Page 19 of The Followers

Liv’s heart kicked at that one word: stepdaughter.

“I left the girls in the car,” Molly said, waving an arm. “They’re just down the street.”

Liv helped Molly pick up the box of cupcakes, trying to sneak a glimpse at Molly’s daughter and stepdaughter in the parked car. But the morning sun made it impossible to see through the windows.

“I hope the party goes well,” Liv said, racking her brain for some way to keep Molly here, to keep her talking.

“You know what?” Molly said, brightening. “You should come.”

“Oh, I...”

Molly nodded eagerly. “Please, it would be a favor to me! Scott’s gone, and my house will be overrun by little girls. Everyone who’s coming already knows everyone else and I’ll feel totally out of place—plus, you can meet some new people, too! I would love to have you.”

Liv hesitated. Going to Molly’s house would be the perfect chance to gather information about Scott. But more than that, she might find Gabriela. A memory bloomed in her mind: chubby outstretched hands, baby-soft skin, pink lips blowing bubbles. Desperate longing swelled in her chest.

Molly was still talking, something about party favors and decorations. She finished by saying, “And I’m making unicorn margaritas for any moms who come.”

Liv forced a smile; she wasn’t a fan of overly sweet cocktails. But access to Molly’s home was worth faking smiles and pleasantries. “That sounds fun. I’d love to meet more people in town.”

“Great! We’re not too far from here. Fifth Ave, between Eighth and Ninth Street. The only house with a bright yellow door. Party starts at three! Unicorn margaritas—whoo-hoo!”

Molly did a little twirl, grimacing as she almost dropped the box of cupcakes again, then hurried off.

nine

Am I an extrovert? Heck, yeah! But my in-house introvert, Mister Sullivan, has taught me the value of quiet and solitude. We balance each other out.

@InvincibleMollySullivan

By that afternoon Molly had taken the girls on a hike, to 7-11 for Slurpees, then outside again to build fairy houses in the backyard. Ella had seemed to enjoy the hike, climbing on rocks and skipping ahead with the dogs and Chloe, though she’d hardly looked at Molly. Ditto with the fairy houses: Ella seemed to love helping Chloe but didn’t engage much with Molly. But overall, a success. Now Ella had gone to her new friend Lily’s house down the street, Chloe had fallen asleep on the couch, and the dogs were snoozing on the floor in the afternoon sun.

She picked up her phone, ready to start a live video, then paused. This close-up camera angle wasn’t doing her any favors lately. She’d always shown her true self, with or without makeup, zero filters, but at thirty-one, she was starting to look a little tired. She could just imagine the snarky comments: Molly’s looking absolutely ANCIENT! Someone please tell her to start using a RETINOL CREAM. She already did, thank you very much.

Here we go, she told herself. She could do this. It was her actual, literal job.

“Hi there, Invincibles!” she said, smiling at the camera. “I’m here in my new office-slash-guest room. You might recognize this bed from my old house.” She turned the camera to give a view of the room. “And here’s my new desk. It’s an antique secretary I found at a thrift store right here in Durango. Isn’t it gorgeous?”

Within seconds, the hearts and comments started to come in:

You’re looking great, Molly! So happy to see you adjusting to your new life in Durango.

Can’t wait to see more of the house. We need a full tour! XOXO

I love that desk. My grandma had one just like it.

Like chatting with friends, Molly imagined, though it had been a while since she’d chatted with an actual friend. Was it weird that she’d become more comfortable interacting with people online than in real life?

“I want to thank everyone for their well-wishes on my new marriage,” she continued, brushing that thought away. “I’m thrilled, as you can imagine, but there have been some questions about my husband and why he’s keeping a low profile online.”

Apparently some of her followers thought Scott didn’t really exist. Others thought she wasn’t emotionally secure enough to share her hot husband with the world, and still others were pissed that she had “sold out” and succumbed to the drudgery of marriage after years of being a Strong Single Mama.

“I talk a lot about living your truth,” Molly said. “Living according to your values and priorities. Well, Mister Sullivan values his privacy, and I respect that. But he respects my priorities too, so don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere.”

She continued chatting about her day until it was time to wrap up. Then she focused, imagining the hundreds of thousands of people who would view this video, individuals with their own hopes and fears, searching for connection in a big lonely world.

“Before I go, let me leave you with this: You, mama in the kitchen prepping dinner for your kiddos who are only going to eat three bites: I see you. You, working girl heading home from a long day at the office where your boss yelled at you for something that wasn’t your fault: I see you. You, recently single and heading out on your first date tonight: I see you, too. I believe in you. I love you. You are not alone out there. Thanks for watching and we’ll chat tomorrow. Now, go be Invincible!”

She smiled and pocketed her phone, thinking about how much things had changed in the past five years. Back when she’d first felt the yearning to reach out online for support, she’d had only a couple hundred followers. Chloe had been a month old and would only sleep if she was being held. Molly remembered pacing the halls so many times she’d nearly worn a path into the carpet.

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