Chapter 21
Mel was hesitant to call her father, she feared he would be disappointed with her and would never speak to her again. John kept telling her to call him until one night he finally snapped and did it himself.
"Hello?" Roy asked as he answered the phone.
"Hi Roy, it's John, I was just calling to deliver some news that your daughter was too scared to tell you herself," John said, smiling at Mel, who was practically hanging off his arm trying to grab the phone from him.
"What is it, John?"
"Well, Melanie here—," but he couldn't finish the sentence for Mel had grabbed his arm with all her strength and ripped the phone from his grasp.
"Daddy?" she asked, as John made a face and plopped down onto the bed.
They were staying in a hotel in Ohio for a meet and greet that John had before they went to North Carolina for the live show.
"Melanie? Are you okay? What was John talking about? What news?" Roy asked, he sounded worried.
"John was just making it sound dramatic, it's really just one little thing..." Mel said, trying to avoid the subject. John rolled his eyes at her from where he sat on the bed and she flicked him to stop. He made an offended face and turned away from her, causing Mel to snort with laughter.
"Well, if you're laughing it must not be very important," Roy said, his voice was hard.
"No, no, John's just being stupid, I was laughing at him, this really isn't a laughing matter," Mel said quickly, nudging John with her knee as she stood next to the bed.
"Then what is it?" Roy said, getting annoyed at his childish daughter.
"Daddy, I- I'm pregnant," Mel stuttered. She braced herself for an explosion that never came. There was silence on the other line and Mel could hear her mother questioning her father in the background.
"Whose child is it?" he asked, Mel recoiled from the coldness of his tone.
"We don't know," Mel explained in a small voice. "The doctor said that it can only be determined after the baby is born."
"If it's Michael's child what will you do? Have you talked this through with John yet?" Roy questioned.
"Yes, we have talked about it, and we have agreed to raise it even if it's Michael's," Mel said.
"So he's going to stay with you."
"Why would he not?" Mel said, her temper rising.
"Well, he just seems the type..."
"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'D SAY THAT! GOD, WHY CAN'T YOU BE SENSITIVE ABOUT ANYTHING! I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE, DAD! YOU'RE SO FUCKING JUDGEMENTAL! JOHN IS A LOYAL, CARING PERSON AND I LOVE HIM! ACCEPT IT AND MOVE ON!" Mel yelled into the phone, she was breathing hard from her rage and she hung up the phone, throwing it across the room where it ricocheted off the wall and landed with a loud thump on the floor by the bathroom door.
Mel sat down next to John on the bed and he rubbed her back to calm her down. Mel rubbed her face with her hands and then ran her fingers through her hair, her temper slowly dying down. She rested her head on John's shoulder and he sighed, still slowly rubbing her back consolingly.
"So, what did he say that made you blow up?" John asked hesitantly.
"He said that you were the type to pick up and leave when you got a girl pregnant, basically," Mel growled.
"Why would he say such a thing? I didn't think I left that impression when I stayed at your place, or when I was with you at the hospital, what made him think that?"
"I have no idea, John," Mel sighed, closing her eyes.
As Christmas crept ever closer, and Mel's stomach began to show ever so slightly, John was praying that the next two months would go by smoothly for the both of them. Mel was restless and impatient to get through her first trimester in order to prove that she could have children. John took her to his house in Boston for the holidays so she could meet his family.
They were on the plane to Boston when John snapped Mel out of her dazed stupor of tiredness.
"Mel, I was thinking, maybe we should try and keep you being pregnant under wraps."
"Why?" Mel asked, surprised.
"Because, my pops might not take it very well, seeing as you're only eighteen," John said shrugging.
"It's kinda hard to hide being pregnant, John!" Mel said, half laughing.
"Well, you're not showing that much, you've only got a little bump, it won't be that hard," John said, a pleading look on his face.
"And I turn nineteen in April," Mel said as an after thought.
John nodded and decided it was time to change the subject, "We're going to be staying with my cousin Marc and his girlfriend for most of the time, but we're all going to my dad's place for Christmas dinner."
"Really? That's awesome!" Mel said enthusiastically. "What's Marc's girlfriend's name?"
"Aimee," John replied. "She's really nice, you'll like her."
"I hope I do, what about your brothers? Will they be there too?"
"Why wouldn't they be? It's always a party during the holidays, Thanksgiving's the craziest," John smiled.
"Well, I don't mind a bit of craziness, I've experienced a whole lot of craziness already, a little more won't hurt," Mel said, looking out the window.
"I should warn you, brace yourself for a warm welcome, as soon as we get into the airport, my entire family will most likely be there."
Mel laughed and nodded her spirits high. She couldn't wait to meet John's family and Marc and Aimee. She did, however, feel horrible about yelling at her father and planned to call and apologize to him as soon as possible.
When they arrived at the airport, John was right; his entire family was waiting for them, including Marc and Aimee. Mel was greeted like a sister and she received about a dozen hugs. After all the introductions were made and she was hugged some more, Marc and Aimee led the two of them out of the airport to Marc's car, an Escalade.
When they arrived at Marc's place Mel and Aimee took Mel's bags inside while John and Marc admired Marc's collection of cars in the garage. Aimee showed Mel into the guest room and Mel threw her bags in the corner. She then took of her winter jacket, gloves and skullcap and threw them on the humongous bed.
Mel and Aimee bonded quickly and John was happy to see that the two women were getting along so well so quickly.
It began to snow a few days later and John and Marc came up with the miraculous idea to have a huge snowball fight. John's brothers joined the four of them and they split up into two teams. Mel and Aimee were on the same team with Marc and one of John's brothers. Mel helped build a huge snow fort in Marc's back yard. John kept running in and out of the house to see their progress.
Mel finally got fed up and ran to the back door to see how John was doing on his fort. When he noticed her trick he threw a snowball at her, hitting her in the chest. Mel giggled and threw one back, missing horribly. She quickly ran back to Aimee and Marc and crouched behind the fort they built. John was the first person to throw a snowball and the war started. Mel laughed and threw her hardest, hitting John on his arm. She ducked and he threw one back at her, missing her by a hair. Aimee and Marc threw a few at John's brothers and they fired them back.
After about an hour of throwing snowballs at each other the group trooped back inside to warm up. Mel was shivering from head to toe, but still laughing, her cheeks rosy from the cold. The guys forced Mel and Aimee into the den while they made hot chocolate, so Aimee flicked on the TV and threw on Napoleon Dynamite as they waited.
Mel was sitting by herself on a loveseat next to the window while Aimee stretched out on the couch in the middle of the room, her long brown hair falling gracefully over her shoulders, her green eyes focused on the TV, were slowly closing from tiredness.
Marc was the first to come into the room, he sat Aimee up and handed her a steaming mug of hot chocolate, holding one for himself as well. Aimee cuddled up next to him, Mel still sitting by herself on the loveseat. John came in not long after with his brothers and sat next to Mel, handing her a mug of hot chocolate as well. Mel thanked him and John get comfortable, he swung his right leg behind Mel so that he was lounging comfortably against the arm of the chair. Mel sat between his legs and rested her back against his chest. John wrapped his free hand around her and patted her stomach.
"John, stop," Mel muttered, sipping her cocoa.
"Stop what?"
"Patting my stomach, it tickles," Mel said, trying not to giggle.
John smiled and stopped, still keeping his arm firmly wrapped around her. John's brothers decided that the movie wasn't enough entertainment so they began to try and get John to wrestle them.
"No, Mel's comfortable and I don't feel like getting up," John insisted.
"It's cool, shut them up and come back," Mel said, sitting up so that John could get up. He did and placed his mug on the coffee table. His older brother stood up to challenge him first.
"Whoa, whoa, before we start beating each other up, let's move the coffee table please," Marc said, placing his mug on it as well.
John nodded and pushed the table out of the way. His brother paused the movie and then went straight at John who was waiting patiently. John caught him off guard and picked him up for an FU.
"Oh, come on, John, not yet!" Mel complained.
"Okay, fine, I'll let him get to me first," John laughed and dropped his brother. He let him knock him around the room before hitting him with a gentle version of the FU.
"I told you I'd beat you," John shrugged. "You can't beat me at my own game."
They all laughed and John resumed his seat behind Mel and they finished the movie. John's brothers left during the movie, leaving the four of them in peace and quiet. Marc and Aimee headed into the kitchen to cook up something for dinner while Mel and John remained in the den together. Once they were alone John broke the silence.
"How're you feeling?"
"Fine, why?" Mel asked a bit confused at his question.
"I was just curious, how's little John," he asked, rubbing her stomach.
Mel laughed and rolled her eyes, "'little John' is fine, he seems to like to wake me up every morning so I can empty my stomach."
"That must be a good sign, means it's still alive," John smiled, kissing the back of her neck.
"Well, I could do without the constant puking in the morning," Mel smiled. John laughed, hugging her closer to him. She rested her head on his chest and they waited for Marc and Aimee to finish cooking dinner.
After a while John got curious as to why dinner was taking so long, he got up from his comfortable position on the loveseat with Mel and wandered into the kitchen. John shook his head when he saw Marc and Aimee making out against the counter, the dinner they were supposed to be cooking left half made.
"Well, I see you two already ate," John said, surprising the two of them.
They broke apart in surprise and John laughed. Aimee blushed furiously and busied herself with the half made food. Marc yelled at John for interrupting and shoved him out of the kitchen.
"What were those two up to," Mel asked as John came back into the den.
"Oh just a little game of tonsil hockey," John smiled. Mel laughed and sat up from her position on the loveseat. John flopped onto the couch and grabbed the remote from the coffee table, which his brother had moved back into place before they left.
"What's wrong? Do I have cooties or something?" Mel asked, looking at John with doe eyes.
"What are you talking about?" John asked looking confused.
"You didn't come back over here, you're comfortable," Mel whined.
"Then you come over here."
"Ugh, fine, gosh," Mel said, imitating Napoleon Dynamite.
She got up and lay down on the couch, draping her legs over the arm and resting her head in his lap. John began to comb his fingers through her hair as they watched TV and Mel slowly began to fall asleep.
"DINNER!" Marc yelled from the dining room. John shook Mel awake and she sat up, losing her balance and falling back into John's lap. He laughed at her and helped her stand. They went into the dinning room to see Marc and Aimee already eating, they had cooked up an elegant meal which shocked both John and Mel.
"Well, that was interesting," John mumbled later that night as he settled into the humongous bed he and Mel were sharing in the guest room.
"What?" Mel inquired.
"Today," John replied, sighing. Mel climbed into bed beside him and shrugged.
"I thought today was fun."
"Yeah, you and Aimee are getting along great, I'm guessing?"
"Yes, she's really cool and I enjoy her company, though she really reminds me of Ryann. I miss her a lot," Mel sighed, resting her head on his chest and closing her eyes.
"I know you do, we'll see her soon," John said, closing his eyes as well. Mel's head shot up at that and she looked down at him questioningly.
"What do you mean 'we'll see her soon'?" Mel asked.
John opened his eyes and grinned, "Raw will be in Pennsylvania for a promotional thing the day after Christmas, we'll be able to see her then."
Mel squealed happily and kissed him. John smiled ran his fingers through her silky brown hair when she rested her head on his chest. The two fell asleep peacefully, Mel firmly wrapped in John's protective embrace, happy that she was going to see her family and her best friend soon.