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Sometimes people said that they felt sorry for Molly Walker because she had more than one dad. But that wasn't how she felt at all. Molly considered herself lucky. Most little girls spent their life with only one father. She got to have three.
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1. Happy Birthday to you/Happy Birthday to you…
"So Pumpkin how was your day? Was it a good birthday?"
James Walker sat at the kitchen table with his eight year old daughter as they shared the last remaining pieces of birthday cake. He knew he shouldn’t be giving her sugar this late at night; his wife would have his head if she knew, but Molly was his little girl and he hated to say no to her.
"It was.” Molly smiled
“Yeah? What was your favorite part?”
Molly was quiet for a moment looking like she was trying to decide but James already knew what it was. He knew ever since he started planning the party all those months ago.
“The pony rides!” She told him with a laugh, “But I would have liked it even more if I got to keep the pony.”
“Aww Mol, we’ve been through this before. We don‘t have enough space for a pony.”
“Are you sure? Because I think we do. I bet he would fit in my room.”
“Well when you put it like that,” James laughed, “I’ll keep it in mind.”
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2. Day and night/you’re by my side/protecting me…
It had been a long day for Mohinder Suresh, and could hardly remember the last time he slept. But it was finally over.
Mohinder slowly open the door to his apartment with one hand while Molly clung to the other.
“It’s okay,” He said as he held the door open wider, “No one’s going to hurt you here. It's okay.”
It had been a long time since Molly had heard a reassuring voice like his and she smiled at the sound of it. But she couldn’t help but ask, “Are you sure?”
“Yeah. I’m sure.” Mohinder shut the door and then took Molly’s little hand in his, “Now it’s been a long day and you should get some sleep.”
Molly nodded her head and the two headed into Mohinder’s bedroom.
“This is my room,” Mohinder explained, “You can stay here and I’ll be right in the other room if you need anything. Alright.”
“Thank you.”
“It’s no problem.”
Mohinder started to leave the room but stopped in his tracks when Molly called out his name
“Yeah?” he asked.
“Do you think you could stay in here until I fall asleep?”
“You bet.” After everything that had happened it was the least he could do, “Do you want to hear a story?”
“Could you sing me a song?”
“Absolutely.” Mohinder took a seat on the edge of the bed and began to stroke the top of Molly’s head as he began to sing to her a lullaby that his mother sang to him as a child.
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3.
Christmas is here/bringing good cheer/to young and old/meek and the bold…
“An art kit!” Molly exclaimed as she sat by the small plastic Christmas tree that was in the center of the apartment, “Thank you Matt!”
“You’re welcome kiddo.”
Molly grabbed the final present from under the tree, “Here Mohinder. This is for you.”
Molly handed over a poorly wrapped parcel to the doctor.
“Oh Molly you didn’t have to do this.”
“Yeah I did. I mean I know that you don’t celebrate Christmas or anything but I had to get you something. I hope you like it.”
“I’m sure I’m going to love it.” Mohinder slowly peeled back the scotch tape, trying not to tear the wrapping paper and pulled the gift out, “An apron!”
“What does it say?” Matt asked as he took a picture
“World’s best cook.”
“It’s because it’s true,” Molly explained.
“Thank you Molly.”
“You’re welcome Mohinder.”
Matt looked over at Mohinder and asked, “So do you think now’s a good time to…you know.”
“Yeah I do.” Mohinder nodded.
“What’s going on?” Molly asked.
“Well we’ve got one more present for you but it’s not exactly one that we could wrap.”
Mohinder sat the apron down on the couch, “So how about you come over here and sit with us for a minute. Okay Molly?”
“Did you guys get me a pony?” Molly asked with a smirk
“No.” Matt laughed, “We didn’t get you a pony.”
Molly took a seat between the two men and looked at Mohinder, “Seriously, what’s going on?”
“You know that I’m going to start having to be out of town a lot next year, right?”
“Because you’re going to be teaching people about the virus I had.”
“That’s right. And because of that I‘ve been looking for someone to stay with you?” ”
“Yeah?”
“Well what if Matt was to move in here and watch with you while I’m gone?”
Molly turned to look at Matt.
“Really?” She asked with a smile spreading across her face.
“If you want me to.”
“I do, I do! Oh my gosh! This is going to be so much fun!”
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4. The Universe works on a math equation that never even really ends …
“Molly, I’m home,” Matt Parkman called out as he opened the door to the apartment.
He found it unsettling that instead of finding Molly in her room, listening to what ever pretty boy musician was popular at the moment, she sitting on the couch, in the dark, wrapped in a small blanket with a cup of coffee in one hand and a piece of paper in the other. And what was even worse was that she looked like she had been crying.
“You okay cupcake?”
“I got my grades today,” She whispered
“How’d you do?”
She stayed quiet and held out the piece of paper.
“Well these don’t look so bad,” Matt told her as he looked them over, “An A in English! You got a one Hundred and five percent in art! That’s amazing!”
“Check out the math grade.”
“Intermediate Algebra…oh.”
“Mohinder’s going to kill me,” Molly said before bursting into tears.
Matt watched his little girl cry and he could feel his heat being torn into pieces with every one of her sobs.
“Oh Molls. Come here.” He sat down next to her on the couch and took her in his arms, “Mohinder’s going to understand.”
“No he’s not.” She said through her hiccups, “He wants me to be a, a,” She began to sob even harder.
“Hey, hey, hey. Math isn’t your thing. Mohinder knows that. And he’s okay with that, as long as you tried your hardest. Which you did. He only wants you to be happy.”
“You think so?”
“I know so.” Matt wiped away a few tears from her cheek with his thumb, “Alright?”
Molly nodded her head. It was right then when Mohinder walked through the door.
“Hey guys.” Mohinder took his bag off and sat it by the door before turning to the pair sitting on the couch, “Is everything okay?”
“I got my grades today.”
“Oh. How are they?”
Molly sniffled and the turned to Matt for reassurance.
“It’s okay.” He told her. “I’m here. I’m right here.”
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