~A Once and Again Series
The Way We Were
Chapter 12// Something to Worry About
"Grace, could you set the table?" Lily asked her daughter on Friday evening as they stood by the dining room table.
"Sure," Grace answered. Lily noticed she was in unusually good spirits and had been all week. Lily had begun to worry about her daughter and Eli again. Where they more than friends?
[[Lily - I should be happy Grace is so happy... right? But instead, seeing so happy like this... and having a good guess to the reason behind her happiness... it's only making me more miserable.]]
Grace headed into the kitchen. Lily watched her go, a thoughtful expression on her face. The doorbell rang, and Lily's head shot up as she looked over into the living room.
"Aren't you going to answer it, mommy?" Zoe asked.
"Yes, of course," Lily found her footing again and walked over to the front door. She glanced over her shoulder as she reached the door, and caught Grace watching eagerly from the doorway to the kitchen. Grace saw her mother noticing her, and she slunk back into the kitchen. Lily opened the door.
"Hi!" Rick said cheerfully. He had one hand on Jessie's shoulder and one on Eli's. "Kids, you remember Lily, and Zoe," Rick said as Zoe stepped up next to her mother.
"Hi," Eli said, and Lily noticed how he looked past her... looking for Grace, Lily knew.
"Hi," Jessie echoed meekly.
"Hi. It's so nice to see you two again," Lily greeted them, stepping back to let them in. "You can hang your coats up here."
"Is Grace here?" Eli asked, looking around the living room.
"Oh, she's setting the table," Lily informed him.
"Eli, why don't you go help her?" Rick said to his son.
Lily wanted to protest, but she kept telling herself instead that there was no reason for her to worry about Eli being alone with Grace. They were just friends, right? So, Lily reluctantly directed Eli to the kitchen. "Just head straight," She told him, pointing.
Eli smiled, and headed off.. quite eagerly, Lily noticed.
[[Lily - It's nothing....... right? They're just friends........................................ right?]]
"Zoe, you remember Jessie, right?" Lily said as she noticed the two girls eyeing each other.
"Yes. I like your hair," Zoe said, looking carefully at the girl she hoped to be friends with.
[[Zoe - If my mom married her dad, she would be my sister. Isn't that cool?]]
"Thanks," Jessie said, gently touching her hair, which was twirled up into a ponytail bun... like she had seen Grace's hair at the ice cream place.
"Grace wears her hair like that sometimes," Zoe added.
Jessie lost her smile, and shrugged.
* * *
Grace wanted to go out and greet them when they rang the doorbell, but something she saw in her mother's eyes stopped her. Her mother seemed to be watching her and evaluating her. Grace didn't know why, but all she knew was that in her mother's eyes Grace was failing.
So instead Grace went back into the kitchen, carefully taking down her mother's good china plates. She was carrying them into the dining room when she saw Eli.
"Hey," Eli greeted her.
"Hi," Grace said, unable not to smile at him.
[[Grace - He's, like, perfect in everyway. I still can't believe he actually is like, my friend... of sorts.]]
Eli reached out and took the plates from her hands and set them around the table. When he was done he stood still and looked up at Grace. He really looked at her. He saw the way her light brown hair fell nicely around her pretty face, the way her black dress clung nicely to her curves, the way her full lips shone with a shiny lip gloss, the way her brown eyes were staring back at him... drinking him in.
[[Eli - Grace is really pretty. Most people probably don't see that right away, but when you really look at her... you just have to appreciate her loveliness. And she's so nice, and funny...]]
"Forks," Grace announced, breaking the long stare. "We still need forks and knifes..."
Eli followed her into the kitchen. He watched as she opened a drawer and counted out the right number of forks and knifes.
"Did I tell you about John?" Eli asked, searching for something to make her turn and look at him again. It worked, and her soulful eyes were back on him.
"No... what about him?" Grace asked, even though she wasn't even sure what 'John' Eli was talking about.
"He's starting a band. I'm thinking of joining." Eli said as he moved a foot closer to her, leaving only perhaps six inches between their bodies.
"That sounds cool. Do you play the guitar?" Grace asked, barely able to speak with him so near to her. She felt her cheeks flushing with warmth as she continued to look deeply into his eyes. "I've always wanted to learn to play--"
Eli leaned closer and his lips brushed lightly, and very briefly against hers. Then he pulled back, and Grace looked at him in wide-eyed wonder.
[[Grace - ...he kissed me...]]
[[Eli - ....I kissed her...]]
[[Grace - ......HE KISSED ME..... *delighted gasp*]]
[[Eli -......I KISSED HER.... *scratches head in wonder*]]
[[Grace - *Big happy smile*]]
[[Eli - *Pleased little half-smile*]]
* * *
Lily leaned in and kissed Rick briefly. She pulled away, and looked over at where Zoe and Jessie were sitting together uncomfortably on the couch. Lily looked over at the entrance to the kitchen, seeing no sign of Grace or Eli.
"I should go check on the sauce," Lily told Rick... which was true. It was. And it also happened to give her a chance to check in on the two in the kitchen.
"You do that," Rick said, sneaking in another kiss. Lily headed for the kitchen.
She entered and saw Eli and Grace standing close together. Grace was clutching a jumble of forks and knifes in her hand. Grace's cheeks were flushed slightly, and she looked bubbling with excitement. Eli had a smile on his own face, too. The two of them looked over at Lily as she entered, with similar looks of guilt.
[[Lily - ...I don't like this.... this isn't right....]]
"Did you set the table?" Lily asked Grace, as she ignored the unhappy thoughts swirling in her head.
"Almost," Grace said, and headed over to the dining room table. Eli smiled at Lily, and then quickly followed Grace. Lily went to the stove and stirred the bubbling sauce.
[[Lily - Am I supposed to just let this happen?? Let them be together, when I'm dating his father?? When one day I'd like to be more than just dating his father?? ......Or... should I... *puts face in hands and makes a muffled scream.*]]
* * *
Jessie looked over as her brother and Grace entered the living room. She looked pleadingly at Eli, hoping he would sense how annoyed Jessie was by Zoe's constant chatter. But Eli seemed distracted. Jessie watched as he sat down in a chair, and saw how his eyes kept sneaking glances at Grace, who had sat down in the easy chair across from his.
"And, so Grace told me that when you're eighteen, you can tattoos without your parent's permission. So, I'm going to get a tulip, and a zebra." Zoe said, and Jessie winced in annoyance.
[[Jessie - The girl just won't shut up! She thinks I'm her new best friend or something.]]
"A zebra?" Eli asked, joining the conversation. Jessie glared at her brother for encouraging Zoe to keep on talking, but Eli didn't seem to notice.
"Because when you think of the letter Z, you think of zebras, and Zoe starts with a Z, so.."
Zoe went on, but Jessie tuned her out. Instead, she followed Eli's frequent glances, and looked over at Grace. Grace was wearing a pretty black dress, and her hair was loose around her shoulders. She looked very pretty. Jessie looked down at her jeans and tee-shirt, and lightly touched her bun again, feeling that she had got it all wrong somehow.
Grace herself, through Zoe's speech was sneaking glances up at Eli, occasionally catching him when he was glancing at her, and then they both would look away guiltily.
[[Grace - Do you think he meant to kiss me? I know, you just don't ACCIDENTALLY kiss someone, but maybe... he thought I was someone else, or something...]]
[[Eli - Why did I kiss her? I mean, she looked beautiful and everything, but why did I kiss her? I don't like her like that... or at least I don't think I do.... I don't know....]]
Grace felt eyes on her and looked up to find Jessie staring intensely at her. Jessie looked away after their eyes met, and Grace was left feeling uneasy. That look in Jessie's eyes had been... odd... like she was jealous of Grace, but...
[[Grace - Why would anyone be jealous of me? I'm no one special... I'm just Grace.]]
"Okay, everything's ready," Rick announced as he and Lily entered the room. "How about we eat?"
The troop of four kids gratefully got up from the couch and chairs and headed for the kitchen.
* * *
The Way We Were
Chapter 12// Something to Worry About
"Grace, could you set the table?" Lily asked her daughter on Friday evening as they stood by the dining room table.
"Sure," Grace answered. Lily noticed she was in unusually good spirits and had been all week. Lily had begun to worry about her daughter and Eli again. Where they more than friends?
[[Lily - I should be happy Grace is so happy... right? But instead, seeing so happy like this... and having a good guess to the reason behind her happiness... it's only making me more miserable.]]
Grace headed into the kitchen. Lily watched her go, a thoughtful expression on her face. The doorbell rang, and Lily's head shot up as she looked over into the living room.
"Aren't you going to answer it, mommy?" Zoe asked.
"Yes, of course," Lily found her footing again and walked over to the front door. She glanced over her shoulder as she reached the door, and caught Grace watching eagerly from the doorway to the kitchen. Grace saw her mother noticing her, and she slunk back into the kitchen. Lily opened the door.
"Hi!" Rick said cheerfully. He had one hand on Jessie's shoulder and one on Eli's. "Kids, you remember Lily, and Zoe," Rick said as Zoe stepped up next to her mother.
"Hi," Eli said, and Lily noticed how he looked past her... looking for Grace, Lily knew.
"Hi," Jessie echoed meekly.
"Hi. It's so nice to see you two again," Lily greeted them, stepping back to let them in. "You can hang your coats up here."
"Is Grace here?" Eli asked, looking around the living room.
"Oh, she's setting the table," Lily informed him.
"Eli, why don't you go help her?" Rick said to his son.
Lily wanted to protest, but she kept telling herself instead that there was no reason for her to worry about Eli being alone with Grace. They were just friends, right? So, Lily reluctantly directed Eli to the kitchen. "Just head straight," She told him, pointing.
Eli smiled, and headed off.. quite eagerly, Lily noticed.
[[Lily - It's nothing....... right? They're just friends........................................ right?]]
"Zoe, you remember Jessie, right?" Lily said as she noticed the two girls eyeing each other.
"Yes. I like your hair," Zoe said, looking carefully at the girl she hoped to be friends with.
[[Zoe - If my mom married her dad, she would be my sister. Isn't that cool?]]
"Thanks," Jessie said, gently touching her hair, which was twirled up into a ponytail bun... like she had seen Grace's hair at the ice cream place.
"Grace wears her hair like that sometimes," Zoe added.
Jessie lost her smile, and shrugged.
* * *
Grace wanted to go out and greet them when they rang the doorbell, but something she saw in her mother's eyes stopped her. Her mother seemed to be watching her and evaluating her. Grace didn't know why, but all she knew was that in her mother's eyes Grace was failing.
So instead Grace went back into the kitchen, carefully taking down her mother's good china plates. She was carrying them into the dining room when she saw Eli.
"Hey," Eli greeted her.
"Hi," Grace said, unable not to smile at him.
[[Grace - He's, like, perfect in everyway. I still can't believe he actually is like, my friend... of sorts.]]
Eli reached out and took the plates from her hands and set them around the table. When he was done he stood still and looked up at Grace. He really looked at her. He saw the way her light brown hair fell nicely around her pretty face, the way her black dress clung nicely to her curves, the way her full lips shone with a shiny lip gloss, the way her brown eyes were staring back at him... drinking him in.
[[Eli - Grace is really pretty. Most people probably don't see that right away, but when you really look at her... you just have to appreciate her loveliness. And she's so nice, and funny...]]
"Forks," Grace announced, breaking the long stare. "We still need forks and knifes..."
Eli followed her into the kitchen. He watched as she opened a drawer and counted out the right number of forks and knifes.
"Did I tell you about John?" Eli asked, searching for something to make her turn and look at him again. It worked, and her soulful eyes were back on him.
"No... what about him?" Grace asked, even though she wasn't even sure what 'John' Eli was talking about.
"He's starting a band. I'm thinking of joining." Eli said as he moved a foot closer to her, leaving only perhaps six inches between their bodies.
"That sounds cool. Do you play the guitar?" Grace asked, barely able to speak with him so near to her. She felt her cheeks flushing with warmth as she continued to look deeply into his eyes. "I've always wanted to learn to play--"
Eli leaned closer and his lips brushed lightly, and very briefly against hers. Then he pulled back, and Grace looked at him in wide-eyed wonder.
[[Grace - ...he kissed me...]]
[[Eli - ....I kissed her...]]
[[Grace - ......HE KISSED ME..... *delighted gasp*]]
[[Eli -......I KISSED HER.... *scratches head in wonder*]]
[[Grace - *Big happy smile*]]
[[Eli - *Pleased little half-smile*]]
* * *
Lily leaned in and kissed Rick briefly. She pulled away, and looked over at where Zoe and Jessie were sitting together uncomfortably on the couch. Lily looked over at the entrance to the kitchen, seeing no sign of Grace or Eli.
"I should go check on the sauce," Lily told Rick... which was true. It was. And it also happened to give her a chance to check in on the two in the kitchen.
"You do that," Rick said, sneaking in another kiss. Lily headed for the kitchen.
She entered and saw Eli and Grace standing close together. Grace was clutching a jumble of forks and knifes in her hand. Grace's cheeks were flushed slightly, and she looked bubbling with excitement. Eli had a smile on his own face, too. The two of them looked over at Lily as she entered, with similar looks of guilt.
[[Lily - ...I don't like this.... this isn't right....]]
"Did you set the table?" Lily asked Grace, as she ignored the unhappy thoughts swirling in her head.
"Almost," Grace said, and headed over to the dining room table. Eli smiled at Lily, and then quickly followed Grace. Lily went to the stove and stirred the bubbling sauce.
[[Lily - Am I supposed to just let this happen?? Let them be together, when I'm dating his father?? When one day I'd like to be more than just dating his father?? ......Or... should I... *puts face in hands and makes a muffled scream.*]]
* * *
Jessie looked over as her brother and Grace entered the living room. She looked pleadingly at Eli, hoping he would sense how annoyed Jessie was by Zoe's constant chatter. But Eli seemed distracted. Jessie watched as he sat down in a chair, and saw how his eyes kept sneaking glances at Grace, who had sat down in the easy chair across from his.
"And, so Grace told me that when you're eighteen, you can tattoos without your parent's permission. So, I'm going to get a tulip, and a zebra." Zoe said, and Jessie winced in annoyance.
[[Jessie - The girl just won't shut up! She thinks I'm her new best friend or something.]]
"A zebra?" Eli asked, joining the conversation. Jessie glared at her brother for encouraging Zoe to keep on talking, but Eli didn't seem to notice.
"Because when you think of the letter Z, you think of zebras, and Zoe starts with a Z, so.."
Zoe went on, but Jessie tuned her out. Instead, she followed Eli's frequent glances, and looked over at Grace. Grace was wearing a pretty black dress, and her hair was loose around her shoulders. She looked very pretty. Jessie looked down at her jeans and tee-shirt, and lightly touched her bun again, feeling that she had got it all wrong somehow.
Grace herself, through Zoe's speech was sneaking glances up at Eli, occasionally catching him when he was glancing at her, and then they both would look away guiltily.
[[Grace - Do you think he meant to kiss me? I know, you just don't ACCIDENTALLY kiss someone, but maybe... he thought I was someone else, or something...]]
[[Eli - Why did I kiss her? I mean, she looked beautiful and everything, but why did I kiss her? I don't like her like that... or at least I don't think I do.... I don't know....]]
Grace felt eyes on her and looked up to find Jessie staring intensely at her. Jessie looked away after their eyes met, and Grace was left feeling uneasy. That look in Jessie's eyes had been... odd... like she was jealous of Grace, but...
[[Grace - Why would anyone be jealous of me? I'm no one special... I'm just Grace.]]
"Okay, everything's ready," Rick announced as he and Lily entered the room. "How about we eat?"
The troop of four kids gratefully got up from the couch and chairs and headed for the kitchen.
* * *
