She couldn't have planned it better herself. The evening was lovely. Zach had been rather put out at first when he'd come out for dinner, but he'd relaxed after a while, as did her mother and Will. Even she felt slightly awkward at the beginning, but once dinner was over the conversation was flowing. Zach asked Will about Georgetown. Alicia asked Grace about her exams, it was oddly natural and easy. She would even go so far as to say it was natural amongst them. It was the closest she'd felt to a family dynamic in a long time. Her mom had even been smiling when she said goodnight to her that night.
She decided to have a lazy day the following morning, slippers slipping on the floor and she started her breakfast.
"I wish I had a midterm too." Her mother said rushing into the kitchen.
"I thought you had the day off?" she watched as she brushed her hair out.
"From work I do. But I have that luncheon thing for with your dad. I must introduce him or something." She smiled. Grace handed her the earrings on the counter.
"That's not til later though is it? Maybe we could make pancakes." She smiled. Her mother stopped fixing herself and mirrored her reaction. She took a quick look at her watch.
"EIi's not collecting me for an hour we could do that." She put down her brush and opened the fridge door. "banana or chocolate?" she asked.
"How about bo…" Grace started only to be interrupted by a loud banging on the door. The two of them jumped as the bang came again. Zach burst out of his room on the third bang. The two women still frozen in the kitchen.
"Who is that?" he asked. Alicia walked around the island in front of her daughter.
"I don't know, go to your rooms a minute." Grace moved towards her door but didn't go in. she needed to know what was happening.
"Who do you think that could be?" Zach whispered as they watched their mother go towards the door.
"A client?" she shrugged, they moved closer together.
"God I hope not."
She opened the door and they leaned forward.
"What the hell is going on!" their father roared busting in the door, the two kids moved back against the wall.
"Peter what are you doin..." he stormed past her into the kitchen and Zach grabbed Grace's arm pulling her into his room leaving the door open a crack.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOiNG!" he bellowed even louder.
Grace reeled back into her brothers room and curled up against his window. He was standing by the door staring out.
"Peter please you're scaring me" she heard her mother pleading.
"I know he was here last night! With my family!" they heard something crash on the floor. "You had HIM here with my family!" Grace wrapped her arms around her head and tried to curl up in a ball. She was shaking and she couldn't catch her breath. They'd heard their parents fighting before but never like this. She jumped as a glass shattered against the wall beside the bedroom door. Zach was over to his sister in a flash and wrapped his arms around her.
"What do we do?" she whispered burying her face in his arm.
"I… I don't know."
"YOU SLUT!" the words shot through the room. The shouting and fighting went on and on, and even though she tried to block it out every work was getting to Grace more and more. Suddenly she knew what to do. She pulled out her phone and scrolled down through her contacts as quickly as she could.
"Its Grace…" she hissed down the phone.
"Grace? I'm in court what's up?" he said quickly
"….Will we need you."
"What? I'm in a really important case today…" he started to interrupt
"My dad's here and I'm really scared, I'm afraid he'll hurt mom." She dropped the phone in fright as what sounded like pots clattered against the floor. She fumbled trying to pick it up again "Please!"
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She had no idea how much time had passed when the shouting stopped. The final words they'd heard was their mother
"GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!" then they'd heard the door slam. She hadn't moved they'd stayed exactly where they were. After what felt like the longest time the door swung open and their mother came in.
"Mom." Zach stood up and immediately hugged his mother.
"Oh I am so sorry! You didn't need to hear all of that." She said hugging him tightly to her.
"Mom are you ok." Grace said sanding up and rushing to join them.
"I'm so sorry!" she repeated starting to cry.
"Oh no mom stop we're ok. We're ok." Grace hugged her tighter as she sunk to the floor taking the two of them with her. They just sat with her as she sobbed, neither of them knowing what to say. They'd faced a lot over the last few years but nothing like this.
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Grace picked up the throw cushions as Zach brushed the kitchen. Alicia gathered the pots and stowed them away.
"Breaking News." Grace looked up at the television. They'd only put I ton to fill the silence that had taken over the apartment. She frowned as a picture of the courthouse came up.
"Mooom…" she said slowly turning up the television.
"I'm here at Cook County Courthouse where shots have been fired." The reported said in a voice over, it was a video of the courthouse. She slumped down onto the couch.
"What's going on." Zach came into the room followed by his mother.
"Just five minutes ago there was numerous shots fired inside the courthouse. Sources say they all came from one of the courtrooms and that there is only one shooter. There has not been any official report from inside the building. It is thought that security are still securing the area an…" she paused as the video showed more squad cars show up outside the building. "…I have just gotten word that is there is three people injured inside the building." Her voice sounded much more serious. Grace turned away from the television to look at her mother.
"My god." She whispered holding her hand up to her mouth. Grace felt the blood drain from her face as she turned back.
"Dad?" Zach whispered.
"He's at the luncheon." Grace replied.
They looped the footage again but this time it was silent. The three of them watched and waited for more news.
The footage finally zoomed in on the door of the court house, now showing the cops rushing into the building along with paramedics.
"Yes we now have official confirmation there is one fatality inside the building and two more injured." The same voice came over the footage. "There was one gunman, a young man on trial for murder. We'll let you know when we get more news. This is breaking news from Cook County Courthouse where a shooting has occurred." She repeated
Her mother's breathless voice cut through the room
"That…. That's Will's case."
