My Full Confession

Yuletide Perils

"Greg, oh thank God!" Molly exclaimed upon his entering back into his house, to where the table was set and his family had already begun their dinner.
"We thought he killed you!" exclaimed Graham excitedly, waving around half a potato on his fork before trying to stick the whole thing into his mouth. Molly went to scolding him as Greg took his place at the table, sinking down into the wooden chairs and staring a bit absentmindedly at the food before him. His stomach was churning, yet he wasn't terribly hungry. Instead he wanted to be back there; already the suspense was killing him! What came next, after this bond had formed between the two boys?
"Are you alright Greg? Tell me he wasn't too harsh?" Molly asked carefully, passing the plate of steaks towards her husband while her face grew grim. Greg came back to life with a blink, nodding his head and thanking Molly as he took a helping of food.
"What, no, no he wasn't harsh at all. He's called me up so that I can document his life story; he's um...he's quite the interesting man." Greg admitted finally.
"He's actually human then? Or do you think he's lying about that?" Gavin asked.
"He's human." Greg assured abruptly. "I'm to go back tomorrow at the same time, he's only just begun."
"So you're documenting it all for him, are you? That's nice of you." Molly said with a smile. "So he's not that bad, is he?"
"No he's not too bad." Greg assured.
"He's faking it. He'll kidnap you, sometimes. Just you wait dad." Gavin insisted, nodding his head in an all knowing manner and looking quite proud of himself.
"Don't think the worst of Mr. Watson, boys. Now finish up your dinner." Molly insisted, nodding towards Graham who was pushing his green beans around on his plate, so as to make it look like there was less than there really was. They obeyed, thankfully in silence, and Greg could go on thinking about the story once more. He was aching to tell it to Molly, or at least the most important parts. He knew that she had always tried to see the good in people, and this story would humanize poor Mr. Watson so efficiently that they simply couldn't hate him any longer. It was fascinating how abruptly Greg's views had changed of the man, now that he knew that he really was a man in the end. A nice, misunderstood creature. Just as soon as the boys vanished upstairs Greg swallowed his last bite of food and smiled excitedly towards his wife. Molly had obviously been waiting for the same cue, for she leaned forward in anticipation.
"So what's his story then?" she asked anxiously.
"He's been living up there twelve years alone, ever since his husband died." Greg said, trying to keep the excitement out of his voice. Molly's eyes widened in fascination, however she didn't seem to be as taken aback as Greg had been. Perhaps that's because she was a lot more open minded about the man from the start.
"He was married then?" she clarified.
"To a man named John Watson, he just started up telling me. All about how when he first went to school he made friends with John, and the kid started a fight on his behalf, all of that fairytale stuff you know?" Greg said quickly.
"That's wonderful! Well, not the fact that his husband is dead, more the fact that he was happy once. Oh I think it's great that you're going and keeping him company, that's really nice of you, Greg." Molly said proudly.
"Well I don't mind it, in fact I can't wait to go back." Greg admitted anxiously. "He alluded to some sort of crime, and I'm very excited to find out what it is."
"A crime?" Molly asked with a gawk.
"Ya, that's why he's telling me all of this. He wants to confess to a detective." Greg muttered.
"Oh my goodness, so it could be serious?" Molly clarified.
"Well ya, but it could also not be. Perhaps he's making a big long story up to justifying his stealing a gumball, who knows? Maybe he just wants the attention." Greg suggested.
"I only hope it's nothing too serious." Molly mumbled. "I don't like the idea of our children antagonizing a criminal."
"I don't like the idea of our children antagonizing him, whoever he is. He's harmless, I know that for sure. He doesn't deserve it." Greg grumbled with a frown.
"Well look at you, suddenly so considerate!" Molly exclaimed, patting Greg on the shoulder in congratulations as if she was actually surprised to see him look at the world through someone else's eyes.
"I'm not being considerate, I'm being rational. I've never encouraged their behavior." Greg insisted.
"You were the one that bought them water balloons, knowing full well that they'd end up smashed all over that poor man's house." Molly reminded him. Greg's shoulders dropped, for now that she mentioned it he did remember feeling particularly bitter with his neighbor, who had called three times the night previous to complain. And those water balloons had very much been an impulse purchase, with that fire in his heart...
"Well now I just feel bad." Greg admitted with a frown.
"Oh it's in the past, Greg. I'm sure he's more happy to have the company." Molly assured.
"And I'm perfectly happy with listening. The way he talks, he makes it sound like a romance novel. Makes it sound like two prince charmings meeting." Greg admitted.
"Do you think he's embellishing it a bit more than he needs to?" Molly wondered. Greg shrugged his shoulders, knowing that either way it wouldn't matter.
"I'm not sure. It all sounds believable to me, if that's what you mean." Greg admitted with a shrug.
"Well then, keep me updated. Until then, we've got our own problems to take care of. These dishes, for starters." Molly muttered, stacking some of the plates into a reasonable pile in the middle of the table, all while Greg sat back in annoyance. Sometimes it seemed that domestic life was getting very burdensome, even at the slightest inconvenience. And yet he nodded his head, and got to his feet to retrieve the sponge.