and there were too few of those, at least in Molly’s world.
She had planned to sneak out without conversation but she realized she should tell them she’d be gone for the rest of the day and possibly night. Although she still wasn’t used to living in a house with other people, where her goings and comings would be questioned and dissected, she’d been trying to train herself to do just that.
She stepped toward her father’s office where the rest of the family was apparently gathered.
“Shut up,” Jessie said to her sister. She never gave up without a fight. “You don’t get to tell me what to do.”
“But I do.”
Molly grinned as Edna Addams spoke in a firm, commanding tone that explained why the older woman was more often known as Commander rather than Grandma. She was the general’s mother, which made her Molly’s grandma, too. Molly stepped into the doorway at the same time the double thud of the commander’s cane hitting the floor caused everyone to snap to attention.
Edna stood in the center of the room, her focus on her youngest granddaughter. “And I suggest you stop worrying about yourself and think about your father’s situation instead.”
“I didn’t mean it like that.” Jessie’s eyes immediately filled with tears.
Edna strode to her granddaughter’s side and stroked her long, brown hair. “I know you didn’t, but as I’ve said before, you need a permanent yield sign between your brain and your mouth, so you can take the time to think before you speak.”
Molly nodded, silently applauding. “Let’s try to concentrate on what’s important and that’s helping Dad,” she suggested as she entered the room.
Jessie whirled around, the hair she’d spent hours straightening this morning in the bathroom she shared with Molly flipping over her shoulder as she moved. “Dad?” she asked. Her tears were gone, replaced by sarcasm and anger, which was as usual, directed at Molly. “That’s rich since you didn’t even know him until a little while ago. He’s our dad.” She gestured between herself and Robin. “Not yours.”
“Jessie!” Edna and Robin yelled in unison and shared horror.
Molly’s heart clenched tight in her chest and almost immediately a headache threatened, one of the migraines she’d fought since childhood.
Despite being used to Jessie’s outbursts, the teenager’s verbal abuse still stung. Was it so much to want everyone in this family to accept her? She’d already paid her dues as a child born out of wedlock and lies, and she’d spent a lifetime believing the man she thought was her father didn’t have any more time for her than her mother had.
She was damn tired of putting up with Jessie’s crap, but out of respect for her father and for the sake of family peace, Molly had bit her tongue. She’d hoped in return, Jessie would eventually come around but, so far, no such luck.
“Apologize to Molly.” Robin perched her hands on her slender hips.
Molly hated that her other sister fought her battles. Turning on Jessie now wouldn’t help anyone, but soon they would have to come to terms with each other.
“I mean it,” Robin said in the face of her sister’s silence.
Jessie looked to her grandmother for salvation.
But the older woman merely shook her head and tacked on another command for the teen to follow. “Now,” Edna instructed and leaned on her cane, waiting for the obligatory I’m sorry to come from Jessie’s lips.
Without warning, Jessie let out a loud groan. “You always take her side,” she said on a misunderstood wail. Then she stomped her feet dramatically as she flung her body out of the family room.
“Crybaby, crybaby,” Edna’s macaw crowed from his cage across the room.
Leave it to the mouthy bird to make his presence known now, Molly thought. A quick glance out the family- room door told her Jessie had already fled far from hearing distance.
“Never you mind,” Edna said to her pet. She turned to Molly and Robin. “I’ll speak with Jessie. She can’t talk to you that way.”
“Just let her go.” Molly dismissed her half sister’s behavior with a wave, pretending to be unfazed by the outburst.
“Only if you promise to ignore her. Sometimes Jessie acts like she’s fifteen going on thirty and other times she behaves more like she’s three,” Robin said, her blue eyes flashing with regret. She walked over and placed a comforting hand on Molly’s shoulder.
“Amen to that.” Molly managed a laugh and tried not to squirm beneath Robin’s touch. Unused to any kind of affection, she was still growing accustomed to the gestures that came so easily to the rest of the family. She didn’t want to insult them though or discourage their attempts to reach out to her. Besides, Robin’s caring was exactly what she’d needed when she’d arrived here. She’d left Hunter behind and it had helped to know she’d found something solid. Not that it replaced him or the place he could have had in her life.
“What’s with the duffel bag?” the commander asked, interrupting Molly’s thoughts.
“You’re leaving?” Robin asked, panic in her voice.
Molly shook her head. “I have to go see a friend about Dad.” Despite Jessie’s outburst, the word flowed easily off Molly’s tongue, due completely to how Frank had pulled her into his home and his family.
Robin’s shoulders relaxed. She leaned forward, her hands folded over each other on the desktop. “I worry about leaving you and Jess alone when I go back to school.”
Robin attended Yale on partial scholarship with her father assuming responsibility for the rest. General Addams believed it was a parent’s job to pay for his child’s education and Molly respected him for it. They’d had more than one discussion that ended in an argument because he wanted to take over Molly’s student loans.
As much as she appreciated the offer, she wouldn’t hear of it. She paid her own way. She’d never emulate her mother’s behavior of taking from others. Living in this house was as much of a handout as she was willing to accept. It was a compromise she made in order to have a real family.
Molly laughed. “Don’t worry. Your sister and I won’t kill each other while you’re gone. I still hold out hope we’ll make peace, eventually.”
Robin nodded. “Just don’t think anyone would hold it against you if you did strangle her.” She grinned, then her gaze shifted to the suitcase once more. “So what can this friend do about our father’s arrest?”
“Praise the Lord and load the ammunition,” the macaw said.
Molly chuckled.
“I swear, I’m buying that bird a muzzle,” Robin uttered the threat made by everyone in the house at one time or another against the noisy pet.
Edna shook her vibrant red head.
Molly wondered if her grandmother had changed her hair’s shade yet again. On meeting the commander for the first time, Molly had immediately discovered she’d inherited the other woman’s passion for bold, standout colors. Although, Molly had to admit, since moving here she’d packed away her most vibrant outfits. Fear of not fitting in had been too great. But Edna changed her hair color weekly depending on which color of Miss Clairol she picked up at the local CVS. Molly never knew what the other woman would look like from one day to the next and she looked forward to the adventure. Edna and Molly had hit it off immediately, Edna becoming the maternal influence Molly had never had. Another thing she didn’t want to lose.
“I don’t know what you expect from the poor bird. I told you I rescued him from two men in South America, one a preacher, the other a pharmaceutical salesman.”
“You mean a drug dealer?” Robin asked sweetly.
Edna ignored her.
“Me padre,” the bird said next.
Edna smiled. “You do your namesake proud, Ollie.”
Robin laughed. “I’m sure Oliver North would be thrilled to know you named a foulmouthed parrot after him.”
“Bite me,” Ollie replied.
“Right back at you,” Robin muttered.
Molly chuckled again. “Now children, no bickering,” she said before turning her attention back to their problem. “I have an old friend who might be able to help with Dad’s representation.”
“Thank God because Dad’s lawyer is a halfwit,” Robin said.
