Once again, thank you for all your fantastic reviews on last weekend's two updates; they are inspiring me to keep on writing. I am so glad you're enjoying this story. When i started it, I only envisioned it would be a few chapters long as I have to confess that after the challenge of completing The 9 Lives of Molly Dawes I really didn't know if I had another Molly & CJ story in me, but it seems I do! Enjoy!
FIVE YEARS
Chapter 15
He arrives at Carla's coffee shop and is alarmed to not find Molly sat outside. He heads inside.
"Why, hello gorgeous!"
He distractedly acknowledges her, "Carla"
He's glad that the she seems to sense that he's not in the mood for her usual banter when she becomes serious, "I guess you're looking for Molly?"
"Yes, I thought she was here?"
"She's in the toilet. Been a little while actually. I did check on her, she said she was feeling a bit unwell…. sounded it too."
He's already making his way to the back of the café, towards the ridiculously sumptuously decorated lavatory.
"I might just go and check on her if that's alright?"
"Of course…. She told me about the accident you now. It's crazy she can't remember anything. Is she alright? She hasn't touched her mocha and Danish, which is really unlike her."
He stops and turns back to her, conscious that she's fishing for information.
"She'll be fine Carla… thank you for looking after her. How much do I owe you?"
"Nothing, it's on the house … just take good care of her… in her condition."
He tries to sound casual, but can't help feeling a little bit hopeful that if she's told Carla about the baby, it might mean something positive.
"She told you?"
He thinks that she looks fairly pleased with herself and wonders if he's been played, knowing her renowned skill at gathering gossip.
"No, but I could tell. It's like a sixth sense of mine."
"Well please don't let her know you know. It's a bit of a sensitive subject given her amnesia."
She gives him a conspiratory wink, "Right you are Major. Mum's the word."
He gives her his best, as Molly would call it, "Captain Stern-face" look, which has absolutely no effect, other than to leave her giggling at her joke.
-OG-
He can hear the sound of the tap running as cautiously knocks on the toilet door, "Hey".
A few moments later she opens the door, looking pale, "Hey. You survived then?"
He confused by her question, "What do you mean?"
She nods towards the front of the café, "Carla?"
He laughs nervously, "Oh yeah, she has literally no respect for my authority."
"Seems like she has quite a thing for you."
He scoffs, unsure where this conversation is going, "Hardly, she just enjoys trying to make me squirm….. have you been sick again?"
"Yeah."
"Do you think we should maybe get you checked out? Just in case it's something to do with the head injury."
She gives him a look which suggests that she doesn't welcome his fussing.
"It's not the head injury Charles, it's good, old fashioned morning sickness. I should know. I am a medic after all and besides my mum had it with all six us…. so I'm not surprised it's happening to me."
He's slightly taken aback by her rather matter of fact acknowledgement of her pregnancy and doesn't quite know how to respond, opting to keep off the subject and stay on the practical.
"Ok. Well let's get you home. I brought the car."
"Thanks….. but we need to talk."
He kicks himself for not being braver, "I know, but let's not do it in the toilet of Carla's café… as pretty as it is."
She gives him a weak smile, "I make you right there, let's go home."
-OG-
He passes her a cup of tea and sits down on the edge of the sofa, leaving a respectful distance. The short journey home had taken place in a strange, but not entirely uncomfortable, silence that neither of them seemed ready to break. She'd stared out of the window, whilst he'd spent the time carefully working out what he was going to say. When they'd got home he'd offered to make her a cuppa which she'd gratefully accepted, telling him he'd find her on the sofa when he was ready to talk.
"I am so sorry Molly. I know I've totally fucked up. It was never my intention to deliberately lie to you; I just wanted you to feel more comfortable with me, with us before you found out about the baby. I know I had opportunities to tell you and I completely should have told you before we made love. That was inexcusable. I'm sorry."
She silently considers his apology, before speaking.
"Thank you. I'm sorry too. It was unkind of me to say those things to you and I shouldn't have run-off like that either."
He interrupts her.
"It really isn't you who should be apologising here."
"Well, I need to say it. I spoke to my mum.. she told me that I'd found out I was pregnant the morning of the accident and had called her to tell her the news. She says I was proper excited and all and was planning to tell you that night. I think my reaction when you told me was just the shock of finding out."
He's cautiously relieved by her honest admission, but there is still a niggling fear which he knows he has to confront.
"What will you do?"
She looks perplexed by his question.
"What do you mean, what will I do?"
He begins to doubt himself and offers a quiet clarification.
"About the baby?"
She stares at him in a challenging way.
"What are you asking?"
He realises he might have misjudged her reaction, yet again.
"Well… I thought…"
"Oh Charles? Are you worried I won't want to keep it?"
He anxiously runs his hands through his hair, knowing that he has to be honest with her even though it might cause another argument.
"Yes. No. I don't know, sorry, I didn't mean that I thought you would… but I guess you might and would be entitled to … if you didn't want it."
She considers what he has said for an agonising, yet relatively short time, during which he is literally holding his breath, wondering how she will respond.
"It's not my decision to make… not that I want to do that. I could never do that. It's your baby too and from what mum said, something you… we… very much want."
She gives him a small, shy smile as he lets out a long, relieved, breathe.
"She's right about me. I can't wait for us to have a baby. I've been ready for a long time but I've not once tried to pressurise you. I've been happy to wait out until you were ready."
She grins at him.
"Well, I'm not sure I'm ready, but although maths wasn't my strongest subject at school, I reckon I've got about 7 months to get my nut around it."
He's fully aware of the significance of what she has just said, that she's thinking of the future, their future, but still feels the need for absolute clarification.
"You mean it?"
Her grin becomes a huge smile.
"Of course I mean it, you prannet."
He closes the distance between them and envelopes her in his arms, pulling her close, hugely relieved when she snakes her arms around his middle in response. He kisses the top of her head, before pulling back to look at her.
"Oh Molly. I've said it before, many a time, but you never cease to amaze me. Your capacity for accepting and dealing with the challenges life throws at you is formidable. You are inspiring and once again I'm in awe of you."
She throws her head back, with a laugh.
"Steady on mate. You'll give me a big head if you go on like that."
"I'm sorry, but I mean it. You are amazing."
She nods, in acceptance of his declaration, but he knows that she's going to move the conversation away from his praise as she always does.
"Whatever…. it feels like we need to celebrate – good job we're already going out tonight!"
Even so, he's surprised by her suggestion.
"What? You still want to go to Bath?"
She looks at him as though he's said something really stupid.
"Yes, of course…. I want to meet our baby's grandparents. Do they know?"
He shakes his head.
"No, I haven't told anyone – I thought you should be the first to know. I didn't even know that your mum knew – explains why she has been so eager to talk to you."
"Can we keep it to ourselves for a while? I need some time to get used to it before we tell people."
"Of course, we can take as much time as you need."
She nods her head in thanks and starts to smirk.
"Well I reckon people might start to notice me turning into a porker… and the not drinking will also be a massive giveaway!"
He laughs.
"I make you right there…. But are you sure you're ok about this?"
She smiles reassuringly at him.
"Yes. I am….. Besides who wouldn't want a little Charles James running around getting under their feet?"
He snorts.
"Well, it could be a little Molly Dawes."
She leans in and gives him a long, purposeful kiss, before pulling back, grinning.
"Heaven help us if that's the case."
-OG-
So, next chapter onto Bath. Will it trigger some happy memories for her?