“Hey, girls,” he said from the doorway, and Molly spun, her hands still encased in blue oven mitts and holding the pan.
“Feel better?” Kim spoke into the breach of silence that fell. Molly turned to get a spatula for the potato smiley faces, but not before Jason saw the fleeting expression of consternation on her face. She was isolating herself. And somehow he sensed it had nothing to do with last night.
“Need some help?” he offered lightly, taking the plate from Kim. Molly still avoided his glance as she filled a bowl with the potato shapes.
“We’re good,” Kim answered cryptically, but he could see by her overly bright smile that she knew exactly what was going on and dread curled around, dark and unknown, in his stomach. Something was wrong.
Sara’s chatter at the table made up for the lack of conversation, but Jason watched Molly closely. Her mouth was thin and unhappy, her eyes weary. Once she met Kim’s eyes and he knew that whatever it was, Molly had confided in her sister. He was clearly out of the loop.
“So what’s first, muffin?” He forced his tone to be light and happy for Sara’s sake. “Presents or cake?”
Sara pushed away her plate, leaving half a nugget stuck in the circle of ketchup. “Presents! Presents!”
He laughed. “You got it.” Disappearing around the corner, he brought out his present to her. She tore at the pink paper, giving an excited squeal as he helped her open the box.
Inside was a puppet show. Taking off the plastic wrap, he showed her how to fold back the sides so it would stand alone, tie back the curtains with Velcro and open the bag of finger puppets inside. Eyes wide, she put on a lion and zebra while he donned a monkey and they acted out, wiggling their fingers and talking in sometimes high, sometimes growly, animal-ish voices.
“Do you like it?”
“I love it! Thanks, Uncle Jason.”
“You’re welcome. Let’s see what your mama got you.”
Kim stayed in her seat, her face drawn and pale from the unaccustomed excitement while Jason put away the puppet show and motioned for Molly to help him with the toy kitchen. Together they went to the basement and carried up the assembled toy, the silence between them awkward as Molly avoided his gaze again.
“Shut your eyes,” he called from the hall, and they brought it into the kitchen, a huge pink bow on the top of the cupboard.
“Okay, you can open them now.”
Sara’s eyes were as wide as silver dollars as she stared at the miniature kitchen with her mouth open. It was taller than she was and twice as wide. Sliding off her chair, she reached out a disbelieving hand, touching the sink and the play toaster. “Ohhhh, Mommy,” she whispered, and Jason looked over at Kim.
Tears had gathered in her Kim’s eyes and she held her fingers over her mouth. Tearing her gaze from her daughter she looked up at Jason and Molly. “Thank you,” she whispered as Sara moved from spot to spot, trying it out. “I know what I gave you didn’t cover it.”
“We wanted to,” Molly answered with a warm smile.
“Mommy, it’s just what I wanted!” The initial shock had worn off and Sara started to bounce. “Look! A dishwasher and fridge and oven and everything!”
Jason laughed at the girl’s ebullience, but laid assessing eyes on Molly. She’d given Kim credit for the gift, even though she had helped pay for it. Her smile broadened at the approval that had come from Kim. His brow wrinkled thoughtfully, listening to Sara’s chatter in the background, thanking her aunt for picking it out. Perhaps Molly had changed. Because it was clear to him that she was trying to make up in the only way she knew how for not being here. But soon she’d be gone and he knew that presents didn’t make up for a lack of love. He wasn’t sure Molly understood that yet.
“Sara, I think your Aunt Molly got you something, too,” Kim’s voice intruded.
“You did?”
Molly smiled. “Yes, I did. It’s in the living room.”
Sara rushed out, sliding back over the floor with the pink box in hand. Hurriedly she ripped off the paper and opened up the accessories to her kitchen.
“Oh, thank you, Aunt Molly!” Impulsively Sara rocketed over to give Molly a genuine hug, looping her arms around her aunt’s neck and kissing her cheek. Molly’s lips were frozen in a permanent smile. “This is the best birthday ever!”
Everyone laughed, contented to watch as Sara donned her apron and set about making everyone tea to go with their birthday cake.
While Kim was putting candles on the cake, Jason rose and laid a hand on Molly’s shoulder as they watched Sara playing. He leaned close to her ear. “So Molly saves the day,” he murmured, and although he didn’t hear it, he sensed the frustrated sigh coming from within her.
“I certainly didn’t intend to,” she hissed back. “Just save it, okay? I’m not in the mood right now.”
He flattened his chin at her sharp reply, taken aback when he’d only been teasing. “I wasn’t meaning to be critical,” he defended. Whatever was bothering her, it had to be something big to put her this much on edge. “Are you okay?” His voice was low with concern he couldn’t help but feel even in his disappointment. He knelt before her chair and looked up at her.
Her eyes were tortured, and he only remembered one other time he’d seen her so inwardly torn up about anything. The day he’d asked her to marry him and she’d refused. His chest was heavy and weighted as tears gleamed in her eyes and she averted her head and tried to blink them away. Her expression, her anguish, reached out to him, so tangible he felt it without even knowing the cause. Yet what could be this big to tear her up inside so very much?