldn't help but think.  As of late, she seemed to be letting her thoughts get the better of her, second guessing herself.  She leaned into Anthony's embrace, letting her head rest against his chest.  Closing her eyes and calming down as she could feel the rhythm of his heart beating.  Anthony held her close looking down at her. 

'Come on, we should get some sleep."  Melanie nodded against his chest feeling too comfortable to move.  She knew they needed to lay down to get some rest before Beth would wake up in a few short hours.  But she didn't want to move, she didn't want to leave from Anthony's embrace.  "That..  Might be a good idea."  She agreed.  She turned her head just enough to see their daughter sleeping peacefully in the crib.  Giving a small smile to herself as she watched.

Anthony glanced at her being slightly curious.  Seeing Melanie's smile, he was wondering to what she was thinking.  "What is it?'   He asked noticing the small smile on her face.  Melanie turned her attention back to Anthony shaking her head.  "Nothing really.  It's just.  With everything that had happened, I didn't think that I would ever get this.  I thought that with Paul and our daughter, it was my only chance."  "Your only chance for what?'  Melanie took a deep breath.  "For a family.."  She stated.  Anthony kept his watch on her giving a small smile hearing that Melanie was finally starting to accept them.  Finally starting to be able to see them as being together, and becoming a family.  "I always assumed that you only got that one person to spend your life with.  I guess I sort of believe in soul mates.  I figured that Paul was mine.  When he was in the car accident.."  Anthony nodded.  "I don't think that.  I don't believe in soul mates.  I don't believe that there is one perfect person out there for everyone."  He shrugged.  "There's a reason of the phrase said everyone deserves a second chance."  Melanie smiled a little.  "I know that now.."  Anthony gave her a smile in return.  He knew that she was really trying.  That she was slowly starting to accept.  He would do everything in his power to do the same.  "Let's get some sleep.  It's getting late.  We can discuss some more tomorrow."  He added.  Melanie nodded in agreement.  Anthony stepped back extending his hand out for Melanie to take.  She reached her hand out to place it slowly in Anthony's.  She took a deep breath as she felt Anthony wrap his hand around hers, then followed him out of the nursery and back to their own room to get some sleep.

Once the two of them were crawled back in bed, Melanie smiled as she felt Anthony wrap his arms around her and pulled her close to him.  She let her head rest against his chest closing her eyes to get some sleep.  Finally getting a peaceful night sleep in what seemed like ages.  As Melanie closed her eyes to fall asleep, she finally let go of all her thoughts that had been haunting her since Paul's death.  Everyone was right.  She had to find a way to move on, become happy again.  She wanted to be happy with Beth and Anthony, and she was slowly, finally starting to accept the fact that she could be.