Just Trying To Help Pt. 02

You may want to read Part 1 to understand the whole story. Could be posted in different catagories. I chose romance for this part. Thanks again to my editors, LadyCibelle and Techsan, for making my story a much better read.

Part 2, Chapter 3

Molly's story:

I came from a home of strict parenting but was well loved. I have two brothers who are five and seven years younger than me. My dad worked his way up from an electrical engineer to the executive position. He became a department head and is now plant manager of an auto parts plant in Michigan.

As far back as I can remember, my mom was a stay-at-home mom. She was one of those women who loved being a homemaker. She was a fantastic cook and housekeeper. It was from her that I learned to be a pretty good cook myself. As far back as I can remember, she always took the time to include me when baking.

Dad was strict and made sure that I had curfews and that I always did my best. He called me his Princess. Since I watched The Little Mermaid as a young girl I figured he got the name from Ariel, the little princess with the red hair in the movie.

I spent my life trying to make my dad proud but he seemed to expect so much from me. In high school I didn't play sports. I was on the debate team and in a number of clubs. It was always study, study, study. Dad told me if I wanted to be successful I had to get good grades and go to college. I worked hard in high school. I was a straight 'A' student.

I received a full ride scholastic scholarship at a university in Michigan. I received a degree in marketing, and also in accounting. My parents told me how proud they were of me. I was proud of myself too but now I wanted to spread my wings and enjoy life.

After graduation, I got a job in marketing in the plant where my dad was an executive. I enjoyed my work but I seemed to have missed the fun that goes along with college. I drove to college every day and studied every night. The few dates I went on, my dad said that the guys weren't good enough for me. There was someone special for me out there.

Every man I ever dated wasn't good enough according to my dad. I was now an adult and didn't need my parents' approval anymore. I guess I decided to be a little rebellious. I dated a few men from work and it always aggravated my dad, even though it didn't affect my work.

I started dating a really good looking salesman in our firm. Andrew Nelson was his name. He wanted to be called Andrew because he thought it sounded more sophisticated.

Andrew was a looker and a charmer. He could sell anybody anything. He asked me out and I went out with him. We became serious and I told my dad that I liked him when he had asked me about him one night. Dad didn't seem very happy about it.

After dating for a few months Andrew told me that he got a promotion and a hefty raise in salary but he had to move to Kentucky. For some reason, I felt my dad was behind it. He had told me that he didn't trust Andrew.

Andrew asked me to marry him and on an impulse and because it was a way of getting even with my dad I said yes. We flew to Las Vegas and got married. I really thought I loved Andrew and that he loved me. He was the first man I really felt serious about.

When we got back from Vegas, I told my mom and dad that we were married and that I would be moving with Andrew to Kentucky. My mom cried but wished me the best. My dad was furious with me. He wanted to know how I could be so hard-headed and stupid for such a smart girl.

I remember my dad saying how much I hurt him and my mom. He said mom had always talked about the day when they would be at my wedding and my dad would be proud as he walked me down the aisle to give me away. Mom always said how beautiful I would be and now dad said I took that away from them.

It hurt me and I realized how selfish I must seem to them. When I was alone I cried. I told them that I loved Andrew and that he loved me and we would make this marriage work.

My dad had tears in his eyes the day that Andrew and I left for Kentucky. He told me he still loved me and I would always be his Princess. His door would always be opened to me and that I was always welcome to come back. He hardly spoke to Andrew. Dad gave me a check for twenty-five thousand dollars and told me to use it as a down payment on a nice home. He made sure that it was only to be used for that purpose.

I had quit my job but figured I could get another one in Kentucky. Besides, the next few months I would need to find a house and make a home out of it for Andrew and me. We rented a condo by the month. I didn't plan on living there long. One thing I didn't plan on was getting pregnant. After three months of marriage, I found myself with child - or should I say children? I was pregnant with twins.

I was really happy about it. We had just bought a home and now I could plan on our family. I was happy with joy but Andrew said he wasn't ready for another family already.

I was twenty-four and Andrew was thirty-one. He was married once before and had a son with his first wife. He had been divorced three years when he had met me. He paid support but never visited his first child. I told him that everything would be fine. His salary was large enough for us to live on and I would be a stay-at-home mom, just like my mother.

I even found a medical billing job. I bought a computer and did medical billing out of the home. It wasn't great pay but it gave us some extra money and gave me something to do.

Our sex live dropped tremendously. Andrew said he was too tired after working all day. He was even traveling more than usual. I had a feeling that he may have been cheating on me but had no proof. At least not then.

When the babies were due my mom and dad came down to see us.. I knew my dad was still disappointed in me but there wasn't much I could do about it. They loved the twins. They both had fiery red hair just like mine. My dad hardly spoke to Andrew who spent most of his time at work to avoid my parents.

I had problems during delivery. The children were both fine but I had to have a partial hysterectomy. The doctor told me I would probably not be able to bear any more children. At the time I was only concerned about my two new babies.

I named the twins Andy and Annie. Andrew thought I named them after him but I didn't. When I was little, my mom gave me two stuffed dolls with red hair. They were Ann and Andy. It was like naming my two babies to bring back a piece of my childhood.

I felt sad when my parents left. I really did love them and missed them. Mom would come down a couple of times a year with one of my brothers and his wife. I loved it when they were there. Once a year at Christmas I would pack up the kids and take them to Michigan to see my family. Andrew never seemed to have the time to come along.

When the twins turned three, I found out Andrew was having an affair with his secretary. He was always working late so one day I decided to surprise him and put the kids in the car and drove to his office. When we got there I saw him in the parking lot talking to his secretary and they both of them got in their cars and were driving off.

He wasn't headed in the direction of our home so I followed him. He and his girlfriend drove into a motel. It was a little dump off the beaten path. I sat in the car with my two babies and cried. I waited about ten minutes and knocked on their door. It was an outside entrance.

"Who is it?" I heard Andrew call out.

"Manager," I said trying to disguise my voice. "You left your credit card in the office."

Andrew opened the door a little and I pushed it open, knocking him back. They were both naked and his girlfriend was lying on the bed and quickly covered up.

"Molly! What are you doing here?" he said for lack of something to say.

"Your kids are in the car. We came to see you since you're very rarely home. You know, working these long late hours. We're through! Don't come home tonight or I will kill you. I am doing everything in my power not to fight right now. Just be glad I have the kids with me instead of a gun. You can come by tomorrow and gather up whatever you want. I'll be at the lawyer's office. My dad was right. He said I was too good for you. God, I wished I would have listened to him."

I went home and cried. All I had was my two babies. I was a strong willed woman and I had to take care of me and my kids. The next day Andrew did call and I just repeated what I told him the day before. I told him I was headed to the lawyer and was going to ask for everything. He didn't even fight for me and the kids. That probably hurt as much as the cheating.

We had accumulated a lot of things but we owed on most of it. My lawyer was able to help me keep everything other than Andrew's personal stuff and pension. Of course I got the payments as well. We didn't have any savings to speak of. Andrew was required to pay alimony, child support and for our insurance.

I drug out the divorce for almost a year. I knew Andrew wanted to marry his girlfriend seeing she was now knocked-up. I waited until the birth of their baby before I finalized the divorce. They had to explain to her family why they couldn't get married yet. It wasn't the greatest revenge but it did make me feel better.

My mom and one of my brothers came and visited for awhile. I told her we were doing okay. I made decent money on the medical billing and with the child support we would make it. She wanted to give me money but I was too proud to take it. I told her I made my bed and now I would sleep in it.

I was going to be there to take care of my kids till they started school which was another year away. After they started school I might look for other work but I did enjoy being a stay at home mom just like she was. It made my mom cry which of course made me cry. "Everything will work out, Mom; you and Dad taught me that."

Tragedy struck the following year. Andrew was killed in an automobile accident. The Social Security Administration told me that all three wives would share in his Social Security benefits. It would be a good chunk of money less than I was getting in support. The place where he worked told me that if I wanted the insurance to continue that I would have to pay the premium. Dad always told me to have insurance and I did my best to keep up with the premiums.

I was getting stressed out by the minute. I started cutting services that we had like the cell phone and took the minimum cable TV. I started selling things on E-Bay. Each month I would get rid of more belongings. I was too proud to ask for help.

One day I just couldn't take it anymore. I felt like my health was failing. I called my mom and told her that I wasn't sure what I was going to do. I was thinking of selling the house and paying off the rest of my debts. Because of the large down payment they gave me as a wedding gift I would be able to sell the house at a hefty profit.

The kids and I moved into a small apartment while I had an auction and sold almost everything, including the house. The straw that broke the camel's back was when my computer broke down. I could no longer do my medical billing.

I felt myself getting dizzy and sick and didn't know why. It really bothered me. I didn't want to get sick or die down here with no one to take care of Andy and Annie. That is when I decided to go back to Michigan. I could rent a small place but at least family would be able to take care of my kids if something should happen to me. I guess I thought the worst.

I rented a U-Haul and put the remainder of our belongings in it. With my kids in their car seats I headed north. I had to stop a number of times because I felt faint. I told the kids that I needed to rest a few minutes and we would continue on.

In Ohio I pulled in a service station to get some gas. As I stepped out of the car I felt faint and almost fell. I would have if this nice man didn't catch me. We talked and he told me I looked pale and needed to see a doctor. I tried to explain to him that I had no one to watch my kids and I didn't want anyone taking them away from me.

His name was Larry and I have to say he was the nicest man that I have ever met. He promised me he would watch my kids if I would go to the hospital and get checked out. I could never picture myself letting a stranger watch my kids and take me to a hospital. I can't believe I agreed to it as we climbed into this stranger's car and he did just as he promised. I swear to this day that God sent him down to watch over me and my kids.

He had a beautiful daughter named Kim who I met at the hospital. She watched Annie and Andy while Larry sat with me. He was a few years older than me but had the most honest face. He was somewhat shy and talked softly. I didn't know there were men as nice as him.

The doctor wanted me to stay overnight till my tests came back but I had my kids and told him no. Larry talked with his daughter and they took my kids and me to their house and put us up for the night. From that day forward, I fell in love with this man. Not only was he good looking, but he was a caring, sincere, honest and wonderful man.

Over the next few days Larry and Kim took care of me and the kids. Kim was like a younger sister. She asked me so many questions and I did my best to answer them honestly. She had lost her mother when she was nine and she told me her dad did the best he could but she missed not having a mother to talk to. I felt sorry for her. I remember all the talks with my mom when I was younger.

We became best friends almost overnight. We found ourselves confiding in each other. I told her that her dad sure raised a wonderful and considerate daughter. I hoped my twins would be as grateful as her when they got older.

She also told me about her ex-stepmother who she didn't trust. She told me not to tell her dad that she told me about his second wife. I promised her I wouldn't tell him; it was one of our girls' secrets. I couldn't believe any woman would cheat on a man like Larry. There's nothing that I can find fault with in him. He even fixed my computer so I could get back to my billing and make a few dollars.

We had ended up staying with Larry and Kim for over two months. The kids loved both of them. They called Kim their big sister which she got a kick out of, being an only child. She played with them and took them swimming in the pool. She would make a great mother someday. Every night they waited for Larry to come home. He always had something for them. It could be a candy bar or a sucker. It was just the idea that he thought of them every day.

After having the U-Haul for two days Larry had taken it back to the dealer. He told me when I was ready to leave we could re-rent it. We brought in some of my personal stuff and a lot of the kid's toys. Larry said he wanted to make his home feel more like home for us. The rest of our stuff we left in the garage.

I did pay some money each week for me and the kids to stay there. It wasn't nearly enough for all they did for us but I explained to Kim that life wasn't a free ride and God helps those who help themselves. It was a way of holding onto our pride as women also.

Now for my problem. As I mentioned I was falling deeply for Larry but I didn't know how he felt about me. He always complimented me on everything I did and how I looked. We never hugged or kissed. He hugged and kissed my kids everyday. I told Kim that I had feelings for her father but never told her exactly how strong my feelings were at this point.

It was strange just being around him. I was living a charmed life but without the sex. We went everywhere together. His family treated me wonderfully and they sometimes joked and told Larry I would be the catch of the century. Larry always smiled but never approached me on being together. I was torn as to what I should do.

After receiving a clean bill of health from the doctors, I felt I should leave before I became even more attached to this family. Time and time again Kim asked me to stay. She even told me the school bus would take the kids to school and it was a great school; she went there when she was younger.

I wasn't sure what to do. Then one day Larry asked me out on a date. At first I didn't know what to say. I loved this man but was afraid to tell him. God, I wish I knew how he felt about me. I would stay here forever if he would ask me, but it would have to be as husband and wife. I couldn't be around him just as a friend.

I accepted the date and later that day Kim and I went shopping to buy a killer dress to impress her dad. I tried on the dress and I had tears in my eyes.

"Molly, what's the matter?" asked Kim.

"Kim, please don't hate me but I'm in love with your dad. I'm sorry but he is such a good man. I hope this doesn't change our friendship," I cried.

"Molly, I'm a woman too. I knew you loved Dad just by the way you speak of him. Don't worry, we'll always be best friends," said Kim.

I bought the dress and when I came out of the bedroom my kids told me how beautiful I looked, followed by Kim expressing her feeling. Larry told me how nice I looked and I was hoping for some sparks to fly tonight. I needed to know if he felt about me the way I felt about him.

Our date was nice. Larry was the perfect gentleman. He did everything a book of etiquette would suggest. When he asked me to dance I felt so good in his arms. I wanted him to make advances toward me. To kiss my neck and tell me how much he loved me. He never did make any type of inappropriate advances. I guess I should have been happy about it but I wanted him.

When we got back to the house he gave me a hug. I wanted to be kissed and made love too. It's been so long, but I wanted it from Larry. After hugging me he told me I was the nicest date he had ever had. We each retired to our own room.

I cried myself to sleep. Larry must not have the same feeling for me as I have for him. I decided that the next day I would start packing up our stuff and we would head to Michigan. God, I would miss him, but I knew I couldn't just be a friend of his; I needed more.

The next morning when I got up Larry had already left for work. Kim came in the kitchen and asked me how my date went.

"He was the perfect gentleman. He is one wonderful man. I'm going to miss him," I replied.

"What do you mean 'miss him'? What's going on, Molly?" asked Kim.

"I'm going to start packing and take the kids to Michigan. You know I love your father but I don's think he feels the same. I know he likes me and respects me, but I don't think he has the same feelings towards me as I have for him." I started crying and went into the bathroom.

Chapter 4

Larry's Viewpoint:

I was at work and the phone rang; it was Kim and she sounded upset.

"Dad! What did you do to Molly last night?" asked Kim.

"Nothing, I told her how nice she looked and how much we liked her. Why?" I asked.

"She said she is moving out tomorrow. She said she made a mistake in going out with you. What did you do, Dad?"

"Nothing, Kim. Honest! I treated her totally like a lady."

"Dad, you didn't even kiss her or make any sexual advances to her, did you?"

"No! I didn't. I didn't want her to not trust me."

"Dad, she's in love with you. She's been in love with you for months now. Couldn't you see it? I don't know how many times she has told me. She was expecting you to kiss her or even go further. Don't you love her, Dad? I was sure you did."

"Of course I love her. I thought she respected me but I had no idea she had true feelings for me. God, I'm so stupid."

"Well, Dad, you better get home and repair this situation or we're going to lose her."

I headed for home.

When I got home Kim met me in the drive. "Dad, what are you going to do?"

"Kim, you always tell me what you think of the women I date. What do you think of Molly?" I asked.