Chapter 4
Molly
“That’s good that it’s gone so well. Wife, kids, the whole she-bang?”
It was something that we had talked about before and since I had shied away from it, I had to wonder if he did as well. I wished well for him of course, I had cared deeply for him at one time, but at the same time I knew that it was going to be bothersome if he had done it all and I had failed at that part of my life. The man was handsome and made of money; I couldn’t see him not doing all of those things.
“No, I never went that route. I almost did at one time…”
He stopped and gave me a look that was hard to ignore. I had been the one that he had almost married, but things had gone awry and it never happened. His parents liked us together, but everyone had agreed that waiting was what needed to happen. It was in that wait that Chris decided that he had to do more in his life. He left Alaska and left me with my head spinning and my heart breaking. For a long time, I blamed them, but then I had to think that if it was meant to be, nothing would have stood in our way.
“I remember.” I hated how soft my voice was and I knew that it was because I was going back to the time and it still hurt to think about.
“You? Did you find a husband to have that family with? I seem to recall that you were very good at that part.”
My cheeks got red and I just shook my head. I didn’t want to tell him out loud that I had failed in that respect. I hadn’t been able to ever give anyone another chance because he had never been too far from my mind. Even now, I was sure that I thought about him in passing almost every day. We had so many memories together that it was impossible not to see something that jump-started a memory that I hadn’t thought of before.
“That is hard to imagine.”
“Well, it just never happened I guess. As I got older, I decided that it was never going to happen and I stopped worrying about it. Life is good, but sometimes it doesn’t work out the way you think it is going to.”
“Yes, I can definitely say that I agree with you there, but you’re not that old. We are the same age and you look the same as when I left.”
I wasn’t even going to comment on that last part. I wanted to know why he was here, the real reason because I knew it wasn’t just to chat over a cup of cheap coffee.
“So why are you really here Chris? I know that it isn’t for a trip back down memory lane. I have to start cooking soon, so if you could get out with it, I would be a lot happier.”
“I don’t know how to say this.”
“Straight out is the best way.”
He didn’t look so sure of that and it made me wonder what it was. Chris had always been a straight forward kind of guy and I wondered what it was that made him change that. It couldn’t be good and that doomed feeling was back in my stomach again.
“Are you sure?”
“I’m already sitting down, out with it.”
“Well damn Molly, it’s been a while and I forgot how direct you are. That’s a rare quality nowadays.”
He was flattering me and I don’t know why. He wanted something. He was up here because he wanted something and even though I was reacting to him in a way that was normal for us, I couldn’t forget how he could be when he wanted me to go along with something.
“Okay Chris, what are you here for?”
“My parents died a couple of months ago and I just went to a will reading not too long ago. You were in it and I’m here to see what you want to do about your inheritance.”
I felt immediately bad because I thought he was here for his own reasons. I put a hand over his with the knowledge that his parents had just passed. “I’m so sorry Chris. I didn’t hear anything about Ruth and Paul.”
I wanted to ask what happened. They were in great shape the last time I’d seen them and they weren’t that old.
“It’s okay. It was fast, but they didn’t suffer and the accident came out of nowhere. They went together, like they always talked about.”
The couple was one that I wanted to model my marriage off of. They were so in love and it showed in everything that they did. I’d always love the way they were together and I was instantly saddened to hear of their passing.
“Wow, yeah.”
I was stumped at what to say and my mind went to the face of the smiling couple in my memory. Even without thinking I envision them together because they were always at each other’s side.
“I thought you would have known, the way this place is.”
“I’ve tried to stay away from the gossip mills. They come in here, but I ignore it. Nome is too much in everyone’s business and I’m trying to stay out of it. I wish I would have heard. I would have sent flowers or something.”
My guard was down. I wasn’t expecting Chris, but I wasn’t expecting to hear about such a tragedy. I really liked his parents and I talked to them ever so often after Chris and I broke up.
“It’s probably for the best you stay away from it. I remember you used to get so riled up sometimes over it. I always said you would do better to ignore it all together.”
“You were right and I finally figured it out. It took long enough.”
He agreed and we sat in silence for a moment. Chris mentioned the will again, but I was still stuck on the gone part to have even remembered.
“The lawyer is coming here in a week to sign everything.”
“This feels weird Chris. I didn’t even know they were gone. I don’t want anything from them.”
“They left you all of the land they own on the other side of Gipson’s farm.”
That was shocking. That was a lot of land. “Who owns the other side of it now?”
“Me. You got the east and I get the west. I think they are trying to play matchmaker from their graves. Sounds about right. Mom never forgot about you and she told me all of the time that I’d messed up losing you. She always was right.”