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Molly took a deep breath in through her nose. "Just over a year. I set out to sail the world by myself on the first anniversary of his death."
Adi nodded as if this made perfect sense. "There's nothing to hold you at home once they're gone, is there?"
"Not really." Molly frowned. "But you stayed."
Adi shook his head. "I didn't. I'm back, but I left. I went to Australia for a year. I fished. I walked everywhere. I mourned."
A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. "My husband fished."
"It's the water," Adi said simply. "Some of us are called to it."
Molly knew this. She understood and nodded. "Yes, some of us are."
"What do you think of Rotuma so far?" Adi asked, changing the subject.
"It's beautiful. Quiet. Rustic." Molly paused. "Though I did think I was sort of hiding out here, and now I can see that I stand out like a Christmas tree in July."
Adi laughed. "You do. Tall, light hair, American. But we like you."
Molly felt a happiness spread through her when he said that. "You do?"
"Yes. You're humble and kind, and the children at school love you. Ema and Dr. Reddy would have never invited you to their home if they didn't like you." Adi lifted one shoulder and let it fall. "You might look different, but you fit in well enough here."
Molly thought about this. "I'm going to stay until the end of cyclone season," she said.
"Until April?"
"Mmm," Molly said, nodding.
"And then you'll leave?"
"And then I'll leave."
They walked down the completely darkened path that led past the waterfall and up to the cabin owned by Dr. Reddy's brother. Molly had left a dim light on inside the house, but the area was truly dark and shrouded in the velvety blackness of night. She paused and looked up at Adi.
"Come in?" she asked. Her eyes searched his as he looked down at her face.
"But only until April?"
Molly nodded. Adi nodded back.
They slipped into the house, closing the door behind them and shutting out the dark night.
Molly
"No!" Vanessa stands up abruptly, holding an empty plate in one hand and half-full glass of Prosecco in the other. She walks away from the circle and stands at the table that's covered in cakes and wine bottles. "No way. How could you have done that?"
Molly sits in her chair, feeling stunned and looking as surprised as the rest of the women in the book club. "Done what?"
Vanessa sets the glass down on the table with emphasis and her wine sloshes around dangerously. "Invited Adi into your house!"
Molly gives a half-laugh mixed with an angry huff. "Well, we were both adults who'd lost our spouses, and I think we had the right to seek comfort in one another. Is that what you're saying? That we shouldn't have?"
"But what about Rodney?" Vanessa nearly wails. She reaches for a slice of Molly's orange cranberry loaf and flops it onto her plate before licking the icing from her fingers. "He was supposed to be your one true love."
Ruby stands, looking back and forth between Molly and Vanessa hesitantly. "Honey," she says, holding up a gentle hand to Vanessa. "I don't think we should be judging Molly for her past choices here," she says. "She's telling us about her journey, and it's hers to live and to share."
Vanessa walks back over to her seat and sits down with a thump. "I'm just tired of it," she says, sounding uncharacteristically perturbed. If anyone is the romantic, dreamy, hopeful member of their group, it's Vanessa. "I mean, look around our circle: Sunday just got divorced. Ruby, your husband had a child with another woman and then flew his plane into the water--and I'm sorry to say this all so plainly," she says, lowering her head in shame as if she's pointing out facts that none of them are yet aware of. "But then Heather has been divorced like a million times. Athena had her heart broken by a guy who was about to getmarried. Harlow is totally single, even though she's young and beautiful and successful. And Tilly is..." Vanessa looks at Tilly forlornly, "I don't know. Single. Can't find a single dateable woman." She waves a hand around helplessly.
