Married Because of MollyLittle did she realize that the wedding would spark a whirlwind of unexpected adventures that would forever change her world.

The happy childhood of little Charlie came to an end when he was barely five. One day his parents failed to collect him from the nursery. All the other children had already been taken home, while the boy remained at the little wooden table, sketching himself, his mother and his father. The matron kept glancing at him, and for some reason she kept dabbing at his cheeks with a handkerchief. At last she stepped forward, lifted him into her arms, pressed him close and said:

Whatever happens, you must not be afraid, Charlie. From now on you must be strong. Do you understand me, my dear?

I want my mother, he whispered.

Soon Auntie and Uncle will arrive. Youll go with them, Charlie. There will be many other children there, but you must not cry, she soothed, her damp face pressed against his.

She then led him by the hand to the car. When he asked when he would be given back to his mother, they told him his parents were far away and could not fetch him that day. Charlie was placed in a communal dormitory with boys of the same age. Yet his parents did not appear the next day, nor the day after. The child grew frantic, wept through the night, and his fever rose.

Only later, after he had recovered, a solemn woman in a white coat sat him down. She told him that his parents now lived far above, in the heavens, and could not descend. They are always with you, watching over you, she said. Everyone knows of you, so you must behave well and stay healthy, lest they be troubled.

Charlie did not believe her. He gazed up at the sky and saw nothing but birds and clouds. He decided he must find them himself.

He began to scour the back garden during his walks. At last he discovered a narrow opening behind a hedge, where the iron rails of the fence bent inward. He could only squeeze halfway through. Determined, he started to dig a tunnel; the earth was soft, laced with sand. Soon, where the spacing between the rails was widest, a little gap appeared.

Through that gap Charlie slipped and found himself free. He fled the place the other boys called the Home, as if it were a prison, but he knew not the streets of London and soon became lost. He needed to find his own house, yet every cottage seemed the same.

At a crossing he saw a woman who looked strikingly like his mother a dress of tiny white dots, her hair gathered in a neat bun. Mum! he shouted, lunging after her.

She did not hear him, nor did she turn. Mum! the boy clutched, catching up. The woman finally turned, knelt, and stared at him. It was not his mother.

—

Eleanor fell in love at twenty and thought it would last forever. With Edward she seemed a perfect pair; they met by chance on a summer dance floor, he shyly asked her for a slow dance, they chatted easily, and he never left her side. Three months later they were married, living as one. After three years Eleanor discovered she could not bear children. Edward could not accept it, and she endured endless examinations and stays in sanatoria. At last they accepted that a child would never come. Edward one day suggested she could adopt a baby from the Little Ones Home.

Eleanor loved Edward so much that she offered him a divorce. They were both approaching their thirties, still young enough for love elsewhere. Edward promised to marry another who could give him happiness, while Eleanor would live alone. Edward refused to let her go, swearing he would never abandon her. In desperation Eleanor devised a cunning plan: she confessed she no longer loved him and claimed she had another man. Edward would not believe it.

The following night she did not return home. In the early morning she came back smelling of wine and mens cologne. When Edward asked what was happening, she insisted she had a lover. He agreed to the divorce.

When Charlie called out to Eleanor, she had already been two months into the separation. She felt unsettled, missed Edward, and worried for his wellbeing. Then a stranger boy called her Mum, and her heart leapt.

Whats the matter, dear? Are you lost? she asked gently.

Im looking for my mum and dad. They told me theyre in the sky, but I dont believe it, Charlie sobbed.

Come with me, she said, I live nearby. Ill give you some sweet buns, would you like that? She took his hand and led him away.

At her modest flat, Charlie devoured the buns she had bought, washing them down with hot tea scented with redcurrant leaves. He told her everything that had happened. It was clear he had not tasted sweets for ages; older boys had taken his treats and sometimes bruised him.

Eleanor felt a pang of pity. Charlie, would you like to stay with me? We could live together. When youre older youll understand, and one day youll meet your parents again, though not today. Charlie nodded.

She phoned the childrens home, reported the find, and brought the boy herself, speaking to the caretakers to ensure they watched the younger children more closely. She visited him daily, though she could not formally adopt him. She had a job, a flat, but no husband. As a single woman, no one would consider her for adoption. For the first time she regretted pushing for the divorce, yet she did not know how to win Edward back.

She then arranged a marriage of convenience with a colleague, Arthur, who had recently divorced. Though a notorious flirt, he was a reputable solicitor and could supply the necessary paperwork. Arthur hesitated at first, then agreed, on the condition that she paid his fees. Eleanor had long admired him; now she was alone, and he consented to a candlelit dinner with a promise of continuation. This insulted her deeply, for she still loved Edward and could not imagine herself with anyone else.

One evening, when she arrived at Charlies home, she saw a fresh bruise under his eyea warning from older boys to keep quiet. The caretakers, rather than helping Charlie and others like him, had spoken of Eleanors conversation with them, and she realised the boys future would be hard.

The next day she accepted Arthurs proposal. On Saturday she prepared dinner, dressed in a red gown as Arthur had requested, lit candles, and waited for her guest. A bitter, nauseating feeling settled in her chest; yet she had promised to rescue Charlie.

The doorbell rang. She rose, heavyfooted, and opened the door. To her astonishment, standing there was her former husband, Edward.

I need to speak with you, Eleanor, he said. Ive been watching you all this time. Ive never seen anyone else enter your house, nor have you left.

At that moment the lift opened and Arthur burst out, clutching a bouquet of roses in one hand and a bottle of champagne in the other.

Eleanor, its me he declared.

Edwards face flushed crimson, his fists clenched. He turned without a word and hurried down the stairs. Edward, wait! This isnt what you thinklet me explain! Eleanor shouted, chasing after him, but he leapt onto a tram and vanished.

Eleanor returned home in tears, seeing Arthur off. Her heart ached, wondering what fate awaited Charlie.

Two years later, Charlie stood proudly on the school assembly line among the firstformers, dressed in a crisp suit and white shirt, clutching a large bouquet for his teacher. His parents and his little sister, Millie, escorted him. Millie was a mischievous child, constantly twirling in her fathers arms, while their mother wore the same spotted dress Eleanor had once loved.

The household now comprised Eleanor, Edward, and a newly adopted child.

It turned out Arthur was not the scoundrel he seemed. He met Edward, explained everything, and the two reconciled. The very next day Edward rushed to Eleanors office, dragged her to the registry office, and they remarried, hoping to secure Charlies future.

They still visit the childrens home, bringing gifts and treats. Millie was taken straight away when she entered the home, and they raised her as their own.

Mother, Father, I promise Ill study hard, Charlie whispered, eyes fixed on the sky. Dont be angry that I now have other parents. I love them dearly, but they are only temporary until I can be with you again.

He already knew his biological parents had perished in a car crash; their graves lay in a quiet cemetery. Yet on Sundays he attended the Sunday school at St.Marys, and now he understood what the heavens truly meant.

Eleanor had first refused to understand her husbands grief, but destiny turned otherwise, and she married Edward once more. In the end, everyone in this tale found their own happiness.