Christian
That crispy piece of paper turned out to be a letter and I can't get it out of my head. The moment I realized what it was I knew I should have ignored it but I just couldn't. I must have read it a dozen times and I swear I now know every word off the top of my head.
How could he ask something like that of her? How could he ask her to keep a secret like that all her life? How could he ask her to do that knowing what he had already done to her? He was one sick and twisted fucker and I wish that he was here right now so I could kill him. After reading the letter and hearing about the DNA tests being positive I can't even begin to imagine what else has happened.
"Daddy wanta play dollys?" Sophie's angel voice brings my mind back to the present as she sits on the floor playing with her new toys while Brody does the same next to her only he's holding a new dinosaur while crashing it into a tall building made of blocks that he has just spend twenty minutes making. After their trip to the zoo, Zack took them both into the gift shop and let them pick two new toys each. Brody came out with his dinosaur and blocks while Sophie picked a doll and Barbie set.
"Can I play dollys with you princess?" Hearing Callum I realize that I've zoned out again instead of answering my little girl. Shit! She nods her head while moving over on her blanket. Callum looks my way as he gets comfy nodding when I give him a grateful smile. Fuck I need to sort my head out. I need to see Molly.
"I've got these two. Why don't you go for a walk or something." Callum's huge form squashed up on a Peppa Pig blanket while brushing a Barbie's hair is hilarious and yet I couldn't be any more grateful for him right now. "Be good for Uncle Callum, Daddy will be back soon." After both of them nod my way they get straight back to playing leaving me smiling as I walk out to the backyard. The innocence of children is just beautiful to see.
I drag my ass over to the side of the porch that looks out at an insanely old and large tree before dropping down onto the swinging chair. "Hey brother, you ok?" Tom sits down next to me while removing his jacket. I nod as I start swinging the chair with my foot.
"How about the truth now?" I feel him staring at me until I lift my gaze to meet his and the look he's giving me is just calling me out on my bullshit.
"Honestly, I don't know if I'm ok or not. I feel like I've been chewed up and spat out these past few days." He places one of his hands on my shoulder nodding with me. "That's because you have Christian. You have been through something that no parent should experience especially by the mother of their children.
"I don't know how she could do this to them but I swear I'll spend every day of the rest of my life working to help them forget about what she has done."
"We all will, you know that. Thankfully Katie is only a baby and she won't remember this. Even Sophie may forget in time but I'm not sure how Brody will go." I shake my head thinking about my poor children. "I've been thinking the same. He's going to need more aftercare than the girls but maybe in time, he will forget to."
"Whatever those kids need they will get from you and everyone else in the family." For a while as we both sit and stare out at the view lost in our own heads. "What are you going to do about Molly, Chris?"
"What do you mean?" He gives me a knowing smile before lightly laughing. "You know exactly what I mean." I shrug my shoulders as I look down at the ground unsure of what to say, that is until Tom's next words send my pulse racing and my heart pounding so hard I swear it's trying to break out of my chest.
"She's still leaving you know. She's still going. She's staying to make sure you get Katie back ok then she's leaving. So Christian, if you do know what you're going to do or you know what it is you want then I suggest you get your head out of your ass and do something about it because you have less than twenty-four hours until she's gone and I'm not sure if she will ever come back."
I knew Molly was leaving he told me after she left the farm but I guess with everything that has happened my mind decided to block that part out. I'm such an idiot! "Where is she now? I thought she was coming back here from the farm?" I need to see her. She can't leave. I won't let her.
I don't care about what's happened, I don't even care bout whatever secret she's been hiding because in all honestly, after everything that I've been finding out, I'm starting to think that maybe this secret that she is keeping isn't about her or more that maybe it is about something that has happened to her rather than something she has done.
What if I've been wrong all along? What if I've been giving her hell for absolutely no reason? Fuck I already feel like a dick for how I've been with her but can you imagine if I find out that it was all for nothing? Fuck... What if the big secret that she's been keeping is to do with the letter? Jesus, I hope it's not or I'm not sure if she'll ever forgive me never mind want more from me. Hell, I don't think I'll ever forgive myself if that really is the case.
"She will be here any second now. Jack's got her with him." What the fuck? whys she with Jack? "Before you start thinking stuff that you shouldn't be, don't! It's all innocent I'll explain it later plus you know Jack wouldn't do that to you." I nod "I know but what if he doesn't know..." He shakes his head "Oh he knows Chris, believe me, he knows." Before I can say anymore the sound of Jack's truck comes from around the front of the house and I quickly find myself following Tom back through the house and onto the porch.
Tom stops on the porch smiling at Molly but I don't, my feet keep going and I end up at Jack's truck and opening his door. I notice her smile drop as I approach but I don't let that stop me. Opening the door I stretch out my hand for her to take and after a few seconds, she lets out a small sigh and takes my hand letting me help her down from the truck.
Once she's out she goes to pull her hand away but I don't let her instead I gently pull her behind me as I start heading for the back of the house and breath a sigh of relief when she keeps following me. I lead her onto the back porch and to the swinging chair. As we sit down she gives me a strange look while I try to figure out how to word what I want to say.
"Are you ok after this morning?" She gives me a curious questioning look. "I don't know any details just what I saw at the farm." She nods seeming to believe me. "Honestly, I'm not sure how I feel about it all. I think I've run through every emotion humanly possible today." That's understandable given everything else she has been through never mind whatever else she has learned today.
I let out a sigh knowing that what I'm about to say and do could destroy everything I hope for but I need to start off on an honest footing with her. If everything that I hope for happens then I won't have lies between us so that means I have to be a man right now and be honest about what I've done.
"Molly, I know that I've been nothing but a dick to you since you got here and I also know that I was wrong to do it." She goes to talk but I stop her. "Please let me get this out." She nods shifting herself to her side more so she faces me better and I do the same. "First I want to say that I'm so sorry for how I've acted, it's no excuse but Amy... she messed me up and made me insanely untrustful even when I shouldn't have been, even when there was no reason to be untrustful like with you."
"Thank you for apologizing Christian. Maybe what Amy did to you wasn't a reason to behave how you have but I do understand, believe me, I do, now more than ever," A hunted look takes over her face that I hate. "Before I say anymore there's something that I need to tell you." She doesn't say anything just nods for me to continue while looking slightly suspicious.
"When I was finishing up at the farm today I found a bag of yous sticking out of the rubble so I grabbed it to bring back for you. I knew that we hadn't managed to save any of your stuff yet so I was hoping that it would help a little. Anyway after I grabbed it I ended up slipping on a muddy patch and sent the bag flying. A lot of stuff fell out of there but I made sure to pick everything up."
"What bag was it?" I can see her mind working as she asks. "A green backpack." She stays silent for a moment before realization covers her face. "You saw it, didn't you? You saw the letter?" She doesn't look mad but she will be soon.
"I did. I didn't mean to I picked it up and I don't know... I opened it and started reading it and I just couldn't stop. Even while I was reading it I kept telling myself that I should stop but I couldn't. I have no excuse for what I have done Molly but I want you to know that I am truly sorry."
"So you know the truth?" It's as if she's not really listening to me but just picking up on certain parts instead. "I do." I feel awful for reading that letter. "Tell me what you know. I need to make sure." She's testing me and I don't blame her, not after what I read. "I know that Archie started the fire in the house, the fire that almost killed you and my brother. I know that he started the fire to kill himself and I know that he asked you to keep it a secret, to let everyone believe that he died in a tragic house fire when all along he killed himself because he was suffering from depression and no one knew."