Chapter 8
Molly reported for work the next day as usual and was greeted by Michael.
"How are you this fine evening?" He asked.
"Fantastic." She told him.
"Really?" He said as he raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah."
"Now does it have anything to do with our mystery man?"
Molly plopped herself down in the chair and spun around like a little kid as she continued to speak.
"Oh it could be." She answered with a laugh.
Michael noticed that by her demeanor, that she was the happiest she had been in a long time and he was glad for her, knowing everything she went through with Gene.
"So what about Gene?" He asked.
And then a feeling of sadness swept over her. She still cared about him, but she didn't know if she still loved him or not. But when she was with Elrond, she felt alive and happy, she hadn't felt that in a very long time.
"I mean I still care about him ..."
"But?"
"But I don't know if I love him anymore. Does that sound weird?"
"No, not at all."
"So what the hell do I do?"
"Well the only advice I have for you is to follow your heart. If it feels right, then it's meant to be."
"Maybe..."
At that moment her friend took out a deck of Tarot cards.
"Well let's see what these have to say." Michael told her.
"Oh come on Mike! You know I don't believe in those."
"What have you got to lose?" He asked her.
Molly thought for a moment and decided to let him read her Tarot.
"Okay." She finally gave in.
He took out the cards and started to shuffle them. She watched as he shuffled them quickly and they became a blur in his hands and he finally laid them out in a straight line.
"Now be sure to pick the cards that feel right to you."
The first card drawn from the deck was the Three of Swords, followed by The Magician. The third card was the Ace of Cups followed by The Empress and then the Ten of Swords. The cards continued to be drawn out of the deck. The Eight of Swords followed the Six of Wands and after that card was Judgement. So far Molly didn't like what she was seeing but still she let the cards fall where they may. The Three of Wands came up followed by The Devil.
"I don't think I like that card." She told him.
"It may not mean what you think." He explained.
Finally the last card was drawn and that card was The Lovers. All the cards were spread out in a celtic cross form as Michael studied them carefully.
"Hmm... it looks as if change is coming and for the better." He told her.
"How so?" She asked.
"Well cards don't lie."
"Huh?"
"What this reading is telling me you may experience some turmoil, but it may be worth it in the end. Here The Lovers could represent a new beginning."
"How?"
"Let's just say someone could be the love of your life when you least expect it."
Molly shook her head and laughed lightly.
"Well hey you never know." He told her.
"True, but I don't put my faith in a deck of cards."
"Well it was worth a shot."
He looked at his watch and realized it was time to go home.
"Shit, I gotta get home!"
They gave each other a hug before he left and said their goodbyes.
"Night Molly!"
"Night Mikey, thanks for the reading."
"Anytime."
And then he left leaving her alone once again to spend time with Elrond. She made her way to the exhibit as she always did, but to her surprise Elrond was not standing in his usual place. She began to get concerned. Just then she heard a familiar voice behind her, making her jump out of her skin.
"Hello Molly."
She jumped and quickly turned around to see him standing there.
"Jesus! You scared the hell out of me!"
"I'm sorry." He apologized.
"It's okay." She answered him with a smile.
They walked around the museum and finally they made their way to an exhibit with guitars of every shape and size. It was the Fender and Gibson exhibit.
"What strange instruments are these?" He asked her.
"Oh they're called guitars." She told him.
"Really? How do they work?"
Molly figured that she would take one from the display and strum a few chords just to demonstrate. She hadn't actually played one in a long time.
"Here I'll show you."
She strapped a medium sized acoustic around her shoulders and started to strum a few chords. Elrond looked at her intently as she played. The song she played was one of the first songs she ever learned when she started to take lessons.
"What is that melody you're playing?" He asked.
"Well it's a tune by Heart who just so happens to be one of my favorite bands. When I was little my dad would sing me to sleep with this song."
"Really? What are the words?"
Molly felt herself blushing. Was Elrond requesting her to sing? What if she sucked? The only time she ever sang was when no one was around and that was n the shower and it had been years since she played the guitar.
"Well I'm not very good at singing."
Elrond raised an eyebrow.
"Well I think I will be the judge of that. Besides, it's only you and I here." He said with a slight smile.
"Okay, but if I suck ..."
"I don't think you will ... suck."
She took a deep breath and started to strum and then a few moments later she started to sing.
There I was with the old man
Stranded again so off I'd ran
A young world crashing around me
No possibilities of getting what I need
He looked at me and smiled
Said "No, no, no, no, no child"
See the dog and butterfly
Up in the air he like to fly."
Dog and butterfly
Below she had to try
She roll back down to the warm soft ground, laughing
She don't know why, she don't know why
Dog and butterfly
Well I stumbled upon your secret place
Safe in the trees you had tears on your face
Wrestling with your desires frozen strangers
Stealing your fires, the message hit my mind
Only words that I could find
He just looked at her transfixed as she continued to sing softly and play. She sounded angelic and calming as he focused all his attention on her. At that moment there was nothing except them. They were off in their own world it seemed.
See the dog and butterfly
Up in the air he like to fly
Dog and butterfly below she had to try
She roll back down to the warm soft ground
Laughing to the sky, up to the sky
Dog and butterfly
We're getting older the world's getting colder
For the life of me I don't know the reason why
Maybe it's livin' making us give in
Hearts rolling in taken back on the tide
We're balanced together ocean upon the sky
Another night in this strange town
Moonlight holding me light as down
Voice of confusion inside of me
No begging to go back where I'm free
Feels like I'm through
Then the old man's words are true
See the dog and butterfly
Up in the air he like to fly
Dog and butterfly, below she had to try
She roll back down to the warm soft ground
With a little tear in her eye
She had to try, she had to try
Dog and butterfly
She finished the song and Elrond clapped.
"Bravo." He said.
"Sorry I don't normally sing in front of people." She still felt flushed.
"Why? I think you have a beautiful voice."
Molly felt her cheeks turn a bright crimson at his compliment.
"I'm surprised you didn't cover your ears actually."
Elrond laughed.
"Why would I do that? You sounded perfect."
Perfect, no one had ever given her a compliment like that. And then he slowly moved his lips to hers. Molly quickly pulled away.
"What's wrong? Did I do something to offend you?"
"No, you didn't." She reassured him.
She got up from her seat and put the guitar back in its place in the display. She quickly turned away from him and started to cry.
"Please don't cry Molly."
He wrapped his arms around her and held her close to him. This time she didn't pull away.
"All my life I have been in love with someone who never existed ..." and then she turned to face him, "that is until now. I never thought this would happen to me, but it did and right now I am scared as hell. I mean for all I know you could still have feelings for Celebrian. I mean just a few weeks ago you were nothing more that a wax dummy!"
Elrond looked into her amber eyes and stroked her strawberry reddish hair.
"That was a long time ago Molly. I had to move on and so do you."
"So what are you saying Elrond?"
"What I'm saying is ... that I'm in love with you."
She looked into his deep blue eyes and knew that he wasn't lying. She couldn't deny her feelings for him any longer either.
"I'm in love with you too."
