Chapter 7

Zelenka was speechless. He had never heard such hate coming from the woman he had once loved. "I didn't walk out on you. You just gave up on everything."

Mel turned and began to pace. "You think it was easy for me? I was completely alone when they took Isabelle. You had just run away."

Zelenka closed his eyes to the returning pain. "No, you weren't alone. I was there," he said, very softly.

Mel stopped her pacing, but still had her back to Radek. She had heard his last words and was still processing them. "You were there?" She turned toward Radek with tears shining in her eyes.

"I was in the operating room," Radek spoke slowly so Mel would comprehend his words. "After they took Isabelle from you," his voice faltered for a moment. "After they took her, I helped the nurses clean her up for you." A single tear fell from his left eye.

Mel just stared at him, her mouth wide open. The wheels in her brain were trying to process this new information. "You held her?" Mel asked as she began to choke up.

Radek slowly nodded his head in assent as he began to walk toward Mel. He held out his arms and she rushed toward the comfort she knew was there. They stood there holding each other and crying for what seemed like forever. Finally, Melody pulled her face from the crook of Radek's neck and brought her hand up to wipe her eyes.

"Do you need a handkerchief?" Radek whispered.

"Thank you, I do." Mel was trying not to stare at his mouth, and wondering if he tasted the same after all these years.

Radek reached into his back pocket and pulled out his hanky, keeping an arm around Melody the whole time. He didn't want to break the physical contact just yet. It felt too familiar.

Mel mopped up her face, and then raised the handkerchief to Radek's face and did the same for him, keeping eye contact with him the whole time. After a few minutes of looking deeply into each other's eyes, Radek lowered his head and lightly pressed his lips to Mel's. The contact didn't last long, and both felt a loss when it ended.

"I am so sorry for the hateful things I have said to you." Mel whispered as she and Radek were standing in the lab, their arms holding each other up and standing nose to nose.

"You were in a great deal of pain, mentally and physically, and I was a foolish man when I was younger. I let my own pain get in the way of helping you." Radek kissed her on her forehead and pulled her close again.

"Hey, bud, it takes two to tango. I was grieving so hard that I couldn't see that you were just as broken up about Isabelle."

"So, now what are we going to do?" Radek pulled back slightly to read the emotions on Mel's face.

Mel eased out of Radek's arms and crossed the lab to retrieve a bottle of water from the refrigerator. "Are we going to get back together?"

Radek moved to stand next to Mel. "Do you want to?"

Mel didn't meet his eyes. "I think we should take things slowly."

"I can do that. I made a pledge to be with you many years ago, and other than you filing for divorce, I have kept true to that pledge."

Mel choked on the sip of water she was taking. "I thought you had filed for divorce!"

"No, I thought you were going to." Radek was confused.

Mel started laughing. "Well, I didn't file, and you didn't file…."

Radek's eyes began to twinkle. "So we aren't divorced?"

"It looks like you are still stuck with me." Mel grabbed Radek and gave him a quick, hard kiss.

Radek looked into her eyes for a moment, and then lowered his head to capture her lips again, this time in a much slower and thorough kiss.