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.Then the pictures began to change, in perfect sync with the tempo of the music changing, the lyrics suspended, a single guitar picking away at the melody, but faster now, the sadness leaving it.The pictures showed each of the stores, Peggy laughing over a rack of clothes at Now and Zen, the ultra-sophisticated storefront of Wow and Then, a crowded day at Now and Again.Then it showed this office before the makeover, walls coming down, transformation.And that voice singing, full of hope and power now, singing, If we just come together, if I see you as my brother, Lord, there is my heaven, there is my heaven.Now there was a photograph of the green space that Molly recognized as her garden project, the only color in a block of black and white, the children at the daycare, the Bookworms bus.Emotion was sweeping the room.Brianna was dabbing at her eyes with a hankie.“Oh, my God,” she whispered, “he’s outdone himself this time.”Something in Molly registered that.This time.Brushed it away like a pesky fly that was spoiling an otherwise perfect moment.Except it wasn’t perfect.Because he wasn’t here.“Where is Houston?” Molly whispered to Brianna.She needed him to be here, she needed to be sharing this with him.“Oh,” Brianna said, “he never comes to the final day.”“Excuse me? What final day? He’s the boss here.” We are going to be building a future together.And hopefully not just at work.But Brianna was clapping now, keeping time.Every one was clapping, keeping time as that voice sang out, rich and powerful, full of promise, “There is my heaven.”A final picture went across the screen.It was that little girl, the princess, kissing Houston on the cheek.And Molly thought, as that picture froze in its frame, there is my heaven.Over the thunder of applause, she turned to ask Brianna what she meant, about the final day.About Houston never coming to the final day.Other thoughts were crowding her memory.She realized he had a relationship with all those workers who had come in, with Brianna.He hadn’t just met them when he took over, hadn’t just hired contractors and designers and computer geeks.He’d known them all before.He never came to the final day.He’s outdone himself this time.Houston Whitford had done all this before.That’s why he’d been brought in to Second Chances.Because he’d done it all before.And done it well.The applause finally died down.Miss Viv stood at the front of the room, beaming, dabbing at her eyes.As she spoke, Molly felt herself growing colder and colder.“First of all, I must thank Houston Whitford for donating his time, his expertise and his company, Precision Solutions, to all of us here.I know his team does not come cheaply.His donation probably rates in the tens of thousands of dollars.”The cold feeling increased.He’d been donating all the renovations? He’d let her believe he was taking the money from Prom Dreams?No, he’d never said that.He’d probably never told Molly an out-and-out lie.The more subtle kinds of lies.The lies of omission.“Houston’s not here today,” Miss Viv said.“With any luck he’s back to his real job.Personally I wish Precision Solutions was consulting with the president of the United States about getting this country back on track.”A ripple of appreciative laughter, only Molly wasn’t laughing.There.It was confirmed.He was not an employee, not the new head of Second Chances.He had never planned to stay, he had known all along they were not building a future of any kind together.The only one, apparently, who had not known that was her.Little Molly Pushover.Whose record of being betrayed by every single person she had ever loved was holding.Miss Viv was talking about the holidays she had just gone on, and how it had made her rethink her priorities.She had decided to retire.Then Miss Viv was thanking everyone for their years of support, hoping they would all show the same support and love to the new boss as they had shown to her.“I’d like to introduce you now to our new leader,” Miss Viv said, “the person I trust to do this job more than anyone in the world.”So, he was here after all.Molly allowed relief to sweep over her.She must have misunderstood.He was leaving Precision Solutions to head up Second Chances.Molly could feel herself holding her breath, waiting to see him, dying to see him.So relieved because as the afternoon had worn on and he had not shown up, a feeling of despair had settled over her.She had known exactly what he had felt like at that Christmas concert when his mother had not come.He would not make someone else feel like that.Not that he cared about.He wouldn’t.She thought of the look of fierce protectiveness on his face last night.He would never be the one to hurt her.He had almost died to keep her safe!But now he was here.Somewhere.She craned her neck, waiting for Miss Viv to call his name.After the crowds had thinned, she would laugh with him about her misunderstanding.Kick closed that office door, and see what happened next.But Miss Viv didn’t call his name.Her eyes searched the people gathered around her, until she finally found Molly.She smiled and held out her hand.“Molly, come up here.”Molly tried to shrink away.Oh, no, she did not want to be part of introducing the new boss.She thought her feelings would be too naked in her face, she felt as if there was no place for her to hide.But Miss Viv did not notice Molly trying to shrink away.She gestured her forward even more enthusiastically.She thought Molly not coming was because of the press of the crowds, and gave up trying to get her to the front.The crowd opened for her.Somebody pushed her from behind.Molly had no choice but to go up there.“I’d like to introduce you to the new head of Second Chances,” Miss Viv said gleefully.“Molly Michaels.”Molly stood there, stunned.There was no happiness at all.Just a growing sense of self-scorn.Until the very last minute, she had believed in him, believed the best in him.Just like always.No doubt she’d be getting another postcard from some far off exotic place soon.To rub her face in her own lack of discernment.Her own Pollyanna need to believe.She had been lied to by the man she thought she had seen more truly than anyone else.He wasn’t the boss and he wasn’t going to be part of her future here.Or anywhere else.“I don’t know that I’m qualified,” Molly managed to say through stiff lips, in an undertone to Miss Viv.“Oh, but you are, dear
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