The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (017) Moving In

 

On the Monday morning, they were leaving the Hotel for the last time and hadn’t seen each other until Molly emerged from her room into the lounge where Danny was already waiting.

“Happy Birthday!” he said and handed her a wrapped parcel.

“You got me a present?” she said.

“Of course, I got you a present” he said, “Now open it, open it.”

“Ok, ok, I’m savouring it” Molly said sitting down on the arm of the sofa where she carefully untied the ribbon and gently removed the paper which she put on the sofa beside her and opened the gift box.

Molly unwrapped the layers of tissue paper, and after the last layer,  delight spread across her face like a sunrise as she exposed the hand-crafted snow globe.

“It’s Lakeside” she said, and then she shook it gently “It’s beautiful.”

“Do you like it?”

“I love it” she replied and put the snow globe down so she could hug him tightly, wrapping her skinny arms around his neck, a prolonged comfortable hug, which ended as quickly as it started.

“Thank you” she said and nervously kissed his cheek, then she paused and hastily kissed him full on the mouth and pulled her whole frame in close to his and he reciprocated in kind and became quite prolonged and only ended when it did as a result of George knocking on the door.

 

They separated without speaking and while Danny went and let George in, Molly busied herself with tidying up her present wrappings.

“Happy Birthday Molly” George said as he walked in and hugged her, lifting her off her feet.

“Thanks George” she said when he returned her to her feet.

“Look what Danny got me” she said proudly holding up the snow globe for him to see.

“Is that Lakeside?” he asked.

“Yes”

“That’s amazing” George said, “What a great present, really thoughtful.”

“Isn’t it” she said.

 

It was about half an hour later when George trundled the trolley full of bags towards the lift with Danny and Molly following silently behind.

After loading the bags into the Landrover, George drove them to Cliff Haven and the journey passed largely in silence, not that Danny or Molly didn’t have things they wanted to say, they just didn’t want to say them in front of George, maybe when George dropped them off, they could say what was on their minds.

 

They pulled up on the York Stone drive and got out,

“Leave the bags I’ll get them later” George said.

“Thanks George,” Molly said, and Danny opened the front door and let her step in.

“Thanks” she said and flashed him a smile before blushing.

She was still red faced when she walked into the lounge and Katie and Nikki Harrison chorused.

“Happy birthday!”

 

Katie had organized a little buffet style birthday lunch for Molly, which she catered herself with Nikki’s help, and was served with a very decent champagne courtesy of George, there were also balloons, banners, and streamers, as well as flowers and presents, nothing to match the snow globe from Danny, but the framed picture of her and her mum from Katie came a close second. Molly also had a stack of birthday cards.

But as much as she enjoyed the impromptu party, Molly was happy to see everyone go because there was still a conversation she wanted to have.

Unfortunately, Danny had gone out to the Landrover to help George bring the bags in, and then annoyingly spent ten minutes outside talking to him while she paced up and down, so when the door finally opened, she came right out with it.

“I’m sorry about before, I know I’ve ruined everything,” She blurted out with tears welling up in her eyes “I shouldn’t have kissed you like that.”

“Theres nothing to apologize for,” He said pulling her into his arms “And you haven’t ruined anything, if you hadn’t kissed me then I would have kissed you.”

They stood in that embrace for a few minutes, until the pattern of her breathing changed, and he could feel feather light kisses from her soft lips on his neck, before her lips reached his and she kissed him, a deeply passionate and electric kiss, a much more considered and unhurried than the previous one.

 

Danny and Molly lay cuddling in the afterglow having made love for the first time, Molly’s first time, and she sighed as they lay in the darkness and Danny’s thoughts went back to Colorado and the conversation he had with Avery, when he tasked Danny with helping Molly to rejoin the world.

“I want you to ease her into the world, introduce her to things I have denied her,” Avery said.

“I don't think this is what your grandfather had in mind” Danny said as she lay with her head on his chest.

“Oh, I think it's exactly what he had in mind” Molly replied with a sigh.