“Come on, Melinda, it can’t be that bad,” Jose said with a chuckle.
“I’m serious. I need your help,” I insisted.
He agreed to help me. A few weeks later, I brought Jose home for dinner, introducing him as my “new boyfriend.” Veronica and Casey’s smiles vanished immediately.
“Jose, why don’t you talk to the girls and get to know them?” I said, leaving them at the dining table as usual. I waited in the kitchen, my heart pounding.
When I returned, Jose’s face was paler than usual. He was gripping his fork nervously and would barely look at me.
After dinner, he left quickly, and I knew something was up. That night, after the girls went to bed, I called Jose.
“Jose, what happened?” I asked, barely able to keep my voice steady.
“Melinda, we need to talk in person,” he said. My heart sank.
The next morning, I hurried to the office, finding Jose before our shift started.
“Tell me,” I demanded. “What happened last night? What did the girls say?”
“Melinda, your daughters… they think you and Roger will get back together. They’re scaring off your boyfriends on purpose,” he confessed.
I froze. “What do you mean?”
“They told me horrible things about you. That you’re terrible at cooking, taking care of them… cleaning. They said you’re a shopaholic and have sleepwalking issues. They even said you’ve brought home seven guys this week alone,” Jose explained.
Tears streamed down my face. “None of that’s true, Jose.”
“I know. But they’re doing it because they want you and Roger to get back together. You need to talk to them,” he advised gently.
That evening, I stormed home, my heart heavy with hurt. Veronica and Casey were playing in the living room, oblivious to the storm brewing inside me.
“Girls, we need to talk. Now,” I said firmly, gathering them. They exchanged nervous glances but said nothing.
“I know what you’ve been doing. Lying to my boyfriends to scare them away. Why?” I demanded, my voice breaking.
At first, they denied it. But when I threatened to cut off their pocket money and vacations, they finally confessed.
“Mom, we just want you and Dad to get back together. We need both our parents. We need our old life back,” Veronica said, tears streaming down her face.
I felt like my heart was shattering into a million pieces. “But why didn’t you tell me this before?” I asked, choking on my tears.
“We were scared you’d be mad,” Casey whispered.
I took a deep breath, gathering them in my arms. “I understand, but you can’t do this. It’s not fair to me or to those men. We need to have a real conversation about this.”
We sat together, talking late into the night. I explained that while I understood their feelings, I also needed to move on and find happiness.
“But, Mom, is it really too late to get back together with Dad?” Veronica asked, her voice small and hopeful.
I sighed, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “I don’t know, sweetheart. But what I do know is that we need to support each other and be honest. No more lies, okay?”
They nodded, and I tried to lighten the mood. “And just so you know, I’ll remember this when it’s your turn to bring a guy home.”
The girls laughed, but deep inside, a question kept haunting me—was it really too late to put aside those differences and get my life back with Roger for our children’s sake?
The next day, I couldn’t focus at work. My mind kept drifting back to the conversation with my daughters. Could it really be possible to rekindle things with Roger? I decided to call him.
“Hey, Roger. Do you have a minute?” I nervously asked when he answered.
“Sure, Melinda. What’s up?” He sounded curious but not unkind.
“I think we need to talk. In person. It’s about the girls,” I said, my voice trembling slightly.
“Okay. How about tonight at that coffee shop we used to go to?” he suggested.
“That works. See you at seven,” I agreed, feeling a knot of anxiety tighten in my stomach.
At seven sharp, I walked into the bustling coffee shop, spotting Roger at a corner table. He looked up, giving me a small smile.
