Let's Make Up

Traditional

Julien unlocked two sets of doors and lead John up a flight of stairs. He had seen John pull out his phone and check it a few times, but never actually fully open it.

"She won't message you if she's upset." He said, as John pocketed his phone again.

"We don't have the same relationship that you did." John told him, "I'm not going to listen to advice I hear from a man who ignored her for almost 10 years."

"Molly has told you alot about us then?" Julien asked.

"She's said enough."

John looked around the apartment and could tell there were little touches that Molly left behind. He didn't think that Julien would be the one to have plants around, or care about coasters.

"I packed her clothing in a couple bags a while back, you can start with that."

John nodded and got to work. Julien wasn't helpful with carrying anything but came with him so that he wouldn't get locked out and need to wait to be let in again. Next he filled a shoebox with a grey and pastel pink tea set that had 4 large cups and saucers that John could immediately imagine her using. He grabbed a couple old grocery bags and put in some items that looked to be keepsakes such as ratty plush toys and pictures.

John picked up a bra that was on the floor and Julien snatched it from his hands.

"That's not hers."

"Why did you kiss her?" John demanded, "You're not shy to f**k around. I wouldn't be able to have someone else around if I wasn't over her. How do you think those women feel when they see the traces of her that are left around here?"

"They don't care." Julien said, "Molly is the only girl I met who cared about those things."

John shook his head. "That's such s**t. Nobody likes being the other person."

"She was too perfect. You probably heard everything by now, but I couldn't touch someone who was that perfect. I also couldn't let her be with someone else who would taint her." He said, meeting John's angry expression.

"Why did you get a free pass then?"

Julien shook his head as well. "I'm a man. I've got needs. I wanted to have s*x. Molly would get more and more distant with me, and she'd be out with her friend all the time, so I'd find a fix and hate myself more everytime. We had s*x and I hurt her. I was convinced it was because we weren't actually meant to be together, I mean, how could I be so attracted to her but not enjoy her body? Then... she told me she was pregnant and I still don't know if that was true or not. Everything happened so quick. She ran off and got spayed like a dog and I didn't even know what the point was. f**k, she's made me out to be some monster, but, to me, she just seemed like she gave up. Everyday was this charade of her telling me she loved me and trying to get me to kiss her, and some days I really wanted to. Have you tried resisting her? Well, anyway, then she told me she wanted to look for a new job and that she was getting tired of being my 'slave', as she put it. I didn't even know she'd been taking classes."

John stared blankly at Molly's ex who couldn't figure out if he was the hero or villain in his own story.

"Did you ever try and ask her about what she wanted, or was it all about you?"

"What's that supposed to mean? This is my apartment, she had a job because of me." Julien shot back.

"That's not it. Right now, Molly doesn't pay anything because she hasn't gotten a paycheck yet. I still let her stay in my house, and since we're living together, she offers to get groceries and cooks quite often. Because I have plans of marrying her, we have plans for finances and how to split things appropriately. Its not all money and status though, we share everything. Did you ever include her in anything, or was she just your doll that you got to come home to everyday and hold at night for your own comfort?"

Julien answered quickly without any remorse in his voice, making John feel unsettled.

"She was my doll... I always called her my Molly Dolly."

John looked around to distract himself from Julien's revelation. "You mentioned some artwork, where is that?"

Once the last canvas and frame, that Julien actually helped haul out, was in John's truck, he checked his phone again.

"You know she painted all of these." Julien told him, sounding distracted.

John lifted a couple to get a better look and felt pride for the talented brush strokes and texture filled colours.

"That girl can do everything except dance or lie." Julien continued and John wondered if that were a real saying or just a rare heartfelt expression. "She'll either be with Fox or her dad. And if she's with her dad, it'll be at the shore facing strip mall. There's a bakery there that they like."

"I appreciate that." John said, "What about her money?"

Julien rolled his eyes. "You're really on the ball, aren't you? Do you boss her around too?"

"She's never complained about it." John said, with his insinuation clear to the other man.

"Well, she's not going to answer her phone so let me transfer it to you and then you can send it to her. Does that work? What's your email?"

The two men sorted things out, John accepted the payment, and he drove off in hopes of finding the woman he loved.

He pulled over to look up directions on his phone and saw that it wasn't too far, but because the city was confusing him with street names, instead of numbers that would usually work incrementally on a grid, he got out and decided to continue on foot. Soon he could smell fresh bread and coffee, and entered a quaint looking building called 'Baked and Brewed'. He looked around and saw a familiar head of dark shiny waves sitting across an old man with white hair and sun spots.

"Molly..." He said, nearly out of breath, as he approached the table.

She looked up at him in surprise but smiled softly after.

"Johnny, what are you doing here?"

"I had to find you." He said with sincerity.

"Well, Johnny, this is my dad." She told him while motioning for him to sit beside her.

"And dad, this is Johnny, my boyfriend."

"Good to meet you, sir." John said, extending his hand to him.

Molly's dad accepted the handshake and turned to his daughter.

"Is he taking care of you? What happened to that pretty boy?"

John couldn't help but laugh, which made Molly laugh as well.

"Julien won't be bothering her anymore." John said, "And, if I wasn't her boyfriend by her choice, I'd be her husband already."

Molly blushed and her dad nodded. "You sound serious, fella. Her mom and I got married quick as well. When you know, you know."

The three of them enjoyed a pleasant visit. Molly ordered John a coffee and even held his hand in front of her dad. After he told her that he had to be heading home, Molly hugged him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. He shook John's hand again and they walked him to the parkinglot.

"So your dad drives but never taught you?" John asked.

"I guess I just never needed to. You can say I'm spoiled, but to this day, if I were to call him up, he'd probably give me a ride anywhere. I'm a daddy's girl." Molly explained.

"I like that. Very traditional and caring."

She laughed. "Yes. Very traditional. The first time he saw I got a tattoo he scratched at it and asked if it was real."

John reached his arm around her and pulled her in for a kiss. "Don't make me think of all that art on your perfect body right now."

She melted in his arms. "Why not?"

"Because we have to stop and pay the hotel and then we have a long drive before we're home." He told her.

"You don't want to stay another night?" She asked.

"No. I can't wait to take you home with me and have you where you belong. I love you Molly."