Melinda’s Story

It didn’t take long for Dax to finish his meal. As he shoveled in the last few bites, I asked if he wanted more. Dax shook his head and started climbing out of his chair.

I jumped to my feet. “Not uh. You’re not going anywhere with those fingers. Come here.”

Wrapping my fingers gently around his wrist, I led him to the sink, lifting him under his armpits to sit him on the counter. He seemed content as I wet a paper towel. He didn’t even mind me wiping his mouth and fingers. I glanced at the clock.

“Mommy said you could watch a movie. Would you like that?”

Dax ran back into the room where he had been playing trains earlier. I followed him, immediately noticing the DVD wallet Mrs. Kennedy had mentioned earlier. Dax opened it, flipping through the selections before pointing to one. I frowned.

“You sure? This is what you want to watch?”

Nodding, Dax ran to the L-shaped couch. As I inserted it into the player, Pat entered the room.

“What’re we watching?”

I wrinkled my nose. “Something called Dig Rafts, I think.”

Pat pointed over his shoulder. “I’m going to grab seconds. Can I bring you your bowl?”

I nodded. “Thanks.”

Dax had settled in the part of the couch closest to the television, hanging over the armrest as he stared at the television. I settled in the corner with the DVD remote. As I pressed play, Pat settled beside me, passing me my bowl and kissing the top of my head.

“You were right. This is pretty good. I’m sorry I made fun of it.”

I leaned closer to him. “Sorry I snapped at you. But you saying you didn’t like this was like me saying I don’t enjoy flying.”

He smiled. “You’re forgiven. Hey. I thought you said this was called Dig Rafts.”

I nodded, pointing to the word on the screen. Before I could say anything, a narrator beat me to it. “Digraphs.”

As the screen went blank, I turned to Pat. “What is a digraph?”

I recognized the look on Pat’s face. He was biting his lip in an obvious attempt not to laugh at my ignorance. Since he couldn’t respond, I listened as the narrator explained. “Digraphs are two letters that come together to form a new sound.”

I watched, mesmerized, as the letters kn filled the screen. “Nnn . . . Nnn . . . ”

Over the next half hour, Dax remained glued to the screen as he learned how to pronounce a dozen different letter combinations. The animations were simple with next to no script, but I found it difficult to tear myself away from the show. When Pat and I finished our dinners, he placed our bowls on the coffee table and drew me close to him.

Somewhere in the middle of the movie, Dax turned around. I thought he was going to say something, but he just leaned over and bit my big toe.

I sat up. “Ow! What was that for?”

Dax didn’t answer. He was already leaning over the edge of the couch like nothing had happened. I brought my foot closer to my face as I removed my sock. Beside me, Pat was laughing.

“What was that all about?”

“No idea.” Frowning, I examined my toe. There was no blood, but it a bruise was already forming.

Pat kissed my head. “What’s the verdict? Do you need a rabies shot?”

I pursed my lips as I put my sock back on. “I’m not sure. I might.”

---

After Digraphs, Dax wanted to watch Colors. He fell asleep during purple. I tried not to take offense. Pat gestured to him.

“You want me to carry him upstairs?”

“That would be great. I’m going to clean the kitchen.”

“Be right back.”

I knew Pat would have no problem carrying Dax. He had carried me when I broke my ankle. He scooped Dax into his arms, cradling his head near his shoulder. As they headed upstairs, I took our dirty dishes to the kitchen.

I rinsed the bowls and pot, throwing everything into the dishwasher. After refilling our glasses with water, I brought them back to the den as Pat returned.

“Now what?”

I shrugged. “I told Mrs. Kennedy that I would send you home after Dax fell asleep. You can probably stay a little while, but—”

Pat put a finger on my lips. “Your mother asked me to stay until the parents get home.”

I frowned. “She did? What? Does she not trust me alone?”

Pat smirked. “Your mother is giving us permission to be home alone for several hours and you think she doesn’t trust you?”

I smiled. “Okay. Then why did she want you to stay?”

He shrugged. “She just felt more comfortable knowing you weren’t home alone at night. Oh, and I brought you something.”

Frowning, I watched him dig through his backpack. A moment later, he pulled out my pajamas and passed them to me.

“Since you’re probably going to end up falling asleep, I thought you might want to get more comfortable.”

“You thought of this?”

Pat nodded. “Your mother didn’t think you would wear them in front of me.”

I laughed. “Didn’t I wear these when I was snowed in at your house?”

He kissed my forehead. “Yes. But she didn’t know that.”

I tugged on the belt loop of his jeans. “What about you?”

Pat reached back into his bag, pulling out his own pajama pants. “Now, why would I let you be the only one comfortable?”

While Pat changed in the downstairs bathroom, I went upstairs to check on Dax. I was concerned Pat had dumped the kid on the bed, but he had tucked him in. Maybe he was starting to get the hang of this babysitting thing after all. Smiling to myself, I changed in Dax’s bathroom before returning to the den.

Pat was flipping through the on-demand menu. He spared me a quick glance as I stood in the doorway. “What should we watch?”

I sat beside him with a shrug. “Your choice, Ace.”

Pat smirked. “Ace?”

I sighed. “Like flying ace. Since you passed your test. But yeah. I didn’t like it either.”

Pat kissed the top of my head. “Keep trying, sweetheart. I’m sure you’ll find something that works. What would you like to watch?”

“What’s one of your favorite movies?”

He laughed. “You would hate it.”

“Why? What is it?”

He didn’t answer me. Gently pushing me away from him, he reached for his bag, digging through it silently. A moment later, he pulled out a bag of microwave popcorn.

“I grabbed this before I left. Why don’t I go make it and you can pick the movie?”

“Because I’m going to pick something like Bridesmaids in Love.” Giving him a quick kiss, I got to my feet. “I’ll go make the popcorn. You put on anything you want. I promise I’ll watch it with you.”

***

Pat’s favorite movie was an action movie involving sports cars. I wasn’t surprised. I had watched Burn Rubber with him before we were ever together, and I knew he was a car enthusiast. While I wasn’t exactly bored, it definitely wasn’t a movie I would have picked for myself. However, I enjoyed watching it with Pat.

When his movie was over, he wanted to watch my favorite movie. I bit my lip. “We can’t.”

He looked amused. “Why not? It’s not rated R or something, is it?”

I rolled my eyes. “No. It’s just, I really like Kiss Me Already.”

Pat frowned. “I don’t know it. How do I not know it?”

I bit my lip. “It’s got Jarrod Handy in it.”

I knew how he felt about the guy who had cheated on Meghan with Pat’s girlfriend. Pat narrowed his eyes. “Do you like it because of Jarrod?”

His jealous tone was endearing. I patted his cheek. “No. In fact, Jarrod moves away about halfway through the movie. It’s Ari Knollwood and a bunch of different guys. Mostly it’s Justin Morgan, but it takes a while before you really realize that.”

Pat smiled. “If it’s your favorite movie, I would love to watch it with you.” Kissing the top of my head, he settled into the couch. I made myself comfortable on his shoulder, playing with the hand he draped around me as I started the movie.

Pat cheered when Jarrod’s car drove into the sunset, and I felt him relax for the second half of the movie. He laughed when Justin finally kissed Ari.

“I can’t believe I forgot about this movie. Justin was freaking out for a month about this.”

I gestured to the screen. “You know them?”

He nodded absently. “Justin and I grew up together. Our moms are good friends. His sister Kayla? She was Walter’s first kiss.”

I sent him a skeptical look. “I don’t think—”

Pat smirked. “Walter probably doesn’t even remember. They were only like four or something. We were splashing around in the pool during some party and Kayla swims over to Walter and kisses him right on the lips. I think he tried to drown her before Meghan could separate them.”

I smiled. “I’ll have to ask him about that.” I gestured to the television. “Justin was freaking out?”

“Yeah. It was his first movie kiss, and he was all freaked out that his mom and Ari’s mom were going to be watching.”

I ran my fingers through Pat’s hair. “Is it? Weird kissing in front of a camera?”

Pat switched off the television. “It gets easier. Now that I’m older, my mom doesn’t have to be on set with me, so it’s a little less weird. But frankly? Camera or not? All kissing is weird.” He brought his head closer as he lowered his voice. “Except with you.”

When his lips met mine, a warmth stretched from my belly to the tips of my fingers and toes. He ran his fingers through my hair, drawing me closer.

My phone rang. Pat frowned, resting his forehead against mine. “Don’t answer it.”

I sat up, picking up my phone from the table and showing him the display before accepting the call.

“Hi, Mom.”

“Hey, Baby Girl. How’s everything going?”

“Fine. Dax fell asleep a little while ago. Pat and I have been watching movies.”

There was something about talking to my mother that made me uncomfortable sitting with Pat. Even though I knew she couldn’t see me, I moved to the opposite end of the couch. Pat smirked as he brought his glass to the kitchen to get more water.

My mother sounded anxious. “I just wanted to check on you before I go to bed. Do you need anything?”

“No. We’re fine. Mom? Thanks for letting Pat stay.”

“You’re behaving yourselves?”

I rolled my eyes. “Of course we are. We’re just watching movies. I promise.”

“Okay. Well, I’m going to bed. But call me if you have any problems. I’ll leave the kitchen door unlocked. You two come in through the garage, okay?”

“Okay. Night, Mom.”

“Night, Baby Girl.”

Shaking my head, I returned my phone to the table as Pat returned to the couch. “Sorry about that.”

Pat shrugged. “My mom would do the same thing. So, you want to watch another movie?”

I yawned. “Not really. You can watch something. I’m just going to lay down. Wake me up when Mr. Kennedy gets home.”

Pat lay down so his head was in the corner where the two couches met, motioning for me to join him. With a smile, I snuggled against his chest. He draped his arm around my back. As I closed my eyes, I heard a car racing across the screen.

Pat’s Story

The boy finished eating in only a few bites. After washing his hands in the sink, Melinda suggested he watch a movie. Instead of answering, he ran into a den off the kitchen. Melinda followed him.

I finished my pasta before joining them, reaching the room in time to see Melinda inserting a DVD into the player. “What’re we watching?”

She made a face. “Something called Dig Rafts, I think?”

Never heard of it. I was still hungry. I pointed over my shoulder. “I’m going to grab seconds. Can I bring you your bowl?”

She nodded. “Thanks.”

Since Melinda had said this was her favorite food, I topped off her bowl before putting the rest of the pasta into mine and returning to the den. The boy was sitting on the part of the sectional closest to the television.

Melinda was in the corner where the two couches met. I sat beside her, kissing the top of her head as I passed her bowl to her.

“You were right. This is pretty good. I’m sorry I made fun of it.”

She snuggled against me. “Sorry I snapped at you. But you saying you didn’t like this was like me saying I don’t enjoy flying.”

I had to smile at the analogy. “You’re forgiven.” I glanced at the television. The title was dancing across the screen. “Hey. I thought you said this was called Dig Rafts.”

Nodding, she pointed to the screen. I tried not to laugh. The movie was called Digraphs. She asked me what the word meant, but I couldn’t respond. I was afraid I would start laughing and offend her.

Thankfully, a narrator explained for me, allowing me to finish my macaroni and cheese.

About half an hour into the movie, Melinda and I had finished eating. She snuggled against me as the three of us stared at the screen. I couldn’t figure out what was so mesmerizing about learning phonics but, for some reason, I couldn’t turn away.

Dax could, however. Out of the blue, he turned around and bit Melinda’s big toe. Without saying or signing anything, he immediately turned back to the television like nothing had happened.

I had to laugh. I wasn’t sure what was funnier: the boy randomly biting Melinda for no reason, or Melinda nearly breaking her spine trying to examine her toe.

“What was that all about?”

She frowned. “No idea.”

I kissed the top of her head. “What’s the verdict? Do you need a rabies shot?”

“I’m not sure. I might.”

I pulled her close as we learned how to pronounce the gh in cough.

***

Dax fell asleep during the second movie, something teaching him about colors. I pointed to him.

“You want me to carry him upstairs?”

Melinda gave me a quick kiss. “That would be great. I’m going to clean the kitchen.”

“Be right back.” I scooped up the boy easily. I could bench more than he weighed. Resting his head near my shoulder, I brought him to his room. Laying him on the bed, I arranged some stuffed animals around him and covered him with the blanket. He looked so peaceful. Nothing like the terror he had been awake.

I found Melinda in the kitchen. “Now what?”

She shrugged. “I told Mrs. Kennedy that I would send you home after Dax fell asleep. You can probably stay a little while, but—”

I silenced her by putting a finger to her lips. “Your mother asked me to stay until the parents get home.”

She sent me a hesitant look. “She did? What? Does she not trust me alone?”

I smiled. “Your mother is giving us permission to be home alone for several hours, and you think she doesn’t trust you?”

“Okay. Then why did she want you to stay?”

I shrugged. “She just felt more comfortable knowing you weren’t home alone at night. Oh, and I brought you something.”

I grabbed my backpack, digging through it until I found her fuzzy pink outfit. I passed it to her.

“Since you’re probably going to end up falling asleep, I thought you might want to get more comfortable.”

She sent me an adorable look of gratitude. “You thought of this?”

I smirked. “Your mother didn’t think you would wear this in front of me.”

She laughed. “Didn’t I wear these when I was snowed in at your house?”

I kissed the top of her head. “Yes. But she didn’t know that.”

Melinda pulled the loop of my jeans. “What about you?”

I didn’t answer. Instead, I dug through my bag again, pulling out my own pajama pants. “Now, why would I let you be the only one comfortable?”

She kissed me. “I love you. You get changed down here. I’m gonna check on Dax.”

By the time Melinda returned, I had already changed and returned to the den. Melinda and I had a night to ourselves. I fully intended to make it a date night. I scrolled through the television on-demand menu, but I couldn’t find anything I thought we would both like.

I glanced up as Melinda returned to the room. “What should we watch?”

She settled beside me. “Your choice, Ace.”

I tried not to laugh. “Ace?”

Melinda frowned. “Like flying ace. Since you passed your test. But yeah. I didn’t like it either.”

I loved that she wanted to give me a nickname, even if she was trying too hard. I kissed the top of her head to applaud her effort. “Keep trying, sweetheart. I’m sure you’ll find something that works. What would you like to watch?”

“What’s one of your favorite movies?”

Grease Monkey, but that wasn’t anything Melinda would enjoy. “You would hate it.”

“Why? What is it?”

I didn’t see the need to explain. Gently moving Melinda out of my way, I dug through my backpack until I found the bag of microwave popcorn I had taken from her house.

I held it up with a smile. “I grabbed this before I left. Why don’t I go make it and you can pick the movie?”

“Because I’m going to pick something like Bridesmaids in Love.” She stood, kissing me and taking the bag. “I’ll go make the popcorn. You put on anything you want. I promise I’ll watch it with you.”

She was going to hate it, but I found the show on one of the streaming services. If she was going to be so adamant, I wasn’t going to argue. I would just change the movie when she got bored.

To my surprise, Melinda sat through the entire thing. During the closing credits, I pulled her a little closer. “Okay. Your turn to pick the movie.”

She turned to face me, biting her lip. “We can’t.”

Her adorable look was giving me ideas about other ways we could spend the night. But she had also piqued my curiosity about her favorite movie.

I smiled. “Why not? It’s not rated R or something, is it?”

She rolled her eyes, but I had no idea what she was saying about me. “No. It’s just, I really like Kiss Me Already.”

It sounded familiar, but I couldn’t place it. I was reasonably sure I hadn’t been in it, though. “I don’t know it. How do I not know it?”

“It’s got Jarrod Handy in it.”

Oh. Maybe that was why I had a mental block. I tried not to think about movies involving my sister’s ex. Who cheated on her. With my girlfriend.

But the other day, she had admitted to having a crush on the guy. I frowned. “Do you like it because of Jarrod?”

She patted my cheek with a smile. “No. In fact, Jarrod moves away about halfway through the movie. It’s just a cute movie. It’s got Ari Knollwood and a bunch of different guys. Mostly, it’s Justin Morgan, but it takes a while before you really realize that.”

Well, as long as she didn’t like Jarrod. “If it’s your favorite movie, I would love to watch it with you.” I kissed the top of her head and got comfortable in my corner of the couch. Melinda laid against me and I draped my arm around her, pulling her close as she pressed play.

It didn’t take long for me to recognize the movie. I still wasn’t sure why I hadn’t seen it, but I remembered visiting the set during filming. I also remembered Justin freaking out about having to kiss Ari.

When I mentioned that to Melinda, she pointed to the screen. “You know them?”

“Justin and I grew up together. Our moms are good friends. His sister, Kayla? She was Walter’s first kiss.”

Melinda bit her tongue. “I don’t think—”

I tried not to laugh. Sure, Melinda was his real first kiss. But technically, she wasn’t. “Walter probably doesn’t even remember. They were only like four or something. We were splashing around in the pool during some party and Kayla swims over to Walter and kisses him right on the lips. I think he tried to drown her before Meghan could separate them.”

She asked me about how movie kisses differed from real kisses. I did my best to explain. I was in the middle of showing her when her phone rang.

It was nearly midnight. Who could possibly be calling her? I rested my forehead against hers. “Don’t answer it.”

She didn’t listen. Sitting up, she glanced at the phone before showing me the display. It was her mother. Of course, she had to answer it.

She moved to the other side of the couch to do so. I didn’t take offense. I probably would have done the same. There was just something wrong with being close to my girlfriend while on the phone with my mother.

While Melinda reassured her mother that we were fine, I brought the popcorn bowl to the kitchen and refilled our waters. She was just hanging up as I returned to the couch.

She sent me an apologetic smile. “Sorry about that.”

I shrugged. “My mom would do the same thing. So, you want to watch another movie?”

She yawned. “Not really. You can watch something. I’m just going to lay down. Wake me up when Mr. Kennedy gets home.”

We again got comfortable in the corner. I had to admit, I enjoyed being Melinda’s pillow. As she snuggled against me, I held her close and found a movie I didn’t think she’d mind sleeping through. It was about a racecar driver trying to get one last win before retiring.

Melinda was asleep before the opening credits. I could feel myself fading. After setting the television sleep timer, I settled back to watch the movie.

I didn’t make it to the first race.

Attention Hammerheads

Melinda is always trying to build her vocabulary. What were some words in this episode that were new to you? She will add them to her vocabulary journal.