Chapter 15

Once he was done with the milking, Red took a beer from the fridge, and sat down on the porch next his father.

“Where is Molly?” Red asked pouring himself a cup of coffee.

“She went to the gynecologist. Second time in the last weeks that I know.”

Red nodded. “Did she tell you something about it?”

“She said it was just a checkup. Laura was going to be with her.”

“If it’s only a checkup, then why did Laura meet her there?” Red asked his father.

John shrugged, “To spend some time together? You know how women are, they do everything together.”

“I think we should have a serious talk about you and Molly.”

John snorted. “I know everything about the birds and the bees, Son.”

“You love her, don’t you?” Red pushed his father.

John didn’t answer.

“She loves you, too.”

John sighed. “That seems to be the general opinion.”

“Do you have doubts about it?”

John shook his head.

“It’s not her I doubt, it’s me. Will I ever be able to trust again? Will I be able to open up my heart and love again?”

Red shook his head. “Are you serious?”

John nodded again slowly. “What if...” he started to say.

Red, cut his father off mid-sentence, “What if you never take a chance and never find out what could be?”

His son was right. He had to take a chance. He had to face his fears. He had to find his courage.

Red took some time to order his thoughts, “Remember what your favorite movie quote is? ‘Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway’. How many times did you repeat that to me when I was a child?”

“It’s a great quote, said by a great man.”

“I get you were deeply hurt by what Mom did, but you can’t hide forever. There is no love without risk, and there is no life worth living without love. You need to let go of the past. Life is offering you a second chance for happiness. Don’t let your fears control you.”

John was listening carefully to all his son’s words.

“For what I heard Molly loved you then, and she loves you now. Look at everything she gave up holding a torch for you all these years!”

“I get what you mean, Son,” John’s lips curved into a soft smile.

“Nothing worth having is easy. Every farmer knows that,” Red winked at his father, and swallowed the rest of his coffee in a long gulp.

If Molly had always loved him, and she did in fact still love him, then maybe there was a chance to have back all they had lost, or at least what was left of it.

“When did you become so wise?” John asked Red. He never thought he would be taking love advice from his son.

“I had the best teacher,” Red winked at his father.

Two hours later, Molly parked her car by the house and waved at John. She was looking at him with a strange expression on her face.

“Hi, John,” she greeted him trying to sound upbeat.

“Hi, Molly. Is everything okay?”

Her face clouded, and John knew something was wrong with her and she was afraid of telling him.

“I have some news to share with you...” Molly sat down and dropped her head between her knees.

“Does it have something to do with your visit to the gynecologist’”

“You know?” She shouldn’t be surprised. News traveled fast in Middletown, but even so...

John scratched his head. “What’s going on, Molly? You have me worried. Are we having a baby?”