Melinda's Song
She said, I was seven and you were nine I looked at you like the stars that shined In the sky, the pretty lights And our daddies used to joke about the two of us Growing up and falling in love and our mamas smiled And rolled their eyes and said oh my my my Take me back to the house in the backyard tree Said you'd beat me up, you were bigger than me You never did, you never did Take me back when our world was one block wide I dared you to kiss me and ran when you tried Just two kids, you and I.
Oh my my my my
I stood in the playhouse, my cousin next to me. We were playing demons and witches, Caden and me the witches. We were filling water balloons, our harmless version of potions. They were all neon colored and ready to be thrown, when we left a cloth bag heavy and very full.
"So you dummies attacked our family!" We shouted, coming up behind the boys. Kyle and Nolan turned around, trying to seem threatening.
"Yeah we did, we want your powers!" Nolan said, something we had heard many times over the years.
"Well you aren't going to get them!" Caden said back, sounding a whole lot more like one of our mothers, then Nolan sounded like a demon.
Caden slipped a water balloon into the hand behind my back. I quickly flung it, and hit Kyle squarely in the chest. He looked at me in shock and I smiled happily.
"Hey that's cheating!" He yelled and I started running. I knew that I had made him mad and he wasn't the funniest person to deal with when he was mad. I didn't make it very far though, when I was tackled from behind him. Kyle turned me over and held me to the ground. "That was cheating and mean, I am going to have to beat you up for that. I can too, I am bigger then you are!" He snarled, and I tried to pull away.
"You wouldn't do that, you like me to much!" I squealed, still twisting and turning to pull away from him.
"You want to bet on the Melinda?"
"No, I know you don't want to beat me up, you would rather kiss me!' He was so shocked he backed away and I could hear Caden giggling in the background.
"You two are silly! You can only kiss someone if you're married to them!" Caden said and I stood up.
"Besides it's gross." Nolan then added to the conversation, and Kyle stood up.
"I dare you to kiss me Kyle Jensen." I said dangerously and he looked at me for a few seconds. Before I knew it, he had puckered up and was leaning towards me.
I was shocked at first and then knew what I was going to do. I started running the other direction and Kyle fell flat on his face, much to my delight.
"You'll pay for that Melinda." Kyle yelled at my back, as I started to giggle at our never ending antics.
I was sixteen when suddenly I wasn't that little girl you used to see But your eyes still shined like pretty lights And our daddies used to joke about the two of us They never believed we'd really fall in love And our mamas smiled and rolled their eyes And said oh my my my.
Take me back to the creek beds we turned up Two A.M. riding in your truck and all I need is you next to me Take me back to the time we had our very first fight The slamming of doors instead of kissing goodnight You stayed outside 'til the morning light Oh my my my my
I sat with Kyle at my Mom"s restaurant eating dinner at our usual booth. Caden was working tonight and kept walking into my view every few seconds. I knew she was waiting for me to tell him about who I was.
The problem with that theory was I had known Kyle for thirteen years and kept it a secret for that long. So I was very scared at what he would say when I admitted to my largest secret.
"Melinda, are you ok? You haven't touched your food really." Kyle said and I looked at him.
"Yeah, do you want to get out of here and go home? We could hang out and watch a movie." I suggested and he smiled at me.
"Yeah, that sounds like fun. My place or yours?"
"Mine." I said as we got up and he slipped a twenty under the napkin holder. We walked out hand in hand, Caden staring at me as we went.
"Did you tell him?" She mouthed and I shook my head, she rolled her eyes in reply. We walked out and climbed in Kyle's little red Blazer. We quickly drove through downtown San Francisco. We pulled up in his driveway and walked next door to my house.
"Kyle, wait we have to talk about something before we go in." I said stopping him from opening the door.
"Ok, what is it?" He asked turning, to face me.
"All those times I had to go, but couldn't tell you why or how my cousins would appear out of no where, or my brothers or my Aunt Paige. It's because there's a little more then what meets the eye. We are a magical family. My Mom and Aunt Phoebe are witches and my Aunt Paige is too and half guardian angel. My Uncle Coop is the only one of the husbands with powers and he's a cupid." I said as quickly as I could, watching Kyle.
"Funny Mal, good joke. So who put you up to this, my parents, a friend?" He said turning back to the door.
"Kyle this isn't a joke, that's why when most people grew out of the whole believing in fairies and such, I didn't. Kyle, I have seen a fairy and a mermaid, leprechauns, trolls, an ogre by accident. Its all real, I promise!" I said exasperated.
"Mal, this is funny and stuff and I like that you believe all of that stuff, but you aren't going to be able to change my mind about how I feel about it."
"I am not joking, I really am serious!" I squealed, very frustrated at this point.
"You know what; maybe we shouldn't watch a movie tonight. I can't deal with you when you're like this!" He said brushing past me and starting down the stairs.
"Deal with me Kyle? I can't deal with you! Don't come back, unless you are willing to have an open mind and look at the possibility that there could be more out there!" I yelled at his retreating back.
"I don't want to talk to you, we're over!" He yelled over his shoulder. I watched him go and then went into the house, slamming the door hard behind me.
I dropped my things on the ground and soon joined them, tears slipping down my cheeks. I didn't even see my Mom come and join me, but I felt her strong arms around me.
"It'll be ok, I promise it will." She kept murmuring into my hair. I don't remember anything else that happened that night and must have fallen asleep crying.
The next morning, I went downstairs and my Mom pushed a tray of breakfast into my hand. "Someone is out there, waiting for you." She said softly, pushing me towards the door.
I walked out and sat down next to Kyle. I pulled hoodie around me tight and looked at him. "How long have you been here?" I asked softly and he looked at me.
"All night and I believe you now. Your Uncle Coop glowed or whatever and threatened me, about a lot of stuff. Then he helped me, giving me a little advice on you and me, and the two of us together." He rasped and I smiled, knowing that Uncle Coop would have really done something like that.
"Oh really and what might it be that he told you?" I whispered, sliding a little closer to him.
"That you would enjoy a dozen long stemmed cream colored roses. That you need someone who is going to love you and be prepared for anything that could happen, because it usually will. Then he said, I need to accept all of you and learn to trust you, because you fill in all the gaps that I have." He whispered, taking a sip of juice.
He then put the tray down on his other side and grabbed me. There were the dozen long stemmed, cream colored roses that Uncle Coop had recommended. I smiled, taking them in my hands and leaning over to kiss him. "I love you." I whispered against his lips, feeling him smile. "Now you need to come in and have breakfast, so we can clear up a little confusion about things." I grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet; he leaned down and grabbed his tray. We walked into the house, hand in hand. It was the traditional Sunday morning gathering and the whole family was there.
Aunt Paige's twins were running around the island, driving my Mom insane. "Layce, Cayce stop!" She shouted, both of them irrupting into a thousand orbs. When they reformed, they moved quietly to the living room.
"She won't do that to you, because you aren't a Whitelighter like most of the family. Minus my Dad, Uncle Henry, Me, Aunt Phoebe, Uncle Coop and all of there girls." I said and Kyle nodded his head, looking kind of sick and pale.
"Welcome back Kyle!" My Mom and Aunts shouted, upon spotting us and he waved meekly. I wrapped my arms around him and kissed him, much to their delight and I knew we would be ok, if there was anything left for me or my family to say.
A few years had gone and come around We were sitting at our favorite spot in town And you looked at me, got down on one knee
It was the night of my twenty-first birthday and Kyle was waiting downstairs for me to finish getting ready. I was the youngest of the Trio, something Caden, Nolan and myself had come to be called over the years: and our birthday's being in a two week span, meant we always spent it together, no matter how old we got.
"Come on Melinda, you look perfect!" Caden said impatiently and I tossed my head one more time, before walking out the door and down the stairs. I was happy to see Kyle's jaw drop when he saw me.
"You like it?" I asked when I reached him and he nodded his head. I was happy that the flowing halter black dress had been a hit with more then those I had gone shopping with when I had bought it.
"Come you guys, we have to go!" Chris yelled from the door and we all hurried to our cars. I climbed into the passenger seat of Kyle's Blazer and we hurried to my Mom's club. Our group of family and close friends and grown over many years, and on holidays and other special occasions, the club was closed for our private parties. This was one of those nights and it was a double dose, our birthdays and Halloween.
When we arrived, I raced inside ready to dance to the music of a local favorite. The Bay Boys, were playing one of my favorite songs and I didn't even let Kyle put our coats up, before I pulled him onto the floor. It was your typical love song, one Kyle and I had deemed as our song a few years ago.
I kept my head rested against his chest for the next couple of love songs and then they stopped. "Ok, we have a special occasion here tonight, four actually. It is Caden, Nolan and Melinda Halliwell's twenty-first birthday and we would like to ask them to come on the stage and we can sing happy birthday to them all." The lead singer said, as family members and friends pushed us towards the stage.
Nolan helped both Caden and me up. The song was quickly over and Nolan and Caden climbed off stage, as Kyle came to stand in front of me. The bassist handed him a mic and he stood, nervously waiting for the room to grow quiet.
"I have been thinking about what I would get you for your birthday, for a long time. Not to mention asking every member in your family and my own. I thought of using Wyatt's idea as a joke, and decided that wouldn't be such a great idea. A few people on both sides recommended the same thing and I thought that you would like it a whole lot." Kyle started, taking something Chris handed him and as he was getting down on one knee.
I covered my mouth in shock, tears welling up in my eyes. "The first time I met you, you were a crazy three-year-old, with long brown hair and the bluest eyes I had ever seen. We quickly became friends and it was very rare to find me hanging with any one besides you and your two counter parts. The when you were seven and I was nine, we were playing a favorite game: and if memory serves me right you cheated. That was the day I first realized I loved you, when you dared me to kiss you and ran, quickly away, when I tried. Then we have had our fights over the years, but our first one was the hardest, but strengthened us the most anyway. Now here I stand, twenty-three and scared more then I ever have been in my life, even more the when you convinced me to go bungee jumping in Germany last summer. So the important part is, will you marry me Melinda, 'cause I can't see me with any one else besides you!" Kyle finished his speech and opened the black velvet box.
Inside was the perfect diamond ring, and I just knew. People may say that we should think this all out, but I had been best friends with him for eighteen years and had dated on him for seven of those. "Yeah." I said softly, jumping off the stage and into his open arms.
I kissed him, with more passion then ever before. "A million times yes." I murmured against his lips, kissing him again right after.
I hated to admit it, but I felt like the girl at the end of the movie, who got her prince. I was pretty sure that's what everyone believed. Especially Kyle himself.
Take me back to the time when we walked down the aisle Our whole town came and our mamas cried You said I do and I did too
Eighteen years and nine months give or take a few days, all leading up to this. I stared at my reflection, shocked to see myself standing there. "You aren't having any second thoughts are you?" My Dad asked coming to stand behind me.
I shook my head, and my long curls. "It's just, different." I replied and he tipped his head to the side in the confusion. "When I was five, and looking through that old album I came across some wedding pictures. I thought that I would someday take Mom's dress and walk down the aisle, marrying my own Whitelighter. I guess you can never take the neighbor boy next door very serious, until now."
"Yeah, you most likely don't really remember how many times Jason and me used to joke about the two of you and ending up in the church or our case the sunroom on a day just like this one, either way we honestly never thought that we would make it here. Then there was that night when you were 16 or 17 and you told him about you, it was a bumpy night but you got past it all and then I knew. I am just glad that we are finally here and that your Mom doesn't have to be so stressed anymore." He smiled, teasing me in the end.
"She may have been stressed, but I can promise you that her and the aunts, even Uncle Coop are going to be crying, I have no doubt." He laughed slightly, and kept his eyes trained on me.
"Either way, we had better get out of here before they start thinking you have backed out." He extended his hand to me and I had to smile at this point. He led me out of my now old room and to the doors leading to the sunroom.
We started down the aisle, and I looked seeing as Kyle had predicted last night, my dad was crying. When the doors opened, and we started what seemed like the longest walk of my life, most of the eyes in the large room were wet with tears.
That's when I knew that no matter what had happened over the years that everything was going to be ok, not only for me and Kyle but for our whole family and that all the pain we had gone through to get here, had been worth it.
Take me home where we met so many years before We'll rock our babies on that very front porch After all this time, you and I
Ayla was squashed between us, Harlow was fighting sleep in Kyle's arms and the newborn Kieran lay sleeping on my chest. I would have never thought that we would have been here seven years ago, but we were. Three perfect little girls, the next generation of Charmed Ones no doubt and my Mom couldn't be happier.
Ayla sighed and leaned against me. "You're sleepy aren't you?" I asked carefully and the five-year-old shook her head and I knew that meant she was.
I smiled and looked at Kyle, who was also smiling. "Won't be long now." He mouthed and I smiled a little wider. I looked at Ayla, and saw her eyes drooping slowly. I lifted my head and saw Harlow's eyes close for the night.
Kyle kept the swing moving in slow rhythmic movements, making even me tired. I leaned my head back against the wood of the old swing and yawned. As soon as all of the girls were in bed, I was showering and getting in myself.
I loved days like the one we had, had today. I had spent the day shopping with my Mom, aunt and cousins. I also knew that tomorrow would be another crazy day; we were going to be telling my parents that we would be moving back to San Francisco and would have baby Kieran's wiccaning. Constituting the next generation of Charmed Ones, as my mother was quick to remind everyone.
But that was life for us and I wouldn't have it any other way.
I'll be eighty-seven; you'll be eighty-nine I'll still look at you like the stars that shine In the sky, oh my my my...
Melinda and Kyle walked down the street, following a few of their grandchildren to the park. It wasn't much different from when they would follow their daughters down to the park, except there were a few boys added into the mix. Melinda chuckled as two of her grandsons showed off, racing a head of their sister and cousins.
"Grams!" The youngest, six-year-old Posy whined falling into step with Melinda and Kyle.
"Jack! Liam! You two slow down!" Kyle yelled and Posy smiled, pleased at this action. She then raced off to join Jack, Liam, Grace and Katie.
"Can you believe that we've actually made it this far?" Kyle asked turning to Melinda.
"Yeah, I knew that you were the one, when I was seven. There has never been anyone else for me and I like it like that." Melinda replied, kissing Kyle and continuing on her way to the park with him and five of their wild grandchildren.