“Molly, I’m so sorry. The things I said…I…I…I didn’t mean them. I just…” she stammered.

“Shhhh. I know, I know,” she says, caressing her face.

“No, you don’t. Let me explain,” she offered. Molly nods provoking Shane to continue. “Your mother told me that she was afraid that I would hurt you. That you deserve better than that. It scared me. I know my track record. All I do is hurt the people I care the most about. And I’ve done it again. I’m sorry.” Her voice trails off.

“It’s okay. I can’t believe my mother,” Molly says. She shakes her head and replies, “I understand why you did what you did. I don’t like it, but I understand why.”

“That’s not all of it.”

“What else is there?” Molly asks somewhat tentatively, afraid of what she might hear.

“I fucked Niki,” Shane whispers. Her statement is dripping with self-loathing. She looks into Molly’s eyes and sees the pain she has just inflicted on her. Molly’s eyes darken and she sinks into herself. Tears stream from her eyes. “I’m so so sorry,” Shane continues. “I was drunk. I was hurt. And I was an ass. I wanted to forget about the pain that I caused you. This is the typical shit that I put the women I am with through. This is why your mother is right….” She pauses for a few seconds. “I never should have come here tonight.” She gets up to leave and starts to walk away, but Molly grabs her hand. Shane turns around to look at Molly. Molly’s head is still hung low but her grip on Shane’s hand is so tight. She slowly turns her eyes up to Shane.

Molly simply says, “I forgive you.”

Shane, stunned, asks, “Wh—what?? What did you say?”

“I said I forgive you.” Her voice drops a bit and she eeks out, “I—I uh I l—love you.”

Shane drops to her knees. She tilts Molly’s head up to look at her. She looks right into her eyes and asks, almost pleading, hoping that she did not just mishear her, “What did you just say?”

“I love you,” Molly says again, but this time more assured after seeing the response that it brought from Shane.