Page 33 of The Problem with Falling
Molly turned to me with a knowing grin on her face. She looked like a child on Christmas morning, standing under the sparkling, colorful tree lights. “Did you hear that? He gave her all his cookies.”
“That’s a big deal. He hasn’t shared one of your baked goods with anyone since he was five years old.”
“He likes her,” she said with a smirk of pleasure. “It’s not shocking, though. Willow is easily likable.”
“Just like you, my sweets,” I mentioned, feeling any annoyance or worry I had fading away. “Just like you.”
She walked over to me and bent down to kiss my forehead.
And just like that, with one forehead kiss, I was in my twenties again, falling in love.
Life was hard and getting old was harder. There was no getting around that fact.
But it was easier with her.
CHAPTER 8
Harry
Fifty-Nine Years Ago
One year.
I’d been in love with the wild woman who changed my life for one full year.
And what a year it had been.
Molly made a picnic on the lakefront to celebrate our first dating anniversary together. Summer was right around the corner, and we were still two goofy kids in love, looking toward an endless future.
After we ate the ham and cheese sandwiches she made, we talked about our dreams. About our future. About our love.
Then, we counted the stars.
We’d only reached twenty-two before her lips fell against mine, and we’d lost count again.
I wrapped her in my arms as we swayed back and forth with one another.
“Oh wow,” she murmured, resting her head against my chest.
“What is it?”
“I just realized…” She pulled back slightly and tilted her head up toward me. Those same stars in the sky lived within her eyes, and I swore they shone brighter in her irises. “I get to love you forever, don’t I?”
“Yes,” I said, resting my lips against her forehead. “And I get to love you right back.”
She snuggled against me, and we swayed some more. “Promise me we’ll keep dancing on fishing docks?”
“Forever,” I swore. “Always,” I promised. “Even after we leave this world after death finds us, I’ll still somehow find you at the nearest dock.”
We kept dancing, and I thanked God for bringing Molly into my world. It was void of color before she swirled into my realm. Now, I lived in a field with her and her wildflowers. I hoped I’d never see the color gray again.
Life would get hard at some point because that was what life did. It was hard sometimes. There was no getting around that fact.
But it would be easier with her.
CHAPTER 9
Theo
