Read Chapter 8 HERE 

A Few Months Later

“Presenting the new Mr. & Mrs. Oliver King!” Dave announces as Oliver and Melanie walk out through the back door of Melanie’s childhood home and into the backyard draped in a silk white tent, candles and white roses everywhere. Slow graceful music being played by a harpist. Smiles shining on the faces of the bride and groom. Family and friends stand as they cheer loudly.

“Wooo, it’s about damn time!” Cassie screams as everyone laughs along.

Oliver and Melanie make their way over to the center of the yard, where a wooden dance floor lay, as their song begins to play.

It’s all over

And it’s only beginning

We’re beginning to finally see one another

We grow stronger We grow stronger for breaking

We grow stronger for breaking apart together

Lover, find me underneath the covers

We will stay here until we discover

All that we have to give to each other Til forever

How you move me How you move me to love you

I keep choosing to love you again every morning

Lover, find me underneath the covers

We will stay here until we discover

All that we have to give to each other Til forever….

Grace and Charlie watch smiling on as Grace holds Molly, who watches her parents with a bright smile.

Melanie looks up at Oliver.

“What?” he says.

“Nothing.” She says smiling.

He gives her a glare.

“Wow, that really is annoying, my apologies Mrs. King,” he smirks.

Melanie’s lips curl into a big smile.

“Mrs. King. I really love the sound of that.” 

“Not as much as I do.”

“Did we really do it? Did we really just get married? Finally!” she says excitement beaming through.

“Hey better late than never, right?” he says smiling as he kisses her.

“Thank you for waiting for me, I know it wasn’t easy.”

“You’re my forever. Plain and simple. There was no way I was letting you go.” He says swaying them to their song as she places a kiss on his lips.

Oliver reaches into his jacket pocket as he holds out a small digital camera to snap a picture as his lips meet his wife’s.

Melanie lets out a small laugh against his lips as she notices.

“Hey, once a photographer, always a photographer,” he says with a chuckle.

“By the way did I mention how perfect you look,” he whispers to her.

“Maybe once or twice,” she says smiling, “You look very handsome yourself,” she pulls him by the collar into yet another kiss as glasses clink for them to do so.

***********************************************************************

A few years later…

Melanie stands up at a podium, her eyes fall down to the pages before her. She begins to read aloud-

She runs. She’s a runner. Fierce. Independent. Stubborn. The weight of heart shattering tragedy had now taken the life out of her…out of her will to move forward.

It was a day like any other. She was 5 months pregnant, engaged to the man she loved and settling into a quaint little apartment in the place she called home- Philadelphia.

Everything seemed to be falling into place. She was happier than she ever thought she could be.

She walked into the doctor’s office, the man she loved by her side.

Making plans for years to come.

Pure joy radiating through her.

And then just like that, life changed forever.

She had lost her baby boy.

Lost.

Like a misplaced set of keys.

One minute there. The next not.

And in that moment she didn’t feel the same.

She didn’t know what to do.

Where to go.

She was broken, and no amount of love or support could fix her.

She needed time.

Time to grieve, time to be angry and place blame.

Time to heal.

So she ran.

The decision to leave was something she never intended.

One day it just got to be too much.

The familiarity too much to take, the signs, the symbols.

Blue. Baby blue. Everywhere.

Home was tainted.

The home she loved her whole life, was now something she dreaded.

The man she loved with all her heart was now the face of a tragic heartbreak.

She packed her bags, and left a note in a sealed envelope.

“I’m sorry. I’ll love you forever.” It read. Her engagement ring set upon the paper.

Thought was not calculated.

Reason and logic unheard of.

Her heart was  fighting just to beat.

Melanie smiles simply as she closes the book.

“Thank you,” she says walking off the stage.

Everyone claps, as women can be seen wiping tears from their eyes.

Billy runs up to the podium, hugging her tightly he steps up to the microphone.

“That was the first passage from our newest budding author Melanie King’s first novel, entitled “Operation Forever,” a story about a heart wrenching tragedy that somehow turned into a ray of hope. A journey through her metaphorical operation on her once damaged heart where she finally realized that her forever, her home was in front of her all along and in the eyes of the man she loved. Melanie will be happy to meet you in the back in a few minutes to sign some copies for any of those wanting to join her. Thank you for coming,” he says smiling as everyone claps.

Melanie stands in the back nook of the book store, breathing a sigh of relief, tears springing slightly.

“Mommy!” she hears, turning she smiles as Molly rushes in, she bends down scooping her into her arms.

“Hello love bug!” she says kissing her cheek.

Oliver stands there looking on, a smile in place.

“Hey, I’m proud of you.”

Melanie looks up at him, “Me too,” she smiles.

“You okay?” he says coming in and reaching for her.

“Yea. I’ve got my family.” She says smiling.

Oliver leans in and kisses her softly.

“You know, it’s difficult to read and to relive but I’m better because of it. I had so much bottled up for years and that stopped me from going after what I really wanted and who.(she says smiling up at him, as he places a peck on her lips.) Writing this book, was kind of like me getting my freedom back a little.”

“Good for you babe, I think it was something you really needed to do. I’m glad you did it.”

She smiles.

“It means the world to me that you and Molly are here with me, I love you so much.” She says kissing him again.

“Ew!” Molly says looking on as she giggles.

Oliver and Melanie look at her and laugh.

“You think that’s funny,” Oliver says as he starts to tickle Molly, whose giggle erupts into a laughing fit, Melanie holding her as she joins in on the tickle fight.

Billy knocks on the door.

“Ms. Molly, do you need me to save you?”

Molly giggles, “Yes.”

Billy smiles and walks in.

“Oh Mrs. King, your fans await you. I’m already hearing some buzz. Women are saying how much they can relate and how it’s as if you’re speaking from their hearts too.”

“That’s incredible.” Melanie says.

Melanie smiles as she gives Molly a big kiss and hands her to Oliver, and then leans in to give Oliver a kiss on the lips.

“Good luck, (he kiss her) I love you. We’ll be right here waiting for you.”

“I love you so much,” she kisses him once more before walking towards the door.

“Love you mommy!” Molly screams.

“I love you, love bug.” She smiles as she blows her a kiss and walks into the crowd that awaits her.

Later that night…

Oliver sits in his office, at his desk as he edits photos.

Melanie peeks her head in, wearing a sweet little night gown, “Hey babe you coming to bed?”

Oliver looks over his shoulder, his eyebrows raise “Well hell, don’t you look sexy.”

Melanie crosses her arms, looking off to the side as she huffs his compliment away.

“I’m sorry, have you not seen yourself?” he says walking over to her, his hands finding her waist.

“It makes me happy how you can still be this attracted to me even after all these years, this body has had a baby, you know. It’s never going to look the same.”

“Same or not, you are still the sexiest woman I have ever laid eyes on,” he places a kiss on her lips.

“I try,” she smiles rolling her eyes dramatically, a smile on her lips.

“Baby you don’t have to try,” he smirks tightening his grip on her waist.

“Well in that case, do you think you can do your sexy wife a favor and actually come to bed at a decent time tonight? ”

“Yeah that can be arranged. I’ll be in, in just a bit, just trying to decide on some photos, come here look at these with me,” he says taking her hand and walking her over to his desk.

Melanie smiles as Oliver sits and scoots out his chair to allow her to sit on his lap, her arm draping over his shoulders. 

Oliver starts clicking through photos.

“This one is my favorite, it’s everything I love in one picture, my whole world right there,” he says as it lands on a picture of Melanie and Molly.

Melanie looks at it, she smiles brightly, her eyes tearing up, “Aw. I love that one. I love you,” she says cupping his face and kissing him.

“We made a cute kid, huh?” he says looking up at her.

“Yes we did. She’s perfect.”

“That’s because she looks like you.” He says smiling up at her.

“She looks like both of us.” Melanie says kissing his cheek.

“She is perfect though, look at how happy she is,” he says pointing to a smiling Molly.

“She is. We’re doing ok, I guess, huh?” Melanie says looking down at him.

“I think we’re doing great. I think moving home to Philly was the right call. We’re still close enough to the city but we both are pretty much able to work from home.”

“I agree.  We’ve made quite a life for ourselves.”

“That we have,” he says kissing her bare shoulder. “Besides when Mommy and Daddy need some sexy time, it’s nice to have the grandparents nearby to babysit, ” he says placing a kiss on her lips.

“Speaking of…sexy time…when are we going to make another one of these beautiful babies? Doctor gave me the all clear.” Melanie says her eyes shifting to meet her husband’s.

“Oh.” Oliver says smiling, his eyebrows raising, as his hands fasten around her waist.

Melanie starts to get up off his lap, as she moves his hands off her.

“See now where are you going?” he says turning in his chair.

“Follow me and find out.” She says a playful smile on her lips.

Oliver smirks as he stands and follows.

Melanie stops at the doorway, turning back she says, “On second thought, I’m kinda tired, rain check? Good night!” She runs from the room.

 “Get over here girl,” he says rushing into the hall and sweeping her up in his arms, “You can’t walk away from me after saying a thing like that.”

A giggle and a shriek escape her as she wraps her arms around his neck accepting his kiss.

Nearby on the walls of their hallway you can see pictures of their life together.

 

Happy. Content. Full. Living.

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Melanie and Oliver fall onto their bed as a copy of Melanie’s book lay on their bed side table, next to it a pamphlet that reads-

COMING SOON! The New York Art Exhibit Presents- Oliver King’s “Home” Collection.

A photo of him and the girls on the cover.

 “Shhh we’re gonna wake Molly,” Melanie giggles.

“It’s ok, I plan on keeping your lips right here,” he says kissing her deeply as he removes her silk robe tossing it to the side. “I love you so much,” he whispers against her expectant lips.

She pulls away and looks up at him.

“I love you too, you’re my home, that’s never going to change. No matter what life throws our way, I know we’ll be able to handle it, together.”

Oliver smiles at her lovingly.

“Don’t you forget it….So let’s make another baby, huh?” He says smirking.

“Yes please,” She says laughing as she reaches for him.

Melanie and Oliver continue kissing into the night.

Hello, I’ve been waiting for you

I didn’t know if you’d recognize my voice

Cause I’ve been whispering your name again and again

I‘ve been imagining this day and I’ll never be the same

Welcome home Welcome home

It’s so good to see your face

Welcome home

-The End-

*I do not take credit for any images, gifs, videos,

music used in my edits or otherwise.*

Thanks so much for reading!  I hope you enjoyed!

Stay Tuned for my Welcome Home “Soundtrack” & My Author’s Commentary!

-<3-