A Rose for Melinda by Lurlene McDaniel Read Free Book Online Page A

some of his baseball card collection to kids here at the apartment complex in order to send her flowers and the few presents that he's bought for her birthday.
    I wish I could make arrangements for the flight myself but I could not financially afford for him to do this. He can stay up to a week, but don't let him wear out his welcome. And thank you. This visit will mean all the world to him.
    Ann

    MELINDA'S DIARY
    August 30, 11 P.M.
    Seeing Jesse again after all this time has been strange and wonderful at once. I've been a nervous wreck ever since Mom and Dad announced that he was coming. I was glad, but not thrilled, and I only wished they had asked me first instead of surprising me with the news. Not that I didn't want to see him—I did. But let's face it: I'm not at my best. Chemo has left its ugly mark. After weeks of being sick and burpy, I'm now swinging the other way: F-A-T. Dr. Neely told me this might happen (I still take a handful of pills every day plus the sucky chemo treatments), but I really didn't think I'd look so freaky.
    My face looks like a Moon Pie—round and flat, really gross. Bailey says I'm overreacting, but she's not the one swollen up like a toad. Then I learned that Jesse was coming. I wanted to put a bag over my head. What was Mom thinking?
    I was so nervous going to the airport tonight to meet Jesse's plane that I was sick to my stomach. Dad parked the car and we walked into the terminal. The monitors flashed that Jesse's flight from LA had landed, so we waited near the security entrance. My mouth was so dry I couldn't even swallow. I saw him coming, because he was holding a really big teddy bear. He looks like his pictures, but taller, and his eyes are still so very, very blue. When Jesse saw me, his face turned beet red. (He was probably wishing he could get right back on the plane and head home!) We just sort of stood there staring at each other like a couple of stupid cows, then Mom started gabbing blah-blah-blah—all the way through the baggage claim, the walk to the parking lot and the whole ride back to the house! There we sat in the back of her SUV, me hugging one car door, and Jesse the other while Dad drove and Mom talked. I thought I was going to scream, “Please be quiet!” but I bit my tongue. She was ruining everything! Just talking and talking, and me and Jesse embarrassed because we really didn't know what to say to each other—not that we had much of a chance with Mom's mouth running. Jesse and I had “talked” through cards and e-mails, but suddenly, in person, we were strangers.
    Just as I was considering opening the door and hurling myself into traffic, I felt Jesse reach acrossthe seat in the dark and his fingers touch mine. I felt frozen in place, but his fingers warmed mine and soon I started to relax. We sat that way for the rest of the ride to the house, Jesse's hand holding mine and Mom blabbering about everything and nothing. But by then, I didn't care. Jesse was here. And I was with him.
     I know it's late, but I'm looking out my window and I see that your bedroom light's on. Is your computer on? Can you e-mail me right back? Is Jesse there?
     Yes, I'm here and totally awake. I heard my computer e-mail bell ding and was glad it was you. …Yes, Jesse's here in his old room in the basement. He said it was like coming home.
     Tell me EVERYTHING! What's he like? Do you still like-like him? Details, I want details.
     He's cute and a little shy. Not that I blame him. Mom practically talked our ears off from the airport to the house. Then when we got here, she sat us in the kitchen for cookies and milk! Can you believe it? Just like we were in grade school. I wanted to crawl under the table, I was so embarrassed. Finally, Dad said it was time to “turn in” … another embarrassing moment. He marched Jesse down to the guest room. Doesn't he know that Jesse's like three hours behind us and probably isn't one bit sleepy? Good thing