Almost a Family

“Aw, do we have to?”

Absolutely. “’Fraid so, kiddo. Gotta get you ready for bed. It’s seven-thirty already.”

Without saying a word to Jason, Molly stuffed Sara’s arms and legs into her coat and boots with terrifying efficiency.

She opened the door, taking Sara’s hand. Sara half-turned and called back, “Bye, Uncle Jason!”

Molly heard him call something, but she was too busy towing Sara across the yard to listen to what it was.

*

Molly flipped through the third file of the day and sighed at the cream-colored stack that still remained. This was the first time she’d had a chance to open her briefcase. Looking after one three-year-old was proving to be more challenging than negotiating land leases and royalty contracts worth millions of dollars.

She closed the file and slid her laptop over on the kitchen table. Clicking on her e-mail button, she waited what seemed like forever for her messages to download. Kim had a computer, but her internet access was spotty. Molly poured herself another cup of coffee while she waited. She opened a message from a colleague, but the words didn’t register. All she could see were Jason’s furious eyes as they’d argued.

So many feelings left to simmer. Molly supposed it was inevitable they’d vent them now after leaving them unresolved. But she hadn’t been prepared for the reality of dealing with him again and confronting all those feelings. It was proving to be more intense than she could have imagined.

She had to stop thinking about him and focus. Sara would be asleep for perhaps an hour. Molly wondered how much work she could accomplish in that amount of time.

She was immersed in page seven of a contract when she felt a tiny hand tug at her sleeve.

“You’re awake already?” She turned, pulling off her reading glasses, and rubbed the bridge of her nose.

Sara nodded and stuck a thumb in her mouth, something Molly hadn’t seen her do before.

“Can you play for a little while? I need to finish this.”

Sara looked up at her, saying nothing, but her brown eyes glimmered with tears and the thumb went deeper.

Molly sighed and pushed the contract out of reach on the table. “What’s wrong?”

Two tears splashed over Sara’s eyelashes. “When’s Mommy coming home?”

Molly sighed again, then picked up the girl and placed her on her lap. “I’m not sure, honey. Probably in another week or so. She needs to be better so she can take care of you, right?”

Sara nodded, but Molly could tell she wasn’t appeased.

She had work she must finish, but faced with Sara’s tears, knew she’d have to finish it after Sara was in bed for the night.

She hadn’t seen Jason in three days, not since she’d taken Sara to see Bubbles. She told herself that was not the reason for her short temper and irritability lately. After their fight, distance was certainly best.

“Tell you what. Let’s make cookies.”

Sara’s head perked up immediately. “What kind?”

“What’s your favorite?”

“Monster ones.”

“I don’t know what those are.”

Sara hopped down, took Molly’s hand and dragged her to the cupboard. “They have M&Ms and chocolate chips and stuff,” she explained and opened the drawer next to the oven that held Kim’s recipe box. “In there.”

She lifted out the box. “We’ll see.” An idea blossomed. “But maybe we can make some and then sneak them in to your mom. Would you like to visit her again?”

Sara’s eyes brightened further and Molly wiped the tears from the girl’s cheeks, thinking how sweet and fragile her niece was. There was no contest. Work could wait. For now, there were cookies to bake.

With Sara’s help, Molly found all the ingredients they’d need. She measured and Sara poured, and they took turns stirring. A little over an hour later, they had three dozen cookies cooling on a wire rack, and both aprons and four feet of counter were covered with flour and sticky oatmeal.