Page 113 of Letters to Molly (Maysen Jar 2)

I didn’t doubt him for a second.

I turned, the tears making his stern face blurry. “I’m so sorry, Finn.”

“I know.” He took my elbow and escorted us outside. When we were both seated on the front step, he pulled me into his side. “I know.”

“I’d take it back.”

“I know.”

“Do you?”

He hesitated, long enough that I knew his answer would be honest. “I know.”

We sat there in silence for a long time. The birds chirped as they flew between the trees. The slight breeze rustled the leaves. The world was bright and beautiful.

Everywhere but on this step.

The gloom hovered over our heads. The weight of all that had happened sat on our shoulders.

“It’s too heavy,” I said, breaking the quiet.

“What’s too heavy?”

“The past. It’s too heavy to forget.” It was too heavy to forgive.

But that was what needed to happen. We had to forgive. Each other. Ourselves.

How many times had I wished to go back in time and change my actions? How many hours had I spent loathing myself? I’d been living with so much regret. So much guilt.

Until I forgave myself for being human and flawed and impulsive, the past would haunt me.

It would haunt us.

“Can you forgive me?” I asked Finn.

He leaned back to look in my face. His eyes gave me the answer before his mouth. “I don’t know.”

“Fair enough.”

The silence returned, the only noises on the porch coming from the neighborhood. A kid was playing basketball on the next block over and the thud of the ball’s dribbling echoed off the homes. A plane flew overhead, the buzz fading as it ascended into the clouds. The world went on around us without a care as Finn and I sat frozen on the porch, reeling from the truth.

Things might have been so different . . . if only.

If only.

Finn cleared his throat. “My doctor said with my PT going so well, I could get into a different boot or maybe no boot at all in two weeks. Regardless, I should be able to drive by the end of the month. Would you mind if I stayed until then? I’d like a little more time with the kids.”

“Okay.”

As hard as it would be to have him here, it was the right thing to do. I wanted to ease Kali and Max into the fact that we were all splitting up again.

It was for the best.

“I’m sorry, Molly.”

I leaned into his side and rested my head on his shoulder. “I’m sorry, Finn.”

“I love you.”