Molly hadn’t really planned that far ahead, but her mom, Coleen, was already laying out the future.
"Thinking about having kids? That's way down the line for me."
Coleen chuckled, "Don't be so sure. Once you're married, if you're not careful, babies come along quicker than you’d think. You might not even realize it until it’s too late."
Molly reclined in the passenger seat, absorbing her mom's mystical advice. It reminded her of her friend Mia, who had also found herself unexpectedly pregnant shortly after tying the knot.
Resting a hand on her stomach, Molly remembered how confidently she once believed she wouldn’t be caught off guard. Now, she wasn’t so sure.
"Mom, is the morning-after pill still effective if you take it more than 24 hours later?"
Coleen just sighed.
Their conversation meandered to lighter topics after that, the kind of easy, pleasant chat that felt like basking in the simple joys of life.
When the topic of how many kids she might want came up, Molly found herself surprisingly open to the idea.
It was as if Mia’s words had unlocked something in her. "Once you’ve crossed that bridge, everything else just falls into place naturally."
Before, talking about marriage and children made Molly shy and uncomfortable, as if it was all too intimate. But now, with everything out in the open, having children seemed like a natural part of life she could face without embarrassment.
"I bet Chad would want a few kids, especially since he always gets such a kick out of seeing our nephew, Henry. But I reckon he’d be overwhelmed with just one. Kids are adorable in small doses. You think they’re the cutest thing ever until you’re the one dealing with their tantrums every day. My nephew’s a prime example. Mia sometimes loses her patience with him big time."
"Kids will be kids," Coleen remarked. "Every mom goes through it."
It was as if the troubles of the world were someone else’s concern. After their chat, Coleen drove Molly around, taking in the local sights and enjoying a bit of a photo op among the blooming pear trees, which felt almost like a mini-vacation.
Molly was only responsible for keeping her mom’s spirits up; whatever drama was unfolding with anyone else, she couldn’t be bothered.
By late afternoon, Chad discovered the car gone and called the dynamic duo, now shopping at the market, and they finally headed home.
Back at the house, the aftermath of an earlier commotion was evident by the clutter left in the car’s backseat.
With the local police and community officers gone, and Juliana’s family whereabouts unknown, Grandma Aubree and Grandpa Elmer looked visibly upset, while Molly and Coleen seemed detached from the Byrne family drama.
That evening, the household busied themselves with chores. Kendrick and his son cleaned up the yard, Grandpa Elmer tended to the vegetable garden, and Coleen cooked dinner. Molly, less helpful in the kitchen, was sent to assist her grandmother with the bedding.
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