Chapter 3
"I really am sorry," Melissa blew out after a few seconds of silence, "I never meant to interrupt your homecoming."
Tony nodded, eyes still locked on Melissa. "I didn't know you were in town."
"Obviously," She smiled, "my head was in the clouds. I don't know what I was thinking just showing up here…"
"Mommy," Alli started, "you said we could have pizza when Daddy got home."
Jeannie nodded, Ben and Josh huddling near her. She was torn between ushering the children from the room so that Anthony and Melissa could talk, and telling the children to go play in their rooms so she could stay and listen. "It's not dinner time yet," She reminded them. "Why do we not have a snack and finish what we were working on while daddy talks to his friend."
Tony offered her a soft smile. He didn't know whether to be grateful to her for being so understanding or if he should tell Melissa that now wasn't a good time and ask her to leave.
"Can I get you anything, darling?" Jeannie asked, hoping that he heard the tone of her voice. That she was not angry or upset, and that she was not jealous. That part of their marriage had long since faded; she knew that he loved her and that he would always love her. She just did not like this. His ex-fiancée showing up at their door single- well she hadn't said that but women knew these things-asking to see her husband.
He shook his head, his eyes catching hers. He knew this was hard for her and he was thankful that she was handling it with kindness.
"Melissa?" Jeannie asked as she scooped Josh up and reached out for Ben's hand.
"No. Thank you all the same."
Jeannie offered her a smile and motioned for Allison to follow her into the kitchen. She didn't want to leave her daddy, and was clearly not happy about their being someone in her home that made her have to do it. But she wanted pizza and ice cream, so she wouldn't give them any trouble.
"Your family is adorable," Melissa started when the kitchen door closed, and she knew Jeannie and the children were out of earshot.
"Thank you," Tony nodded, motioning for her to sit down. "I'm quite fond of them."
"It's obviously a mutual feeling. Those children adore you. Benjamin is your clone," She smiled as she sat down, Tony taking a set next to her.
"He has his mother's personality," He told her through a proud smile.
She nodded slowly, and fell silent; watching him.
"What?" He asked curiously.
"This is just isn't the way I pictured things."
Tony raised a curious eyebrow at her, confused. "Why were you picturing things about my life? I don't mean to sound rude, Melissa, but this is quite a shock. It's been years."
She nodded again, turning her eyes from him. "I know. I should have called first. I just had to see you. I don't know…I can't really explain it."
"Is everything alright?" He asked, picking up on the faraway tone in her voice.
"Grover and I are no longer married," She said through a sad sigh.
"I'm sorry," Tony offered honestly. "That must be hard on your children."
She let out a dry laugh, and shook her head. "There are no children. We always said we wanted them. Talked about having them later, when things settled down…we just never got around to it. And to be honest, I think I liked my life to much to complain. Jet setting; living the life of an Astronauts wife and all that came with it."
"And now it's over a decade later and you're wondering what the point was?"
She nodded slowly. "I've been thinking so many things. All of my thoughts seem to lead back to you."
"Is that why you came back?"
His question hung high in the air between them, as Melissa thought through her answer.
Was that why she came here? Was she sitting on his couch asking him if he had regrets; with his wife and his children in the next room?
To be continued