Page 41

“Do you want to come in?”

“We have two more people with us,” Carmen said, gesturing over her shoulder. At least this time Enid wasn’t acting like a dog. They looked a tad warm, though.

“Invite them in. I’ve got some lemonade in the fridge.”

Carmen looked arounddiscreetly as Ruth ushered them to a table at the back of the house. An enormous pool glimmered under the sun. The house was sparse, but Carmen guessed that was on purpose. She couldn’t see herself living in a house that was so devoid of personality. Carmen needed things around her. She also needed a color that wasn’t just beige.

“Um… so do you know where Molly went?” Faith wanted answers, and Carmen couldn’t begrudge her impatience.

Ruth sighed, her eyes shining with unshed tears. If Carmen was a betting person, she would wager Ruth wasn’t happy with the break-up. “Molly moved to California. A town called Woodland, in Yolo County, to be precise.”

“Are… are you okay?” Carmen asked stupidly. Obviously, the woman wasn’t okay. Tears had spilled over her cheeks.

“Sorry, this is embarrassing,” Ruth choked.

“Don’t be sorry, dear,” Enid cooed.

“I’m still very much in love with your aunt,” Ruth cried. “Unfortunately, we couldn’t get past our differences to make it work.”

“I’m sorry,” Faith whispered, taking Ruth’s hand.

“Molly is a free spirit. It’s the thing I fell in love with first. She’s also kind and generous.” Ruth swiped the tears from her face. “When we moved here, it was for my job. Molly worked at a LGBTQI+ shelter in the city until she was given the chance to work with a woman in California who’d opened up her ranch to help house LGBTQI+ kids that had been made homeless.”

“Has she always worked for shelters?” Faith asked.

“Yes. It’s her passion. I knew when she received the offer, she would want to go. Unfortunately, I’m tied to Phoenix for the foreseeable future.” Ruth’s shoulders slumped. “I couldn’t ask her to stay, not when I could see how badly she wanted to go.”

“I don’t know what to say,” Faith admitted. Carmen mirrored that sentiment.

“You don’t need to say anything. It’s sad. I should have just gone with her. Molly isn’t the kind of woman you just let go. Not for a job.”

“Couldn’t you go after her?” Faith’s question jarred Carmen.

“No. I think her leaving showed me that no matter how much I love her, I would always come second. And that’s okay. What Molly does is so important. She also moves with the wind. There would be nothing stopping her from leaving California in a few months to work somewhere else. I don’t think I’m built for that kind of life.”

“Would, um, would you like us to pass a message on when we see her?” Mateo asked tentatively.

“No, thank you. We said everything we needed to. I’ll write down the name of the ranch. I’d give you her number but… Well, I had a bad night after she left and the bottle of wine I drank made me do some questionable things. Deleting her contact for one.”

They fell silent when Ruth left the room. A state of contemplation descended upon them all. Carmen couldn’t speak to the others’ thoughts, but hers were firmly on Molly Parsons. Who was this enigmatic woman that everyone seemed to love? Why did her name stir something in Carmen’s chest?

“Here you go,” Ruth said, breaking the spell.

“Thank you, Ruth. I… thank you.” Faith smiled warmly.

The group stood to take their leave. “Take care,” Carmen said before shaking Ruth’s hand.

In the car, the atmosphere was an odd mix of hope and sadness. Ruth’s pain was hard to witness, but Carmen knew in her heart that Molly was still in California and that was what she needed to focus on. It’s what they all needed to focus on.

???

“How many fucking gummies has she eaten?” Mateo hissed from the back seat.

“How should I know? I’m driving, Hermano.”

“Well, I think it’s time to switch out. I cannot sit here listening to her read aloud any longer. Do you know how disconcerting it is to have a sex scene read to you by a senior citizen? Carmen, she’s even making grunt noises. I’m going to be put off sex for life at this rate.”

“Oh, I have a lesbian romance she can read from if that would be better,” Carmen laughed.