~A Once and Again Series~
Now and Then
Okay, here is the last chapter for this series... I hope you enjoyed reading it. Thanks so much. Anyways, Tainted Love.
***
~I'm Moving On// Rascal Flatts~
I've dealt with my ghosts
And I've faced all my demons
Finally content with a past I regret
I've found you find strength in your
Moments of weakness
For once I'm at peace with myself
I've been burdened with blame
Trapped in the past for too long
I'm movin' on
I've lived in this place
And I know all the faces
Each one is different
But they're always the same
They mean me no harm but it's time that I face it
They'll never allow me to change
But I never dreamed home would end up
Where I don't belong
I'm movin' on
I'm movin' on
At last I can see
Life has been patiently waiting for me
And I know there's no guarantees
But, I'm not alone
***
Chapter 24// I'm Moving On
"It's done." August said, laying the papers in front of Grace.
Grace picked up the photocopies, looking at the signatures with a smile. "It is."
August sat down next to Grace on the bed. "I can't believe it was this easy."
Grace nodded. Angelina had signed the divorce papers and sent them back, without even trying to talk to August. Just like that the lines were cut. Just like that, August was a free man. Grace leaned her head against his firm shoulder. "What happens next?"
"Everything." August said simply. He turned his head, giving her a light kiss.
* * *
Grace knocked on the door. She had never really knocked on this door before. She had never felt the need to before. But now she knocked, and waited patiently.
"Grace!" Tiffany said in surprise when she answered the door. "Come in, honey."
Grace stepped inside, looking around uneasily.
"Your dad went to the store, but he'll be back soon," Tiffany said as she noticed Grace's wandering eyes. "How have you been?"
"Oh, I'm fine. August got his divorce, and so... I'm great," Grace said.
"Funny, you don't sound 'great'," Tiffany said gently, as they sat down across from each other at the small dining table.
Grace looked at her stepmother, and nodded. "Okay, I'm not great. It's this thing with my dad... it's hard."
"I know. I've been trying hard to get him to accept your relationship with August, but I don't know how successful I've been." Tiffany said with a sad smile. "Your dad is stubborn."
"Yeah," Grace agreed.
The front door opened. Grace looked up, meeting her father's cool blue eyes. Tiffany eased herself up, she was just beginning to feel the weight of her second pregnancy. "I've got to go do laundry," Tiffany said, knowing that Grace would like to be alone with Jake.
After Tiffany had gone, Grace stood up, and looked directly into her dad's eyes. "I have news."
"Oh, don't tell me you're pregnant too!" Jake said angrily.
"I'm not," Grace reassured him. "August has gotten his divorce."
"Hmprh," Jake made an unintelligible noise.
"We're very serious, dad. I think we might get married in the near future. But I don't think I could go through with a wedding unless I had you there to walk me down the aisle." Grace pleaded.
Jake was silent for a pause and then said, "I don't like him, Grace."
"You don't have to like him! You just have to like ME. I need your support and love, daddy."
Jake walked a few feet closer. "I don't think I will ever like him, Grace. I don't think it's possible."
"I'm not asking you to like him. Please, just accept him. Accept him and me." Grace moved closer to her father.
Jake looked down on the pained face of his first daughter and felt his heart melting. He drew Grace into a hug, feeling the tension slowly easing from his body. "Okay," He said quietly.
He felt Grace hug him tightly, and the unmistakable sound of unrestrained sobs sounded from his shoulder. Jake felt his own eyes tearing up as he gladly took his daughter back into his life. "I love you, Grace."
"I love you, Daddy," was Grace's choked reply.
* * *
"Hey!" Jessie cried in surprise as she entered the kitchen and found Grace sitting there alone.
"Hey. Is my mom here, do you know?" Grace asked.
"I think she's upstairs," Jessie said, but Grace made no move to get up. "How have you been?" Jessie asked.
"I'm fine." Grace said, and this time she really meant it. Ever since she reconciled with her dad, she had been feeling 100 times better. "How are you? I haven't really seen you lately."
Jessie came over and stood by the table, "I'm good. I got my license."
"Jessie!" Grace cried happily. "How come you didn't tell me? I never got to take you on that practice run near the DMV."
Jessie shrugged. "I don't know... you've haven't been around, and you've been busy with... Mr. Dimitri."
"You can call him August," Grace said with a smile. "He's practically part of the family now."
Jessie's eyes widened, "Wait... do YOU have news to tell me?"
"No, nothing like that," Grace said, catching the look in Jessie's eyes, "But someday, you know..."
"Yeah." Jessie said. "But it's still weird to think of you and him as a couple."
"Grace!" Lily greeted her as she entered the kitchen. "Hi."
"I'm going to go over to Katie's," Jessie said to Lily. "Can I borrow your car?"
"Sure, sweetie," Lily said, distracted by the sight of Grace. "Drive safe."
"Bye Grace," Jessie said, giving her a little wave as she exited.
"Bye." Grace looked to her mother, "He got the divorce."
"Oh, that's good, honey," Lily said, but her heart wasn't in it.
"I talked to Dad, and I think he's beginning to accept me and August," Grace said.
"That's nice."
"MOM!" Grace cried with annoyance. "This is important to me. Aren't you happy for me?"
"Yes, of course I am..." Lily sighed, "I just have other things on my mind."
Grace studied her mother carefully. "You're pregnant!"
Lily nodded with a smile, "Yeah."
Grace smiled too, "That's great!"
"Yeah," Lily agreed, putting a hand over her belly. "Rick is ecstatic."
"I'm really happy for you mom. Everything has worked out so good for you and Rick. And everything has worked out for Tiffany and Dad..." Grace trailed off.
"I'm sure everything will work out for you and August," Lily said, somewhat reluctantly, but truthfully.
"Really? You think so?" Grace asked, needing her mother to say the words again.
"Yes. I think he can make you happy, Grace. I'm glad for that."
* * *
"What's going on?" Grace asked as she walked into the house later that day. Open cardboard boxes were stacked around the room.
August's head popped up from behind a box. "Angelina finally called. She wants me to pack up all her stuff and send it to her mother's."
"Oh," Grace said, glad to be finally be getting rid of the constant reminders of August's ex-wife. "Was that all she said?"
"No, she also called me a no-good f*cking bastard... when I told her about you." August said, standing up with a sigh.
"You told her about me?" Grace asked in surprise.
"Yes." August said as if it were no big deal. But it was a big deal to Grace. Finally, everything was happening. Finally everything seemed real. This was happening. They were in love, and they were happy. And Grace's parents were coming around, and suddenly the whole world was fresh and new.
"I love you," Grace said moving to him, skirting around boxes.
"I love you too," August said when she reached him and they shared a kiss.
"We have our whole lives together now," Grace said happily.
"We do." August agreed, pulling her in for another kiss. "We do."
* * * * * * * *
THE END.
Now and Then
Okay, here is the last chapter for this series... I hope you enjoyed reading it. Thanks so much. Anyways, Tainted Love.
***
~I'm Moving On// Rascal Flatts~
I've dealt with my ghosts
And I've faced all my demons
Finally content with a past I regret
I've found you find strength in your
Moments of weakness
For once I'm at peace with myself
I've been burdened with blame
Trapped in the past for too long
I'm movin' on
I've lived in this place
And I know all the faces
Each one is different
But they're always the same
They mean me no harm but it's time that I face it
They'll never allow me to change
But I never dreamed home would end up
Where I don't belong
I'm movin' on
I'm movin' on
At last I can see
Life has been patiently waiting for me
And I know there's no guarantees
But, I'm not alone
***
Chapter 24// I'm Moving On
"It's done." August said, laying the papers in front of Grace.
Grace picked up the photocopies, looking at the signatures with a smile. "It is."
August sat down next to Grace on the bed. "I can't believe it was this easy."
Grace nodded. Angelina had signed the divorce papers and sent them back, without even trying to talk to August. Just like that the lines were cut. Just like that, August was a free man. Grace leaned her head against his firm shoulder. "What happens next?"
"Everything." August said simply. He turned his head, giving her a light kiss.
* * *
Grace knocked on the door. She had never really knocked on this door before. She had never felt the need to before. But now she knocked, and waited patiently.
"Grace!" Tiffany said in surprise when she answered the door. "Come in, honey."
Grace stepped inside, looking around uneasily.
"Your dad went to the store, but he'll be back soon," Tiffany said as she noticed Grace's wandering eyes. "How have you been?"
"Oh, I'm fine. August got his divorce, and so... I'm great," Grace said.
"Funny, you don't sound 'great'," Tiffany said gently, as they sat down across from each other at the small dining table.
Grace looked at her stepmother, and nodded. "Okay, I'm not great. It's this thing with my dad... it's hard."
"I know. I've been trying hard to get him to accept your relationship with August, but I don't know how successful I've been." Tiffany said with a sad smile. "Your dad is stubborn."
"Yeah," Grace agreed.
The front door opened. Grace looked up, meeting her father's cool blue eyes. Tiffany eased herself up, she was just beginning to feel the weight of her second pregnancy. "I've got to go do laundry," Tiffany said, knowing that Grace would like to be alone with Jake.
After Tiffany had gone, Grace stood up, and looked directly into her dad's eyes. "I have news."
"Oh, don't tell me you're pregnant too!" Jake said angrily.
"I'm not," Grace reassured him. "August has gotten his divorce."
"Hmprh," Jake made an unintelligible noise.
"We're very serious, dad. I think we might get married in the near future. But I don't think I could go through with a wedding unless I had you there to walk me down the aisle." Grace pleaded.
Jake was silent for a pause and then said, "I don't like him, Grace."
"You don't have to like him! You just have to like ME. I need your support and love, daddy."
Jake walked a few feet closer. "I don't think I will ever like him, Grace. I don't think it's possible."
"I'm not asking you to like him. Please, just accept him. Accept him and me." Grace moved closer to her father.
Jake looked down on the pained face of his first daughter and felt his heart melting. He drew Grace into a hug, feeling the tension slowly easing from his body. "Okay," He said quietly.
He felt Grace hug him tightly, and the unmistakable sound of unrestrained sobs sounded from his shoulder. Jake felt his own eyes tearing up as he gladly took his daughter back into his life. "I love you, Grace."
"I love you, Daddy," was Grace's choked reply.
* * *
"Hey!" Jessie cried in surprise as she entered the kitchen and found Grace sitting there alone.
"Hey. Is my mom here, do you know?" Grace asked.
"I think she's upstairs," Jessie said, but Grace made no move to get up. "How have you been?" Jessie asked.
"I'm fine." Grace said, and this time she really meant it. Ever since she reconciled with her dad, she had been feeling 100 times better. "How are you? I haven't really seen you lately."
Jessie came over and stood by the table, "I'm good. I got my license."
"Jessie!" Grace cried happily. "How come you didn't tell me? I never got to take you on that practice run near the DMV."
Jessie shrugged. "I don't know... you've haven't been around, and you've been busy with... Mr. Dimitri."
"You can call him August," Grace said with a smile. "He's practically part of the family now."
Jessie's eyes widened, "Wait... do YOU have news to tell me?"
"No, nothing like that," Grace said, catching the look in Jessie's eyes, "But someday, you know..."
"Yeah." Jessie said. "But it's still weird to think of you and him as a couple."
"Grace!" Lily greeted her as she entered the kitchen. "Hi."
"I'm going to go over to Katie's," Jessie said to Lily. "Can I borrow your car?"
"Sure, sweetie," Lily said, distracted by the sight of Grace. "Drive safe."
"Bye Grace," Jessie said, giving her a little wave as she exited.
"Bye." Grace looked to her mother, "He got the divorce."
"Oh, that's good, honey," Lily said, but her heart wasn't in it.
"I talked to Dad, and I think he's beginning to accept me and August," Grace said.
"That's nice."
"MOM!" Grace cried with annoyance. "This is important to me. Aren't you happy for me?"
"Yes, of course I am..." Lily sighed, "I just have other things on my mind."
Grace studied her mother carefully. "You're pregnant!"
Lily nodded with a smile, "Yeah."
Grace smiled too, "That's great!"
"Yeah," Lily agreed, putting a hand over her belly. "Rick is ecstatic."
"I'm really happy for you mom. Everything has worked out so good for you and Rick. And everything has worked out for Tiffany and Dad..." Grace trailed off.
"I'm sure everything will work out for you and August," Lily said, somewhat reluctantly, but truthfully.
"Really? You think so?" Grace asked, needing her mother to say the words again.
"Yes. I think he can make you happy, Grace. I'm glad for that."
* * *
"What's going on?" Grace asked as she walked into the house later that day. Open cardboard boxes were stacked around the room.
August's head popped up from behind a box. "Angelina finally called. She wants me to pack up all her stuff and send it to her mother's."
"Oh," Grace said, glad to be finally be getting rid of the constant reminders of August's ex-wife. "Was that all she said?"
"No, she also called me a no-good f*cking bastard... when I told her about you." August said, standing up with a sigh.
"You told her about me?" Grace asked in surprise.
"Yes." August said as if it were no big deal. But it was a big deal to Grace. Finally, everything was happening. Finally everything seemed real. This was happening. They were in love, and they were happy. And Grace's parents were coming around, and suddenly the whole world was fresh and new.
"I love you," Grace said moving to him, skirting around boxes.
"I love you too," August said when she reached him and they shared a kiss.
"We have our whole lives together now," Grace said happily.
"We do." August agreed, pulling her in for another kiss. "We do."
* * * * * * * *
THE END.