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Right after our text-chat ended, my old boss/friend and District Attorney of Austin peeked her head into the room.
“Melissa!” I said, rushing over to her.
We hugged each other and kept hanging on. I’d missed her so much.
“Stevie, it is so good to see you again. I hate that it’s under these circumstances.”
“So do I.”
“How is your dad?” she asked, looking over at him.
“Sedated. His doctor is keeping him that way until tomorrow. We don’t yet know the extent of damage the stroke did, but what we do know is my dad will have to go to rehab. My guess is he’s gonna be in it for a good while too.”
“Excuse me, Stevie,” Kyle said, walking over. “Margie and I are gonna go now.”
“Oh, okay. Um, this is my good friend, Melissa Landry. A little late for an introduction and I apologize.”
“No worries at all, sweetheart.”
Kyle and Melissa greeted each other, and then Margie came over and met her. After that, my dad’s church family members quietly left, and Melissa and I sat down in the chairs next to my dad’s bed. I continued sharing details with her about all that Dr. Richardson told me about stroke recovery but I’d barely got started before I saw the change in Melissa’s eyes. There was a smile in them now and I knew why. She realized I was going to be moving back to Austin.
When I’d covered all the medical stuff, Melissa said, “Shall I start helping you house hunt?” and I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Yeah, I’m gonna need it. Hopefully, everything will fall into place with this move just like it did when I moved to Dallas.”
“Yes, hopefully, it will. You sold your house here so quickly.”
“I know. Melissa, how do you think Brooke is gonna take me resigning after only three and a half months?”
“I know she’ll understand, but like me, she’s gonna hate losing her Joan of Arc. She’s kept me up to date on your casesandyour fight. She thinks the world of you.”
“I think the world of her too.”
“She cares for you as an employee but also as a friend.”
And the look in Melissa’s eyes changed again. I knew what that change was about, too.
“Brooke told you about my dad having a stroke, didn’t she? And that I was on my way to Austin? And also about Zac Buchanan and me?”
“Yes. And about you and Zac… I know your heart is completely broken and I am so very sorry.”
I shrugged my shoulders. “You warned me about keeping the professionalandpersonal boundary lines drawn with him.”
“I was just looking out for my dear friend, but Stevie, I do understand why you and Zac fell for each other. I also understand why you ended the relationship.”
I was getting choked up but needed to keep talking about all of this with Melissa. Even though it hurt, it also felt good to get the words out.
“When I think about my life, there is a definitebeforeZac mark and a definiteafterZac mark. What I experienced with him between those marks is just—just so much. So much love and passion and laughter and magic. I’ll never get over him.”
Melissa was choked up now and reached out to hold my hand. “I wish you’d kept me in the loop about you and him. Why didn’t you call me?”
“I started to so many times, but because Zac and I were having an affair, I decided to keep it all to myself.”
“You would’ve never received any kind of judgment from me.”
I nodded in agreement. “I judged myself.”
“Well, stop doing that shit. It’s a waste of your time and energy.”
