Molly nodded mutely. It was a moment before she could go on.
"He found me when I was three." She felt that young again. "I-I was trying to steal from him - food because I was hungry." She smiled a little. "And I was really bad at it."
The relevant details. She had to get back to them. "But people in small towns have a way of caring more about what their neighbors do than is healthy. Some people in Tide really didn't like us." It wasn't hers to tell, but what harm could it do to Theo? to Bran? She knew that they didn't mind really. And it wasn't like word was going to get back to them. "You see, because Theo lived with Bran - they were both sailors and, well, it's not that uncommon because, uh, when you sail it doesn't make much sense to keep up a home year round. You're gone all the time any way. So it makes sense to share the expenses and chores with someone else. If you're not married. And they weren't - aren't." She was stumbling over her words now.
"Still, people didn't like it. They could ignore two men living together, but not if they were raising a daughter. Not that they would have taken me in. Who needs an extra mouth to feed? But disapproving is free. So you see, it's okay if you don't want me to stay. Nobody ever does."
Molly was doing her best to stay disconnected. It was almost as if it was someone else's life she was describing. She tried to maintain that feeling, but she failed. It was her life and her feelings.