~A Once and Again Series~
The Way We Are
Psst... I just wanted to warn you that I'm going to be busier than usually for the next couple weeks, so the chapters might take longer. :)
Chapter 16//The Water is Always Deeper
*
*
*
"Wow, it's really coming down out there, huh?" Lily commented as she moved away from the frosty window.
Grace, sitting on the couch, shrugged. Her eyes turned back to the television show that was on. Lily frowned at Grace's lack of enthusiasm. "Maybe we could go sledding tomorrow if the snow sticks," Lily offered.
Grace rolled her eyes, "No thanks."
Zoe, hovering in the doorway to the kitchen, smiled. "I'll go! I love sledding!"
Grace turned up the volume on the TV. Why couldn't she just get a moment's peace?
Lily looked over at Grace for a few more moments and then went into the kitchen, hearing the timer bell ding. "Cookies are done," She said to Zoe. Zoe followed her, eager to help with decorating the Christmas cookies.
Grace, finally alone, sank gratefully back into the couch. This was more like it. Unfortunately, the front door opened, and Rick and Jessie entered, carrying last minute Christmas gifts. They were talking excitedly about the snow outside.
Grace sighed, and tried to concentrate on the show she was watching, but then Zoe came rushing into the living room again and the noise volume raised another few notches. Knowing she'd never get her silence now, Grace flipped off the TV and headed upstairs. Where maybe, just maybe, she could have a few minutes to herself.
* * *
"Grace?" Lily knocked on her door a few minutes later.
"What?" Grace snapped, beyond exasperated.
Lily opened the door and looked in on her daughter, "Your father called. He just took Tiffany into the hospital. She's going into labor."
"Now?" Grace sat up, surprised. Tiffany wasn't due until the 28th, and it was only the 23rd.
"Yup," Lily nodded with a smile. "So, you ready to go over there?"
Grace scrambled for her shoes and followed her mother downstairs. Zoe was already bundled up and waiting by the door.
"The baby's coming!" Zoe cried.
"I know," Grace snipped. She pulled her coat off the coat rack and slipped it on. Rick and Jessie entered the kitchen, with their coats on too.
"All ready?" Lily asked.
They all nodded, and went out to the car.
* * *
"Oh, Tiffany, he's beautiful."
"I can't believe I have a brother," Zoe murmured.
"Half-brother," Grace corrected her. Zoe shot a glare in Grace's direction and then looked back on the newborn cradled in Tiffany's arms.
"He's just perfect," Zoe said with delight, looking over the tiny baby.
Tiffany smiled. "He is."
Grace smiled and then looked over at her dad who was practically bursting with joy and excitement at having a son. Grace looked back at the sleeping baby. He was perfect. Absolutely perfect.
Welcome to the world, Ethan Jacob Manning.
* * *
"Eli!" Jessie screeched into the phone, "You have to come see him. He's so cute!"
Eli held the phone slightly away from his ear, "Yeah... maybe."
"Where are you?" Jessie asked.
Eli looked around the small room, "Uh, nowhere."
"Well..." Jessie sounded annoyed. "Are you going to come to the hospital?"
"Maybe tomorrow," Eli said.
Jessie sighed over the phone line, and Eli clicked off his cell phone. He looked across the room at the opened door. No one had come yet. He sighed and leaned back in the uncomfortable chair. He looked at the clock hanging on the wall. Geez, did it usually take them this long? Because any longer, and Eli might just think of backing out of this whole thing...
A gruff-looking guy with huge tattoos and piercings appeared in the doorway and looked at Eli. "What did you want again?"
Eli gestured at his shirtless upper arm. "I want the dragon. Remember?"
The guy nodded. Eli had already told the guy... who's nickname was Shark, about the tattoo he wanted when he first got here. Hopefully, Shark had enough brain cells to get it right. Eli was relieved when he saw Shark pull out a picture of the dragon tattoo from a file. He didn't want this to get screwed up. It was his first tattoo.
Shark grabbed Eli's arm and started cleaning it with a special orange goo. Eli closed his eyes as the guy began the tattooing.
* * *
"He is so tiny!" Zoe exclaimed later that night.
"He is so cute!" Jessie added. "I can't wait till I have kids."
Rick narrowed his eyes jokingly, "When you're 30, right?"
Jessie smirked. "I was thinking maybe next summer."
Grace, passing by the living room as she went to the kitchen to get something to drink, tried to ignore the excited chatter coming from them.
[[Grace - Yeah, Ethan's cute... he's absolutely adorable. I love him. He's my half-brother... but... *sighs* Some of us have other things on our minds too.]]
Luckily, for Grace, no one noticed her passing by, and she made it to the kitchen without having to join in the conversation. She opened the fridge, closed it with a sigh, and then opened it again. They were out of soda, and Grace wasn't in a juice mood... so she closed it again. She settled for a glass of slightly warm water from the faucet.
Laughter and shrieks rose up from the living room and Grace's hand trembled as she set the glass down in the sink.
[[Grace - I'm feel like I'm lost... lost in my own head. God, where's Dr. Rosenfeld when you need him?]]
Grace's head peaked up as she noticed the low hum of noise coming from the garage. Quickly making up a decision, Grace strode into the garage. She knocked on Eli's door.
Eli answered, shirtless and in boxers. The radio was playing in the background. He held the door open only a few inches and Grace got the feeling he was trying to hide something. She pushed past him, inside his room.
"Eli," Grace begin, about to apologize for just barging in. But then she turned and saw the white bandage on Eli's arm. "What's that? Are you... hurt?"
Eli shrugged, glancing at the bandage that covered his left upper arm. "I got a tattoo."
"Really?" Grace said, but she wasn't that surprised. "Can I see?"
Eli made no move to remove the bandage to show the fresh tattoo to Grace. Instead he said, "What did you want?"
Grace frowned. Not exactly the attitude she was hoping for from Eli... but it was probably the attitude she deserved right now. "I just wanted to explain..."
"Explain what? Why you broke up with me?" Eli snipped.
Grace shook her head slowly, "No... about why I was crying the other day."
"Oh, well... so explain," Eli plopped down on his bed. His eyes were steel looking up at her.
Grace nervously shifted her weight and then opened her mouth. It had to be said. Grace didn't know if it would mean the end of any possibility of ever getting back with Eli... or if it could be just a bump in the road, that they could work past... that's if they ever decided to get back together.
[[Grace - I don't want Eli to close the door on the possibility of us ever getting back together *looks away*... but I HAVE to tell him. He should know.]]
"You were right," Grace said finally. "You were right about Travis."
Eli's tense face hid the turmoil that was going on inside.
"I did... have feelings for him. I didn't even realize I did, until recently. And... the other day... I saw him and Cynthia, kissing, and I guess I just took it hard," Grace bit her lower lip and waited for Eli's reaction.
"You have feelings for him?" Eli murmured.
"I did... have feelings for him, yes," Grace's lips trembled. "But, Eli... they were nowhere near as strong as the feelings I have for you!"
"It's okay, Grace," Eli said after a pause.
"What's okay?" Grace whispered.
"It's okay... if you don't love me anymore," Eli looked away from her, staring at the ground. "You're only 15. I'm almost 18. We have to live in the same house... we became too close too soon."
"But, I liked being close with you," Grace said.
Eli nodded, "But we should have realized it wouldn't work out... in the long run."
"Don't say that!" Grace shrieked.
Eli looked sadly at her, "Why? Isn't that what you said to me... when you broke up with me?"
"But..." Grace stammer, but she knew Eli was right. Grace clenched her hands together in a knot and looked back at him, "But I don't feel that way, anymore."
"What do you mean?" Eli said dully.
"Eli," Grace looked him straight in the eye, "Can't you give us another shot?"
Eli shook his head, "You don't mean that." He stared at her blankly, "You're just afraid that you're losing me... for good."
"Well, maybe I am!" Grace said defensively, "So?"
"So... that's not the way to make choices... you can't live your life by your fears," Eli said, a spark finally coming into his eyes. "You have to do what feels right, Grace."
Grace sighed, and her head dropped, "What if I don't know... what feels right?"
"Then you have to wait until you do know," Eli said.
Grace took this, and thought it over. Then she slowly moved to his doorway. "I do love you," Grace said fiercely.
"I know that," Eli assured her. Grace left, closing the door behind her. Eli sank down onto his bed, thinking things over himself.
[[Eli - You can't let fear decide things for you...]]
* * *
"Hi," Karen said, semi-warmly to Rick as she let him inside her house.
Rick gave her a smile in return, "Why do you think he wanted us to meet together?"
Karen frowned, "I thought it was so we could make a decision on the appropriate actions... about his skipping school."
Rick frowned also, "Eli didn't say anything like that. And he has been going to all his classes ever since we talked about it."
Karen just narrowed her eyes and looked away. The two of them waited in uncomfortable silence, and then finally Eli appeared in the living room.
"Mom... Dad, I've made a decision about my future," Eli said to the attentive audience.
Karen and Rick waited for the news.
"I've decided that once I finished high school, I'm going to..." Eli paused, took a breath and said the rest, "...devote my time and energy to my band."
"For the summer?" Karen said, almost pleadingly. This wasn't what she had expected to hear.
"For... good," Eli said. He gave them a half-hearted smile, "I'm going to be a musician. We've already scored a good tour gig for the summer."
Karen and Rick looked at each other with fear and revulsion in their eyes. A musician?? That was what Eli saw as his future???
* * *
The Way We Are
Psst... I just wanted to warn you that I'm going to be busier than usually for the next couple weeks, so the chapters might take longer. :)
Chapter 16//The Water is Always Deeper
*
*
*
"Wow, it's really coming down out there, huh?" Lily commented as she moved away from the frosty window.
Grace, sitting on the couch, shrugged. Her eyes turned back to the television show that was on. Lily frowned at Grace's lack of enthusiasm. "Maybe we could go sledding tomorrow if the snow sticks," Lily offered.
Grace rolled her eyes, "No thanks."
Zoe, hovering in the doorway to the kitchen, smiled. "I'll go! I love sledding!"
Grace turned up the volume on the TV. Why couldn't she just get a moment's peace?
Lily looked over at Grace for a few more moments and then went into the kitchen, hearing the timer bell ding. "Cookies are done," She said to Zoe. Zoe followed her, eager to help with decorating the Christmas cookies.
Grace, finally alone, sank gratefully back into the couch. This was more like it. Unfortunately, the front door opened, and Rick and Jessie entered, carrying last minute Christmas gifts. They were talking excitedly about the snow outside.
Grace sighed, and tried to concentrate on the show she was watching, but then Zoe came rushing into the living room again and the noise volume raised another few notches. Knowing she'd never get her silence now, Grace flipped off the TV and headed upstairs. Where maybe, just maybe, she could have a few minutes to herself.
* * *
"Grace?" Lily knocked on her door a few minutes later.
"What?" Grace snapped, beyond exasperated.
Lily opened the door and looked in on her daughter, "Your father called. He just took Tiffany into the hospital. She's going into labor."
"Now?" Grace sat up, surprised. Tiffany wasn't due until the 28th, and it was only the 23rd.
"Yup," Lily nodded with a smile. "So, you ready to go over there?"
Grace scrambled for her shoes and followed her mother downstairs. Zoe was already bundled up and waiting by the door.
"The baby's coming!" Zoe cried.
"I know," Grace snipped. She pulled her coat off the coat rack and slipped it on. Rick and Jessie entered the kitchen, with their coats on too.
"All ready?" Lily asked.
They all nodded, and went out to the car.
* * *
"Oh, Tiffany, he's beautiful."
"I can't believe I have a brother," Zoe murmured.
"Half-brother," Grace corrected her. Zoe shot a glare in Grace's direction and then looked back on the newborn cradled in Tiffany's arms.
"He's just perfect," Zoe said with delight, looking over the tiny baby.
Tiffany smiled. "He is."
Grace smiled and then looked over at her dad who was practically bursting with joy and excitement at having a son. Grace looked back at the sleeping baby. He was perfect. Absolutely perfect.
Welcome to the world, Ethan Jacob Manning.
* * *
"Eli!" Jessie screeched into the phone, "You have to come see him. He's so cute!"
Eli held the phone slightly away from his ear, "Yeah... maybe."
"Where are you?" Jessie asked.
Eli looked around the small room, "Uh, nowhere."
"Well..." Jessie sounded annoyed. "Are you going to come to the hospital?"
"Maybe tomorrow," Eli said.
Jessie sighed over the phone line, and Eli clicked off his cell phone. He looked across the room at the opened door. No one had come yet. He sighed and leaned back in the uncomfortable chair. He looked at the clock hanging on the wall. Geez, did it usually take them this long? Because any longer, and Eli might just think of backing out of this whole thing...
A gruff-looking guy with huge tattoos and piercings appeared in the doorway and looked at Eli. "What did you want again?"
Eli gestured at his shirtless upper arm. "I want the dragon. Remember?"
The guy nodded. Eli had already told the guy... who's nickname was Shark, about the tattoo he wanted when he first got here. Hopefully, Shark had enough brain cells to get it right. Eli was relieved when he saw Shark pull out a picture of the dragon tattoo from a file. He didn't want this to get screwed up. It was his first tattoo.
Shark grabbed Eli's arm and started cleaning it with a special orange goo. Eli closed his eyes as the guy began the tattooing.
* * *
"He is so tiny!" Zoe exclaimed later that night.
"He is so cute!" Jessie added. "I can't wait till I have kids."
Rick narrowed his eyes jokingly, "When you're 30, right?"
Jessie smirked. "I was thinking maybe next summer."
Grace, passing by the living room as she went to the kitchen to get something to drink, tried to ignore the excited chatter coming from them.
[[Grace - Yeah, Ethan's cute... he's absolutely adorable. I love him. He's my half-brother... but... *sighs* Some of us have other things on our minds too.]]
Luckily, for Grace, no one noticed her passing by, and she made it to the kitchen without having to join in the conversation. She opened the fridge, closed it with a sigh, and then opened it again. They were out of soda, and Grace wasn't in a juice mood... so she closed it again. She settled for a glass of slightly warm water from the faucet.
Laughter and shrieks rose up from the living room and Grace's hand trembled as she set the glass down in the sink.
[[Grace - I'm feel like I'm lost... lost in my own head. God, where's Dr. Rosenfeld when you need him?]]
Grace's head peaked up as she noticed the low hum of noise coming from the garage. Quickly making up a decision, Grace strode into the garage. She knocked on Eli's door.
Eli answered, shirtless and in boxers. The radio was playing in the background. He held the door open only a few inches and Grace got the feeling he was trying to hide something. She pushed past him, inside his room.
"Eli," Grace begin, about to apologize for just barging in. But then she turned and saw the white bandage on Eli's arm. "What's that? Are you... hurt?"
Eli shrugged, glancing at the bandage that covered his left upper arm. "I got a tattoo."
"Really?" Grace said, but she wasn't that surprised. "Can I see?"
Eli made no move to remove the bandage to show the fresh tattoo to Grace. Instead he said, "What did you want?"
Grace frowned. Not exactly the attitude she was hoping for from Eli... but it was probably the attitude she deserved right now. "I just wanted to explain..."
"Explain what? Why you broke up with me?" Eli snipped.
Grace shook her head slowly, "No... about why I was crying the other day."
"Oh, well... so explain," Eli plopped down on his bed. His eyes were steel looking up at her.
Grace nervously shifted her weight and then opened her mouth. It had to be said. Grace didn't know if it would mean the end of any possibility of ever getting back with Eli... or if it could be just a bump in the road, that they could work past... that's if they ever decided to get back together.
[[Grace - I don't want Eli to close the door on the possibility of us ever getting back together *looks away*... but I HAVE to tell him. He should know.]]
"You were right," Grace said finally. "You were right about Travis."
Eli's tense face hid the turmoil that was going on inside.
"I did... have feelings for him. I didn't even realize I did, until recently. And... the other day... I saw him and Cynthia, kissing, and I guess I just took it hard," Grace bit her lower lip and waited for Eli's reaction.
"You have feelings for him?" Eli murmured.
"I did... have feelings for him, yes," Grace's lips trembled. "But, Eli... they were nowhere near as strong as the feelings I have for you!"
"It's okay, Grace," Eli said after a pause.
"What's okay?" Grace whispered.
"It's okay... if you don't love me anymore," Eli looked away from her, staring at the ground. "You're only 15. I'm almost 18. We have to live in the same house... we became too close too soon."
"But, I liked being close with you," Grace said.
Eli nodded, "But we should have realized it wouldn't work out... in the long run."
"Don't say that!" Grace shrieked.
Eli looked sadly at her, "Why? Isn't that what you said to me... when you broke up with me?"
"But..." Grace stammer, but she knew Eli was right. Grace clenched her hands together in a knot and looked back at him, "But I don't feel that way, anymore."
"What do you mean?" Eli said dully.
"Eli," Grace looked him straight in the eye, "Can't you give us another shot?"
Eli shook his head, "You don't mean that." He stared at her blankly, "You're just afraid that you're losing me... for good."
"Well, maybe I am!" Grace said defensively, "So?"
"So... that's not the way to make choices... you can't live your life by your fears," Eli said, a spark finally coming into his eyes. "You have to do what feels right, Grace."
Grace sighed, and her head dropped, "What if I don't know... what feels right?"
"Then you have to wait until you do know," Eli said.
Grace took this, and thought it over. Then she slowly moved to his doorway. "I do love you," Grace said fiercely.
"I know that," Eli assured her. Grace left, closing the door behind her. Eli sank down onto his bed, thinking things over himself.
[[Eli - You can't let fear decide things for you...]]
* * *
"Hi," Karen said, semi-warmly to Rick as she let him inside her house.
Rick gave her a smile in return, "Why do you think he wanted us to meet together?"
Karen frowned, "I thought it was so we could make a decision on the appropriate actions... about his skipping school."
Rick frowned also, "Eli didn't say anything like that. And he has been going to all his classes ever since we talked about it."
Karen just narrowed her eyes and looked away. The two of them waited in uncomfortable silence, and then finally Eli appeared in the living room.
"Mom... Dad, I've made a decision about my future," Eli said to the attentive audience.
Karen and Rick waited for the news.
"I've decided that once I finished high school, I'm going to..." Eli paused, took a breath and said the rest, "...devote my time and energy to my band."
"For the summer?" Karen said, almost pleadingly. This wasn't what she had expected to hear.
"For... good," Eli said. He gave them a half-hearted smile, "I'm going to be a musician. We've already scored a good tour gig for the summer."
Karen and Rick looked at each other with fear and revulsion in their eyes. A musician?? That was what Eli saw as his future???
* * *
