Chapter 21| Past, Present, Future
"I saw your father today" said Lily casually as her, Grace and Zoe sat down to a dinner of last nights left over pizza.
[Grace- and? - looks at camera and shrugs shoulders]
Its not as if Grace didn't love Jake, because she did, a lot, it was just that the past few years things had been hard. He'd let her down so many times and she just didn't trust him. And she hated that she didn't.
"When can we see him?" Zoe's face lit up at the sound of her father's name. "Well, that's what I need to talk to you about"
Grace wasn't sure if she liked the tone of her mother's voice.
"Okay?" "Well, the reason I saw your father was because his" she paused. "He wants to reopen the restaurant" Lily spoke seriously.
Grace didn't know what to say. She was surprised, shocked even to say the least. Zoe however let out an excited scream, jumping up and down.
"What did you say, what did you say?"
Lily allowed herself a small smile at Zoe's excitement. "Well, I told him I needed to speak to you two first" "Grace?"
Grace didn't know how to answer.
[Grace- I wish . . . ]
"Umm" "Please mum, say yes, please," Zoe pleaded.
Both Grace and Lily knew it would mean the world to Zoe, after all, she was only nine years old and her father had left several years ago, she'd never had much of a chance to get to know Jake.
"Honey, what do you think" Lily turned to Grace, unsure of what she was felling. Jake had let them down so many times before in the past, but things could change, people change, they had to let go of the past and Lily hoped Grace could see that.
"I don't know" Grace spoke quietly, shaking he head. "But it's up to you" "Sweetie, I don't want anything that you don't want" Grace let out a small laugh "I don't know what I want, but I can see you and Zoe want this so" she shrugged, "as I said, it's your choice".
[Grace- I wish I could tell her how I really feel]
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"It's just weird, you know?" Grace said when she spoke to Eli on the phone later on that night. "I mean I, we, have barely seen my father for years and now all of a sudden he wants to reopen the restaurant" "He has ever mentioned it before?" "No, after my grandfather died, they both sort of had an understanding that the restaurant would stay closed and now two years later . . ." Eli nodded, understanding how she felt. "Bit of a surprise huh" "Yeah, and I'm not sure what to do" "What did you tell Lily" he winced, still uneasy at calling her by her first name. "I told her it was her choice" Grace sighed. "Did you mean it?" "God Eli, what is this?" Grace snapped, bringing to the surface the anger she had been holding back since that afternoon. "Do I mean it? I don't know, but what else am I supposed to say? Really, I've barely seen Jake the past 2 years and now" Grace paused, the anger slowly draining out of her. Eli gave her time to speak, sensing that she needed to get what she was feeling off her chest. "And now, why now? Of all times? I was happy . . ." Grace trailed off. Eli closed his eyes. "And now?" "And now" Grace paused biting her lip. "And now I don't know".
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"I don't know what to do" Lily admitted to Rick who was sitting across from her. Her, Zoe and Grace were at Ricks for dinner, but Jessie was yet to come home from practice. "It's a big decision," agreed Rick, unsure of what to say. After all he had his own doubts. He'd never meet Lily's ex husband and he wasn't sure if he wanted to. "I know, and I want to do the right thing by Grace . . ." Lily paused. "But this feels right" "Then I think you should go for it"
Just then Grace and Eli came back downstairs.
"Hey guys, don't let us interrupt you," joked Eli, noticing their silence as they came into the room.
Lily looked at Rick looking uncomfortable.
"So what's for dinner?" Grace asked sitting down at the table. It was amazing just how easily she had become comfortable at Rick's place. Sure she'd spent most of her last 5 days there with Eli, but still. "We were thinking pizza. Jessie should be back any minute now and then we can order," said Lily, gracious for the change in conversation.
[Lily- Grace seems so . . .]
She watched as Grace got up and grabbed herself a can of Pepsi from the fridge,
[Lily- . . . at home]
Just then Jessie walked through the door breaking their silence.
"Hey Jess" Eli walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her in a huge hug, squeezing her tightly. "Eli. . .um. . . I cant breath" came Jessie's muffled cry. "Oh sorry" he said, smiling as he released her from his grip. "What was that for" she asked, staring up at him. "Cant a brother be happy to see his sister?" Jessie just walked into the kitchen, shaking her head.
[Eli- Good question, what was that for]
Eli looked over at the table. Sitting there were his father, Jessie, Grace and Zoe who'd just come downstairs at the sound of his sisters voice. It was weird. If you had asked him just over a week ago if he expected to be spending his Friday night like this he would have laughed. But now, he wouldn't miss it for the world.
Grace looked around her, Her mother on her left, Zoe on her right. Rick and Jessie sitting across from them. They all looked happy, and she was glad. Looking across at Eli their eyes met and she smiled. She said she wasn't sure how she felt, but now she did. She was happy. She was surrounded by people she loved but the only person missing was her father, she knew what she had to do,
"Mum, You know how you said that you'd only agree to reopen the restaurant if I said yes?" Lily nodded. "Well I think you should"
[Grace- Its time to let go of the past, and look towards the future]
"I saw your father today" said Lily casually as her, Grace and Zoe sat down to a dinner of last nights left over pizza.
[Grace- and? - looks at camera and shrugs shoulders]
Its not as if Grace didn't love Jake, because she did, a lot, it was just that the past few years things had been hard. He'd let her down so many times and she just didn't trust him. And she hated that she didn't.
"When can we see him?" Zoe's face lit up at the sound of her father's name. "Well, that's what I need to talk to you about"
Grace wasn't sure if she liked the tone of her mother's voice.
"Okay?" "Well, the reason I saw your father was because his" she paused. "He wants to reopen the restaurant" Lily spoke seriously.
Grace didn't know what to say. She was surprised, shocked even to say the least. Zoe however let out an excited scream, jumping up and down.
"What did you say, what did you say?"
Lily allowed herself a small smile at Zoe's excitement. "Well, I told him I needed to speak to you two first" "Grace?"
Grace didn't know how to answer.
[Grace- I wish . . . ]
"Umm" "Please mum, say yes, please," Zoe pleaded.
Both Grace and Lily knew it would mean the world to Zoe, after all, she was only nine years old and her father had left several years ago, she'd never had much of a chance to get to know Jake.
"Honey, what do you think" Lily turned to Grace, unsure of what she was felling. Jake had let them down so many times before in the past, but things could change, people change, they had to let go of the past and Lily hoped Grace could see that.
"I don't know" Grace spoke quietly, shaking he head. "But it's up to you" "Sweetie, I don't want anything that you don't want" Grace let out a small laugh "I don't know what I want, but I can see you and Zoe want this so" she shrugged, "as I said, it's your choice".
[Grace- I wish I could tell her how I really feel]
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"It's just weird, you know?" Grace said when she spoke to Eli on the phone later on that night. "I mean I, we, have barely seen my father for years and now all of a sudden he wants to reopen the restaurant" "He has ever mentioned it before?" "No, after my grandfather died, they both sort of had an understanding that the restaurant would stay closed and now two years later . . ." Eli nodded, understanding how she felt. "Bit of a surprise huh" "Yeah, and I'm not sure what to do" "What did you tell Lily" he winced, still uneasy at calling her by her first name. "I told her it was her choice" Grace sighed. "Did you mean it?" "God Eli, what is this?" Grace snapped, bringing to the surface the anger she had been holding back since that afternoon. "Do I mean it? I don't know, but what else am I supposed to say? Really, I've barely seen Jake the past 2 years and now" Grace paused, the anger slowly draining out of her. Eli gave her time to speak, sensing that she needed to get what she was feeling off her chest. "And now, why now? Of all times? I was happy . . ." Grace trailed off. Eli closed his eyes. "And now?" "And now" Grace paused biting her lip. "And now I don't know".
_____
"I don't know what to do" Lily admitted to Rick who was sitting across from her. Her, Zoe and Grace were at Ricks for dinner, but Jessie was yet to come home from practice. "It's a big decision," agreed Rick, unsure of what to say. After all he had his own doubts. He'd never meet Lily's ex husband and he wasn't sure if he wanted to. "I know, and I want to do the right thing by Grace . . ." Lily paused. "But this feels right" "Then I think you should go for it"
Just then Grace and Eli came back downstairs.
"Hey guys, don't let us interrupt you," joked Eli, noticing their silence as they came into the room.
Lily looked at Rick looking uncomfortable.
"So what's for dinner?" Grace asked sitting down at the table. It was amazing just how easily she had become comfortable at Rick's place. Sure she'd spent most of her last 5 days there with Eli, but still. "We were thinking pizza. Jessie should be back any minute now and then we can order," said Lily, gracious for the change in conversation.
[Lily- Grace seems so . . .]
She watched as Grace got up and grabbed herself a can of Pepsi from the fridge,
[Lily- . . . at home]
Just then Jessie walked through the door breaking their silence.
"Hey Jess" Eli walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her in a huge hug, squeezing her tightly. "Eli. . .um. . . I cant breath" came Jessie's muffled cry. "Oh sorry" he said, smiling as he released her from his grip. "What was that for" she asked, staring up at him. "Cant a brother be happy to see his sister?" Jessie just walked into the kitchen, shaking her head.
[Eli- Good question, what was that for]
Eli looked over at the table. Sitting there were his father, Jessie, Grace and Zoe who'd just come downstairs at the sound of his sisters voice. It was weird. If you had asked him just over a week ago if he expected to be spending his Friday night like this he would have laughed. But now, he wouldn't miss it for the world.
Grace looked around her, Her mother on her left, Zoe on her right. Rick and Jessie sitting across from them. They all looked happy, and she was glad. Looking across at Eli their eyes met and she smiled. She said she wasn't sure how she felt, but now she did. She was happy. She was surrounded by people she loved but the only person missing was her father, she knew what she had to do,
"Mum, You know how you said that you'd only agree to reopen the restaurant if I said yes?" Lily nodded. "Well I think you should"
[Grace- Its time to let go of the past, and look towards the future]