Chapter 265: Wait
Marianne nodded slowly, before giving her daughter another pointed look. "Are you sure he’s real? You’re not pulling a fast one on me, right?"
Melody hesitated for just a beat, her lips tightening as she muttered something under her breath before quickly nodding. "Of course I’m not lying, Mother. Come on. Do you seriously think I’d go through the trouble of making up some random name just to get you off my back?"
Marianne Thomas raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. "Uh-huh. I’m not saying the name is made up. I’m asking if the boyfriend is." She gestured vaguely with her hand, trailing off mid-sentence. Her eyes had drifted past Melody’s shoulder, locking onto something—or rather, someone—outside the coffee shop window. Her expression changed in an instant.
Because standing just outside, perfectly framed in the glass, was the woman she had been hearing so much about and yet knew nothing about. Melanie.
Melody blinked at the sudden silence and turned halfway in her seat to follow her mother’s gaze, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. The place was empty. She shrugged, confused. "Mom. Adam is real, okay? He’s great. He’s smart, handsome, kind. Has that grounded, but somewhat dangerous vibe-and he’s amazing with kids."
That last part snapped Marianne back into focus.
Her eyes narrowed. "Hold on. How do you know he’s good with kids? Does he have a child?" A pause. Then she leaned in, lowering her voice suspiciously. "Melody, are you dating a single father?"
Melody rolled her eyes. "No, Mom. He doesn’t have a child." She leaned back in her seat, folding her arms as if anticipating the next wave of suspicion. "He came to school a few times. Remember that little reading event I told you about? He dropped by for a bit-met some of the kids, sat with them, even did those silly animal voices for the story. They loved him." Her voice softened without her meaning it to. "He just... fit right in."
She sighed then, the kind that slipped out when someone had stopped pretending they weren’t impressed. Her lips tugged into a small, unguarded smile and for a moment, her eyes lost focus.