“What happened?”
“C-section,” Melanie answered for her as she put a hand on Vera’s shoulder. “Mom was hemorrhaging and the baby was in distress. Vera got in there just in time to save them both.”
Vera wiped a tear from her eye as she smiled at Melanie. Although the three of them had been in the medical field since their twenties, the job still took an emotional toll on them most days. Cameron knew that’s what made them human and made them so good at their jobs. There was a reason the three of them were among the most highly requested OBGYNs, nurses, and oncologists.
“We were just talking about a girls’ night next weekend.” Cameron smiled at Vera. “You and Isla in?”
“I’m so there.” Vera let out a long sigh. “Isla and I could both use that. It’s been such a whirlwind year that I feel I never get to see you two anymore.”
She and Isla had been dealing with Vera’s youngest sister, Walker, as she went into rehab to get sober. Cameron knew from long talks with both Vera and Isla—together and separately—that the transition hadn’t been easy for any of them. They were both happy that Walker was getting help, but they were also struggling with the fact they hadn’t been able to help her. They both saw Walker as their kid more than sister or sister-in-law.
Parts of Cameron understood both sides. As a mom, Cameron couldn’t imagine not being able to help her child. But, on theother hand, Walker was an adult who needed to figure things out on her own timeline and no one else’s. No matter how many times Cameron and Melanie had told Isla and Vera that, they’d keep telling them until they believed it.
“So,” Cameron grinned at her two best friends, “drinks at Olive or Twist next Saturday night?”
“I’m there.” Vera handed the coffee cup back to Melanie. “Isla will be too.”
“I’ll be there. Alone. No Rob,” Melanie sarcastically laughed.
Cameron and Vera slowly turned to look at each other, and Cameron didn’t need words to know what Vera was thinking. Robnevercame to girls’ night. Not once in the over two decades they’d been having girls’ nights had Rob ever attended. He would only join them if it were a larger group or a family event. Rob was like an uncle to Cameron’s kids and to the Mackenzie kids. But he was never invited to girls’ night.
Vera arched an eyebrow at Cameron, who did the same back. Putting on her best smile, Vera turned to Melanie. “Mel, honey, is everything okay with you and Rob?”
“Yeah, of course. Why wouldn’t it be? Everything is good between us. Things are good. I mean, he’s not coming to girls’ night, but he’s a man, so why would he? Nothing is wrong, though. Everything is good. Great. Everything is great.” Melanie forced a smile and let out a long breath. “I should head home. I’ll see you both later.”
Without another word, Melanie left the office. Vera leaned back in her seat and crossed her legs.
“She’s the worst liar.”
“For real,” Cameron laughed as she leaned onto her desk. “I wish she would just tell us what’s going on with her and Rob, ya know? Like she has to know we know, right?”
Vera shrugged. “I’d think so. She knows we don’t keep secrets.”
“Maybe we’ll get it out of her after a few drinks.”
“We’re just not going to pressure her to talk,” Vera had on her doctor voice, “okay?”
“Okay,Mama.” Cameron rolled her eyes with a smirk. She and Vera chatted for a few more minutes before Vera left as well to head home.
Leaning back in her chair, Cameron studied the framed photos on her desk. Most were of her kids or the Mackenzies. But her eyes landed on the one of her and Melanie a few months ago at a New Year’s Eve party. They were both dressed in their best fifties flapper attire and had posed for the picture Isla was taking.
“Get together for a picture!”Isla had instructed as Cameron put her arm around Melanie’s waist. They’d posed that way a million times together, so Cameron hadn’t expected anything different.
But when Isla told them to smile, Cameron turned to Melanie to kiss her cheek. She thought it would make for a cute, fun picture to celebrate the occasion with.
What she didn’t expect was for her lips to meet Melanie’s.
Isla had captured the moment right after the kiss when they both had the biggest smiles on their faces that Cameron had ever seen. She studied the picture and how, even in the slightly blurry photo, she could still see the look on Melanie’s face. It was one that would be ingrained in Cameron’s mind forever. Melanie looked so happy, happier than Cameron had seen her in a while.
Did my kiss really cause her that much happiness?
Not for the first time in their friendship, her suspicions rose.
Stop it, she scolded herself as she opened her laptop.She doesn’t like you like that. She’s married. To a man. Remember?
Cameron loudly sighed. It was pointless to ever think Melanie would be interested in her. They were best friends, nothingmore. Melanie had Rob and Cameron had her kids and that’s just how things were.
“Yeah, go on and lie to yourself,” she said out loud in the empty office.
