Remember This✔

Chapter Forty

It's evening when Charlie drops Molly back at her house and there's an unbearable tension between them as they try to say goodbye. Molly has had the perfect day, from start to finish it's been a worldwind of emotions. They spent the entire afternoon at the beach; walking, holding hands, rolling in the sand, and racing each other along the shoreline. It didn't just feel like a dream, it felt like an alternate universe. He leans over to kiss her and she places a hand to his face, groaning as she pulls away.

"I'll see you tomorrow," he says.

"I'll try and look a little more presentable for you."

"I like you like this."

"Goodnight," she whispers.

She grabs her stuff and leaves his car. Being apart from him pains her but she's also excited to spend some time at home. When she walks inside she notices all the lights are switched on in the right lounge.

"We need to talk about this," she hears Pam say. "It's your choice but you should really think about it."

"I don't want to think about it. I'm not going!"

Molly freezes in the doorway as Lily runs past her and charges up the staircase. She walks into the lounge and she has no idea what exactly she's walked in on but no one looks happy. Pam and Daniel are sat at opposite ends of the couch, both of them look frustrated.

"Hey," Pam says. "Did you have a good time?"

"Yeah," Molly says. "What happened? What's up with Lily?"

"Lily's social worker called us earlier," Pam says quietly. "Her mother is apparently sober and wants to start seeing her again."

"Oh." Molly takes a seat in the chair. "That's good isn't it?"

"Try telling her that." Daniel sighs as he looks around the room. "We can't force her to see her."

"She's just scared," Pam says. "We'll talk to her again tomorrow."

Molly stands up. "I'm going to have a shower and get an early night. See you in the morning."

"Goodnight," they mumble together.

Molly walks along the hallway and dumps her stuff on her bed before going back out. Henley's door is open because he's scared of the dark and Molly smiles as she watches him sleep. She knocks on Lily's door and is met with a blank response. She knocks again and then opens it.

"Go away!" Lily shouts. She lays on the bed, face down, crying against a pillow.

"It's me," Molly says as she closes the door. "You want to talk?"

"I don't want to see her!" Lily bursts out as she turns and glares at Molly with sore, red eyes. "What is so hard to understand about that? Why won't they drop it?"

"Because she's your mother," Molly says as she circles the bed slowly. "And nothing will ever change that."

"She doesn't care about me. She left me. She left me alone in that house with that guy for days. I was terrified."

"Why? What did he do to you?"

She sits up and brings her knees to her chest. "Most of the time he was too drunk to stand. But he'd yell at me, he'd yell awful things and he'd hit me. I kept telling him to leave but he wouldn't leave."

"And then they took you away?"

She nods, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. "She cared more about drugs than me, she always did. And I'm supposed to forgive her because she's been to rehab? No. No, I can't."