Nick's penthouse was... luxurious, to say the least.
The new Mrs. Skolka had been enjoying this luxury for the past month. The newlyweds were trying to find their way through all of the ups and downs that went with cohabiting with someone new.
So far, so good. At least...until Nick started asking her about when she planned on moving all of her things in.
He had asked again last night, as they lay in the afterglow of their lovemaking.
Grace sighed, fidgeting with the spoon in her teacup. She loved Nick. She knew he loved her. He loved her for who she was. He was a good man. She had married him because of all those things and more.
So why is it that every time she thought about moving all of her things out of the home she shared with Frankie, she felt physically ill?
She missed her. God, she missed her so much.
"There's just one thing... I ummm... I married Nick last night."
She held up her left hand, holding the simple gold band up for Frankie to see. She felt sheepish, and almost... ashamed?
She watched as realization overcame the expression on her best friend's face,
followed by shock, and then... devastation?
She watched as her best friend turned away from her, and sank down on her knees to the sand below them.
Not knowing what to do, she knelt down beside her.
They sat that way, in silence, for what seemed like an eternity to Grace.
And then, suddenly, Frankie faced her, took a deep breath and said "Congratulations. I... I'm happy for you."
And then, just as suddenly, she got up, turned away, and walked back to their beach house.
Grace gingerly stood up, not an easy task after her knee replacement, and called after her.
But Frankie just kept walking.
It was later on that night, as she lay awake in Nick's arms while he slept, that she remembered seeing Frankie frantically wipe at her eyes with her hand. She had been crying.
Grace allowed her own tears to fall, then. She knew in that moment that nothing would ever be the same between she and Frankie, that so much would remain left unsaid between them.
She missed her already.
"Morning, sweetheart."
Grace was startled out of her thoughts by her husband's sudden presence and his lips kissing the top of her head.
"Hmmm. Morning."
"You're up early." She watched Nick place a Sumatra coffee pod into the Keurig.
"Yea, well. When you get to be my age sleeping in usually isn't possible."
He shrugged and finished preparing his coffee. "What were you planning on doing today?"
Grace sighed. "I'm not sure. I was thinking of maybe heading to the beach house... so I could see..."
"So you can start packing up your things? Oh that's great! I'm glad you finally decided!"
Grace closed her mouth at the interruption. "...so I could see Frankie."
"Yea... well... it has been a month after all. You're right. It's time." She swallowed hard. Could she taste bile in her mouth?
He grinned and kissed her sweetly on the mouth, then caught a glimpse of the time on his watch. "I gotta get ready, honey. We have a few important things we need to get done at the board meeting today."
Grace nodded. "No problem. I'm just going to text Frankie to let her know I'll be over."
"Sounds good. Tell Kooky hello for me will ya?"
Grace grimaced. She hated that nickname. "Oh, I will."
When Nick retreated to their bedroom, she grabbed her phone and sent Frankie a quick text. Hey, girl. Thought I would stop by today. Are you going to be around?
She waited for a few minutes, to see if Frankie would respond, or if she would even read the text. It had been almost a week since they had last spoken. It had been an awkward exchange, full of small talk and pleasantries. It was as if they were back to being Mrs. Robert and Mrs. Sol again. And Grace hated it.
Fifteen minutes and one cold cup of tea later, she decided to just get ready for the day. Sitting there staring at the phone wasn't going to do her any good.
Leaving her phone behind, she heads to the bedroom. She hears Nick finishing up his shower and starts picking out her clothes for the day. She decides on some dark gray leggings and her favorite pink sweater. It was chilly today and she wanted to be comfortable if she was going to be at the beach. Her gray pair of flats would complete the look.
She had just started to lay the clothes on the bed when she heard Nick whistling, and she smiled at him.
"Sweetheart... it's been a month... when I finish this deal up at work, which hopefully will only take a few more days, we can start talking about where you would like go to for a honeymoon." He headed into his walk-in closet to get dressed for the day, but he could still hear her so she decided to indulge him.
"I don't care. Anywhere is good. Just not Paris... too cliché."
She hears him laugh and she chuckles in response.
That's when she hears the familiar sound of her cell phone ringing, the generic ringtone blaring from the kitchen.
Frankie!
She hastens to the kitchen, grabbing the phone off of the counter. She's a little surprised and more than a little started to see Bud's name across the screen.
What could be be calling her for? Unless...
"Hello? Bud? What's wrong?" The words came out jumbled, her own voice unfamiliar to her.
There's a pause. Bud's voice is strained.
"Grace, mom had another stroke this morning."
Grace can't breathe. Her hand grips the phone like a vice. Oh God. No.
No no no no. Please God. Not Frankie. She manages to find her voice after a moment, closing her eyes.
"Oh God. Is she...?"
"The doctor says it's serious. She was alone for over an hour after it happened before I stopped by to visit and found her. They... they induced a coma." His voice breaks. "We're pretty scared, Grace. Look I... I know you and Mom haven't exactly been close these last few weeks but..."
"I'm coming. I'll be there as soon as I can get dressed. Which hospital?"
"Kindred. Thanks, Grace. Could you call Mallory and Brianna for me?"
"Of course. Do you need anything?"
"No, we're good for now. Dad is here with Robert and Coyote. The doctor said he would be out to speak with us in a little while."
"Ok." Grace bites her lip. "She will pull through, Bud. She will. Frankie is tougher than all of us."
"I don't know about that. She looks... so small. I've never seen her look that small."
"Shhh...I'll be there soon, okay?"
She hangs up and for a minute all she can do is stand there, her hand clutching her chest.
She hears Bud's words in her head like a terrible mantra. She was alone for over an hour after it happened... She was alone for over an hour after it happened...
She rushes back into the bedroom, tears she didn't know had fallen on her cheeks, and heads into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. For a second she thinks she might be sick, but after a few calming breaths she manages to right herself and she brushes her teeth, then makes a half-hearted attempt at combing her hair.
Her movements are quick and precise, and she walks out of the bathroom with a stricken look on her face. She knows Nick is speaking to her. She knows he's concerned. But all she can do is methodically put on her bra and underwear, then her leggings, then her sweater. Where are her socks?
"Grace?! What is going on? Talk to me!" Nick has her by the shoulders, forcing her to look at him.
It's as if an invisible force has snapped her out of her haze. She narrows her eyes at him. "Frankie is in a coma! A coma, Nick!" Her voice sounds nothing like her own. It's a shrill, frantic sound. "She had another stroke! She was alone. ALONE, Nick! For an hour, before Bud found her! And now she is in a coma!"
"Oh my God...Grace l..."
"Bud and Coyote need me, and I need to be there. If you can't get out of your board meeting to take me to the hospital then I will take an Uber but either way you need to get out of my way so I can find my socks and get out of here!"
Nick nods. "Of course I'll take you! Which hospital?"
"Kindred."
He nods, moves out of her way and while she resumes her search for her socks, he grabs his phone to send a few messages to postpone the meeting.
Three minutes later, Grace is in the passenger seat of Nick's Mercedes. She hasn't spoken another word to him since she told him which hospital Frankie was in. She searches through her contacts and calls Brianna, her heart hammering in her chest.
As she relays the news to her eldest daughter, all she can hear is the voice in the back of her head saying...
I should have been there.