Chapter Nine
Riley was in heaven. He was pretty sure he was dreaming, but he didn’t care. He was standing in a field of sunflowers and the sky was as blue as a robin’s egg. Aidan was running around in circles with his face turned up toward the sky. Georgia was beside Aidan holding his hand and they were laughing. The two people he loved more than life itself were having a glorious time. Happiness hung in the air. God was good. This, Riley realized, was the life he should be living, surrounded by joy and happiness. He was no longer keeping secrets from Georgia. They were going to be together forever and always.
He felt as light as a feather. Georgia knew the truth. And she still loved him. What had he been running from all these years? His future was going to be filled with love and faith and family.
Suddenly, he sat up in bed with a jerking motion. What was that noise? It was a heavy, banging sound. It was annoying for more than one reason. The loud noise had interrupted one of the most satisfying dreams of his life. A quick look at the clock sitting on his bedside table revealed the current time. It was four a.m. and someone was making a racket outside. A quick look outside his bedroom window solved the mystery. Molly was standing at the front door. Or at least it looked like Molly. The outside light was fairly dim.
Hoping the racket hadn’t woken up Aidan, Riley quickly raced downstairs and flung open the front door. Molly was standing there with her fist raised as if she was prepared to keep banging on the door. What was she doing here? She didn’t live at the house anymore. Aunt Libby had allowed her to live in the guest house next to her home for the last few years. As a college student, Molly loved the privacy and the sense of living on her own.
Riley knew he was gawking at his sister, but she looked wild. “Hey, what’s going on? It’s the crack of dawn. We should both still be sleeping.”
She walked past him into the house, reminiscent of a tornado. He shut the door behind her and turned to face her, questions forming on his lips.
“I want Aidan back.” For a moment, Riley thought he’d misunderstood Molly. She couldn’t have said what he thought he’d just heard.
“You what?” he asked, as a feeling of numbness settled in.
She twisted her fingers around and around. Tears slid down her cheeks. “I’m sorry, Riley. I know you love him as your own and you’ve been raising him, but I want a chance to be his mother. He’s mine. I carried him for nine months.”
Bitter words burned his tongue. He had to hold himself back from blurting them out. Yes, his baby sister had given birth to Aidan, but that wasn’t the sum total of being a mother. Or a parent. He had been the one who had nurtured Aidan from the very beginning. He’d rocked him to sleep and tucked him in every night of his young life. Although his head acknowledged his sister’s right to claim her status as Aidan’s mother, his heart rejected the notion.
“Molly. Where is this coming from?” His voice sounded raspy to his own ears.
“I thought I did the right thing,” she wailed, tears coursing down her cheeks. “But after seeing you with Aidan it’s made me realize that I’m missing out on being his mother. Mama called me earlier to tell me about your engagement. And I know now that you’re engaged to Georgia he’s going to be calling her mommy. I don’t think I can bear it.”
“Molly, that’s not a reason to up end his life and everything he’s known since the day he came into the world.” He reached out and squeezed her arm. “I know it’s terribly difficult. I know it must be hard. But if you remember, Molly, you never wanted to raise Aidan. You wanted to go to college and be young without having to worry about adult matters. Don’t you remember?”
Molly wiped away tears with the back of her hand. “I know. And I know it’s unfair of me to ask, but I want him back. I want my son back.” She locked gazes with him. “Don’t you remember what you said?”
Riley’s heart sank. His own words were coming back to haunt him. When Molly was pregnant and they had formulated the plan for Riley to raise Aidan as his own and never let anyone know that Molly was the biological mother, he had promised her something. If he was right, Molly was coming to him now in the hopes that he would uphold that promise.
“You said if there was ever a point down the road where I wanted him back, you would give him to me.” Molly’s voice was quivering. Her lips trembled. “Do you remember?”
“Yes, I remember, Molly,” Riley said, his mouth feeling as dry as sawdust. But he hadn’t meant three plus years later. He had meant days. Or weeks. Months. Not years!
Her shoulders sagged. She let out a breath. “I didn’t imagine it. I kept thinking maybe I’d imagined it.”
“Molly, I’ve been his father for three years. Do you have any idea how painful this would be for him? He’s too little to understand.”
“Kids are resilient at this age,” Molly said in a soft voice. “I’ve been doing some research.”
Riley let out a brittle laugh. “Research? Come on, Molly. This isn’t an experiment. This is real life.”
“Don’t you think I know that?” Molly asked, her voice loaded with emotion. There were tears streaming down her face. “I hate this for you, Riley. I know what you’ve done. Not just for me, but for Aidan.” She began to sob. “I just don’t know what else to do.”
As much as he wanted to cast Molly out of his house, Riley couldn’t do it. He loved his baby sister. He reached out to her and enveloped her in his arms. She sagged against his chest and began to cry. Huge sobs wracked her petite figure. Riley began to rub her back in a soothing motion.
“It’s all right, Molls,” he said, using her childhood nickname. “We’ll figure this out.”
“I just want him back,” she said against his chest, her voice sounding muffled.
“Why don’t we go into the kitchen and I’ll make us some tea,” he suggested. “Tea makes everything better,” he said, using one of their mother’s favorite phrases.
Molly pulled away from him. Her pretty face was blotchy with tears. The tip of her nose was beet red. She made a loud sniffling noise. “O-okay, Riley. Tea sounds really good right about now.”
Riley led the way down the hall to the kitchen and flicked on the lights. The kitchen was way too light and airy for Riley’s liking at the moment. It didn’t fit his mood. He felt close to the breaking point. He was only acting calm so Molly didn’t totally lose it.
He heated the kettle and began taking cups down from the cupboard, along with sugar and tea bags. He was operating on auto-pilot, since his mind was nothing more than mush. How could Molly truly want Aidan back? Didn’t she know his son was his entire world? Who would he be without him?
“What in the world is going on? It’s still dark outside.” His mother’s voice echoed in the silence of the kitchen. Riley turned around and met his mother’s gaze. Molly bowed her head. She wouldn’t even look at his mother.
“Riley. What’s going on?” his mother pressed. Her beautiful features were creased with worry.
The tea kettle made a loud screeching noise. Riley walked over and turned it off. He turned back toward his mother. “Molly wants Aidan back.”
“What? No!” Posey cried out. “She can’t do that.”
“Why can’t I?” Molly asked, her voice shrill. “He’s my son.”
“Molly, he hasn’t been your son since the day your brother adopted him,” Posey answered in a scolding voice.
Molly’s mouth was set in a firm line. “Aidan promised me that if I ever changed my mind he would give Aidan back to me.”
Posey swung her gaze over to Riley. “Riley,” she said in a raspy voice. “Did you make that promise to your sister?”
For a moment Riley was dumbstruck. The promise had been given right after Aidan’s birth. He hadn’t meant for Molly to come crashing into his and Aidan’s lives three years after his son’s birth. He had extended grace to his sister in the event that in the weeks and months after Aidan’s birth she had changed her mind about not raising her son. He’d never imagined this change of heart happening three years later.
“I did, but it’s a lot more complicated than it seems,” Riley said, meeting his mother’s gaze head-on. “For the moment, we’re just going to have some tea and calm things down.”
His mother nodded and pulled back a chair. She was seated next to Molly, who continued to sniffle and wipe away tears. Posey placed her arm around her daughter and held her close to her side. “Everything is going to be fine. We’re going to settle this like a family. At the end of our lives, when everything is said and done, the things that endure are the ones we love. Family is the crux of everything. Aunt Libby knew that better than anyone.”
Over tea and light conversation, Molly’s mood improved. By the time she was ready to leave, Molly’s mood was less hysterical.
After Molly left, Riley headed upstairs to check on Aidan. Ever since Molly had shown up in such a frenzy, Riley’s thoughts had been consumed by his son. What was going to happen? Was it possible he could lose Aidan? His lawyer had told him that the adoption was air tight. Was it morally wrong to keep Aidan when Molly wanted him back so desperately?
He quietly opened Aidan’s door and stepped inside. His son was sleeping peacefully, tucked into his Spiderman comforter and matching sheets. Riley reached out and smoothed his hand across his son’s temple. A tight sensation spread across his chest. The love he felt for Aidan was all-consuming. It was more powerful than anything in this world. He would go to the ends of the earth to protect this child.
How could he give him up? Molly didn’t know the first thing about being a mother to Aidan. And Aidan would be the one to suffer if he gave him back to his birth mother.
Riley fell to his knees beside Aidan’s toddler bed. He crossed his hands and bowed his head. He needed divine guidance.
Lord, please help me. I can’t imagine losing Aidan. He’s my entire world. I’ve raised him since day one. He’s always been my son. My boy. I love my sister, but I can’t bear the thought of giving Aidan up. Show me the way, Lord.
**
“Molly wants Aidan back.”
No matter how hard she tried, Georgia couldn’t manage to get Riley’s shocking words out of her heart and mind. She had met up with Riley for breakfast and she’d seen the utter devastation etched on his face as he told her about Molly’s pre-dawn visit to the family home. Although Riley had been trying to hold things together, she’d seen the cracks in his façade. He was afraid. And close to the breaking point. It made her afraid, not only for their relationship, but for Aidan’s future. Could Molly really take Aidan away from Riley? How far would this go?
At the moment she was kneeling in prayer at Hope Valley Church, hoping for some divine direction. She prayed for Riley and Aidan and Molly. She prayed for cooler heads to prevail. She prayed for Molly to achieve peace without ripping Aidan away from the only parent he’d ever known. She prayed for hearts to heal.
As she left the church, Georgia pushed open the heavy wooden doors, wincing as the bright sunlight streamed into the church. It momentarily blinded her. When she was finally able to see, Georgia thought she might be hallucinating. Molly was standing before her on the steps, making her way inside the church.
Molly let out a gasp as soon as she spotted her.
“Molly!” Georgia cried out.
“Georgia.” She shifted from one foot to the other. “I-I know Riley probably told you about Aidan. Please don’t blame him for not telling you. It was a condition from the very beginning that we maintain secrecy.”
“I understand.” Georgia nodded. “I figured it out on my own based on what you said when we had coffee. It didn’t click until last night.” She shrugged. “You probably didn’t even realize what you said that day about having more children. I imagine it’s been hard keeping this secret.”
Molly’s mouth was set in a thin, grim line. “It was harder than anyone has ever realized.”
“I know you’ve been through a lot,” Georgia said, sensing Molly felt very alone.
“Yes,” Molly said with a nod. “And I know you must think I’m awful, but I want a chance to raise Aidan. He’s mine.”
Georgia resisted the impulse to shake Molly. She sounded like a little kid who was fighting over a toy. She had no idea what she was doing or the lives she could ruin in her quest to get her son back. Did Molly even know what it was to raise a child? She took a deep breath and uttered a prayer for calm and wisdom. Anger wouldn’t serve a single purpose in this already tense situation.
“Can we sit down and talk?”
Molly frowned at her. “I know what you’re going to say. That I should just drop this and give up the idea of raising Aidan.” Molly’s lip was stuck out. Georgia sighed. In many ways Molly was still a child.
Georgia reached for her hand and led her back into the church. She sat down in the last pew. Molly sat down beside her.
“Molly. The first thing I want to do is tell you how brave you’ve been. You’ve been through a lot. And you’ve managed to stay in school and be a positive force in the world. Eric let you down. Badly. You realized you were too young to raise a child. So you did a wonderful, altruistic thing. You gave him to someone you knew could do what you couldn’t do, Molly.” She softened her voice. “Isn’t that true?”
“Yes, it’s true,” Molly said, quietly sobbing. “But now that I’m ready to graduate from college I feel differently. I think I could be his mother now.”
“But what about him? Aidan? How will he feel? What will this do to him? All this time it’s been about Aidan. I don’t mean to hurt you, Molly, because I know you’ve been through so much, but this seems to be about you. How you feel.”
“I love him,” Molly said in a fierce tone. Her pretty features were twisted in anger. And a hint of defiance. “Can’t you understand that?”
She reached for Molly’s hand and squeezed it. “Of course I do. Your love for him was evident from the beginning. You loved him enough to make sure he got what he needed. And that was Riley.”
Molly’s lips trembled. “I knew Riley would be a great father.” She scrunched up her nose. “I didn’t know how I was going to be a mother.”
Georgia locked gazes with Molly. She didn’t want to be the one to say it. It needed to come from Molly.
“And I didn’t want to be a mother. Not even a little bit.” Tears slid down her face. “Eric wanted nothing to do with me or the baby. I was so depressed. And I wanted to stay in school. Riley gave me the perfect out. It’s a terrible thing to say, but it’s the truth. I knew he wouldn’t let me down. Or Aidan.”
“Molly, your feelings are valid. You don’t need to feel ashamed about it. And you don’t need to take Aidan away from Riley in order to show your love for him. There are so many other ways to do it.”
“Like what? I feel like I’m barely in his life.”
“You’re about to graduate in a few months. You’ll be back here in Hope Valley along with Riley and Aidan. You can be a huge force in his life. And when he gets old enough he’ll learn you’re his mother.”
Molly blinked away tears. “He will? Did Riley say that?”
Georgia nodded. “Yes. He did. It was always part of the plan. Surely you know that Riley would never cut you out of Aidan’s life?”
“I think that’s what I’ve been feeling. When Mama called me last night to tell me you were engaged to Riley, I think it made me a bit frantic.”
“Molly, we’re going to be a family. All of us. You’re a huge part of that. Nothing could ever change that.”
“Oh, Georgia. I feel so foolish. And wrong. Riley has been so good to me. He must think I’m the worst person in the world.”
Georgia reached out and embraced Molly. “Of course he doesn’t. I think he’s scared for Aidan. I think it would mean the world to him if you could work things out.”
Molly nodded. “Will you go with me to the house? I need to talk to my brother.”
Georgia smiled at Molly through a haze of tears. “Of course I will, Molly. Don’t you know how much I love you? You’re like a sister to me.” She reached out and wiped away Molly’s tears. “We’re in this together. Okay? You’re not alone. You never were.”
**
Riley sat in the kitchen making spaghetti and meat balls for Aidan’s lunch. It was his son’s favorite meal. He couldn’t get enough of it. If he could, Riley felt certain his son would eat it for every single meal of the day. Once he put the bowl down in front of Aidan he immediately dug in. Riley chuckled at the sight of his son with his face covered in marinara sauce. This was what he needed at the moment. Pure, unadulterated joy. It had always been the simple things that made life with Aidan so precious.
He whirled around at the sound of footsteps behind him. Georgia was standing in the entryway looking pretty in rich autumn colors. He let out the huge breath he’d been holding ever since Molly had dropped her bomb on him. Seeing Georgia felt like the rainbow after the storm. As she moved toward her, Molly stepped into view. For a moment their gazes locked. Riley had no idea what she was doing here or what she might say. With Aidan only a few feet away, Riley was gripped by a sudden nervousness. He didn’t want Aidan upset.
“Aidan is having his lunch,” he said, sending Molly a signal that he didn’t want to discuss anything heavy in front of him. If she was going to cry or shout, he’d have to take Aidan upstairs to his room.
Molly looked over at Aidan. “He loves pasta, doesn’t he?”
“He does,” Riley said. “I remember when you were little. It was your favorite meal. He’s like you in so many ways.”
Her face crumpled. “Riley, I’m so sorry. I went to Hope Valley Church today because I wanted to talk to God,” Molly said. “I ran into Georgia. We both wanted to pray for the same thing. Peace. Resolution.”
“For so long now I’ve wondered if He is disappointed in me. Ever since I left you this morning I’ve been thinking about a story from the Bible I read as a child. It was about two women who both claimed to be a child’s mother. King Solomon had to choose which of the women was the baby’s true mother. He told the women he was going to cut the child in half so each could claim the child. One of the women begged him to let the child live while the other didn’t seem to care about the child’s fate. If she couldn’t have the child, she didn’t want anyone else to have it. King Solomon determined that the true mother was the one who wanted the child to live, even if she couldn’t raise it.”
“If King Solomon were here right now I think he’d choose you to raise Aidan because you’ve always done the unselfish thing in raising him.” She twisted her fingers around and around. Her lips trembled. “I wasn’t trying to be selfish for asking for Aidan back, but I was being emotional and I wasn’t thinking about what was best for him. I allowed guilt to cloud my judgment. Riley, I gave birth to Aidan, but he’s not my son. He’s always been yours.”
Tears pooled in Riley’s eyes. “Molly, you gave me the most precious gift of all when you entrusted me with Aidan. And you’re continuing to bless me. I’m so humbled by it. I want you to be a gigantic force in Aidan’s life. Our door is always open to you.”
“You were there for me at a time when no one else was. I was all alone. You saved me in every way possible. I’ll never forget it,” Molly said. Her shoulders began to shake as tears coursed down her face. Riley stepped toward her, closing the gap between them in a few easy strides. He cradled his sister in his arms, rocking her back and forth.
When they broke apart, the sound of Aidan clapping made all of them laugh.
“Looks like someone approves,” Georgia said with a giggle. Aidan pointed at Molly and smiled.
“I think he’s done with lunch,” Riley said. “His bowl is empty.” Riley walked toward Aidan and ruffled his hair. “You need to wash up, buddy.”
“If it’s okay, can I do it? I’d love to help out more when I’m around,” Molly said. “I have to go back to campus tomorrow, but I’ll be back soon for Thanksgiving,” she said, hope radiating from her eyes. “And I’ll be here permanently in the summer.”
“Of course you can help with Aidan. Go for it!” Riley said, watching as Molly stepped forward and picked up Aidan in her arms.
“Auntie Molly is going to get you cleaned up. And then we can play with Legos. How does that sound.”
“I love Legos, Auntie Molly,” Aidan cried out, joy etched on his face.
Riley’s chest tightened at the sight of Molly and Aidan disappearing from view as they left the kitchen. He shut his eyes tight and said, “Thank you, Lord. For answering my prayers.”
He felt Georgia’s arms encircling him from behind. She laid her head on his back. They stood there for a moment in silence, basking in the happiness Molly had just given them. All was right with his world.
Riley opened his eyes and turned around to face the love of his life.
“You did this!” he said, dipping his head down and placing a triumphant kiss on Georgia’s lips.
Georgia shook her head. “No. Molly did this. All on her own. I was just a listening ear. God placed me at the church at the right time and place. She loves Aidan. And she adores you as well, Riley. She’s struggled with feelings of guilt about giving up Aidan, even though she knows how well you’ve done raising him.”
“I meant what I said. She’s free to be a huge part of Aidan’s life. And when he’s old enough, we’ll all sit down together and tell him the truth.”
Georgia threw her arms around him. “I love you, Riley Somers. I knew you would say all the right things to Molly. Loving, unselfish things.”
“I meant every word I said. We’re all in this together.” He reached out and took Georgia’s hands and lifted them up to his lips, pressing a kiss against them. “Marry me,” Riley said. He nuzzled her neck.
She let out a squeal. “Hey, I’m ticklish. And I already agreed to marry you.”
“I mean now. This week. There’s no need to wait. We’ve been in love for as far back as I can remember.”
Georgia bit her lip. “But I need a dress and a venue and bridesmaids. Not to mention an amazing wedding cake. And what about a honeymoon?”
Riley gently placed his finger across her lips. “Shh. We can make it happen. All of it, Georgia. Where there’s love, anything is possible.”
She threw back her head and let out a hearty laugh. “You’re right about that! We’re living proof.”
Riley reached out and tilted her chin up so that he could look deeply into her eyes. “So. Is that a yes? Can we make this wedding happen?
“Yes, we can, Riley,” Georgia agreed. “I’ve wanted to marry you for a very long time, so I’m not going to play hard to get now.”
“I love you, Georgia Ballou. I can’t wait to make you my wife.”
“And I can’t wait to call you husband. I want to be sensitive to Molly, but I also want to embrace Aidan as our son.”
“I think Molly’s turned a corner,” Riley said. “We’ll include her on every level. And we’ll make it work.”
“I’m so happy you came back to Hope Valley for good. I feel so blessed to have you in my life,” Georgia gushed.
Life had never been so sweet for either one of them. They had both been through dark times in the aftermath of their break-up. Now, with faith and reconciliation and an abundance of love, they had found their way back to one another.
Their love was stronger than it had ever been. And the days to come would be brighter than a sky full of twinkling stars.
THE END