Full Molly Series Trilogy Box Set

Chapter 4: New Beginnings-1

Chapter 4: New Beginnings

As the weeks go by, Molly and I become better friends. Our sons love playing together and are practically inseparable. I am so grateful that I finally have someone I can count on and that Tommy has someone he can grow up with. Plus, Molly just adores Tommy. She treats him like her own and would do anything for him. Leif has really come out of his shell too. He was so quiet when we first met him, never said a word and was always sad. Now, whenever he and Tommy are playing, you can hear his laugh for miles. Altogether, we have gained something I think we were always lacking. Everything just feels so complete.

It's the middle of July now, and the weather is just gorgeous. It's been in the mid-70's and sunny during the days and the nights are calm and cool. Every other night, one of us goes to the other's house for dinner and play dates. Weekends are filled with trips to the beach, hiking, or cookouts in the park. Molly and I started a little flower garden together in the fronts of our homes. She has a green thumb that just eludes me, but she is teaching me a lot. I planted Zinnias, Begonias, and Forget-Me-Nots in my flower beds and she did all Dahlias.

"Not that they aren't beautiful or anything, but is there a reason why you have your entire garden in Dahlias?" I asked one Sunday morning while we were sipping coffee on her front porch. The boys were riding around on plastic fire trucks pretending to save G.I. Joe and Barney from a grass fire. She looked a little shocked at the question but didn't falter in her response.

"I just really love them." A sadness clouded her eyes as she stared down at them. Odd, is there a different reason?

"Oh. Wouldn't it look awesome with some short little white flowers all around the edge and maybe a tall shrub in the middle of each bed?" I asked excitedly. I've really picked up gardening. The execution and when to water or feed is still lost on me, but the displays. Oh, how I love coming up with the arrangements. It's just like decorating cakes to me. The presentation, the cascading colors of each petal, and the way the flowers smell is all so inviting.

"No. Not at all." She curtly replied. The entire image I had growing in my head was shot out of the sky and came wailing down to the ground where it crashed and burned.

"Okay..." We sat in silence for a few minutes as I went back through the conversation in my mind to see where I may have offended her. I couldn't remember saying anything that would have received that type of response. "I'm sorry if I offended you or anything. I just like being creative."

She sipped her coffee and stared out at the boys. No reply was ever given. Did she even hear me? Just then Tommy fell off his fire truck and started crying. Before I could even realize what happened, Molly was out of her seat and rushing over to Tommy.

"It's okay Tommy, it's okay! Let me see," Molly cooed. I ran over as she pulled back his sleeve to reveal a nasty scrape near his elbow. Tommy's face was red and slick with tears. I went to pick him up, but Molly did instead. I held out my arms for him, and she turned away towards the house. Stupefied I looked at her walking away.

"Watch Leif okay?" She called. My hands dropped to my sides, and I looked down at Leif. He was looking at me as if this was business as usual. I gave him a reassuring smile and told him Tommy would be okay. He started to play again, and I stared dumbfounded at the front of the house. Maybe Molly thought she was being helpful or something. I tried to shake off the weird feeling I had and rationalize what just happened. After all, it wasn't that weird. It's not like she completely shut me down, she just got there first. I went back to my chair and coffee and watched Leif play. Several minutes passed by and Molly and Tommy still weren't back yet.

"Come on Leif, let's get something to drink," I called. Leif got off his fire truck and skipped up the stairs of the porch. I opened the door for him, and he went straight to the kitchen. As I passed the hallway, I heard Tommy giggling in the bathroom. If he was all better, why didn't she bring him back out to play? The scrape wasn't that bad. I poured Leif some grape juice in a sippy cup and handed it to him. He went into the living room where he had some blocks spread out. I poured another one for Tommy and headed towards the bathroom.

The door was cracked, and I could see Tommy sitting on the counter by the sink. Molly was making funny noises and playing with a superhero toy in front of Tommy. His scrape was expertly bandaged up, and his face was back to a normal color and sheen. She handed him the toy and kissed him on the head. I knocked lightly on the door and pushed it open. Molly looked over at me and saw the sippy cup. She grabbed it and handed it to Tommy. He smiled and drank hastily.

"All better," she cooed.

"Ok, let's go see what Leif is up to," I prompted. Molly's smile dropped, and she less-than-gingerly put Tommy down from the counter. Tommy didn't care and ran to find his buddy. I thought about asking Molly if she was okay but decided against it. Why would she be upset anyways? Logically speaking there was nothing to be upset over. Her body language spoke differently though.

I turned to head towards the living room, and I heard the bathroom door shut behind me. The hallway was dark again. I sat down on the couch and tried to hash out what just happened. A few moments later the bathroom door opened again, and Molly walked out into the living room. She smiled at us all and grabbed her purse.

"Alright everybody, let's go out to eat for an early lunch. My treat!" She announced.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, let's get out of here and get a change of scenery." She smiled and hugged me when I stood up. "I just want to get out of here for a bit." She whispered into my ear. I instantly understood what was going on and felt ashamed for thinking anything else. Suddenly I realized that when Tommy started crying and his blood was shed, it must have triggered some sort of PTSD from living with Joe. How many times did she have to patch herself up in the bathroom, or comfort the shrill cries of Leif after Joe abused them? It's no wonder she spent the extra time making sure Tommy was giggly and happy before leaving the safety of the bathroom, why the bandage on Tommy's arm was perfect as if done by a doctor, and why she acted strangely when it first happened. After realizing my misjudgment, I gave her another hug. I just wanted to her to know how much I appreciate her and that she doesn't have to worry anymore. I want to clear away all those painful memories from her mind and let her know that she is important to me. She smiled in gratitude, and we ushered the boys to the car.

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