Melody spent the day wandering around New York. She went and got a mani/pedi since her birthday was tomorrow and she wouldn't have time before the show. She also stopped and got herself a massage. It was hard to believe that tomorrow she would be turning thirty years old. She had grown up telling herself that by the time she was thirty she'd have life figured out…but she hadn't even begun that yet!
Her phone vibrated as she walked out from her massage. She looked and there was a text from her dad. "I have messages for you. Are you with anyone with a TTD machine or near a library?"
"I'm close to the library. Give me ten minutes." She text back.
Soon Jim's phone was ringing. "Hey, your surgeon's office called. They had a cancellation and wanted to know if you were interested in moving your surgery up to next Wednesday?"
"Next Wednesday? Are you serious? Of course I am! Call them back RIGHT AWAY!" She exclaimed. Then reminded herself she was in a library.
"Ok. I will. Then, I wanted you to know that I'll be going to Vegas with you tomorrow. We have plans with everyone and their mom, so be prepared for a busy birthday."
Melody nodded. All she could do was wish John was joining them. "I'm going to head to my place and take care of a few things. But I'll be there for dinner. I've gotta run. Call the office and tell them I'll take it and I'll reschedule my pre-op."
She took out her phone and sent John a text, "Hey…I know you probably think I'm the biggest bitch in the world, but I really need to talk to you."
John leaped out of his chair when he saw he got a text from Melody. "SHIT!" He looked at Marc, "She text me. She wants to talk to me. But if I talk to her, it's going to ruin my surprise. But is it more important to talk to her now? Or should I wait till tomorrow?"
"Dude, she's the one who called the break. She can wait a little bit. You're busy." Marc replied.
"But I don't want her to think the wrong thing." John argued.
"You do what you want." Marc said with a laugh, "This is your relationship. You do what you need to
Melody got back to her place after waiting for almost a half hour for John to respond. She rescheduled her pre-op and was all set. Then she paid some bills and balanced her checkbook.
She wasn't sure what to think about John not responding. But it was killing her. Suddenly a hand was on her shoulder. When she looked up, Alex was standing there.
"Hey, someone's here to see you." Alex said slowly.
"Who?"
"Someone named Sophie." Alex replied confused. "I've never seen her before."
Melody looked confused as she got up and walked downstairs. "Sophie? What are you doing here?"
"It's not just me." She said, "Randy's here too. We thought maybe you'd like to go out and clear your head."
"Sure. Let me grab my stuff." Melody said to Sophie. She ran upstairs and grabbed her jacket and her purse. Then she came back down and smiled. "Ok, let's go."
They got outside and Melody saw Randy sitting in a car. She waved to him and grabbed her phone. She text her dad to see if it would be ok if their dinner took a raincheck.
Jimmy text her back to go and have fun and dinner will always be there.
She climbed in the car, "Hey Randy!"
Randy turned and faced her, "Hey! How are you doing?"
Melody shrugged, "I don't know. Let's wait till we're sitting down somewhere so I can really see what you're saying."
They drove to a restaurant and were seated at a table. Melody sat across from Sophie and Randy. Randy reached across the table and tapped her hand to get her attention, "Where are you?"
Melody shook her head, "Sorry. It's just…things have been complicated and I finally got my head on straight today. But now John won't return my text and I'm so afraid that he's given up on me and moved on."
Sophie squeezed her hand, "Now I know John loves you. Maybe his battery is dead? There are so many things that could be going on. And maybe he's trying to clear his head too. Remember, you wanted him to make sure he felt everything he said he did, well now is his chance to figure that out."
Melody nodded, "I know. I just wish I could tell him that I love him. And that I want the same things he does. I found out today that my surgery is bumped up to next Wednesday. There was a cancellation."
"Really? Oh my God, that's great!" Sophie exclaimed.
Randy looked at her, "So you'll be able to hear even better than with hearing aids?"
"Kind of. I mean, yes I'll be able to hear more than what I can now, but I'll always be deaf." Melody replied.
The three of them sat and talked. Randy and Sophie provided a nice distraction for Melody so she didn't concentrate on the fact that John still hadn't responded.
After dinner Melody took them on a little tour of New York and they brought her back to her dad's place. She hugged them both, "Sophie, I'm really glad that you don't hate me after everything. And Randy, thanks for being here. You guys are really great friends."
Melody walked inside and locked the door. She went and sat down by Jimmy on the couch. "Well, I think I did it this time. John still hasn't responded to my text."
Jimmy shook his head, "You are all full of contradictions my dear. You tell him to take the time to figure out if he truly loves you or not. Then you bitch because he's doing it. You tell him on thing but yet you want the other."
Melody nodded, "I know." She whispered.
"Now go to bed. We have an early flight and a busy day tomorrow. Birthday girl." Jimmy replied with a smile.
She hugged him and kissed his cheek. "I love you dad. Good night." And she went upstairs.
Melody ran a hot bath and threw in some bubbles. Then she ran downstairs and poured herself a glass of red wine and went back up and climbed into the tub. She slipped into the tub and sighed. Had she made the biggest mistake of her life? Did she take this too far?
After she got out of the tub, she looked and it was almost midnight. Melody checked her phone as she plugged it in on the charger, but there was still no message.
Melody slipped into a t-shirt and crawled into bed. It was official…she had made her bed and now she had to lie in it. She was about to be thirty and alone. All because instead of accepting John's apology she made it to be a big issue. Sophie found it in her heart to forgive Randy for screwing around and yet she couldn't even take an apology for John's temper flaring up.
She tried not to, but she began to cry. Melody cried as quietly as she could into her pillow. Finally she had cried herself to sleep.
Jimmy went upstairs and checked on her. He frowned as he saw her tear-stained cheeks and felt her damp pillow. He pulled out his phone and sent John a text.
Soon John arrived at Jimmy's place with a few bags. "Thanks Jimmy."
Jim nodded. "No problem."
John went inside and into the kitchen. He placed the bags up on the counter. He began to put up decorations and streamers. He also pulled out a beautiful bouquet of red roses in a very pretty crystal vase.
Jimmy sat back and watched John go to town. He was really hoping that all of this would snap Melody out of her funk and help things to get back to normal.
John pulled out candles and a big bag of rose petals. He went from the kitchen and scattered them all the way up to Melody's bedroom door. He took out a small birthday cake and poured two glasses of Melody's favorite red wine. Then he pulled out a couple birthday presents and set them on the table by some candles. He threw a few petals on the table and lit the candles.
Jimmy took that as his time to vanish. He went to his bedroom and closed the door. John had asked him to find Melody's birth certificate and find out the exact time she was born. And according to her birth certificate she was born at 1:23 a.m. So John had everything timed so he could have a drink with her on her exact birthday moment.
John quietly went up the stairs and opened her bedroom door. There was Melody, sleeping peacefully. She had her hand on her phone and was fast asleep.
He very carefully crawled into bed with her. John draped his arm around her and held her close. He began to lightly kiss her neck.
Melody stirred a little bit but didn't fully wake up.
John held her closer and kissed her again.
This time Melody's eyes opened a little bit. She put her hand on top of the hand around her. She felt it for a minute and then jumped. "John?"
John smiled and leaned in close to her ear, "Happy Birthday Melody!" He exclaimed loudly, he was hoping he was loud enough for her to hear.
She turned on the light and tears were in her eyes, "Oh John! I thought you hated me." And she wrapped her arms around him and held him tightly.
John held her back and the two began to kiss and make out. Melody looked into his eyes, "John, I love you so much." And she began kissing him again.
He finally pulled his head back, and signed to Melody, "Put your hearing aids in and follow the trail."
She looked puzzled, "What trail?"
"You'll find it." John said giving her one last kiss and he left the room.
Melody got out of bed and her heart was all aflutter. She couldn't believe John was there. Her birthday wish came true. She quickly put in her hearing aids and walked out of her bedroom. She saw the rose petal trail.
Melody's eyes filled with tears and she followed the trail down the stairs. It led into the dining room where the kitchen table had candles and a beautiful bouquet of roses and birthday cake with wine. "Oh my God John…this is amazing." She gasped.
John smiled and held his hand out for hers, "Come and sit down birthday girl." And he guided her to the chair.
Melody looked up at him and smiled, "John, this is so amazing. Thank you so much."
He sat down and took her hand in his, "Baby, I want you to know that I love you. You are the only girl that I ever want to be with. I picture our future, together, hand-in-hand. I want to give you the life that you've always dreamed of and never knew could truly exist. I want this birthday to be the beginning of the rest of your life."
Melody smiled, "Before you go any further, can I say something? You walked away and I knew in my heart that I had held the grudge for too long. But my head said I was doing the right thing. And I think in some ways I did…it made me truly realize just what I felt for you and I kept telling you that you needed to really figure out what you felt for me, but I think deep down I needed to figure out just how and what I felt for you. And I realized that everything you said to me, was everything I've dreamt of having with you."
John's watch began to beep. He turned it off and grabbed the bottle of wine and popped the cork. He poured them each a glass of wine and held up his glass to her. "A toast, to the most beautiful birthday girl in the world. Melody, I love you. Happy thirtieth birthday."
She smiled and tears welled in her eyes again. She clinked glasses with him, "Thanks John…for making my birthday wish come true."
They drank together and then John fed her a bite of birthday cake. "You have some presents love."
Melody smiled, "John, you didn't have to do that."
"You're right, I didn't have to. But more importantly…I wanted to."
She grabbed one of the boxes and opened it. Inside was a velour box and when she opened it, she gasped. It was a beautiful silver bracelet with amazing charms. One charm was a microphone, another was a light bulb, another was a key and the last charm was a present. Melody smiled, "John, this is beautiful! Is there a story behind each one of these?"
He smiled and lifted it out of the box and fastened it onto her wrist. "The microphone is because you have an amazing voice, the light bulb is because you're the light of my life, the key is because you hold the key to my heart and the last one is a present. And that one is there because it's your birthday and because the present is as good of place as any."
Melody hugged him close and kissed him sweetly. "I love it. Thank you SO much John."
"You're welcome babe, keep going."
The next box was larger. She unwrapped it and pulled out a beautiful red, satin dress. It was a halter style and it had an open back. There was a beautiful diamond and pearl broach at the cleavage level in the front and it was flowing down. "Oh my God John…this is so beautiful. What is this for?"
"This is for your arrival in Vegas. When you walk off of the plane, everyone is going to know that you are the most beautiful woman there. And, I have a different plane for us to fly there in. We're flying in style to celebrate your birthday."
She shook her head, "John, this is way too much. I don't know what to say."
"Just say that you like it and that you're ready for the last one."
Melody blushed, "Ok. I love it and yes I'm ready for the last one."
John pulled out a long, skinny box and handed it to her.
Melody opened the box and it was a beautiful silver necklace with a diamond and ruby heart necklace. John smiled, "I know it's not your birthstone, but I wanted it to match the dress, and I know that part of you is tomboy and the other half of you is glamour girl so I wanted something you could also wear anytime."
"John…these are amazing. I love them all. You have made this day so amazing…and it's not even two o'clock in the morning." Melody said as she got up and sat down on his lap and wrapped her arms around him.
John held her close. "Babe, I'm so glad that you're having a great day. I know we have to be up early for our flight, so how about I feed you a few more bites of cake, we take the bottle upstairs and I make love to you?"
Melody smiled, "I think that's a great idea. But I have to ask…how did you do all of this? How did you get in here?"
"Well, I flew home to talk to my parents' about everything and I wound up making up with Marc. I called and apologized to Jim, and then I called and apologized to Meat. I planned this all out, I flew into New York. Then I got everything together and waited for your dad to text me that you were asleep. I came over, set everything up and woke you up," John replied with a smile. Then he fed her a bite of cake.
Melody stood and leaned into his ear, "Why don't you take me upstairs and make love to me?"
John smiled, "I like the sound of that." And he stood up and scooped her up into his arms and carried her up the stairs.
He laid her down on the bed and began to kiss her. Soon they were pulling each other's clothes off and John kept his word and made beautiful, sweet love to her.
When they were finally done, they snuggled into each other. John reached over and turned on the touch lamp on the dimmest setting, "I love you Melody."
She smiled and kissed him, "I love you too. A girl could get used to this you know."
He smiled, "Melody, I could make love to you and lay down to sleep next to you every night for the rest of my life."
She smiled and kissed him, "Aww…that sounds so sweet."
"Good night love." John said after kissing her back.
They turned off the light and quickly drifted off to sleep.
**What a way to kick-off her birthday! There's so much for them to still talk about…what will the private flight entail? PLEASE read and review! **