Page 72 of Letters to Molly (Maysen Jar 2)

An invisible fist closed around my heart, making each beat hurt. The disbelief in her gaze. The hope. We were going to crush it.

Fuck. What have we done?

“You stayed here?” she whispered.

“I did.” I wasn’t sure what to say but the truth couldn’t hurt. Much.

“B-but—”

“Come on.” Molly stood up, cutting Kali off. She hoisted Max up with an oomph, his legs circling around her waist. He was too big for her to carry but her strength never ceased to surprise me. “Let’s go to the living room. Then we can talk.”

Kali spun around slowly then hesitantly led the way.

“I’ll carry him.” Though I wasn’t sure how, since I needed one hand to hold up my sheet.

“I’ve got him.” Molly shook her head. “You get dressed.”

But instead of finding my clothes, I followed her out into the living room.

Kali was perched on the edge of the couch with her arms wrapped around her stomach.

Max was in a daze as Molly laid him down next to his sister.

She kissed his forehead. “Be right back.”

Molly and I both rushed to her bedroom. She went right for the bathroom, grabbing a red silk Kimono robe she hadn’t had when we’d been married.

I scrambled to find my clothes strewn on the floor and pulled them on. “What are we going to tell them?”

She came out, tying her hair up as she walked. “The truth.”

We’d always been honest with Kali and Max, even when they were little. I don’t think either of them had really understood what it meant when we’d told them about the divorce. Max had only been two and Kali four. But they’d learned over time. When we’d had Mommy nights and Daddy nights, when good nights were done via FaceTime, they’d learned.

Molly and I shared a worried glance as we headed for the living room. The kids may have adjusted to our divorced lifestyle, but that didn’t mean finding their parents in bed wouldn’t have an impact. Goddamn it. This conversation was going to be miserable.

When we reached the living room, my heart sank. The distraught look on Kali’s face was the reason we shouldn’t have started up this affair. I hated that I put it there.

Molly sat in between the kids, taking Kali’s hand from her lap to hold it on her own.

I went to Max, picking him up so he could lean against my side. “Wake up for a second, big guy.”

He nodded, cracking his eyes open. Then I looked to Molly, hoping she knew where to start because I didn’t have a damn clue.

“Dad slept here last night. With me.” She cut right to the chase.

“Are you getting back together?” Kali asked.

“No,” Molly said gently. “No, we’re not.”

My daughter’s frame shrank, confusion becoming devastation.

“We love you both so much. I’m sorry if this is confusing.”

Kali didn’t say a word. Neither did Max.

Molly’s worried gaze met mine as we waited for the kids to say something. Anything. But as the minutes wore on, I realized there wasn’t anything more to say.

“If you guys want to talk about it, we’re here,” I told them. “Always.”