never had any problems with your mother. She hired me.”
“But she doesn’t like you anymore.”
“Let’s not talk about your mother.”
“Are you afraid of her?”
Molly walked past the living room to the kitchen. The counter had cereal boxes and breakfast dishes sprawled across the tiles. She spotted a container of milk that had been left out on the table. She lifted the container, and despite the coldness of the house the container felt warm. She popped open the container and smelled the contents. Since the milk didn’t smell sour she returned it to the refrigerator.
“You didn’t answer my question, Molly.”
Startled, Molly almost dropped the container. She placed the milk on a wire shelf and searched for something to eat.
“You can have the leftover chili if you want,” Stephen said.
“It’s from your favorite restaurant. Is this a parting gift from you to me?”
Stephen walked over to Molly and pushed her aside to reach inside the refrigerator. He lifted out the brown bag containing the chili and carried it off to the waste can where he disposed of it.
“Don’t eat it. It’s not good for you,” he said.
Molly slammed the refrigerator shut and declared she could wait until she got home.
He left the kitchen. She heard his feet swiftly climb the stairs. When he returned he carried the wolf mask and costume.
“I can’t wear this,” he said presenting the items to Molly.
“I don’t want them back. What am I going to do with them? Toss them in with the chili if you like.”
Molly walked past him and plopped herself down on the living room sofa. Fifteen minutes later Stephen entered the living room, still carrying the mask and costume.
“Please take them away, Molly. I can’t wear them and I can’t throw them out. Momma won’t let me. She says you have to take them. She’ll be angry with me if you don’t.” Tears brimmed his eyes.
“Why does she want me to take them?”
“‘Cause you made them. She doesn’t want me accepting gifts from you.”
“Stephen, you have to tell your father about the basement. I don’t know whether that snake act was a trick, but you have to let your father know how you feel about your mother.”
“Please, Molly. Momma says if I keep them I might be tempted to wear the costume on Halloween. Maybe she’s right. I do think it’s neat.” He stroked the furry costume.
“Your mother wouldn’t have acted this way before.”
“She’s different now. She’s mad.”
“Like crazy?”
“No. Momma’s not looney. She doesn’t like anything.”
“Including you?”
“She says she loves me but needs my help.”
“To do what?”
Stephen shrugged.
“Come here.”
Clutching the costume he walked over to Molly who lifted him up onto her lap for a hug.
“I’ll take the costume. I’m sorry you won’t wear it on Halloween because I would have been very proud to see you in it. But if it makes you unhappy to have the costume, then I’ll take it back home with me. I’ll keep it until after Halloween. If you change your mind I’ll bring it back to you.”
“I don’t think Momma will change her mind.”
“I said if you changed your mind, Stephen. I don’t care what your mother thinks. Do you understand?”
“Is that why she doesn’t like you now?”
Molly smiled at him.
“That and maybe … But never mind. This is our last afternoon together; why don’t we play some games?”
“Ladders,” Stephen shouted.
Chapter
27
Jacob paid Molly an extra week’s wages since she had been forced to leave on short notice. She refused the money, but Jacob insisted, saying she had been worth every penny. She wanted to slap the smirk off his face, but Stephen stood by Jacob’s side.
“Goodbye, Molly,” Stephen said. His sad eyes could barely look her in the face.
“How about a kiss?” She squatted so Stephen could give her a final hug and kiss.
“Hey, you two will be seeing each other around. No one is moving out of town as far as I
“But she doesn’t like you anymore.”
“Let’s not talk about your mother.”
“Are you afraid of her?”
Molly walked past the living room to the kitchen. The counter had cereal boxes and breakfast dishes sprawled across the tiles. She spotted a container of milk that had been left out on the table. She lifted the container, and despite the coldness of the house the container felt warm. She popped open the container and smelled the contents. Since the milk didn’t smell sour she returned it to the refrigerator.
“You didn’t answer my question, Molly.”
Startled, Molly almost dropped the container. She placed the milk on a wire shelf and searched for something to eat.
“You can have the leftover chili if you want,” Stephen said.
“It’s from your favorite restaurant. Is this a parting gift from you to me?”
Stephen walked over to Molly and pushed her aside to reach inside the refrigerator. He lifted out the brown bag containing the chili and carried it off to the waste can where he disposed of it.
“Don’t eat it. It’s not good for you,” he said.
Molly slammed the refrigerator shut and declared she could wait until she got home.
He left the kitchen. She heard his feet swiftly climb the stairs. When he returned he carried the wolf mask and costume.
“I can’t wear this,” he said presenting the items to Molly.
“I don’t want them back. What am I going to do with them? Toss them in with the chili if you like.”
Molly walked past him and plopped herself down on the living room sofa. Fifteen minutes later Stephen entered the living room, still carrying the mask and costume.
“Please take them away, Molly. I can’t wear them and I can’t throw them out. Momma won’t let me. She says you have to take them. She’ll be angry with me if you don’t.” Tears brimmed his eyes.
“Why does she want me to take them?”
“‘Cause you made them. She doesn’t want me accepting gifts from you.”
“Stephen, you have to tell your father about the basement. I don’t know whether that snake act was a trick, but you have to let your father know how you feel about your mother.”
“Please, Molly. Momma says if I keep them I might be tempted to wear the costume on Halloween. Maybe she’s right. I do think it’s neat.” He stroked the furry costume.
“Your mother wouldn’t have acted this way before.”
“She’s different now. She’s mad.”
“Like crazy?”
“No. Momma’s not looney. She doesn’t like anything.”
“Including you?”
“She says she loves me but needs my help.”
“To do what?”
Stephen shrugged.
“Come here.”
Clutching the costume he walked over to Molly who lifted him up onto her lap for a hug.
“I’ll take the costume. I’m sorry you won’t wear it on Halloween because I would have been very proud to see you in it. But if it makes you unhappy to have the costume, then I’ll take it back home with me. I’ll keep it until after Halloween. If you change your mind I’ll bring it back to you.”
“I don’t think Momma will change her mind.”
“I said if you changed your mind, Stephen. I don’t care what your mother thinks. Do you understand?”
“Is that why she doesn’t like you now?”
Molly smiled at him.
“That and maybe … But never mind. This is our last afternoon together; why don’t we play some games?”
“Ladders,” Stephen shouted.
Chapter
27
Jacob paid Molly an extra week’s wages since she had been forced to leave on short notice. She refused the money, but Jacob insisted, saying she had been worth every penny. She wanted to slap the smirk off his face, but Stephen stood by Jacob’s side.
“Goodbye, Molly,” Stephen said. His sad eyes could barely look her in the face.
“How about a kiss?” She squatted so Stephen could give her a final hug and kiss.
“Hey, you two will be seeing each other around. No one is moving out of town as far as I
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