molly/s

I saw both of my little sisters this past summer, which is rare because one lives in Greece and the other in British Columbia. A little brother or sister was number one on my wish list growing up, especially during ages 4-10, which were lonely times as a result of my parents divorce. When I turned 14, my sister Ivvy was born. I was able to help take care of her and together my stepmother and I were like her two parents. I was never even close to being at risk of getting pregnant, but taking care of a baby at that age struck me as 1) an effective form of birth control for teenage girls and 2) a small glimpse into parenthood and the blessings that come with it.

Back to last summer: we went to visit a family friend, who gave each of the girls an identical doll. Both of them named their doll Molly. "How's your Molly? My Molly is taking a nap," Chantale would say. "My Molly and your Molly should eat eggs when they wake up," Ivvy would say, in her thick Greek accent. As I watched them play with their Mollys, I suddenly felt a wave of relief and joy wash over me. They have what I wished for all those years, and I felt comforted by this. One of them has also seen a divorce, but she has an older sister who will always support her, and a younger sister who will always look up to her. It looks like I got what I wished for!