find my best friend balled up on the couch weeping, with crumpled up tissues all around her. Mer Der, her Taco Bell pooch team, rest at her feet. Meredith, a light brown breed, springs her head to stare me down. She decides I'm not the culprit and rests her head back on Derek, the ruffly black dog who has a coat that gleams like silk. My focus turns back to Mel and my heart breaks at the sight of her. I’ve never seen her like this in my whole life. Sure, she snivels at least once a day during a TV show, or when she hears the national anthem. But this is different. She looks so sad.
I kneel down before her and my throat tightens. “Melly belly. I’m here.” I pause staring at her red nose. “Whatever it is, it’ll be okay.” I reach out to her, pushing her tear-soaked hair out of her face. Her eyes are even more swollen then before. And it hits me. She doesn’t have the flu at all. She never did. “What can I do? Do you wanna tell me what’s wrong? How can I fix it?”
I continue to stroke Mel’s hair while she sobs. Tears puddle in my eyes, and I can’t stop them from running down my cheeks. My best friend, who may as well be my sister, is hurting and I don’t know how to help. I don’t know if I can and it’s the worst feeling in the world.
She always manages to make me feel better whenever I’m down, which has been quite often in the last year, and here I am, at a loss. I don’t know what to do.
When Chase dumped me, Mel was there in a flash. And hardly left my side. I was broken and she was there to put me back together, when I didn’t think it could be done. She forced me to get back to normal after moping around for way too long.
Oh shit. It’s Nick. Mother fucker. I’m going to kill him. What the hell did he do? The only reason Mel would be in this state is because that fucking asshole did something. I’m going to kill him. I think I said that already. But I am. When I find him, he better run. He better have on a Kevlar vest, a cup, and a helmet, because first I’m going to shoot him, then I’m going to kick him in the balls, and finish him off with a bat to the head. Take that, dickhead.
Mel’s sobbing slows to a whimper as she tries to catch her breath. She holds my hand. She gazes down at me like she wants to tell me everything, but she’s not ready. She stares off in silence, and her eyes start to flutter before shutting completely. She sounds like a baby who’s cried herself to sleep. Trying not to wake her, I get comfortable sitting down beside her on the floor, still grasping her hand. I can’t let go. I’ll stay here as long as she needs me.
Hours later, Mel wakes me up, and I lift my head from the sofa cushion. Still holding her hand, I look up to her sorrow filled eyes. Mer Der are still at her feet, saddened eyes peering up at their mama. It must be true, dogs can sense when something is wrong.
“ Are you ready to talk to me?” I ask her.
She looks up and dabs at her eyes with her free hand. “Nick and I are getting a divorce.” I don’t say anything. I just nod. “He’s moved out. Or rather, I kicked him out.” I nod again. I think I know what’s coming next. “He’s been cheating on me, Shel.” She squeezes my hand tighter. “For over a year. They’re getting married as soon as our divorce is final. He actually had the papers ready, and I signed them.”
Wow. This is more than I could have ever imagined. Sure, I had a feeling she was going to confide in me about him cheating. But divorce? Already? I wasn’t expecting that. And I sure as hell wasn’t expecting her to tell me Nick is going to marry his mistress already. While he hasn’t always been the most attentive husband, I wouldn’t have thought him to be a complete jack ass.
“ Holy shit, Mel.” What else can I say? I sit up and throw my arms around my friend. She holds onto me, crying quietly into my shoulder. No more sobs and whimpering, just silent tears. After a few minutes, she releases
I kneel down before her and my throat tightens. “Melly belly. I’m here.” I pause staring at her red nose. “Whatever it is, it’ll be okay.” I reach out to her, pushing her tear-soaked hair out of her face. Her eyes are even more swollen then before. And it hits me. She doesn’t have the flu at all. She never did. “What can I do? Do you wanna tell me what’s wrong? How can I fix it?”
I continue to stroke Mel’s hair while she sobs. Tears puddle in my eyes, and I can’t stop them from running down my cheeks. My best friend, who may as well be my sister, is hurting and I don’t know how to help. I don’t know if I can and it’s the worst feeling in the world.
She always manages to make me feel better whenever I’m down, which has been quite often in the last year, and here I am, at a loss. I don’t know what to do.
When Chase dumped me, Mel was there in a flash. And hardly left my side. I was broken and she was there to put me back together, when I didn’t think it could be done. She forced me to get back to normal after moping around for way too long.
Oh shit. It’s Nick. Mother fucker. I’m going to kill him. What the hell did he do? The only reason Mel would be in this state is because that fucking asshole did something. I’m going to kill him. I think I said that already. But I am. When I find him, he better run. He better have on a Kevlar vest, a cup, and a helmet, because first I’m going to shoot him, then I’m going to kick him in the balls, and finish him off with a bat to the head. Take that, dickhead.
Mel’s sobbing slows to a whimper as she tries to catch her breath. She holds my hand. She gazes down at me like she wants to tell me everything, but she’s not ready. She stares off in silence, and her eyes start to flutter before shutting completely. She sounds like a baby who’s cried herself to sleep. Trying not to wake her, I get comfortable sitting down beside her on the floor, still grasping her hand. I can’t let go. I’ll stay here as long as she needs me.
Hours later, Mel wakes me up, and I lift my head from the sofa cushion. Still holding her hand, I look up to her sorrow filled eyes. Mer Der are still at her feet, saddened eyes peering up at their mama. It must be true, dogs can sense when something is wrong.
“ Are you ready to talk to me?” I ask her.
She looks up and dabs at her eyes with her free hand. “Nick and I are getting a divorce.” I don’t say anything. I just nod. “He’s moved out. Or rather, I kicked him out.” I nod again. I think I know what’s coming next. “He’s been cheating on me, Shel.” She squeezes my hand tighter. “For over a year. They’re getting married as soon as our divorce is final. He actually had the papers ready, and I signed them.”
Wow. This is more than I could have ever imagined. Sure, I had a feeling she was going to confide in me about him cheating. But divorce? Already? I wasn’t expecting that. And I sure as hell wasn’t expecting her to tell me Nick is going to marry his mistress already. While he hasn’t always been the most attentive husband, I wouldn’t have thought him to be a complete jack ass.
“ Holy shit, Mel.” What else can I say? I sit up and throw my arms around my friend. She holds onto me, crying quietly into my shoulder. No more sobs and whimpering, just silent tears. After a few minutes, she releases
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