Molly
I've been jogging for a while but it's insanely hot and humid and the fact that I can't concentrate really isn't helping me. I slow down my pace when I see a small river appearing and eventually stop alongside it, take a seat on the ground, and enjoy the cold water that's in my sports bottle. I feel tears prickle at the back of my eyes but I fight to hold them in.
These past 48 hours have been insane to go from traveling around the world to arriving in Texas and then meeting Tom's family. I already knew his parents and Jack but as for his other brothers I'd never met Zack, Callum, or Christian before but they all seem lovely except for Christian that is...
Well, it's not that he doesn't seem nice it's more that he seems to have a problem with me and I wouldn't mind if I had done something to him but it seems like he disliked me before I even got here. I know he's got a lot going on right now.
Tom told me all about his ex-wife and what happened with the kids and honestly, I think he's an incredible dad and what he's doing for little Katie is just amazing and I get that he's no doubt stressed but surely that's not a reason to dislike me without even knowing me?
I'm not usually the type of person to let something like this get to me but right now my emotions are all over the place and it's driving me crazy. In 2 days' time, Archie and I should have been celebrating 10 years of marriage but instead, I have to get through the first anniversary that I don't get to spend with him and just the thought alone is killing me!
I'm so lost in my own head that I dont even realize that I've taken the letter out of my leggings pocket and I'm threading it through my fingers. How can a simple piece of paper feel like it's burning your skin? Burning down to your soul? I know I shouldn't do it but as usual, that doesn't stop me as I open up the letter and start reading it.
And as always by the time I'm finished reading it, I'm left with more questions than the last time and the only person that can answer them isn't even here to answer them for me. I feel myself getting torn between anger and sadness but as always I have to bottle them up and push them aside because he's gone and there's not a dam thing that I can do about it.
Once I've managed to calm myself down I decided to head back to the house. I've been out here a while and I want to see if there's anything I can do to help around the place before I head into town to buy a new laptop after losing mine in the fire I've yet to buy a new one.
I'm just grateful that I have my own money and dont have to rely on anyone else. I've been blessed in being able to run a successful business that's abled me to travel with Archie when it was required and also travel for the last year without worrying about where I was going to sleep or where my next meal was coming from.
I started my online business almost 5 years ago and I've been blessed that every year it just seems to get bigger and bigger. It's got so big that 2 years ago I had to set up a warehouse and hire a team of staff to help control the shipments because it was too much for me to do alone, the warehouse is based in New York as that is where we were at the time but I have a great manager there to keeps things running and I plan on taking regular trips there to check in on them.
If I'm being honest my business does more than ok and I doubt I'll ever have to worry about money again in my entire lifetime. The only person who actually knows how much money I have is Tom, hell not many people even know that I own my own business despite many of them ordering from there but I guess I've never really given them a reason to think anything of it.
I've carried on living as I did before I started making real money because I'm happy with that life. I dont need a fancy house or car to make me feel good. I dont need to be out shopping every day or getting my hair and nails done twice a month to make me feel better and I certainly dont need the wrong kind of people finding out about my wealth either as there's always a risk of them trying their luck or conning me but I'm not as dull as people would want to make out.
I head back towards the farm so I can take a shower first as this heat is unbelievably hot and I'm sweating like fuck! I head inside and get greeted by Sophie as she runs towards me while Katie's laying on a blanket on the floor babbling to herself.
As soon as Sophie gets close to me she is quickly scooped up by a pissed-off-looking Christian and as much as I want to ask him what his problem with me is, I seriously don't have the mental space for his issues right now nor do I want to cause any crap in front of any of his children so instead I give him a quick smile and head up to my bedroom. I need to wash away this sweat and hopefully, it will take some of this pain in my heart away too.
Christian
"Ok, Soph let's make some dinner before your nap yes?" She's playing with Katie on the kitchen floor while I scan the fridge to see what's good for her. Katie lets out a loud laugh pulling my attention back to her and I can't help the huge grin that spreads across my face.
I dont give a fuck if I'm not her dad by blood, She's mine in every way that counts and I will fight for her as I will fight for Sophie and Brody but that doesn't mean that I'm not scared shitless that it won't work and I'll lose her.
I know it's very likely that I will lose her as I'm technically nothing to do with her and it kills me. If she had a dad or grandparents or even just some other family out there to take her then it wouldn't be so bad but I know that if I lose her then she will end up in the foster system but I promise that I will fight tooth and nail to have her with me, with her brother and sister and I'm a stubborn fucker.
When I want something I get it no matter how long or hard I have to fight for it.
The door to the house loudly shuts forcing my attention away from the fridge and of course, it's Molly. It's clear she's only now getting back from her run, she's got on body-hugging leggings with a sports top and loose vest over the top. her hair is in two French braids and she's got a thick slick layer of sweat covering her body and it's a sight that goes straight to places that it shouldn't.
Fuck is she trying to kill me?