4.

It's four months prior to the day of the move and Martin is out on a golf course with three head honchoes, the top three men on the board of the company that he works for. Now Martin was invited to be here, so he knows that something is up, he is just not sure what. He is a little hesitant to believe that some good is on the cards. It looks likely but he doesn't really like to get his hopes up on anything to only have them dashed but still, the thought is there.

Martin arrives to the course fifteen minutes early and is almost immediately greeted with smiles and handshakes. There will be no questions asked on his behalf, not from Martin himself anyway.

'Martin' calls out Frank, the most senior of the three board members upon spying the arrival of the man whose name he had called out. 'I hope we find you in fine fettle this morning.'

'Yes sir, all is good and well.'

'We are not in work Martin so out here, call me Frank.'

'I will indeed and thank you for the invite. It has been a while since I last played but I am up for a good challenge.'

'Good to hear it, for this is part of the reason while you are out here with us this morning but enough of that for now, we can talk business later, right now it is time to play golf.'

That statement puts Martin's mind at ease. He can feel safe in assuming that his job is not in any kind of immediate danger though if he had been having thoughts, then those thoughts may indeed be of nice things possibly coming his way, the very thoughts he did not want to have or assume though are a little safer to assume. If we cannot have hope and belief in ourselves, then what can we really have at all?

At the Tee at the first hole, one of the other two board members noticed the presence of a bird nearby and one of them identifies this bird as an Albatross. The bird is resting on the ground but not within the direction of play. Martin is the first to tee off and it is safe to say that his first shot is not the greatest of shots. After all, he did mention that it had been a while since he last played the game.

'Speaking of Albatrosses, I guess you won't be scoring one of them today' speaks Frank jokingly.

There is laughter from all three board members and even Martin manages to smile. Something else that he had also previously said was that he does like a good challenge. The weather remains decent for the duration of play. The quality of play is of a good standard. Even Martin's own game improves quite substantially especially in contrast to that first shot of his. The mood is jovial, and Martin feels free to be relaxed. The morning which goes into afternoon is in no way uncomfortable, if anything it is quite enjoyable.

The invite is extended to lunch in the clubhouse and with Martin being a guest or more like the guest; the day comes at no charge to him. In fact, the company he works for is looking after the day as a whole. The mood continues to be jovial right through lunch, though time soon comes for a bit of serious business to take place.

'Well Martin, let's get right to it' speaks Frank. Maybe from here on in it is back to Martin addressing his acquaintances professionally. 'The reason why we have invited you here today is to discuss your possible future.'

'Sure' responds Martin as his thoughts drift to the possibilities that this has to be something positive; still there is the chance that maybe it isn't.

'We at McMillan, Williams, and Anderson are looking to expand and we want to look to you to take things forward. If all goes well as we expect it will, then it will be quite likely we will be adding you as a full partner. How does this sound to you so far?'

This hits Martin like a brick to the face. It is good news, he indeed was hoping for good news but there was no way he was expecting it to be this good.

'You sir, must realize that your question is a rhetorical one, and as such I will answer it anyway. It sounds fantastic, a challenge I can and will relish.'

'Are you sure young man? We haven't gone through any of the details yet. Once we do, you can have time to discuss our proposal with your family.'

'Great, I may well take advantage of that. I can definitely tell you that I will look forward to any challenge you lay before me, and I will do my very best to ensure that anything you entrust me with is successful.'

5.

It is a little before eight o'clock on the first morning in Castletown. Martin awakes and turns to discover that he is alone in bed.

'Margret?' he softly speaks.

Margret is not in the room. With how the last twenty-four hours have gone, Martin does not waste any time in getting up. He heads straight to Molly's room. Molly is not in her room and for some strange reason, Martin kind of expected that. He tries to calm himself by telling himself that this new home is a big house. His family can quite possibly be somewhere else within it. There is no need to assume the worst. Still, there is something ... off.

He can feel it, right in the pit of his stomach as if there is something terribly wrong. There is no need to panic, not just yet at least. Martin begins to slowly head downstairs. All is quiet, all is silent. If Margret and Molly are not home, then where could they possibly be at such an early hour?

It is early August, so school does not start up for a few weeks yet. The reason that which has brought the MacDonald's to town has yet to really get going so there is some time for the family to settle in. Settling in so far is not going to plan.

The silence is soon broken. Margret and Molly are in the kitchen having breakfast.

'Morning daddy.'

'Good morning sweetheart.'

The sight and sound of his daughter have completely changed Martin's demeanour for the better. This kitchen apparently is the place to be. There is that relief upon entry to that place to be, relief at the fact that all is well, then there is joy, the joy that his daughter brings to his life and the joy of love he has with his wife.

Martin can relax now and allow that previous horrible feeling in his stomach to dissipate. That fear which had accompanied that feeling however was real, the fear that something was very wrong. As it would seem, and at least for right now, all is well. Margret moves to briefly kiss her husband.

'Good morning sleepy head' she says, something which makes Molly laugh.

'Sleepy head? It is eight o'clock in the morning.'

'Molly and I have been up a while now, haven't we honey?'

'Yeah, daddy sleepy head, ha ha.'

Martin moves to sit at the table right next to Molly.

'So, mom, what's for breakfast?' he asks with a smile, a smile filled with a multitude of emotion.

'You are a big boy, you can fix your own breakfast' says Margret while wearing a smile of her own, 'mom and Molly are gonna get ready and go check out the local shopping mall.'

***

It's a little after ten thirty when Margret, Molly, and Polly-Anna arrive to the Castletown shopping center, a relatively new and large place to go along within the increasingly growing town that people in general tend to stay away from, kinda strange how that works.

Despite the lack of new blood coming to town and despite the early hour, the center itself is quite busy. Its sheer size, however, ensures that the place is not overcrowded. As with the day before, it is noticed that those all-around seem to be quite happy, such a strange sight to see, so many people walking around with smiles on their faces as if they don't have a care in the world.

Matthew, the man who had come to visit Molly is standing out front of a fast-food restaurant within the shopping center. Looking towards the little girl, Matthew waves gently and pleasantly. Molly sees him and sends over a wave upon sight of the wave sent her way. The two share a smile. Margret notices her daughter apparently waving at someone as if she has come across someone she knows but for the life of her, Margret cannot see as to whom Molly is waving at. There may just happen to be more than a reason or two that this may be so. Margret decides not to question the wave no matter how odd it seems to her.

There is no rush; nowhere in particular that Margret or Molly need to be, so they are free to explore their surroundings for the next few hours or so. At home, Martin takes his time getting himself ready. He lounges around for a while before deciding to go on an exploration of his own. Margret has the Station Wagon, but that is alright for Martin is more than up for going for a walk.