Page 70 of The Best Man
“No problem, Dad. I get it. It’s just easier to have an adult around. And I love those kids, so it’s a treat for me. I’ll come by Friday after school, and we’ll order in. Sound good?”
“Better than good. Thanks, Molls. Are you sure you don’t have plans? Ashley mentioned you were seeing some guy, but since I haven’t met him, I guess it can’t be serious, right?” my dad jokes.
“Haha. No, I’m not busy.”
“Alright, then. We’ll see you Friday, sweetie.”
“Ok, Dad,”
“Love you, kiddo,” he says.
“Love you. Hey, Dad?” I ask, half-hoping he’s already hung up.
No such luck. “What’s up, Molly Grace?”
“Ok, total subject change, but just go with it, ok?”
“Always, Molls.”
“So, um, not to sound accusatory or anything, but, um, you’ve been married a million times.”
My dad laughs. “Technically only four, but I see your point.”
“Yea, so…”
“What’s on your mind, Molls. Spit it out. I promise I can take it.”
“Would you do it all again? I mean, of course you would, you love your kids, but—”
“I get it, Molls. Amazing kids and stepkids aside, would I do it all again? The answer is yes. Look, your mom and I were babies ourselves when you were born. It didn’t work out, but we’re still very good friends. And I loved Jill and Lisa. Sure, looking back, I made mistakes, but I like to think I’ve learned from them. And one of the things I’ve learned is that when you find love, you hold on to it.”
“That’s almost exactly what Stella said.”
“That lady knows her shit. And why are you asking me if you’ve already got the best advice out there?” I can hear the smile in his voice.
“True. You’re just wastin’ my time, Pops. I’ll let you get back to your flirty texts from Colin.”
“Thanks a lot, Molls.”
We hang up, and I feel better, lighter than I have in years. It’s like I’ve been carrying this weight around, and suddenly, I’ve realized I don’t need it anymore.
What I do need, though, is Ev.
And I need a way to convince him to give me another chance.
The weather’s great. There’s not a cloud in the sky, and the breeze is light. I’m out on my boat, and I should be loving life right now.
But, of course, I’m missing Molly. Nothing is the same without her. I think of the night we met and how restless I’d been that day. Now that I know what life is like with Molly in it, my restlessness is a thousand times worse.
I’m not searching anymore. I’ve found what I want.
I just don’t know how to hold on to it.
Nate’s right, though. Leave it to my young, unattached assistant to come through with thought-provoking relationship advice. We don’t need a piece of paper or a ring or a ceremony or any of that. I couldn’t see that before; I was so wrapped up in my own perception of what a relationship should be, that I didn’t fully appreciate the relationship I had.
I just need Molly, for as long as she’ll let me have her.
She looked beautiful, as always, yesterday. I should have been paying attention to the wedding and the gender reveal—and I was. I was just paying a lot more attention to Molly.
