TITLE: Life Turns
SUMARRY: This is the story of Grace Farrell before she came to work for Mr. War bucks, the early years and when she finally goes to the orphanage and gets Annie. Does Grace get her dreams or will they forever be dashed from her?
CATEGORY: Drama / Family / Hurt/Comfort / Tragedy / Angst/ Spiritual / Romance/ Crime
RATING: T
PROLUGE
DAY DREAMING
It all begins at the beginning. At least that's what a fortune cookie had told her years ago in her early childhood. Matter of fact she had secretly kept that small white paper with just that one sentence boldly blacked typed on it in her memory box. She would retrieve it in every new turn her life had taken. First day of a new school year, first day of high school, her high school graduation and her first day at the University. It had helped her when she had felt alone and unsure in the world. It had actually helped her when her parents tragically were killed when she was ten years old and she was sent to leave with an aunt and uncle who truly didn't want her. It kept her going on and living the life that she knew her parents always wished for her.
She was sitting in her massive bedroom in the War bucks mansion and she stared at the little yellow slip of paper. The type face was faded now where you could just barely make out the words of the sentence. You could read ' -t --- b—gin- a- -h- ----n--ng'. If someone had looked at it they would have just tossed it in a trash can. But too Grace Farrell it was the saving grace of her life. She had long sense sheered the simple sentence into her soul. It was branded for life.
The door opened but Grace didn't lift her eyes from the scape of paper. She felt the bed shift as two bodies climbed on it and she felt four legs fly over her long tan smooth legs and land with a plumb on the other side. But her eyes were fixed on the slip of paper and her mind was long way away. "Grace?" A small childish voice said in her ear. "Earth to Ms. Grace Farrell." A small hand waved it self in front of her eyes and Grace finally lifted her wide baby blue eyes up and looked into the open brown eyes of the orphan girl that had just been recently stationed at Oliver War bucks mansion. The orphan girl that she, Grace Farrell herself had the sole hand on placing in the mansion. Her lips slowly turned into a wide smile. "Hello Annie," She reached over and gently tickled the red headed ten year olds nose.
"Hello." Annie said with a wide grin as she leaned into Grace so she could look at the slip of the paper. Her face went into the look that she had when she was dealing with bullies. "'-t --- b----gin-a -h- ----n--ng'" she looked up into Grace's eyes. "Leaping Lizards, Ms. Farrell is that Greek?"
Grace laughed and shook her head. "Oh no, Annie, it's just an old fortune cookie paper that I like to carry around is all. It used to read 'It begins at the beginning.'"
Annie's face looked up into Grace's with an 'huh' expression.
Grace shook her head. "You don't need to understand the reasoning of a silly old woman." She reached over Annie's shoulders and carefully put the paper back in her memory box and closed the lid.
"You aren't old Ms. Farrell. You are what only in your middle thirties, no early thirties." Annie said sitting up and across from Grace. She tilted her head and put her finger to her chin as she seriously considered Grace. "You would look your age," She shook her head gently side to side, "no you would look much longer if you would just wear your hair down. You have such beautiful hair Miss. Farrell, you also have beautiful eyes that just needs the proper hair style to outshine even more than they do now."
Grace blushed as she listened to the little girl in front of her telling her that she was beautiful. She very well knew that statement wasn't true. Why she had crooked teeth, her check bones were high up almost touching her forehead. Her figure was just avenge. She was no Vivien Leigh. She wasn't going to fight for Tara and save her family from the Civil War. No she was just Grace Farrell just your very avenge woman in her early thirties.
"Ms. Farrell? Grace?" Annie said waving her hand in front of Grace's face once more. Grace blinked and shook her head slightly. "I'm so sorry Annie I didn't mean to zone out on you yet again my dear." She leaned forward and quickly started to tickle the ten year old girl in front of her. The girl whom had stolen her heart from the first moment she set eyes on her in Ms. Hannigon's office closet.
Annie's laughter resounded off the walls throughout the large and spacious room. A room that could easily housed four people comfortably. Annie finally managed to wiggle out of Grace's clutches. She got off the bed and rushed over to the sitting area and ducked behind the sitting couch. She peeked at the right side and saw Grace get off her bed and come towards her in a slight bent position with her hands out tickle ready.
Grace arrived at the love seat and quickly went around the back and found Annie backing away towards where the couch was Grace quickly followed and pounced on Annie causing the young girl to fall onto the couch having a flow blown laugh attack. How Grace loved that sound. She would do anything to make it last forever.
END PROLUGE
