A/N: Well, here is the last chapter! I hope you have enjoyed this story. Don't worry, I will have a sequel coming out in the next few days to a week. Thanks for reading!
Chapter 24: All Back to Normal
Soon the day that Grace was dreading came. The day that the girls would have to go back to school. Grace was feeling the same anxiety she felt a year ago when the girls started school for the first time, but for some reason she felt like she was even more worried this year. She expressed her worries to Oliver one night after the girls had gone to bed.
"Grace, the girls will be absolutely fine. You worry too much." He said, wrapping her in a warm embrace.
"I can't help it, Oliver. They've both been through so much this summer. Molly is just starting to act like herself again, and Annie is a nervous wreck that something is going to happen to her, Molly or Charlotte."
"She is?" Oliver asked, surprised, as this was the first he was hearing of this.
"We've been focusing on Charlotte and Molly so much, but she's expressed these fears to me a few times, and sadly, it's with good reason. She knows that we can't always protect them. Molly, too, but she's younger. She doesn't understand as much as Annie does. Annie knows bad people, like Nathan, are practically everywhere, and that they're a threat to us because you're so rich."
Oliver sat down and sighed. "She shouldn't have to worry about that."
"She shouldn't, you're right. Just like Molly shouldn't have been kidnapped. But she was, and Annie does worry. And like I said, it's with good reason."
"I know, but right now, after everything, it's good for the girls to have some normalcy."
Grace sat on the bed now. "I suppose so. I'm still worried, though. Stress right now isn't good for either of them."
Oliver kissed Grace's forehead. "Don't worry so much. They are smart girls, they will be fine."
Grace nodded and settled under the covers. She read a book for ahwile, before falling asleep, stressed.
Grace awoke the next morning to find both her older daughters in bed next to her on either side, and Oliver already gone. She chuckled as she sat up. The girls awoke upon movement and Grace smiled at her daughters.
"Good morning, girls." She said.
"Morning, Mom." Annie said, sitting up and yawning.
"Morning, Mommy." Molly said.
"How did you girls sleep?"
"Good." They both said in unison and Grace smiled.
"That's good. Are you girls up for some back to school shopping today?"
"Sure, Mom." Annie said.
Grace got out of bed and put on her robe and slippers. "Let's go eat breakfast, then."
The girls followed Grace downstairs and into the dining room, where Mrs. Pugh had put a plate of blueberry pancakes on the table. Grace served her daughters and then herself, sitting down at the table. Oliver was nowhere in sight, and Mrs. Pugh informed Grace that Oliver had sent a request for a tray to be brought to his office.
"Where's Daddy, Mom?" Annie asked.
"He's working, sweetheart. He must be busy with work." Grace furrowed her eyebrows.
"Is he gonna come shopping with us?" Molly asked.
"I don't think so, honey, it's just going to be the three of us today. Are you excited about school starting again?"
Molly shrugged. "Not really."
"Why not, sweetheart?"
"I'm just not excited. I don't really like school."
"You're going to have fun, honey. I promise you, alright?"
Molly nodded. "I guess so."
"Alright. Well, you two go get dressed and we'll leave in about an hour, alright?"
"Okay, Mom. C'mon, Molly." Annie and Molly went upstairs and Grace went to Oliver's office.
"Busy?" She asked and Oliver looked up.
"Oh, yes. I've been very busy lately."
"With what?"
"I'm just busy with work."
Grace sighed. "Alright. Well, the girls and I are going shopping. We'll be back later. I'm going to leave Charlotte here with Mrs. Pugh, alright?"
Oliver kissed Grace's cheek. "Alright, sweetheart. Have fun."
Grace turned and went to get ready for shopping.
Grace, Annie, and Molly were out all afternoon shopping for school supplies and new clothes. The girls were happy to be out with their mother and have her all to themselves, and Grace realized it was the first time since Charlotte had been born that all three of them were together, alone.
"Are you feeling better about school starting?" Annie asked her little sister on the way home from shopping.
"A little bit." Molly said.
"Sweetheart, school is going to be fun this year, I promise you." Grace said and Molly hugged her mother.
"What if they make fun of me like they did last year?" She whispered and Grace looked at her daughter in the eye.
"Then you just ignore it, baby. I know that might not be easy, but those people who are mean to you don't matter, alright?"
"Yeah, Molly, what Mom said is right. And if they're mean to you, I'll take care of them, okay?" Annie said.
Molly giggled and nodded.
The three girls arrived home and Grace sent them off to go play. She found Oliver in the nursery with Charlotte, rocking her back and forth. She loved to see him with her, and whenever she saw him with her, she always felt a little guilty that she hadn't found the girls sooner.
Oliver looked up and smiled at his wife. "I'm trying to put her to sleep," He whispered and Grace nodded.
"She's such a Daddy's girl." Grace said, as Charlotte fell asleep.
"She is. I can't wait until she's older."
Oliver put Charlotte in her crib and left the nursery with Grace, arm in arm.
The girls went to bed around ten P.M. that night and Grace and Oliver stayed up for about another hour before retiring to bed themselves. Around three AM, Molly woke up from a nightmare about school starting and went down the hall to Annie's room. She hopped up onto the bed, and upon feeling the bed move, Annie woke up.
"Molly?" She whispered, "What's wrong?"
"I had a bad dream about school starting," Molly replied, through small sobs.
Annie pulled her little sister close to her, kissing her forehead.
"It's okay, Molly. I know you're afraid about school starting again, but there's nothing to be afraid of, alright? You're going to have so much fun this year. You're going to be back with your friends again."
Molly nodded.
"Do you want to sleep with me tonight?"
"Yeah." Molly whispered and Annie settled her sister under the covers.
"I don't want to go to school." Molly whispered and Annie sighed.
"I know you don't, Molly, but we all have to go and Mom and Daddy will make sure you have a good time. Go to sleep, it's almost four AM."
Molly closed her eyes and Annie kissed her sister's forehead once more. 'I lovve you, Molly."
"Love you, too," Molly said as she drifted off to sleep.
The next few days passed by in a blur of getting the girls ready for school. Annie told Grace about Molly coming into her room and Grace felt bad for her daughter. She talked to Molly about her fears about school starting and reassured her that she would be absolutely fine. Monday came, and the whole Warbucks family were up early for the girl's first day of school.
"I love you girls both so much." Grace said to Annie and Molly as she was helping them get ready for school after breakfast. "I'm so proud of you."
Annie smiled. "Thanks, Mom."
"Go on and get your bags, we should be leaving soon."
Annie left the room, but Molly hung behind.
"Mommy?" She said to Grace.
"Yes, honey?"
"I love you and Daddy so much." She hugged her mother and Grace smiled.
"I love you, too, baby girl, more than you will ever know. Now, go and get your bags for school."
Molly ran off to get her bags and the family of five piled into the car. They pulled up in front of the school and Grace got out with the girls, hugging them both tightly and giving them words of encouragement before letting them go to their classes. She got back into the car and sat next to Oliver, watching them walk into their classrooms.
"I'm so proud of both of them for all that they've overcome in this past year." She said and leaned her head on Oliver's shoulder.
"Me too, darling, me too. I'm so thankful that they came into our life."
Grace smiled as the car pulled away from the school. She was proud of her family and looked forward for the memories that were to come in the years ahead.