Thanks for Giving by Chantal Jillian

Author:Chantal, Jillian [Chantal, Jillian]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Fowl Enterprises
Published: 2015-09-18T07:00:00+00:00

* * * *

Late that afternoon, after the turkey and trimmings, as well as Molly’s cake that was only slightly charred around the edges, was eaten and partially digested, the flag football players gathered on Grant’s family’s lawn. Molly tied her unruly hair back into a loose ponytail and hooked the belt with the red flag for her team’s side around her waist. She spat on her hands and rubbed them on the thighs of her jeans.

“You ready?” She grinned at her family members.

A steel grey Mustang pulled up alongside the curb and Chip got out. He stepped over and shook hands with Molly’s mother.

“Look who’s here, Molly dear. Do you think we should put Chip on team Touchstone? Lord knows he was here enough as a teenager to be part of the family.” Molly’s mother patted Chip’s hand that was still in hers.

“I hardly think Chip is here to play football, Mom.” Molly turned to Chip. “What brings you by? I thought you had enough of me this morning.”

“Interestingly enough, you’re a marrow match for Matthew. We need you to come to the hospital and have the procedure done. Will you do that?”

“How am I a match? Didn’t you tell me the odds weren’t good unless I was a relative?”

“Strangely, you and Matt show genetic markers that indicate that you’re closely related through the female line.” Chip smiled at Molly’s mom, who had a shocked look on her face. “I didn’t know you were related to Matt’s mother, Mrs. Touchstone.”

“Don’t be silly, Chip, we aren’t kin to Matt. There must be some mistake,” Molly said.

“Maybe we are, Molly.” Her mother whispered the words so softly Molly almost didn’t believe they’d been uttered.

“What? How?” Molly couldn’t believe it. No way was her mother telling the truth. How could she be?

“Come over here a minute.” Molly’s mother raised her hand to the crowd and called out, “Molly isn’t going to be able to play. You all go ahead and start.”

Members of the red team muttered and one cousin yelled, “What do we do for a quarterback then?”

“Use Thomas. He’s our second-best player,” Molly said.

Molly, her mother and Chip moved to the side of the house but could still hear the grumbling of the other Touchstone family members as well as Grant crowing that his family would surely win now without Molly.

“What are you talking about, mom?” Molly asked.

“When my sister—your aunt Linda—was fifteen, she got pregnant. Our parents sent her to a home for unwed mothers for the last few months and when the baby was born, it was adopted. We were told that the child would be placed, but we had no idea where. The home was over two hundred miles away so we thought the child was given to a family there. It very well could be Matthew. He’d be the right age since she delivered a boy a few months before I delivered you.”

“Wow, Mom. I had no idea. I’m stunned. What a family secret.” Molly’s legs threatened not to hold her up and she slumped.

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