"Grace?" Lily called, "is that you?"
She wiped her hands on the apron she was wearing, and walked out to the front room; Jessie and Katie were peeling their jackets off.
"Sorry…just us!" Katie smiled.
"She isn't here yet?" Jessie asked, tossing her jacket across the banister.
Lily shook her head and tried to smile, "…neither is Eli" she murmured.
Jessie looked to Katie; the pair shared a curious gaze, and then turned back to Lily.
"…Oh…. well its only 5:30…" Jessie exclaimed, walking to Lily.
Lily nodded, and tangled her arm through Jessie's, leading her into the kitchen; "…yes…but Grace's flight leaves at 10:30…."
Jessie stopped walking, she looked back to Katie who was following them; Lily sighed.
"Oh! Dammit! I was supposed to tell you…but I completely forgot….what with the news and…." She silenced herself. She wanted to keep her and Rick's announcement a surprise, until Grace and Eli arrived.
"Leaving? Why…" Jessie sighed, "….why is she leaving?"
Lily shrugged, "…oh Jessie, she just has business to attend to back in Wilmington…her studies…."
Jessie's eyes were wide. She knew that Grace's leaving had something to do with Eli.
"…Studies?….but…she cant leave!" Katie exclaimed, stepping forward and resting a hand on Jessie's shoulder.
"Oh I know! …Everything was so hectic…what with the wedding and all…you girls hardly had time to catch up!" she patted Jessie's arm and released her, walking back to the kitchen sink where tomatoes awaited washing.
"…But you'll have her here for Christmas…and hopefully Eli can pull away from work for a week and come down to visit aswell…at the same time as Grace…so we can all be here again…." Lily said, staring to rinse the red tomatoes underneath the running water.
Jessie gave a numb nod, she reached for Katie's hand, squeezing it; "…she couldn't have stayed here for another day or two?"
Lily shrugged again, without looking up at the girls; "…no point really…all the relatives have flown out…. you two are jet-setting off to Hawaii in three days…there's really no reason for her to stay away from school for much longer…"
Katie gave a small nod, "but…." She tried.
Lily smiled to herself, "But I do hope she and Eli get here soon!…You're father and I have an announcement to make…"
Jessie and Katie shared another quick glance with one another; "announcement?" Jessie asked, forcing a smile.
Lily nodded; "…. you wont get it out of me, though! So don't even try!" she looked up, smiling, mischievously raising an eyebrow at them; "…not until everyone gets here!"
Grace steadied herself against the metal box…holding the cold phone to her ear, she breathed heavily as the ringing continued.
"I'll get it!" Zoe screamed, racing down the stairs.
Jessie raised her arms in the air and backed away from the phone, heading back into the lounge where Katie was sitting with Rick.
"Hello?" Zoe spoke into the phone.
Grace took one last deep sigh and calmed herself long enough to answer her sister; "…Zoe?"
"Grace….?" Zoe yelled, loud enough for Lily to hear her from the kitchen. She started washing her hands under the sink, hurriedly.
Zoe levelled her voice again as she spoke to her sister, "…where are you? We're all waiting!"
"Is Eli there too?" Grace asked.
"No…isn't he with you? Aren't you both on you're way?" Zoe asked, but before she could hear her sister's reply, Lily lifted the phone from her ear, and scooted her into the lounge. She cleared her throat; "Grace? Honey?"
Grace sighed again, a shaky, raspy sigh; "yeah…mum its me…"
"Well, where are you?" Lily muttered into the phone. Impatience racking her body. She was anxious to share her good news with her entire family. Judy and Sam Blue had arrived not moments ago, and were now sipping wine in the kitchen. Zoe had emerged from her room and was speaking with Katie and Jessie about their trip….Rick kept coming in and out of the kitchen, pecking her neck with light kisses….making her excitement bubble over.
"….Well…mum…it turns out there was an earlier flight…." Grace started.
"What! Oh! Grace, no!"
"…Yeah mum, the travel agency called half an hour ago and asked me if I wanted to take it…"
"But, baby…we were going to say goodbye to you properly! And….Rick and I were hoping to….to…."
"To what, mum?"
Lily rubbed her forehead and forced a smile, pressing the phone hard against her ear; "…nothing….it's nothing that I can say to you over the phone!"
Grace bit her bottom lip, "I'm sorry, really, I am!"
Lily waved her apology aside, "and what about Eli? Hmmm? Where is he?"
Grace blinked, and rested her head against the metal phone box; "Well….I said goodbye to him at the motel….I think he is still planning on going over there…I really don't know….why don't you give him a ring?"
Lily nodded, "Oh! Well, alright then…" she sighed again, "…Oh, Gracie…I really wanted to say goodbye to you…properly…give you one last home cooked meal before you went back to you're dorm, back onto you're regular diet of takeaway and frozen food…"
Grace gave a nonchalant laugh, "Sorry mum, really I am…what was the announcement?"
"What?"
"The big announcement…."
"Oh…well…er…how about you give me a call when your home, safe and sound….and then I'll explain it to you….when we can have a long talk about it?"
"Mum" Grace breathed, "…is everything ok?"
Lily laughed, "Yes! Everything is wonderful…. absolutely….perfect!"
LILY completely, totally, absolutely….inexplicably….perfect!
Grace let out a sigh of relief, "ok…well I better go then…"
"Well, wait! I'm sure Jessie and Katie want to say goodbye….and Judy and Rick…just a moment!"
"Jessie, come say goodbye to Grace!" Lily called.
Jessie stood hurriedly and bolted to the phone.
"Really, mum…I don't have much time left….and I have no more loose change…." Grace tried, but Lily was holding the phone out to Jessie, she didn't hear her.
"Grace! What happened?" Jessie asked, quietly into the phone.
"Jessie I'm sorry I didn't get to say goodbye…the wedding was beautiful…I'm so, so happy for you and Katie…take care of Rick and mum for me…and Eli, take care of Eli, check up on him, ok?….I have to go…bye….bye Jess! Have an amazing trip!" Grace quickly slammed the phone down. The machine churning out a few pieces of loose changed. She still had another five minutes of talking time.
Jessie kept the phone against her ear, listening to the dull tone of nothing. Just then, the front door opened, and Eli stepped inside. His eyes red and sore, wearing khaki chords and a white shirt…he'd looked for his dark blue one…but he couldn't find it.
"Bye…." Jessie whispered, pulling the phone away from her ear.
She and Eli shared a long gaze, he knew who had been on the phone. Jessie's eyes asked him a million and one questions….questions he just, didn't know the answer to.
Rick stood up and walked to Jessie, reaching his hand out to take the phone from her, but Jessie slammed it down and turned to him, forcing a smile; "….she ran out of money…." Was her only explanation?
Lily sighed, "what a shame!"
"Ahh, yes….shame she couldn't have been here for another day…" Rick said, taking Lily's hand.
In the vast, empty airport, Grace sat by the large panel glass window; looking out at the black night, speckled with the lights from the city, and the air traffic controllers.
She was the only person in her terminal. Her plane not coming in for another 3 hours…she sat perfectly still in the uncomfortable plastic seat….half wishing she'd had the guts to stay…to say and see what could have happened.
She felt her eyes water again…she reached a hand to her cheek, swiping at a fresh tear.
And all she kept asking herself was….
GRACE I wonder if I'll miss him…miss him so badly like I did for five years…?
"Adoption?" Jessie echoed.
Lily and Rick reached across the dinner table, clasping one another's hands. They both smiled and nodded.
There was a silence around the table, and then Judy let out a small laugh; "Oh!…oh I am…." She tried finding words. But found that the only way to express herself was to push her chair out, and walk around to where her sister sat, she bear hugged her, and then kissed Rick's cheek.
"This is wonderful!" she exclaimed.
Jessie and Zoe shared a glance, and then both smiled in true agreement; "…I think it's a fantastic idea!" Jessie exclaimed, smiling and nodding.
"Yeah…it's pretty cool…" Zoe agreed, "…I'll help out, and stuff….with the baby….you know?"
Lily nodded and smiled, feeling her eyes well; "thankyou honey!"
There was now a buzz of admiration around the table, but Rick sensed his son's quiet, and singled him out.
"What do you think, Eli?" he asked, breaking Eli's thoughts.
He looked up, the whole table staring at him now. He showed no signs of emotion on his face for the longest time…and then, finally….he nodded and smiled, a broad smile, that he himself was surprised he'd had the strength to muster.
ELI and I wonder if I'll miss her as badly as I had?….or maybe because now I know our second chance didn't work…maybe now it wont hurt when I think about her?
Rick and Lily looked to one another, he leaned in and kissed her quickly; "we're going to do this…."
She smiled, and squeezed his hand, "we are!"
Eli went up and down, from heel to toe, slowly rocking the swing seat. He sat on the front porch, wearing a heavy jacket, hands dug deep into the pockets. He heard the front door creak open, footsteps step out onto the porch….and he knew who it was.
Jessie sat beside him, burying herself into her jacket; "….why did she leave?"
"…She doesn't like who I am…."
Jessie didn't turn to him, she looked out at the quiet road. Streetlights shining their beams onto the black asphalt; "…did she say that?"
"She didn't need to"
Jessie started going up and down aswell, from heel to toe, coming into the same rhythm as her brother, the swing seat rocking back and forth; "…Grandma wished she'd had time to say goodbye to you…."
"I thought she would have stayed for longer…"
Jessie smiled sadly, "…no….she had an expedition in Peru or something…."
Eli let out a small, gruff laugh; "….she told me I was sad…" he said, letting his laugh die down into a frown.
Jessie turned to him, bewildered; "did she really?…."
Eli nodded, and let out another sarcastic, bitter laugh; "….yes she did…."
Jessie nodded, and turned back to the quiet street.
"….You are…." Was all she whispered.
Eli didn't turn to her, he wasn't surprised that she had agreed with his Grandmother….hell, even he agreed with that assumption of himself.
"…There's still time, you know…" Jessie started. "…She leaves at 10:30….you could still catch her."
Eli and Jessie said nothing for a while. "You know, when Grace and I first started out….we thought our only obstacle, the only thing stopping us from being completely together….was our family…the family we shared" Eli spoke calmly, and Jessie listened tentatively.
"…. They never stopped us….how could they? They don't even know about 'us', never did and probably never will"
"So what was stopping you?" Jessie asked in a hush
Eli shrugged, "I am still trying to figure that out….but I think, maybe….we just never allowed ourselves to believe we could be so happy…we were too cynical…"
"Jess?" Katie poked her head out, "oh…sorry…" she murmured.
"Its alright" Eli said, standing. Jessie reached out, stroking his hand, "I'm sorry, E" she murmured.
He nodded, "me too…" he said, and walked past Katie, back inside.
"What did he say, what happened?" Katie asked, closing the front door.
Jessie motioned for her to sit where Eli had been, Katie did so. "He misses her already…" she murmured in reply, and rested her head against Katie's shoulder.
"Poor Eli…" Katie whispered, and she started so stroke Jessie's hair softly.
ELI (sits on a stool, shrugs)…this is how it's supposed to be. (Camera pans out, showing he is alone in the scene)
She peered out of the small window. The man she was to sit next to put his luggage in the over-head, and sat down.
It was an eerie black outside. Charcoal black…
In a little while she would be home. Carol would be there, ready to listen to every single detail….hand her a tissue when she came to the end of her story…when she told Carol how she'd lied to Eli
GRACE (shrugs, looks away from camera)….three….Eli, a guy called Michael that I met in my first term at Wilmington….he was a mistake. And Andrew….we dated for two months…it was three….three…. I lied. And I don't know why…
And then, in a week or two….Grace guessed, or more, hoped…that she wouldn't be hurting as much as she was right now…she hoped Eli would pass from her memory. She hoped…but she knew he wouldn't…ever.
AUTHORS NOTE
this is not the end.
Close to it, though.
