~A Once and Again Series~
Where Do We Go From Here?
Chapter 7//Some Explaining to Do
"Grace, did you want me to come with you?" Lily asked over breakfast.
Grace looked up, shaking her head, "No, mom... that might not be the best thing..." She smiled gently at her mother, hoping she hadn't hurt Lily's feelings. Lily looked a bit rifled.
"But, don't you think you need someone there?" Lily asked.
Grace looked up as Eli entered the kitchen. He opened the fridge, and found some cold chicken from last night.
"Grace?" Lily said, jolting her back.
"Oh, no, mom... please. I'd rather just do it alone," Grace said, looking back at where Eli was hungrily devouring the chicken remains.
"Grace, I know you don't think I support you in this... but I do," Lily insisted. "I'm not glad you got pregnant..." Eli looked over at them. "...But I want to help you with this," Lily continued. "You don't have to do this alone."
Grace glanced at Eli. He looked back into the still opened refrigerator. "I know that, mom."
Lily looked hopeful. "But, I'd rather just go to this first appointment alone," Grace added. Lily's face fell. She tried not to look hurt.
"Oh, look at the time. I've got to get to work," Lily stood up. "I'll take Dominic today then, so you can go to your appointment."
Grace smiled at her mother, and Lily departed. Eli swung the fridge door shut and walked over to the table.
"Let me come with you," Eli said.
Grace shook her head, "No."
"It's my child too, Grace," Eli said angrily. "Why don't--" He stopped as Lily crossed through the kitchen to grab Dominic's car seat off the counter. When Lily left again he continued, "Just, please... I want to be a part of this."
"Okay," Grace agreed. "We'll leave at 1:30... Do you think you can get out of work?"
Eli nodded, "I'll figure something out." He leaned in and kissed her cheek, "See you then."
Grace smiled sadly, watching him exit out to his car. She finished off her breakfast and remained sitting at the table for a while as she thought back to two summers ago... the summer after her parents had gotten married, and after Carla had left Eli's life. The summer when everything seemed perfect... when she and Eli had been so close.
[[[[start of memory flashback...]]]]
"Don't even think about it!" Grace cried, as Eli turned the hose on her.
Eli grinned wickedly at her. Grace ducked, shielding her body with Rick's car just as the spray of water hit the air where she had been. Grace felt drops of water falling down on her back. The water stopped and Grace looked through the windows of the car, but didn't see Eli. She stood up, just as a jet of water hit her from the side.
"YOU!" Grace cried, jolted by the coldness of the water on the hot July day. "You're going to pay for that!" She warned. She grabbed the first weapon she could find... a dirty wet rag, and took after him, ignoring the spray of water soaking her shorts and tee shirt.
Eli hurried back around on the other side of the car, and Grace chased after him. Eli's bare feet tangled in the jumble of the hose cord, and he went down, landing harmlessly on the soft green grass. Grace jumped on him, plastering the wet rag on his head.
"Hey!" Eli cried as he got a face full of soapy grossness. Grace laughed, and retrieved the fallen hose and added a spray of water to her act of revenge. "Uncle!" Eli cried as the cold jets hit him.
Grace shook her head in disgust, "Men are such babies!" She put her hands on her hips and glowered down at him superiorly, "They can't even take what they dish out!"
Eli sat up and grabbed her ankles, pulling her down with him. He began tickling her fiercely, and since he had learned her ticklish spots recently, he made her beg for mercy quickly. They both lay back down on the grass, equally soaked.
"This is what I get after agreeing to help you wash your dad's car!" Grace said with faked anger.
"--Your step-dad's car," Eli reminded her. "And, no... this is what you get..." Eli said, and reached for her, ready to start tickling her again, when they heard a car pulling into the driveway, behind Rick's freshly washed car.
Inside the car: Lily, Zoe and Jessie looked at the two soaking wet people tangled in the grass curiously.
Eli and Grace sat up with similar grins on their face. They went over to the car to help carry the groceries in.
[[[[...end of memory flashback.]]]]
Grace got up from the kitchen table with a sigh. It had been so long since everything had been so carefree like that. She missed it.
* * *
"Eli!" Jake called.
Eli paused, he had been hoping he could slip out of the store without anyone noticing, but that looked like it wasn't the case. Eli reluctantly entered the office Jake and Judy shared.
"Were you going somewhere?" Jake asked. "I thought I asked you to price the new shipment."
Eli sighed, "I was just going to go out for a quick smoke."
"You smoke?" Jake asked with disgust.
"Yeah," Eli said, wishing he had thought of a better excuse.
"Forget the smoke, and go do what I asked, please," Jake said, "Your lungs will thank you for it."
Eli looked at the clock, it was 1:15. "Uh, actually, Jake, I have something I needed to do."
"Now?" Jake asked. He leaned back, waiting. "What?"
"I can't tell you that, exactly," Eli admitted.
Jake smiled, he pointed at the door. "7.50 for paperback... 15.75 for hardcover," He reminded Eli.
Eli nodded, a tight look on his face. He slipped off to the back room, looked around guiltily, and slipped out the back drop-off entrance. He wasn't going to not show up for this... especially after he had told Grace he'd be there.
* * *
"Jake, have you seen Eli?" Judy asked a bit later. "I wanted his help with moving some things up front around."
Jake looked up from the papers he had been going over, his face tightening with anger. "He's not around?"
Judy shook her head, "I checked out back too... but he wasn't there. I thought maybe you had sent him on an errand."
Jake stood up, seething. "No, but I'm thinking it's time to send him on a permanent vacation."
"You don't mean... fire him?" Judy asked in surprise. "But he's..."
"Family... so?" Jake asked with a harsh laugh. "At least point, I really don't care."
Judy looked at Jake uneasily. She began to say something, but changed her mind, and slipped back out of the office.
* * *
Grace let out a breath of relief as she heard Eli's car pull in. She went to the window, and smiled. She had been beginning to worry he might not show. Grace grabbed her purse and went out to his car, smiling genuinely at him as she got in.
"So, you found a way to get out of work?" Grace asked.
Eli's smile was a little force, "Yeah, I don't think they'll miss me."
Grace looked away, at the dashboard, trying to collect her thoughts. She peeked back at Eli, "We get to find out the due date."
"Cool," Eli said, smiling at her. Grace smiled back. They backed out of the driveway.
* * *
Lily slowed down as she turned onto their block. She glanced in the rearview at Dominic who was sleeping like an angel. She looked back at the street and saw Eli's car pulling out of the driveway, and driving off down the street. Lily looked at the clock, seeing it was a little after 1:30, and thinking that it was a late time for Eli to be taking a lunch break from Booklover's.
Lily pulled into the driveway, leaving the car running as she quickly ran in to get Grace. She knew that Grace had said she didn't want anyone to go with her, but Lily wanted to be there so much, that she had looked past Grace's statements of this morning. Lily called out for Grace, but got no answer, which was strange, since her car was still parked in the driveway. Lily called out again, but got no answer, and went back out to the car, confused.
Lily shut off her car, and took out sleeping Dominic. She went in the house, laying Dominic in his crib in the living room-- the little angel only squirming the littlest bit before falling back asleep-- and then she checked out the house. No Grace.
Lily took the phone off the wall and called Grace's cell phone.
"Hello?" Grace answered.
"Where are you?" Lily asked. "I thought your appointment was for 2... it's almost 1:45 now."
"Oh, don't worry mom," Grace said. "I'm driving to the hospital now."
"You are?" Lily questioned, looking out the window at Grace's car in the driveway.
"Yeah. Don't worry mom... go back to your job. I won't be late to my appointment. I'll speed if it makes you feel better."
"No, don't speed," Lily said automatically. She looked out at the driveway again. "Did you go with a friend or someone?"
"No, just me, mom," Grace said. "Oh, look I'm here. I've got to go... I don't think I can talk on the phone and park at the same time. I'll see you later at home, okay?"
"Okay. Bye," Lily said numbly, hanging up the phone, and wondering why her daughter lied to her.
* * *
"Oh, Lily!" Judy cried in surprise as she entered Lily's house. "I didn't think you'd be home."
"Sssshhhh," Lily instructed, "Dom's sleeping."
Judy quieted her voice, "What are you doing home?"
Lily shrugged, not wanting to go into the details.
"Man, is it just a national holiday for skipping work or something?" Judy asked, sitting down at the kitchen table with Lily.
Lily looked at Judy, "What do you mean?"
"Oh," Judy shrugged, waving a hand, "It's just... Eli left work today without telling us, and he didn't come back."
"Oh," Lily said, wrinkling her forehead, "I did see him pulling out of the driveway earlier when I got in."
Judy frowned, "Jake is very angry about it. I was hoping I'd find Eli here, and talk to him."
Lily shook her head, "He's not here." Something clicked her brain. Her mouth dropped open.
* * *
"December 25th," Eli said in disbelief as he drove towards home.
Grace smiled happily.
"The poor kid will have to have his Christmas presents and birthday presents combined into one," Eli stated.
Grace kept smiling, "Yeah, but he... or she will be like an angel... a Christmas miracle."
"You might be late-- or early," Eli warned.
Grace ignored him. "A Christmas baby," She whispered to herself.
"Oh, no," Eli said as they reached the house.
Grace looked up, seeing what he saw... her mother's car parked in the driveway, and Judy's car parked at the curb. This couldn't be good. Grace swallowed nervously, "I told my mother I went alone."
Eli nodded, he had been in the car when Grace had answered her cell phone and had talked to her mother. Eli slowed down, unsure of if they should stop. He felt the urge to keep on driving.
"Well, she knows something's up," Grace said with a sigh. Eli nodded and reluctantly parked at the curb, behind Judy's car. They got out uneasily.
Lily and Judy looked up from the couch as Grace and Eli entered. Lily passed Dominic to Judy and said forcefully, "You both have some explaining to do."
Grace and Eli looked at each other uncomfortably.
* * *
Where Do We Go From Here?
Chapter 7//Some Explaining to Do
"Grace, did you want me to come with you?" Lily asked over breakfast.
Grace looked up, shaking her head, "No, mom... that might not be the best thing..." She smiled gently at her mother, hoping she hadn't hurt Lily's feelings. Lily looked a bit rifled.
"But, don't you think you need someone there?" Lily asked.
Grace looked up as Eli entered the kitchen. He opened the fridge, and found some cold chicken from last night.
"Grace?" Lily said, jolting her back.
"Oh, no, mom... please. I'd rather just do it alone," Grace said, looking back at where Eli was hungrily devouring the chicken remains.
"Grace, I know you don't think I support you in this... but I do," Lily insisted. "I'm not glad you got pregnant..." Eli looked over at them. "...But I want to help you with this," Lily continued. "You don't have to do this alone."
Grace glanced at Eli. He looked back into the still opened refrigerator. "I know that, mom."
Lily looked hopeful. "But, I'd rather just go to this first appointment alone," Grace added. Lily's face fell. She tried not to look hurt.
"Oh, look at the time. I've got to get to work," Lily stood up. "I'll take Dominic today then, so you can go to your appointment."
Grace smiled at her mother, and Lily departed. Eli swung the fridge door shut and walked over to the table.
"Let me come with you," Eli said.
Grace shook her head, "No."
"It's my child too, Grace," Eli said angrily. "Why don't--" He stopped as Lily crossed through the kitchen to grab Dominic's car seat off the counter. When Lily left again he continued, "Just, please... I want to be a part of this."
"Okay," Grace agreed. "We'll leave at 1:30... Do you think you can get out of work?"
Eli nodded, "I'll figure something out." He leaned in and kissed her cheek, "See you then."
Grace smiled sadly, watching him exit out to his car. She finished off her breakfast and remained sitting at the table for a while as she thought back to two summers ago... the summer after her parents had gotten married, and after Carla had left Eli's life. The summer when everything seemed perfect... when she and Eli had been so close.
[[[[start of memory flashback...]]]]
"Don't even think about it!" Grace cried, as Eli turned the hose on her.
Eli grinned wickedly at her. Grace ducked, shielding her body with Rick's car just as the spray of water hit the air where she had been. Grace felt drops of water falling down on her back. The water stopped and Grace looked through the windows of the car, but didn't see Eli. She stood up, just as a jet of water hit her from the side.
"YOU!" Grace cried, jolted by the coldness of the water on the hot July day. "You're going to pay for that!" She warned. She grabbed the first weapon she could find... a dirty wet rag, and took after him, ignoring the spray of water soaking her shorts and tee shirt.
Eli hurried back around on the other side of the car, and Grace chased after him. Eli's bare feet tangled in the jumble of the hose cord, and he went down, landing harmlessly on the soft green grass. Grace jumped on him, plastering the wet rag on his head.
"Hey!" Eli cried as he got a face full of soapy grossness. Grace laughed, and retrieved the fallen hose and added a spray of water to her act of revenge. "Uncle!" Eli cried as the cold jets hit him.
Grace shook her head in disgust, "Men are such babies!" She put her hands on her hips and glowered down at him superiorly, "They can't even take what they dish out!"
Eli sat up and grabbed her ankles, pulling her down with him. He began tickling her fiercely, and since he had learned her ticklish spots recently, he made her beg for mercy quickly. They both lay back down on the grass, equally soaked.
"This is what I get after agreeing to help you wash your dad's car!" Grace said with faked anger.
"--Your step-dad's car," Eli reminded her. "And, no... this is what you get..." Eli said, and reached for her, ready to start tickling her again, when they heard a car pulling into the driveway, behind Rick's freshly washed car.
Inside the car: Lily, Zoe and Jessie looked at the two soaking wet people tangled in the grass curiously.
Eli and Grace sat up with similar grins on their face. They went over to the car to help carry the groceries in.
[[[[...end of memory flashback.]]]]
Grace got up from the kitchen table with a sigh. It had been so long since everything had been so carefree like that. She missed it.
* * *
"Eli!" Jake called.
Eli paused, he had been hoping he could slip out of the store without anyone noticing, but that looked like it wasn't the case. Eli reluctantly entered the office Jake and Judy shared.
"Were you going somewhere?" Jake asked. "I thought I asked you to price the new shipment."
Eli sighed, "I was just going to go out for a quick smoke."
"You smoke?" Jake asked with disgust.
"Yeah," Eli said, wishing he had thought of a better excuse.
"Forget the smoke, and go do what I asked, please," Jake said, "Your lungs will thank you for it."
Eli looked at the clock, it was 1:15. "Uh, actually, Jake, I have something I needed to do."
"Now?" Jake asked. He leaned back, waiting. "What?"
"I can't tell you that, exactly," Eli admitted.
Jake smiled, he pointed at the door. "7.50 for paperback... 15.75 for hardcover," He reminded Eli.
Eli nodded, a tight look on his face. He slipped off to the back room, looked around guiltily, and slipped out the back drop-off entrance. He wasn't going to not show up for this... especially after he had told Grace he'd be there.
* * *
"Jake, have you seen Eli?" Judy asked a bit later. "I wanted his help with moving some things up front around."
Jake looked up from the papers he had been going over, his face tightening with anger. "He's not around?"
Judy shook her head, "I checked out back too... but he wasn't there. I thought maybe you had sent him on an errand."
Jake stood up, seething. "No, but I'm thinking it's time to send him on a permanent vacation."
"You don't mean... fire him?" Judy asked in surprise. "But he's..."
"Family... so?" Jake asked with a harsh laugh. "At least point, I really don't care."
Judy looked at Jake uneasily. She began to say something, but changed her mind, and slipped back out of the office.
* * *
Grace let out a breath of relief as she heard Eli's car pull in. She went to the window, and smiled. She had been beginning to worry he might not show. Grace grabbed her purse and went out to his car, smiling genuinely at him as she got in.
"So, you found a way to get out of work?" Grace asked.
Eli's smile was a little force, "Yeah, I don't think they'll miss me."
Grace looked away, at the dashboard, trying to collect her thoughts. She peeked back at Eli, "We get to find out the due date."
"Cool," Eli said, smiling at her. Grace smiled back. They backed out of the driveway.
* * *
Lily slowed down as she turned onto their block. She glanced in the rearview at Dominic who was sleeping like an angel. She looked back at the street and saw Eli's car pulling out of the driveway, and driving off down the street. Lily looked at the clock, seeing it was a little after 1:30, and thinking that it was a late time for Eli to be taking a lunch break from Booklover's.
Lily pulled into the driveway, leaving the car running as she quickly ran in to get Grace. She knew that Grace had said she didn't want anyone to go with her, but Lily wanted to be there so much, that she had looked past Grace's statements of this morning. Lily called out for Grace, but got no answer, which was strange, since her car was still parked in the driveway. Lily called out again, but got no answer, and went back out to the car, confused.
Lily shut off her car, and took out sleeping Dominic. She went in the house, laying Dominic in his crib in the living room-- the little angel only squirming the littlest bit before falling back asleep-- and then she checked out the house. No Grace.
Lily took the phone off the wall and called Grace's cell phone.
"Hello?" Grace answered.
"Where are you?" Lily asked. "I thought your appointment was for 2... it's almost 1:45 now."
"Oh, don't worry mom," Grace said. "I'm driving to the hospital now."
"You are?" Lily questioned, looking out the window at Grace's car in the driveway.
"Yeah. Don't worry mom... go back to your job. I won't be late to my appointment. I'll speed if it makes you feel better."
"No, don't speed," Lily said automatically. She looked out at the driveway again. "Did you go with a friend or someone?"
"No, just me, mom," Grace said. "Oh, look I'm here. I've got to go... I don't think I can talk on the phone and park at the same time. I'll see you later at home, okay?"
"Okay. Bye," Lily said numbly, hanging up the phone, and wondering why her daughter lied to her.
* * *
"Oh, Lily!" Judy cried in surprise as she entered Lily's house. "I didn't think you'd be home."
"Sssshhhh," Lily instructed, "Dom's sleeping."
Judy quieted her voice, "What are you doing home?"
Lily shrugged, not wanting to go into the details.
"Man, is it just a national holiday for skipping work or something?" Judy asked, sitting down at the kitchen table with Lily.
Lily looked at Judy, "What do you mean?"
"Oh," Judy shrugged, waving a hand, "It's just... Eli left work today without telling us, and he didn't come back."
"Oh," Lily said, wrinkling her forehead, "I did see him pulling out of the driveway earlier when I got in."
Judy frowned, "Jake is very angry about it. I was hoping I'd find Eli here, and talk to him."
Lily shook her head, "He's not here." Something clicked her brain. Her mouth dropped open.
* * *
"December 25th," Eli said in disbelief as he drove towards home.
Grace smiled happily.
"The poor kid will have to have his Christmas presents and birthday presents combined into one," Eli stated.
Grace kept smiling, "Yeah, but he... or she will be like an angel... a Christmas miracle."
"You might be late-- or early," Eli warned.
Grace ignored him. "A Christmas baby," She whispered to herself.
"Oh, no," Eli said as they reached the house.
Grace looked up, seeing what he saw... her mother's car parked in the driveway, and Judy's car parked at the curb. This couldn't be good. Grace swallowed nervously, "I told my mother I went alone."
Eli nodded, he had been in the car when Grace had answered her cell phone and had talked to her mother. Eli slowed down, unsure of if they should stop. He felt the urge to keep on driving.
"Well, she knows something's up," Grace said with a sigh. Eli nodded and reluctantly parked at the curb, behind Judy's car. They got out uneasily.
Lily and Judy looked up from the couch as Grace and Eli entered. Lily passed Dominic to Judy and said forcefully, "You both have some explaining to do."
Grace and Eli looked at each other uncomfortably.
* * *