Full Molly Series Trilogy Box Set

Chapter 2: New Kid in Town

Chapter 2: New Kid in Town

"Come on!" I yelled at no one in particular. The light was green, and people were getting antsy. Slowly the cars in front of me started to move through the intersection. Monday was already a drag. My alarm was mysteriously shut off this morning, and I was running late. I noticed, too late of course, that Tommy was wearing two different shoes as well. One white with Spider-Man on it and the other wasn't even close to looking the same; it was brown suede. Good job mom. I sighed and my fingers tapped on the steering wheel. Only 3 more blocks to the school, drop Tommy off and then straight to work. I should only be a few minutes late.

I pulled into the Daycare's parking lot and parked at the curb, no time to pull into a space. I walked Tommy in and Marty, sensing my rush, grabbed his things from me to put up. Bless her. I bend down and scoop Tommy up for a quick hug, and I'm out the door. A few minutes later I'm running into work. I clock in, stash my stuff and head to the bakery. Right when I cross the counter a woman asks me about the cakes. I give her the spiel, and she orders one for next week. This one is to be a doll cake for a 7-year-old girl.

The rest of the day went by pretty much the way it always does; fresh products were made, orders were filled, and any old bread was pulled. Towards the end of the day though, we ran out of things to do and were once again, pretending to look busy.

"So whaddjah do this weekend?" Mary asked me.

"Not much, went to the beach, cleaned, made a fort with Tommy. What about you?"

"Oh, I took the kids to the new museum on 5th. They loved it! I gotta say though, it put a dent in my pocketbook," she said while she idly picked at a sticker on the counter.

"Yeah, I hear yah. I wish I could take him there, but after paying the bills, I only have a little over a hundred bucks. I didn't even get to put anything in the trip jar this paycheck."

She nodded her head and gave up on the sticker.

"Daycare is just getting too expensive. I love Marty and everything, but something has to give. Either I need to get a raise, or I'm going to have to find a new daycare." The thought pained me, but it was the harsh truth. I looked down at the counter and stared at a swirl of flour. I pushed my finger into it and moved the specks of wheat around into shapes while I considered my options. I mean, it's not terrible. I can still pay all my bills and put food on the table, but I don't have a lot of extra money for trips or little adventures.

"Well, maybe something will pop up," Mary offered.

"Yeah."

Our replacements show up, and we were released. I was early to pick Tommy up, so I backed into a parking spot and turned off the engine. I pulled out my phone and tapped on the new game I downloaded on my lunch break. It involved popping colorful bubbles in groups of three or more. The game was stupidly simple, but it gave my mind a reprieve from the stress it normally focused on. A car door shuts next to me. A woman knocks on my half open window.

"Excuse me, I think you dropped this." She hands me a twenty-dollar bill from the ground.

I take it and look at my purse. "I don't think so, thank you though!" I smile and try to hand it back to her. She smiles and waves her hands at it.

"Well you're the only one parked here, and it isn't mine. You keep it anyways." She starts walking away towards the Daycare entrance.

"Thanks," I mumbled to myself as she is already out of earshot. I look at the twenty again and shove it into my purse. Well, I guess I do have something to put into the trip jar this week then. I smile and grab my keys.

As I'm walking into the building, I hear an argument in the hallway.

"...cannot be tolerated! That child purposefully sought out Jonathan and attacked him!"

"Beth, I'm sure it was just an accident, he probably didn't-"

"Probably?! What do you mean probably?! Weren't you watching them?"

"My boy would never purposefully attack someone!" A third voice pleads.

"Pugh! Yeah, okay lady. I know you're new here, but this is not acceptable behavior. Look at my son! He's going to have a black eye!"

The classroom is down the hallway past these people. I really don't want to walk past this. It sounds volatile. I sigh as I round the corner and I see the people involved. The woman who gave me the twenty is the defendant and as the accuser, Beth, pointed out, she is new here. Not a great start in a new town, especially as small as this one is. Beth is the Prima Soccer Mom that no one wants to mess with. She is always on key with her snack week and fundraisers for the kids. She relishes in showing up other moms and has to compete in everything. I don't know where she gets the energy. Marty is standing in between the two trying to calm the situation.

"If your kids can't behave, then you're going to have to find a different Daycare. I have been bringing my kids here for going on 8 years. I will not budge!"

Harsh. The woman just moved here, she doesn't need this crap, especially from 'Miss Beth' and her high horse. I couldn't help it. I had to say something in this poor woman's defense.

"Just cool it okay Beth, I'm sure...what's his name?" I turn to the woman.

"Leif, his name's Leif," she said glaring at Beth and holding her son behind her.

"Yeah, I'm sure Leif didn't mean it so just calm down."

"Whatever Sarah, this doesn't even involve you," Beth says snidely to me. Marty senses her moment and pulls Beth and her son into the office. She looks at me while she closes the door and rolls her eyes.

"Hey thanks for sticking up for us," the woman laughs wearily looking at her feet. "It's like I'm back in school and the new kid on the block."

I look at her carefully. She has dark brown hair and piercing brown eyes. She slouches as if something broke her and she never quite recovered. She has an average build, but there's something special about her, something different. She looks completely alone in the world, and my heart reaches out to her. Her son looks timid and somewhat well-mannered. No way he did it intentionally. Besides, he's a toddler. Beth needs to relax.

"No problem. Beth is kind of crazy when it comes her kids. She hovers too much. I'm sure Leif meant no harm at all!" I say to Leif who is still hiding behind his mom's legs.

"My name's Molly."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Sarah."

"Nice to meet you, and thanks again," she says gratefully.

"No problem. Well, welcome to Oakdale. Hopefully, this is the only 'warm' welcoming you get," I say jokingly about Beth. We laugh, and I wave goodbye.

I grabbed Tommy, and his things then headed out to the car. As we walked past the office, I could still hear Marty trying to calm Beth down. I peeked out the door before leaving the building and saw Molly kneeling down talking to a tearful Leif. He nodded his head, and they hugged. I feel terrible for them. I know what it's like being alone in the world, but at least I grew up here. I know how to handle the locals, most of them were my classmates. I need to do something.

"Hey! Molly!" I yell from the door. They turn around almost in fear that Beth is coming after them for an old-school fist fight. I jog up to her with Tommy in my arms. "Do you want to, maybe, have a play date or something?"

"Really?" She asked surprised.

"Yeah, I mean if you aren't busy unpacking or anything."

"Sure, that would be awesome! What do you think Leif? Do you want to go play with your new classmate?" Molly said turning to her son. He nodded again, and she beamed back at me. "This coming Saturday work for you?"

"Sure, Tommy usually likes the park across from the library if that works?"

"Sounds good! Thanks, Sarah."

"Mmkay see you later."

We got in our cars, and Molly drove off. I gaze back in my rear-view mirror and watch Tommy play with a toy car. I smile inwardly at the thought of making someone's day and the potential for a friend. I allow my thoughts to flow on the way home. It's not that I don't have any friends, it's just that I don't really have any close friends. I had a couple in high school, but they all ended up moving away from here, and we just catch up once or twice a year. Work friends don't count either. At work, we talk and laugh but rarely does anyone hang out with work friends. I have a good feeling about Molly. Maybe she has a cute brother too!

The rest of the week goes by pretty normal. Wake up, drop Tommy off, go to work, pick Tommy up, go home, eat, go to bed and do it all over again. Molly and I chat for a few minutes after work before we go in to get the kids. She just moved here from Illinois. Her husband left her, and she couldn't stand being in the city anymore. She moved here hoping the small-town life would be a good place to raise her boy and give him a better life than Chicago would. She got a job as a Receptionist at a Dentist's office and found a rental across town in a duplex. At least she was able to find a job and a place to live right away.