~A Once and Again Series~
Now and Then
Hey all, thanks so reading and reviewing as always!!! And, now on to the show...
~Amy Grant// Baby Baby~
Baby, baby
I'm taken with the notion
To love you with the sweetest of devotion.
Baby, baby
My tender love will flow from
The bluest sky to the deepest ocean.
Stop for a minute
Baby, I'm so glad you're mine, yeah
You're mine.
Baby, baby
The stars are shining for you
And just like me I'm sure that they adore you.
Baby, baby
Go walking through the forest
The birds above a' singing you a chorus.
Stop for a minute
Baby, they're so glad you're mine, oh yeah
And ever since the day you put my heart in motion
Baby I realize that there's just no getting over you.
Chapter 20//The Sweetest of Devotion
Grace spent the night in the guest bedroom. She still hadn't seen August's bedroom. She remembered her embarrassing plea two years ago the night of the movie, hinting that she hadn't seen his bedroom, and that she really wanted to. She wasn't as embarrassed by it anymore, just amused.
Last night, after they finished kissing, August had cooked her dinner, and she had almost fallen asleep right there at the table. And so when he suggested she sleep in the guest room, she thought it made sense. She wasn't sure how much sleep she would get in his bed... with him in it too. And this morning, Grace awoke with the sun streaming in through the window on her face, and she had almost cried happy tears when she realized her life was finally coming together.
Of course, there still was the matter of Angelina, his soon-to-be-ex- wife, but Grace didn't let that bother her. Her mother and Rick had a happy life together, even though they both had ex-spouses. And now her dad was married to Tiffany, and Karen was married to Henry, and they all had wonderful relationships. So, as far as Grace was concerned, Angelina didn't matter. She was just a bump in the road on the way to Grace's happiness.
Of course, it was rather unsettling to be living in Angelina's house, and to be running across constant reminders of her, like her make up, pictures, clothes, etc. lying around. Grace had turned the picture on the nightstand of the guest bedroom over before she went to see that night. She didn't want to have to wake up to see August and Angelina holding each other and grinning happily at her. That was just too much.
"Good morning," August said from the doorway.
Grace leaped off the bed, and flew across the room to him. "Hey!"
August stepped back in surprise, but she flung herself on him anyways. August laughed.
"Did I tell you that you've changed my life?" Grace whispered. She kissed him softly on the lips.
"I think you have, but it doesn't hurt to hear it again," August replied, wrapping his arms around her. "I have to go teach a class. I just came to say goodbye."
"Goodbye, then," Grace kissed him again. Their lips lingered and finally he pulled apart.
"I'm going to go." August smiled sweetly at her, "I'll see you later, then, okay?"
Grace nodded, and watched him go. After she heard him close the door behind him and his car start up, she turned around. In one flying bound she jumped back on the bed. And giggling with pure joy, she jumped up and down on the firm mattress.
* * *
"Well, good morning, Eli," Lily said in surprise.
Eli gave a small smile and shrugged, "I ran out of food."
Lily only watched him go through the refrigerator, sensing that there was something more here. Something Eli wanted to tell her. "Was Grace going to come eat too?"
Eli turned, his hands holding two English muffins. He put one in the toaster and then turned and looked at his step-mother. "I wouldn't know."
Lily was puzzled. "What do you mean?"
Eli paused, not wanting to say it, but feeling like he should. "She moved out."
"Of your place??" Lily asked, completely confused. "Did she move back in here?"
"No."
"With her dad? Judy?" Lily questioned, feeling painful ache growing in her stomach as she thought of where Grace could be. "With HIM?"
Eli took a deep breath, "Yes."
"OH!" Lily gasped, and grabbed the counter for strength. She took a moment to collect herself. Then she said, "Thanks for telling me, Eli."
Eli nodded, a pained look on his face.
Lily left the room. She had to find Rick, and then call Jake, and then they were going to decide what they could do about Grace.
Eli watched her leave the room, visibly upset. His English muffin popped up in the toaster, burnt. Eli pulled it out with the tips of his fingers and tossed it into the trash.
* * *
Grace had just gotten back from her classes. She pulled into August's driveway. He wasn't home yet, but there was a car already in the drive. A car she knew all too well. Leaning against it was her mother.
Grace reluctantly got out of the car and headed for the showdown she had known was going to happen eventually.
"Grace," Her mother said, shaking her head in disgust. "What are you thinking?"
"Hi mom."
"How can you think your father and I are just going to let you live here, with HIM!? Grace!" Lily cried.
Grace walked closer to her mother, holding her hands in front of her as a gesture of peace. She didn't want to fight with her mother. But she wasn't going to forget about August... NO. "Mom, it's okay. He's not married - I mean, he's getting a divorce. And I'm 18 now, and it's legal."
"It's not about the legality, Grace, and you know that. It's about... morality." Lily crossed her arms angrily.
"Mom," Grace smiled, "I haven't done anything wrong. WE haven't done anything wrong. We love each other. Why isn't it okay for us to be together?"
Lily scoffed, "Grace, he's old enough to be your father!"
Grace smiled and shook her head lightly. Was that the best her mother could come up with? "Does that matter, if we love each other enough?"
Lily looked away, wet her lips with her tongue and continued, "So, you've loved him ever since he was your teacher?"
"Yes, for the most part." Grace shrugged, "I don't know when it started, exactly. But we knew we couldn't be together then.. and so we stayed apart. And fate brought us back together again. And I never lost my love for him in the mean time, doesn't that mean that it's real true love?"
Lily didn't want to be hearing this. She came here to yell, scream, and maybe even drag Grace into the car. She didn't expect to be actually understanding what Grace was saying. She had to get back to that mad part, again. She couldn't let Grace sway her. "You're father is extremely upset. He didn't even want to come with me today, because he couldn't stand to look at you, after what you've done."
Now that stung Grace.
Lily began to feel the anger pulsing in her veins again, "This isn't right, Grace, and you know it. He's like a child molester, that what he is!"
Grace gritted her teeth, "Now, I'm the one who doesn't even want to see YOU! I'm not a child. He's not some pervert, and if you can't even see that, then you're blind! We love each other, and I'm not going to move out of his house. I don't care what hurtful words you throw at me.. I'll just end up hating you. Do you want that, mother?"
"No," Lily admitted.
Grace shook her head, feeling tears building in her eyes. "Then, just go. I don't want to talk to you now."
"Grace, please come home," Lily made one last attempt.
"I'm sorry, mom."
Grace waited as Lily backed out of the drive and then she went around to the back door, using the spare key August had given her, she let herself into her home.
* * *
Now and Then
Hey all, thanks so reading and reviewing as always!!! And, now on to the show...
~Amy Grant// Baby Baby~
Baby, baby
I'm taken with the notion
To love you with the sweetest of devotion.
Baby, baby
My tender love will flow from
The bluest sky to the deepest ocean.
Stop for a minute
Baby, I'm so glad you're mine, yeah
You're mine.
Baby, baby
The stars are shining for you
And just like me I'm sure that they adore you.
Baby, baby
Go walking through the forest
The birds above a' singing you a chorus.
Stop for a minute
Baby, they're so glad you're mine, oh yeah
And ever since the day you put my heart in motion
Baby I realize that there's just no getting over you.
Chapter 20//The Sweetest of Devotion
Grace spent the night in the guest bedroom. She still hadn't seen August's bedroom. She remembered her embarrassing plea two years ago the night of the movie, hinting that she hadn't seen his bedroom, and that she really wanted to. She wasn't as embarrassed by it anymore, just amused.
Last night, after they finished kissing, August had cooked her dinner, and she had almost fallen asleep right there at the table. And so when he suggested she sleep in the guest room, she thought it made sense. She wasn't sure how much sleep she would get in his bed... with him in it too. And this morning, Grace awoke with the sun streaming in through the window on her face, and she had almost cried happy tears when she realized her life was finally coming together.
Of course, there still was the matter of Angelina, his soon-to-be-ex- wife, but Grace didn't let that bother her. Her mother and Rick had a happy life together, even though they both had ex-spouses. And now her dad was married to Tiffany, and Karen was married to Henry, and they all had wonderful relationships. So, as far as Grace was concerned, Angelina didn't matter. She was just a bump in the road on the way to Grace's happiness.
Of course, it was rather unsettling to be living in Angelina's house, and to be running across constant reminders of her, like her make up, pictures, clothes, etc. lying around. Grace had turned the picture on the nightstand of the guest bedroom over before she went to see that night. She didn't want to have to wake up to see August and Angelina holding each other and grinning happily at her. That was just too much.
"Good morning," August said from the doorway.
Grace leaped off the bed, and flew across the room to him. "Hey!"
August stepped back in surprise, but she flung herself on him anyways. August laughed.
"Did I tell you that you've changed my life?" Grace whispered. She kissed him softly on the lips.
"I think you have, but it doesn't hurt to hear it again," August replied, wrapping his arms around her. "I have to go teach a class. I just came to say goodbye."
"Goodbye, then," Grace kissed him again. Their lips lingered and finally he pulled apart.
"I'm going to go." August smiled sweetly at her, "I'll see you later, then, okay?"
Grace nodded, and watched him go. After she heard him close the door behind him and his car start up, she turned around. In one flying bound she jumped back on the bed. And giggling with pure joy, she jumped up and down on the firm mattress.
* * *
"Well, good morning, Eli," Lily said in surprise.
Eli gave a small smile and shrugged, "I ran out of food."
Lily only watched him go through the refrigerator, sensing that there was something more here. Something Eli wanted to tell her. "Was Grace going to come eat too?"
Eli turned, his hands holding two English muffins. He put one in the toaster and then turned and looked at his step-mother. "I wouldn't know."
Lily was puzzled. "What do you mean?"
Eli paused, not wanting to say it, but feeling like he should. "She moved out."
"Of your place??" Lily asked, completely confused. "Did she move back in here?"
"No."
"With her dad? Judy?" Lily questioned, feeling painful ache growing in her stomach as she thought of where Grace could be. "With HIM?"
Eli took a deep breath, "Yes."
"OH!" Lily gasped, and grabbed the counter for strength. She took a moment to collect herself. Then she said, "Thanks for telling me, Eli."
Eli nodded, a pained look on his face.
Lily left the room. She had to find Rick, and then call Jake, and then they were going to decide what they could do about Grace.
Eli watched her leave the room, visibly upset. His English muffin popped up in the toaster, burnt. Eli pulled it out with the tips of his fingers and tossed it into the trash.
* * *
Grace had just gotten back from her classes. She pulled into August's driveway. He wasn't home yet, but there was a car already in the drive. A car she knew all too well. Leaning against it was her mother.
Grace reluctantly got out of the car and headed for the showdown she had known was going to happen eventually.
"Grace," Her mother said, shaking her head in disgust. "What are you thinking?"
"Hi mom."
"How can you think your father and I are just going to let you live here, with HIM!? Grace!" Lily cried.
Grace walked closer to her mother, holding her hands in front of her as a gesture of peace. She didn't want to fight with her mother. But she wasn't going to forget about August... NO. "Mom, it's okay. He's not married - I mean, he's getting a divorce. And I'm 18 now, and it's legal."
"It's not about the legality, Grace, and you know that. It's about... morality." Lily crossed her arms angrily.
"Mom," Grace smiled, "I haven't done anything wrong. WE haven't done anything wrong. We love each other. Why isn't it okay for us to be together?"
Lily scoffed, "Grace, he's old enough to be your father!"
Grace smiled and shook her head lightly. Was that the best her mother could come up with? "Does that matter, if we love each other enough?"
Lily looked away, wet her lips with her tongue and continued, "So, you've loved him ever since he was your teacher?"
"Yes, for the most part." Grace shrugged, "I don't know when it started, exactly. But we knew we couldn't be together then.. and so we stayed apart. And fate brought us back together again. And I never lost my love for him in the mean time, doesn't that mean that it's real true love?"
Lily didn't want to be hearing this. She came here to yell, scream, and maybe even drag Grace into the car. She didn't expect to be actually understanding what Grace was saying. She had to get back to that mad part, again. She couldn't let Grace sway her. "You're father is extremely upset. He didn't even want to come with me today, because he couldn't stand to look at you, after what you've done."
Now that stung Grace.
Lily began to feel the anger pulsing in her veins again, "This isn't right, Grace, and you know it. He's like a child molester, that what he is!"
Grace gritted her teeth, "Now, I'm the one who doesn't even want to see YOU! I'm not a child. He's not some pervert, and if you can't even see that, then you're blind! We love each other, and I'm not going to move out of his house. I don't care what hurtful words you throw at me.. I'll just end up hating you. Do you want that, mother?"
"No," Lily admitted.
Grace shook her head, feeling tears building in her eyes. "Then, just go. I don't want to talk to you now."
"Grace, please come home," Lily made one last attempt.
"I'm sorry, mom."
Grace waited as Lily backed out of the drive and then she went around to the back door, using the spare key August had given her, she let herself into her home.
* * *