Molly Read online

  MOLLY

  ALICE VL

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  Copyright 2016 by Alice VL

  First Printing: 2016

  SECOND EDITION

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  BROKEN

  THE PROMISE

  HOME, FOR A WHILE

  GONE

  THE WAY HOME

  NOTHING IS THE SAME ANYMORE

  FACING THE PAST

  TRAPPED IN YESTERDAY

  PATHS THAT COLLIDE

  A THOUSAND SMILES

  HOME

  RYAN’S GIRL

  DEDICATION

  My Darling,

  When I am so absorbed in my world of make believe, you step back into the shadows and let me live there for a while.

  When I come home to you, you console me when I say goodbye to my stories and characters.

  Without you, I never want to return.

  BROKEN

  “No daddy! I don’t want to go! You can’t make me go!” Molly shouted through her tears as she held on to her father, while desperately pleading with him. James Starkey was a tall and sturdy man, and for most of her seventeen years, Molly had secretly feared him. She was taught early on that, as his daughter, she had no voice when it came to questioning the decisions her father had made. Molly was raised to obey and accept that his decisions were an unbroken rule in their family home, one that they had no right, or place to question.

  Even though Molly was raised in a secure and loving home, James Starkey was a strict disciplinarian and it in no way occurred to her, or even crossed her mind to become rebellious, or act out in disobedience towards her father. Arguing, or violating his rules in any way, was never an option for Molly. Being the eldest of three children, she realized early on that she was the apple of her father’s eye. She thought herself to be the luckiest girl in the entire world to boast with a father who loved her as unconditionally as he did, even though there were times Molly felt he could loosen up a little more around his family. She would often find herself staring at her father, and lightheartedly relate to him as a colonel in the army. She, along with her younger brother and sister secretly gave him the nickname, ‘The Major,’ and would in jest mimic him when he was out of hearing distance. At times, she felt that he was immensely unreasonable, but Molly rarely doubted his astuteness and wholeheartedly accepted his rules, while trusting him, and the decisions he had resolved to on their behalf unreservedly. Until that moment, his authority enhanced her feelings of safety and fortification, but in an instant, Molly questioned all she thought she knew about her father.

  “Daddy, please!” She was frantically trying to change her father’s mind, while desperate that somehow, he would revisit his decision, if only just once. In a single moment, she hardly cared that she was questioning him, and she worried even less that he might become irate with her. It had been only fifteen minutes earlier that he had informed the entire family that they were relocating to another town, leaving her much-loved Harper Valley permanently behind.

  For the first time in her life, Molly felt insecure and desperately frightened. She adored her hometown, the town she was born into, the town that had raised her, and brought her beloved Ryan to her. She, along with her brother, Tyron and her sister, Megan, were born in Harper Valley, and had lived there in bliss, their entire lives. In an instant, her father was sternly informing the family that they were to leave their little coastal hometown, and move inland, to the city.

  For Molly, the thought of leaving it all behind, was too much for her to bear. She was not prepared for the sudden changes that were about to come into her life, and she could by no means imagine living elsewhere. She loathed the city, and she knew her father well enough to know that he found the city insufferable. Nothing made sense to her and she could in no way at all, understand why he had made such a drastic decision in such a short time, without any forewarning or any hint of the prospect that they may soon have to leave their hometown. She felt as though she was trapped in the core of a nightmare, and regardless of how frantic she attempted to fight his decision, or wrestle with him, she was powerless to awaken from her nightmarish reality.

  ‘I can’t leave here, I just can’t!’ She thought again and again while listening to her father as he quickly discussed the intended move with her mother, Sue. Although Molly’s bond with her father had been stronger than the connection she shared with her mother, she knew that she could rely on her mother to stand by her when James became irrational from time to time. Sue was entirely devoted to her children, but she knew and accepted right from the start of their marriage, that James was the head of their home. Her opinions vastly differed from him from time to time, but she stood firmly by him, and was confident that he knew what was paramount for their family.

  “Mommy, please! Talk to daddy, let me stay here!” Molly shouted out again while clenching her mother’s hand. “Honey…” Sue glanced at her daughter, unsure of how to respond to Molly’s pleading. She was instantly aware of the tears that had settled into her own eyes, while convinced that at that exact point in their lives, Molly’s father had no other alternative, making the only decision that was fitting for them as a family.

  Sue adored James and their three children, but she was abundantly aware that the move would be rigid on her family, and especially tough on Molly. “I can go and live at Ryan’s! Or at Ida’s house. I only have what’s left of this year and next year before school draws to an end for me. Please, mommy. Daddy, please!” Molly was unrelenting as she frantically beseeched her parents.

  For the first time in his life, James felt tremendous strain as he faced his daughter. He was copiously aware of the reality that taking his family away, would wreck not only Molly, but the family as a whole. He moved around to the kitchen table, and reluctantly sat down, and held the weight of his head in his hands. Molly made her way over to him, and stood quietly behind her father. She had only moments earlier placed her hands gently on his shoulders when she discovered how challenging a time it was for him too. As much compassion as she felt for him, she had no penchant to surrender her dispute with him just yet. “Daddy, please! I don’t want to leave, please let me stay.” She pleaded with him for a second time, while trying her utmost not to cry.

  James peered up at his daughter, agonizingly aware of the brokenness in her voice while trying to face her courageously. He pulled her down onto his lap, as he did so many times before when she was no more than a little girl. As he sat gazing at her, Molly was alerted to the sorrow in his own eyes. It seemed to Molly as though he had aged ten years in fifteen minutes, and it unexpectedly disturbed her. It was at that dreadful moment that she realized that moving his family away from Harper Valley, was as severe for him, as it was for her. She instinctively knew that her father’s decision was one made out of extreme desperation. “Daddy, please let me stay here.” Molly spoke tenderly while praying silently that he would feel some empathy for her, and permit Molly to remain behind in Harper Valley.

  Molly had known Ryan since the day she was born. She often heard their parents converse and reflect back on the day they had met. Molly and Ryan were born on the same day in the same hospital, and less than ten minutes apart. While in labor, Sue and Maria had met for the first time and became firm friends when they discovered that they both relished at becoming mothers for what seemed equally daunting to both women. As they grew closer to one another, James and Joe developed a close friendship too. Molly and Ryan had become p
laymates and in due course, as the years passed by, and without any one person taking notice, they developed a relationship that began with a childlike friendship. A relationship that grew into a romance that left no room for anyone else. Molly was totally dedicated to Ryan and he in turn, was totally besotted with her. They spent every waking moment together, and occasionally at night, Ryan would creep into her childhood home, and sit in the corner of her bedroom, while he watched Molly sleep. Ryan was terrified of losing her, and obsessed about it virtually every day, even as a little boy.

  When Molly became ill from time to time, Ryan refused to leave her side, and sat in close proximity of her while he told her stories of how he would take care of her when they were old enough. He would frequently catch up on her homework when she was off school, for the fear that she might fall behind, which in turn, would leave her a year behind him. They were often teased at school for acting like an ageing wedded duo. Ryan was never fascinated by any other girl, and Molly by no means looked twice at a different boy. For the duration of their lunch breaks at school, Ryan and Molly would sit away from the other children, designing their later life as one. Habitually, their friends would be amused by them, although it never seemed to disturb either Ryan or Molly. Ryan was keen to study abroad after he graduated from high school, while Molly was ready to give up all to follow him, just to remain close to him.

  For James, it was repeatedly intricate to witness their relationship amplify at the pace it was escalating, but he accepted that it was merely typical for his daughter and Ryan to develop such a profound and private relationship at an incredibly young age. He frequently became anxious at the physically powerful force of their relationship, but he once more accepted early on that there was nothing he could do to slow them down. He once told Sue that it would be cruel to try and keep them apart, and he would constantly pray that they would encompass one another to rely and depend upon, at all times. James realized from the very beginning that Molly’s entire existence revolved around Ryan, and he couldn’t help but wonder what would eventually come to pass with his daughter, should anything ever separate them. He treasured his daughter and he wanted more than anything for her to be content. He was convinced that he would do all he could to enable the reality of her dreams, and that no sacrifice would be too great to witness Molly blissfully happy. Only in that instant, while he was listening to her imploring him to allow her to stay behind, James was only too aware that he adored his daughter, and he could barely begin to visualize parting with her as they left her behind. He was only too conscious of the loss she would endure by leaving Ryan behind, but James was more troubled with the overwhelming loss he and Sue would suffer, should they allow Molly to stay behind without them, in Harper Valley.

  When he glanced at Molly yet again, James was certain that nothing could ever wound him more, and that he could never again be sadder, than he was at that very moment; the moment he realized that Molly could in no way at all, subsist without Ryan. Above all else, he could scarcely imagine life without his daughter, living safely and shielded under the same roof as he. She hadn’t spent one day apart from Ryan since the moment they had entered the world together, and he was disturbed by the reality of how she would get by without him. She barely made friends, but moreover, it was alarming when he realized that he could count her friends on one hand. He remained still while staring at her, and thought back to the day he questioned her with reference as to why she never made new friends. Her reply was simple; she had Ryan, and she was relatively happy to have him as her best and only friend. Other than Ida, Ryan was the one person that she turned to while she proudly introduced him as her closest friend. If Molly, by chance wasn’t hanging out with him at his home, or if they weren’t together on the beach, Ryan was more than likely at home with her. The Starkey’s thought highly of Ryan, and unsurprisingly embraced him as a fraction of their family. James had been exceedingly fond of Ryan and surreptitiously approved of the fact that his daughter had fallen in love with someone like him. He absolutely trusted Ryan, and barely worried about her when they were out together. He too, frequently felt that their relationship had intensified far too rapidly, but at the same time, he knew that there was nothing he could do to impede their union.

  James recalled the day that Molly had been rushed to the hospital for an emergency appendicitis procedure. Ryan was beside himself with worry, and unrelentingly pleaded with Maria to take him to her. James recalled that throughout her stay, Ryan refused to leave her even for a moment, compelling Maria to allow him to stay with her until she was discharged. When James and Sue arrived at the hospital in the mornings, they would constantly find Ryan on the bed beside Molly with a protective arm around her. For Molly, making decisions without Ryan’s approval was tougher for her than she would like to disclose. At night, they would meet up at the pool and squander hours while caught up in conversation, when they thought that nobody knew. James would watch them giggle and embrace through his bedroom window, and although it was thorny for him to witness how greatly his daughter depended on someone other than him, he was delighted that it was Ryan, and he was thankful that Ryan was constantly present for her.

  He often turned away from them, perceptive of the fact that there would in no way ever, be anyone else who cherished his daughter in the manner that Ryan did. James knew that their relationship was more intimate than he approved of, but he accepted months ago that there was not anything he could do to try and slow them down. He raised his children to be fearless in expressing and receiving affection, but ideally, he would have preferred it if Molly was a fraction older. James watched them when they thought that no-one was looking, and he couldn’t help but feel the distance breed between him and Molly. He was constantly aware of how diverse they looked on the outside, yet how parallel they were on the inside.

  Molly was a petite young lady with long blonde hair and striking green eyes, where Ryan on the other hand, was taller. He was set apart with raven black hair, and eyes that seemed to be even darker at times, which he inherited from his Spanish parents. They were a striking couple, yet they were entirely oblivious of how beautiful they were to the outside world. Tyron and Megan were utterly dissimilar to Molly, and James couldn’t help but feel a little left behind in her life. He was overwhelmed by the fact that Ryan was the most significant person in her life, and at times, he felt that at the very least and for the first couple of years of her life, he should have been the center of his daughter’s life, her first love.

  “Molly, you can’t stay here. What about us?” He took his daughter into his arms, and held her firmly against him while hoping that she could sense the anguish he felt within. Without responding to him, Molly buried her head in his chest, and sobbed so deafeningly that Sue was forced to take Tyron and Megan, and lead them away from of the kitchen. “Daddy, please, I’m begging you.” Molly pleaded softly through her tears. “My girl, I can’t leave you here. I can’t leave you behind and carry on with my life somewhere else, without you. You are still my daughter, Molly, and you are still under my roof. I promise you that if you don’t fight this, if you don’t wrestle with me, I will let you come back once you’ve graduated from high school.” He made a valiant effort to offer his daughter a compromise, confident that he could barely even consider, leaving his sweetheart Molly behind.

  Molly was still weeping when she reluctantly accepted that, regardless of how profoundly she pleaded and begged her father, he would never have a change of heart. When James Starkey made a decision, there was no turning back. A decision was made, and this time would be no different to any other moment in time. She was wholly unaware of how misplaced her father would be without her, and she was convinced that he was self-interested and malicious. Molly pulled away from him, and abruptly felt hatred and anger build up inside of her for her father.

  “You, dad, you are ruining my life! I hate you! I hate you!” She shouted out loud before she ran from the kitchen, and into the night. When James could no longer see her, he
was sure that his daughter was escaping to Ryan. He allowed her to seek solace in his arms while she was angry, sensitive to the fact that he had shattered her heart.

  Molly walked slowly up the path of the Neves home, alert to the suggestion that it would be one of the last times she would stroll up this path. It was a path that she was immensely familiar with. It made her feel safe each time she glanced up at their home. When she gazed down at her wristwatch, she was staggered to find that it was just after eight the evening. Molly had no desire for the rest of the Neves family to recognize that she was there to see Ryan. She unnoticeably walked around to his bedroom, and was relieved to find that his bedroom light still burning. She knocked delicately on his window, while she tried dabbing at the tears that were lying wet on her cheeks. “Molly? What are you doing here? What’s wrong? Have you been crying?” Ryan was nervous the moment he saw her, and quietly climbed out of his bedroom window to get closer to her. Ryan had never seen Molly cry, and it frightened him to consider the very notion that there may be something critically in the wrong with her. Molly turned away from him, and made her way around to their swimming pool. He caught up with her, and took her into his arms, holding her securely against him. He remained silent while sensing that she was desperately unable to find the words to clarify why she had become so utterly dejected. In all the years that he had known Molly, he could scarcely reflect on even one day that she was so entirely despondent. It terrified him to witness her in such a state, and he knew that something awful had taken place only moments earlier. He wiped the tears from her eyes before he held her in his arms once more.

  “Molly, you’re scaring me?” He whispered hoarsely when he felt panic grip a hold of his heart. “Ryan …” Was all she was able to say before the tears began rushing down her cheeks yet again. “What happened?” He gently brushed her hair from her eyes. She gazed up into his eyes, unsure of what to say to him, or precisely how to tell him what she herself could barely understand. She noticed that his hair was tousled, and to her, the very sight of him reminded her of how enormously eye-catching he was. She smiled when she realized how utterly perfect he was for her, but at the same time, Molly wondered if she would ever feel better again. She treasured the fact that they appeared entirely diverse to one another, yet she was the girl that Ryan had chosen, the only girl that claimed his heart.