Chapter Text
Melissa let herself into Barbara’s place, announcing her presence with a “I’m here, Barb!” She walked into the kitchen where Barbara was baking cookies. The two greeted each other with a hug and a kiss on the cheek before Melissa threw Barbara’s mail on the table and went to the sink to wash her hands so she could join in on the baking. Melissa would usually bring in Barbara’s mail whenever she came over. At first it confused Barbara, but then she realized it was just one more way in which Melissa Schemmenti took care of her.
“Thank you, sweetheart.” Barbara wiped her hands on a tea towel and began shuffling through the mail.
“No problem. Anything good?” Melissa seamlessly picked up where Barbara had left off, measuring out the dry ingredients and adding them in.
“Mmmmm, no. Just the usual.” Melissa watched as Barbara flipped through the pile and noticed as she stopped on one envelope for longer than the others before continuing.
“Yeah?”
“Yes, mostly junk.”
Melissa wondered what it was that had caught Barb’s eye, but if Barbara didn’t want to talk about it, she wouldn’t push it.
Barbara went back to baking with Melissa, the two of them easily maneuvering around each other with hands on the other’s waist and a brush on the small of the other’s back.
After the cookies finally went in the oven they sat down at the table with a glass of wine.
“Mind if I look through your coupons?”
“Go ahead, sweetheart.”
Melissa grabbed the stack of mail she had brought in and began going through it. She had separated out a few coupons worth keeping when she spotted something from Barbara’s sorority. She pulled it out of the pile.
“What’s this?”
Barb looked at the envelope Melissa was holding up and rolled her eyes before taking a sip of her wine. “It’s nothing.”
“One of those letters begging for money, as if you didn’t pay ‘em an arm and a leg when you were in college already?” Melissa huffed.
“No, no. Besides, you know I’m an annual donor. It’s an invitation to a reunion.”
“A reunion?”
“Yes. It’s my graduating class, 35 years.”
“Why don’t you seem more excited about it, hon? You loved your sorority days! Don’t you still talk to some of your sisters?”
“I did, and I do.”
“So what’s the holdup?”
Barbara signed. “I just don’t feel I have much to contribute.”
Melissa waited, knowing Barbara wasn’t done. She could tell by the way her fingers tapped her glass that she was still thinking, choosing her next worlds carefully.
“Work is so busy, I really shouldn’t take the time off. And with the divorce, well, it’s just best if I stay here. I’ll catch them at the 40 year reunion, perhaps.”
Melissa’s heart sank for her friend.
“Barb, do you really not want to go because of the divorce? Because you won’t have Gerald with you?”
Of course Melissa would see right through her. Why had she even bothered?
“Fine. You caught me, Melissa. I just, I don’t want to go alone.”
Melissa reached for her hand and intertwined their fingers.
“I get that Barbara. I’ve been there. And if you’re not ready, you’re not ready. But you can’t let it stop you from living your life, either. I bet if you went you’d be glad. You’d see all your sisters, get to eat some fancy food and drink some fancy booze. It sounds fun!”
Barbara squeezed her hand.
“Thank you, Melissa. I know you’re looking out for me and I appreciate that.” She brought Melissa’s hand up to her mouth and gave her knuckles a kiss. “I just don’t think I’m ready yet.”
Melissa smiled at her. “‘s nothin’ wrong with that, Barbara. You’ll know when you’re ready.”
The next morning, Barbara walked into the lounge where she found Melissa scrolling through her phone at their table. She was practically buzzing.
“Good morning, Melissa!”
Melissa looked up amused at Barbara’s mood. It was good to see her friend so happy, though.
“Good morning to you too, sunshine. Someone woke up on the right side of the bed.”
Barbara threw her lunch in the fridge and then sat down, scooting her chair closer to Melissa’s.
“Melissa, I came up with a wonderful idea.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yes. I am going to go to the reunion, after all.”
“That’s great, Barb!” Melissa gave her wrist a squeeze.
“I still don’t want to go alone, so I was going to just skip it as planned. I was filling out my RSVP to drop in the mail this morning when it hit me- you can come with me!”
“Come with you? To the reunion?”
“Yes! We’ll just tell everyone we’re a couple. That way, I don’t have to go alone, and more importantly, I don’t have to deal with the pitying and patronizing looks from my sisters.”
Melissa raised her eyebrows. “Tell everyone we’re a couple? Me and you, together? Like romantically?”
Barbara shrugged. “Well sure. People mistake us for a couple already. It’ll be easy!”
“You really think we can pull it off?”
“I have no doubt in my mind, Melissa Schemmenti. Like you said- nothing is impossible for us.”
Melissa knew this was a bad idea. But at the moment, she couldn’t think of a single reason to say no to Barbara. Other than the fact that she was in love with her, and that playing house with her would surely end with her own heart being broken.
But she couldn’t say that to Barbara. So she was left with only one choice.
“Well okay then. Let’s do this, baby.”