"I'll start with… is it moose tracks?"
Mel knelt down nose to nose with Flora, quizzical expressions on both their faces. Outside, freezing rain pelted the steamy windows of the ice cream shop, but apparently the cold and damp had little effect on either of the two's desire for a frozen pre-tea treat.
"Ewwwwww. No peanuts, right mum?" Flora flashed up an expectant look up at Caroline, who nodded her serious affirmation.
"That's right Flora." Caroline's crossed arms and pursed lips belied the inner mirth dancing through her heart, reflected in the twinkling holiday lights all along the street outside. She could watch this game all day. Something told her Mel was zeroing in though, and it wouldn't last much longer. In fact, she wondered if Melanie were simply extending the exchange for her and Flora's enjoyment. The more time she spent with Mel the more she admired her keen mind.
Flora giggled and grinned. "Try again Melly." Her tiny voice was firm and directive.
Mel touched her own nose, then Flora's. "Is it peppermint candy cane?"
Flora's face twisted into a tortured grimace. "Yuuuuck peppermint."
Mel paused and narrowed her eyes. Flora narrowed hers as well and the stare down commenced.
"Ah. Yes. Here we go. I'll bet it's chocolate chip cookie dough."
Caroline laughed as Flora squealed and her nose crinkled.
It was their first ever outing with Mel, Caroline test-driving the brand new combination and what the three of them together might feel like. Flora of course already had her own starry eyes over the robust personality and liveliness of Harrogate's favorite librarian, but Caroline always sought the proof in the pudding for herself.
So far so good. The destination hadn't even been a discussion once ice cream was put on the table. With rapturous awe Melanie pronounced Vanilli's the superior and only option. Caroline had never been, but Mel swore they made the best black raspberry ice cream she'd ever tasted.
"Give Mel her prize Flora – she was right in three guesses."
Flora bounced up and down on her toes and offered an exploding fist bump. Mel more than likely got a good spray when Flora made the accompanying rocket sound, but she seemed unfazed as she stood. She giggled herself and raised her shoulders in an 'I suppose I am that good' gesture.
Caroline's blue eyes sparkled and now she favored Mel with a merry challenge of her own. "Three guesses as promised. Well done. But I'll bet you can't guess my favorite flavor, Miss Melanie."
"Same prize on offer? Exploding fist bump?" Mel tilted her head to the side. "It's only fair."
"I can probably come up with a better prize. But why don't we brainstorm that later?"
Flora leaned into Mel, whose hand wandered absently on to her head. Caroline apparently had captured her full attention – which had been entirely the point.
Melanie's lips twitched upward. "Okay. You've got me motivated. Not a guess to spare."
Now Caroline received a prize of her own that she'd not anticipated as Mel's dark green eyes drilled right into hers. They weren't quite to the lingering romantic gazing part of the relationship, and Caroline luxuriated in the opportunity to stare openly right back. Mel's eyes flicked back and forth between Caroline's, searching and analyzing.
And while Caroline started to become quite distracted and unfocused on the question at hand, Mel didn't seem sidetracked in the least.
"Let's see. Vanilla is the most popular flavor ice cream - but you don't seem one to follow the crowd. Chocolate is too predictable. Strawberry is too sweet - and I can't see you eating anything that shade of pink."
After another pause much too short for Caroline, the spell was broken. Melanie's serious concentration transformed into a beaming smile and her pupils contracted revealing bright green triumph.
Mel put her hands on her hips. "You'd want it all, wouldn't you Caroline Dawson? I'll just bet it's vanilla chocolate chip. Straightforward and the best of both worlds."
Flora giggled and twisted in delight. Caroline let out a bark of an amused and amazed laugh.
"Don't miss a trick then, Melanie Wysocki. Hole in one." Caroline lifted an eyebrow. She wasn't used to being bested – but in this case she didn't find the feeling unpleasant. Very much the opposite.
Her heart skipped a beat as Mel flashed her a toothy grin and turned her attention back to Flora. "Now that we've established everyone's favorite, what say we mix it up?"
"But what's yours Melly?" Flora's big brown eyes grew bigger.
Mel widened her own to match. "You could try guessing, but since I don't have one in particular that wouldn't be much fun, would it? I love them all. Don't suppose I've tried a variety yet I wouldn't call a favorite."
The afternoon rolled on in good cheer. As ice creams runs go, it was a success all the way around and one repeated on the regular. So much so that when they went to order the servers would merely ask the merry trio if they wanted the usual – save Mel who always selected a new option.
Occasionally Flora stuck on wanting rainbow sprinkles or chocolate jimmies. To her satisfaction and Caroline's, Melanie was always at the ready to help her solve her dilemma.
A year later and what felt like an ocean separating her life now from the one in the memory, Caroline lingered on the sidewalk outside Vanilli's. Big bright-pink bordered plate glass windows with their familiar condensation. Warm yellow glow inside and wet, cold grey day outside. It wasn't particularly on the way to anywhere except the library, but Caroline had somehow convinced herself the route practical, as she also convinced herself she preferred the Sainsbury's nearby to the Waitrose nearer her home.
Today the shop was filled with mums and dads and kids. It had taken a while, but in time Caroline had come to enjoy being the lesbian couple there. The non-traditional 'family' in a sea of sameness. Mel's inability to be ruffled by anything, even curious stares, had started to wear off on her.
Caroline tugged at her salmon-colored scarf and pulled her coat tighter around her shoulders and bustled on. The shop was in fact just a short walk to the library. Even on a gloomy day like this she suspected Mel might run out on break for a quick treat. The thought they might run into each other angered, terrified, and comforted her.
As she approached the Sainsbury's her wishes and her fears collided as she spotted Mel down the block, head down and hair covering her face, walking in her direction.
She stood straight, put her shoulders back, and kept moving forward. She'd not seen Mel since that morning in Brighton. Greg had brought her up here and there, mentioned how she'd been getting on, how she'd been healing. Caroline always answered him in clipped tones and the conversations never lasted long.
Already she almost had a hard time recognizing her ex-girlfriend. Certainly she was thinner. Her thick rust-colored wool sweater hung shapeless on a flatter frame. It didn't become her. And the woman Caroline had loved didn't stare at the pavement, she took in the world with curious shining eyes. She didn't brush her hair over her face, she brushed it back to better take in her surroundings.
Nervous, fidgety, and with little idea what Mel might be greeting her, Caroline shoved her hands into the pockets of her camel hair overcoat and stopped where the other woman couldn't help but run right into her.