Title: Picture Perfect
Author:Sabrinasmom3
Rating:PG
Disclaimer:I don't own Joan of Arcadia or the actors, blah, blah blah.
Summary:Luke and Grace do normal, everyday things together that end up meaning much more and that someone else sees as picture perfect.
Authors Note: This story went way off course from my original idea. Mainly because I had no intention of going past Chapter 4, but I got so much encouragement from those of you who reviewed and so many of you wanted the story to continue, that it sort of took on a life of its own. Thanks to all.
Chapter 13
Rock bottom. It's a very popular phrase with the twelve-step crowd. Those two words seem so innocuous, yet what they describe alters the course of lives and defines a person's entire future. For everyone, rock bottom is something different. For some it could be ending up alone and living on the street. For others it could be ending up in the hospital. And there are still others that never live to realize they have hit it. For the lucky one's, rock bottom is an event that, although terrible enough, doesn't cause irreparable damage to others or to themselves.
Sarah Polanski hit rock bottom the moment she went numb and fell to the floor that Monday afternoon. Until then, she never believed her drinking was a problem. She never realized that what she was doing would affect anyone else. She never thought she had it in her to hurt someone she loved. She tried to recall the reasons she drank in the first place. She couldn't. She tried to understand how she couldn't have seen what was happening. She couldn't.
Alcohol is a crafty fellow. When you aren't looking, he sneaks up and puts blinders on you. He only lets you see the things that will make you feel good. He enlists the help of his friend Denial to keep you a willing captive. He takes from you your ability to recognize harm and pain and your power to control your own thoughts and actions. He tricks you into thinking that you want him to run your life and that you are better off as his hostage then you would be trying to make it out there without him. That is, until someone or something breaks through his illusions and shows you the truth.
Once Sarah was able to see the truth, the blinders and the denial were gone and she remembered that she had the power within her to choose her own destiny. She knew it was not going to be easy. Just wanting to change things would not be enough. She would have to want it bad enough to be able to endure the physical and emotional pain of breaking the hold that alcohol had over her.
Sarah called around and found a nearby hospital that had a successful detox ward, as well as an affiliated addiction treatment center. She checked herself in that night. The program rules stated that she could have no visitors and make no phone calls for the first few days, so she made sure that someone would contact her family to let them know where she was.
During dinner, the phone rang at the Girardi home. Helen called Grace to the phone then went back to the dining room to give her some privacy. Grace almost hung the phone up without taking the call. She figured it was just her dad calling to give her a hard time about upsetting her mother, but she took a chance and said hello.
"Is this Grace Polanski? This is Dr. Lewis with the New Beginnings Addiction Treatment Center. I have been asked to call and inform you that Sarah Polanski has entered our program and will be here in treatment. The program does not allow participants access to anyone on the outside for the first few days, so you shouldn't be worried if you don't hear from her. I attempted to reach Mr. Polanski, but there is no answer at the home number provided."
Grace mumbled something about letting her father know and clumsily hung up the phone. She felt as though she were underwater. She floated back into the dining room and sat down with a dazed look on her face.
"Grace, what is it? What's wrong?" She turned to Luke and the panic and concern on his face brought her back into focus. She opened her mouth, but wasn't sure what to say, so closed it again. "Is everything OK?" Grace nodded and was able to stammer out a few coherent words. "My mom…did it…got help…have to call Dad."
Luke hugged Grace tight for a few moments until her shock was gone and she could think again. She spoke to him like they were alone, even though there was a room full of Girardis. She also spoke to him with amazing speed that he had no idea she could be capable of. He was worried she might hyperventilate.
"I can't believe it! She checked herself in. My dad doesn't even know yet. In Al-Anon they said that there was nothing you can do to force someone to get help. They have to want to get better. This is good. She did this on her own. It makes her chances that much better. Don't get me wrong, I know it will be hard, but this is a good start. They won't let us see or talk to her for a few days until she's through detox, but she's at New Beginnings and someone in my group said that they are really great. I really do need to call my dad. He's probably still at the synagogue." She took a breath then and looked around the room. Her face got bright red and she smiled. "Sorry." She leapt out of her seat and went to call her dad, leaving the entire Girardi clan smiling and on the verge of tears.
Luke suddenly jumped up and started rummaging through one of the buffet drawers. He yelled a triumphant "Aha" and ran after Grace camera in hand. He wasn't about to let this moment or look on her face go unrecorded.
THE END
