Work Text:
The chime comes in almost immediately, as if she had been tracking his relationship status and waiting for the perfect time to pounce. Just biding her time until the notification rolled through the phone.
Frank hopes to God that's what occurred, the alternative would mean she stumbled upon it and like a normal formal high school classmate, just reached out from the kindness of her heart.
Fucking hell, that's probably what it is, huh?
He remembers her that way. Kind-hearted, bouncy, soft around the edges but tough with a scalpel in that AP bio class she stuck around for during her free period.
Melissa, he recalls, was always a sweet girl. She tipped her glasses over her bridge and spun the string of her hoodie around her fingers during tests. Never surrounded by people, only stacks of textbooks ahead signed out from the library.
They breezed past each other in halls. She was a freshman, new meat in the hierarchy, and he was a senior with a full ride out of their miserable little town. Frank and Mel's paths collided over a frog dissection once and diverged soon after.
She was sweet then, Frank thinks. Even sweeter now.
Mel
Hi Frank, I hope you've been well. I'm sure you don't remember me so I hope this is okay. Just wanted to reach out and say sorry about your recent divorce. You probably have a lot going on at the moment but if you need to talk, I'm here :)
Frank
Hey Melissa. Sorry to say that was a slip up. Still married! I completely forgot to close the app before handing my kid the iPad.
It's good to hear from you though.
Congratz on the Presby gig.
Mel
No worries! The offer is still on the table.
I'd love to pick your brain about it over lunch!!
Also, you can just call me Mel ☺️☺️