~A Once and Again Series~
Now and Then
~Drift Away~
Sometimes I think I'm wastin' my time
I don't understand the things I do
The world outside looks so unkind
And I'm countin' on you
To carry me through.
Give me the beat boys and free my soul
I wanna get lost in your rock n roll
And drift away.
Chapter 22// Free my Soul
Grace hesitated at the entrance to the bookstore/café. With a deep breath she pushed the door open. She walked across the mildly crowded room, and slipped into the office. Her father sat at his desk. Tiffany was sitting on the edge of the desk, balancing Maddy on one knee.
"Grace!" Tiffany said in surprise. She glanced at her husband.
"Grace!" Almost three-year old Maddy pronounced. Grace leaned in and gave her half sister a kiss on the cheek.
Her father was silent. Grace looked at him, waiting for anything. Tiffany backed out of the room, eyeing the two of them uneasily. Grace moved closer to the desk. "Dad?"
Jake looked up at her finally, "So, I'm still your 'Dad'?"
"Of course," Grace said in confusion.
"Hmm, because I'm having trouble thinking of YOU as my daughter." Jake said, not even looking at her, instead studying the open book in front of him.
"Dad! Don't say that... I'm still GRACE. I'm still me. I just have a boyfriend." Grace hoped her father would accept her and August. She wanted his acceptance.
"BOYFRIEND? Boyfriend? Grace," Jake couldn't even continue speaking. He shook his head in disgust and eyed his daughter warily. "What are you doing, Grace?"
"I'm just trying to be HAPPY," Grace said, tears coming to her eyes. "He makes me happy. I love him..."
"Oh, no, I don't want to hear that!" Jake pounded the desk with his fist. "You can't love him, Grace. It's not right."
"I do love him, daddy. And he loves me. I've finally found the right person for me. Can't you be happy for me?" Grace pleaded.
"Grace, he's... he's married, your mother says." Jake said.
"He's getting divorced."
"But he's NOT divorced, is he, Grace? What are you doing with him?" Jake asked.
"Well, you're certainly an expert on extra-marital affairs, dad." Grace said, and immediately regretted it.
Jake frowned, and stood up. "Just leave."
"But... daddy?" Grace begged.
Jake turned away, turning his back on his daughter. "Go." Grace went.
* * *
"So, you're coming back tomorrow?" Grace asked as she watched August toss his small bag into his car.
"Yeah," August leaned in and kissed her lightly, his lips lingering on hers. "All I have to do is see her, and talk to her. And get her to sign these." August held up a manilla folder.
"Divorce papers?" Grace asked.
"Not exactly... legal separation papers for now. The divorce papers come later."
Grace nodded, and stepped back. "I'll see you tomorrow, then."
August blew her a kiss, and got into his car. Grace stood in the driveway and watched him drive off.
* * *
August entered the Madison Performing Arts center later that night. He had talked to Angelina earlier and she had told him she would still be at rehearsals when he arrived. August noticed her in a group on the stage and sat in a seat near the back to watch.
Angelina was an actress, a singer, and a dancer. She did it all. August had been awestruck by her talent when he had first seen her in a play a year or so back. She had moved him with her talent and beauty. And now August watched her again, memories of that first play, "A Twilight Dream of Sorts", dancing in his head.
Angelina spun on the stage, the lights reflecting off her golden skin. Her long blond hair was tangled up in a tight bun. Her model's body was shown off by the tight spandex she wore. She looked as amazing as she had ever looked before. And yet, even though August saw her beauty and acknowledged it, it wasn't affecting him. He found himself just wishing she'd hurry up, so he could get back to Grace. Maybe he'd skip spending a night at a hotel and just drive back to Chicago later tonight. Yeah, that sounded good. He could surprise her, and see the delighted smile on her face.
Eventually Angelina finished up her practice, and came down the aisle towards him. "Hi."
August straightened up in his seat. "Hi."
Angelina came and sat down in the seat next to him. "What did you think?"
"Hmm?"
"About the play.." Angelina corrected. "It's amazing, isn't it? Brian is a f*cking genius."
"Yeah, it looked really.. interesting." August looked over at his wife, and suddenly waited more than anything to be on the road again, heading back to Grace. "I have some papers I wanted you to sign.." August said, getting to the matter he had come for.
"Don't you want to go back to the hotel and talk?" Angelina asked. She stood up, and waited for him to join her. "Auggie?"
"No, I think it would be best if we just got this done with..." August opened the folder he had brought. "I had Jeff make up these papers for us."
Angelina leaned over and looked at the papers. "Legal separation?"
"Yes, it's the first step in getting divorced." August explained. He began searching in his pockets for a pen.
"Auggie, you just can't do this!" Angelina cried.
"What?"
"The plan was, that we'd TALK. I asked you up here to talk. We never said anything about papers." Angelina's fiery blue eyes stared into him. "Why would you think..."
"I thought we were clear on this, Angelina. You knew I wanted a divorce." August said firmly.
"Yes, but I thought we'd at least talk. I've given you months, and you can't even spend an hour to talk to me?" Angelina sighed. "Typical."
"Angie... what we have isn't working. Getting divorced is the right thing." August said.
"I know that! I know... I just wished..." Angelina stood up. "Forget it! Just give me the damn pen!"
August handed her the papers. Angelina scribbled her name at the places marked. She tossed the papers back at him and left the theatre in a storm. August collected the tossed papers, and let her go. It was over.
* * *
Grace awoke to the sound of a person entering the bedroom. Groggily, she looked into the dark. "August?"
August slid into the bed with her. "It's done."
"You came back early," Grace said, catching the time on the clock. It was 2:11am.
"I did." His slightly cold hands wrapped around her body. Grace lay back against him, enjoying the feel of his body against hers. "Goodnight," August whispered.
"Goodnight," Grace said back. She closed her eyes, smiling. And sleep came up and stole her away. And she drifted into the deepness of peace.
* * *
Now and Then
~Drift Away~
Sometimes I think I'm wastin' my time
I don't understand the things I do
The world outside looks so unkind
And I'm countin' on you
To carry me through.
Give me the beat boys and free my soul
I wanna get lost in your rock n roll
And drift away.
Chapter 22// Free my Soul
Grace hesitated at the entrance to the bookstore/café. With a deep breath she pushed the door open. She walked across the mildly crowded room, and slipped into the office. Her father sat at his desk. Tiffany was sitting on the edge of the desk, balancing Maddy on one knee.
"Grace!" Tiffany said in surprise. She glanced at her husband.
"Grace!" Almost three-year old Maddy pronounced. Grace leaned in and gave her half sister a kiss on the cheek.
Her father was silent. Grace looked at him, waiting for anything. Tiffany backed out of the room, eyeing the two of them uneasily. Grace moved closer to the desk. "Dad?"
Jake looked up at her finally, "So, I'm still your 'Dad'?"
"Of course," Grace said in confusion.
"Hmm, because I'm having trouble thinking of YOU as my daughter." Jake said, not even looking at her, instead studying the open book in front of him.
"Dad! Don't say that... I'm still GRACE. I'm still me. I just have a boyfriend." Grace hoped her father would accept her and August. She wanted his acceptance.
"BOYFRIEND? Boyfriend? Grace," Jake couldn't even continue speaking. He shook his head in disgust and eyed his daughter warily. "What are you doing, Grace?"
"I'm just trying to be HAPPY," Grace said, tears coming to her eyes. "He makes me happy. I love him..."
"Oh, no, I don't want to hear that!" Jake pounded the desk with his fist. "You can't love him, Grace. It's not right."
"I do love him, daddy. And he loves me. I've finally found the right person for me. Can't you be happy for me?" Grace pleaded.
"Grace, he's... he's married, your mother says." Jake said.
"He's getting divorced."
"But he's NOT divorced, is he, Grace? What are you doing with him?" Jake asked.
"Well, you're certainly an expert on extra-marital affairs, dad." Grace said, and immediately regretted it.
Jake frowned, and stood up. "Just leave."
"But... daddy?" Grace begged.
Jake turned away, turning his back on his daughter. "Go." Grace went.
* * *
"So, you're coming back tomorrow?" Grace asked as she watched August toss his small bag into his car.
"Yeah," August leaned in and kissed her lightly, his lips lingering on hers. "All I have to do is see her, and talk to her. And get her to sign these." August held up a manilla folder.
"Divorce papers?" Grace asked.
"Not exactly... legal separation papers for now. The divorce papers come later."
Grace nodded, and stepped back. "I'll see you tomorrow, then."
August blew her a kiss, and got into his car. Grace stood in the driveway and watched him drive off.
* * *
August entered the Madison Performing Arts center later that night. He had talked to Angelina earlier and she had told him she would still be at rehearsals when he arrived. August noticed her in a group on the stage and sat in a seat near the back to watch.
Angelina was an actress, a singer, and a dancer. She did it all. August had been awestruck by her talent when he had first seen her in a play a year or so back. She had moved him with her talent and beauty. And now August watched her again, memories of that first play, "A Twilight Dream of Sorts", dancing in his head.
Angelina spun on the stage, the lights reflecting off her golden skin. Her long blond hair was tangled up in a tight bun. Her model's body was shown off by the tight spandex she wore. She looked as amazing as she had ever looked before. And yet, even though August saw her beauty and acknowledged it, it wasn't affecting him. He found himself just wishing she'd hurry up, so he could get back to Grace. Maybe he'd skip spending a night at a hotel and just drive back to Chicago later tonight. Yeah, that sounded good. He could surprise her, and see the delighted smile on her face.
Eventually Angelina finished up her practice, and came down the aisle towards him. "Hi."
August straightened up in his seat. "Hi."
Angelina came and sat down in the seat next to him. "What did you think?"
"Hmm?"
"About the play.." Angelina corrected. "It's amazing, isn't it? Brian is a f*cking genius."
"Yeah, it looked really.. interesting." August looked over at his wife, and suddenly waited more than anything to be on the road again, heading back to Grace. "I have some papers I wanted you to sign.." August said, getting to the matter he had come for.
"Don't you want to go back to the hotel and talk?" Angelina asked. She stood up, and waited for him to join her. "Auggie?"
"No, I think it would be best if we just got this done with..." August opened the folder he had brought. "I had Jeff make up these papers for us."
Angelina leaned over and looked at the papers. "Legal separation?"
"Yes, it's the first step in getting divorced." August explained. He began searching in his pockets for a pen.
"Auggie, you just can't do this!" Angelina cried.
"What?"
"The plan was, that we'd TALK. I asked you up here to talk. We never said anything about papers." Angelina's fiery blue eyes stared into him. "Why would you think..."
"I thought we were clear on this, Angelina. You knew I wanted a divorce." August said firmly.
"Yes, but I thought we'd at least talk. I've given you months, and you can't even spend an hour to talk to me?" Angelina sighed. "Typical."
"Angie... what we have isn't working. Getting divorced is the right thing." August said.
"I know that! I know... I just wished..." Angelina stood up. "Forget it! Just give me the damn pen!"
August handed her the papers. Angelina scribbled her name at the places marked. She tossed the papers back at him and left the theatre in a storm. August collected the tossed papers, and let her go. It was over.
* * *
Grace awoke to the sound of a person entering the bedroom. Groggily, she looked into the dark. "August?"
August slid into the bed with her. "It's done."
"You came back early," Grace said, catching the time on the clock. It was 2:11am.
"I did." His slightly cold hands wrapped around her body. Grace lay back against him, enjoying the feel of his body against hers. "Goodnight," August whispered.
"Goodnight," Grace said back. She closed her eyes, smiling. And sleep came up and stole her away. And she drifted into the deepness of peace.
* * *