I rudely stand at my open door, staring at Peter's mother openmouthed. I know I wouldn't be having this absurd reaction if Zeke hadn't just told Tobias a mere few hours ago that Molly had met with her aunt this very morning. I can't believe she's here. It must be a coincidence, it has to be. I continue to stare, frozen in place until Tyler comes up beside me.
"Who this, Mommy?" he brightly asks as he tugs on my pant leg.
"Ruth, I am so sorry," I say, finally finding my manners. "Please come in." I suddenly have the strong desire to have my kids close to me so I reach down and pick Tyler up, which surprises him but he takes full advantage and wraps his arms tightly around me and lays his head on my shoulder. I told Tobias that I trust her completely but now that I have her right here in front of me, I'm doubting my own feelings. I step out of her way and motion her into the living room with my hand, not wanting to turn my back on her. Part of me wishes that Zeke had just kept his mouth shut then I wouldn't feel like I'm slowly suffocating right now.
"Is everything okay, Beatrice?" she asks, confusion on her face. I'm probably coming across as a total lunatic right now.
"I have to admit that it's been kind of crazy around here lately," I say, trying to cover the real reason for my behavior, "and I wasn't expecting company."
"I am so sorry for just dropping in on you like this unannounced," she says. "I just wanted to bring this to you before the baby was born," she motions to the gift bag I didn't even realize she was carrying until she points it out, "but I see you've already had her. If this is a bad time I can go and stop by some other time."
"Nonsense. I'm glad you dropped by," I say. Maybe we can get some answers. "Would you like a cup of coffee?"
"Yes, please," she says, her smile warm and friendly. I'm detecting zero deception on her part. "I would love a cup."
"Please sit down, and I'll start a fresh pot," I say.
"Mommy, who this?" Tyler asks again, staring intently at our guest, studying her every move. Is he picking up on my distrust? He's trying to whisper in my ear but he's louder than he normally is.
"Tyler, this is my friend Ruth," I say, feeling very uncomfortable here alone with the kids. Where are you, Tobias? "Ruth, this is my son, Tyler."
"Well hello, Tyler," she says, taking a step closer to us. "Don't you look exactly like your father." He beams at the unexpected compliment. At the mention of Tobias, the front door opens, and he walks into the room, his head bowed looking at the files in his hands.
"I found all five of the women, Tri..." My name fades into nothingness when he looks up and sees Ruth standing next to me, and I see his Four mask transform his face, although I'm 100% certain she can't. "Ruth. Hello."
"Good afternoon, Four," she cordially says but I think she's sensing our nervousness. "I came to drop off a present for your new baby but if this is a bad time, I could come back later. I heard about your fellow leader's death. That is so tragic."
"Ruth, you're more than welcome to stay," I say. "Tyler, buddy, why don't you go play in your room?"
"Otay," he happily says. I give him a big hug and kiss then set him on his feet. He waves at all of us then quickly disappear up the stairs.
"Four, will you help me with the coffee?" I ask. "Ruth, please sit down and make yourself at home." We watch as she sits on the end of the couch then excuse ourselves into the kitchen.
"What's she doing here?" he asks, his voice low but urgent.
"She just showed up right after you left for your office," I whisper. "She says she's dropping off a gift."
"This isn't a coincidence," he says.
"Maybe … maybe not," I say, not knowing what to think. I'm so confused right now. Do I trust how she's made me feel in the past, welcomed and quite frankly, loved? Or do I trust this new found, slightly irrational fear that's building inside? "Maybe we can get some information out of her."
"I don't like this," he says.
"Do you trust me?" He stares down at me, not saying a word with a fiercely protective look in his darkening eyes.
"I won't let her hurt you," he says.
"I don't think she will," I say, which I believe wholeheartedly. "Will you please go ask how she takes her coffee? If she's a spy for Molly, I'm sure she's already suspicious of our odd behavior."
"Okay," he says. He presses his lips to my forehead and lingers for a bit then marches into the living room. I listen to their small talk while I get a tray out of the pantry and three mugs out of the cupboard above the coffeemaker. I check the refrigerator, freezer, and pantry for something to serve our unexpected guest but the search just emphasizes the fact that I need to get groceries. When the coffee finishes brewing, I pour us each a steaming cup then carry the tray into the other room and sit it on the coffee table.
"You like it black, don't you?" I ask Ruth as I hand her the mug and she nods. "I remembered after I sent Four in to ask." I hand Tobias his mug and indicate with my eyes that he needs to stop nervously pacing back and forth then sit down in the club chair with mine.
"Forgive me for being blunt but you two have been acting strangely ever since I got here," she says, displaying a Candor trait I've never seen in her before, directness. "Please be honest with me. Have I done something to offend you?" Well, here goes nothing.
"Why did Molly Atwood come to see you this morning?" I ask. She looks taken aback by the question but recovers quickly.
"I knew that little tart was up to something when she dropped by Candor out of the blue this morning. What's the silly twit done now?" she asks somewhat exasperatedly. "That girl! I swear she's going to send my poor sister to an early grave." I know my mouth falls open as she speaks and Tobias' Four mask falls away and is replaced by a mistrustful confusion. As she takes in our expressions, she knits her brows together.
"Ruth, you know I like you but it seems odd that she visited you this morning and you show up here this afternoon," I say. "Did she send you here for some reason?"
"No!" she says. At first she seems irritated but then it quickly turns into a sadness. "Why would you think that I would do anything she asked me to do?"
"I don't want to think it," I say, "but Molly hates me and has a vendetta against me, Four, and Dauntless. She could be using you."
"Beatrice, how do I say this without sounding like a heartless woman? My youngest niece is the black sheep of the family. She has given her mother nothing but trouble since her father died. We were all happy when she left Candor. I hated that my son was so close to her but I'm just learning that they were more alike than I would ever allow myself to believe. Maybe it was him who influenced her. I don't know."
"She didn't send you? You're not working for her?" Tobias asks.
"No, Four. She didn't send me. I had the day off, saw this package by the door, and thought I would bring it by," she say. "It's a coincidence that I saw her this morning."
"I'm still having a hard time believing that's true," he says.
"What can I do to make you believe me?"
"Tell us everything you know about Molly and Drew," I say. "I can't go into details because it's an ongoing investigation but their names are on top of our suspect list in three deaths and one disappearance. We need some background information from someone who knows them both well."
"Where should I begin?" she asks. "Molly's father died in an accident when she was 5. Her brother and sister were 7 and 6. As expected, they all took it hard but Molly took it the worst. It completely changed her. Gone was the sweet little girl she had always been. She became a handful.
"She was always her father's favorite, and he did nothing to hide it. He spoiled her something fierce. After his death, she started rebelling, getting into trouble. The older she got, the worse it was. Then Lillian, her mother, met Jed." She stops and sighs. "Michael and Margarete took to him immediately, he's such a kind and patient man, but Molly wanted nothing to do with him and her rebelling got worse. And to make matters worse, she was never made to face the consequences of her actions. Lillian has connections in Candor, and she made the majority of her infractions just … go away. She would make excuses for her behavior and say it wasn't her fault, she was grieving. I told her she was making matters worse but she wouldn't listen. Molly's a huge pain in the ass but she's still her daughter.
"I don't know Drew as well. He, Peter, and Molly were always close but when Lillian married his uncle, it's like a family bond was born that couldn't be broken. They all had other acquaintances from time to time but they were nothing like their friendship. Most of the time, where you would find one, you would find the other two.
"The one thing that does stand out about Drew is that he's always been a follower. I know it isn't kind to say but I'm not sure that boy has ever had an original thought in his life. He just always went along with whatever Peter or Molly wanted. It's sad really."
"Back to something you said earlier," Tobias says. "Do you known Lillian's connections in Candor?"
"Niles Murphy and Kent Nelson," she says. One very familiar name there. Is this why Niles doesn't seem to like us?
"Kent Nelson? Why is that name familiar?" Tobias asks.
"He's the newest Candor leader," she says. Oh, that's right! We met him in the Dauntless holding room the morning Brody and Ana were interviewed under truth serum.
"Of course," he says. "Do you happen to know Peter, Molly, and Drew's other acquaintances?"
"Let's see," she says. A faraway look settles on her face while she mulls this question over. "There was this younger girl Molly would hang out with from time to time. Drew and Peter pretty much kept to themselves. And of course there's their babysitter, Lauren."
"Do you know Lauren's last name?" I ask, trying to hide this giddy feeling. We're getting answers!
"Um, Johnson, Jennings, Jones. Something like that anyway," she says. Lauren Jones, head of the Dauntless technical staff and privy to the investigation into Molly and Drew. She was also in the training room at the same time the unknown subject was.
"Can you describe the younger girl she hung out with from time to time?" I ask.
"Yeah. Red hair, green eyes, tall, rather pretty."
"Am I mistaken or did she just describe Olivia?" I ask Tobias, once my eyes land on his.
"Yes, that's her name," she excitedly says. "I don't know why I forgot. Olivia Nelson, Kent's daughter."
"Do you know if she ever socialized with a girl named Samantha or Sam Lawrence?" Tobias asks.
"Um," she says, her brows furrowed. "I believe so but I think is was Sami instead of Sam or Samantha." Molly knew Sam, too! I think I could kiss Ruth right now.
"You know her character better than a lot of people," Tobias says. "Do you think she could blame us for Peter's death?"
"Yes," she immediately says. "I have zero doubt that she blames you both. She tells anyone who will listen. I've tried to tell her that you are in no way responsible but she has her mind made up. She's irrationally angry. I'm sorry. I should have told you this before."
"Is she seeking revenge?" I ask.
"She's never come right out and said those exact words to me … I would have immediately contacted you if she had … but Peter believed in getting payback against ones aggressors. He learned it from his father, so I definitely wouldn't put it past them. Have I helped you?" I look at Tobias and his expression softens.
"Tremendously," I say, once again believing that this woman sitting before me is a good friend. "Can I ask one more question? What did Molly want from you this morning?"
"She didn't want anything that I know of," she says. "I was coming from breakfast with a few ladies I work with, and I ran into her. It really was nothing more than a quick hello, some small talk, and then I went home. I'm not fond of Molly. Like I said earlier, she really only causes trouble and heartache wherever she goes." We'll have to ask Zeke about where she was coming from and where she went. Obviously the information he gave Tobias was skewed.
"I have to apologize for my behavior," I say. "We're keeping tabs on Molly, and when she was seen with you this morning it was reported to us immediately. I hate to admit this but I doubted you. I can understand if you're angry with me."
"I'm not angry," she says and by the look on her face, I believe her. "I'm sorry that my relationship with Peter and Molly had you doubting me but I understand why it did. You've been traumatized time and again by them, and I can see how suspicious it looked that we ran into each other on the very day I decide to drop in on you. Heck, I'm mistrustful of her myself so I know how you feel. I'm not angry, Beatrice, and I hope we can still be friends."
"Of course, we're friends," I say. I hear Peanut and know she'll want nursed soon so I get up and go to the bassinet. "There's someone I want you to meet." I sit down next to her so she can see the small pink bundle in my arms. "This is Teagan Grace."
"Oh, she's beautiful," she says. "She looks just like you."
"I keep telling her that," Tobias says. "If you two will excuse me for a moment, I'm going to check on Tyler. Things are entirely too quiet upstairs." He gets up and starts toward the stairs but stops and goes toward the bassinet. "Come here, Pebbles." He picks Tessa up who is bright eyed and all smiles. "This one needs a new diaper so I'll take her with me."
"Okay," I say. I watch until he disappears from my sight.
"Tessa looks just like Tyler," she says.
"Yes, she does," I say. "They look like Four, and Peanut here looks like me."
"You must have your hands full," she says.
"Oh, I do," I say. "But I wouldn't change a single thing. My husband and my children are my world. Would you like to hold her? She's starting to get hungry so she might get cranky on you."
"I would love to," she says. I carefully place the swaddled bundle in Ruth's welcoming arms and watch as tears gather in her eyes. I'm sure she's thinking about what Peter told her about my daughter being her grandchild. She wipes the moisture away and smiles at me. "Please open my gift." I pick up the pink gift bag adorned with a stork on one side next to the message "Special Delivery" sitting at her feet and remove some white tissue paper to reveal a beautiful soft rose colored baby blanket. I drag it out of the sack and marvel at how soft it feels.
"It's beautiful," I say. "This is amazing. It looks like roses." I run my hand over the supple material. "Thank you so much. You didn't have to bring us anything though."
"I wanted to," she says. "I have to say you're getting along pretty good for having such a tiny one here at home."
"Don't let her looks fool you," I say. "She's already over a month old." This news surprises her. "I went into labor quite early. She weighed in at a whopping 5 pounds 2 ounces when she made her entrance but she was perfectly healthy, and we were able to bring her home when I was released three days later. She's gained over a pound and a half but she's not getting any longer. I think she's going to be short like her mommy."
"I can tell your mommy loves you very much, Teagan," she says just as Peanut starts fussing. "I can hear it in her voice."
"Are you hungry, Peanut?" I ask. I stick my knuckle in her mouth and she suckles on it, indicating a yes.
"I should be going," Ruth says as she gets up off the couch. She kisses Peanut's head before very carefully putting my baby in my arms. "I've taken up enough of your time already today."
"Nonsense," I say. "You can stay."
"No, I really must be going," she says. "I have a coffee date before dinner. I'm so nervous. I haven't had a date in so long."
"Just be yourself, Ruth, and you'll be fine," I say. "You're more than welcome to stop by any time. I wish I would have given you a warmer welcome. I'm truly sorry."
"No apologies necessary … if you promise to bring this beauty and her brother and sister by to see me from time to time." I smile at her demand.
"It would be my pleasure," I say giving her a loose one-armed hug. I walk her to the door and say, "Have fun on your date. The next time we see each other, you'll have to tell me all about it."
"I will," she says. "Goodbye, Beatrice." I watch as she heads down the stairs then go back into the apartment and lock the door.
"Let's get your belly full, Peanut." I run my finger along her cheek as I walk to the club chair, and she smiles up at me. "Does that tickle?"
"Where's Ruth?" Tobias asks as Peanut starts nursing. He sits on the couch with Tessa on his lap, chewing on her purple butterfly and Tyler sits on the floor playing with some toys he just got out of the toy box.
"She went home," I say. He gets his phone out of his pocket and makes a call.
"Yeah, Zeke. She just left … Let me know."
"You're having her watched, aren't you?" He looks up at me, carefully hiding his emotions. I sigh then say, "I'm not angry, Tobias. I understand why you're doing it. It's actually smart. Although I trust her completely, she could be hiding something from us or worse yet working with Molly."
"Thank you for trusting my judgment and not fighting with me on this one, love," he says, visibly relaxing into the couch cushions. "And just for the record, after our conversation, I don't think she's hiding anything from us either but I'd feel better knowing for sure."
"What do you think of the fact that Molly knows Lauren, Olivia, and Sam?" I ask.
"Information overload. We've wanted answers for so long and now that we've got some, I don't know what to do with them. I know the first thing I want to do is talk to Kirsten but I don't know how to do that without arousing suspicions. I also need to pull a seasoned programmer to my office to tell me why I can't access all the files without alerting Lauren to what I'm looking for."
"Text Kirsten from my phone and ask how long she's working. If she wants to know why I'm asking, tell her we need a new computer and want to buy it from her."
"We don't need a new computer," he says. I raise my brows at him. He must be tired or has something on his mind because he's usually quicker. "Oh, right. It's a ruse." I get my phone out and hand it to him. After about five minutes of texting back and forth, we have an appointment with her at 7 p.m. Hopefully, she can give us some details about what happened in the training room that morning.
"Are you alright?" I ask Tobias but he doesn't seem to hear me. I get up and put Peanut, who immediately fell back to sleep after nursing, in her bassinet and kiss her head. I sit next to Tobias and drag Tessa into my lap. She snuggles into my chest and closes her eyes. "What's wrong, baby?" He puts his arm around me, draws me close, and places a soft kiss to my temple.
"Nothing really," he says. "I guess I was thinking about our meeting with Bobby's parents. How do you think we should handle this? My Abnegation side is telling me that we need to talk it out but my stronger Dauntless side really wants to just punch his father in the face and order him to get his shit together and get his kid in line or don't bother bringing him back to the daycare center." He frustratingly rubs his hand over his face and sighs. "I'm continually having to remind myself that Bobby is only 4 years old and more than likely doesn't fully understand the weight of his actions. What do you think, love?"
"Let's go the Abnegation route to start with," I say. "Maybe they aren't aware of his actions because no one has told them yet."
"I can't imagine but I guess it's possible," he says. "Should we put the kids down for a nap? Then you can rest for an hour or so before we have to go to the Pit."
"I think I'll take you up on your offer, Mr. Eaton," I say with a yawn. It's been a long emotional day and it's far from over. First, he picks Tyler up off the floor. He must have worn himself out after lunch because he fell asleep playing with his fire engine and dump truck. When he comes back down he takes Tessa out of my arms, and I get Peanut out of the bassinet. After going upstairs, we put the girls in their cribs then head into our bedroom.
"Sleep, love," he says as he wraps his arms around me and kisses the top of my head. I snake my arms around his waist and lift my lips to his. He smiles as his mouth softly lands on mine. The tension of the day melts away as the kiss intensifies. Too soon though he pulls away with a groan.
"Will you lie down with me for a little bit?" I ask, trying to keep the pout out of my voice. "It helps me fall asleep." He takes a deep breath and stares into my eyes for the longest time.
"You know I try to give you whatever you want but I … just … can't. I'm sorry, love."
"Believe it or not, I understand," I say, disappointed that my husband can't just lie down next to me. The irrational need we often feel for each other is strong right now, and I don't think either one of us would be able to stop if we started something. I go up on my tiptoes and kiss his cheek before moving my lips to his ear. "I love you."
"I love you, too," he says. "I'll be in the office if you need me."
"Don't let me sleep too long," I say glancing at the clock. "I want to be refreshed for our meeting, not lethargic."
"You got it." He pulls our quilt back and motions for me to get in bed. I do and as my head hits the pillow, he lays the quilt over my fatigued body. He kisses my forehead then walks out of the room. Irrational tears that match my irrational need well up in my eyes, and I don't try to stop them. Maybe I need a good cleansing cry right now. I close my eyes and try to surrender to the fatigue but it does no good. When I feel the bed sag, I roll over. I look up into Tobias' eyes and see pain.
"You don't have to lie with me," I say, trying to hide the crushing rejection I feel.
"Yeah, I do," he says, wiping away the traitor tears. "I didn't mean to make you cry."
"I'm sorry, too," I say, the tears coming harder. "Just hold me, please."
"Of course," he says. I roll back over and he pulls me to him until his body is wrapped around mine. I rest my head on his biceps and lace my fingers with his. Just his presence relaxes me, and I'm able to fall into a deep, peaceful sleep.