Page 32 of Only in Our Dream (Moonflower Cove #15)

Cameron

T he last three months had been absolute bliss for Cameron.

Since her birthday, she and Melanie had grown so much closer in ways that Cameron had never expected.

After being friends for so long, Cameron thought she knew everything about Melanie.

But their intimate conversations as they lay in bed together wrapped in each other’s arms opened up a whole new side to their relationship.

Their vulnerability with each other was something that Cameron treasured dearly and hoped would never fade.

She also hoped that Jonah and Dylan would be receptive to the conversation she was about to have with them.

Melanie had been spending more nights at Cameron’s house than her own.

The kids loved it; that much was obvious by the way they acted.

They loved their Aunt Mel and having her around for dinner and breakfast seemed to make both of them happy.

And the same was true for Melanie. Cameron couldn’t remember a time when Melanie looked happier.

Even Cameron didn’t know when she had been happier herself.

But Cameron knew sleepovers weren’t the endgame. They were wonderful, yes, but Cameron wanted more. Cameron wanted Melanie to move in with her. She wanted Melanie to sell her house, pack up her pets and clothes, and never look back.

They had talked about it a few times since Cameron’s birthday. Cameron knew they were on the same page and were just waiting for the right time. Which Cameron had decided would be when the kids were out of school.

With the end of the school year only a few weeks away, Cameron had taken the kids to Carlson’s Cafe for a Sunday lunch to talk to them about Melanie moving in with them.

They’d all ordered burgers, the special of the day at the cafe, and fries.

Cameron sat across from Jonah and Dylan in the booth, waiting for the perfect time to bring up the reason for their lunch.

Both Jonah and Dylan had asked her about Melanie moving in several times on separate occasions.

Cameron had always told them it was too soon for that and they would be the first to know when it was going to happen.

Although she didn’t have a date in mind when the big move would take place, Cameron was hoping for sooner rather than later.

“So,” Cameron smiled at each of her kids, “are you two excited for the summer?”

“I’m excited for hockey camp.” Jonah’s excitement was palpable. He’d been selected to attend a camp for high school juniors and seniors led by professional hockey players. Cameron was beyond proud of her boy. “I think it’ll be fun.”

“It will be fun, Jonah. I’m so proud of you.”

“I’m just glad I don’t have to share a bathroom with you for three whole weeks.” Dylan’s deadpan expression made Cameron chuckle.

“You’ll miss me.”

“No, I won’t.”

“Yes, you will.” Jonah’s smirk told Cameron he was up to something. “Who else can reach the extra toilet paper on the top shelf?”

“ Why do you always put it on the top shelf?” Dylan dramatically groaned. Clearly, being in theater classes had bubbled over into her real life. Or maybe it was just because she was so close to being a teenager.

Cameron shuddered at the thought.

“Okay, be nice, you two.” Taking a sip of her soda, Cameron prepared herself to segue the conversation. “So, I want to talk to you both about something.”

“Is Aunt Mel finally moving in?” Jonah’s excitement was at the same level as it was about the hockey camp.

“ Please say yes,” Dylan added.

“Well, she’s not moving in yet.”

“Yet!” Dylan all but shouted in the cafe, gaining her a sharp glare from Cameron. Quieting her voice, she leaned in closer to Jonah. “She said yet !”

“I heard ,” Jonah tried to match Dylan’s excited whispers, making Cameron laugh.

“So, you two would be on board with Aunt Mel moving in? Like for real?”

“Totally.”

“Sure.”

“She basically lives with us anyway,” Dylan shrugged. “And I’ve always wanted a pet and Aunt Mel has two so that means I’ll have two when she moves in.”

Cameron should have known that Melanie’s cat and dog would be a huge selling point for Dylan.

She’d always loved animals, but Cameron had never let the kids have anything more than fish.

And judging by how many fish they went through over the years, that was the only pet they ever needed to attempt to own.

At least Melanie’s dog was house trained and her cat loved everyone.

“What about you, Jonah?”

“I support it.” The corner of his mouth rose slightly into a smile. “But I do have one question.”

“Okay…”

“What do we call Aunt Mel now? I mean… she’s not our aunt anymore, right?”

Jonah’s question caught Cameron off guard.

She’d prepared for a hundred questions of the logistics of Melanie moving in with them, but not that question.

Cameron hadn’t even discussed it with Melanie yet because for the last sixteen years, she had been Aunt Mel to her kids.

She had thought about how that would change as their relationship grew and deepened.

“We can call her Mama Mel,” Dylan chimed in.

“How about after I ask Mel to move in with us, you two can talk to her and see what she wants to be called, okay?”

There. That buys me some time to talk to Melanie and prepare her for the kids’ question.

Jonah and Dylan nodded, going back to their food as their lunch continued.

They chatted about school and plans for summer break.

As they were getting ready to leave, Jonah suggested they take Melanie lunch.

She was covering a shift for someone, working nine days in a row much to Cameron’s disgruntled complaints.

Cameron knew Melanie loved her job, but she selfishly missed getting to spend more time with her.

Taking a club sandwich and chips to go for Melanie, the three of them headed for the hospital.

Cameron parked in her reserved spot, thankful the hospital provided the doctors with their own designated lot and spots.

It had saved her countless times from circling the main parking lot to find a place to park.

Jonah and Dylan walked ahead of her, proudly carrying Melanie’s lunch.

Cameron couldn’t help but remember bringing them to the hospital when they were babies.

They both had stayed at the hospital’s daycare until they started school, which Cameron was thankful for.

She loved having her babies in the same building as her and being able to check in with them anytime she wanted.

They took the elevator up to the labor and delivery floor as Cameron’s eyes scanned the nurses’ station for Melanie.

She smiled and waved at Palmer, who bumped her hip against someone’s shoulder who was sitting at the desk.

Melanie’s head looked up around the computer, breaking into a huge smile as she saw Cameron and the kids.

“Hey!” Melanie rounded the desk, pulling Jonah and Dylan into hugs. “What are you all doing here?”

“We brought you lunch,” Jonah handed her the bag of food. “It was my idea.”

“Aww, thank you, Jonah. That was very sweet.”

“I paid,” Cameron chimed in. Melanie laughed as she put her arm around Cameron and kissed her softly. “Hi.”

“Hi. Thanks for lunch.”

“You’re welcome, babe.”

“ Babe ,” Palmer snickered but Cameron knew she was just teasing her and Melanie. Mostly Melanie. “God, you two are so cute together. I can’t deal.”

“Shut up.” Melanie rolled her eyes at her friend.

“Do you have any patients right now?”

“Nope,” Melanie sighed with relief. “I had a delivery a few hours ago, but everything went great and she’s up in postpartum now.”

“So you’re a free woman for a lunch date.”

“With the prettiest girl in town.”

As Melanie kissed her again, Cameron felt her smile spreading on her lips. It felt so freeing to be able to kiss Melanie whenever she wanted. She didn’t care who saw them or what they thought. Cameron was in love with Melanie and didn’t care who knew it.

“Aunt Mel, can we go look at the babies in the nursery?” Dylan grabbed Melanie’s arm as her eyes pleaded with her. But Palmer stepped in.

“I’ll take you, Dill.” Palmer came around the desk and smiled at Dylan. “We can let Mel eat while we see some babies. You want to come too, Jonah?”

“Sure.”

“Here.” Palmer fished a few dollar bills out of the pocket of her scrubs and handed it to him. “You can grab us three sodas on the way.”

“Thanks!”

Cameron watched as her kids headed down the hallway with Palmer. Melanie took her hand as they walked into the breakroom tighter. They sat at one of the small tables as Melanie began eating her lunch.

“Thank you so much for this.”

“You’re welcome.” Cameron watched Melanie happily enjoy her food before telling her about the conversation with the kids. “So, I talked to the kids about you moving in.”

Melanie’s eyes went wide as she sat her sandwich down. “What? Really? What did they say?”

“They’re both on board. Dylan might be more excited for Hank and Lucy to move in more so than you, though. Just as a heads up.”

“Totally fair,” Melanie chuckled. “What about Jonah?”

“Jonah wants to know what they should call you now.” Cameron watched as her words slowly registered with Melanie. “I told them I didn’t know but it would be a good question for them to ask you.”

“Gee, thanks.”

“Hey, at least you’ll be prepared for them to ask. It caught me off guard. Jonah made the comment that you weren’t their aunt anymore.”

Melanie clutched her chest. “Ouch.”

“I know,” Cameron grimaced. “Like, I know what he meant but still. You’ve been their Aunt Mel for so long.”

“And nothing about that will change.” Melanie scooted her chair closer to Cameron’s.

She took her hand, gently squeezing it as she spoke.

“The name may change, but my place in their lives never will. I will always be there for them, just like I have been since they were born. Those two are the closest thing to my own kids I have and I love them as if they were my own. You know that.”

“I do. You’re right. I’m sorry for overthinking it.”

“Hey,” Melanie tenderly cupped her hand around Cameron’s cheek, “you’re okay. I promise. This is all new territory for us and for Jonah and Dylan. We’re all going to figure it out. Together.”

“Together,” she repeated, putting her hand on Melanie’s. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

“Are you off at seven?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you coming over after?”

Melanie’s grimace answered for her. “So, don’t kill me.”

“But you picked up a shift tomorrow, didn’t you?”

“Perhaps,” Melanie nervously giggled. “I’m sorry. I know this will be my tenth day in a row but I have six days off after that.”

“Yeah, but four are my work days,” Cameron pouted, only mildly teasing Melanie. “I miss you.”

“I think we both know what we need to do.”

“Quit our jobs?”

“Exactly,” Melanie laughed. “But I think we need to have a trial run this weekend.”

“A trial run?”

“Of living together. I’ll spend the weekend there and bring Lucy and Hank with me. We can see how it goes.”

“What if it doesn’t work out?”

“Cameron June West, shut your mouth.” Melanie’s eyes held concern that hadn’t been there before. “Why would you say that? Are you worried it won’t work out?”

“No, Mel, I’m just trying to be realistic here.”

“Realistic?” She pushed back from the table slightly. “How are we supposed to go forward in our relationship if you’re worried about living together and not working out and yet haven’t ever told me that concern until now?”

Cameron knew they were on the edge of a fight, but didn’t know how to stop it. They’d always been able to communicate their feelings about their relationship with each other, so why was this so different?

Because of the kids.

Seeing Jonah and Dylan so excited about Melanie moving in was an all too real reminder that her actions directly affected them. If she and Melanie broke up after she’d been living with them, how would the kids handle that? It was something she hadn’t thought about before.

“Because I didn’t think about it until Jonah and Dylan were so excited about it.”

“And that’s a bad thing?”

“I… I just don’t want them to get hurt.” Cameron lowered her gaze from Melanie. They sat in silence for a few moments before Melanie placed her hand on Cameron’s knee. “And I don’t want to get hurt.”

“I’m not going to hurt them.” She waited until Cameron looked up at her before continuing.

“And not going to hurt you either, Cam. I know Jonah and Dylan are your first concern and they always should be. But I need you to know that I wouldn’t be in this with you if I didn’t love them with my whole heart.

I’d never do anything to hurt them in any way. You know that.”

“I do,” Cameron nodded firmly. “That’s not what I meant. I’m sorry.”

“I know relationships are scary. I’m exhibit one for thinking things are going to last forever and they don’t.”

Cameron averted her eyes from Melanie once more. But Melanie gently put her hand on her chin and turned her face back to hers.

“But you’re not Rob. We are a partnership. We love each other for who we are and we don’t expect the other to be anything they’re not. This is going to work, Cam. I wouldn’t be in this with you if I didn’t think that.”

Not knowing what to say, Cameron stood and pulled Melanie to her feet. She held her close, crying softly into her shoulder.

“This is going to work.”

“And it’s okay if that’s scary.” Melanie kissed her ear. “It just means we get to be there to love and support each other through the good times and the bad.”

“I wouldn’t want to do that with anyone else.”

“Good,” she giggled. “Because you’re the only person I want to kiss for the rest of my life.”

They kissed again, but this time it had more passion behind it. Cameron would have stayed there longer in Melanie’s arms if her pager hadn’t gone off.

“Damn job,” she groaned with a laugh as she pressed her forehead into Cameron’s. “Thank you for lunch.”

“You’re welcome. I’ll pack up the rest of it for you and put it in the fridge then go find the kids.”

“You’re the best.” Melanie kissed her again. “I’ll see you and the kids tomorrow after work, okay?”

“I miss you already.”

“Don’t make me want to quit my job.” Winking, Melanie turned to head out the door. She stopped in the doorframe, looking back at Cameron. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”