Page 62 of Molly

Well shit. Alright then.

Ma’s face breaks out in a massive grin, and she leans in towards Molly. “Tell me what Emma was like as a baby.”

“Oh, she was the best. God, I was so lucky. She came out and slept like a rock from day one. Even through teething, she’d be unsettled during the day, but at night, once she was out, she was out. She was so chubby and had a mop of brown hair sticking up everywhere when she was born. She hardly ever cried. She was spoiled though, always had someone carrying her around. She’s still spoiled, but I do my best to teach her manners and respect,” Molly replies.

“From what we’ve seen today, you’ve done an amazing job with her, sweetheart,” Ma adds.

Molly blushes slightly, says thank you, and looks over at Emma with a smile. She takes a deep breath and turns her focus to Lauren. “So, Lauren, when are you due? You must be getting excited.”

Lauren smiles brightly back at her. “I’m due at the end of May, so, still a little while to go, but that’s okay. More time to sleep before they arrive.”

“Are you finding out the sex?” Molly asks.

Lauren shakes her head. “No, we want it to be a surprise this time around.”

“Oh, that’s amazing!”

Molly and Lauren gush about babies and what life is like with a newborn, and I feel a little sad for a moment, knowing I didn’t get to experience any of that with Emma, but I cheer myself up by thinking about our next one. Em will be the best big sister.

I look over at Molly when the thought crosses my mind, a little shocked that I’m thinking about babies already. When her gorgeous green eyes lock with mine, it hits me.

I’m so fucking in love with her. Why haven't I told her that?

34

MOLLY

“You send me a message when you get home, alright? Let me know you got there safe,”Lucy calls out from the front door as I’m buckling Em into her car seat. Her eyes are drooping already, tired from our big day out.

“You got it, Ma,” Ryan calls back before he gets into the driver’s seat.

I close Emma's door and open the passenger side. “Thank you so much for today. We had a great time,” I call out.

Lucy smiles and replies, “I’ll see you soon, sweetheart.”

We honk as we drive off, and Ryan puts his hand on my knee, turning to look back at Em. “She’s asleep already,” he chuckles.

“She had such a great day, I did too. Your family is amazing.”

He grabs my hand in his and places a kiss on the back. “You’re amazing, Mol.”

I smile. “Your mum’s coming by the shop next week. Told her I’d set her up with some devil’s ivy to have around the house. She seemed pretty excited. I really like her, and Lauren, and your dad. Your whole family, really.”

“You were so good with them today, thank you.”

I lay my head back against the headrest and watch the world go by as we drive. After a couple of minutes, Ryan turns his head to check on Emma again and then puts his indicator on, pulling into a side street. He stops the car and puts it in park. I look at him to ask what he's doing, but hesitate when I see the look of determination on his face.

“Molly, I love you,” he whispers, his eyes holding mine. “You don't have to say it back. I just want you to know that you and Emma are all I want. Everything I want.”

I sit frozen for a moment. I’ve been waiting for him to drop the L-bomb since I heard him tell Emma he loves me. I just didn’t expect him to do it on the side of the road with her in the backseat. My brain takes a second to kick back into gear, but when it does, I smile so wide that my cheeks ache from the stretch. My heart feels like it’s going to beat right out of my chest.He loves me. Loves us.

“I love you, too,” I whisper, happy tears blurring my eyes.

“Yeah?” he asks, awe lining his tone.

I nod, and then his lips meet mine in a fierce, bruising kiss.

???

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