The Fourth Catch

Chapter 14: A Heart to Heart Talk

As Melanie woke up to the smell of breakfast cooking. She opened her one eye squinting as she had been facing the side of the room with the window. She realized she had forgotten to pull the shades down so the sun wouldn't shine in her room. Melanie turned her head slightly to see the time. Nine thirty! As she saw how late morning it was already, Melanie suddenly felt her heart begin to pound, and jolted upright. She had forgotten momentarily that her mother was here to stay for the week. Today was also the day she had her appointment for to get her dress.

Melanie wasn't used to company over at her house. Most specifically her parents. As she hadn't spoken to them the whole year after Paul's accident. Her first time she had seen them in awhile, was last year when Beth was first born. This was only her second time seeing her mother. Melanie also had to get used to the fact it was the first time in awhile she got to sleep in. She at first was nervous about Beth. But with her mother being there, Melanie assumed that Jennifer was taking care of her. Which Melanie didn't think she had to. She knew her mother was trying to be nice to let her sleep in. But it was her daughter after all. She didn't mind if Jen had come to get her should Beth would've needed her.

Once she had finished changing into her clothes for the day. Melanie made her way out of the bedroom and over to the living room area. It appeared that luckily, Beth chose today to sleep in for once. With the last few days having been difficult for her to sleep. She was exhausted and was finally able to get some rest. Beth usually slept in until ten thirty to eleven these days. Now that she was a bit older. But Melanie had been worried that her daughter was going to stick to her routine from the last few days and cause trouble for her mother. So she was glad to see Beth was still asleep.

"Good morning." Jen said giving her daughter a smile. She had been too focused to notice her daughter at first. Since Melanie had been super quiet. Melanie gave her mother a small smile as she wandered over to the kitchen. "Good morning. What is that I smell?" Melanie asked as she walked over to the counter. She stood next to her mother leaning in slightly to see what her mother was making. "I thought I'd make a BLT sandwich. Would you like some?" She asked.

Melanie nodded. "I would love some. But you don't have to make mine. I can make my own as long as you have the stuff still out." Jen shook her head. "I don't mind at all. That is what I am here for. You have a seat and relax a bit." Melanie scrunched up her nose at her mother's words. She wasn't used to being waited on anymore. Melanie was used to doing things on her own now. She was used to always doing something. So when she was doing nothing, she got a bit restless.

"Did Anthony go to work already?" She asked. Melanie must've been tired herself. Usually she could hear people move around, but then be able to fall back to sleep once they leave. But she didn't hear Anthony this morning. Though she shouldn't be too tired. When Beth would wake in the night, it seemed to be Anthony whom she wanted. Melanie would only get up to go see what Beth might need. And the last three nights, she would ask for her father. Which made Melanie a little nervous again. As Melanie was worried that Beth for some reason might still be afraid that Melanie would detach from them again. Melanie wasn't sure why, but she could sense something seemed off from Beth. The last year, Melanie had thought it all was going good with the three of them. They had become close, they became a family. At least that's how it felt to Mel. But now Bethany seemed to be distancing herself from Mel. She knew that kids went through phases. Sometimes they wanted their mothers. Other times they wanted their fathers. But for some reason, Melanie wasn't so sure that was the case with Beth. As her daughter seemed to be rather clingy to Anthony these days.

Anthony had suggested perhaps she had some nightmares. So she was frightened. Melanie didn't exactly like the sound of that. She couldn't go back to how she was like a year ago. Closed off from everyone and everything. Worried that she could lose people she loved. It was possible Beth had a nightmare, and she was afraid of losing people as well. Being abandoned. Which was mostly Melanie's fault for almost choosing to leave her when she was just born.