For Alice, With Love

Chapter 17 - Message Received

"I can't believe it. I just can't. Absolutely amazing."

Mel's mother shook her head and repeated the same thing she had said almost thirty times since Mel had called and told them the news. Both of them had their hands wrapped around a steaming cup of coffee, and she was beaming as she said it.

It was amazing. It was also maddening and frustrating.

The sun was blazing in through the kitchen windows, and Mel was glad for the warmth, like always. Days were getting shorter, and soon she'd be doing winter prep in the gardens, getting hay put in for the winter, tarping the pool... all those necessary chores.

"At first I was doubting Chris, wondering how he didn't notice, a little—No, a lot angry with him. I think Gillian may have even been the one that had stolen them. But—" Mel replied. Her thoughts were on Chris, and she bowed her head as the mess of emotions caught in her throat. Shouldn't she be angry with him? Not missing him like crazy and worried, craving more of his touch.

When Mel had gotten back from her ride, she'd called her parents, and not fifteen minutes later, they had rushed into the house, both enveloping her in a hug that lasted several minutes. Mel had burst into tears the moment they did. She was dehydrated from all of the crying. Then, after her mother fussed, they had gotten busy, her father out fixing some siding on the stable to give them room to talk "woman stuff", he'd said.

Her mother's hand settled on her arm and she looked up. She had her comforting face on, and Mel reminded herself she was lucky to have such understanding parents as she processed the bonkers story. That, and her mother was willing to help steam clean the drapes in the upstairs hallways while they talked about what Mel should do. During the usual cheesecake and coffee break, her mother had offered to help her polish the silverware.

It wasn't her regular day to come to "help" per se, but this kind of news warranted spontaneous cheesecake and her mother thought it might be good to have something to do while they talked and Mel filled in some other parts of the story. She rarely lied to her parents, but she hadn't told her mother about the letters, ever. She'd kept that whole part of the story to herself. She didn't need to know how silly her daughter had been.

"Don't. It doesn't sound like this is anything other than a crazy, weird coincidence. Gill didn't even know you, and I doubt a rich girl like her would stoop to burglary. Chris is a good man, honey. He wouldn't intentionally hurt anyone, least of all you."

"This has been one crazy drama. I can't begin to tell you," Mel sighed. "From the beginning when Chris arrived, I've... I'm exhausted," she sighed, putting her head into her hands.

"You two had some tension, didn't you?" her mother inferred, and raised her eyebrows, sipping her coffee. "I noticed it. You'd not really seen one another for a long time, right?"

Mel blinked. Yeah, so it had been obvious. Great.

"Well, we had bumped into one another when he brought Gillian home to meet the family. I was delivering those groceries you'd wanted, and she had just arrived. It didn't go well."

"I can imagine not. You still carrying a flame for him and all; seeing her there, and your famous temper no doubt getting the best of you. I bet it was explosive."

Mel spluttered her sip of coffee. She hadn't kept her emotions that well hidden, it seemed. "What?" she finally rasped out between coughs. Her mother laughed..

"Oh honey, I know you had a crush on him. It was evident on your face whenever the three of you were together. Alice used to make kissy faces behind your back when the three of you were playing a board game, quibbling with one another, competitive heads butting. Would send us all into giggle fits, I tell you! Oh, I miss her spirit sometimes."