Saturday, November 3, 2007

Valerie

Melissa and I walk into the kitchen. There we find Anne and Emma. They are playing cards at the dining table. " Good morning". Melissa says cheerfully. "Are you finally here? Good morning. If you wait a few more minutes, it's good afternoon". I can hear the laughter in Anne's voice. "Sorry we kept you waiting so long." As I say that, I gesture for Melissa to sit down. I walk to the counter to grab our breakfast there. Looks like Anne and Emma have already had breakfast. I can't fault them for that either. "Is everything okay?". I hear Emma ask worriedly. I think you can tell from the eyes of Melissa and me that we cried. I put a plate of breakfast in front of Melissa. Then I wrap my arms around her. "It's going great. We had a very good, but emotional conversation". When I say that, Melissa turns her head to me. Her eyes really shine. I give her a kiss and then I step away from her to grab my own breakfast. As soon as I sit down next to Melissa, Anne starts laughing. "Looks like you had a great time too." I look questioningly at Anne. As soon as she points to her neck I feel my head turn red. I look at Melissa. "Thank you". She gives me a quick kiss. "I'm sorry". She has a much too big big smile on her face to even mean that. "I'll show you where the clean sheets are." I throw a piece of melon at Anne, laughing. "Not necessary. We haven't gone too far." Melissa puts an arm over my shoulders and moves closer to me. She kisses me on my temple. "Val will have me beg for a few more weeks before I can go my way with her". I push her away from me with a smile. "It's not my fault you're still seventeen." Melissa smiles and shakes her head. " No Fortunately not. That would have been very strange." I look at Anne and Emma who also start to laugh louder. "Didn't you go to a mall or something". Anne gets up laughing and also pulls Emma up. "We're already gone. See you in a few hours." As soon as Anne and Emma leave the kitchen, Melissa looks serious. "Sorry, did I go too far?". I start laughing. " No honey. When we entered the kitchen I could see that those two were already to go. And I had to cut the subject in some way so as not to get it even hotter." Melissa nods understandingly with a beautiful smile on her face. I kiss her. "When we finish breakfast, shall we get ready for a walk on the beach?".

Hand in hand we have been walking on the beach for more than half an hour. It really feels so good to not to worrying about anything for a while, but each other. The weather is also really nice. The sun is shining, it is not too cold and there is almost no wind. "Have you already decided what you want to do after this school year?". Melissa shrugs. "I don't really know what I want yet. Maybe I'll wait a year until I really know what I want. That way I can also go to work". I sigh. Melissa suddenly stops and pulls me towards her by my hand. "What's so wrong about me going to work? You work yourself, don't you?" I grab her other hand and look into her eyes. "I work because I like it, Melissa. Not because I have to". Melissa looks at our hands. "You know I don't want to misuse your money." I kiss her on the head. "Yes, Melissa, I know. You don't either. I want to give you the opportunity to do what you like, because I am happy with you". Melissa looks at me with a small smile. "What kind of work would you do if you started working next year?". She shrugs. " I do not know. Maybe something in a restaurant or shop or something". I give her a small smile. "And you like that? Is that something you've always wanted to do?" She shakes her head. "What is something you say I would really like to do?". She shrugs. "In the past I always really wanted to do something in music, but now I don't know what to do it anymore". I nod understandingly. "You still have some time to think about it. A gap year isn't a bad idea either. Not to go to work, but because you deserve a quiet year. You've been through so much in the past few years. You have worked very hard to be where you are today. Which I am so incredibly proud of. You deserve to do nothing for a year. To do fun things". Melissa suddenly grabs me tightly. She hides her face in my neck. "I am so happy with you". I can tell she's crying. I wrap my arms around her and kiss her on the head. "Just think about what you really want. I don't want you to think about the money, but about what you really want." I feel her nod. " Be with you". Then she says softly. I put my fingers under her chin and lift her head slightly. So that we look at each other. "You will be tied to me for the rest of your life anyway. Shall we agree on that?" She nods after which we give each other a lovely kiss.

We lasted quite a long time on the beach. We really talked about everything. Melissa also told wonderful stories about her and Fenna. You can see that it hurts her, but at the same time, it also relieves her. She also explained to me why she can't hear or say the words I love you. I already had the feeling that this had to do with Fenna and that appears to be the case. It's something they always said to each other. So I understand very well why Melissa now has so much trouble with those words. We've been sitting outside by the fire pit for a few hours now. Waiting for Anne and Emma to come back. They were supposed to be there a long time ago, but two hours ago I had a message from Anne. That something came up that made it all take so long. Not that I mind being alone with Melissa a little longer, but I do wonder what's going on. " What is?". I ask as Melissa snuggles even closer to me with a sigh. "This feels so good". I kiss her on the head. Suddenly Melissa sits up. "What have you done?". When I hear her say that I look at the door. There is Emma with a arm in a cast and in a sling. " Oh nothing special. Had a little accident." When Emma says that, Anne also walks outside. "I got Chinese. Are you coming in to eat? Then I can tell you a nice story right away". With a smile, Emma slaps Anne against her arm with her good hand. Melissa doesn't know how fast to get up. "How stupid have you been?". With a smile I shake my head when Melissa asks Emma. It is not the first time that Emma has a limb in cast.

As soon as we sit at the dinner table, I can tell from Melissa how impatient she is to hear the story. Then probably laugh out loud at her best friend. I'm mainly watching how Anne is helping Emma. I don't think anything has happened between the two yet, but it won't be long. "Now come on". Melissa says as soon as everyone has food on their plates. I lightly bumped her knee with my knee. She looks at me questioningly. "Are you saying you don't want to laugh too?" I shake my head with a smile. "You are really bad. Maybe something really bad happened." Now Anne starts to laugh too. To which she gets another slap from Emma. "I embarrassed myself, so yes it was very bad". Anne puts her hand over her mouth to avoid laughing very loudly when Emma says so. "We were on our way to the car". Anne begins when she has recovered a bit. " Until madam saw a beautiful dress hanging in a shop window. She was just a little too enthusiastic and overlooked a trip hazard". Melissa bursts into laughter. I also can't help but laugh. "It hurt, you know." Fortunately, Emma can laugh about it herself. "Did you at least manage to buy that dress?". Can Melissa just get out between laughter. " What do you think. Of course not. That's the worst of all." When Emma says that I see a beautiful smile on Anne's face. "But to cut a long story short. Someone had apparently quickly called an ambulance. They took Emma with them. I got there by car. After examination, she appears to have broken her wrist in two places". Anne tells us and then she looks at Emma. "And because you behaved like a big girl, I have an present for you". Emma looks surprised at Anne. I've already vaguely guessed what that present will be.

Anne has walked to the hallway and comes back into the kitchen with a bag in her hand. Emma's eyes widen. "No, you haven't?". Anne nods with a beautiful smile on her face. "I hope I have taken the right size". Emma doesn't know how fast to get up. She gives Anne a hug. "Thank you, but you really shouldn't have done that". Anne puts her arms around Emma. " You're most welcome". After they let go of each other, Emma takes the dress from the bag. "Did you really embarrass yourself and break your wrist for that?" Emma sticks her tongue out at Melissa. "I know you're not into this, but I like it. And just imagine Valerie wearing these." Melissa takes another good look at the dress. Then she looks at me. She bites her lip. "Yeah, okay. You are absolutely right, Em". I kiss her. "The food is getting cold". I say with my flushed cheeks. Which, of course, Melissa can laugh about. "I still have plenty of nice things hanging in my wardrobe. What I enjoy too show you". I whisper in her ear. Melissa bites her lip and sees her cheeks turn red too. She turns her face and looks at me. "I'd rather you show me your lingerie sets". I put my hands in front of my face. She kisses me on my temple. "Are you hot, Sweetheart?" I take my hands away from my face and look at her with a smile. "What?" I give her a kiss. "It's the first time you call me that. And I like it." That also gives Melissa a nice smile. Then it's really time to eat.

After dinner, Melissa and Emma plopped down on the couch in the living room. I sat Anne outside by the fire pit. " Did you have a nice day?". Anne nods with a beautiful smile on her face. "It was really nice. I think we really went into every store. In between we had something to eat and especially got to know each other better. Of course it didn't end well. Especially for Emma. But I do think that we have grown even closer to each other." I am listening with a smile on my face. "Do you like her?" Anne nods. "Do you know the whole story?" I shake my head "I know you met each other on vacation and then there was tension between you." Anne sighs. "We met by chance in Canada. We spent a few days together. It was really nice. I I thought she was interesting, but I don't think I really liked her yet. I wasn't into that at all. It hadn't been that long since I broke up with Joyce. I was still processing that at the time. I could I can tell myself that I was disappointed that Emma didn't text me. I didn't think it was my place to do that, because she's a student at our school." I nod understandingly. "What has it changed?". She gives me a little smile." I caught myself not being able to take my eyes off her as she walked by. That I felt really bad when I rejected her when she wanted to talk to me. I also started to see more and more nice things about her. Especially if we were both at your and Melissa's house. Her whole doings are just what I like. Slowly but surely it became clear to me that I really started to like her. I was glad that Melissa pretty much forced me on Wednesday. Emma and I had a long and good talk on the way home. I don't know if it's going to work out between us, but if it's up to me, I think it's very likely. I mainly want to take it step by step. My heart has already been broken once and I don't have to go through that again." I nod understandingly. Anne's previous relationship ended after five years after she caught her girlfriend with someone else in their bed. "Does Emma know?" She nods. "I told her. She understood very well. Also that I find it difficult that I teach at her school. She says she gives me all the time I need and that we can get to know each other better during that time." We can't go on about it because the other two have also come outside.

Melissa sits on my lap. I look at her questioningly as she hands me a glass of wine. "I told you not to leave it for me". I had indeed deliberately not taken a glass of wine during dinner. " Thank you". I kiss her. I know there's no point in arguing about it anyway. "Do you want to write something on it?". I look up to Emma. She sat down next to Anne. She hands Anne a black marker and holds out her arm in a cast to her. When Anne is ready, Emma comes to me. I take the marker and then first look at what's already written. Melissa just simply put her name on it and the date. I know she did that every time Emma broke something. I look at Anne with a smile when I see what she has written down. 'a kiss for the cuteness goofy there is'. I just write my name on it. Then the four of us enjoy our last evening here. Tomorrow morning after breakfast it is time to go home. I really had a wonderful weekend, but I'm also happy when I can pick Rose up from school again on Monday.