Chapter Four
John stared at the woman who hadn't left his thoughts for the last hour. She obviously hadn't changed, because she was still wearing the faded jeans and button up black shirt she'd had on earlier. He'd hoped that he wouldn't have to see her again anytime soon. He felt a little weird right now, standing in front of her and knowing that she'd been the reason he'd had to "release some tension" in the shower. He reached up and smoothed down his hair, for some reason, feeling nervous.
"Uh, hey."
"Hi." They stood there akwardly for a second, before both started talking.
"I'm sorr---"
"Would you li---" Molly blushed and rushed to finish. "Would you like to come in?" John nodded and followed her into the brightly lit hallway. He looked down and immediately saw that she must've just figured out that their bags had gotten switched. His North Carolina jersey was laying on top of his bag. He glanced up at Molly.
"I'm sorry, Molly. I grabbed the wrong bag earlier and..." She held up a hand, in a gesture to stop him from apologizing.
"It's not your fault. Don't worry about it." He handed her the bag she had failed to notice him carrying earlier and picked up his own. He stood there for a moment, stuffing his jersey back in the pocket, unsure why he wasn't ready to leave her just yet. He watched as she wet her lips, unconciously making him hard. He had a sudden and desperate urge to taste her...to find out what she felt like. He stepped forward.
"Hope I didn't cause you any inconvience." he reached out and tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. She shook her head and felt the light pressure from his fingertips on her cheek. What was happening to her? She swallowed hard and looked up into his crystal blue orbs.
"None---at all," she said,somewhat breathlessly.
John felt himself being drawn closer and closer, her unique scent drawing him to her. "How about dinner tonight?" he found himself asking. Wait! What am I doing? Dinner? With Molly? She worried her lower lip, causing John to hold back a groan. She suddenly backed up and smoothed down the front of her blouse, as though trying to regain her composure. She sent him a tight smile.
"Sorry John, I have other plans..." he suddenly remembered her hurry to get home and guessed that his assumption of a lover waiting for her was right. He stepped back, himself making sure to put more distance between them.
"Uh, sure. I was...just...wanting to...thank you for giving me a lift home." John lied. Molly smiled. She lightly rested one hand on his arm. "I owe you, John. You're the reason I'm home in the first place." She glanced over her shoulder towards the kitchen. "And I would have had a VERY unhappy person on my hands if I hadn't come home today." John looked toward the kitchen, dying to know who it was she was talking about.
"Well, I better go then. Don't want to intrude. " John turned and Molly followed him to the door, unsure why she wasn't worried about him finding out about Izik.
"Thanks for bringing my bag by." Molly said quietly. John turned and looked at her again. He couldn't resist. He leaned forward, cupping her cheek in his hand. "No problem, Molly." He brought her lips to a breath away from his own, before Molly reached up and gently grasped his wrist.
"John, this probably isn't...such....a good...idea." Her words came slower as his lips brushed hers, once, twice...
"Mommy!!! Aunt Nora says...." Izik skidded to a hault beside his mother as she quickly pulled out of the light embrace. She looked down at him and watched as he took John in with a look of amazemnet in his eyes. "You're John Cena!! Mommy, look! It's John Cena!" Molly smiled softly at her son. She pulled him to her, knowing that her secret was out. She looked up at John's surprised faced and said, "John, this is my son...Izik."
John stood there, dumbfounded. Molly? With a kid? He glanced down at the miniature version of the woman he'd spent the day with. The boy had to be four or five and was already almost half of his mother's height. Blue eyes peeked out from underneath shaggy brown hair and his grin displayed a missing front tooth. John looked up at Molly, trying to read the expression on her face. He came away with the feeling it was not good.
He copped a squat in front of the little boy. Sticking out his hand he said, "Yep. That's me. It's nice to meet you, Izik." Izik shook his hand and started talking a mile a minute.
"Wow! I knew Mommy said I should wait to open my present until my party, but this is great!" He turned to a very confused Molly and squeezed her tightly. Molly returned the hug with a smile. "Thanks Mommy!" Izik looked up at John, adoration shinging from his eyes. "He is coming to my party, isn't he Mommy?"
John looked at Molly, twenty different kinds of questions flying through his mind. Who was the kid's father? Was Molly married? Why did she keep her son a secret? He looked down at the boy and back at his mother. Not waiting for Molly to reply, John answered the question for her. "Of course I am champ! That's why I'm here!" Izik took off, yelling to aunt Nora that John Cena was coming to his party. Molly stepped back from him and crossed her arms.
"What do you think you're doing?" she hissed, not wanting Izik to hear her arguing with the man she'd just found out was his idol. She shoved her bangs back out of her face and took a deep breath. "Listen, it's really no--" John lightly pressed a finger to her lips, effectively cutting off her words.
"He obviously wants me to be there...and how could I disappoint a face like that?" He tucked Molly's hair behind her ear and leaned forward, brushing a soft kiss against her cheek. "I think maybe you and I have some talking to do, eh?" Molly jerked back, ready to make a smart retort, but found herself WANTING to tell John about Izik. She nodded and turned, going back into the house. John followed, pushing his and her luggage to the side. A slender lady who looked to be in her mid- to late fifties was being dragged out of the kitchen by a very excited little boy.
"See, aunt Nora? That's John Cena!" Suddenly very polite, Izik gestured to his aunt. "Mr. Cena, this is my aunt Nora. Aunt Nora, this is Mr. Cena." Nora's green eyes twinkled with merriment and the superstar like her immediately. He grasped the hand held out to him and gallantly place a kiss on it.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am."
"As it is for me to meet you, Mr. Cena. Izik never misses a show. His mother and you are his two favorite wrestlers." John blushed, surprising even himself.
"Please, call me John."
"And you'll call me Aunt Nora. Everyone does...except of course, Bob and Crash. They're my sons." She turned and made her way back toward the kitchen. "Dinner will be ready in 5 minutes children." John turned to Molly, seeing her smile at the older lady's retreating figure. She looked up at him and laughed.
"You seem surprised." He chuckled, and looked down at Izik.
"So, what do you think of Crash and Bob?" Izik grinned.
"They're great! Bob likes to hang me upside-down until I puke and Crash likes to toss me around on the trampoline!" Molly's eyes rolled at her son's statements. John nodded.
"Sounds like you have a lot of fun with them." Izik nodded. "Does your mommy do anything like that with you?" The miniature version of Molly wrinkled his nose, looking even more like his mother.
"Nah..she's a girl, so she doesn't rough house as much. But she reads to me and I read to her. And we talk to each other every night before I go to bed, and she sings me my song..." Molly abruptly cut him off, gently pushing him towards the hall.
"Okay, sweetheart, why don't you go wash up for dinner, hhmmm?" Izik looked back at John.
"You'll be here when I get back, right?" John nodded solemnly and made his "Word Life" hand sign. "I promise." The child's eyes widened and he returned the gesture, running up the stairs. Molly's laughter startled him and he looked over at her.
"You're good with kids." He shrugged.
"I've always liked kids. Before I got into wrestling,I studied to be a teacher." Molly looked at him in amazement.
"Really? I did too!" John smiled and reached out, unable to resist touching her. Trailing his fingertips across her lips, he said, "I can't wait for our talk, Miss Molly. I have a feeling we are going to find out more about each other than we bargained for."
Over dinner that night, John got to know Molly's son and aunt fairly well. Between dishes of Izik's favorite foods (" 'Cause it's my birthday," he informed John again.) they talked about wrestling, the next door neighbor, the yucky girl down the street, Nora's family, and how Izik wished his mother could stay home more often. After dishes had been cleared from the table and Molly and John had been shooed out of the kitchen, the trio made their way to Izik's bedroom, where the little boy was getting ready for his party that evening. Molly stood in the doorway, smiling at her son and the man who had made it possible for her to be home. He was fantastic with Izik and not for the first time, Molly wished that his father would be there for him.
Later, at the party, John took a break from entertaining the boy's friends. He sat to the side, studying Molly. Her hair had been pulled back into a ponytail and she still wore what she had on the plane. Her face was clean of make-up and had a healthy glow about it. She laughed at something one of the children said and John felt his groin tighten. He was really starting to like Molly and her son. This wasn't exactly how he had planned on spending his Friday night, but he honestly couldn't think of anywhere he'd rather be. He watched as Izik opened his presents, equally thrilled with all of them...especially the John Cena action figure he'd gotten from his Aunt Nora and the train set from his mom.
After lots of cake and Ice cream, candy and video games, Izik was ready for bed when they got home that evening. John carried the little boy upstairs to his room and gently placed him in his bed. Turning, he told Molly "I'll get out of your way." Molly just smiled, exhausted by her full day. John stepped into the hall and heard Izik say, "Mommy, will you sing me my song?"
He heard Molly's answering chuckle and "Of course, hun." He waited, listening intently.
Dragon tales and the water is wide,
Pirate's sail and lost boys fly
Fish bite moonbeams every night
And I love you
Godspeed, little man
Sweet dreams, little man
Oh my love will fly to you each night
On angel's wings
Godspeed,
Sweet dreams.
Molly's voice was low and melodic, the words to the song tugging on John's heartstrings. He could picture her with her eyes focused on the little boy in the scooby-doo pajamas, brushing back his hair.
Rocket racer's all tuckered out
Superman's in pajama's on the couch
Goodnight Moon, we'll find the mouse
And I love you
Godspeed, little man
Sweet dreams, little man
Oh my love will fly, to you each night
On angel's wings
Godspeed
Sweet dreams.
John thought about how hard it must be for Molly to leave her son and be away from him for so long. He could imagine their phone calls everynight and suddenly found it hard to breath.
God bless mommy and match box cars
God bless dad and thanks for the stars.
God hears amen wherever we are
and I love you
Godspeed, little man
Sweet dreams, little man
Oh my love will fly to you each night
On angel's wings
Godspeed
Godspeed
Godspeed
Sweet dreams.
As Molly quietly shut the door after tucking Izik in, she found herself being swept up against a strong, warm chest. She gasped and looked up, only to have her mouth met by full soft lips. She groaned, allowing John to take the opportunity to deepen the kiss. His hands tenderly caressed her face and Molly couldn't begin to understand what was happening. John pulled back, leaning his forehead against hers.
"I think it's time we had that talk, don't you?"