Page 50 of Frozen Hearts

“What do you want with Mel?” Autumn asked.

“Everything. I want all of my future firsts to be with Mel,” Willow answered.

She was a little taken aback by her own confidence in the statement. From the expressions she was receiving around the room her friends were a little surprised as well. She allowed herself to enjoy the moment and settle into the certainty. It felt good to feel certain. When she looked back at her life with Amy she had never felt this certain about their relationship. As much as it had hurt when Amy left, Willow couldn’t really say she’d been surprised. Amy had always been hesitant every step of the way.

Willow turned her attention back to her friends. Sushi came over for a few head scratches. They all chatted for several more minutes. Willow remained aware of what time it was. Mel should be home any minute. It was River who met Willow’s eyes and read her expression. River shot Willow a warm smile.

“Well, ladies, we should probably get going. Willow has to get ready for her big talk,” River announced.

Willow groaned and shook her head. River was an amazing friend, but she wasn’t at all subtle. Piper and Autumn looked at one another and laughed.

“We’re glad we got to get the scoop on life events in person,” Autumn grinned.

“I’m glad you all came over. Thank you,” Willow said. Her heart swelled as she hugged each of her friends.

Reality hit Willow as soon as the door closed behind her friends. It was time for her to go talk to Mel. Willow slid on her shoes and walked towards the door. Every step down the sidewalk was heavy. She stopped frozen in front of Mel’s door. Willow forced her hand to push the doorbell. She heard Mase barking then Mel’s voice quieting him.

Her mind split considering both possible outcomes of their talk. Mel forgiving her and them staying together. Mel telling her to fuck off, and Willow leaving broken-hearted. There were tears in her eyes before Mel even opened the door.

Willow quickly wiped the tears away, It wasn’t fair for her to show up crying. Not after everything that had happened over the last couple days. Mel opened the door and smiled at Willow. The sight of Mel’s smile made Willow want to melt into a puddle on the floor.

“Hi.” Willow’s voice was barely above a whisper.

“Hi.” Mel smiled. Mel stepped aside and allowed Willow to walk through the door.

“I missed you.” The words came and left Willow’s mouth before she could capture them. Mel tilted her head to the side, her smile still a little tight.

“Why don’t you tell me about the last couple of days,” Mel offered.

“I will. I’ll tell you everything and I’ll answer your questions. But I have to say something else first.”

“What’s that?” Mel asked.

“I have to say I’m sorry. Seeing Amy brought back so many things for me.”

“I understand,” Mel offered. She opened her mouth to say more then shut it again. Willow paused, waiting for Mel to find her words.

“I understand how that probably threw you for a loop. But my biggest problem is how you handled it. You didn’t talk to me about it. You didn’t talk to me about how you were feeling. You said this was something you had to handle. We’re supposed to be partners.” Willow hated the pain that tinged Mel’s voice.

“I never meant for you to feel brushed aside. When Amy left I was broken. I wanted closure so badly, so that I could move on. So that I could move on with you,” Willow pleaded.

“I was never opposed to you getting closure. I just don’t like the way things played out between you and I. You told me you were in love with me, and then pulled away so you could talk to your ex-girlfriend. How should I feel about that?”

“You’re right. I was so focused on getting what I needed that I didn’t think about how that might look to you,” Willow admitted. Mel released a loud huff of air.

“Did you find the answers you were looking for?” Mel asked.

“I did.”

“And?”

“Amy left, and things weren’t what she’d hoped for. Now she wants to come back. But if she were with me I’m pretty sure she’d think that things were better over there. It was never really about Amy. It was about me being able to move on with you. And I didn’t ask you to be involved because I’ve never had a partner who would have wanted to be involved in a messy situation with me,” Willow explained.

Willow watched as Mel’s face visibly softened. Mel unfolded her arms and reached out for her. Willow practically fell into Mel’s arms, allowing the woman to fold her into an embrace.

“Well, now you do have a partner that wants to go through messy situations with you, so let me,” Mel said, her tone firm.

Now Willow allowed her tears to fall. She tried not to let them soak into Mel’s shirt, but her attempts were unsuccessful.