A Home for Molly

Chapter Three

The next day, Anya and her parents packed the picnic things under Jessie’s pushchair again and got ready to set off for the beach. Anya had been hopping about by the front door for what seemed like ages. When they’d stopped at the ice-cream shop the day before, she had spotted a bodyboard with dolphins on and she’d been admiring it while the lady behind the counter scooped out their ice creams. The dolphins were gorgeous – they looked as though they were smiling and Anya couldn’t help smiling back at them. Then she’d heard Dad saying, “And we’ll take that bodyboard as well, please?”

Anya had wheeled round, staring at him in surprise. She hadn’t even asked, just thought how much fun it would be to have one. Lots of the people on the beach that day had been splashing around on them.

Now, she was desperate to get down there and try it out. It just seemed to be taking forever for Mum and Dad to finish sorting out the picnic and Jessie’s things. Anya had run around finding all of her sister’s toys and muslins, but now Jessie needed her nappy changing.

Eventually, Dad lifted the pushchair over the front step and they set off along the clifftop path to the beach.

“Looking forward to trying out your bodyboard?” he asked, watching Anya admire the dolphins again as she carried it along.

“It’s going to be brilliant,” Anya told him, as she tried to squash down the thought that it would be even more fun with a friend. Still, she had Dad to swim with, which was going to be fun, too. He often worked really late, so Anya didn’t see him that much except on weekends and during the holidays.

As soon as Dad had helped spread out the picnic blanket and unload all their picnic stuff, he and Anya picked their way over the pebbles and sand down to the sea. It was a beautiful hot day and the water was calm.

“The sea is really blue today,” Anya said, sounding surprised. “Yesterday it was sort of browny-green.”

“Maybe it’s reflecting the sky,” Dad suggested. “Are you ready for this, Anya?” He grinned at her. “You don’t want to back out?”

“No!” Anya glared at him. “Although it does look a bit cold,” she admitted.

Dad tested the water with one foot. “Ugh. Make that very cold.”

“Go on!” Mum called. She was standing further up the beach next to Jessie, holding up her phone to take a picture. “It’ll be nice and warm when you get in.”

Dad sighed. “That’s because we’ll be so numb with cold we won’t be able to feel it! Come on, Anya – let’s run.” He grabbed Anya’s hand and they dashed into the water. It was cold. Freezing. But Mum was right. After a couple of minutes, it really didn’t feel cold at all.

They had the best morning splashing around with the bodyboard, Dad swimming along towing Anya behind him, and jumping in and out of the waves. Then Dad helped Anya build a sandcastle that was even bigger than the one she and Rachel and the others had made the day before.

After lunch, Jessie was fussing and a bit grizzly so Mum and Dad took it in turns to play with her and carry her up and down the beach, trying to persuade her she wanted a nap. She didn’t, though. She kept on crying, and Anya knew there was no use asking Dad if he wanted to go in the sea again. She lay on her front on the sun-warmed pebbles, reading her book.

By about three o’clock, Mum was starting to look really anxious. Even Anya was feeling worried – her little sister looked so miserable. “Mum, should we go back to the cottage?” she suggested, looking at Jessie’s scarlet cheeks. “Maybe Jessie just doesn’t want to sleep in her pushchair? If we went back you could put her down in the travel cot and she might feel better.”

“Would you mind?” Mum asked, looking at Anya gratefully. “I don’t want to spoil your beach day, Anya. We’ve only got a week here. Maybe Dad could stay with you and I’ll take Jessie back.”

“I’d rather come with you,” Anya said, with one quick wistful glance at the sea. “I’ve got that bead jewellery kit Nana bought me for the holidays, I’d like to do some of that. And anyway, I think it’s going to rain.” She didn’t really – there was only one tiny cloud in the sky – but she wanted to make Mum feel better.

They started to pack up, folding the rug and gathering all their bits and pieces together. As they were walking along the promenade to the cliff path, Anya stopped for a last look at the sea. It’ll still be there tomorrow, she told herself. And I bet Jessie will feel better by then. Maybe Mum will go in the sea with me. Rachel might be back on the beach, too. She was just about to turn round and run after her mum and dad, when she saw a dog – a little golden, curly-haired dog, trotting along the promenade a short way behind her.

“That looks just like Molly,” Anya muttered to herself, squinting thoughtfully at the little dog. “But it can’t be. I haven’t seen Rachel and the others. And I did look all the way down the beach when we arrived.”

“Anya! Come on!” Dad called, waving to her.

Anya turned to wave back. “Coming!” she answered. But then she looked at the dog again. She was almost certain it was Molly – the dark eyes were just the same and the messy curls around her muzzle and ears. “It is her! Molly, what are you doing here on your own?” Even if she had just missed Rachel’s family and they were here after all, Molly was too far away from them now. Had she run off?

“They should keep you on a lead,” Anya murmured worriedly. She glanced over at Dad, who was starting to look a bit cross. She’d have to go and explain. Anya dashed along the promenade to where he was waiting at the bottom of the path. Mum had already set off with the pushchair.

“Come on, sweetheart. We really need to get home. Mum wants to give Jessie some Calpol – she thinks she’s got a tooth coming through.”

“Dad, can we stop? I just saw Molly – you know, Rachel’s dog? She’s back there and Rachel’s not here. I think Molly’s lost.”

Dad glanced worriedly up the path. “Are you sure, Anya? This isn’t a good time to stop…”

“I know! But I’m really worried. What if something happens to her? If she goes up the path she could end up on the road.”

Dad sighed. “All right. You go and see if you can get her to come to you. I’ll text your mum and tell her what’s happening.”

Anya dropped her bag of swimming things and raced back through the people wandering along the promenade.

“Molly! Molly!” she cried, looking around for the golden puppy. “She was just here,” she murmured, looking at a blue and white painted beach hut. “I’m sure she was just going past this one.”

But there was no little dog to be seen and Molly didn’t come when Anya called.

“Did you find her?” Dad asked, catching up with Anya.

“No!” she said anxiously. “And I’m sure it was Molly, Dad, I really am. What will I say to Rachel, Zach and Lily? I should have gone after her at once.”

“They’re probably further down the beach somewhere and she’s gone back to them,” Dad said soothingly. “Don’t panic, Anya.”

“But they’re not here,” Anya explained, trying not to let her voice wobble. “I’ve looked. And their mum said they were probably going to an adventure park today. They must have left Molly behind at their cottage and she’s slipped out somehow. I don’t know what to do!”

“Well, at the moment, there isn’t anything we can do. Besides, you might just have mistaken another dog for Molly. There are a lot of dogs on the beach – it’s one of the nice things about Saltmere. I mean, look. That little spaniel over there seems quite like the dog you were playing with yesterday.”

Anya looked over eagerly to where Dad was pointing, hoping that he’d spotted Molly. But it wasn’t – the spaniel was cute and curly eared, but it had much darker fur than the golden-haired puppy, and it wasn’t all frizzy and curly.

“She’s just disappeared,” Anya said sadly. “Oh, Molly, where are you?”