turned to stare at him. “You believe me now?”
“Yeah, I believe you. I’m not sure why you lied to me, but I believe you.”
Abruptly she said, “I was seven.”
“And you went to a foster home?”
“Several foster homes,” she muttered.
Richard frowned. “Why did you change?”
“Well, let’s see, in the first foster home, the dad was caught forcing himself on a couple of the older girls. So we were all moved to different homes. It’s like starting all over again. The second foster home closed down because the mom won the lottery and didn’t need the money she got from the state.”
“She didn’t mind letting you go?”
Molly gave a cynical laugh. “She dumped us so fast it made our heads spin.”
“Then what happened?”
“My third foster home I stayed in until I was eighteen. By then I’d worked for three years and had saved as much as I could.”
“What kind of work?”
“I was a telephone operator, part-time.”
“How did you get into nursing?”
She shrugged a shoulder. “I got a scholarship. It didn’t pay for everything, but most of it. I paid for the rest.”
“And how—”
“No more questions about me. It’s your turn. Was your dad as awful as he seems?”
“He was difficult. I try not to say too much, because I think Mom loved him, but he was controlling, self-centered. I managed to get along with him, but he considered females to be second-class citizens. Susan wouldn’t buy that attitude. She fought him all the way.”
“Good for her,” Molly whispered.
“When my father tried to tell her who to love, that was the last straw. She moved to Florida with Kevin, Toby’s father, and never came back. My father disowned her after that.”
“I’m sorry, Richard.” Sympathy was audible in her voice. “That must have been hard on you.”
“Yeah. I called her a couple of times, but she obviously wouldn’t come home for a visit, after Dad cut her out of his life. It was stupid on his part.”
“Yes, it was.” She sat there for a minute staring at the Christmas tree. Then she said, “Life’s too short for such silliness.”
“As we both know,” he said softly. Then he stretched his arm on the back of her chair.
She thought about moving away, but the warmth of his arm felt good. They sat there in silence, looking at the tree. Molly had enjoyed the lights before he came down, but they were always better when shared.
After a few minutes, he pulled her a little closer and her head rested on his shoulder. They remained there for a long time. Somehow, in the darkness, she didn’t feel like it mattered.
Molly enjoyed his closeness, but she knew when daylight came, the magic would end.
Molly enjoyed the visit to their church the next morning. They only went to the main service in the large auditorium, where the minister gave an intelligent and entertaining sermon.
The only thing that bothered Molly was that Elizabeth again took Toby’s hand and led him into the pew first. Which left her between Toby and Richard. At least they didn’t have to separate, leaving her with Richard. And they had plenty of room in their pew.
They went out to lunch after the church service since Delores had the day off.
“We should’ve gone to Antares today,” Elizabeth said as they ate lunch at a local restaurant. “But I made the reservations for Monday.”
“That’s okay, Mom. I like the pies here.”
“Richard, I don’t know how you stay so lean, with all the desserts you eat. It’s disgusting!”
Molly thought so, too, but she wasn’t going to make any comments.
“I went to the gym every morning this past year, Mom. That’s how I can eat all those desserts. And I enjoy every one of them.”
“Maybe I should get up and go with you,” Elizabeth muttered.
“You look lovely, Elizabeth. You have nothing to worry about,” Molly assured her.
“Yes, but I pass up the desserts most of the time.”
“It’s probably better for you,” Molly said, smiling in sympathy.
“So you’re both going to pass up dessert?” Richard asked incredulously.
Molly looked at Elizabeth and at the same time they said, “No way!”
Richard grinned. “Looks like we’re all having pie, right, Toby?”
“Can I have ice cream instead?”
“Sure, buddy, if that’s what you want.”
Toby nodded enthusiastically.
Molly again realized how close Richard and Toby were becoming. By the time she left, she thought Richard would be regarding Toby as his own son.
Toby would scarcely miss her.
She chastised herself for that thought. That was what she should hope for. And she should hope that she wouldn’t miss Toby…or anyone else when she went back to Florida.
Maybe she should look for a job here in Dallas? No, no, that wouldn’t be a good idea. She needed to cut her emotional ties to Toby at once. It would be easier that way.
“Hey, they have a Christmas tree here!” Toby called out.
“Yeah, they do, but it’s not as pretty as ours, is it, Toby?” Richard asked.
“Ours is the best! Do they have one at the mall?”
“They always have at least one,” Richard said, looking at Molly.
She knew he was thinking she should’ve answered the question since she’d been to the mall. “Didn’t you go to the mall to get Toby’s new clothes?”
“No, we went to a men’s store at Highland Park Village, where we went to the movies last night.”
“We’re fortunate that we have a lot of specialty shops around here,” Elizabeth said with a smile. “Whatever we’re looking for, we can find nearby.”
“How nice,” Molly said. In her mind, she was thinking, “If you can afford it!”
Then, at
