“More,” Molly said, instantly. The word spilled from her lips with no thought and with no permission whatsoever.
“You’re trying too hard,” Sadie said gently, like Molly was about to bolt.
She wasn’t. She’d had half a tumbler of mimosa that was heavy on the sparkling wine, so if she tried to run anywhere she’d end up with a sprained ankle and a whole heap of bruised pride.
“Don’t try, just do,” Sadie suggested, like this was easy-peasy and not impossible.
For the record? That was impossible.
“It’s like you don’t even know me,” Molly muttered. “Or, maybe,” Rachel said, “we know you better than
you know yourself.” That was probable.
“That’s why I should trust you?” Molly asked, already
knowing the answer.
“Yes,” all of them said in unison.
Okay, then. “What would you have me do?”
“Let’s play a game,” Kaiya announced. “Who’s in?” All hands except Molly’s shot straight into the air.
She turned her attention to the kids on the playground, did a quick count. All of them were present, accounted for, and in one piece.
“Fine,” she said. “I’m in. What’s the game?”
“It’s called the What Does Molly Want? game.” Kaiya tossed her hands in the air. “Woo.”
“Molly wants not to play this game,” Molly said. Though she was interested in where Kaiya was going with the whole thing.
“That’s the best part.” Kaiya sat up on her knees. “You don’t have to do a thing. You just observe as we toss out the things we know Molly wants.”
“I’ll go first.” Kaiya took a slurp from her tumbler of mimosa before continuing. “Molly wants a big family and that house around the corner one street over.”
Wait, what?
“How did you…?” Know that? “I’m perfectly happy with my one son and my two-bedroom duplex and my exceptional friends.” This was not a lie. She was perfectly happy with them. Just?—
“But you want more,” Kaiya said, totally serious. Yes, she did. She wanted more.
“It’s how you talk about things. You’ve mentioned that you would’ve had a lot of kids. And we’ve been looking at houses together for forever. Why haven’t we gone to see this one?” Kaiya clapped her hands together. “Because it’s
the one. And you’re scared you’ll match it with another homebuyer,” Kaiya said. “Call the rest intuition.”
“I don’t see how this game is going to help me.” Telling her all the things she wanted at one point but didn’t get, and the things she might not ever be able to have? Nope. Didn’t sound like a very fun game to her.
“I’ll go next,” April volunteered, raising her hand. “Take a drink before you go.” Kaiya pointed to April’s
tumbler. “It’s the rules.”
“The rules you just made up?” Molly confirmed.
Kaiya nodded. “Yup. They’re fluid rules and change each time we decide to play this game in the future.”
Molly decided she could probably use a solid gulp of her own drink before each of them started their turn.
“Molly wants to send Ollie to stunt camp,” April said.
