~A Once and Again Series~
The Way We Are
Thanks for reading, as always... Lol. I kind of figured you guys wouldn't like Carla. But, I myself can't really hate her... because I created her basically. It's hard to hate something that comes out of your own brain. I guess. Lol, I don't know. I can't explain. But, oh, O & A fan, no... I don't have the DVD. Because I'm such a poor college student right now, I can't even afford a pack of gum!!! Heheheee. But, I've put it on my To-Buy list. I hope they come out with seasons 2 & 3 on DVD... and with extras on it besides just the episodes! That would be cool. Anyways.
Chapter 12//Illuminating the Situation
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"Okay... who wants what for dinner?" Lily asked, going in front of the opened fridge. She looked over the possibilities.
Grace rolled her eyes from where she sat at the island. "You're not going to find anything in there... at least not anything edible."
"I think I saw some old macaroni in the back," Eli offered as he passed by Lily. He opened up the cabinets and surveyed the insides. "Uh, there's a can of condensed milk."
"Yuck," Jessie muttered from where she sat next to Grace.
"I think a trip to the grocery store is in order," Lily decided.
"Definitely," Grace said. Her stomach grumbled in agreement.
Lily pulled a piece of paper out of a drawer and began making a list. The phone rang, and Lily lifted it off the receiver, since she was the closest to it. "Hello?" A moment later she held the phone out towards Jessie, "It's for you honey... it's a boy."
Jessie blinked, surprised, and then smiled. She took the phone from Lily and disappeared into the living room. Lily looked in the fridge again, studying what supplies they needed. She went back to making her list.
Eli came and sat on the stool next to Grace that Jessie had vacated. "So, are you nervous?" He asked.
Grace shrugged, knowing what he was asking about... tomorrow was the first play performance. "I guess."
"I was thinking of going to the Saturday show..." Eli said.
Grace smiled, "Yeah?"
"Yeah," Eli said and smiled slightly back at her.
Lily happened to look up from her list and that moment and caught Eli and Grace exchanging smiles. Lily smiled to herself. They did make a cute couple.
"I wish I could go to your gig," Grace said.
Eli nodded, "Yeah, I know."
They lapsed into silence, and Lily glanced up again, and this time her brow furrowed as she looked at the two of them. They sat side by side, not speaking, not looking into each other's eyes... not holding hands, not kissing... they just sat there. Lily was confused by this, by wrote it off... it didn't mean anything.
Eli went out to the garage and Jessie came back in to hang up the phone. She was beaming. Lily finished up her list and then noticed the happy smile on Jessie's face. "Who was on the phone, sweetie?"
Jessie shyly admitted that it was Tad.
"Tad?" Lily asked.
"Tad?" Grace asked, very surprised. Tad was a junior. And very popular.
Jessie nodded.
Grace's stomach rumbled again, and she picked up an apple from the bowl on the island and bit into it.
* * *
"Kids! Rick! Everyone!" Lily cried as she came back into the house later that night. She set the first of the grocery bags onto the counter and waited. When she didn't hear the sound of anyone coming she yelled again, this time yelling: "Food!"
Rick and Eli entered the kitchen at the same time, closely followed by Zoe, and then Jessie and Grace. "Where's the food?" Eli asked.
"First, I need you guys to bring the groceries in," Lily said, guarding the take-out bag she held.
The kids and Rick went out to the car, and carried the bags in in one trip. Lily waited until she had got in the dining room before releasing the take-out bag, knowing that if she let go of it in the kitchen, they'd end up eating in the kitchen. And what was the point of having a dining room if you didn't use it for 'dining'?
They all hungrily dug into the Chinese food. Lily ate hers while looking across the table. Something had been bugging her the whole time she was in the grocery store. Something had been nagging at the back of her mind. So, now she looked closely at Grace and Eli and their interaction... wanting to know the truth.
Grace passed Eli a carton of rice without even pausing to look deeply into his eyes. Eli took the box from her quickly, and avoiding all hand contact with her while the carton passed between them. As they ate, they didn't stop to look at each other, or to whisper... or to sneak a kiss. In fact, if anything they avoided looking at each other. When they did, it was awkward. Their eyes were unsure, their lips unsmiling, their body language tense.
Eli was the first one finished eating, and he asked to be excused. He was halfway out of his seat, as his asking to be excused was really just a rhetorical question, and he wasn't expecting an answer.
But Lily stopped him, "Wait, Eli."
Eli sat back down, "Yeah?"
Lily paused, wondering whether to just get out with it. Then she looked at the kids and realized they were getting more and more worried the longer she paused. They were expecting an announcement of some sort, but all Lily really wanted to do was ask a question. Just one question. Lily asked it, "Eli... Grace... Have you broken up?"
Rick was surprised and dropped his chopsticks, awaiting the answer. He had no idea why his wife would think that... but maybe she knew something he didn't.
Jessie frowned. She had really been hoping Eli and Grace would fix whatever problems they were having and stay together.
Zoe reached for the fortune cookies, wondering if she'd get the same one she got last time.
Grace looked to Eli. Eli answered Lily, "Uh, yeah, we did." Eli snagged the fortune cookie Zoe had been about to pick and left.
Zoe wrinkled her nose and reluctantly picked out another fortune cookie.
Grace frowned down at her plate, and then quietly asked to be excused too. She left, heading up towards her room.
Rick looked at Lily, wondering how come their kids hadn't told them about the break-up.
Zoe broke open her fortune and read it with delight:
You are a beam of sunlight. You light up people's days with your insights and comments. You just have a way with people.
* * *
"Honey, you were great!" Lily cried as she found Grace backstage.
Grace unenthusiastically let her mom hug her and then pushed her back, "Mom... you're not supposed to be back here."
Lily didn't take notice of this and handed Grace the pink roses she held, "For my star!"
Grace realized her mother wasn't going to leave the backstage area, and quickly walked with her mother out to the auditorium. She stopped with surprise as two more people came over to congratulate her... her father and Tiffany.
"You were great, pumpkin," Jake said, giving her a hug and a kiss on the forehead.
"You were!" Tiffany agreed, giving Grace a hug of her own.
Grace looked at the two of them, wondering what she had missed.
[[Grace- So, are they back together now, or what?]]
Grace wanted to ask, but this wasn't the time, so instead she said to Tiffany, "Have you gotten even bigger?"
Tiffany patted her belly and nodded, "I think I have."
Jake's arm went around Tiffany, "Only a month or so now... and then you get a brother, Grace."
"It might be a girl," Tiffany said. "Actually, I think it might be a girl, because I'm carrying it so high, and my pulse is weaker on my right arm."
Grace knew nothing about predicting a baby's sex and so she just nodded.
[[Grace - A sister... or brother... wow.]]
Grace looked at her father's arm resting around Tiffany. She smiled. "So, are you back, for good?" She asked Tiffany.
Tiffany nodded, "I am."
Grace was going to say something else, but was then interrupted by the appearance of Zoe, Jessie and Rick.
"You were--" Zoe began to say to Grace, but then saw Tiffany. She flew past Grace and hugged her stepmother with zest. "Are you back... for good?"
"Yup," Tiffany said.
Grace watched as Tiffany and Jake shared a warm smile.
* * *
"She's really good," Jessie said, as she and Eli scooted down an aisle near the middle of the auditorium the next night.
"Yeah, Grace is good at anything she sets her mind to," Eli said, and they sat down.
Jessie shook her head, "No.. I mean, REALLY good. Eli, I think she's found her calling or whatever. She's really good."
Eli nodded, and leaned back in the seat. He had stayed up late with the guys partying after their gig. Their set at The Light House had gone really really good. It had gone so good that Eli had been shocked.
[[Eli - This is, like, actually happening... we're a band. A good band. We've got friends, and gigs, and we're making money... and it's working. It's actually working. I could do this for a living. *pauses, thinking* This could be my life. Not college, not some stupid job... but this. *smiles*]]
The lights dimmed, and Eli looked expectantly to the stage. And Jessie was right, Grace was good... really good. Maybe she had found her calling, too.
* * *
"I heard you were at Ronda's last night," Grace... Cilia said coldly.
Eli watched as the guy playing Milos (Eli recognized him somewhat- he thought the guy's name was Travis or Trevor or something like that) put a hand on Grace's face. "Cilia, I'm engaged to you!" Travis or Trevor or whatever said.
"I'm beginning to think that was nothing but a mistake," Grace as Cilia said, and Eli could hear the pain in her voice.
Eli looked, wondering if Grace's eyes had that troubled look in them that she got in real life when she was pained. He looked as Travis or Trevor moved closer to Grace. He watched as Grace turned her head up, meeting Travis or Trevor's lips. He watched as they kissed... passionately. Very passionately. The kiss was very believable.
[[Eli - It was too believable.]]
Jessie heard him shifting in his seat. The lights dimmed onstage and the stage crew was hurriedly setting up for the next scene. Jessie looked to Eli, and saw the grimace on his face. She looked to the now black stage, and realized what Eli had just seen. Her face filled with shame... as she, his sister, should have realized that Eli seeing Grace kiss another guy (even if they were only acting) would hurt him.
Jessie just hadn't thought about it.
The lights came back on the stage, brightly illuminating the next scene. Eli stood up, and scurried past rows of seated people. Jessie paused and then followed her brother out of the auditorium.
* * *
"I hope you realize... what a great guy he is," Grace said sadly.
Cynthia, as Ronda, nodded, "Of course, I realize that. I love Milos."
Grace nodded, "And he loves... you."
"I'm sorry," Cynthia put a hand on Grace's shoulder.
Grace sighed, "I think a part of me always knew it."
"Will you forgive me?" Cynthia asked, "I didn't mean to take him from you..."
Grace shook her head, "He was never mine to take. If you love something, you let it go. And if it comes back to you, it's yours, and if it doesn't it never was."
"Will you be alright?" Cynthia asked.
Grace nodded, "Don't worry about me."
Cynthia paused a bit and then walked to the far side of the stage. The lights faded on Grace, putting her into the shadows, and she was done... her role as Cilia was done for the play. She quickly moved off the stage, the dimmed lights hiding her exit from the audience. The audience was already looking at Cynthia talking to Travis at the front of the stage.
Grace hesitated as she got to the edge of the stage. The lights hid her anyways, so she paused and looked into the audience, wanting to see Eli's face. She looked to the middle, where she had seen him earlier. But now she couldn't find his face. She kept looking, finally realizing that there were two empty seats near where she had thought she had seen Eli and Jessie sitting earlier.
One of the stage hands grabbed Grace's elbow as she stood frozen, looking at the empty seats. The stage hand yanked her off stage just as the lights were coming back on in that part. The stage hand, Cary, gave her a strange look, but Grace just stumbled away, lost in thought.
[[Grace - He left.]]
* * *
The Way We Are
Thanks for reading, as always... Lol. I kind of figured you guys wouldn't like Carla. But, I myself can't really hate her... because I created her basically. It's hard to hate something that comes out of your own brain. I guess. Lol, I don't know. I can't explain. But, oh, O & A fan, no... I don't have the DVD. Because I'm such a poor college student right now, I can't even afford a pack of gum!!! Heheheee. But, I've put it on my To-Buy list. I hope they come out with seasons 2 & 3 on DVD... and with extras on it besides just the episodes! That would be cool. Anyways.
Chapter 12//Illuminating the Situation
*
*
*
"Okay... who wants what for dinner?" Lily asked, going in front of the opened fridge. She looked over the possibilities.
Grace rolled her eyes from where she sat at the island. "You're not going to find anything in there... at least not anything edible."
"I think I saw some old macaroni in the back," Eli offered as he passed by Lily. He opened up the cabinets and surveyed the insides. "Uh, there's a can of condensed milk."
"Yuck," Jessie muttered from where she sat next to Grace.
"I think a trip to the grocery store is in order," Lily decided.
"Definitely," Grace said. Her stomach grumbled in agreement.
Lily pulled a piece of paper out of a drawer and began making a list. The phone rang, and Lily lifted it off the receiver, since she was the closest to it. "Hello?" A moment later she held the phone out towards Jessie, "It's for you honey... it's a boy."
Jessie blinked, surprised, and then smiled. She took the phone from Lily and disappeared into the living room. Lily looked in the fridge again, studying what supplies they needed. She went back to making her list.
Eli came and sat on the stool next to Grace that Jessie had vacated. "So, are you nervous?" He asked.
Grace shrugged, knowing what he was asking about... tomorrow was the first play performance. "I guess."
"I was thinking of going to the Saturday show..." Eli said.
Grace smiled, "Yeah?"
"Yeah," Eli said and smiled slightly back at her.
Lily happened to look up from her list and that moment and caught Eli and Grace exchanging smiles. Lily smiled to herself. They did make a cute couple.
"I wish I could go to your gig," Grace said.
Eli nodded, "Yeah, I know."
They lapsed into silence, and Lily glanced up again, and this time her brow furrowed as she looked at the two of them. They sat side by side, not speaking, not looking into each other's eyes... not holding hands, not kissing... they just sat there. Lily was confused by this, by wrote it off... it didn't mean anything.
Eli went out to the garage and Jessie came back in to hang up the phone. She was beaming. Lily finished up her list and then noticed the happy smile on Jessie's face. "Who was on the phone, sweetie?"
Jessie shyly admitted that it was Tad.
"Tad?" Lily asked.
"Tad?" Grace asked, very surprised. Tad was a junior. And very popular.
Jessie nodded.
Grace's stomach rumbled again, and she picked up an apple from the bowl on the island and bit into it.
* * *
"Kids! Rick! Everyone!" Lily cried as she came back into the house later that night. She set the first of the grocery bags onto the counter and waited. When she didn't hear the sound of anyone coming she yelled again, this time yelling: "Food!"
Rick and Eli entered the kitchen at the same time, closely followed by Zoe, and then Jessie and Grace. "Where's the food?" Eli asked.
"First, I need you guys to bring the groceries in," Lily said, guarding the take-out bag she held.
The kids and Rick went out to the car, and carried the bags in in one trip. Lily waited until she had got in the dining room before releasing the take-out bag, knowing that if she let go of it in the kitchen, they'd end up eating in the kitchen. And what was the point of having a dining room if you didn't use it for 'dining'?
They all hungrily dug into the Chinese food. Lily ate hers while looking across the table. Something had been bugging her the whole time she was in the grocery store. Something had been nagging at the back of her mind. So, now she looked closely at Grace and Eli and their interaction... wanting to know the truth.
Grace passed Eli a carton of rice without even pausing to look deeply into his eyes. Eli took the box from her quickly, and avoiding all hand contact with her while the carton passed between them. As they ate, they didn't stop to look at each other, or to whisper... or to sneak a kiss. In fact, if anything they avoided looking at each other. When they did, it was awkward. Their eyes were unsure, their lips unsmiling, their body language tense.
Eli was the first one finished eating, and he asked to be excused. He was halfway out of his seat, as his asking to be excused was really just a rhetorical question, and he wasn't expecting an answer.
But Lily stopped him, "Wait, Eli."
Eli sat back down, "Yeah?"
Lily paused, wondering whether to just get out with it. Then she looked at the kids and realized they were getting more and more worried the longer she paused. They were expecting an announcement of some sort, but all Lily really wanted to do was ask a question. Just one question. Lily asked it, "Eli... Grace... Have you broken up?"
Rick was surprised and dropped his chopsticks, awaiting the answer. He had no idea why his wife would think that... but maybe she knew something he didn't.
Jessie frowned. She had really been hoping Eli and Grace would fix whatever problems they were having and stay together.
Zoe reached for the fortune cookies, wondering if she'd get the same one she got last time.
Grace looked to Eli. Eli answered Lily, "Uh, yeah, we did." Eli snagged the fortune cookie Zoe had been about to pick and left.
Zoe wrinkled her nose and reluctantly picked out another fortune cookie.
Grace frowned down at her plate, and then quietly asked to be excused too. She left, heading up towards her room.
Rick looked at Lily, wondering how come their kids hadn't told them about the break-up.
Zoe broke open her fortune and read it with delight:
You are a beam of sunlight. You light up people's days with your insights and comments. You just have a way with people.
* * *
"Honey, you were great!" Lily cried as she found Grace backstage.
Grace unenthusiastically let her mom hug her and then pushed her back, "Mom... you're not supposed to be back here."
Lily didn't take notice of this and handed Grace the pink roses she held, "For my star!"
Grace realized her mother wasn't going to leave the backstage area, and quickly walked with her mother out to the auditorium. She stopped with surprise as two more people came over to congratulate her... her father and Tiffany.
"You were great, pumpkin," Jake said, giving her a hug and a kiss on the forehead.
"You were!" Tiffany agreed, giving Grace a hug of her own.
Grace looked at the two of them, wondering what she had missed.
[[Grace- So, are they back together now, or what?]]
Grace wanted to ask, but this wasn't the time, so instead she said to Tiffany, "Have you gotten even bigger?"
Tiffany patted her belly and nodded, "I think I have."
Jake's arm went around Tiffany, "Only a month or so now... and then you get a brother, Grace."
"It might be a girl," Tiffany said. "Actually, I think it might be a girl, because I'm carrying it so high, and my pulse is weaker on my right arm."
Grace knew nothing about predicting a baby's sex and so she just nodded.
[[Grace - A sister... or brother... wow.]]
Grace looked at her father's arm resting around Tiffany. She smiled. "So, are you back, for good?" She asked Tiffany.
Tiffany nodded, "I am."
Grace was going to say something else, but was then interrupted by the appearance of Zoe, Jessie and Rick.
"You were--" Zoe began to say to Grace, but then saw Tiffany. She flew past Grace and hugged her stepmother with zest. "Are you back... for good?"
"Yup," Tiffany said.
Grace watched as Tiffany and Jake shared a warm smile.
* * *
"She's really good," Jessie said, as she and Eli scooted down an aisle near the middle of the auditorium the next night.
"Yeah, Grace is good at anything she sets her mind to," Eli said, and they sat down.
Jessie shook her head, "No.. I mean, REALLY good. Eli, I think she's found her calling or whatever. She's really good."
Eli nodded, and leaned back in the seat. He had stayed up late with the guys partying after their gig. Their set at The Light House had gone really really good. It had gone so good that Eli had been shocked.
[[Eli - This is, like, actually happening... we're a band. A good band. We've got friends, and gigs, and we're making money... and it's working. It's actually working. I could do this for a living. *pauses, thinking* This could be my life. Not college, not some stupid job... but this. *smiles*]]
The lights dimmed, and Eli looked expectantly to the stage. And Jessie was right, Grace was good... really good. Maybe she had found her calling, too.
* * *
"I heard you were at Ronda's last night," Grace... Cilia said coldly.
Eli watched as the guy playing Milos (Eli recognized him somewhat- he thought the guy's name was Travis or Trevor or something like that) put a hand on Grace's face. "Cilia, I'm engaged to you!" Travis or Trevor or whatever said.
"I'm beginning to think that was nothing but a mistake," Grace as Cilia said, and Eli could hear the pain in her voice.
Eli looked, wondering if Grace's eyes had that troubled look in them that she got in real life when she was pained. He looked as Travis or Trevor moved closer to Grace. He watched as Grace turned her head up, meeting Travis or Trevor's lips. He watched as they kissed... passionately. Very passionately. The kiss was very believable.
[[Eli - It was too believable.]]
Jessie heard him shifting in his seat. The lights dimmed onstage and the stage crew was hurriedly setting up for the next scene. Jessie looked to Eli, and saw the grimace on his face. She looked to the now black stage, and realized what Eli had just seen. Her face filled with shame... as she, his sister, should have realized that Eli seeing Grace kiss another guy (even if they were only acting) would hurt him.
Jessie just hadn't thought about it.
The lights came back on the stage, brightly illuminating the next scene. Eli stood up, and scurried past rows of seated people. Jessie paused and then followed her brother out of the auditorium.
* * *
"I hope you realize... what a great guy he is," Grace said sadly.
Cynthia, as Ronda, nodded, "Of course, I realize that. I love Milos."
Grace nodded, "And he loves... you."
"I'm sorry," Cynthia put a hand on Grace's shoulder.
Grace sighed, "I think a part of me always knew it."
"Will you forgive me?" Cynthia asked, "I didn't mean to take him from you..."
Grace shook her head, "He was never mine to take. If you love something, you let it go. And if it comes back to you, it's yours, and if it doesn't it never was."
"Will you be alright?" Cynthia asked.
Grace nodded, "Don't worry about me."
Cynthia paused a bit and then walked to the far side of the stage. The lights faded on Grace, putting her into the shadows, and she was done... her role as Cilia was done for the play. She quickly moved off the stage, the dimmed lights hiding her exit from the audience. The audience was already looking at Cynthia talking to Travis at the front of the stage.
Grace hesitated as she got to the edge of the stage. The lights hid her anyways, so she paused and looked into the audience, wanting to see Eli's face. She looked to the middle, where she had seen him earlier. But now she couldn't find his face. She kept looking, finally realizing that there were two empty seats near where she had thought she had seen Eli and Jessie sitting earlier.
One of the stage hands grabbed Grace's elbow as she stood frozen, looking at the empty seats. The stage hand yanked her off stage just as the lights were coming back on in that part. The stage hand, Cary, gave her a strange look, but Grace just stumbled away, lost in thought.
[[Grace - He left.]]
* * *
