Chapter 3: A Fresh Start

Gabriel not liking to see a little girl so defiled and not liking his own current state of odor says, “Time for a shower young lady.”

Molly gets a stubborn and concerned look on her face and for the first time pulls her eyes from Gabriel to look around the room.

“So, you can see them, too?” Molly nods. “Well, no wonder you don’t like to go to the bathroom. I’m thinking most people wouldn’t go if they could see shadowy figures watching them. It actually explains a lot. Demons don’t just heavily attack anybody; you must be a future servant of God so they are trying to pull you away from that path.”

From behind them Kate’s eyes flood with tears and she starts to shake as she knows there is going to be much to tell Gabriel.

Without further ado Gabriel grabs Molly by the waist and picks her up to her feet. Then he too prepares himself on how best to go about this situation and then he holds his hand out to her. Gabriel can see a thousand thoughts running through Molly’s mind then she reaches over and helps him get up too. Gabriel turns to Kate and says, “Can you get Molly a change of clothes.”

Molly’s eyes go big and she starts to shake her head no. Gabriel has compassion for her, for it is one thing for a little girl to take a bath with the help of an adult, but Molly has to be around eleven years old and on the cusp of the change of becoming a young woman. However, that is not Molly’s concern. Completely ignoring her wishes he takes her hand and pulls her into the bathroom and starts the shower. Molly keeps looking back and forth between the shower, Gabriel and the room. She is thinking she is going to be abandoned already.

“I will be just right outside the door. I’ll even leave the door open.”

The grip that Molly grabs him with is quite impressive for a little girl and lets Gabriel know there is no way in hell she is going to let him get away from her. “No sir.”

Gabriel has compassion flood his heart and reaches down and moves a clump of her hair out of her eyes and then sighs, “Kate?”

“Yeah,” she calls out from the laundry room.

“Molly is not going to take a shower unless I’m in here with her.”

“I figured as much. We don’t take baths often, but when we do, we do it together. If Molly trusts you and it is obvious God does, it is okay with me.”

Molly is buying into that one thousand percent. She is filled with a joy she is not sure she has ever experienced before. But then when she sees Gabriel starting to take off his own clothes her mouth drops open and she forgets all about some stupid demons. She is now more fascinated and curious than she is afraid and embarrassed to have those demons watching her take a bath. When he is done there he turns to Molly and wraps a towel around her before he pulls off her long dingy nightgown. It might have been white once, but no longer. Now Molly’s eyes are really saucer size. Gabriel quickly looks through the dresser for some shorts but doesn’t find any so Molly stays in her stained underwear.

Gabriel puts up the toilet lid and sits Molly down on the toilet. Molly’s mind is racing now. She thinks she should want to die of embarrassment, but the feelings just aren’t there. Plus Gabriel is spending more time watching out for those stupid demons than looking at her.

Just at that time Kate walks into the bathroom and takes in the whole scene. As shocked as she is by seeing pretty much a stranger in front of her and Molly only wearing boxer shorts, she is even more shocked to see Molly wrapped in a towel and sitting on the toilet. Molly and Kate make extended eye contact. As much as they would like to run in confusion they smile at each other. Their gaze is broken when Gabriel hands Kate his clothes and says, “Can you wash these please?”

When Gabriel turns back to Molly he sees her looking at his many scars, particularly his leg. “Gabriel?”

“Yeah, sweetheart.”

“What happened to your leg?”

“I had cancer in it when I was fourteen.”

“I’m sorry.”

As Gabriel goes over and tests the temperature of the water, from behind him he can hear Molly actually going pee, he smiles and says, “Thank you.”

Just then Kate walks back in. “Kate, will stay in here with us, please?”

“Of course.” Kate is in utter shock that Molly has taken to Gabriel so fast. Of course someone battling demons for you probably builds trust between people really fast. And of course Kate did not hear Molly’s prayer for someone to send her a knight.

As Kate thinks about it she looks down at herself and then in the mirror and tries to make order out of her unkempt hair and she says, “In truth I could probably use a shower myself.”

“Well, come on, girl, this is no time to be shy. This is a great way for a symbolic gesture of getting a fresh start.” So Kate starts to undress.

Gabriel turns to Molly, “You done?” Molly nods yes with a silly smile.

Gabriel with gratitude for God making another way sighs inwardly and says, “Alright, Kate, you and Molly take your shower and I’ll be right here.” It’s not that it would have been a big deal, especially since they all stayed in their under garments, but Gabriel has much he has to do in the service of the Lord and he just doesn’t want anyone to question his motives and actions and for there to be any misunderstandings.

The girls wash themselves and are glad for the moment, but leave Gabriel some warm water. As soon as Gabriel is finished offering his hand for them to get out he goes right in.

Gabriel takes but a second and is finished. They all dry off and the girls get dressed while Gabriel stays wrapped in the towel waiting for his clothes to be cleaned.

“So, Molly, I bet you feel much better all clean.”

“I do.”

“Pretty girls should not be ashamed to be pretty as long as they don’t hold it over other girls and overly adorn themselves; even the Bible says that. Do you know the Bible much?”

“No.”

Gabriel sees something in Molly’s expression. “What?”

The fact that Gabriel can read her is both joyful and a little unnerving. “I’m not pretty.”