Do You Think About Me

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Copyright misscowgirlup22 2015

"Did you hear the news?" Melanie's friend Ellie asked her.

"No I didn't." News, what news? Nothing ever happened in Sinclair.

"Well apparently Matt's mother died of a heart attack the night before." Her friend Ellie told her.

Ms. Robertson was dead? That couldn't be right Justine was the nicest person Melanie had ever met. She'd have lunch with her once a month down at the inn on Main Street. She was like a second mother to Melanie.

"That can't be right. We just had lunch yesterday at the inn. She was doing fine. She looked just as healthy as she always does." Melanie told her friend.

"I'm sorry Mels, but she's gone." Ellie squeezed her hand reassuringly, and then gave her a pat on the back.

"What does Matt think of all of this? Is he coming home?" Melanie often times tried to not think about Matt, but right now he was all she could thing about.

"From what I've heard he is. I think they said he'd be back tonight. Once school gets out you might want to drive back to Sinclair."

Melanie nodded at her, "I will. I guess it's a good thing it's Friday. Do you want to drive back with me?" Then she walked over to her desk. After graduating from Duke she'd managed to get a teaching position in Columbus at a high school teaching special education kids and she loved it.

She loved her kids so much. It was truly rewarding whenever she got to be around them, they were the loves of her life, and she wouldn't have it any other way.

Melanie and Ellie had grown up together, but hadn't really ever been friends until they'd both been hired on at North High School, right in the center of the city.

Ellie taught history, and the two were just about inseparable. They were practically glued at the hip. Ellie was Melanie's confidant. She could tell her anything, and Ellie would just try and help instead of judge.

"I would love to. I'll meet you at your apartment around four-ish." Ellie looked at her watch to check the time.

"Sounds like a plan. I'll see you them."

Melanie waited until the door closed to start crying. Ms. Robertson was dead, Matt was coming back. It was just all too much to handle.

The rest of the day passed by and Melanie felt numb with grief as she walked out to her car.

*****

Matt stepped into the terminal of the airport after he exited the plane. Even with the air conditioner on the late summer heat still made perspiration cover his face, and he felt the need to drink a bottle of ice cold water.

He may have missed Georgia, but there was one thing he did not miss, and that was the heat. He liked the cold, which is exactly why he always imagined himself retiring some place with a milder temperature.

He made a bee-line for the gift shop. He purchased a bottle of water, and gulped down nearly half of it in his first swallow. What could he say, he was thirsty.

After talking to his CO he was given three weeks of emergency leave. However he had a lot to do in those three weeks. He had to plan his mother's funeral, settle all of her affairs, and figure out what to do with all of her belongings.

Matt wasn't quite sure how he'd find the emotional strength to pack up all of her things. The whole situation didn't seem real. He felt like when he got home he'd walk in the front door and his mother would be sitting on the couch crocheting a blanket. But nothing in life was that simple and especially not when the person he wanted the most was gone.