Charles pulled up outside of the house and got out the car. He stared up at the upstairs window and saw that it was off so that meant that Sam was asleep. He walked up the path and knocked on the door gently enough that Sam wouldn't hear it but loud enough for her to hear.
The door opened and he was greeted with the blonde haired woman and he smiled softly at her. "Thanks for doing this"
"No problem" Rebecca replied and she let him in, shutting the door after him when he was walking towards the kitchen.
Charles had been heartbroken when his marriage to Rebecca had ended because of the fact that she had been so unhappy and rather than drag her down anymore, as they had married young, he let her go and now she was happily married to Mark. If they had stayed together then they would have only been miserable and he never wanted that for her.
"Coffee?" Rebecca asked as she came into the kitchen.
"Uh, no I'll have a cup of tea if that's alright, too much coffee at night will keep me awake" he smiled slightly and then removed his coat before putting it on the back of a chair and sitting down in it. "Sorry it's late, we had a small party at work because we're not opening tomorrow"
Rebecca put her hand to her heart and gasped playfully "You not working tomorrow, the world is ending!"
Charles laughed and looked down. "Well tomorrow is Christmas Eve and everyone could do without working tomorrow even if no one would ever get anything but at least then there wouldn't be a mad Christmas Eve rush to get everything done"
Rebecca leaned against the counter and watched him. "What's on your mind?" she asked and knew that he had come here to talk. She never thought that this would've happened between the two of them, that they would be able to talk so openly like this but they didn't have a disastrous end to their marriage so that might have something to do with it.
She loved Charles very much and would always do because of Sam but she never regretted her decision to get out because they were both much happier now or at least she was happier; Charles not so much.
"I'm trying to do what's right and it just keeps coming back to bite me in the ass"
The kettle boiled and Rebecca made them both a tea before she took both the cups over to the table "What do you mean? Right by who? Elena?" She asked and sat down in her chair. "I never did like her if I'm honest"
"That's because she doesn't like you, I think it's because we got married so young and she never did get the chance" Charles teased softly.
"Will she?" Rebecca asked and took a sip of her tea before putting the cup down on the table and looking at him.
Charles knew that he didn't want to marry Elena, he didn't want to tie himself to a woman that he didn't even love. Sadly Elena had been there when he needed someone and it was just company but unfortunately he had let her think it was more and now he was in a situation where he loved one woman and the other was having his child. Molly had told him to be with Elena, so that's what he was doing but it wasn't what he wanted.
"No" he said and shook his head.
"Then you have to tell her because you need to make your intentions straight, you are there because of the baby and nothing more.." Rebecca then went on to say "Are you sure there is a baby?"
"I've been thinking that to be honest, I mean the closer I got to Molly the more Elena was acting strangely and then suddenly there's a baby? I don't know something doesn't add up at all"
"You need to get that checked out before you go down a path you won't come back from and let the girl you do want go"
Charles looked down at that "Molly is already gone"
"Gone? What do you mean she's gone?" She asked and watched him.
"She gave her notice in and said it'll be til the New Year but with Christmas and the bank holiday, I don't honestly think I will see her again"
"Charles you really are an idiot, and sometimes I wonder just how you manage to get anything done; tell Elena as it is, tell her that you will be there for your child but you love Molly, I mean you do love her right?"
Charles had been thinking about that the last couple of days but he was sure that he had been in love with her in Lapland but all of this just makes it so much hard to convince Molly to go back to him. "I must be if I'm not sure what to do" he smiled softly he reached over and grabbed his cup; he took a drink of tea and then spoke again "What you doing for Christmas?"
"We're going to Mark's mothers Christmas day, mine tomorrow and Sam is with you on Boxing Day so that means a friends party for us here" Rebecca couldn't wait for Christmas "What about you?"
"Mums, we're having a family thing so that's going to be interesting"
"How is your mum and dad anyway?"
"Still in love after all of these years and with dad's back, they're like two peas in a pod, can't do without the other; I know that they will be so happy to see Sam though, they're probably more excited to see him than they are me"
"Well of course with Sam they can give him back after a few hours but with you.. Well they're stuck with you" Rebecca grinned at him.
"Oh har har" he said but tried hard not to smile because when Rebecca smiled, it definitely still made him smile.
"What are you going to do about Elena?"
"I don't know at the moment, I'll deal with it after Christmas. It's the one day a year that we sit down and eat as a family and I'm not going to let anyone change that this year"
They sat and talked a little bit more and then when Mark came home, Charles liked him he was definitely someone that made Rebecca happy, he headed home himself because he just wanted to relax.
He spent most of the night looking at the box on his coffee table before he decided that he was going to give it to Molly but he was going to be putting a note with it. If she didn't want to see him then it was the only way he could get his words out. He spent most of the night writing it out.
-.-
Christmas Eve
Molly made sure that she had everything she was buying for her siblings and had decided that she wasn't going to take the stuff back to Ann Summers because she really didn't want to look like a saddo.
She stepped into the coffee shop and shook out her umbrella as she put it down before walking up to the counter and ordering herself a coffee and a doughnut because why the hell not, right?
Molly found a table after she paid for her goods and she looked out the window at the rain coming down and wondered just why the hell they had to have rain especially when other countries like Finland had snow at Christmas; that's what really made it feel Christmassy.
She tore into her Christmas doughnut and went through her phone, her mother kept checking up on her and Amber wished her a Merry Christmas by sending her a selfie with her in a Christmas jumper that had a Robin on the front of it with a Santa's hat. So what Molly sent back was a picture of her doughnut to which Amber replied with was a sad face because of the fact that she was saving herself for loads of food tomorrow and the day after.
Molly put her phone away and went about eating her doughnut and drinking her coffee.
She was in there for a little while and was about to walk away from the doors with her umbrella up when she bumped in to Elena and right there Molly felt like her day had just got so much worse. "Excuse me" she said softly and moved but Elena moved with her.
"I want to apologise for what has happened" Elena spoke and nodded as if confirming that was what she wanted Molly to know.
"On which part?" Molly asked "For tricking someone in to being with you or for just being a straight up bitch?" she asked and watched her.
"I don't know what you're talking about! We are going to be having a baby and we're happy!"
Molly nodded because she really didn't believe her but it didn't matter what she believed because she had told Charles to be with Elena and now she was moving on from the job that she loved because the man she loved was with another woman. "Well have a good Christmas" Molly said and then moved around the redheaded woman and started walking away.
"Molly.." Elena called out and turned to watch the dark haired woman stop and turn too "If it matters to you, Charles was falling in love with you and now.. well now he's with me so I think you'll find I win in the end, I always win" she smirked softly before she walked through the doors of the coffee shop.
Molly wanted to strike her with her umbrella but would feel guilty if the evil witch actually was pregnant. She took a deep breath before she went back to walking away because in the end there were still things she had to do.
The shops were a nightmare and after seeing Elena's smug face Molly felt every frustration in her afterwards. This was why she didn't like doing Christmas Eve shopping and leaving it all til last minute but like usual she does.
-.-
Arriving back at her flat she was glad to put the shopping down in front of her front door and reaching into her handbag to find her keys when the door across the hallway opened up and she looked over her shoulder "Good afternoon Mrs Mitchell" Molly spoke and smiled
"Ah afternoon Molly, I have something for you!" she said and held up a finger for her to wait and then walked back into her flat to get the parcel for Molly. Rose brought it back out and then handed it over. "A real nice gentleman brought it for you, tall and dark haired, he said to tell you that you have to take this" she smiled. "You have a boyfriend, dear?"
Molly looked down at the letter on top and recognised the writing and saw that it was Charles' and felt her heart pound hard in her chest. "I helped out someone and they wanted to repay me I guess, have a lovely Christmas Mrs Mitchell" she said and smiled before she grabbed her keys out her bag and opened the door. She picked the bags up and brought them into the flat, shutting the door with her foot before putting the bags in the kitchen.
Against her better judgement she ripped open the envelope and started to read the letter that was with the present.
Molly,
I knew that you wouldn't accept this gift so I left it somewhere you could find it, probably with one of your neighbours knowing me.
I saw this and knew I had to get it for you just so that you would remember the time that we had in Lapland. I know that I will never forget and I know that sounds wrong to write it in a letter but it was probably the only way you would hear it from me.
There is so much I want to say but would you continue to read this letter if I did actually tell you? I would like to think that you would so here goes: I love you. I will love you for the rest of my life.
You brought back the happiness in me that I have been lacking since Rebecca left. The reason I ever got with Elena was because of the fact that she was a safe option, I was lonely and she was there and now all of this has taken a turn that I never thought would actually take but it's you that I love, not Elena.
I know that I should be saying this to your face but I can't take the hurt look in your eyes and I don't want to see you cry because seeing the look on your face in the office when you told me that you were going, that hurt me to the core and I know that it's hurting you too.
I know that you walked away because of Elena and the baby and saying this will only hurt you even more but I had to tell you how I feel, I wish it could be to your face.
Thank you for bringing me back, Molly, thank you for being the most wonderful woman that I have ever known; even if you were in my life for a little while.
Merry Christmas, my love
Love Charles x
Molly felt the tears bubbling up in her eyes and she swallowed hard before she put the letter to one side and opened the box, in it was a silver bracelet with Lapland 2019 engraved in it and she felt her heart want to explode at that. She reached into the box and took the bracelet out before she held it in her hands.
"Oh, I love you Charles James" she muttered to herself and she felt herself cry again.
She put the bracelet on and after she put all of her shopping away Molly went and celebrated Christmas Eve with her family, the letter in her handbag and the bracelet wrapped around her wrist was from a man that would love her and who she would love.
But she knew eventually she would move on but that day wasn't today. Today she was going to revel in the notion that a man loved her, even if they couldn't actually be together.
Molly opened the door of her childhood home and decided to let Christmas begin.
