Page 16 of Only in Our Dream (Moonflower Cove #15)

Melanie

T hanksgiving at the Mackenzie house was more fun than it ever was at her in-law’s house.

Not that Melanie would ever tell them that.

But Isla and Vera Mackenzie just knew how to throw a party.

From birthdays to baby showers to holidays, they spared no expense.

And everyone was always invited, which made Melanie feel less guilty about showing up with her pre-packaged cookies for the dinner.

Having known the Mackenzies for so long, Melanie was an honorary member of the family.

She’d spent a few holidays with them over the years, but never Thanksgiving.

And, dammit, if she hadn’t been missing the best one.

Every type of comfort food imaginable seemed to be on the wooden table in the dining room as the family sat around it and laughed and chatted about life.

Melanie soaked up the feeling of family, loving being Aunt Mel to all the kids.

She loved listening to Ellie talk about the school play, while Brayden tried to teach Melanie about hockey.

Melanie loved when Everleigh asked to sit beside her as they were all picking their seats.

And especially loved as Everleigh kept scooting her chair closer and closer to Melanie’s as the dinner went along.

At six, she was the youngest member of the family, but that never stopped Evie.

She’d been a spitfire since the day she was born.

That was a day Melanie wouldn’t soon forget.

Since Isla had opted for a home birth, the last thing Melanie expected was to see Vera bringing her to the hospital early the next morning with baby Everleigh in her arms.

“Aww, you had her without me there,” Melanie pouted as she hurried over to them. She tenderly kissed Isla’s cheek before looking down at the precious baby. “She’s perfect, Mom. How are you feeling?”

“Not great,” Isla winced.

“She tore,” Vera stated matter of fact, but with a sympathetic smile on her face. “And she wouldn’t come in last night.”

“I was exhausted.”

“I’ll say. She was in labor forever. ”

“Imagine how I feel,” Isla chuckled. “If Vera hadn’t used the vibrator and her tongue, I think I’d still be in labor.”

Melanie held up her hands and shook her head. “I’m not going to ask for more details. I’ll go get a room for you.”

Even six years later, Melanie smiled at the memory. She loved how close they were as friends and how over the years that had morphed into being family without any fanfare. Melanie was an honorary Mackenzie and she loved that role.

“Aunt Mel,” Everleigh looked up at her with her eyes slightly narrowed, “why are you smiling?”

“Because I’m happy, Evie.” Melanie kissed the top of her head as she pulled her into a side hug. Everleigh giggled as she wrapped her arms around Melanie’s waist. She savored the feeling, knowing all too soon Everleigh would grow up and not want to hug her anymore.

“You’re silly.”

“No, you’re silly,” Everleigh giggled as they finished their dinner.

After the plates were cleared and leftovers packed away in the refrigerator, the family gathered in the living room to decorate the Christmas tree.

It had been a Mackenzie family tradition for as long as Melanie knew, so she didn’t want to interrupt it.

Catching Vera alone in the kitchen, Melanie playfully bumped her hip into Vera’s.

“I’m going to head out.”

“What?” Vera dramatically gasped. “No. Stay and help with the tree. Please. I want you to. The kids would want you to.”

“I just didn’t want to impose more than I already have.”

Vera waved her off with a laugh. “Bitch, please. You’re family. You’re not imposing.”

“Are you sure?”

“Totally. In fact, why don’t you go help Mason get the rest of the decorations from the garage?”

“That I can do.” Jokingly saluting Vera, Melanie headed out the back door. She shivered in the late November air, wishing she’d put a jacket on first. Thankfully, the garage wasn’t too far away. Melanie hurried her pace as she went in through the unlocked side door. “Mace?”

“Over here,” Mason’s muffled voice called out from somewhere in the garage. Navigating around Isla and Vera’s vehicles, Melanie found Mason in the large closet under the stairs.

“I thought you came out of the closet years ago.”

“Ha ha,” Mason rolled her eyes as she handed Melanie a heavy bin labeled ornaments . Melanie huffed, quickly sitting it down by her feet. “Says the woman who has been living in a glass closet for most of her life.”

“Your mother would tell you not to talk that way to me.” Melanie playfully arched an eyebrow at Mason.

“Then it’s a good thing my mother isn’t here.”

Mason’s smirk looked so much like Isla’s that Melanie couldn’t help but remember when she’d first met the Mackenzies.

Melanie had moved to the Cove after college, ready for a fresh start at one of the best hospitals in the state.

As soon as she interviewed with Vera, Melanie knew she’d found the perfect place.

Vera became like a sister to her and by extension, Mason was her niece.

And when Vera had Ellie and Brayden, Melanie had been right there. She’d been among the first to hold them; been the one to help Vera with breastfeeding. Melanie knew so many of her memories were intertwined with Mackenzies because they were her family.

More so than Rob’s family ever had been.

Well. Except for her nieces. And Mia.

It was mainly just Rob and his judgmental parents Melanie didn’t particularly care for.

At least I don’t have to spend a holiday with them ever again.

Melanie silently scolded herself for the thought.

“So, why aren’t you with Cameron in Tennessee?”

Mason’s question pulled Melanie out of her memories.

“Because I wanted to spend the holiday with my favorite niece.” Melanie playfully pinched Mason’s cheek as she rolled her eyes. “Besides, I could ask you why you’re not spending the holidays with Chase .”

“Because apparently neither of us are spending the holidays with our best friends.”

Best friends, Melanie chuckled to herself.

“What’s that laugh for?”

“Just wondering if your tongue has been in your best friend’s mouth.”

“Wait!” Mason loudly gasped as she put her hands on her cheeks. “Are you saying you and Cameron have kissed ?!”

“Perhaps.”

“Aunt Mel!” Mason squealed. “You’ve been holding out on me. Does Mama know?”

“Duh, your mama knows everything.”

“She totally does.”

“There’s two things I know for sure about Vera,” Mason grinned, putting her hands on her hips. “She’s loyal to her friends to the death and she can’t keep a secret.”

“You do know her well.”

Picking up the box Mason had handed her earlier, Melanie waited for Mason to get another box before they headed back into the main house.

Decorating the family Christmas tree was a tradition Melanie didn’t really have with Rob.

They’d had a tree, sure, but it was usually a small artificial one that sat on their dining room table.

It was nothing compared to the Mackenzie family Christmas tree.

Melanie marveled at it from the archway to the kitchen as the kids watched a movie on TV.

Isla and Vera were cleaning up around the house, seemingly lost in their happy little world.

As she watched them, Melanie felt like a stranger peeking in from the windows on a perfect Hallmark story Christmas scene. Just with more lesbians.

“More coffee?” Vera asked from behind. Melanie turned to her friend, finding her holding up the coffee pot in her hand.

“Yes, please.” Walking toward Vera, Melanie extended her mostly empty mug out to her. Vera refilled it before putting the pot back down. “Thanks again for letting me crash here today.”

“We loved having you, Mel. Seriously, anytime. You know you’re family.”

“Thanks, Vera.”

Leaning up against the kitchen sink, Melanie sighed. She knew it would make Vera ask her what was wrong, which was what Melanie wanted. And as predicted, Vera asked, “What’s wrong? Are you missing Cam ?”

Melanie couldn’t help but giggle. “Damn you.”

“Don’t act like I don’t know the difference between every sigh you give,” Vera laughed, leaning on the counter across from Melanie.

“I’ve worked with you for too many years to not know that that sigh meant you want to talk about something but don’t want to be the one to start the conversation.

Which is dumb because, hello, it’s me. So tell me. What’s going on with you and Cam?”

“Well, you know we kissed.”

“I do,” Vera smirked over her coffee mug as she took another sip. “Thanks to Cameron. I’d still be out in the dark if I was waiting for you to update me on your love life.”

“It’s not a love life. At least not until after my divorce is final.”

“Which should be soon.”

“Thank god,” Isla piped in, seemingly from out of nowhere. She had on a fun Christmas sweater, same as Vera did. It was another family tradition the two of them had. “I need you and Cam officially together.”

“Me, too.”

“While I agree,” Melanie tried to stop herself from laughing, “I’m trying to keep it all above board before my divorce is final. I don’t want to be that person.”

“You mean Rob.” Isla’s snarky comment was met with a jab in the ribs by Vera. She recoiled dramatically, as if Vera had shot her. Vera rolled her eyes in response. “What? You were thinking it.”

“Regardless,” Vera raised her eyebrows at her wife, “we aren’t talking about him right now. We’re talking about our dear friends Melanie and Cameron finally getting together.”

“About damn time.”

Melanie dramatically groaned. “You know, sometime over the course of, I don’t know, the last twenty something years one of you could have pulled me aside and said, Hey Mel, do you think you might be gay and in love with Cameron? ”

Instead of laughing along with her, Isla and Vera exchanged a bemused look with each other.

“Wait.” Melanie pointed back and forth between them. “What was that look for?”

“You just said you’re in love with Cam.”

Melanie felt her heart flutter as she smiled. “Well,” she laughed, “I am .”

Sharing another look Melanie couldn’t quite decipher, she was happily surprised when Isla and Vera both went in for tight bear hugs with her.

They squeezed her in the middle, melting her into their embrace.

She loved her friends so damn much and was so happy to have such supportive, if not goofy, friends in her life.

“Okay, okay, let me breathe.”

“I’m just so happy for you, Mel.” Vera had tears glistening in her eyes as they let her go. “You deserve this. Truly. Isla and I are just so happy you’re happy. And that you’re happy with Cam. It’s just all so,” she seemed to search for the right words before hugging Melanie again. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Melanie whispered into her ear. She looked at Isla over Vera’s shoulder. “Is she always this emotional on holidays?”

Isla chuckled. “You’ve known her almost as long as I have. You know that’s just who she is.”

“And we love her for it.” She kissed Vera quickly on the cheek before Vera did the same back. Melanie said a silent thank you to the universe for blessing her with two of the best friends a woman could ever ask for.

Her smart watch vibrated, indicating a text. Melanie checked and couldn’t contain her smile when she saw it was Cameron.

Just thinking about you. I miss you and can’t wait to see you Monday.

“Ooh, is that Cameron ?” Isla teased as she looked at Melanie’s watch. “Aww, she can’t wait to see you Monday. That’s so sweet.”

“Says the woman who writes the best damn love letters to her wife for every holiday.”

“She does write the best letters,” Vera dreamily sighed as she looped her arm around Isla’s and kissed her.

God, I want that , she thought to herself.

Her watch vibrated again.

I love you.

Melanie showed the text to them before they all squealed in unison. They were like teenage girls, not the nearly fifty-year-olds they were. The only thing that would make the moment better would be if Cameron were there.

“Whenever the divorce is final, we all need a girls’ night.” Isla smiled at them.

“You know I’m in.”

“It’s a date,” Vera said with a wink.

Melanie smiled as she glanced down at her phone and replied to Cameron’s text.

I love you too. PS we’re having a girls’ night when the divorce is final. Isla’s orders.

Cameron responded right back.

Hell yeah! I have some ways to celebrate that already planned in my head.

The accompanying winking emoji made Melanie blush and she felt the heat rise in her cheeks at the thought of what Cameron had planned.

Melanie herself had been thinking about what would happen once the divorce was legal.

She had plenty of thoughts, but now she desperately wanted to know what Cameron was thinking.

And apparently Isla and Vera did, too. Isla grabbed her phone as she giggled.

“Ooh, did Cam send a spicy text?”

“Let me see,” Vera joined in. They looked at each other, saying more with a glance than they could with a hundred words. “Maybe we’ll give you two a few days to celebrate before we all hang out.”