He made a fast comeback, and they made love again a few minutes later, and this time she was exhausted when they stopped. He was tireless and an extraordinary lover.
“Your lovemaking is even better than your cooking,” she said in a husky voice as she kissed his throat, and he laughed.
“And you haven’t even had my soufflés yet!” he said, still laughing, and rolled over and made love to her again.
Chapter 11
After her first few days back after meeting Michaela in New York, Melissa was thinking quietly one morning over coffee, and decided to make a phone call. Norm had stayed with her almost every night, and she already felt as though they had been lovers forever. Their lives seemed in perfect harmony, and she was so comfortable with him, in and out of bed, that she felt totally at peace. She had never expected this to happen to her.
She poured herself another cup of coffee and called Carson on his cellphone. He saw her name come up, as his phone sat on his desk, and he looked startled. He thought something bad must have happened, maybe to Hattie, or to Melissa herself, and answered immediately.
“Mel?” he answered, worried.
“Hi,” she said, not sure where to go from there.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes, I am,” she said, sounding at ease and grounded. It was odd hearing his voice again. The call was long overdue, and she had decided to reach out. She had been thinking about it for days. “I just wanted to say hello, and tell you I’m sorry.” She sounded sincere and he was surprised by what she said.
“About what?” She hadn’t done anything to him lately, or even before. They’d had no contact, except her brief emails on Robbie’s anniversaries, and at Christmas, and when the fire was threatening.
“I’m sorry I’ve been so cut off. I just couldn’t talk for a while, to anyone. Something wonderful just happened and I wanted to share it with you.” He wondered if she’d met a man. She sounded like it. But he knew better than to ask. He wondered if she was getting married.
“Hattie did something crazy this summer. She went to Ireland. The convent there gave her the same runaround they gave me, but she met an ex-nun who had worked there. Hattie found the baby.”
“What baby?” He sounded shocked. The baby she’d had at sixteen was the farthest thing from his mind. It was surprising enough to hear from her, let alone figure out what she meant. She was speaking in riddles.
“The baby I gave up.” She jogged his memory, and he reacted instantly.
“Oh my God. How’d she do it? I thought they burned all the records.”
“They did, but the nun Hattie met knew enough to piece it together. It was a long shot, but she found her.”
“In Ireland?”
“No, in L.A. I just spent two days with her last week. She’s a lovely girl, with a nice husband, and two very cute kids.” Melissa had a family again. It didn’t make up for losing Robbie. Nothing could ever replace him, but it was a gift nonetheless, and made an enormous difference. “I think I understand now how you feel about Jane’s two daughters. I hated that you were close to them, but it’s nice having kids and young people in my life again. I’m not sure how you bridge the gap of thirty-three years in this case, but she has a big heart and we seem to be doing it. I’m going to L.A. to spend Thanksgiving with them.”
“I’m glad, Mel,” he said, sounding deeply moved to hear from her. “I think about you all the time. I hope you’re happy.”
“I am. It’s better now. It’s taken a long time. It’s taken all four years I’ve been here to start to heal.” And finding Michaela had made a big difference. Somehow it gave her hope again, and a new outlook on everything. Her life was suddenly about who was in it, not just who was gone. Her sister had given her an immeasurable gift. “I’m sorry I was so hard on you, and so disconnected.”
“You weren’t hard on me. You were broken. We both were, and we couldn’t fix each other.” He had needed Jane to help him recover from losing Robbie. Without her, he didn’t know how he would have survived it. Melissa had completely shut him out. “Have you gone back to writing yet?”
“No, and I never will. Robbie took that with him.”
“No, he didn’t. It’s still there. I hope you go back to it one day.”
“I don’t want to.”
“I’m sorry to hear it, but I’m glad you found your daughter. Does she look like you?” He was curious about her.
“Somewhat.” Melissa laughed. “She looks like my mother. I forgive her for it. She’s a very pretty girl.”
“It’s nice of you to call and tell me.”
“I thought it was time to reach out. It’s been too long.”
“I understand,” he said gently.
“Are you happy?” she asked in a soft voice.
“Yes, I am. It’s different. It was never going to be the way it was with us. It was so exciting working with you on the books. Jane doesn’t have the kind of drive you did. She wants to keep it all small and in control. That works for her. We get along, and I enjoy her daughters.” It didn’t sound like a grand passion, but it seemed comfortable, and maybe for him that was enough. Melissa had been more fiery with him and he missed that. She was an enormous talent and a brilliant mind. He had never known anyone like her. It would be a real loss to her readers if she never wrote again. She sounded definite about it. “Maybe something will get you writing again.”
“I hope not,” she said with feeling. “What I have now is enough. I love my house and where I live. I love working with my hands. And now I have Michaela, my daughter.” And Norm, but she didn’t say it.
“I’m glad you called. Stay in touch, Mel, and congratulations on finding your daughter.” He remembered how devastated she had been when she found out the records had been destroyed, and knew she’d never see her again, and now she had. “And give Hattie my love.”
“I will,” she promised.
“Are you still mad at her?”
“Not anymore. Not after what she did. I was foolish about that too. The convent suits her.”
“Yes, it does.” They both had a warm feeling after they hung up, and she was glad she’d called him. It was time to stop running away and shutting everyone out, and being angry at them. She had wanted to make peace with him. It wasn’t his fault Robbie had died. No one was to blame for that. It had taken six-and-a-half years to begin to heal. Hattie had been a part of it, and Michaela, and now Norm, and Melissa herself. It was a long, painful process.