Chapter 30
Melody twirled around in the mirror, checking her reflection from every angle before letting out a deep sigh.
"You sure this not too tight?"
"No, lil girl, and you can't help it that you got wide hips and a fat ass," Harmony replied from the bed.
"I know, but... I don't know. Maybe I should change again."
"Mel, chill. You just nervous, but you look great."
Harmony was right, she was nervous, matter fact, she was shitting bricks.
Harmony was meeting Cameron's parents for the first time, and no matter how many times she told herself it wasn't a big deal, she couldn't stop overthinking it.
When he invited her to his mother's birthday dinner, her first instinct had been to say no.
Unfortunately, she knew that wasn't an option if she wanted the relationship to keep moving forward.
"What if they don't like me?" Melody asked.
“Since when you gave a fuck about being liked?”
“You right! Fuck them people,” she joked, causing Harmony to laugh.
After making a few final adjustments to her outfit, she grabbed her bag and prepared to head out, but before she could make it to the door, her phone buzzed.
Ma Ma: You still got my flat irons?
Melody: Damn, I do. I'm bout to drop them off now.
After sending the message, she hurried into the bathroom and grabbed the flat irons from under the sink. A few moments later, she was heading out the front door.
The drive to Ma Ma's house didn't take long. As she made her way through traffic, her thoughts drifted right back to dinner. She had spent years not caring what anybody thought about her, but for some reason, Cameron's parents were different.
By the time Melody pulled into the projects, a smile had found its way onto her face.
It was the first seventy-degree day of the year, and everybody was outside enjoying it.
Kids rode bikes through the courtyard, music played from open windows, and groups of people sat outside talking like they hadn't seen sunlight in months.
As much as she loved having her own space those days, there were times she genuinely missed living there.
Pulling in front of Ma Ma's building, she immediately spotted her sitting outside with Tisha and Donna. The three women were posted up in white lawn chairs in front of the building gossiping per usual. Rather than parking, Melody pulled over to the curb, grabbed the flat irons, and climbed out.
"Aww, you look so cute, friend," Ma Ma said as soon as she reached them.
"Thank you."
"Where you going looking all pretty?" Tisha asked.
Melody opened her mouth before quickly closing it again.
The truthful answer would've been Cameron's mother's birthday dinner, but she wasn't interested in that information making its way back to Major. Even though Ma Ma was her best friend, Major was still her cousin, and lately, Melody had been keeping more and more of her personal life to herself.
Just as the thought of Major crossed her mind, he came walking from around the back of the building.
The second Melody saw him, she knew something was off. A few moments later, Annie appeared behind him, adjusting her clothes as she walked.
For a brief moment, her eyes locked with Major's, and immediately, the conversation around them stopped.
Everybody's attention shifted toward the pair.
All three of them looked nervous, and Melody knew why.
They were expecting a scene, and truthfully, a few months ago, they probably would've gotten exactly that.
Instead, Melody turned to her friends and smiled.
"I'll see y'all later."
Without another word, she handed Ma Ma the flat irons, turned around, climbed back into her car, and pulled off.
As she drove away, the confused looks lingering on everybody's faces made her laugh.
A few lights down, she texted Cameron and let him know she was on her way. About twenty minutes later, she pulled up outside his house and spotted him walking out. Melody parked, grabbed her purse, and met him near his car.
"Damn, you look beautiful," he smirked.
"Thank you."
The compliment made her smile as they climbed into his car and headed toward his parents' house. For a while, they talked about random things before Cameron glanced over at her.
"You nervous?"
"A little bit. This my first time meeting a nigga parents."
"Ain't no need to be nervous.”
"Yeah, but I be hearing you and your pops. He don't play."
"Nah, he don't, but I got that nigga wrapped around my finger."
"That's that only child shit," Melody laughed.
As they exited the expressway and made their way through Bolingbrook, Melody found herself staring out the window.
The neighborhoods became nicer and nicer the farther they drove until they eventually entered a gated community.
She tried not to act impressed, but the homes were huge and looked like something out of a television show.
About two minutes later, Cameron turned onto a quiet street and pulled up in front of a massive brick house. Melody looked up at it through the windshield and shook her head.
After getting out, she followed him up the front steps.
Cameron opened the door and led the way inside.
The moment she stepped through the entrance, her eyes widened.
If the outside had impressed her, the inside was on a completely different level.
Between the high ceilings, expensive furniture, and open layout, Melody wasn't sure where to look first. But before she could take much of it in, a deep voice called out from farther inside the house.
"Son."
Melody turned toward the voice, and the second her eyes landed on the speaker, her stomach dropped.
Standing only a few feet away was the one and only Judge Wallace.