By Girl Lover
Friday. The last day before the school dance.
Kendra hastily walked alone to class, clutching her textbook tightly against her. She and Jason had had one last fight before she walked away from him forever. Though she’d known for some time that their relationship was on rocky ground, the end felt sudden and shocking.
She was still cringing at his latest rude comment regarding Molly, “Half of her doesn’t even work.” Kendra was so upset she didn’t want to see anyone right now, not even Molly. ‘How could he be so… so…’
As she leaned against a corner outside one of the corridors, her friend Tara saw her and came over. “Hey Kendra, what’s wrong?”
“Oh, me and Jason just broke up.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. Hey, Katie’s having a party tonight. Why don’t you come? Take your mind off him.”
“I can’t. I’m… I’ve got other plans.” But after thinking about it for a moment, Kendra changed her mind, “Well, maybe I can come later.”
“Great! I’ll see you tonight.”
Tara left, leaving Kendra alone with her thoughts. She realized how much time she’d been spending over at Molly’s. All of her time was at school and at Molly’s house. It would be good to be able to see her friends again. This was the night that Ms. Carrington stayed late and wouldn’t be home till midnight. After Molly went to bed at nine, she could go to the party and be back just before midnight when Ms. Carrington came home.
*****
That afternoon at Molly’s, they spent the day in the pool. As night began to fall, Molly took her bath and awaited Kendra to exercise her legs. As Kendra did, she could see that Molly was expecting more than just having her legs exercised.
“Molly…” she said regretfully, “I can’t give you any more massages. We were almost caught last night.”
“But we weren’t,” Molly objected.
“Next time, though, we might be, and that would be the end of everything.”
“But Kendraaaa…!” Molly whined.
“No.”
“Pleeaassee…?”
“No!” Kendra exclaimed, a little too harshly.
Molly didn’t say anything. Kendra went through the exercises and told Molly goodnight. As she went to the living room, she checked her phone and saw that Ms. Carrington had left her a text reminding her she wouldn’t be home till midnight.
Kendra waited several minutes to give time for Molly to fall asleep. Between the stress of Jason and not seeing her friends for so long, she couldn’t wait to get to Katie’s party. She cocked her ear toward Molly’s room. Hearing only silence, she quietly gathered her things, then slowly opened the front door and stepped out. A minute later, she was on her way to Katie’s party.
*****
Molly suddenly started in her sleep. She’d had a nightmare of a big dog chasing her and knocking her over. Even though it was only a dream, it seemed so real.
“Momma!” she called out, then remembered that her mother was working late. “Kendra!”
There was only silence.
“Kendra!”
Still no answer.
“Kendra!!”
‘Maybe she’s in the backyard,’ Molly told herself. She pulled herself to the side of the bed and slid into her chair, then wheeled out into the living room.
“Kendra!” she called out, hoping her friend somehow had not heard her the first time but would hear her now. Again there was no answer.
Going over to the patio door, Molly slid it open and wheeled out a few feet. “Kendra!”
The crickets chirped.
“KENDRA!”
Still, crickets was all she heard. Becoming worried, she wondered where Kendra could be. ‘Maybe she had to get something out of her car.’
Molly wheeled toward the corner of the house, then alongside the side. It was more difficult here since there was no sidewalk, and of course Molly couldn’t see the obstacles. She struggled to push the wheels through the thick grass and past the rocks. Her chair bumped into a large rock and wouldn’t move. Pushing herself backwards a bit, Molly went around straining to push the wheels over the uneven spots on the ground.
Suddenly, the chair lurched forward, throwing Molly off balance. The chair moved quickly, bumping about wildly as Molly realized she was going down a hill, a steep hill. She grabbed onto the wheels in a vain effort to stop herself, but suddenly she was on the ground, rolling uncontrollably, being scratched by sticks and rocks. Her head smacked into something hard, causing her to cry out in pain.
Panting from fear and soreness, she felt around. She was on the ground, in the dirt! Where was her chair?! She stretched out her arms, feeling in all directions. Not finding it, she crawled forward… “AHHH!” Something stabbed her leg!
Reaching out, she touched her leg where the pain was and felt a hard piece of a stump poking it. Through her tears, she called out desperately, “KENNDRRAA! KENNNDRRRAAA!!”
The girl pulled herself a few inches along the ground, still reaching out futilely for her chair. She was terrified, hurt and alone. Where was Kendra?! Crying bitterly, she screamed out, “KENNN—DRRRAAA! MOMMMAAA! MOMMMAAA!!”
*****
“Hey Kendra! Where’ve you been all this time?” Kendra turned around and saw Susan behind her.
“Babysitting this girl after school.”
“You going to the dance tomorrow night?”
“I don’t think so.”
Kendra checked the time. 10:47. Still plenty of time. She took another swig of her drink as the music blared loudly through the house.
*****
“MOMMMAAA!!”
No one answered her pleas. She had to find her chair! She pulled herself along the ground a few more inches, wincing from the sticks and rocks scratching her.
*****
“Yeah, I know what you mean. Like last week, I was… going over to… Michelle’s house… and… I…”
Kendra stopped listening to Bridgett. For some reason she couldn’t explain, Kendra was thinking about Molly. ‘But why?’ she told herself, ‘She’s asleep.’ But she couldn’t get it out of her head that something was wrong. Sighing, she interrupted Bridgett, “I’m sorry, I gotta go.”
“Where are you going?!”
“I have to check on something. I’ll see you later.”
Kendra pushed her way through the crowd and outside, walking down the street to her car. ‘She’s gonna be asleep. This is a waste of time,’ she told herself. ‘But then again, I have been gone awhile. Maybe I should check on her.’
A few minutes later, she pulled into the driveway. Walking up to the house, she opened the front door and went to Molly’s room. Quietly poking her head in, she was puzzled to see the bed empty. She looked in the bathroom and saw that it was empty too.
Quickly walking to the living room, she peeked in the kitchen, then into Ms. Carrington’s room, then finally walked out onto the patio. Turning on the porch light, she quickly scanned the pool.
Suddenly becoming fearful, Kendra nervously called out, “Molly?!”
In the distance, a faint cry echoed in the night, “MOMMAAA…!”
Kendra whipped her head around toward it, crying out in disbelief, “MOLLY?!”
“MOMMAAA…!” The pleading voice was full of anguish.
OHMYGOD!! Panicking, Kendra ran toward Molly’s cries, around the side of the house. Her heart dropped as she saw Molly’s wheelchair, turned over, halfway down the steep hill.
“Shit! Shit! Shit!” she cursed as she picked her way down the wooded hill in the dark, scanning the ground wildly with Molly’s cries in her ears. When Kendra reached her, she felt faint at the sight of the girl, bruised and filthy, laying flat on the ground, vainly pulling herself forward.
“Oh god!” Kendra choked. “What have I done?!”
She bent down, “Molly! It’s me! I’m here!” Reaching her arms underneath the child, she tried to calm her down as she frantically called for her mother. Lifting her with some difficulty, Kendra struggled up the steep hillside with Molly’s deadweight in her arms.
“I’m here, Molly.” She tried desperately to calm the frightened girl down, but there was no consoling her.
“I WANT MY MOMMA! I WANT MY MOMMA! I WANT MY MOMMA!” the little girl sobbed uncontrollably.
Hurrying along as fast as she could, Kendra’s heart was shattered. How could I have left her?! “I’m so sorry, Molly! I never should have…”
“I WANT MY MOMMA!”
“I’m here now,” said Kendra, as she carried her into the house.
“I WANT MY MOMMA!”
“I know,” Kendra sighed. She took Molly into the bathroom and eased her into the tub. With the girl still crying, Kendra turned on the water and carefully pulled off Molly’s nightgown.
“Molly, please stop crying… I’m here… I’m sorry… I’m sorry…”
Kneeling on the floor beside her, Kendra picked up the washcloth and tenderly washed Molly’s arms and legs as Molly continued to cry. Kendra couldn’t stop wincing at the damage she’d done.
She stared at the cuts and abrasions on Molly’s body, washing the dirt and blood away. One cut on her lower leg was bleeding more than the others. When Kendra tried to wash it, Molly jerked in pain. “I’m so sorry… I’m so sorry…” Kendra whispered.
With time, and with Kendra’s gentle hands soothing her, Molly’s jarring cries gradually subsided, though she continued asking for her mother in a quiet voice. Even after Molly had calmed down, Kendra remained afraid. Afraid of what Ms. Carrington would do when she came home.
*****
After about an hour, they both heard the front door open and close. Molly was still in the tub with Kendra sitting on the floor beside her, rubbing her back. Kendra jerked in anxiety as Molly cried out, “MOMMA!”
“Molly?!” Ms. Carrington called in alarm upon hearing her daughter’s cry.
“MOMMA!” Molly shrieked as Kendra stood up, her head bowed down like a guilty dog fearing punishment.
Ms. Carrington appeared in the doorway, saw Molly clearly upset, her leg still bleeding and Kendra backed up against the wall, looking very ashamed.
“What happened?!”
Throwing her arms out, straining to reach her mother, Molly tried to climb out of the tub, “MOMMA!”
Ms. Carrington quickly went over and fell into the blind girl’s outstretched arms, holding her close as Molly’s terror poured out of her, “I, I, I had a bad dream and I tried to f-find Kendra but I couldn’t… and I-I went outside and fell down, and I was so scared, Momma… I-I couldn’t find Kendra anywhere…”
Ms. Carrington picked the child up, hugging her as her head whipped around toward Kendra, daggers shooting from her eyes.
Kendra couldn’t bring herself even to look at the woman as tears fell from her eyes.
Ms. Carrington took a few steps toward her, her voice cold and quiet. “Where… were… you?”
Her throat dry, Kendra struggled to get the words out, “I… was…” her voice dropped to a whisper “…at a party…”
Ms. Carrington stared at her for several seconds before speaking again in that cold, quiet voice, “You left my daughter — to go to a party?”
Trembling, Kendra couldn’t even answer, just barely nodding her head.
Ms. Carrington didn’t say anything. She glared at Kendra, then with Molly in her arms, turned and walked out.
Kendra remained in the bathroom, still trembling, not knowing what to do. Should she stay? Should she leave? A minute passed, but Ms. Carrington did not return. Her shame and guilt told her to leave. She was not welcome there anymore. They had trusted her and she had betrayed that trust with what? A party with her friends. She could have seen them tomorrow. Or Sunday. But she had to go tonight… when Molly needed her.
Feeling sick, Kendra stumbled out of the bathroom, making her way to the living room. Picking up her bag, trying to hold back her tears, she went to the front door and started to open it.
“Kendra…”
The teenager stopped and turned around.
Ms. Carrington stood just inside the living room. “Please don’t leave. One mistake has already hurt my baby. I don’t want another mistake to hurt her more.”
Kendra blinked a few times confusedly, unsure as to what she was talking about.
Ms. Carrington took a seat on one end of the couch, indicating for Kendra to join her. Kendra slowly walked over and sat on the edge of the opposite end. She still kept her face down, not looking at Ms. Carrington at all.
Ms. Carrington took a deep breath, “I understand that Molly requires a lot of time and I know that can wear on a person…”
“I’m so, so sorry…” Kendra blubbered, unable to hold back her tears. “I just wanted… I mean, I thought it would be okay. I didn’t know… I swear I thought it would be okay…”
Ms. Carrington continued, “And from a certain point of view, you’re stuck here, just like she’s stuck in that chair. But Molly needs someone who can be dedicated to her.”
“I am!” Kendra interrupted.
“She’s told me how good you are, and how much she enjoys being with you. It’s been a long time since she’s been this happy. You are the reason for that happiness. Molly doesn’t want you to leave… and neither do I.”
Kendra’s head slowly raised, a slight glimmer of hope in her eyes.
Ms. Carrington added quietly, “What hurt Molly the most, more than the cuts, was that she didn’t know where you were, and she was all alone. And when you can’t see or walk, and you don’t know where you are, it can be very frightening”
“I’m so sorry,” Kendra’s voice came out in a whisper.
“I know.” Ms. Carrington reached out and patted her leg. “Why don’t you go talk to her.”
“Now? Does she… want to? What if she’s asleep? What if…?”
“It’s okay,” Ms. Carrington assured her. “You both need to talk.” She stood and went to the kitchen.
After watching her leave, Kendra got up and slowly walked down the hall to Molly’s bedroom. The light was off, but the light from the hall illuminated the room enough to see by. She couldn’t tell if Molly was asleep as she stepped in.
“Molly… it’s me,” she called out quietly. “I can’t tell you how sorry I am. I thought you would stay asleep, and there was this party, and…” Kendra sighed, “I’m just really sorry.”
Several seconds of silence went by before Molly spoke. “I couldn’t find you. I called and called—”
“I know, and I can’t apologize enough for leaving you alone,” Kendra interrupted. “I never meant to hurt you.”
“Why did you leave? Was it because of the massage?”
“No, no. It was… there was this party that I wanted to go to and… I just shouldn’t have gone. I should’ve stayed here with you. I’m sorry. But it wasn’t because of the massage.”
“I was really scared cuz I couldn’t find you.”
Kendra knelt down beside the bed and took the girl’s hand. “I know. I’m here now.”
*****
Moments later, Kendra and Ms. Carrington stood in the front doorway as Kendra was about to go home.
“I don’t know what to say,” Kendra began. “Why would you still want me after what happened?”
“Because I know you never meant to hurt her, and that you really care.”
Kendra silently nodded.
“Do you have any plans this weekend?” Ms. Carrington asked.
“No… um, not really.”
“Well, if you want to, maybe you can come over and you and Molly can do something fun together. Weekends are kind of boring for her because she doesn’t want to be cooped up in the house all day and there’s only so many places to take her where she can actually have fun.”
“Okay. Well, I guess I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“Only if you want to. We already take up so much of your time. All right, honey, goodnight.”
“Goodnight.”
*****
Late in the morning on Saturday, Kendra wondered if it was still too early to call Ms. Carrington. Though the woman had told her to call only if she wanted to, Kendra felt as if she owed her for last night. There wasn’t anything else she wanted to do anyway, so she called.
“Hello?”
“Hi, it’s Kendra. I was wondering if I could come over.”
“Uh, it might not be a good time. She’s… having trouble.”
“What do you mean?”
“Do you remember when I told you that Molly has her good days and her bad days?”
“Uh-huh…”
“Well, she’s having a bad day today.”
“Is there anything I can do?”
“No, I’ll just…” Ms. Carrington paused, then said, “Maybe you can. When I think about it, she hasn’t had any bad days since you’ve been here. Maybe you can help her feel better. When do you think you can come?”
“Right now. In about ten minutes.”
“Okay, good, we’ll see you soon.”
Kendra quickly put on her shoes and ran out to her car. Several minutes later, she pulled into the driveway, then walked up to the door. Ms. Carrington let her in after she rang the bell.
“Thank you for coming. She’s out on the back patio. She heard some kids riding by on their bikes and it really upset her.”
“Why did it upset her?” Kendra asked as they walked through the house toward the back.
“Because it’s another reminder of what she can’t do,” Ms. Carrington explained. “I tried everything, but she doesn’t want to do anything except just sit out there. I finally got her to stop crying, but now her silence is just as upsetting. She doesn’t want to talk or do anything at all. But if there’s something you can do…”
Kendra opened the patio door, stepping outside.
“Hey, Molly,” she greeted hopefully.
Molly didn’t respond. She sat in her chair, head hunched over, arms dangling over the armrests. Kendra knelt down beside her, not knowing what to say. She gently took the girl’s hand, studying her face for any response.
“Molly… I’m here. We can do anything you want. Anything at all. What do you wanna do?”
A few seconds passed, then Molly said quietly, “I want to… see… and walk.”
Kendra couldn’t think of say anything for a long time. She wiped tears from her eyes, struggling for how to respond to something like that.
Finally she said, “Molly… I know it’s hard, and it really sucks. I’m not going to tell you to cheer up. But I’m your friend, and I’m here for you.”
Ms. Carrington stepped outside, joining them, “How’s it going?”
Kendra stood. “Would it be okay if I took her to Zilker Park?”
“I think that’s a wonderful idea. Molly loves the park.”
“I don’t want to go,” Molly protested.
Ms. Carrington said, “That’s no way to live. You can’t let these things affect you so much. You have to put this behind you and push on, okay?”
“But I don’t want to go.”
“No buts,” her mother told her. “You’re going.”
They rolled the chair out onto the driveway, then Ms. Carrington helped Kendra get Molly and her wheelchair into the car. Molly kept repeating that she didn’t want to go, but her protests grew quieter each time.
With Molly safely inside, Ms. Carrington leaned through the window and kissed her, “Have fun, okay?”
Molly didn’t answer, just nodded her head. Speaking to Kendra, Ms. Carrington said, “Be careful with my baby, you hear?”
“Yes, I will.”
As they pulled into the street, Ms. Carrington watched them drive off until they were out of sight.
*****
At Zilker Park, Kendra pulled into the lot and parked. Molly had been quiet the entire drive despite numerous attempts at engaging her. Pulling the wheelchair from the trunk, Kendra brought it over to the passenger door and opened it up.
It wasn’t easy swinging Molly’s legs out, then lifting her into the chair, but she managed. Kendra pushed her through the park until they got to the bank of the creek below the falls. It was a popular swimming spot, and there were several people there. Some kids were standing below the waterfall cascading over the dam that formed the Barton Springs swimming pool.
Hearing the noise, Molly asked worriedly, “Where are we?!”
“At the creek in Zilker Park.”
Stopping at the water’s edge, Kendra first took off Molly’s sneakers, then carefully lifted the girl out of the chair and set her down on a large flat rock that jutted out into the natural pool, so her legs were in the water. Then Kendra sat beside her.
After a minute, Molly said, “I feel something on my legs.”
Kendra looked at her legs under the water. “There’s some little fish kissing your legs.”
“What?!” Molly exclaimed. “It feels weird.”
Kendra laughed.
Molly stuck her hands into the shallow water, trying to feel the fish. Her hands dug through the loose pebbles on the bottom for a few minutes, then she sat still.
After a while, she spoke, her voice low and sad, “Tonight’s the dance. Everyone will be going and having fun.”
Kendra silently thought, then asked quietly, “Would you like to go?”
In her soft voice, Molly answered, “No, not really.”
“If I were to take you, would you like to go?”
“You can’t take me! You’re a girl! Besides, I can’t dance.”
“We could go as friends and we don’t have to dance. We could just go so we can see what it’s like.”
“What about your boyfriend?”
“Oh, uh… we’re not together anymore. Right now, you’re the closest person to me and… the dance is something special. I don’t want you to stay home alone when we could have a lot of fun.”
“But I can’t see!” Molly cried out frustratingly, “I can’t walk. I…”
Kendra took her hand. “I’ll be with you. We’ll experience it together, just like Beauty and the Beast.”
*****
“Mom, Kendra’s gonna take me to the dance!” Molly blurted out excitedly.
On the car ride home, Kendra had told Molly how wonderful the school dance would be, causing Molly to become excited about it instead of anxious. Unfortunately, Kendra had forgotten about asking Ms. Carrington in advance if it would be all right or even if Molly had a nice dress to wear.
Upon hearing Molly’s announcement, Ms. Carrington frowned at Kendra, making her nervous. But the teenager said, “Uh… would it be okay for me to take Molly to the dance tonight?”
“Do you want to go, Molly?”
“Uh-huh!”
Looking at Kendra, Ms. Carrington asked, “This isn’t going to interfere with your night?”
Kendra shook her head.
Turning back to Molly, “Well, I’m sure you two will have a wonderful time. Let’s see… the only dress that would be suitable is your Easter dress. I’ll iron it for you.”
“Hurry, Momma!”
“Relax, honey. You still have several hours.”
“But I wanna get there early so I can find out what’s there!”
“You will.”
“I need to find my hair pin!” Molly exclaimed as she quickly wheeled to her room.
Ms. Carrington watched her, smiling, then turned to Kendra, “Thank you so much. Seeing her this happy means more to me than it does to her. This is why I didn’t dismiss you last night. You’re a good person who truly cares for her.”
*****
That night, just a little after seven, Kendra pulled into the school parking lot. Molly had been a mixture of excitement and trepidation as her mother was helping her get ready, and had needed to be reassured several times.
Upon getting out, Kendra went around, pulled out the wheelchair and helped Molly into it. As she was pushing Molly towards the entrance, the girl became quiet, no longer as excited. Going inside, she grew more nervous.
“Kendra,” she whispered shakily, “I don’t want everyone looking at me.”
Kendra whispered back, “They won’t. I’m right here with you.”
Stepping in, Kendra took Molly to a table, then after finding out what she wanted, Kendra brought over some snacks and drinks for them. As everyone danced, they sat at their table with Molly listening to everything and Kendra watching her with interest.
“What do you think of it?” Kendra asked.
“It’s loud.”
Kendra laughed, “Yeah. Do you like it?”
Molly thought for a while, scrunching up her face, “I don’t know.”
They continue to sit. Some of Kendra’s friends came over and chatted with her for a bit before going back to the dance floor. Kendra was dying to dance, but with Molly’s nervousness and her wheelchair, she didn’t see how she could.
They continued sitting and watching until finally a slow song began. Knowing the resistance she was going to get, Kendra said firmly, “Molly, I’d like to dance with you.”
Molly’s face twisted in alarm, “No! I can’t! I can’t!”
Kendra got up and came over, kneeling before her and taking her hands. “Don’t worry about what anyone will think. I don’t want you to miss something this special.”
“But how can I dance in this chair?!”
“I’ll pick you up and hold you.”
“What if you drop me?!”
“I won’t drop you.”
Facing the front of the chair, Kendra wrapped her arms around Molly’s back, under her arms, and slowly lifted her out. Molly gasped in fear as she felt herself being raised up out of the security of her chair.
“Don’t drop me! Don’t drop me! Don’t drop me!” she whispered in panic.
“I won’t,” Kendra calmly whispered in her ear.
Kendra held Molly up in the air against her chest, her legs dangling while Molly’s arms clung tightly around Kendra’s neck. Kendra carried her to the dance floor. Although she knew many people were staring peculiarly at them, Kendra didn’t look around. This was about Molly.
“Is everyone looking at me?” Molly asked worriedly.
“Don’t think about anyone else,” Kendra whispered in her ear. “There’s only you and me. No one else.”
She slowly swayed back and forth, holding Molly against her. At first, Molly held tightly to her neck, her body stiff, but feeling the comforting arms around her, she began to relax, allowing her head to fall onto Kendra’s shoulder.
Kendra slowly danced in a circle. She looked at the little girl in her arms and with the music swirling about them, began to feel something. The same feeling she’d had when Molly snuggled against her while they watched Beauty and the Beast. A deep attraction.
“What do you think?” Kendra asked.
“It’s magical,” Molly happily sighed.
Kendra smiled. This is what she wanted. It certainly wasn’t what she imagined the dance would be like a week ago, but it was just as wonderful.
*****
“I can’t believe I was dancing! In front of everyone!”
They were in the car driving back and Molly was still enthralled with the dance.
“I thought you would like it.”
“It was just like my fantasy!” Then Molly added in a less excited, somewhat confused voice, “…except it was with a girl.”
“I’m sorry I couldn’t be a boy for you,” Kendra said apologetically.
Molly was silent for a moment, then said, “It’s all right. Actually, I would’ve been scared to be there with a strange boy, but not with you.”
After a while, Molly suddenly asked, “Hey, d’ya wanna play a game when we get home?”
Being that it was past ten o’clock at this point, Kendra asked, “How late does your mom let you stay up on Saturday?”
“Till midnight!” Molly exclaimed proudly, “Come on! Play Uno with me!”
Kendra giggled at the little girl’s excitement, “Okay!”
“Great! And after Uno, we can play Monopoly and then…” Molly suddenly gasped loudly, “Can you spend the night?!”
“Uh, yeah, I guess so.” Kendra thought about it. “I could text my parents that I’m staying overnight with you.”
“YEESSS!” Molly squealed with delight, “We’ll stay up allll night!”
“And this is okay with your mom?”
“Oh — I don’t know,” Molly exclaimed, caught off guard, realizing she didn’t know if her mother would let Kendra stay.
When they got back to the house and Kendra opened the front door, Molly quickly wheeled inside, crying out, “MOMMA, CAN KENDRA SPEND THE NIGHT WITH ME?!”
“Molly, stop yelling!” Ms. Carrington scolded. “I’m right here on the couch!”
“Can Kendra spend the night?!”
“Spend the night with—?”
“PUH-LEEAASSSE!!” Molly interrupted.
Ms. Carrington looked at the older girl. “Kendra?”
“It’s fine with me,” she shrugged. “I’d like to.”
“Do you need to get anything from home? What about your parents?”
“I’ll text them. They won’t mind. I don’t really need anything. Well…” She looked at the dress she was wearing, “um, maybe a nightgown, if you have an extra one.”
“I’m sure I have one,” Ms. Carrington smiled. “So, how was the dance?”
“It was awesome! Kendra danced with me!”
“You did?” Ms. Carrington’s eyebrows raised up toward Kendra, who smiled back nervously in return.
“Yeah!” Molly continued, gushing, “She held me so I wasn’t in my chair!”
“Thank you, Kendra. That means so much.”
“I wanted it to be special for her,” Kendra explained.
“Well, judging by Molly’s excitement, it was,” Ms. Carrington smirked.
“C’mon, Kendra!” Feeling for Kendra’s hand, Molly took it and began rolling her wheelchair towards her bedroom, pulling Kendra along with her.
When they got to her room, Molly wheeled over to the shelf, “Okay, what d’ya want to play first, Uno or Monopoly?”
“Umm, Monopoly.”
*****
As they played, Kendra drank in Molly’s joy and confidence. She was such a different girl compared to what she was back on Tuesday, when she first saw Molly wheeling herself down the hall at school.
An hour and a half later, as Molly was reading the braille game card in her hand, Ms. Carrington poked her head in, “Okay, girls, time to go to bed.”
“But Mooommm, we’re going to stay up all night!” Molly cried exasperatingly.
“You need your sleep.”
“Awww…”
Ms. Carrington came over to Kendra, “I couldn’t find any nightgowns, but here’s a slip you can use.”
She went over to Molly, “Let me unzip this dress, then I’ll hang it up.”
After it was unzipped, Molly pulled it down her arms then began quickly wriggling and tugging it under her butt.
“Molly, stop!” her mother scolded. “Let me help you or you’ll end up tearing it.”
She lifted Molly’s legs while Molly pulled the dress down.
“Carefully, carefully…” said Ms. Carrington.
When the dress was safely off, she hung it up while a very naked Molly wheeled over to her chest of drawers, opened the bottom drawer, and took out a nightgown. Pulling it over her head, the girl wheeled over to the bed, and shifting herself and rolling, managed to get on and lie down.
“I’ll exercise Molly’s legs, Kendra,” said Ms. Carrington, “while you change.”
“I want Kendra to do it,” Molly protested.
Ms. Carrington looked at Molly. “You do?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay,” she smiled, then kissed Molly goodnight before leaving the room, closing the door behind her.
Kendra took the game board off the bed and set it on the desk. Then, unzipping the back of her own dress, she pulled it down, stepping out of it. She laid it out over a chair, then lifted Ms. Carrington’s silk slip over her head, letting it fall. It felt cool and very nice against her skin.
Going over to the side of the bed, she lifted Molly’s left leg and began the exercises by moving it back and forth.
“Kendra…?”
Kendra was sure what Molly was about to ask. She thought she should say no, especially since her mother was there in the house, but their romantic dance had made things more complicated. And Molly wanting her to spend the night in her bed had complicated them even further. Although she tried resisting it, Kendra couldn’t deny that she was very attracted to this little girl, which made sleeping together awkward.
“Hmm?” she said.
“I’m really glad you want to spend the night with me.”
“Me too.”
Kendra continued exercising her legs while Molly stayed silent for awhile.
“Kendra…?”
“Yeah?”
“How did you know, um, when you were in love? With your boyfriend, I mean.”
“Oh, uh, it’s something you feel. You always want to be with that person, and… do other things. Like wanting to hold their hand. Wanting to kiss them. Things like that.”
“Why aren’t ya’ll together anymore?”
“We were just too different.”
“Oh.”
Molly didn’t say anything else after that, surprising Kendra who’d expected the girl to ask for another massage. When Kendra finished the leg exercises, she turned out the light, went to the other side of the bed and pulled back the blanket, climbing in beside Molly.
They lay quietly for a minute, then Molly turned onto her side, facing Kendra while reaching out to her. Touching the silk fabric covering Kendra’s body, she commented quietly, “This is really soft.”
“Yeah.”
Feeling Molly’s fingers touching her wasn’t setting Kendra’s mind at ease, not one bit. With her heart pounding, Kendra lifted a hand and reached across, touching Molly’s nightgown and feeling the warm, soft, yielding body beneath it.
Molly’s fingers were casually exploring, but Kendra’s were moving with a purpose. Sliding down over Molly’s hip until the gown ended, Kendra’s fingers touched the bare skin of her thigh. Going beneath the fabric, her fingers slid back up, pulling Molly’s nightie with them, along her side. Kendra’s fingers continued gliding over her bare skin, causing Molly to giggle.
“That tickles!”
Hearing her laugh encouraged Kendra all the more. She reached out with her other hand, digging into her belly, and with both hands tickling sent the girl into riotous fits of laughter.
She raised up on her knees as Molly tried in vain to grab her hands and push them away. Kendra tickled her all over, and then her fingers slowed to a gentle rubbing as Molly’s laughter gradually subsided.
Kendra looked at the beautiful young girl lying before her. Her nightie, pulled up to her waist, clearly revealed the bald slit between her legs as Molly, still breathing hard from her exertions, lay on her back, legs slightly parted. As Kendra gazed at her, she began to wonder just how far was she willing to go.
Molly reached up, smiling as she felt the softness of her mother’s silk slip on Kendra. Then, before Kendra knew it, her hands went to the girl’s body, seemingly with a mind of their own.
Kendra slowly traced a line with her index finger down across Molly’s tummy, over her puffy mound, and then along the slit of her labia. Her finger, moving up and down repeatedly, soon sank into the soft warmth.
As Molly succumbed to little jitters of pleasure, her hands dropped to her sides. Her mouth opened wide, quivering as if she was intending to speak, but no sound came out. Mesmerized by this, and emboldened, Kendra tried reaching under Molly to remove her gown, but it was held down by her body weight.
“Molly,” Kendra whispered huskily, “can you, um, sit up? I want to take your nightie off.”
Molly tugged the gown a little higher, then sat up, pulling it over her head with Kendra’s help. Tossing it on the floor beside the bed, she lay down again.
“Oh shit! What am I doing?!” Kendra thought as she gaped at the naked eleven-year-old before her.
She was a skinny little thing, her tiny breasts just starting to bud. So undeveloped, but so beautiful. So irresistible.
Hastily removing her slip, leaving them both nude, Kendra gently set her hand on Molly’s vulva, then knelt over, pressing her lips to her belly. As she mouthed kisses on the girl’s soft skin, moving slowly upwards until her lips came to Molly’s neck, Kendra pushed two fingers between her pussy lips, finding most warmth within. Molly’s breaths turned to gasps, her hips jerking violently as Kendra’s fingertips strummed the inside of her loins.
Kendra, as aroused as the child, if not more, pressed her lips to Molly’s in a passionate kiss.
‘Oh god, oh god!” the teen sighed to herself, her tongue exploring Molly’s mouth, fingers still working between her legs, ‘This is it, I’m gone! I’m in love with this little girl!’
After a moment, Kendra slowly pulled away, leaving Molly panting hoarsely, “Oh Kendra, oh Kendra, oh Kendra…” over and over without stopping, as she came closer and closer to the peak.
Then suddenly she went absolutely rigid and a long throaty moan came from her. Kendra felt a shock of fear. The loud moan was obviously that of a girl having an orgasm. Did her mother hear it?!
The moan cut itself off as Molly lay limply on the bed, her chest heaving, her slim form continuing to shudder as aftershocks coursed through her body. Kendra stared at the door, waiting, worrying, listening for any signs that Ms. Carrington had heard them, but there were none.
“Kendra…” Molly mumbled sleepily, causing Kendra’s head to snap back to her.
“Yeah?”
“That was… that was…”
She didn’t finish, falling asleep instead. Part of Kendra had been hoping they might go even further, but it looked like that wasn’t going to happen. She lay down beside Molly, pulling the blanket over them, wrapping her arms around her as Molly’s head nestled into her breasts.
Kendra sighed softly. Funny how these things happened. When she was getting ready for bed, she’d never intended for anything like this to take place.
But it did.
And she was in love.
Continue on to Chapter 4