The next Sunday they met and Lee had the plots cleaned up and immaculate.
Molly brought some flowers in a large jar and placed some on their graves as well as on her parents and grandmother's sites.
Lee took off his hat and wiped his brow as he leaned on the rake for support. It was a warm Indian summer day.
He rolled up the sleeves on his plaid shirt. Molly couldn't help notice how muscular his forearms were. She could see that the rest of his body was solid as rock as well. "That's better!" she exclaimed. "Pretty soon the weather won't be so nice and it will look barren and cold and covered in snow."
"We will do this again next Spring" he said. They left the cemetery and walked slowly down to the road. Lee turned to Molly and said " That was the most relaxing work I have ever done." They strolled along in silence until they reached
Molly's home. "Please come in, Lee. You can get tidied up." "No, I had better go on back. I have the livestock to tend to before dark." he said looking down at his dirty boots and brushing off his pants.
The next few months Molly traveled by train to Raleigh to visit with her aunt Rebecca and uncle Gus from her mother's side of the family for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Lee attended church and prayed for Molly to return. He found himself thinking of her constantly.
Around the farm he had found quite a few colored bottles. Cobalt blue, green,
yellow and cloudy clear. Various sizes of them were heaped in a pile over the years and weeds had invaded the spot. He decided to clear out the area but wondered what he would do with all these bottles. He thought of just breaking them and burying the shattered pieces. But instead he put them in his wheelbarrow and took them out into a clearing in the woods. Every time he came cross an empty bottle it would go out there on the pile.
Lee stayed busy. He cleared the brush and tidied the grounds around the old farm house and barn. Many years of life had been spent there. There was
a large covered porch on the second story. A big walnut tree was in the front yard. He gathered the nuts in burlap bags and picked the apples to take into town to sell. Housework had never interested him before. Now he found himself sweeping and dusting furniture and airing out the big old house. It was stately and looked much better. Rugs were taken out to the line and beat clean. His Mother's tablecloth printed with flowers was spread on the kitchen table.
By the time Molly returned from Raleigh, Lee had rehearsed in his mind what he wanted to say when he saw her. He waited at the train depot for her to arrive. She stepped off onto the platform dressed in a navy blue dress and wore a black coat and small hat and gloves to match. It took his breath away and he totally forgot what he wanted to say. Instead he reached for her luggage and said " I'm glad you are home!" Molly smiled and thanked him for meeting her. They walked to her house and filled each other in on what they had done. Molly told him she went to the city and had enjoyed a fine meal at a restaurant and shopped for her aunt's Christmas present. She said " I bought you something, Lee!" She opened her suitcase and took out a beautiful blue tie. It was the color of his eyes. "Wear it to church next Sunday, ok?"
"Alright! Thank you. It is very fine!" He put the tie around his neck and quickly tied it and looked in the mirror. Molly was standing behind him and he saw her reflection. Turning around she was standing close to him and she reached out and straightened the knot and then stood on her toes to kiss him quickly on the cheek. Lee circled his arms around her waist and lifted her up to him and kissed her on the lips. It surprised both of them that when he finally put her feet back on the ground she took a step back and smoothed her hair
away from her face. Then she looked up at his beaming smile and let him kiss her again.
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