Chapter 50

Before the summer we had one more incident involving Melissa. Due to the problems she had to face after her father's death she had hardly managed to finish high school. Partly because of those bad memories, she was not very interested in continuing her education, though both Lindsay and I patiently tried to convince her otherwise. Her lack of interest in developing herself irritated Lindsay even more than me.

"But what do you intend to do then?" I asked.

"I want to be the best possible mother to my future children!" Melissa averred.

That was her pain point: the childhood she never really had. But, Lindsay was not dejected that easily.

"Fine, after some five more years of practice, you'll probably learn to cook and bake well enough to keep them alive."

As soon as those jokingly said words were out of Lin's mouth, I could see Melissa's lips start to quiver. Ouch. Lindsay should have known better but the truth was, that whatever I did, it seemed impossible for Melissa to learn to cook or bake anything besides the basic stuff. The harder she tried the more disastrous were the results. Without consciously thinking I hugged the devastated girl, and Lindsay joined me as I soothed Mel.

"Hey, Mel, we all have different strengths; but if you want to learn to be good with children, why don't you study to become a kindergarten teacher?"

Both Lindsay and I could feel the young woman stiffen. Melissa blinked her eyes a couple of times, then looked at both me and Lindsay.

"Do you really think that I could do it?"

This time it was Lindsay who answered.

"Sure you could, if you just wanted to do it. Remember, you were able to find this goof, here, when you had your mind set on it."

So it was settled. The only argument after that was that she didn't want to leave us while studying.

"Look, you two, for the first time in my life I really have a family. There is no way you'll make me leave my family, now that I have one."

I already knew better than trying to argue with our little redhead when she had made up her mind. Besides, neither Lindsay nor I minded having her around. Katy and Evelyn loved their second mother or big sister, as long as she didn't try any serious cooking.

When school finished, and the summer started, we decided to have a party. My aunty and Beth informed that they had some news for us. Well, so did we. Since Candice was now seriously dating, and Kathryn's ex had come back with his tail between his legs; we included them, too. What followed was almost hilarious. Well, it WAS hilarious.

My aunty and Beth had quietly used the new law. They registered their partnership - and adopted Ashley. Even if I could not marry both Lindsay and Melissa, it didn't stop us from buying engagement rings. Candice and Kathryn didn't have any issues with my aunty and Beth, or our 'menage a trois', but I got some curious looks from their spouses. At some point later in the evening Kathryn's ex pointed out that I was living every young man's dream. I stopped and looked at him.

"Living in a household with four women?" I exclaimed! "Do you seriously think that I have any chance of winning a single argument?"

That broke the ice, and later on he confessed that it took him two failed marriages to understand what a fine woman Kathryn was. When he got injured for the last time in a meaningless game, his last wife had dropped him like a hot potato and moved to a more prosperous player.

The guy Candice was seeing was an electrician who had built his own company with hard work, starting from scratch. He knew what he was, and what he could do, and was not abashed by her intelligence or success. I hoped for all the best for both couples.

Later in the evening when the guests had left and the little girls were asleep, and only our extended family was there, we revealed another secret. Lindsay was pregnant.