Plum Blossom | Completed

Chapter Seven

Within a week, Amanda was transferred from the NICU into Mellisa's room. As mother and daughter regained their health, they were constantly fussed over by people. Mellisa had her own little family here. It was making her reconsider moving back to California. She had said as much to Alex when she finally got a hold of him over text.

Alex: Emmaline tells me you can travel soon. When are you coming back?

Mel: I'm not sure I am.

Alex: WHAT DO YOU MEAN?

Mel: I've built my own little life here. For the first time in a long time, I feel like I have a family.

Alex: What am I? Chopped liver? For God's sake Mellisa, figure your shit out and get back here.

Mellisa wanted so badly to remind Alex that he hadn't really been there for her in months. He wasn't even a friend, much less family. She didn't appreciate his tone either. But something told her not to say anything.

Mel: I'll talk to you later.

Alex: I better like what I hear.

Mellisa didn't bother responding to him. She had a lot to process. Her brain felt like it was in overdrive. She couldn't understand Alex's behavior. The longer they were apart, the more erratic his behavior got as well. She wanted so desperately to talk to someone about it, but she didn't know who to talk to. No one in her life seemed to like Alex. Were they seeing something she wasn't?

Between Amanda and the thoughts swirling in her head, Mellisa seemed lost to the world. Even when surrounded by people, she found herself drifting off into space.

"What's got your head in a loop?" Emmaline asked, breaking her out of her thoughts.

"Just a lot on my mind," Mellisa offered her a tired smile.

"Like?"

Mellisa hesitated. "Now that I am cleared for travel, I have a decision to make – do I want to stay in Boston or go back home. Alex wants me to move back. But all of you are here. I feel like I'm between a rock and a hard place right now," she confessed a partial truth.

"I can offer you a lot of advice, we all can, and it will all be biased. But this one is entirely your call, babe. You have to do what makes sense to you."

"A part of me wants to move back home. But I am not ready to leave you and Connor." Tears welled in Mellisa's eyes.

"You know the best part of my job? I can do it anywhere. Be it here or in California. If you need me to go with you, I will."

"You would do that for me?"

"Of course!"

"But I couldn't ask that of you. Boston is your home."

"It is in the same way it is yours. I'm not from Boston."

"I always wondered about that. You don't have a Boston accent."

Emmaline laughed. "I'm a California girl, much like you."

"How did you come to make Boston your home?"

"My husband was from here. We moved here when his mom got sick. After he died, it felt like the city was the only thing that connected me to him."

"You know that's not true. You have Connor. He is a symbol of the love you two share."

"Watching you with Amanda, I have come to realise that now. I think I am ready to move back home as well."

"Really?" Emmaline nodded.

"You've never really talked about your husband," Mellisa let her curiosity get the better of her.

"It's been hard to. He was a soldier. He died during his third tour in Afghanistan. His platoon was caught in an ambush, and he sustained severe injuries. He died a week later, in the hospital."

"Oh my god! I am so sorry to hear that."

"He never got to see Connor," Emmaline whispered, wiping the lone tear that escaped.

"You're so strong, Em. I would have never guessed. I assume your family is in California?" Emmaline nodded.

"How did you cope on your own?"

"I had Connor to think about. It's why I've been so protective of you, you know? I didn't want you to have to go through this alone, like I did."

"Thank you." The pair hugged, just as the alarm went off in the hospital.

"What's happening?"

"I'm not sure. I'll find out. Stay here, okay? I'm leaving Connor with you as well," Emmaline said as she rushed out of the room, closing the door behind her.

Mellisa sat absolutely still, holding Amanda and Connor close to her. She was scared of what might happen if she so much as twitched.

After an eternity, Emmaline came bursting through the door, her clothes dripping in a red liquid.

"EM! What happened?"

"Dr. Korsac was shot as he was entering the hospital. We don't know why it happened or who did it. But he didn't make it. The entire hospital is in an uproar. They're sealing down the hospital and relocating patients to other hospitals. We need to get out of here. You think you can move?" Mellisa silently nodded, getting off the bed.

"You don't need to stay in the hospital anymore. We're going home. Maybe now is a good time to head back to California."

"Why? What's happening? What aren't you telling me?" Mellisa asked.

"I don't know. I don't understand why anyone would want to harm Dr. Korsac, much less kill him. There's something big going on. And, I don't feel safe having Connor around all this, especially if there's something big going on. I think we're all safer getting as far away from here as possible. I'll pack your bags. Can you text Alex and tell him you're coming home?" Mellisa nodded once again, feeling like a spring had broken in her neck, allowing her to do nothing but nod incessantly.

Two days later, Mellisa landed in San Diego, with Emmaline and their children in tow. Alex had said he wouldn't be able to pick her up, so she took a cab to his house instead. She assumed that is where she would be staying now that she didn't have her own place.

Emmaline would be moving in with her parents for the time being, but she promised to meet up with Mellisa later.

When Mellisa opened the door to Alex's house, however, she was in for the biggest shock of her life.