Home Sweet Home

Molly was on her way to visit her mum. It had been a while since she had been to see her, and she knew her mum wasn’t going to be too pleased when she did turn up.

‘ Where have you been hiding?’ her mum asked after Molly had entered the house.

‘Oh, mum, it’s not my fault, it’s Craig. We have fallen out. I’ve been staying at a friend’s - you remember Rebecca?’

‘But she lives in Manchester, doesn’t she?’

‘That’s where I’ve been staying.’

‘So what happened with Craig?’

‘The cheating swine started seeing someone else.’

That was far from the truth. It was Molly who had been the one doing the cheating - with a friend of Craig's - Henry. It all started one night in a bar when he had spotted her with a friend. He went up to her and joined her and her friend at the table they were sitting at. When the friend left, Molly poured her heart out to him about Craig and told him she didn’t love him anymore. Then the next thing she could remember was Henry asking her out. Then weeks later, she walked out on Craig and moved in with Henry.

After visiting her mum, Molly headed toward home, but when she got there, she saw Craig waiting for her in the driveway.

‘What do you want?’ she asked as she tried to get past him.

‘I want you to come to your senses,’ he replied. ‘I miss you so much.’

‘I haven’t missed you, you can forget it.’

‘But what has Henry got that I haven’t?’

‘You want me to answer that?’

‘I wouldn’t have asked you if I didn’t.’

‘OK. He’s witty, charming, and fun to be with. And he's good-looking.’

Craig decided not to answer her. He was starting to get the idea that he was wasting his time. so he walked off.

When Molly got inside, she began to get the tea ready, knowing that Henry would be home from work soon. Henry was a solicitor and worked for a large legal practice in town. At least he had a steady job with prospects, which was more than could be said for Craig. OK, he was a doctor, but he got struck off. He always claimed he was innocent but Molly had her doubts.

‘Had a good day at the office, love?’ she asked Henry after he had made his way into the kitchen.

‘Yeah, fine. You?’

‘Yeah, I’m OK. I went to see my mum.’

‘Did you tell her about us?’

‘No, I bottled it. I told her I had been staying at a friend’s in Manchester. I couldn't tell her the truth. She likes Craig. I told her it was his fault that we split up. I feel terrible.’

‘Don’t, love. He cheated on you once, remember?’

Craig started to see someone else, a few years back. Molly only found out because someone had seen him in town with another girl. The lying sod said it was his sister. Then she realised he didn’t have a sister, just two brothers. But in the end, she forgave him and started going back out with him.

After Molly and Henry had had their tea, Henry was off to meet some of his friends. but Molly was staying in. She had things to do on her laptop and she wanted to finish a book she had been reading.

After Henry had gone out, she booted up her laptop, and while on it, she came across some old photos of her and Craig together. The memories started coming back. They had a lot of good times together. She was beginning to wonder if she had done the right thing by moving in with Henry in the first place. Craig did make her laugh, more than she was letting on, but she had made her decision, or had she?

The next day, after getting out of bed and getting herself ready for work, Molly started to feel guilty about a lot of things - one thing she was going to put right was to go and see her mum and tell her the truth about what happened between her and Craig. She deserved to know that much at least.

‘You mean, you never went to Manchester in the first place?’ her mum asked later that afternoon after Molly had popped in to see her.

‘No, mum.’

‘You left Craig and moved in with Henry?’

‘Yes, mum.’

‘Is there anything you told me that was true?’

‘I shouldn’t have lied to you mum. I feel awful.’

‘No, you shouldn’t have.’

‘I wouldn’t blame you if you never forgave me.’

‘You are my only child, sweetheart . I’d forgive you whatever you did.’

Molly was close to tears as she was leaving her mum’s house. Why had she lied to her mum? She never had in the past, whatever the problem was.

Before making her way home, Molly went to sit in the park. She needed time to think. She was beginning to realise that she had made the biggest mistake of her life. Then, as she was sitting in the park thinking about it all, she saw someone on the other side of the road, which made her come to a decision - one she knew she wasn’t going to regret.

When she got home, Henry was cooking the tea.

‘Hi, love,’ he said to her. ‘Had a busy day?’

‘Yeah, not too bad.’

‘Tea is just about ready.’

‘OK, I’m just nipping up the stairs. I’ll be down in a moment.’

When she did come down, she took a seat at the table and Henry put the meal out for her. But as she started to eat, the doorbell rang.

‘What are you doing here?’ Henry asked the person to whom he had answered the door to. But the caller didn’t have time to answer - Molly pushed past Henry carrying a suitcase.

‘He’s come to take me home,’ she said before kissing him on the cheek and telling him how sorry she was.

.’