Almost a Family

“What a mess.”

Sara looked up, happy as a clam. “That was fun. I’m hungry.”

“Let’s test one.” Molly poured them each a glass of milk while Sara picked up two cookies. They sat at the table munching away, Molly listening to Sara’s animated chatter with half an ear.

Sara threw her arms wide, tipping over her milk. Molly jumped up and grabbed a towel, but not before a river of milk spread to the contract she’d pushed aside earlier.

“Oh no!” Frantically she mopped, but the bottom edge of the contract was soaked.

“Sorry, Aunt Molly,” Sara apologized in a quiet voice.

“Sara, you’ve got to be more careful!” Molly held up the papers, trying to press the moisture out of them with her tea towel. She huffed out a sigh of frustration, then saw the girl dip her head and heard the sniff.

She shouldn’t have yelled. It had been an accident. And Sara was pretty fragile right now.

“Sara, it’s all right. Never mind, okay? It was an accident.”

“But you’re mad!” The words came out in a dramatic wail.

Molly smiled reassuringly in response to the drama. “Well, yes, a little. This is my work.” She pressed a kiss to the girl’s head. “But you didn’t mean to spill your milk and I should have picked up my things. I’m sorry I yelled at you.”

Sara looked up, hope in her innocent eyes. “When I spill stuff on Mommy’s papers, she hangs them up with a clothes pin.”

“Good to know.” Molly ruffled Sara’s hair. “Let’s get this place cleaned up and go visit your mom while these cookies are still fresh.”

*

They drove to the hospital in the late afternoon, while daylight was disappearing, washed out against the white earth. Sara clutched a paper bag of cookies in her hand while Molly carried her purse and a paperback novel. They found Kim sitting up in bed, watching Oprah with headphones on, her hair clean and pulled back in a braid, her color much improved.

“Mommy!”

Kim’s mouth opened in surprise as her daughter scrambled up on her bed, boots and all.

“Hang on there, tiger,” Molly said and hurried to take off Sara’s snowy boots. “Remember your mom’s still sore, Sara.”

“If you’re gentle, you can snuggle right in here.” Kim adjusted her weight gingerly, making room for her daughter close to her side.

“We brought you a surprise.” Her chubby hand held out the bag.

“You’re my surprise,” Kim answered, but dutifully peeked inside.

“Monster cookies! My favorite.”

“Aunt Molly and me made ’em.”

“Aunt Molly baked? Glad I’m already in a hospital in case they have to pump my stomach.” Kim sent Molly a teasing smirk. “They smell delicious. May I have one?”

Sara nodded. Kim dipped her hand into the bag while Molly sat in a vinyl chair next to the bed.

“How are things going?”

Molly smiled. “Okay. It’s been a learning experience.”

Kim laughed tightly so as not to jar her ribs. “When I called you, I remember you saying, ‘How much trouble can one toddler be?’”

Molly let an affectionate grin crawl up her cheek. “Aw, she’s not trouble. She’s just busy. I don’t know how you do it, and work, and keep your house looking like you do.”

“You get used to it.”