On the Other Hand by Meowser Hotchner
A story featuring Rick Payne and Melinda Gordon, taking them through their tumultuous life as a couple. AU, obviously. Some chapters will be in drabble form.
Melinda was angry.
She didn't get angry often, as her boyfriend liked to fondly note, but when she did, she was obvious about it. Pans banged and dishes clattered. Doors slammed and the unlucky customers that visited Same As It Never Was weren't to be sure of a welcome reception.
Yes, Melinda didn't get angry often but when she did, it was only at one person; always the same person. Rick Payne, jerk extraordinaire, and, she reflected angrily, the man she loved most in the world.
Another unlucky customer wandered into the store, asked about baby clothes and Melinda calmed somewhat, her hand going to her own pregnant stomach as she stepped out from behind the counter.
"I have a small selection over here," she said, guiding the woman to the corner by the window. "I don't get much but when I do, it usually goes fast."
"Have you ever claimed any for yourself?" The woman asked in amusement, glancing at Melinda's protruding stomach.
"Not like that," Melinda laughed. "This will be my first, and possibly my last, if my deadbeat boyfriend doesn't pop the question soon."
The woman looked startled before bursting out in laughter. "Sometimes I feel like I'm still living in the past," she said in amusement. "Good luck with that, my dear. In my day, there wasn't a baby before the wedding but sometimes that might be a good thing. Why stay with him?" She asked, fingering through the clothes.
"Because I love him," Melinda said in frustration. "And some days he loves me back. And some days...it's like there's no one in his world but him."
The woman looked at her quizzically.
"He's an absentminded professor," Melinda said. "Of the first degree."
"Oh!" The woman laughed. "Oh, now I understand. Let me guess, he doesn't even remember doing the deed to get you this way."
Melinda sighed. "He remembers it," she said. "Sometimes I think that's the only reason he keeps me around."
"I'm Faith Clancy," the woman said suddenly. "You must be the owner or you wouldn't talk so freely to a paying customer."
"I am the owner," Melinda agreed. "Melinda Gordon."
"I knew that," Faith said happily. "I'm in town to see my son, Jim. He talks about you sometimes."
"Oh, of course," Melinda said. "You're Jim's mother. How lovely. Wait...is Andrea expecting?"
Faith bit her lip. "Of course, you didn't hear it from me, but it seems very possible. He's being very tight lipped about it, though."
"Understandable," Melinda said. "I waited for a while to announce mine. It's just safer."
Faith had a quizzical look in her eye and then she nodded. "Yes. There are always risks." She smiled down at Melinda's bump. "Do you know what you're having?"
"A boy," Melinda said firmly. "But that hasn't been confirmed by ultrasound. I just have this conviction and don't want to doubt myself by checking, you know?"
Faith looked puzzled. "I don't understand the reasoning, I admit," she said. "But it's a sweet idea to wait. I had just boys, myself. Daniel and James."
"Jim has a brother?" Melinda said.
"Had," Faith said gently. "I lost Dan soon after I lost their father."
"Oh, I am so sorry," Melinda said.
"I am too," Faith said. "But less talk about that. How do you know Jim?"
"Andrea is one of my best friends," Melinda said. "Enough that I would have been her maid of honor if I'd known her before the wedding."
"Oh, really?" Faith said. "But Andrea didn't end up having a maid of honor. I wish you had known her before."
"It was a small wedding, right?" Melinda asked.
"Microscopic," Faith sighed. "I wanted a big wedding. I pushed for one. But Andrea doesn't have much family left, as you know, and her brother couldn't make it back in time and they just didn't want the bother, I suppose. Jim says it was he who pushed for it but I think it was Andrea's disappointment that her brother wouldn't fly back in time."
Faith looked a bit guilty. "I'm not intending this as gossip," she said. "I wouldn't be saying this if I didn't think this was information you wouldn't already have."
Melinda nodded. "I've picked up bits and pieces," she said. "Andrea wanted the big wedding but it...wouldn't have made her happy the way it was."
"And they downsized," Faith said. "These clothes are adorable but I suppose it isn't official and I shouldn't be putting my foot in it." She shrugged. "I'll be back, Melinda Gordon. And when I do, I hope you have better news for me regarding your boyfriend."
She waved her hand by folding it over itself in quick motions before leaving rather quickly, with the manner of someone who's said too much.
Melinda watched her go, still distracted by the woman's news, before thinking over what she'd said as she left. I hope you have better news.
Melinda sighed and walked to the counter, picking up her purse. "Delia!" She called to the back. "I want to go and try to see Rick before his lunch break is over. Can you take over here for a while?"
"Sure," Delia said, poking her head out of the back. "You seem to be in a better mood," she said cautiously.
"Aw, I'm sorry for letting my pregnant mama hormones and my anger at Rick leak out on you," Melinda said. "Forgive me?"
"Of course," Delia said. "I'm just glad that you won't..."
"Bite your head off when you ask me to price an item?" Melinda said. "I won't, promise."
"Then I will be glad to watch the shop," Delia said.
"Do you want me to grab something for you?" Melinda said. "Something healthy? Something awful?"
"I brought lunch," Delia said. "Go ahead."
Melinda nodded and left the shop, going to her red jeep as quickly as possible. At twenty weeks, Melinda had only just started to show her pregnancy. At twenty weeks, the morning sickness was mostly over and she was getting into what her mother affectionately called 'the long haul'. At least, Melinda thought it was affection in her mother's voice.
Beth Gordon had not been happy at all to learn of Melinda's pregnancy. It was in the past week that Melinda had gotten over her hurt pride to go and see her mother to try and reconcile.
"This is what happened," Melinda finally said, staring at her silent mother. "Maybe it's not what I or you or Rick expected and maybe it's not the best outcome but that's life. I'm keeping the baby."
"Well, of course you're keeping it!" Beth snapped, throwing her hands in the air. "I'd never ask you to get an abortion and you're twenty-five for God's sake. You're old enough. But damn it, Melinda, I thought you were old enough to know better. Being a single parent is not an easy life and it was the last thing I wanted for you."
"I'm not going to be a single parent, mom," Melinda protested. "What about Rick? He's going to be fully present in his child's life."
Beth stared at her hard. "Can you honestly say that Rick Payne is fully present in anyone's life? Including his own? Including yours?"
"Mom, just stop!" Melinda said, giving up. "This is what's happening. I want you to be present in my baby's life. Will you? Because your attitude from this moment forward is going to be what determines that."
Beth blinked. "Okay. Okay. I'm sorry, Melinda."
"So am I," Melinda said. "Can you be happy for me?"
"I'll get back to you on that," Beth said with tight lips. "Maybe I could take you to a doctor's appointment."
"Okay," Melinda agreed.
Melinda went over the conversation in her mind as she drove over to Rockland U. Yes, it wasn't quite the conversation she'd hoped for but she'd given up on having a true heart to heart with her mother. Beth Gordon gave what she could and Melinda had long ago accepted that.
It just still stung sometimes. That was all.
She got from the car quickly; as quickly as she could. Rick had about ten minutes left in his lunch break and that was just enough time for a quick, reconciling conversation with him.
She was already looking forward to seeing him, as angry as she still was at the man. But, after all, maybe it hadn't been fully his fault last night. He was busy lately, what with the start of a new semester and the ongoing fight to get tenure and keep it.
She wondered if moving in together would help. She'd wondered that a lot lately but Melinda just didn't want to move in with someone without the promise of marriage. It seemed too much like giving up on him ever proposing. And that was what Melinda wanted, a promise of forever from Rick Payne. An outward sign that he actually loved her and that she wasn't just imagining it.
She remembered how his eyes looked whenever he saw her naked; how smoky they got and how low his voice became when they made love. She remembered how he touched her, how he always knew where to touch to make her go completely crazy. She remembered how they'd met; she remembered everything about him and she was buzzing, excited for the moment when she'd see him and he'd open his arms for her to step into them.
She hurried to his office and was surprised to see his exwife outside. "Kate. What are you doing here? This isn't okay anymore. Right now, you're the only thing stopping yourself from crossing over and you know it."
"You're making a mistake," Kate said coolly. "Rick will never truly love anyone. He'll never see beyond the end of his nose. I was like you are now, Melinda. I was pregnant."
"With someone else's child," Melinda returned. "Just go, Kate."
The ghost shrugged and walked off before turning around at the end of the corridor. "Don't say I didn't warn you, Melinda Gordon."
Melinda huffed at the ghost, turned and twisted the doorknob to Rick's office.
"Rick? I just wanted—" She broke off in horror, because there, sitting on Rick's desk, was a very pretty, very young woman, with a skirt slit all the way up her long thigh and a plunging top.
And Rick was right there, sitting at his desk and talking with the woman as if it was okay, as if it was normal behavior and not...
"Melinda!" Rick jumped to his feet and the woman jumped off of his desk. "Melinda. Amanda, this is my girlfriend, Melinda. Melinda, this is Amanda. She's a student. We were just talking about psycho—"
"Can I talk to you?" Melinda interrupted, ignoring the hand Amanda offered.
"Can you come back later?" Rick asked Amanda and the woman flew from the office. "What's this about, Melinda?"
"What was she doing on your desk?" Melinda asked. "What the hell, Rick? I never thought you were the type to cheat and I definitely didn't think you'd have an affair with a student!"
"Don't be foolish, Melinda," Rick said. "She was asking question. Was she coming onto me?" He raked a hand through his hair. "Probably. She's getting pretty low grades right now and all teachers have to combat this sooner or later. Would I ever in a million years have said yes to what she was suggesting?" He narrowed his eyes at Melinda. "No, I wouldn't have and I can't believe you'd think that of me, Melinda."
"You weren't stopping her," Melinda protested.
"She hadn't said anything or done anything yet," Rick said. "I was giving her a chance. Something like that calls for immediate expulsion according to Rockland's bylaws. I didn't want her to do something she'd regret with another teacher."
Melinda just stared at him. "Rick, this is...this is just too much. Last night and now...I can't believe I ever thought this would work."
She turned to leave and Rick caught her arm at the last minute.
"Don't give up on me," he said. "Not yet."
"You're in your own world," Melinda said. "All alone."
"Not when I'm with you," Rick pleaded, stepped forward and pressed his lips to hers. As always, it was like electricity hitting her. Melinda gasped and found herself responding as she usually did, with complete abandon.
She was in love with this man. And nothing could change that.