Kathleen stood in front of the big picture window and looked out toward the small stream that ran along the edge of her property. It was late spring but still raining hard. Making the ground and trees lush and green. she spotted her daughter sitting quietly at the water's edge, her face turned upward toward the cloudy sky. Her long red hair flowing gently down her back and her hands wound protectively around her knees.
"Collin?' she said turning toward her husband who held 4-year-old Fiona on his lap while he played a game of checkers with Jack.
He turned to her and she nodded towards the window indicating that he should come to look. He exhaled quietly, and Kathleen felt the annoyance of her husband as he deposited Fiona on the couch and came over to her slowly.
"What is it dear?' he asked.
She indicated to Molly and shook her head. 'I'm worried about her Collin." she said softly hoping that the kids wouldn't hear her.
She turned to look at him and he saw the concern in his wife's eyes. He exhaled and put his hand around her shoulders. "She is grieving Kathleen. That's all it is."
Kathleen shook her head. "that's the trouble, she's not, didn't you see her at the funeral she didn't cry.' she shook her head again. 'Not even a single tear.'
He removed his hand from her shoulder and ran it through his thinning hair. "What would you like me to do darling," he asked.
She turned to him and touched his hand. "Talk to her.' she said softly. "Help her to see that she still has someone."
He shook his head. "I don't see..." He began but she turned and opened the back door.
He exhaled and trudged out into the wet grass. As he exited the house he saw how hard it was raining and began to feel exactly as his wife had, that his daughter shouldn't be alone outside in the pouring rain.
He walked up to her and Molly turned to face him at the sound of his boots crunching on the soft grass. He was surprised to see that her face was dry from the tears that he expected to see and there was no sign of her crying which he had expected and in fact even hoped for.
'Hi Da." she said, her voice soft and far away.
He stood looking down at his daughter. "Come inside Molly."
She turned away but stood. 'Not yet Da.' she said shaking her head.
'You will catch your death out here." he said.
She said nothing but dug her toe into the muddy ground in front of her. She knew she was acting like a spoiled child but she didn't care right now.
"Or is that what you want?' her father asked her.
She scoffed and shook her head. "How dare you.' she said angrily running her fingers through her hair which had become wet and stringy. "My husband is dead, I'm trying to figure out how..." her voice trialled off as she felt tears beginning to bloom in her eyes. She turned and started to walk away. "Never mind, you don't care anyway."
He reached out and grabbed her shoulder turning her back toward him. "No!" He yelled 'What were you going to say." The quick motion of her father surprised her and she gasped, although upon thinking about it later Collin thought it sounded like a strangled sob.
Molly held her breath until the feeling to break down and cry passed. She looked down and blinked as tears began to fill her vision again. "Da please.' she begged. 'I can't do this right now."
Seeing the deep pain in his daughter's eyes, he did something very uncharacteristic and placed his hand on her warm cheek. "You have to let this out Molly," he said his voice gentle. "Bottling it up isn't going to help you."
She shook her head. "I can't Da, I have to..." she began her breath becoming erratic. She blinked and two tears escaped her barriers and began to flow down her cheeks. "I have to be strong...for...for the kids," she said her words choked by a soft sob.
Collin smiled sadly at her. "No baby, no," he said softly pulling her into his arms.
She buried her face in his soft shirt and tried to take a deep breath, which quickly became a huge sob. she gripped onto him tightly, as if holding a life raft as the emotions of the last month broke over her. her earlier held back sobs began true cries of grief and she fell down on her knees pulling her father with her.
'Why...' "Why..." "Why..." she sobbed unable to finish the rest of her words as they became lost in her pain.
he stroked her long hair and felt tears come into his own eyes. "I don't know baby." he whispered in her ear "I don't know."
Molly continued to sob for a long time, finally letting out her sadness over the death of her husband.
Kathleen watched her husband and daughter for quite some time, she saw the pain that her daughter was going through but also felt some sort of spark inside her telling her that her daughter, and her husband would be alright.