Spot took the babies to the kitchen and set them up by stove again.
"Kendra?" he asked.
"Huh?" She scampered over to him.
"Do you know where Molly is?"
"Uh uh... I haven't seen her."
"Go find her and tell her I said for her to take a nap."
"Yessir."
He kissed the top of her head and she scampered off.
"Molly!" she trilled.
Molly appeared at the top of the stairs. "Yes?"
"Daddy says you should go to bed."
Molly sighed. "I can't."
"How come?"
"I'm packing."
"Why? Where are you going?"
"I don't know."
"Why aren't you staying?"
"Because your Daddy said I had to leave."
"Why?"
Kendra persisted, toddling carefully up the stairs.
"Because I won't do what he said," Molly answered with a sigh.
"Why?"
"Because I can't, Kendra."
"Why?"
Molly was beginning to think Kendra couldn't say anything else. "I just can't."
Kendra's bottom lip puffed out. "I don't want you t' gooo..."
Molly sat down on the step. "I don't want to go either Kendra...but I have to."
"Nooo..." She wrapped her arms around Molly's waist and flopped down, as limp as a wet noodle.
"Please don't do this Kendra," she said, tears filling her eyes.
"I want you to stay!" Kendra wailed.
Molly sighed and pulled the girl into her lap. "Kendra...please....stop...."
"No!" she suddenly said, quite indignant.
She took the little girl's face in her hands. "I can't stay. Your daddy said I had to leave."
"Well I'll tell him no!"
"You can't do that Kendra. You have to obey him."
"But he shouldn't make you go!"
"He told me to do something, and I wouldn't obey, Kendra. So I have to leave."
"I wanna go too!"
"I can't take you with me."
"Why not?"
Molly sighed. "I can barely take care of myself, baby."
"I'll be good..."
Molly held her close. "I wish I could take you with me...but I can't..."
"Please?"
Molly sighed. "That's up to your daddy."
"I'll ask him then!"
"Go ahead,"
She leapt to her feet and scampered off. "DADDYYYYYY!"
"What is it, little bit?" he asked.
"Can I go with Molly?" She looked at him with wide, hopeful eyes.
"Who said Molly is leaving?" he asked. "Where is Molly going?"
"She said you said she had to," Kendra said, bobbing her head. "And I don't know..."
"Why do you want to go with her?"
"'Cause I don't want her to go," she explained.
"Why?"
"'Cause... I'm gonna miss her..." She pouted.
"Why?"
"'Cause I am."
"Go tell Molly I said she could stay..."
She looked at him confused but said a quick "Yes Daddy" before scampering off bellowing "MOLLYYYYY!" Molly was still sitting on the stairs. "Daddy said you could stay, he said you could stay!" Kendra sang.
Molly sighed and stood. "I'm still leaving."
"Whyyyy?" she whined, latching on to Molly's ankles. "Don't go!"
"Because there is something I can't tell you."
"Why not?"
"Molly," Chris said from the bottom of the stairs.
She looked over at him. "Hmm?" she said wearily.
He walked up the stairs and sat next to her. "I'm here. Tell her."
Kendra looked at the both of them, puzzled.
"I can't," she said, shaking her head.
"Then let me tell her."
"It wouldn't be right if you told her...." she whispered.
"She needs to know, sweetheart."
"I know...."
He pulled Kendra into his lap.
"I wanna know," Kendra said, looking at them.
He looked at Molly. She sighed and pulled Kendra onto her lap.
"What?" Kendra asked
"Well..." Molly paused, taking a deep breath. "I- Well... Rae... Rae... she... well, she isn't your- your mommy."
Kendra wrinkled her nose. "She's not?"
With a shake of her head, she hugged her briefly. "See... She was helping your real mommy by taking care of you."
"Who is my real mommy?"
Molly took her time with this answer, mulling over it. Did she really want to tell her? ... Well, she had to do it some time. "...I- I am."
"You?" Kendra squeaked.
She nodded silently. Kendra squirmed off Molly's lap. Molly looked at Chris as if to say 'I told you so'.
Chris gently placed his hand on Kendra's shoulder. "Come here, little bit..."
She shuffled over to him.
"Do you understand what Molly told you?"
"Rae's not my mommy and... she ... is?"
"That's right," he said.
"Then who is my Daddy?"
He looked at Molly. Molly turned and looked at the wall.
"Molly."
She turned back and looked at him. "He's dead," she said, hastily. Kendra nodded slowly. Molly looked down at her daughter as tears filled her eyes.
She toddled over to her 'new' mother and patted her back with a little hand. "It's okay mommy."
With a sob, Molly pulled the girl into her arms. Kendra hugged her.
"I love you, baby."
"I love you Mommy."
Chris smiled.
And Spot entered the room, smiling as well. "I'm proud of you," he told Molly, resting a hand on her shoulder.
She smiled up at him. "How's Rae?"
"Asleep." he said with a grin.
"Have you decided on names yet?" she asked as Kendra plopped into Chris's lap.
Spot nodded. "James, Robert, and Elizabeth."
Kendra tugged on Spot's shirt.
"Yes Kendra?"
"If you aren't my daddy...do I still call you Daddy?"
"Well, that's up to you and your mommy," he said sitting next to her. "But you might be getting a new daddy some time." He grinned at Chris.
Both Chris and Molly blushed.
"What do I call you?"
"You can call me Spot, if you want to."
She giggled. He smiled and gave her a hug. "Can I go tell Annie and Ginny about the babies?"
"Sure."
"Whoopie!" She squealed, scampering up the stairs.
Then Spot looked at Molly. "You did a good thing."
"I know."
He smiled. "Do you feel better about it now?"
She looked at Chris. "Yes...yes...I do."
"Like I knew you would."
She sent him a look.
Kendra ran into the room where Annie and Ginny were sleeping. "Annie! Ginny!"
"What?" Ann mumbled sleepily, peering at her through a tangled mess of hair.
"Mommy had the babies..." Kendra made a face. "Not my Mommy....your Mommy..."
"My mommy?" She rubbed her eyes and yawned.
Kendra climbed up on the bed. "Uh-huh....your mommy had babies....t'ree babies!"
"Why'd she have three?" Ginny asked, smothering a yawn as she woke up as well.
"I dunno," Kendra said, bouncing on the bed.
"Why is she my mommy and not yours?" Ann asked, sitting up and shoving her hair from her face.
"'Cause Molly's my mommy...."
"She is?" Ginny and Ann said simultaneously.
"Uh-huh....she and Chris and Spot said so..."
"I never knew that!"
"Come see the babies....James...and Robe't and 'Lizabet."
The two girls scrambled out of bed and scampered down the hall. "Where are they?" Ann asked.
"In da kitchen."
Down the stairs they went into the kitchen.
"Quiet down," Sippi said as the three girls tumbled into the kitchen.
"Can we see the babies?" Ann whispered loudly.
He nodded. "But be quiet and don't touch."
Ginny and Ann crept over to take a peak. "They're so little!" Ginny gave a tiny squeak.
"That one is James..." Kendra said pointing to one of the babies. "And that one is Robe't....and that one is 'Lizabet'."
"You have a lot of people in your family now," Ginny commented. "Just like me!"
"Yippee!" Annie squeaked loudly.
"Annie, hush," Spot scolded lightly, giving her a warning look.
She clamped her hand over her mouth.
He smiled. "Are you two hungry?" he whispered.
"Yes, sir," they whispered.
He spooned them each a bowl of porridge. "There's some honey, maple syrup, and sugar on the table."