Green Eggs and Ham: Extra Bit(e)s - Pam

Goodbye, Melanie

"You comfortable?"

"Uh-huh."

She smiles, tears brimming her eyes, and kisses Melanie on the forehead.

But Pam should've known how perceptive the child was. "Why are you sad?"

Instead of answering, Pam holds the little girl close. "You're a good girl, Mellie. I want you to know that."

"I know, Mommy." Melanie was proud of her answer, but Pam was screaming internally.

"And-" Her voice started to break with sobs. "You'll always be my little girl. No matter what, no matter where. Okay?"

"Yes, Mommy."

——

Sleep was not possible. When Pam woke up the next morning, rousing Sam and Melanie before CPS showed up, she had a tremendous headache from crying so much during the night. Not even her morning coffee could clear her head.

Before making breakfast, she spent an entire hour coloring with Melanie and showing Sam how to. As she got up to cook for the three of them, Melanie came up to her, saying, "Look at what I drew!"

"Let me see." Pam takes the drawings and examines them. One was a simple drawing of a daisy. Another was of the skyline of Yookia with the wall in the background. But the last drawing really tugged on the heartstrings.

It was Gene, Melanie, Sam and herself standing hand in hand in an empty field, their respective names accompanying their figures.

"Oh, Mellie..." She squats down to Melanie's level and hugs her.

The sizzling green eggs and ham got louder in the pan.

"Uh-oh. Hold on a second, Mel." Pam saves the food before it overcooks. "Okay. Who's ready for breakfast?" 

"Ooh! Me! Me!", Melanie exclaimed.

Sam squirmed on the sofa.

——

After the meal, the trio sat on the couch, with Pam reading a book to them when there was a knock at the door.

It was a little tri-tone Pam was afraid to hear.

"Hold on a second, kids." She got up and answered the door. It was a woman dressed in business attire, carrying a leather case in her hand. "May I help you?"

"Yes. I'm Mrs. Brown. Are you Pam-I-Am?"

"Yeah."

"I'm here for Melanie Driscoll."

Just then, a powerful feeling of worry hit Pam right in the chest like an imaginary fist. But she quickly composed herself and stood up straight. "Of course. Come on in."

As Pam led Mrs. Brown inside, she noticed Melanie pointing to the illustrations in the book she was reading. Now a wave of pure misery washed over her. She never did finish that book and now her little girl was gonna be taken away from her pretty soon.

The only thing Mrs. Brown had Pam do was sign some documents before another man came in and headed to Melanie's room to pack her belongings up.

"Mommy? Why's that man taking my stuff?", the little girl asked.

It took Pam a moment to muster up the courage to begin explaining.

"Look, Mellie...the thing is..."

"What?"

Pam began breathing rapidly through her nose. "I won't..." She paused again. "I won't be...your mom for a while."

"What do you mean?"

"Now, Mellie", Pam puts her hands on her stepdaughter's shoulders. "You'll be going to another family now."

"Why?"

"I don't know. But it's out of my hands, sweetie. Mrs. Brown will be taking you to your new home now."

That sent the little girl into hysterics. Perceptive little Sam soon started emulating his sister's tears.

"No! No! No!", Melanie cried out. "No, Mommy, please don't make me go!"

"I'm sorry, sweetie. There's nothing I can do about it."

"Please don't make me! I wanna stay with you!" Melanie tried to keep an iron grip on Pam, but she was softly being pushed away.

"Stop it!", Pam cried out. "Stop, please!" She sobbed.

"I'm sorry I'm not your real daughter! If I stay, I can be."

That phrase hit Pam square in the chest again.

"Mellie, that doesn't matter. I still love you, but I'm not allowed to keep you."

"But I don't want to go!" The girl began jumping up and down in anger. Then she was scooped up by Mrs. Brown's assistant, where she began kicking and screaming. As she was being carried out the door, Melanie tried to grab the frame, but was overpowered. "Don't take me away from my mommy!"

Before walking out herself, Mrs. Brown says to Pam, "Pleasure doing business with you, Mrs. I-Am."

Even though she was crying herself, Pam was trying to calm Sam down. With Gene deceased and Melanie now in custody of a foster family, these two only had each other now...