A couple of hours before dawn Molly sneaks into Daisy's room. Molly is dressed in years old sweatpants with sneakers and her hair is tied up tightly. She thought if she must go she might as well go wearing something comfortable.
Henley has snuck in and is sleeping next to Daisy. This has been common for a few weeks now when Henley has nightmares. Henley's biological parents abused him horrifically and parts of his small brain can still recount the trauma that he cannot remember when conscious.
Molly cannot understand any of it. When she watches the four-year-old sleep all she can think about is how lucky two people would be to call him their son. There's not many people in this world that deserve Henley's smile but Molly still hopes that he will one day find his forever family that she could never have.
She places the book on Daisy's nightstand. It pains her to part with it but she will not need it anymore. She will see her sister soon.
"Goodnight, angels," Molly whispers. "I hope you both have the brightest, happiest most fulfilled lives you can dream of. I will always be with you."
Molly turns around and heads for the door with tears in her eyes, just as a small voice calls her name.
"Molly?" Daisy attempts to sit up and rubs her eyes.
"It's alright, go back to sleep," Molly says.
"Where are you going?"
"Home," Molly says.
"That sounds nice." Daisy yawns and closes her eyes, falling back to sleep.
Molly's heart beats twice as hard. She holds a hand to her chest as it begins to break and she leaves the room. She feels bad for not saying goodbye to Pam and Daniel but she wrote them a letter which will explain everything better than she ever could in person.
Freedom calls to her from underneath the front doorway disguised as the wind. As she walks down the staircase she is hypnotized by that sweet sound of heaven. Her hand reaches the doorknob and she turns it.
"Where are you going?"
Lily. Dammit. Molly bites on her lip and turns slowly. Lily stands at the other end of the hall with a tub of ice cream in her hand. The kitchen light is bright behind her.
"I'm just going for a walk," Molly says.
"At three in the morning?"
"Yes."
"On a Saturday?"
"What is so strange about that?"
"I know what you're doing," Lily says. "I've taken many of those 'walks' before. You're running away. It doesn't work you know. They'll bring you back."
"I'm not running away. I'm coming back."
"That's what my mum said before she bailed on me and left me alone with my alcoholic stepfather. I believed her. I never believed anyone again."
Molly takes a deep breath as she looks into Lily's hollow, sad green eyes. She cannot lie to her, she cannot give her false hope that she has heard once before.
"Promise me you'll take care of Daisy and Henley," Molly says. "They'll need you."
"So you are running away." Lily nods to herself and walks closer. "I thought so."
"Not away. Towards. I'll be eighteen in a few months, I'm out of here anyway. It makes no difference."
"Is this about the news broadcast earlier? You don't really think the killer will come after you right?"
Molly shrugs. "I can't take the risk. If he hurt any of you then I'll never forgive myself. I have to leave to protect you."
Lily swallows down a piece of ice cream and then narrows her eyes. "Why don't you have any stuff with you?"
Molly swallows. All of her belongings are still in her room, neatly packed away and ready to be one day passed down to Riley. She explained it all in the letter, along with an extra goodbye for him. The only thing she wishes is that her sister's drawing is among them.
"I'll come back and get them soon," Molly says. "I just need to go. You understand that right?"
Lily nods. "So this is goodbye then."
"Yes, this is goodbye. Take care of yourself, Lily."
"You, too. And I promise I'll be there for the kids. We're a family now."
Molly's mouth twitches for a moment as she fakes a smile. "Lock the door behind me."
Her hand lands back to the doorknob and she twists the lock, stepping out into the cool night. Her arms fold and her body shivers but her feet begin walking. She doesn't know where they are taking her yet but she knows she'll end up where she's meant to be.