These Dreams of You

~ ~ ~

Zan stops. He hasn’t heard Molly call the girl this before; he tries to think if he ever used that name in front of her. “Sheba,” he calls again, “please answer! Please answer Poppy!”

“Molly!” the girl cries. “Molly, Molly, Molly!”

He turns a final corner to find Sheba mid-passage just as, at the passage’s other end, the nanny turns her corner as well — and Sheba runs to her. Did the girl see the father before she saw Molly? Was a choice actually made, or would she have run to him had he turned his corner a split second sooner? Sheba runs into Molly’s arms and, catching the girl, the woman looks up at Zan; she’s terrified. “I’m sorry!” she blurts. “I. . she just saw me first! She’s scared! I didn’t mean to lose her, I thought she was with the boy and I shouldn’t have said that to Parker, please don’t. . ” and behind him, Zan hears Parker’s footsteps as the boy stumbles onto the scene.

Please don’t. .? Is it merely the prospect of losing a job that has so riveted her? or something more. “She’s all right,” Zan says hollowly, “that’s all that matters,” and the girl says to Molly, “Chillax, sweet cheeks.” Watching the two of them, Zan backs away and turns to the passage out, trusting they’ll follow.