Molly has been home a month and has spent most of that time in Bath. She is happiest there. When she is London she feels 'fragged' and 'spaced out'. She can't settle. She feels edgy. She needs the reassurance of Charles so despite the disappointment of her parents; she is spending most of her free time in Bath. She feels content there. He grounds her. The time has flown but her time to report back to barracks for deployment again is a reality and this is her last day with Charles. When she surprised Charles a month ago by turning up at his house a day earlier than he anticipated she didn't think beyond that day and the urgency she felt to see him. She wanted to make sure every feeling she had whilst in Afghanistan had been real. She wanted to know Charles felt the same.
She's met Charles's parents. Despite her nervousness in meeting his parents they were very welcoming and warm. Mrs James was the complete opposite of any teacher Molly had had at school. Maybe if they had teachers like that in inner London she would have enjoyed school. Then again, even having a teacher like Mrs James Molly didn't think she would have done anything different. Maybe now with the wisdom of maturity and having seen 'the real world' she can appreciate that now. The first meeting with Mr James was strange. It was like looking at an older version of Charles. The Charles he was when she first met him when he threatened to 'lob her out the plane'. Like her Charles he mellowed with time and once he realised she wasn't some fly by night fancy of Charles he let her see the real him. It felt very awkward staying at their house at first but Mr & Mrs James spent quite a bit of time travelling as they are both retired.
Meeting Sam again was a whole different ball game. Despite desperately wanting to meet Charles's mini me Molly was very hesitant to become involved. She didn't want to feel as she was being forced on him and very mindful of Sam's Mum. She always got the impression when they met at the hospital that time that she knew there was more to Dawsey and Boss Man than medic and Captain.
Her relationship with Charles has developed to them both accepting they are a couple. Molly is still nervous about the future and how it will work once Charles resigns his commission. She doesn't know how she will cope after being with him for a full month in not seeing him for 3 months whilst she is away but Charles has reassured her numerous times it will be fine. Molly cannot believe she is off on deployment again in 2 days. She feels guilty as Charles is meeting his CO the following day. His physio is complete and he is been signed off fit. He is still adamant about resigning his commission and no matter how many times Molly tells him he should stay in, he is adamant. He feels he let the unit down. He feels he let Smurf down. Molly secretly thinks that if Smurf hadn't died they would have been able to work through this. She had hoped to still be home when he saw the Major. As much as she knew he had his mind made up she knows it will be a difficult day. She wants to support him.