started to say something, then stopped. She looked stunned. “You don’t?”
“That’s all you have to say?” He brushed her hair away from her face. “I thought you might be a little happier about it.”
“I am, I mean, I . . .” She dropped her head onto his chest and hid her face.
“Meg? What is it?”
“Do you mean it? Really?”
He lifted her head and made her look at him. She was trying to be tough, no tears were falling, but every emotion in the world was swirling around in her eyes. “I mean it. I don’t want to lose you or Molly, and we’re going to get this whole thing settled as soon as I get back.”
Meg sat up and played with her fingers right before she launched herself into his arms. She didn’t say anything, she just held him. He could feel her trust in him, her faith, and there was no better feeling in the world.
***
Jason kissed Meg and Molly good-bye as the car waited in front of the house. It was only a three-day trip, but he wanted to get home as soon as possible so they could get their life, their real life, started.
“I’ll miss you,” he said, kissing Meg again. “Keep the bed warm.”
“I will. Call me if you can. I want to hear how it’s going.”
He nodded and squatted down in front of Molly. “Don’t make Mommy crazy.”
She giggled and threw her arms around his neck. Bringing her lips to his ear, Meg heard her whisper, “I won’t, Daddy.”
For the last three months, Jason had been the rock in the relationship, and Meg had been the emotional basket case. But with that one word, Molly took him out at the knees.
Meg had to fight back the misty eyes, but it was Jason who was holding Molly so tightly and who finally broke. Wetness pricked at the corners of his eyes, and she could see the same mixed feeling she’d had when Molly crossed over and called her Mommy. He wanted Molly to feel that security, but right then, Jason was losing part of his sister.
Jason tilted his head back and brushed Molly’s dark hair away from her face. “I love you, Molly girl. Be good, okay?”
“I will.”
He blinked and smiled at both of them before he went to the waiting car. Molly shot off the porch and caught him, pulled him down, and whispered something that she couldn’t hear. Jason dropped his bag and scooped her up into a powerful hug. When they finally broke away from each other, both of them had tears tracking down their faces.
Meg had no idea what was going on.
Molly returned to her side, and they waved at the car together.
“What did you say to him?”
Molly looked up. “That it was okay for me to call him Daddy, ’cause my first daddy said so.”
Meg raised an eyebrow. “He told you?”
“He and Mommy come visit me in my dreams sometimes, and they said it was okay to call you Mommy and okay to call Uncle Jason, Daddy. They don’t want us to be sad anymore.”
“They don’t?” Meg didn’t know how she was not going to be sad. She missed Grace so much, she was sometimes in physical pain.
“No. Do you believe me when I tell you they visit?”
“I believe that you see them in your dreams.” Meg saw Grace and Mark in her own dreams, but obviously she’d never stopped to listen. Not like Molly.
“They will always be with us, and they want us to be happy,” Molly said. “I asked if it was okay if I called you Mommy and Daddy, and they said yes.”
“I’m glad.” Meg was going to have to ask the school psychologist about this, but Molly was doing okay. She had her moments, but she was doing okay.
“Mommy did say Grandmother Alicia was a nut job and we should be careful of her, but that was all.”
Meg laughed and wrapped an arm around her little girl. “Honey, your mother was always a very wise woman.”
Chapter 20
Jason dropped his bag when he walked into his suite and wished he was dropping into his own bed. He’d left New York at nine a.m., and now with the time zone changes it was three a.m. in Crete. He’d slept part of the flight, so rather than going to sleep, he was going to call Meg and Molly, shower, and just stay up until it was time for his meetings. Once that was done, he could hop on his jet