To Keep Her Safe is All I Know

Chapter 16

"Sadie, when these kinds of things happen, you have to tell me about them so I can take care of them."

"But it was already taken care of! I told you, I know how to stand up for myself and I did and they stopped teasing me. But they still made fun of me so that's why I don't like them. I handled it, Mom, and I can handle it if it happens again. I know how to take care of stuff. I'm almost eight." Sadie states, matter-of-factly, "You should be happy I was able to stand up for myself without starting a fight."

Melanie pauses, then relaxes a bit, "You're right. I'm proud of you for that, but you still need to tell me about these things. If it gets worse or happens again, you tell me immediately, okay?"

"Okay."

There's a pause.

"When is Chris coming home?" Sadie asks.

"A couple of weeks."

"I miss him."

"I know you do, sweetie. I miss him too."

"I know, but I miss him even more this time."

"Why's that?"

"Because...you know how I always say that Chris is like another dad to me? Well...now, he's the only one I have left."

Melanie could almost physically feel her heart breaking.

"I won't tell him that, don't worry...I just really miss him."

Melanie doesn't know how to respond.

x

"Mom?" Sadie asks as she and Melanie eat dinner that evening.

"Yeah?"

"Are you ever gonna get married again?"

Melanie laughs, "I don't know, sweetie."

"Well, if you did, would your new husband be my stepdad?"

"Yes, he would."

"Would I call him 'Dad'?"

Melanie shrugs, "If you wanted to. You wouldn't have to though."

"And would he be nice to me?"

"Of course, I wouldn't marry someone that wasn't good to you."

There's a pause.

"A few months ago, I had this really funny dream." Sadie says.

"You remember dreams you have?"

"Yeah, don't you?"

"Not really, no. Sometimes I remember them right after I have them, but not months after."

"Oh. I usually do, and I remember this really funny one I had that I told Chris about. I had a dream that you and me and Fred - "

"'You and Fred and I'." Melanie corrects.

"I had a dream that you and Fred and I all lived in Chris' house."

Melanie gives a small laugh, "Yeah?"

"Yeah, and all of my stuff from my room here was in my room at Chris' house and I always went to Chris' house after school and you and Chris even kissed!"

Melanie's eyebrows raise, "Really." She states, "You know, a lot of people seem to be having that dream lately..."

"Isn't that weird?"

"Yeah, it definitely is weird." Melanie says.

"You and Chris don't kiss."

Melanie laughs, "You're right, we definitely don't do that."