Molly arrives at Pam's family home in Bakersfield. They had to take two cars so Molly had to endure the entire trip listening to Pam and Daisy singing cheesy songs at the top of their lungs. They split Daisy and Henley up purposely so neither of them received headaches but the ride was just as bad, if not worse.
The house is massive. It's a grand mansion that sits upon a steep hill overlooking the entire city. Molly knew Pam came from a rich family but even this is impressive beyond Molly's imagination. She's never met Pam's parents before and she's beginning to feel nervous as she sees the house staff lining up at the turning circle to greet them.
"Alright, kids, remember your training," Pam says as she stares through the window. "Heads high, shoulders back, and don't look them in the eye for too long. They smell fear, they'll use it against you."
"You're kidding right?" Molly laughs.
"Maybe."
Molly exits the car and Pam walks around to the back to retrieve the gifts from the trunk. Daisy wastes no time with running towards the man and woman that are emerging from the large, open doorway. She dives right into their arms while Molly joins Lily and Henley who are as nervous and as still as her.
"What do we do?" Lily says.
Molly takes Henley's hand. "I guess we go meet them."
Pam and Daniel start to empty their cars, passing the butlers their luggage. Molly walks Henley up the steep steps towards the strangers that are smiling at her. The woman has long white hair, a beautiful blend of blonde and grey, and she wears a white outfit with diamond sandals. Pam looks just like her. And the man is tall with a small, grey beard, his eyes are the kindest eyes Molly has ever looked into. Their names are Gwen and Edward. Molly has studied their faces from photographs but they look so much more glamorous in person.
"You must be Lily," Gwen says, pulling her into a tight embrace. Lily just stiffens. "It's a pleasure to meet you." She draws back and crouches down. "Little Henley, I've heard all about you. You've been looking after our Daisy haven't you?"
Henley nods. "Your house is very big."
Gwen laughs, standing up. Her light blue eyes flash with warmth when she looks at Molly. "And you must be Molly. You're even prettier in person. Welcome to the family."
"Thanks," Molly says. Gwen's arms wrap around her and like Lily she freezes.
"Make yourselves at home," Gwen says. "Kids, there's a game room just to the left, Daisy will show you. Have fun."
"This way!" Daisy squeals, running through the doorway. Henley and Lily follow behind her, Henley is more excited.
"Molly, come with me." Gwen links her arm with Molly's and guides her inside. "I want you to meet everyone."
Molly's head rolls up to the ceiling as she stares at the giant chandelier dozens of feet above her. She turns her head all around as Gwen takes her through the mansion, there's so many rooms. There are people everywhere. Some are dusting artefacts and shelves, others are polishing the shiny, marble floor that is so clean Molly can see her reflection in it.
"The kitchen is back there." Gwen points towards a door at the end of a hallway. "We have three chefs that will make you anything you want; you need only ask. This is the family room."
Molly enters a spacious room filled with Christmas decorations and tinsel. The tree is the biggest she's ever seen, it covers an entire corner and it has so many flashing, coloured lights that it makes her dizzy. The couches are long and flat but she's not oblivious to the several people sat on them, staring at her.
"Molly, this is Nadine, Pamela's sister," Gwen says, gesturing to the woman with short auburn hair that stands up to greet her.
"It's so nice to meet you," Nadine says formally. "You must be very brave to be able to stomach living with my sister."
Molly laughs. "It's not so bad."
"This is Taylor." Gwen waves her hand at a smaller woman with shoulder-length black hair. "Edward's daughter from his first marriage. And my sons, George and Lionel and their wives." They wave to Molly, and she waves back awkwardly. "My sisters, Maura and Lisa. Edward's brother, Benjamin, but he'll mostly be drunk through the day."
"It's the holidays!" Benjamin says as he throws his beer bottle up.
"And that old bat in the corner is my mother but she's half deaf so she'll most likely just pull a face like that until you scream at her."
Molly looks at the scowling woman that sits in a chair, when she sees everyone looking at her she narrows her eyes and shouts: "What?"
The room laughs and Molly just smiles. Pam and Daniel enter a few moments later carrying some bags of gifts towards the tree. Words are exchanged that Molly doesn't really hear because all she wants is to run and hide somewhere.
"Molly! You're here!" Molly looks at the doorway and a teenage girl with bright blonde hair runs through it enthusiastically. Molly is so relieved to see someone under the age of thirty that she almost hugs the stranger. "I'm Natalie, Pam's niece. Come with me, I'll save you from the adults."
Molly doesn't have time to react, Natalie grabs her wrist and pulls her into a back conservatory with a glass ceiling. There are two other girls there and three teenage boys who are playing on a soccer game in the corner.
"Guys, Molly's here, don't be rude."
The girls glance up from their phones and wave slightly. The boys pat each other on the shoulders until they switch the game off and spin around on their chairs with wheels.
"You're Molly?" a boy with eye-glasses and pimples says drastically. "The girl Aunt Pam adopted?"
"Yeah," Molly says. "That's me."
There's another boy with chubby, red cheeks that stares at her. "We thought you were like thirteen."
"Seventeen," Molly says. "Eighteen in a few weeks."
"I'm Simon," the chubby boy says. "This is Max and David." The boys put their hands up, grinning at her.
"Do you have a boyfriend?" Max asks her.
David slaps his arm. "Dude, she's like our cousin now."
"She's not related to us, idiot."
"Oh right," David says, looking back to her. "Do you?"
"Guys, take a chill pill, give the girl some space," a deep voice says from behind her. A tall, light-haired boy walks into the room carrying a tray of drinks. He's smartly dressed, with a navy shirt, dark jeans and polished brown shoes that point at the toes. "Hi, I'm Isaac."
"Nice to meet you," Molly says.
"And if these bitches ever glance up from their phones they'd tell you their names are Freya and Valerie." Natalia hisses at the girls that are snuggled together on a bean chair, they glare back at her. "Typical twins, never apart."
"So many names," Molly whispers.
"Here, have a drink," Isaac says, offering her a choice from the tray.
"Is there alcohol in this?" she says.
"No, it's just soda."
"Shame," Molly says as she picks up a cup.
Isaac laughs and places the tray in the centre of the room on a table. "We usually wait until nightfall until we break into the wine cellar."
"How are you finding California?" Natalie asks her as she drags a wooden chair over from the table, she gestures for Molly to sit, so she does. "You moved here from Georgia right?"
"It's amazing," Molly says. "I've been here before about two years ago. My foster parents lived in Burbank. I never really imagined it as my home until now."
"That's really sweet," Natalie says. "We just recently moved to Arizona because my dad got transferred, it took me a while to consider it home."
Molly nods slowly. "I lived in Arizona too."
"Is there anywhere you haven't lived?" Simon says.
"New York," Molly says. "Thank god."
Natalie laughs. "I bet you were relieved. It must have been hard jumping around from family to family. We're a close family here so it might feel a bit intimidating but you'll fit right in."
Molly ducks her head down as everyone looks at her. She takes a sip of her soda and then glances at the grounds through the windows. It's the biggest yard she's ever seen, it's like a park. There are two swimming pools, a hot tub, a hedge maze, a climbing frame, a white canopy that provides shelter over a long, glass dining table and in the far distance Molly can see a tennis court. The house is surrounded by beautiful palm trees, there's dozens of them and as it starts to get a bit darker outside Molly can see the glow from the dim solar lights attached to poles.
"Amazing isn't it?" Natalie says. "There's ten bedrooms, plus four guest houses. There's a games room mainly for the younger kids, a home cinema, a gym and a spa. We love coming here on the holidays."
"Speak for yourself," Freya mumbles.
"It's definitely something," Molly says.
"You lived in any mansions before?" Isaac asks her.
"Yeah, one. It wasn't anything like this though. I kind of hated it. I prefer smaller houses; they have more character."
"I agree," Isaac says.
"Are you insane?" David shouts. "I'm sorry but anyone given the choice between a house and a mansion would choose the mansion."
Molly shrugs. "Good for them. I wouldn't."
Isaac smiles, his muscles flexing as he folds his arms. Molly is trying her best not to look at him but she can't help it, she might have Charlie but she's still human. There's suddenly a stampede of charging footsteps down the hall and a collision of synchronized screams that fill the room a moment later.
"No!" Freya shouts, pointing her finger towards the door. "There's a room for you lot for a reason, stay there!"
Henley runs straight to Molly and jumps on her lap. Natalie becomes star struck by him and she holds her hand out to him as she introduces herself. The room is full of small children, from toddlers to kids around Daisy's age. A woman comes running in after them, her face is flushed red and she looks seconds from exploding.
"Kids, back to the games room please," she says. "Come on, this way."
"Isaac!" Daisy squeals, running to her cousin in the corner.
Isaac picks her up and spins her around, he holds her in the air for a while as he talks to her. Henley is just looking around with curiosity, Molly thinks he's overwhelmed. Molly watches as a toddler with nothing on except a diaper attempts to climb up onto Freya and Valerie's laps. They sigh, eventually helping him.
"Okay seriously," the woman shouts. "You've said hello now let's leave the teenagers in peace."
"Molly, these are mine and Isaac's younger siblings Peter and Dani," Natalie says as two very cute kids stop in front of them. "Say hello."
"Hello," they say together cutely.
"Hi," Molly says.
They run off through the doorway, and the other kids follow them. But Henley stays glued to Molly's lap. He starts rubbing his eyes.
"Are you tired?" she asks him.
He nods. He turns and wraps his arms around her throat, almost strangling her and then closes his eyes against her chest. She stands up with Henley clinging on to her body.
"I'm gonna take him somewhere," she says. "It was nice to meet you all."
"I'll see you later," Natalie says. "We're staying the night."
"Oh. Cool. See you later then."
"Bye," the boys call, waving at her from their game chairs.
She takes Henley back to the family room and she tries to get Pam's attention from the doorway without anyone else noticing. Pam eventually sees her and she stands up, telling them she'll be right back.
"He's so adorable when he sleeps," Pam says as she pats his head.
"It'll be more adorable when I can breathe again," Molly says. "Where's his room?"
"Next to ours," she says. "This way."
Molly follows her up the grand staircase, there's another staircase at the top leading to a second floor but Pam walks straight by it and opens the first door to a small, blue-painted room with a low bed. Molly gently places him inside the covers and takes his shoes off as Pam places a monitor on the nightstand.
"I know it's a little crazy down there," Pam says. "But you're doing great. Most of them are leaving soon."
"Your family is huge," Molly says.
"Yeah and no matter how many times we complain about it, it just gets bigger."
Molly laughs as she leaves the room.
Over the next hour she is confined to the family room and gets to know Pam's relatives. Natalie and Isaac's mother, Nadine, is the most interesting. She's a technical analyst for the police department and she spends her time hacking into various computer systems and suspects' hard drives to uncover evidence. Some of the stories she tells are mind-blowing, there's never a shortage of strange things that are on people's computers.
Most of the guests start departing when it gets late and Molly eats a little bit of food from the buffet table in between telling them goodbye. She finally makes it to her guest bedroom around ten and after she changes into her pyjamas she calls Charlie. She tells him about the mansion, how incredible it is, and how much she wishes he was there with her. This is the longest they've been apart in weeks and she's counting down the minutes until she can touch him again.
"What are you wearing right now?" he whispers through the phone.
"A shirt and shorts," she says as she pushes her knees to her chest on the bed. "What are you wearing?"
"Just underwear," he laughs. "It's hot tonight. I wish you were beside me right now, I liked waking up to you."
"I liked waking up to you too," she says. "How's Jaz doing?"
He sighs. "She's okay, putting on a brave face as usual. We haven't really spoken about it since the other night. I thought she'd be angry or feel betrayed but she's taken it really well."
"That's good," Molly says. "It's a big thing to get your head around, especially at her age. But she knows you love her and that's what matters."
"Yeah," he agrees. "I bought your present today."
"I bought yours last month," she laughs.
"Shut up, I'm not very organized," he laughs back. "Anyway I need to go, Perry wants me to call me. Talk tomorrow?"
"Okay," she says. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight."
He hangs up and Molly sinks into the mattress sadly. She yawns as she replies to her friends' messages and then she forces herself to sleep, the sooner another day begins the sooner she'll be back home.