~A Once and Again Series~
Where Do We Go From Here?
Chapter 24//Crowded Enough Already
*
*
*
"A girl?" Jessie repeated, a twinkle in her eyes. "That is so cool!"
Grace smiled, taking a sip of her orange juice. It was cool. Grace would have thought the same if it was a boy too... either way, it was a baby... it was her baby.
"Do we have any more eggs?" Zoe asked coming into the kitchen. She went over to the stove, looking down into the skillet. "I guess not," She answered herself.
Lily looked up from where she sat at the table, looking through the JC Penny's baby catalog. "Oh, honey... I can make you some more."
Zoe frowned, "I have to get to school." She looked pointedly at her mother.
"Now?" Lily asked, looking at her watch.
"I have to go to the library before class," Zoe explained, throwing her backpack over her shoulder. High school sucked. The teachers had overloaded Zoe with so many papers and assignments... it was ridiculous.
"Alright..." Lily said, searching for her keys. "Jessie... you ready to go?"
Jessie looked up, still munching on a forkful of eggs. "Now?" She asked, having missed everything Zoe had said.
Zoe glared at Jessie. Jessie had her face turned towards Lily, and didn't see though. "It's early, still," Jessie complained. "I haven't even done my hair yet."
"Oh, you know what you should do..." Grace said, smiling at her step- sister, "Cornrows. Just those loose ones... with pretty clips holding them."
"I don't have any clips," Jessie said, wrinkling her nose a bit.
"Oh, I have some," Grace informed her. "You can use them."
"Okay," Jessie said, smiling. She ran a hand through her still messy bed-head hair.
"Mom!" Zoe said loudly. Her mother had gone back to looking through the catalog.
Lily looked up, "Hmmm?"
"I have to leave, like now," Zoe said, frowning.
This time Jessie heard her, and her smile faded. "I guess I can go to school like this," Jessie said, still trying to tone down her hair. Her voice showed her disappointment, though.
Zoe crossed her arms, "So are we leaving?"
Lily stood up, looking back at Jessie. "Yeah, I guess, honey."
"You know... you could drive my car," Grace said to Jessie.
Zoe's mouth dropped open slightly.
Jessie smiled, shaking her head. "What? No."
"No, you could..." Grace offered again. Jessie had gotten her drivers license a few months back, but rarely got a chance to drive. "It's not like I'm going anywhere today... And that way you can leave when you want to."
Jessie smiled, pleased that Grace would actually trust her with her car. "Well, if you really want me to."
"Yes," Grace assured her.
"Okay," Jessie said, smiling.
"So, want me to help you with your hair before you go?" Grace asked.
Jessie beamed, "Okay."
"That is so nice, Grace," Lily commented. She bent down, kissing the top of Grace's head. Lily picked up her keys from the table, and turned to Zoe, "Ready to leave?" She asked.
"Yeah, whatever," Zoe said, stomping away.
* * *
"How was work?" Grace asked, when Eli came in the front door later that day.
"Eh, fine," Eli said, shrugging. He plopped down on the couch, giving Grace a quick kiss. Grace snuggled into his arms.
"I was thinking that maybe I should move into the garage with you," Grace said softly.
"Like now?" Eli asked, smiling.
"Well... I don't know. Maybe... but definitely when the baby comes," Grace kissed his chin. "That way YOU have to wake up and feed her just as much as I do."
Eli didn't mind. It sounded like a wonderful idea. He liked the thought of having Grace share his bed, every night. Her, him, and the baby... their own little family. "Maybe we should think about an apartment," Eli suggested.
Grace pulled back a little so she could look at him, "Really?"
Eli nodded, "This house is crowded enough already. It would be nice to have a place just for the three of us..."
"The three of us," Grace said, liking how that sounded.
"But it doesn't have to be right away... but it's something to think about," Eli smiled.
"Definitely," Grace agreed, almost purring her approval. She snuggled back into Eli's arms.
"You know... we know nothing about raising a baby," Eli said after a span of silence.
"YOU know nothing," Grace corrected him. "I've been practicing..."
"Practicing?" Eli teased.
Grace smiled, "Well... something good has to come out of me babysitting Dominic and Maddy."
They lapsed into silence again, just finding pleasure in being together.
"Mom... I really need them!" Zoe said, following her mother into the living room.
"Zoe, you just got new shoes this summer," Lily complained. She walked by Eli and Grace cuddled on the couch, and picked up her purse from on top of the TV. "I'll give you money to go to the movies, but not to buy a pair of fifty dollar shoes!"
"But..." Zoe began, and trailed off. She looked over at Eli and Grace, who had their arms around each other, and were staring deep into each other's eyes... and then she looked at her mother, who seem to see nothing weird in her daughter and step-son cuddling like that. "What...?" Zoe began, utterly confused.
Lily noticed where Zoe was looking, and her face fell. No one had told Zoe about Eli and Grace...
"What is going on?" Zoe cried, attracting the attention of the couple on the couch. "Why are two...?"
Grace's eyes widened. Opps. She had forgotten to tell Zoe about her and Eli. "Uh, Zoe... Eli and I are dating."
"WHAT?" Zoe exclaimed. She looked to her mother, whose face was blank. "You know?" Zoe asked.
Lily reluctantly nodded.
"Of course!" Zoe screamed, "No one ever tells ME anything!" Zoe glared at the three of them and stomped off towards the stairs.
Lily heard a car pull up in the driveway. "Zoe... April is here."
"Tell her I'm dead!" Zoe muttered, and hurried up the stairs. She rushed into her room and slammed the door behind her.
Lily sighed, and went outside to tell April that Zoe wasn't going to be going with her to the mall after all.
Grace sighed too, leaning back against Eli. "I can't believe I forgot to tell her."
"She'll get over it," Eli tried to assure her.
"I don't know," Grace countered. She knew things had been going too good lately. Everything had been perfect, but of course perfection doesn't last. And now Grace had one very anger sister to deal with.
* * *
"Zoe?" Grace asked, knocking on her sister's door. Zoe hadn't spoken to her at all since finding out yesterday. Grace felt bad that she had once again forgotten to tell Zoe something. Just like with the news of her pregnancy, Zoe was the last family member to know.
"Zoe?" Grace knocked again. "Come on, just talk to me."
Grace waited, "I'm coming in then!"
No answer. She pushed open the door. The room was empty... that was strange. Everything had thought Zoe was up in her room. Grace began to turn around, and go search the house for her sister, but caught site of the piece of paper lying on Zoe's neatly made bed.
It looked so out-of-place... that single white sheet of paper on Zoe's wrinkle-free made bed. Zoe never made her bed. Grace crossed the room, and picked it up, reading the words.
To whom ever it may concern:
I've decided this house is too crowded. It wouldn't matter if I left. I'd only be one less mouth to feed. I don't think you'll even notice I'm gone. So, I guess you can turn my room into the new baby's room. Just don't let the baby slobber over all my stuff. I may come back some day for them.
Don't worry about me. You never have anyways.
Love, Zoe
Grace's mouth dropped open in shock. "MOM!" She cried. Oh, God...
* * *
"She couldn't have gotten far," Eli said, hopefully.
Lily sighed, rubbing her face with her hands. "She took her birthday money... all of it."
"Well, how much can that be--?" Jessie said.
Grace filled Jessie in, "She means her birthday money... from ALL her birthdays. Zoe had been saving it up, for God-knows-what... but she never touched that money, not ever since she began saving. And now it's gone."
Jessie's face fell.
The phone rang and Lily rushed over to it. "Zoe?" She asked into it. Everyone watched her hopefully, but Lily shook her head. 'It's Rick' she mouthed to them.
Grace sighed, "This is bad."
"She's only a little kid," Eli reminded her, "I doubt she'd really run away."
Grace shook her head, "She's not a little kid anymore... she's a teenager. And yes, she would run away. She's that determined when she sets her mind to something."
The three of them fell into silence, listening to Lily talk.
"You didn't see her... anywhere?" Lily said into the phone. "Well, try the mall again... okay, okay... bye."
Lily hung up the phone, glancing over at them. "He didn't see her anywhere."
"I'm going to look," Grace said, getting up. Eli stood up, "Me too."
Jessie began to say, 'Me three', but Lily looked at her urgently. "Could you help me start calling some of her friends? I have a list... and then any school friends you could think of." Lily said to Jessie. Jessie nodded.
"I've got my cell," Grace reminded her mother. "We'll call if we find her."
Lily nodded, already heading for the kitchen where the list of Zoe's friends lay on the table. Jessie followed after her.
Grace and Eli went out into the late evening.
* * *
"Wait, stop here," Grace instructed.
Eli looked around, and pulled to the curb. "You think she's here?" He asked, looking at the sign advertising the Zoo. "It looks closed."
Grace nodded, "I know... but let me just see. Wait here, okay?"
Eli nodded, "Okay."
Grace got out, the evening had grown dark already, and she was grateful for the few streetlamps that lit up the small picnic area alongside the Zoo's fences. Zoe had always loved to come to this Zoo. Lily and Jake used to take the two of them, and Zoe would spend hours looking at the animals. When she got old enough to read the signs posted alongside each animal, she would read them off, reading certain words she didn't understand to look up later at home. She became an expert at each animal. The seals had been her favorite, though.
Grace walked alongside the heavy-duty chain linked fence, looking inside at the Zoo. They was no way Zoe could be in there, though... the Zoo looked like it was already closed. There were only a few people left, walking around in their khaki uniforms. Grace sighed, turning away.
She caught sight of a small figure further back, sitting on a picnic bench. "Zoe," Grace whispered, letting out a breath. She walked closer, and although the figure had its back to her, she soon saw it was Zoe.
Zoe heard her approaching and her shoulders tensed up, and she looked behind her, expecting a stranger. Zoe's face almost shone with relief when she saw it was Grace. It had been pretty scary the last few hours, sitting here. She had heard what sounded like gunshots not that far away, a man screaming to himself, and other various sounds of the city. Zoe tried to hide her relief though, as her sister sat down next to her.
"Zoe," Grace tried to hug her, but Zoe pushed her arms away.
"Please don't try to stop me," Zoe said half-heartedly. Actually, home looked pretty good right about now.
"Zoe... I love you!" Grace said. "WE love you... We don't want to run away."
Zoe looked away. She shrugged, "It doesn't seem that way."
"Zoe," Grace said, her voice restricted with tears. "I've been a horrible sister, haven't I?"
"Yeah," Zoe agreed.
"I'm sorry," Grace said, looking at her pretty face in the dark. "I understand if you hate me..."
"Well, I do," Zoe said, although not very convincingly.
"But I will always love you. You're my sister! No one could replace you in my heart... not Jessie, not Eli, not the baby. You have a special place in my heart that's all yours," Grace drew her sister closer, putting a hand around her. "I'm sorry if you haven't felt like that lately."
Zoe allowed her sister to hug her. "It's not just you, though... it's everyone! It's like I don't even exist at that house."
Grace was beginning to see just how bad Zoe must have been feeling, as everyone left her out of the secrets... forgot to include her... were too busy for her... It must have been hard. Especially when Zoe was just starting high school. At the time when she needed love and comfort the most... everyone had let her down.
"Are you crying?" Zoe was surprised as she felt wetness on Grace's cheeks.
"Yeah," Grace admitted, trying to laugh over it. She pulled back out of the hug. "Do you realize how freaked everyone is right now?"
"About me?" Zoe asked.
"Yes, about you..." Grace smiled at her sister. "You have a family that cares about you." She looked back in the direction of Eli's car. He was probably wondering where she was by now. "So, will you come home?"
Zoe sighed, "I don't have a choice, do I?"
"Of course you do," Grace insisted.
Zoe looked perplexed, "Uh, no... you found me."
Grace shook her head slightly, "But you could always sneak out again... and run away for good."
"I could," Zoe said, and Grace's heart stopped.
"But, I don't think I would."
Grace allowed herself to breath. "Good."
Zoe smiled, "I mean... if things got really bad again, I'll just move in with Dad."
They got up from the bench. Grace took one of Zoe's huge bags.
"Could we stop at the bus station?" Zoe asked as Eli's car came into view. Eli was leaning up against it, and his body sagged in obvious relief as he saw Zoe.
"The bus station?" Grace asked, "I thought you said..."
Zoe nodded, "But I kind of want my $54.50 back."
Grace gasped, "You actually bought a ticket!?"
"Yeah," Zoe admitted. "But it didn't leave till later tonight, so I came here, and spent the afternoon with the animals."
"Where were you going to go?" Grace asked, looking at her sister out of the corner of her eyes. Zoe just kept surprising Grace. She was so independent. She was so... Zoe.
"To Minneapolis," Zoe said, taking the ticket out of her pocket. "I was going to get a job at the Mall of America."
Grace smiled at her sister, unable to stop herself from drawing Zoe into another hug. "You're a great girl," Grace whispered.
Zoe weakly hugged her back. "I'm hungry," She complained.
"We'll get something on the way back," Grace said. They continued walking and reached the car. Eli was on the phone with Lily telling her the good news.
"So, you two are a couple?" Zoe asked, as they began to drive home.
"Yeah," Eli and Grace said together.
"What happened with Coop?" Zoe asked. "And how did you go from him to Eli?"
"It's a long story..." Grace said, beginning to back off the topic. She looked over her shoulder at her sister, and stopped herself. "But, we've got time, right?" She asked, and a smile spread on Zoe's face.
"See, Eli and I started dating last summer... no one knew about it, though," Grace began, launching into the story. It was about time she included Zoe in her life.
* * *
Where Do We Go From Here?
Chapter 24//Crowded Enough Already
*
*
*
"A girl?" Jessie repeated, a twinkle in her eyes. "That is so cool!"
Grace smiled, taking a sip of her orange juice. It was cool. Grace would have thought the same if it was a boy too... either way, it was a baby... it was her baby.
"Do we have any more eggs?" Zoe asked coming into the kitchen. She went over to the stove, looking down into the skillet. "I guess not," She answered herself.
Lily looked up from where she sat at the table, looking through the JC Penny's baby catalog. "Oh, honey... I can make you some more."
Zoe frowned, "I have to get to school." She looked pointedly at her mother.
"Now?" Lily asked, looking at her watch.
"I have to go to the library before class," Zoe explained, throwing her backpack over her shoulder. High school sucked. The teachers had overloaded Zoe with so many papers and assignments... it was ridiculous.
"Alright..." Lily said, searching for her keys. "Jessie... you ready to go?"
Jessie looked up, still munching on a forkful of eggs. "Now?" She asked, having missed everything Zoe had said.
Zoe glared at Jessie. Jessie had her face turned towards Lily, and didn't see though. "It's early, still," Jessie complained. "I haven't even done my hair yet."
"Oh, you know what you should do..." Grace said, smiling at her step- sister, "Cornrows. Just those loose ones... with pretty clips holding them."
"I don't have any clips," Jessie said, wrinkling her nose a bit.
"Oh, I have some," Grace informed her. "You can use them."
"Okay," Jessie said, smiling. She ran a hand through her still messy bed-head hair.
"Mom!" Zoe said loudly. Her mother had gone back to looking through the catalog.
Lily looked up, "Hmmm?"
"I have to leave, like now," Zoe said, frowning.
This time Jessie heard her, and her smile faded. "I guess I can go to school like this," Jessie said, still trying to tone down her hair. Her voice showed her disappointment, though.
Zoe crossed her arms, "So are we leaving?"
Lily stood up, looking back at Jessie. "Yeah, I guess, honey."
"You know... you could drive my car," Grace said to Jessie.
Zoe's mouth dropped open slightly.
Jessie smiled, shaking her head. "What? No."
"No, you could..." Grace offered again. Jessie had gotten her drivers license a few months back, but rarely got a chance to drive. "It's not like I'm going anywhere today... And that way you can leave when you want to."
Jessie smiled, pleased that Grace would actually trust her with her car. "Well, if you really want me to."
"Yes," Grace assured her.
"Okay," Jessie said, smiling.
"So, want me to help you with your hair before you go?" Grace asked.
Jessie beamed, "Okay."
"That is so nice, Grace," Lily commented. She bent down, kissing the top of Grace's head. Lily picked up her keys from the table, and turned to Zoe, "Ready to leave?" She asked.
"Yeah, whatever," Zoe said, stomping away.
* * *
"How was work?" Grace asked, when Eli came in the front door later that day.
"Eh, fine," Eli said, shrugging. He plopped down on the couch, giving Grace a quick kiss. Grace snuggled into his arms.
"I was thinking that maybe I should move into the garage with you," Grace said softly.
"Like now?" Eli asked, smiling.
"Well... I don't know. Maybe... but definitely when the baby comes," Grace kissed his chin. "That way YOU have to wake up and feed her just as much as I do."
Eli didn't mind. It sounded like a wonderful idea. He liked the thought of having Grace share his bed, every night. Her, him, and the baby... their own little family. "Maybe we should think about an apartment," Eli suggested.
Grace pulled back a little so she could look at him, "Really?"
Eli nodded, "This house is crowded enough already. It would be nice to have a place just for the three of us..."
"The three of us," Grace said, liking how that sounded.
"But it doesn't have to be right away... but it's something to think about," Eli smiled.
"Definitely," Grace agreed, almost purring her approval. She snuggled back into Eli's arms.
"You know... we know nothing about raising a baby," Eli said after a span of silence.
"YOU know nothing," Grace corrected him. "I've been practicing..."
"Practicing?" Eli teased.
Grace smiled, "Well... something good has to come out of me babysitting Dominic and Maddy."
They lapsed into silence again, just finding pleasure in being together.
"Mom... I really need them!" Zoe said, following her mother into the living room.
"Zoe, you just got new shoes this summer," Lily complained. She walked by Eli and Grace cuddled on the couch, and picked up her purse from on top of the TV. "I'll give you money to go to the movies, but not to buy a pair of fifty dollar shoes!"
"But..." Zoe began, and trailed off. She looked over at Eli and Grace, who had their arms around each other, and were staring deep into each other's eyes... and then she looked at her mother, who seem to see nothing weird in her daughter and step-son cuddling like that. "What...?" Zoe began, utterly confused.
Lily noticed where Zoe was looking, and her face fell. No one had told Zoe about Eli and Grace...
"What is going on?" Zoe cried, attracting the attention of the couple on the couch. "Why are two...?"
Grace's eyes widened. Opps. She had forgotten to tell Zoe about her and Eli. "Uh, Zoe... Eli and I are dating."
"WHAT?" Zoe exclaimed. She looked to her mother, whose face was blank. "You know?" Zoe asked.
Lily reluctantly nodded.
"Of course!" Zoe screamed, "No one ever tells ME anything!" Zoe glared at the three of them and stomped off towards the stairs.
Lily heard a car pull up in the driveway. "Zoe... April is here."
"Tell her I'm dead!" Zoe muttered, and hurried up the stairs. She rushed into her room and slammed the door behind her.
Lily sighed, and went outside to tell April that Zoe wasn't going to be going with her to the mall after all.
Grace sighed too, leaning back against Eli. "I can't believe I forgot to tell her."
"She'll get over it," Eli tried to assure her.
"I don't know," Grace countered. She knew things had been going too good lately. Everything had been perfect, but of course perfection doesn't last. And now Grace had one very anger sister to deal with.
* * *
"Zoe?" Grace asked, knocking on her sister's door. Zoe hadn't spoken to her at all since finding out yesterday. Grace felt bad that she had once again forgotten to tell Zoe something. Just like with the news of her pregnancy, Zoe was the last family member to know.
"Zoe?" Grace knocked again. "Come on, just talk to me."
Grace waited, "I'm coming in then!"
No answer. She pushed open the door. The room was empty... that was strange. Everything had thought Zoe was up in her room. Grace began to turn around, and go search the house for her sister, but caught site of the piece of paper lying on Zoe's neatly made bed.
It looked so out-of-place... that single white sheet of paper on Zoe's wrinkle-free made bed. Zoe never made her bed. Grace crossed the room, and picked it up, reading the words.
To whom ever it may concern:
I've decided this house is too crowded. It wouldn't matter if I left. I'd only be one less mouth to feed. I don't think you'll even notice I'm gone. So, I guess you can turn my room into the new baby's room. Just don't let the baby slobber over all my stuff. I may come back some day for them.
Don't worry about me. You never have anyways.
Love, Zoe
Grace's mouth dropped open in shock. "MOM!" She cried. Oh, God...
* * *
"She couldn't have gotten far," Eli said, hopefully.
Lily sighed, rubbing her face with her hands. "She took her birthday money... all of it."
"Well, how much can that be--?" Jessie said.
Grace filled Jessie in, "She means her birthday money... from ALL her birthdays. Zoe had been saving it up, for God-knows-what... but she never touched that money, not ever since she began saving. And now it's gone."
Jessie's face fell.
The phone rang and Lily rushed over to it. "Zoe?" She asked into it. Everyone watched her hopefully, but Lily shook her head. 'It's Rick' she mouthed to them.
Grace sighed, "This is bad."
"She's only a little kid," Eli reminded her, "I doubt she'd really run away."
Grace shook her head, "She's not a little kid anymore... she's a teenager. And yes, she would run away. She's that determined when she sets her mind to something."
The three of them fell into silence, listening to Lily talk.
"You didn't see her... anywhere?" Lily said into the phone. "Well, try the mall again... okay, okay... bye."
Lily hung up the phone, glancing over at them. "He didn't see her anywhere."
"I'm going to look," Grace said, getting up. Eli stood up, "Me too."
Jessie began to say, 'Me three', but Lily looked at her urgently. "Could you help me start calling some of her friends? I have a list... and then any school friends you could think of." Lily said to Jessie. Jessie nodded.
"I've got my cell," Grace reminded her mother. "We'll call if we find her."
Lily nodded, already heading for the kitchen where the list of Zoe's friends lay on the table. Jessie followed after her.
Grace and Eli went out into the late evening.
* * *
"Wait, stop here," Grace instructed.
Eli looked around, and pulled to the curb. "You think she's here?" He asked, looking at the sign advertising the Zoo. "It looks closed."
Grace nodded, "I know... but let me just see. Wait here, okay?"
Eli nodded, "Okay."
Grace got out, the evening had grown dark already, and she was grateful for the few streetlamps that lit up the small picnic area alongside the Zoo's fences. Zoe had always loved to come to this Zoo. Lily and Jake used to take the two of them, and Zoe would spend hours looking at the animals. When she got old enough to read the signs posted alongside each animal, she would read them off, reading certain words she didn't understand to look up later at home. She became an expert at each animal. The seals had been her favorite, though.
Grace walked alongside the heavy-duty chain linked fence, looking inside at the Zoo. They was no way Zoe could be in there, though... the Zoo looked like it was already closed. There were only a few people left, walking around in their khaki uniforms. Grace sighed, turning away.
She caught sight of a small figure further back, sitting on a picnic bench. "Zoe," Grace whispered, letting out a breath. She walked closer, and although the figure had its back to her, she soon saw it was Zoe.
Zoe heard her approaching and her shoulders tensed up, and she looked behind her, expecting a stranger. Zoe's face almost shone with relief when she saw it was Grace. It had been pretty scary the last few hours, sitting here. She had heard what sounded like gunshots not that far away, a man screaming to himself, and other various sounds of the city. Zoe tried to hide her relief though, as her sister sat down next to her.
"Zoe," Grace tried to hug her, but Zoe pushed her arms away.
"Please don't try to stop me," Zoe said half-heartedly. Actually, home looked pretty good right about now.
"Zoe... I love you!" Grace said. "WE love you... We don't want to run away."
Zoe looked away. She shrugged, "It doesn't seem that way."
"Zoe," Grace said, her voice restricted with tears. "I've been a horrible sister, haven't I?"
"Yeah," Zoe agreed.
"I'm sorry," Grace said, looking at her pretty face in the dark. "I understand if you hate me..."
"Well, I do," Zoe said, although not very convincingly.
"But I will always love you. You're my sister! No one could replace you in my heart... not Jessie, not Eli, not the baby. You have a special place in my heart that's all yours," Grace drew her sister closer, putting a hand around her. "I'm sorry if you haven't felt like that lately."
Zoe allowed her sister to hug her. "It's not just you, though... it's everyone! It's like I don't even exist at that house."
Grace was beginning to see just how bad Zoe must have been feeling, as everyone left her out of the secrets... forgot to include her... were too busy for her... It must have been hard. Especially when Zoe was just starting high school. At the time when she needed love and comfort the most... everyone had let her down.
"Are you crying?" Zoe was surprised as she felt wetness on Grace's cheeks.
"Yeah," Grace admitted, trying to laugh over it. She pulled back out of the hug. "Do you realize how freaked everyone is right now?"
"About me?" Zoe asked.
"Yes, about you..." Grace smiled at her sister. "You have a family that cares about you." She looked back in the direction of Eli's car. He was probably wondering where she was by now. "So, will you come home?"
Zoe sighed, "I don't have a choice, do I?"
"Of course you do," Grace insisted.
Zoe looked perplexed, "Uh, no... you found me."
Grace shook her head slightly, "But you could always sneak out again... and run away for good."
"I could," Zoe said, and Grace's heart stopped.
"But, I don't think I would."
Grace allowed herself to breath. "Good."
Zoe smiled, "I mean... if things got really bad again, I'll just move in with Dad."
They got up from the bench. Grace took one of Zoe's huge bags.
"Could we stop at the bus station?" Zoe asked as Eli's car came into view. Eli was leaning up against it, and his body sagged in obvious relief as he saw Zoe.
"The bus station?" Grace asked, "I thought you said..."
Zoe nodded, "But I kind of want my $54.50 back."
Grace gasped, "You actually bought a ticket!?"
"Yeah," Zoe admitted. "But it didn't leave till later tonight, so I came here, and spent the afternoon with the animals."
"Where were you going to go?" Grace asked, looking at her sister out of the corner of her eyes. Zoe just kept surprising Grace. She was so independent. She was so... Zoe.
"To Minneapolis," Zoe said, taking the ticket out of her pocket. "I was going to get a job at the Mall of America."
Grace smiled at her sister, unable to stop herself from drawing Zoe into another hug. "You're a great girl," Grace whispered.
Zoe weakly hugged her back. "I'm hungry," She complained.
"We'll get something on the way back," Grace said. They continued walking and reached the car. Eli was on the phone with Lily telling her the good news.
"So, you two are a couple?" Zoe asked, as they began to drive home.
"Yeah," Eli and Grace said together.
"What happened with Coop?" Zoe asked. "And how did you go from him to Eli?"
"It's a long story..." Grace said, beginning to back off the topic. She looked over her shoulder at her sister, and stopped herself. "But, we've got time, right?" She asked, and a smile spread on Zoe's face.
"See, Eli and I started dating last summer... no one knew about it, though," Grace began, launching into the story. It was about time she included Zoe in her life.
* * *