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is
putting the finishing touches on the food.
    Momma and I bring Braden into the backyard, which has been
transformed into a little boy’s racecar dream come true. There are balloons
everywhere and the tables are covered in racing stripe tablecloths. “What do
you think?”
    Gasping through the hand covering my mouth, I squeal in
delight. “Momma! It’s perfect. Thank you so much for letting us do this here.”
She pulls the ‘are you kidding me’ face and puts Braden in his pack-n-play
where a new set of toy cars waits for him. Melanie and Bryan join us in the
back and help us get everything else set up. “Wow, Mom. When you go for a
theme, you really kill it, huh?” Melanie whistles as she scans the yard before
walking over to Braden and kissing the top of his head.
    “It’s an important day, so I just wanted to make sure
everything was perfect.” Momma winks at me before she makes her way back into
the kitchen to help Evan with the rest of the food. “Bryan, can you come help
me carry out some of the drinks?” Momma calls from the back door and Bryan pops
a kiss to Melanie’s cheek before running off to help her.
    “So…” I elbow Melanie in the side, but she just shrugs her
shoulders.
    “So what?”
    “Oh cut it! Did you talk to Bryan last night?” I elbow her
again and she blushes. Bryan and Melanie just moved in together last week, and
while the last few months of their relationship has been smooth sailing, to say
they got off to a rough start is an understatement.
    “Kinda, but not really,” she responds rather shyly.
    “Oh, so that’s how you’re going to play it, huh? Come on,
spill it, girl! You got out of it last night by bringing up your newest book
boyfriend, but that’s not going to work now.” I arch an eyebrow at her. She’s
not getting out of it this time.
    She flops down onto the bench at the picnic table and starts
picking at a non-existent piece of fuzz on her shirt. “You want the truth?” She
still hasn’t made eye contact with me.
    “Of course I want the truth, Mel.” I place my hand on top of
hers and squeeze gently. “Is something going on?”
    “No, nothing’s going on…it’s just, I guess it’s not as easy
as we thought, and that’s not exactly an easy conversation to bring up, you
know.”
    “Do you want to talk about it?” I know how closed-up Melanie
can get and I hate what it did to her last time her world was in upheaval. So
even if she tells me she doesn’t want to talk, I’ll get it out of her.
    But, much to my surprise, she actually opens up. “Things
between Bryan and I are great, actually. It’s just weird to be so settled down
and be so young. I know Bryan loves me and I love him, but we’re only in our
early twenties. I guess sometimes I get a little freaked out thinking about how
young we are that’s all.” I’m so proud of her for finally being able to open up
about what she’s afraid of, that I can’t help but smile at her.
    “Does it help to know I feel the same way about me and
Reid?” Melanie turns her head to me so quickly that she almost falls off the
bench.
    “But you guys are married and have a kid together.”
    “I know, Mel, and I really do love our life, but I can’t say
it’s not scary to think about how young we are. But you know what? At the end
of the day, I know I’m happy. If I can end each day feeling happy about the
life we’ve created, then who cares how old I am.”
    “I know you’re right, Maddy. I am deliriously happy with
Bryan; I just hope he’s happy with me.”
    She huffs at me when I shoot her my best ‘you’re out of your
freaking mind’ face. “He wouldn’t be inside with your mom helping and spending
the day with your family if he wasn’t crazy in love with you.”
    “You don’t get it, Maddy. You’re perfect through and
through. Reid will never look at another woman the way he looks at you. I still
feel less than perfect some days and I hate that I let those feelings seep into
my