Uncomplicated Ch. 03

"It's just so wrong, Jon."

"Well, I can't say I've ever heard of it being a good idea. But, think about how Chase treats his girlfriends."

"He's a good boy. Oh, Jesus! I even told him that I wished Molly could find a boyfriend like him!"

"Does she deserve a boyfriend like him?" he asked.

"Of course she does!" Kathleen spouted. "Wait, what did you just do?" She felt like Jon coerced her into agreeing with him.

Jon laughed. "I'm just saying Molly's done a hell of a lot worse. My heart has been broken more times than I can count."

"You and me both," she agreed.

"Think of it this way: At the very least, Molly will learn from Chase how she ought to be treated. He has love in his heart, Kath. You know he'll never hurt his sister."

"So, you're saying let them be?"

"I'm saying forcing them apart will force them away from us. We don't have to encourage this, but denying them each other could be devastating."

Kathleen began to weep at the thought. She wanted them closer, not further away. Jon was making sense. She would have to relent for now or risk damaging the most important relationships she had.

Jon kissed her cheek, holding her head in his hand. Kathleen hugged his neck, reaching all the way around him to dry her eyes with her fingers. Jon went back to the closet to finish getting changed.

Kathleen lay down on the bed for a while to mull it over. There was one thing she had to admit: She had no problem understanding what Molly saw in Chase. He was beautiful to the core. She herself had even admitted to him that she would be all over him if he wasn't her son.

She was at least able to find some comfort in the fact that they were good for each other. Molly deserved someone who treated her right for a change. It would break Kathleen's heart to deny her that. Molly and Chase had been there for each other through much heartache. Their love certainly had a strong foundation. She still wasn't able to accept that their relationship was now romantic, but at least she understood why.

Her heart compelled her to go talk to her kids some more. She walked down to Molly's room and gave a considerate knock before walking in. Molly was lying on her bed with her laptop. "Hi, baby," she greeted her daughter.

"Hi," Molly responded, not knowing what her mom was going to do. Kathleen sat down on the bed and looked at her daughter.

"I told your dad."

Molly looked at her anxious eyes and awaited her sentencing. "Is he mad?"

"Um, well...no, as a matter of fact, he isn't."

Molly closed her laptop. Her concerned expression turned to intrigue. "What did he say?"

"He said not to force you and Chase apart."

Relief washed over Molly. Her dad was the one that understood? Her bizarre family continued to amaze her.

"That doesn't mean he condones what you're doing," she continued, tempering her good news with reality. "But we talked it over and decided that you and Chase are capable of making your own decisions and are responsible for the consequences."

It was a left-handed blessing, for sure, but Molly readily accepted it. She hugged her mom as tight as she could. "I love you so much, Mom."

"I love you too, baby, but sometimes you're a trial." Kathleen glanced at the picture on the dresser mirror that Alicia had drawn. "Love is not complicated," she read. "Is that you?"

Molly nodded.

"It's very pretty! Who drew it?"

"Alicia."

"How would she know—"

"She doesn't," Molly interrupted. "She just knows I'm dealing with a complicated love situation."

Kathleen admired the picture for a moment, her eyes a little misty.

She looked her beautiful daughter over. She couldn't understand how she ever took abuse from any man. She could wield power with that body, yet she consistently fell victim to single-minded men.

"What?" asked Molly, feeling her mother's eyes on her.

"Oh, just admiring your feminine grace. You do know you're stunningly beautiful don't you?"

"Not as beautiful as you," Molly said, admiringly.

"Oh, yes you are. I have to work at it; you're natural. And you're smarter, too. Never underestimate your worth, honey. Any man is lucky to have you in his life, even Chase."

"Okay, Mom." Molly took her earnest compliments with a grain of salt. She was her mother, after all. "I'm the one who's lucky. Chase is...amazing."

"Can I read the letter?" Kathleen was dying to peer into the heart of her son.

"Of course!" Molly went over to her dresser. Rummaging around in the bottom of a drawer, she finally produced the letter and handed it to her mom. Kathleen read it carefully:

My Dearest Molly,

Few things in this world are worthy of my constant attention and unending adoration, and you, my beautiful friend, are at the top of the list. Had I known how difficult it would be to approach such an amazing girl like you, I would never have allowed myself to become smitten with you. But, alas! I have.

You know me. We see each other frequently. We talk, we joke, we are friends. But, you don't know me like I wish you did. My feelings for you run much deeper than just being friends. You are the first and last thing I think of every day. You are the first person I want to tell if something good happens—or bad. If you were to have the same feelings for me, my life would be complete. But I'm sure you don't. I don't think it's because I'm unattractive. I don't think it's because I'm unintelligent. I don't even think it's because you don't find me charming. The reason you and I are not madly in love with each other is I'm simply not your type.

Your boyfriends are sexy, drive cool cars and think you are the hottest babe they've ever hooked up with. All good things, right? But what's missing, Molly? Have you ever felt loved? Have you ever known in your heart that your needs would be put ahead of his own, because he loves you? Did you ever believe that someone would want to be with you even if you weren't heart-meltingly beautiful—even if your breasts weren't those of an angel, or your beautiful hips didn't form the most graceful feminine curves ever drawn?

This is where your boyfriends fall short and I stand tall. I love you. I've loved you for nearly as long as I've known you. I will love you until I no longer walk this earth.

So this brings us to the burning question: Why don't I reveal myself to you? It's simple. Telling you these things in person would likely irreparably damage our relationship. You would never think the same of me. Our friendship would dissolve. We would drift apart. I can't have that.

So, what I want for you is the next best thing: I want you to be in love with somebody who loves you back the same way. I want you to be with somebody who knows the real you, and loves you anyway. You deserve to be loved, Molly. I want you to do something for me. Every new date you find yourself on, ask yourself this question: Could this guy have written such a letter to me? Could he love me that much? If the answer is 'no,' find someone else. Move on, because you will eventually find such a man. He is out there. Settle for nothing less. And who knows? If I'm fortunate enough to be the one you decide is worthy, then we will have both found unending happiness.

With sincerest love,

Your Secret Admirer

Kathleen dropped her hand to her lap, still clutching the letter, wiping her eyes with her other hand. "Oh my God, Molly! Chase wrote this?"

Molly nodded, her eyes growing misty just thinking about the words. She'd memorized the whole letter.

"How long has he felt this way about you?"

"Long time," Molly replied with a shrug. "You see why I'm hopelessly attracted to him?"

Kathleen took her hand. "I know, baby. He's a lover at heart."

"He's a wonderful lover," Molly said, slightly dipping into the topic of sex.

Kathleen smiled at her daughter. She wanted to know what happened between them, but it was still too awkward. Still, she couldn't help asking for a taste.

"So, is he..." Kathleen began, but ended with an embarrassed smile.

"Is he what?" Molly prodded, refusing to ease her anxiety.

"Oh, come on! You know, is he..." Ashamed, Kathleen felt her face turning red.

"Is he good?" Molly finally assisted with a smile.

Kathleen nodded sheepishly.

"Mom, he has the power to part the seas. Sometimes I'm not even myself when I'm with him."

"Oh my God," Kathleen said under her breath. "He sounds like your dad."

Molly let out an uncontrolled giggle. She felt like she had a pretty good grasp on what kind of lover her dad was too, after secretly watching them make love. They were lucky women.

"While we're on the subject of each other's' love lives," said Molly, " I have something to say to you."

"Okay?" replied Kathleen, unable to predict where she was going.

"It's about Will and Sara. Chase and I had a hunch you and Dad were closer with them than you let on. And he said he found out from you that it's true."

Kathleen looked down and smiled with embarrassment. She had wondered whether Chase would tell Molly about that. In light of their current relationship status, how could he not? She nodded to Molly.

"Mom, this is none of my business, but I think you could do better than Will and Sara."

"Ha!" Kathleen screamed out a solitary laugh. She was expecting be chastened by her daughter for her liberal lifestyle, but instead she was being scrutinized on her choice of partners.

"Chase told me about the strange sexual favors they want, and how everything you do with them now is deviant." Molly continued. "It sounds to me like you're being used. You two should be with someone who loves you—someone worthy of your love."

"Molly, we've known Will and Sara a long time. We've gotten to know their quirks pretty well. I've come to...expect it, I guess, for lack of a better word."

"I'm not judging; it's just an outsider's perspective. I want you to be happy."

"I'll take it into consideration," she said, her embarrassed smile still plastered on her face. "I need to go talk to your brother. Love you."

"Love you, Mom."

Kathleen knocked on Chase's door and waited. She was a little more apprehensive about barging into his room than she was Molly's. "Yeah?" Chase said from within. Kathleen walked in. Chase took off the headphones he was listening to and sat up on the bed.

Kathleen sat down next to her son and looked at him thoughtfully. "I've just had two heavy conversations, and now I'm here to have a third."

"Oh boy," Chase replied, preparing himself for the cold hand of justice.

"Look, you two are adults and are responsible for your actions. I hope you are considering what this can do to you both emotionally. Your sister seems tough, but she's fragile."

"She's been abused on the inside, Mom. I know how fragile she is. It's partly why I love her so much."

"She's been so unlucky, Chase. I worry about her self esteem."

"I want her heart to be safe, and her self-esteem to be high, but you and I both know Molly's self esteem hangs by a thread. She needs loved. You know I'll never hurt her."

Kathleen couldn't counter a single thing he said. There was almost no point in even having the conversation; Kathleen knew his heart already. There was no need to be concerned whether Chase was aware of the gravity of their situation. He had a better grasp on it than any of them. She felt herself losing her resolve to impose her will on them. Perhaps Jon was right about Chase's ability to nurture their relationship.

Kathleen marveled at her son's penchant for compassion. His caring empathy belied his age. She knew he was right about Molly and had no doubt he cared for her deeply. Kathleen was overcome by a sudden wave of affection for Chase and hugged him tightly.

"I love you so much, baby," she whispered in his ear.

"I'll never love anyone more than I love you and Molly," Chase said to her. Kathleen melted in his arms, trying to keep from weeping. She thought to herself, if this is what Molly feels like when she's with Chase, then she's at his mercy. It was a good thing Chase's heart was pure, because he had control over hers.

His mother's slender body felt good pressed against his. Chase suddenly felt strangely jealous of Kathleen's relationship with her swinging partner. He nuzzled her neck with his nose and kissed her under the ear. Chase spoke on impulse. "Mom, I don't want you to see Will anymore."

Kathleen brought her face to his, touching noses and looking through his eyes. She gently nodded her head. "Okay," she said.

Chase felt a twinge of guilt for imposing such an intimate request on her, especially in light of her generous acquiescence of his relationship with Molly. He had intended to be a little more subtle about it. Still, he felt relief at having said it.

It was the flutter in Kathleen's heart that led her to oblige Chase's demand so quickly. She no longer had a desire to be with Will and Sara. Their companionship seemed less meaningful than it once was, as though a bright light had suddenly swept over a shiny carnival game, revealing the dingy reality hidden behind the shimmering facade. Overcome by a passionate impulse, she tilted her head and gave Chase a tender, long, loving kiss on the lips—a kiss transcending a mother's normal love for her son, a kiss that begged to continue, but couldn't. She touched her forehead to his and collected her wits.

"Goodnight, baby," she finally said, weakly.

"Goodnight, Mom," he replied. Kathleen walked out of the room and shut the door. In the hallway, she stood for a moment, putting her hands on opposite walls to steady herself. She concentrated on breathing rhythmically, keeping her knees directly under her. She felt lucky to have made it to the hallway before her legs gave out. She didn't want Chase to see the effect he had on her.

~ ~ ~

Molly awoke the next morning with joy in her heart. Their secret was out and the world was in fact, still turning. She could hear her dad in the kitchen fixing breakfast for himself before he left for work. There wasn't much time this morning, but she felt like she needed to acknowledge his faithful concession of their new-found love.

She walked down the hall and found her dad standing in the kitchen by himself, eating toast. She smiled sheepishly at him in her nightshirt, her fingertips touching nervously in front of her. Jon smiled, drooping his head down toward his plate. He looked back up at his glowingly beautiful daughter. She said nothing as she tentatively approached him and slipped her arms around his waist, laying her head on his chest. Jon hugged her back.

"I'm sorry for making things complicated, Daddy."

"I love you, pumpkin. I hope you know what you're doing," he said, kissing the top of her head. Her hair smelled clean.

Molly put a palm on his chest, keeping her ear over his heart. "I don't," she said honestly. "But, it feels right. I've had a lot of boyfriends. Nobody has ever made me feel like Chase does."

"Molly, your boyfriends have broken my heart more times than I ever thought it could tolerate."

"Your heart?" she said with surprise.

"Of course! Every time you have a breakup, or get mistreated, or bring home a new guy I know is bad for you, a little part of me dies."

Molly hadn't really considered her dad's emotional involvement with her love life. He seemed pretty thick-skinned and distant from her affairs. She immediately regretted any sleepless nights she had caused him. "I'm sorry, Daddy. I know I've not made the best decisions."

"There's no need to apologize, honey. It's not about me. It's just that..." Jon's voice trailed off. Feeling his daughter's soft feminine figure pressed against his, he couldn't imagine any man ever showing anything but love and kindness to her. He swallowed hard, trying to put out of his mind any thoughts of Molly being mistreated or used. "I love you so much," he finally said.

Molly heard her father's heart beat faster in her ear. She hugged him tighter, thinking back a couple weeks ago when she and Chase spied on their parents making love. The gentle, loving touch he had shown their mother with his hands was indicative of the gentle nature of his heart.

"Run your fingers through my hair?" she asked of him. She just wanted to feel his fingers stroke her hair over her ears, just like what her mother felt that night during an extremely intimate moment.

Jon eagerly obliged, caressing the side of her head, gently pulling her hair back, brushing loose strands over her ear, smelling her hair as he did it. Molly suddenly felt the comfort and safety that she had experienced as a young girl, sleeping on her daddy's chest, his hands gently rubbing her head, her thoughts anywhere other than worrying about boys. She hadn't felt that way for a long time, and wondered how she had gotten used to not being physically close to her dad any more. She decided she was going to change that.

Jon began to lose track of time, standing in that blissful embrace, with his nineteen-year-old daughter pressed against him. It felt really good to be this close to Molly. He hoped she would continue to want his comfort. He glanced at the clock and noticed he was late. "I've got to go, sweetie."

"I love you, Daddy."

"I love you too, pumpkin. We'll talk more, okay?"

"I'd like that."

~ ~ ~

Jon sat in his office thinking about what to do for lunch. It was looking like another dull meal at his desk from the company cafeteria when Kathleen called.

"Hey, hon," she greeted cheerfully. "Are you free for lunch?"

"You must have heard my thoughts; I was just wondering what to do."

"Great, how about Sami's?"

"See you in fifteen?"

"Okay."

The cool morning had not yet given way to the afternoon heat and they chose a table for two on the patio. Jon was eager to talk about the kids.

"Are you still okay with letting this play out?" Jon asked his wife.

Kathleen nodded. After talking with both of them last night, she was sure parental interjection would cause more harm than good.

"I talked with Molly this morning before I left," he said. "She's so beautiful, Kathleen. My heart is sickened every time I think of the way she's been denied happiness in love. She has profoundly changed recently. I felt closer to her this morning than I have in years."

"I've noticed it too. It's good to see her happy." Kathleen understood well the source of Molly's recent Joy. She thought of how she felt whenever she was in an intimate situation with Chase. The change in her pulse, the flush feeling, the weak knees. "Chase has a strong influence on her," she said.

"I know; he seems to have a way with women, doesn't he?"

"You have no idea. Well, I suppose you have some idea; he inherited it from you! He has some kind of gift, Jon," she said with a laugh. "His subtle looks and touches have a hypnotizing effect, and he doesn't even know it. I get weak knees around him and I'm his mother!"

Jon laughed. "Kathleen! Are you smitten with your own son?"

Kathleen giggled, a little embarrassed. "We have two remarkably attractive kids, Jon. It's no wonder they can't keep their hands off each other." Kathleen sat thoughtfully. "We need to be close to them—even more than before. I believe this is going to be healing for Molly, but I think they are going to need a safety net."

"I don't know how we can protect them without totally getting up in their business."

"You're right," she said with a sigh. "This is going to be difficult."

The waiter came to take their lunch orders. Kathleen had so much on her mind she could barely think about eating.

She had avoided talking to Jon last night about their kids' requests that they break off sexual relations with Will and Sara. The night had already been full of emotional discussions and revelation about Chase and Molly's new relationship, and there simply was no room in her heart to discuss this too. But now she was ready to bring it up. She had felt for a long time that they needed a change, but maintaining the status quo had been the easy option for them. Breaking up was going to hurt. The two couples had become close, and remaining friends after ending their sexual encounters would no doubt be awkward. The best solution would be just to not see them anymore. She desperately wanted to hear what Jon thought.