by Meghan Quinn
“Good heavens!” Molly looked at her apartment and things did not look good. There were two empty bottles of wine on the ground, her pills scattered everywhere and puke on the floor.
Shit, shit, shit.
“Jim go get Winnie and pack her things, I’m going to talk to Molly.”
Jim went off to Winnie’s room and she heard him coddling her. Molly gathered herself and went to go get her baby when Marcia stopped her in her tracks.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Marcia said in a very stern tone.
“Where do you think? I’m going to get my baby.”
“No you’re not. You’re not fit to take care of her right now. You need to get yourself together Molly and until you do, we will be taking care of Winnie.”
Molly was outraged. How dare she try to take her daughter away.
“You can’t do that. You have absolutely no rights to take her away from me.”
Marcia flung her arm around the living room. “Look at you Molly. You’re a complete mess. Lord knows how long Winnie would have been in her crib crying today if we did not show up. You’re taking your pills irresponsibility and drinking way too much, the evidence is sitting right there on the floor. We all miss Luke but you need to move on and start taking care of your life, yourself and your daughter. Do you really think you’re going to live off the money Luke left you for the rest of your life? You need to get a job and be an example for your daughter until you can do that, Winnie will be with us.”
“I will call the cops on you for kidnapping!” Molly did not know what else to say. They couldn’t take her daughter away. She knew she was not being responsible last night, they caught her on a bad day. She didn’t act like that every day. Maybe a couple of times a week but it had been a rough month or so.
“Go ahead and do that Molly, then things will get really ugly. We will bring you to court and try for full custody of Winnie. We’re giving you a chance to pull yourself together, get your life in order. We believe you can do that and in the mean time we will have Winnie.”
Jim came in the room holding Winnie and a little suitcase full of her things. Molly ran over to her daughter trying to grab her. Jim stopped her.
“Molly, this is for the best. You let us know when you’re ready to be a mature adult again.”
Jim and Marcia started to walk out the door.
“No!” screamed Molly. “You can’t do this to me. Please she is the last thing I have.”
“If she is the last thing you have then you know what you need to do to get her back. We’re not going to subject our granddaughter to your wild and irresponsible behavior. Learn to take care of yourself first and then you can take care of your daughter. We love you Molly and we want to see you get better.” Said Marcia.
Jim handed Molly a card. “This is a therapist that will actually talk to you and help you, not just hand out pills. Get some help, sweetie. You know where we are if you need anything. We will take care of Winnie.”
“We just want you better.” Marcia placed a kiss on Molly’s head and squeezed her hand. “We will check up on you later on in the week.”
Molly watched them walk out of her apartment with her daughter. Molly felt completely helpless. She felt that no matter what she did, she was not going to get her daughter back.
Get her life together? How the hell was she going to do that? She didn’t have a life to begin with, not ever since two soldiers knocked on her door and took away everything she had.
Molly grabbed the bottle of tequila she had in her freezer and sat on her couch, skipping over the puke on her floor. She didn’t care if it stained the carpet she didn’t care about anything but finishing the bottle of alcohol in her hand and losing herself into an obviation. As she took a swig of her bottle she sent Austin a text message.
Molly: My pussy is crying and only your dick can comfort it. Be here in twenty minutes or you will regret it.
If Austin was coming over she thought she better clean up the puke because Lord knows that was a turn off. She brought her bottle with her and cleaned up the already starting to crust contents of her stomach. She threw the rags out and her phone beeped. It was from Austin.
Austin: Be there in five sweet tits.
Molly smiled. She had him so whipped.
Molly: I will be in the shower, the door is unlocked. I want to at least be fucked five times before your game.
Molly grabbed her liquor and brought it into the shower with her. She stripped off all her clothes and got under the water. The hot water felt so good all over her body. She thought about what happened a little bit ago. Winnie was gone maybe it was for the best. Maybe Molly really should get her life together but for now she would focus on one thing and that was chasing her worries away with booze, pills and sex.
Molly was smoking a cigarette in the shower while holding her bottle of tequila when Austin walked in. She placed the bottle down and put the cigarette out.
“Hey sexy.” He said in his low masculine voice.
Molly threw the shower curtain open exposing her entire body. She watched Austin take her all in.
“Fuck, you’re so hot.”
“Take your clothes off and get in here, I’ve been waiting too long.”
Austin stripped down to nothing and Molly could already feel herself being satisfied. She popped some more pills real quick, followed by a swig of tequila and let Austin work his magic as she floated on a cloud of ecstasy.
***
Patty sat at her desk around lunch time wondering if Marc was going to contact her or not. When he showed up at her apartment last night she was surprisingly so grateful he did not give up on her. She hated that she was happy to have him back. She knew she was going to end up breaking his heart and she really didn’t want to be responsible for hurting him but he was so sweet and encouraging last night she immediately accepted his help.
When she got into work today she expected to see a box on her desk or a list of some sort in her e-mail but there was nothing. Maybe he forgot or maybe he thought it was too much trouble. Maybe he convinced himself last night that her e-mail was right and he should not bother. Even though that would crush her, she would not blame him.
Patty was pulling out her bagged lunch when someone walked through the door, she looked up and found Marc standing in front of her wearing his braves gear and carrying a bag of food, an envelope and a folder.
“Hey Patty Cakes. Do you mind having lunch with me?”
Damn, he looked good. “Of course not.”
“Good we have some things to go over. Can we sit at the conference table? I brought a bagged lunch for both of us.”
Patty eyed his brown bag. “What’d you got in there?”
“My specialty of course, peanut butter and jelly with a side of carrots, some Cool Ranch Doritos and a Twinkie.”
Patty could not help but smile. What a guy lunch she thought.
“Sounds better than my salad with a side of nothing. I will take you up on the PB and J.”
They walked over to the conference table and he spread their feast out on the table. He cracked open a PowerAde and split it between the two of them in plastic cups. She bit into her sandwich and marveled in the simplicity of the two pieces of bread slathered together with strawberry jelly and crunchy peanut butter.
“Oh my God, Marc this is really good.”
“Well of course, it’s the one thing I have never failed at making. When I was in college I was known for the best peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Students would come to me from different dorms just to watch me masterfully place the peanut butter on the bread and then lightly spread the perfect amount of jelly forming a marriage between the two.”
Patty rolled her eyes at him. “Modest much?”
“Not really, no. It’s good to boost your confidence every once in a while. So, are you excited to start a new chapter in your life?”
Patty took another bite of her sandwich delaying the answer to his question. He just watched h
er…waiting patiently.
Damn his relentless patience.
“I guess so. I don’t really know what you have planned and I’m not sure what you’ve planned is going to really help but I’ll give anything a go once.”
Marc patted her back and said, “That’s my girl. Alright so I’ve really thought about this and I think I have a good list for you. If anything, it might just be fun but what I really want you to get out of this is forgetting your past and to release what you have trapped inside. You deserve to move on with your life and to not let Gino forever hinder your abilities to live your life. He should not have that pleasure.”
She thought about that, he was right.
“You know what Marc, you’re right. Gino should not have that pleasure in destroying my life. I never thought about it that way. He’s an asshole and I need to prove him wrong.” It was so weird it was as if after having a bite of Marc’s sandwich her entire outlook on life changed. She had a revelation.
She continued. “I cannot believe it took me this long to realize that I was still letting Gino control my life. I feel like such an idiot. It’s still scary but I understand. I want to let my past go. I want to forget about that horrible time and move on.”
Marc was smiling like an idiot at her. Patty added, “Did you put some kind of drug in this sandwich or something?”
He laughed. “No but I’m glad you see what I see. That is a good first step. Are you ready for the list?”
She took another bite of her sandwich, chased by a Dorito and said, “Bring it on.”
Marc grabbed the folder that he brought in with him and opened it up. There was a list on the front and coordinating dividers with papers in between. It looked quite intense. She could not believe that Marc went through such trouble.
He laid the folder in front of her and scooted his chair closer to her, leaning over close enough so she could smell his amazing cologne. She tried to focus on what he was saying instead of sniffing him like a horny hound dog.
“So this is your list. Each item on the list has a corresponding section in the binder with advice, places to help you complete the task and any kind of information that might help you out. I put a nice little box next to each item therefore every time you complete a task you can bask in the satisfaction of checking it off.”
She stared down at the list and was amazed. She could not help but ask. “Why are you doing this Marc? What are you getting out of this?”
He took her head in his hand and made her look him straight in the eyes. “I’m not getting anything out of this nor do I want anything out of this. This is purely for the betterment of you. I care about you and I want to see you get better. I’m not saying this is a cure but maybe it will help a little or at least get you in the mood for changing things up.”
Patty looked at the list again, it seemed legit. She could do this. She read the whole list to herself.
Patty’s New Life List
1. Write about Gino, how he treated you, what he said to you and every awful encounter. Gather anything and everything that had to deal with Gino, stick it in a box, torch it with some gasoline and set it on fire. Watch it burn, say good bye because that is the last of him and that part of your life you will see.
2. Time to spoil yourself – Ask Marc
3. Tell your therapist about this list, read it to her and make sure she understands the reasoning for the list. Ask her if there are any other tasks she thinks you should add.
4. Have some fun, you deserve it. Run through the water rings at Centennial Park. Who cares who is watching, lose yourself in the moment.
5. Love yourself, take yourself on a date. Whatever your heart desires; dinner, a movie and get lucky with yourself maybe.
6. Learn to let things go and breathe. Take up yoga or Pilates, learn to release all pent up anger and aggravation. Take up yoga, learn to breathe and let things go
7. Write your life away. Provided in the back of the folder is blank paper, write your feelings down, draw write lyrics any time you feel insecure.
8. Take responsibility for staying with Gino for so long but forgive and praise yourself for leaving. It takes a strong woman to do such a thing and you should be proud.
9. Take charge of your life, no more sitting back. Ask Jane for a raise, she can afford it and you deserve one. Be brave you can do it Patty.
10. Let people in your life. This one you are on your own. It may take time but you need to have that leap of faith and go for it.
Patty finished reading the list and realized it was quite amazing. She could not believe Marc put it together.
She looked up at Marc and said, “This is wonderful.”
“Really? Do you think you can do it?”
She squeezed his hand and said, “I will defiantly give it a try. Thank you Marc.”
“You’re welcome. Now about number two.”
“Yes, I’m supposed to ask you what that is about.”
Marc pulled out the envelope he first carried in with him. “Now before I give this to you, by no means do I want you to be insulted with this because to me you are perfect and I would not change one thing about you.”
Nerves started to wrack Patty’s body. What was in that envelope?
Marc handed it over to her. She opened it and found a gift certificate and ten, one hundred dollar bills.
“What is this?” She asked.
“Well, I was talking to Jane and she said sometimes it’s easier to change from the inside out when you’re feeling good about the outside. I got you a gift card to Salon de la Rose and the money is for some clothes, shoes whatever you want. Get your nails done, hair, massage whatever you want at the salon and then treat yourself to some new clothes. Jane said you’ve been wanting to do some shopping but have not had time or funds for it.”
He was right but she could not accept the money and gift card she went to hand it back to him when he stopped her.
“Don’t even think about it. You agreed to this. You take it. I talked to Jane and you have the rest of the day off. You have an appointment at the salon at one to do whatever you like. After that Jane will meet you at the mall and you two are going shopping. Get whatever you want. Spoil yourself. You deserve it. Just don’t expect a Christmas present from me this year.” Marc said winking.
She could not believe what Marc was doing for her.
“Who does this Marc? It’s too generous.”
“Please, not to sound like a snob but I have money alright, there is no denying that. I can afford it and I’m helping a friend out. The only bad thing about this is I can’t use it as a tax deduction.” He joked.
She shook her head unable to comprehend everything. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Just say thank you and get your butt moving, you don’t want to miss your appointment. This is the beginning, Patty. You’re leaving everything behind and moving on. Now get going.”
They both stood up and she wrapped her arms around him giving him the biggest hug she could muster saying thank you into his chest. He exchanged the embrace and whispered your welcome.
“Now don’t forget you have to keep me updated on everything. Alright?”
“Deal. Thank you Marc you are one of the best friends I’ve ever had.”
“I would hope so.” He said smiling. “Now I have to get out of here, I have batting practice to get to. Give me a call later?”
“Of course. Good luck tonight.”
Marc swatted her ass, saying, “Go get’em kid” and walked out the door.
She watched him walk away feeling over whelmed and over joyed. This was it. This was her chance to rid all the bad feelings and past crap that had stuck around her for years. This was her fresh start and she was going to make the most of it. She grabbed her purse and took off for the salon. Things were going to be different from here on out.
***
Marc got home after a long night at the ball park. They pulled out a win at the bottom of the eleventh thanks to Brady’s groun
d rule double. Marc was exhausted and all he wanted to do was crawl into bed. He completely forgot about Patty and her list of tasks until he pulled into his driveway and saw her car.
Crap, he wondered how long she had been waiting. He parked his car, grabbed his duffel bag and walked toward her car but noticed she was not in there. Where the hell was she?
He walked up to his front door to unlock it when a hand touched his shoulder. He jumped out of his skin feeling like a little girl for being startled.
He turned around and saw the most gorgeous woman he had ever laid eyes on.
Patty was standing in his entryway with the light shining down on her, showing off her new haircut. Her hair was a mountain of different layers with thin blonde highlights mixed with her natural red, making her gorgeously blue eyes pop. She was wearing a pair of dark skinny jeans, yellow high heels and a blue and white striped blouse making her legs look long and lean and her waist tiny.
Marc almost dropped his bag in shock. He didn’t know what to say. Patty was beautiful before but now she was drop dead gorgeous. He needed to say something because her face went from smiling big to unsure since he was completely silent.
He shook his head and said, “Holy crap, Patty. God I don’t even know what to say. You look fucking amazing.”
She smiled up at him. “You think so?”
“Are you kidding?” Marc was still speechless he could not believe how good she looked and it wasn’t just her outer appearance, she had a certain glow about her.
“This is beyond cheesy but you seriously took my breath away.”
Patty walked toward him and wrapped her arms around him giving him a huge hug.
“Thank you so much Sully. I feel amazing. I didn’t know what a little pampering could do to a soul.”
Marc was happy. Patty seemed different in a good way. It was not like she was a completely different person, no she was the same Patty but a more invigorated one. He liked it a lot and hated that all he could be was her friend right now. He was fighting back the urge of picking her up and taking her to his bedroom.