Chapter 3

Molly POV

Room 309 of the Highland Motel has been my home for the last week. After the fire, I spent a week in the hospital, and by the time I got out, I was allowed back in the house to get my stuff, but it’s not safe enough to live in, and quite frankly, I don’t want to be there, nor have I been back since that night.

I try to shake myself off the memories, but it doesn’t matter what I do; they continue to haunt me every single day and night. I head into the bathroom, switch on the shower, and quickly strip off before stepping under the steaming hot water, hoping and failing to wash away this pain.

Once I’m washed and dried, I put on my pajamas, brush my teeth, get into bed and take out my cell to start my usual nightly routine. My cell was destroyed in the fire, but by some miracle, my memory card survived, and for that, I am seriously grateful, as I have a lifetime of photos and memories on there that I can’t replace.

I always kept a copy of my pictures on my laptop, but I didn’t think about what would happen if we had a house fire. It's safe to say my laptop didn’t survive the fire, so the pictures on my phone are currently the only ones I have left.

I finish looking through the photos just in time for Thomas to arrive. He has been with me every single night since the fire. When I was in the hospital, he would come at night and stay until the morning, and he is still doing the same now. Even though I’m in a hotel now, he still won’t let me spend the nights alone, and, in all honesty, I’m grateful for it.

Thomas wasn’t just Archie's best friend, he’s mine too. I met them both on the first day of high school, and it was the three of us from then on. I was new in town, and I didn’t know anyone, didn’t have any friends, but Archie and Thomas never let me be alone, and 13 years later, it’s still the 3 of us, well, now it’s just the two of us.

Archie and I grew into something more when we were 16, and he’s been the love of my life ever since. We got married at 18, just before he and Thomas joined the army, and I was allowed to move with them and live local to their base because of our marriage. Of course, Thomas lived with us too, but we wouldn’t have had it any other way.

Both of them re-enlisted twice, but eight months ago, when it was time to decide whether to re-enlist again, they decided it was time to leave and start their lives. Archie and I both wanted kids. At 26, after being married for eight years, I was ready to start a family, and Thomas was ready to meet the man of his dreams.

Archie wanted to move to Florida; his family moved here three years ago, and he wanted to be close to them. I was more than happy to follow him here. In all honesty, I would have followed him anywhere because he was my whole world. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t have done for him, which is why I’m doing this... and despite Thomas’s family living in Texas, he wanted to come with us. We were honestly thrilled. After living together for so long, I couldn’t have imagined being in Florida without him.

The door creeks as Thomas lets himself in, and as always, he greets me with his warming smile, even though I know he’s hurting underneath. He’s been trying to stay strong for me this whole time, but I know that underneath this is killing him. We both loved Archie, and we’re both lost without him.

As soon as he comes in, he goes into the small closet that we are sharing and brings out a large duffel bag and puts it down on the floor, and I’m instantly confused. We both lost all our clothes in the fire, so Tom went shopping to get us a few basics, but I’d never noticed the duffel bag before.

“What’s going on, Tom?” he walks over to the bed and sits down next to me, and a strange feeling comes over me.

“When we first arrived in Florida, Archie and I got talking about what we wanted from life. We had spent so much time being told

what we could do and huddling up in awful conditions. Arch, he knew he was ready to start a family with you, and I knew I wanted my knight in shining armor.” he winks at me, making me smile, before he carries on.

“Anyway, as I said, we knew what we wanted, but after everything, we felt like we needed something different first, and so we got these.” He hands me an envelope, looking a little nervous, while I know I look confused.

“They are tickets, tickets to travel around the world. They leave tomorrow and return in one year, he planned on surprising you on your anniversary, but then he...” I nod, knowing what he means, but completely shocked at what he’s just given me.

“How the... What the... Huh?” I’m completely speechless right now, which is a first for me.

“I’ve thought about this trip a lot over the last few days, and I decided that I wouldn’t go, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that he would kick my ass if he thought I wasn’t going because of him!” For the first time since his death, I laugh, a real laugh because I know he’s right.

He’s been one incredible friend to both Archie and me since the day we met, but he’s also been my lifeline since Archieʼs death, and I’d be lying if I said I’m going to be lost without him. I’m not even sure how I’ll cope, but I won’t let him know that, and I won’t stop him from going because he deserves this more than anyone else I know.

Thomas is, without a doubt, the kindest guy that I know. He always puts everyone before himself, and I know that if I asked him to stay, he would, without a thought or care for himself, and that, among many other reasons, is why I won’t ask him to do it.

I shake my head to bring me back to the present and feel the tears prickle at the back of my eyes at the thought of not seeing my best friend for a whole year. Still, I push them back because the moment he sees them, he will drop all his plans, and I won’t be responsible for keeping him from this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

“He definitely would do that, and you are right, you have to go, Tom. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and you’ll regret not going, I know you will.” He nods, agreeing, which I’m glad for.

“Molly... I want you to come with me.”