The next few days are painful and long. Molly spends her afternoons by Charlie's side either reading a book or watching television on the screen against the far back wall. She hates leaving him but at night she has to. At home she pretends that she's alright to avoid questions but she's just waiting to sleep so she can wake up and go back to him. After hearing about Charlie Alan called her and Molly reluctantly agreed to meet with him. She meets with him on the park that he took her to all those months ago, it's a lot colder than it was back then but the families are still out. It's News Years Eve and celebrating the new year is the last thing on her mind.

"I heard they're bringing him out of the coma tomorrow," Alan says. "That's good news."

"Yeah," Molly says.

"But you're worried about his memory?"

Molly nods. "What if he doesn't know who I am? Or Sam, or Jaz?"

"He'll know who you are, Molly, I have faith in that. The connection you two have goes far beyond physical memory."

"I want to believe that," she whispers. "But I've been doing research and-"

"Stop," Alan says, turning to stare at her seriously. "The internet won't help you, you'll just scare yourself. No one knows what will happen until he wakes up. And even if he doesn't recognize you at first then that doesn't mean he won't."

"I know it can be temporary," she says. "But I don't think I could bear it. I could take his speech being slurred or his personality changing but the one thing that I couldn't take is him looking at me like I'm a stranger. I'm not strong enough for that."

Alan smiles suddenly and turns his head. "A few months back when you were in hospital, Charlie came to see you. I questioned him on his motives and told him to back off and you know what he said to me?"

"What?"

"He said that you're not a glass vase and you're strong enough to tell him to get lost yourself."

Molly smiles. "That sounds like him."

"My point is that even while you were in hospital he believed in your strength. He saw it a lot sooner than me and even yourself. You're gonna make it through this, I promise you."

She nods, wiping underneath her eye. "If I lost him, if he had died. . ." She shakes her head, not being able to finish. "Death comes for everyone around me but never me. I'm always left behind."

"Not this time," Alan says. "I don't even think death himself could put someone through that amount of pain. Charlie is going to be fine and you're going to live a life together. A long one. That's all you need to focus on okay?"

"Okay."

It's not as easy as that but she pretends it will be. As they walk back to the hospital she is paranoid of every car that drives past, every man that runs across the street, every stranger that so much as glances at her. She doesn't feel safe anywhere, the only place she can relax is by Charlie's side. She's craving that safety as she walks into the hospital room but he already has company. Aubrey is at the other side of the bed and she stands up awkwardly.

"Hey," she says. "Uh. . . Samantha said it'd be okay if I sat with him. I could leave."

Molly takes her jacket off and folds it around her arm. "No, it's fine. I could use the company."

Aubrey smiles and sits back down. Her dark, curled hair is thick with spray and her face is coloured with make up. She looks like she's about to go clubbing. It's New Year's Eve so she probably is.

"Where is she?" Molly asks.

"She's gone to get Jasmine from your house and then they're having dinner. She said she'd be a couple of hours."

Molly nods. She looks at Charlie. They've removed the tube from his throat and placed a mask on his face. The doctors are pleased with his brain activity and they're stopping the sedation tomorrow which will gradually bring him out of the coma. She wants him to wake up more than anything but she's nervous about what will happen.

"Do you think he can hear us?" Aubrey says.

"He's in a deep sleep," Molly says. "I'd like to think he can but probably not."

"I was so awful to him," Aubrey mutters. "I took him for granted and I hoped he wouldn't notice. But I never stopped loving him, I never stopped waiting for him to call or turn up at my apartment. It took a long time until I realized that I had lost him and even longer to accept that he was never mine to lose. He belongs to himself and he always has and I treated him as though he had no right to think that." She looks at Molly and smiles sadly. "I'm sorry."

"Why are you telling me?" Molly whispers.

"Because I can't say it to him and you're the closest thing."

Molly smiles back at her. "He forgives you."

"Can you forgive me?" she says. "That night at the party, I told Perry to separate you. And I got mad when he didn't. I wanted to hurt you, that's why I told you we were back together. I guess none of it matters now but I've felt bad about it."

Molly can barely remember that night. She remembers talking to Aubrey briefly outside the bathroom but all she remembers is telling her that she and Charlie kissed. Charlie came to her that night when she was feeling low, he put his arm around her and he never wanted anything in return. The memory is raw in her mind, like she's right there again.

"I think we've all hurt each other in some way," Molly says. "But it's over now. We can move on."

"Yeah," Aubrey agrees. "So has he forced you into one of his self-defence classes yet?"

Molly laughs. "Yep. I think I almost broke his jaw."

"Right? 'Don't be such a girl, I can take it,'" Aubrey laughs as she mocks him.

"I think he actually likes being hit," Molly says. "Did you go for the stomach or the balls?"

Aubrey raises an eyebrow. "What do you think? Let's just say he never offered to train with me again."

Molly laughs and then glances over at him. She wonders if there's a tiny chance he can hear them that he's laughing too. She can't wait to hear that sound again, to see his eyes open and hope that they somehow find hers, no matter where she is in the room.

Aubrey stays for a while longer and they talk mostly about Charlie's quirks and his excessive need to protect the people he loves. After she leaves it starts to get darker outside and Molly stands at the window as the firework display begins across the city. They were supposed to be at the display together. It was meant to be a time of celebration and fun but she knows they'll have other opportunities.

She fingers her pendant as she watches the lights explode in the sky. Her mind travels to a different reality, in her imagination Charlie is standing right beside her, his hand in hers, warm and loving. And it's the safest place she's ever felt.

+ + +

"How long will it take for him to wake up?" Sam asks the doctor.

"It's hard to say," the doctor says as he shines a light under Charlie's eyelids. "His pupils are constricting which is good. Each patient reacts differently to waking. It's just a case of waiting for the sedation to wear off, even if he wakes up right away he might fall in and out of consciousness for a while. That's completely normal. It'll be best not to overwhelm him, wait until he can keep his eyes open for more than a couple of minutes."

Molly is standing near the window chewing on her nail as Sam asks the doctor all the questions that she's afraid to. Jaz is sat on her lap, she's been quiet for most of the day. It's been hours since they stopped the sedation and the anticipation is torture.

"I'm going to get a coffee; do you want anything?" Molly says as she walks over to the door.

"Yeah, a coffee would be good thanks."

Molly grabs her bag and leaves the room. She becomes lost in a sea of doctors and nurses as she walks to the coffee machine at the end of the hallway. There's a small queue for it and she waits at the back, suddenly her phone buzzes. She stares at the unknown number, and she leaves the queue to answer.

"Hello?" whispers.

There is heavy breathing from the other side. "Hello, Molly. How's Charlie doing?"

"Who is this?" she hisses. "How did you get my number?"

"You're going to finish what you started. Tonight."

"Finish what?" she demands. "What are you talking about?"

"The bridge," the man says. "Tonight. And if you breathe a word to anyone, especially the police, then I'll kill everyone you love. I'm outside your house right now, Pamela's just pulled up with the children. Henley's wearing a cute blue jacket, you know, the one with the dinosaurs?"

Molly starts running towards the exit. "Why are you doing this?"

"Say your goodbyes. The bridge. Tonight. Or they die."

He hangs up. Molly frantically runs across the parking lot and almost rips her car door off. She flaws the accelerator as she speeds to her house, honking her way through the traffic. She pulls up outside and she scans her eyes over the street. She can't see anything out of the ordinary, it just looks normal. She jogs to the front door and turns into the lounge, catching Pam in a surprise hug.

"Molly?" Pam says. "Why aren't you at the hospital?"

Molly clings to her a little longer. "I love you," Molly whispers.

"I love you, too," Pam says, laughing away the tension. "Is everything okay?"

Molly pulls away and tries to smile, it doesn't quite come out right. "Yeah. I just needed to pick some things up. Where's Henley and Daisy?"

"Upstairs. Are you sure you're okay?"

Molly nods, glancing between her and Daniel who is listening from the doorway. "Everything will be fine. I'll just go get that stuff."

She turns before her tears show and she climbs the staircase slowly as she hears the kids' laughter from Daisy's room. She walks past it before they see her and she enters her bedroom. She holds her head as she paces.

Finish what you started. He was talking about her suicide. That's what he meant, it's what he wants her to do. Her hand squeezes against her phone as she fights with the decision to call the police. But what good would it do? She doesn't know who he is, she has no idea where he is and even if the police did take it seriously they can't protect them forever. She sits down on her bed for a long time until her mind is numb. Everyone will think it's suicide, they won't know the truth of how badly she wants to stay. She throws herself across the bed and she screams into her pillow.

I'll see my family again, she tells herself. I'll see Savannah.

That thought is comforting but she'll have to part with her life here. What other choice does she have? His threat is real, she's already felt how real it is. She controls her breathing and she digs into her drawers to find the letter. She puts it into her bag and then she walks towards the door. She wipes her eyes and she turns the light off.

She has no idea where Lily is but Henley and Daisy are playing on a video game. She asks them to pause it for a moment and she approaches them. She kneels down, taking their hands.

"I love you guys so much," Molly says. "I never want you to forget that okay?"

"What's going on?" Daisy mumbles.

"Nothing. I just wanted you to know that."

"Why are you crying?"

"Don't be sad," Henley whispers. "I feel sad now."

"I don't want you to ever be sad," Molly says. "I want you to be happy, always. And just know that wherever I am I'll be happy as long as you are. Take care of each other and then whatever life throws at you, you'll be okay. I promise."

"I love you, Molly," Henley says.

Molly holds her arms out and they run into them. She kisses their cheeks and she pulls away difficulty. She has to go but their faces are so familiar, a haunting remedy of home. They take her breath away and she can't seem to get it back. Her lips tremble as she waves goodbye and then she leaves the room.

"Will you be coming back for dinner tonight?" Pam calls. "After Charlie's woken up of course."

Molly pauses at the door. "I'll be back quite late, I'll eat at the hospital," she shouts. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Okay, call us if you need anything."

"I will. Thank you."

Molly holds her breath as she leaves the house. She almost runs back inside and tells them everything but then her phone vibrates.

Do you think I won't find a way to kill Charlie inside that room? Tick tock.

Molly surrenders to the numbness and she walks back to her car and drives to the hospital. It's late and visiting times are almost over. Only Sam will be able to wait until Charlie fully wakes up and Molly has no idea if he already has. She takes the letter with her as she wanders the hospital hallways. She arrives at Charlie's room, relieved that he hasn't woken up yet because she can't say this to him while he's looking at her. He's no longer wearing the ventilator mask and he's breathing on his own.

"Where have you been?" Sam says. "I've been calling you."

"Sorry, I just needed to clear my head. Any change?"

"Yeah, he's been waking up for the past hour. On and off though but he called your name a couple of times."

Molly smiles. "Really?"

"Yeah, it seems his memory is fine, he recognized me for a few seconds before he fell back to sleep. He's getting stronger."

"He's just being really lazy," Jaz says.

"That's good," Molly says. "Do you mind if I have a few minutes alone with him?"

"Sure," Sam says. "We'll go for a drink downstairs. Take as long as you need."

"Thank you," Molly says.

Molly sits down in the chair beside him and waits for them to leave. This is going to be the hardest thing she's ever had to say and as she looks down at the letter in her hand she wonders where to even begin.