It was early in the morning when Grace got a call from her brother Zach.
"Hi Zach!"
"Natalie is pregnant." Zach said without any joy in his voice.
"Oh." Grace wasn't sure what to tell him, Zach had said before he didn't want kids.
"I'm not sure what to do. She told me she changed her mind about having kids, she's gonna keep it."
"And what do you want?"
There was silence on the line, but Grace could hear her brother sighing.
"I can't be a dad, Grace. I'm not…I don't know how you do it."
"Boy do I have news for you." Grace joked.
"What do you mean?"
"I've started therapy because I'm not sure how to be a mom with all the emotional baggage I'm carrying."
"I thought you were happy?"
"It turns out that being happy it's a work in progress." Grace told him. "Listen Zach, I won't judge you. And I won't lie to you and say it's been easy to care for a baby."
"I guess I have a lot to think about."
"Me too."
"The Florrick kids for the win, right?"
Grace chuckled. "Hey, don't be a stranger and call me."
"Will do."
Grace Florrick's busy week as the State Attorney continued as always. Meetings, reviewing cases, budgets overview, press conferences. She managed to spend time everyday with her family, including sex with Connor and she squeezed the homework Dr. Anderson gave her in time for her next session.
"Do you want me to read my homework?" Grace asked her therapist, eager to show her she came prepared.
"No. That's okay Grace."
"Oh."
"The exercise was for you to acknowledge the events that happened and don't deny your feelings. Writing them down, choosing the words, seeing them in more abstract terms than re imagining them in your mind."
"I see." Grace glanced at the paper.
"You're acknowledging what you've been bottling inside. You need to learn to have a healthy relationship with your emotions."
"Yeah, that sounds hard."
"Well, it's been less than a month, we still have a long way to go." Doctor Anderson told her.
Grace nodded. "So what do I talk about now?"
"I want to stay on the subject of your dad. Why do you follow his steps?"
"Uff…Many people asked me that during the campaign." Grace crossed her arms. "Of course I gave a fluff answer. You don't tell the truth during election campaigns…Well, except to your campaign's manager."
Grace walked around the empty office where her campaign headquarters were gonna settle. Selina Perez, her campaign manager, was giving her the tour.
"Everything looks great, Selina." Grace nodded in approval.
"Thank you, we're doing our best." Selina gave her candidate a big smile. "Please, sit down. Let's start the fun part"
"Fun part?" Grace grabbed a chair.
"Sure." Selina sat down in front of the lawyer. "Here's your last chance to tell me anything."
"Like what?"
"Anything you don't want to be public, anything you need protection for."
"Oh, I see what this is." Grace thought for a second. "No, I don't think there's anything. I'm a boring person."
"Still, I'm gonna ask you some questions. Okay?" Selina opened up her laptop
"Sure." Grace shrugged
"Have you ever taken a bribe?"
"No."
"You answered quickly, good, good." Selina typed on her laptop. "Have you ever witnessed someone taking a bribe?"
"No."
"Really? You work for the States Attorney office in Chicago and you have never seen anyone taking a bribe?"
"No." Grace shook her head.
"Amazing." Selina had a crooked smile. "Have you ever tampered with evidence or any witness obstruction?"
"No."
"Any overseas bank accounts?"
"No."
"How come you have two home addresses?"
"Uh?"
"You have your apartment in the city, but you also have another house in Highland Park right? Which is not in Cook County, I looked it up."
"It's my childhood home, my dad gave it to me."
"Did you inherit it when he died?"
"No, when I was in college dad was gonna sell it so I asked him to give it to me. He sold it to me for the minimum."
"Must be nice, I mean, in this economy and all."
"Is that a problem?"
"You're not blue collar, Grace. We're not gonna sell you to the voters like that."
"As what then?"
"Are you an alcoholic?" Selina continued her grilling.
"No."
"I heard you don't drink, do you have a drinking problem?"
"It's true, I don't drink. I don't know if…I'm not completely sober, I have a glass of wine now and then but I don't like how alcohol changes me."
"Okay, I can work with that." Selina typed on her laptop. "Now, have you ever had an abortion?"
"No."
"Any photos of you naked or in a sexual act?"
"No"
"You don't send nudes?"
"No, I don't." Grace reassured her. "I told you I'm boring…well, wait...I don't know if it counts. I don't think anyone has them."
"Has what?"
"When I was in high school a classmate hacked my webcam and took videos of me naked."
"Oh my God. That's awful." the manager said emphatically. "Was the incident made public?"
"Oh, I never told my parents. My brother handled it." Grace nodded "Zach hit the guy. But, those videos are probably lost on the internet. And I was a minor, so they can't bring that up"
"Okaaay. Let's keep going." Selina read from her laptop. "Have you ever had an inappropriate sexual relationship?"
"No." Grace once again answered quickly and without hesitation.
"Do you want to think about it a little bit longer? You are Florrick after all."
"No." Grace frowned. "I don't need to think about it any longer."
"Let me give you some examples. Have you had a sexual relationship with a superior or an underling?" Selina barely waited for Grace to say no and continued. "A sexual relationship with a teacher?"
"No."
"A client?"
"No.
"Then who are you screwing, girl? Are you seeing someone right now?"
"Not right now." Grace told her. "And I always kept my private life separate from my work life. Is this going anywhere?"
"Have you ever slept with a married person?"
"Again, no."
"Wasn't Evan Van Ray Jr. engaged?"
"Wh..what?" Grace laughed nervously. "How…How do you know about him?"
"It's my job to know." Selina raised her eyebrows. "What's the story there?"
"Uh...We met in a youth christian group when I was 17 years old." Grace said. "We stayed in touch and we had an on and off relationship. It ended when he got engaged. I ended it."
"You didn't date him, you were just sleeping with him, right?"
"How is this relevant?" Grace said with annoyance. "We were both consenting adults, it wasn't an inappropriate relationship."
"See Grace, I gotta sell you as 'the good one'." Selina stood up and walked around the table. "You're the good Florrick, you're the good christian, a cool one. You're not a hypocrite, you're not gonna have a sex scandal blow up in your face."
"My past relationship with Evan isn't a sex scandal."
"No, but still damn weird because his dad was for years the head of the Illinois Republican committee. Evan also is a hardcore republican" Selina said. "It's the optics, Grace."
"Is this a problem for my campaign?"
"I dunno." Selina shrugged. "Maybe if he says anything. But he's all about: 'My wife is my only one love' bullshit. And I don't think his dad would like to know he was close to being in laws with Peter Florrick."
Grace crossed her arms. "If it isn't a problem, why are you bringing it up?"
"Anyone else, Grace?" Selina waited for Grace to connect the dots.
"Damn it." Grace hit the desk. "Is this about Julian?"
"Rumor has it that you and Julian Rainsford were an item at Northwestern. Again, you were in a relationship with conservative man from a very rich, and evil family."
"It was the last year of law school, it wasn't that big of a deal."
"Didn't you go skiing with his family to Colorado on a private jet for Christmas?" Selina turned the laptop around and showed Grace a photo. "That's definitely you in the background of this photo."
"Yeah, that's me." Grace sighed. "There was a moment, a brief moment, when I thought money was the answer, if I married into a billionaire family I can do more good in the world than whatever political aspirations I had."
"What happened?"
"We broke up." Grace told Selina. "Is that gonna be a problem?"
"Again, it's the optics. But you two were very low profile." Selina closed her laptop. "If anyone goes after you for this, it's gonna be when you run for something bigger like the senate."
"Senate? I haven't even won this election."
"Yeah, but this is Chicago. They see Florrick on the ballot and they vote for them. It's Pavlovian."
Grace chuckled. "Is that why you took the job? Is it an easy win?"
"I hope so." Selina told her. "One more question. How do you want to handle your dad?"
"He's dead."
"He was murdered. Do you want to say you're doing this for him or…?"
"No, I don't." Grace interrupted her. "I'll never say that. I won't use my dad's murder like that."
"Okay, so...he was a flawed man, yada yada yada, you miss him but you have your own values and believe in public service. Does that sound good?"
Grace nodded. "Yeah, sounds good."
"Alright, let's get you to the photo studio." Selina got up and grabbed her laptop.
"Selina, could you do me a favor?" Grace inquired. "Can you vet someone for me?"
"Sure, give me a name."
"Connor Flanagan, he's an architect for Nelson and Associates."
Selina wrote it down. "Why do you want to vet him?"
"Because I obviously have bad taste in men."
"Grace?" Doctor Anderson saw how Grace was lost in her thoughts again.
"I once heard that politics is the art of eating shit without flinching. I might as well do the job I was raised for." Grace shrugged. "Someone has to do it."
"You think you were raised for it?"
"I want to make the world a better place, I swear that's true. But what else could I be? I wasn't gonna be a doctor, I wasn't gonna be a missionary or as my mom once suggested, a lawyer for the United Nations. These were my cards, might as well play them. But that's just one part of it."
"What's the other part?"
After finishing law school and spending part of the summer in France with Zach, Grace came back to the United States and stayed a few days with Alicia in New York City.
"Woah." Grace admired Alicia's apartment. "You have a beautiful home, mom."
"Thank you." Alicia smiled at her daughter. "Beautiful view too."
"I bet." Grace put her bags down. "Should I settle in my room first or do you want my apology now?"
"Grace." Alicia sighed. Her relationship with Grace was far from ideal. They both had the feeling that they used to be close, were they ever close?
"Mom, I'm sorry for taking off to France without telling you."
"Ramona called me to tell me that you weren't attending your graduation. That's all she shared with me."
"I asked her not to tell you."
"Tell me what?
They used to talk about everything, right? Grace used to share with her, didn't she?
"I had a bad break up." Grace offered as justification. "He was also graduating, I didn't want to see him so I left. It was childish."
"Who is he?"
"It doesn't matter. We broke up."
"Were you heartbroken about him?"
"I didn't say that." Grace replied. "It's personal, mom."
They never had secrets between them, right?
"Oh, who is this?" Grace noticed the cat sleeping on the couch. "You got a cat?"
"It's Daniel's cat."
"You got a boyfriend and a cat? It's a pretty good deal." Grace pet the orange cat.
"His name is Ruffles."
"Hi Ruffles." The cat enjoyed the petting and moved to Grace's lap. "When am I gonna meet Daniel?"
"He'll be here tonight." Alicia could see her daughter as the little girl she used to be. Asking for a pet, wanting to take stray cats home. She was so sweet.
"Come on. Leave your bags in your room and let's go out."
Alicia took her daughter for a trip around Manhattan. A fancy lunch in Bocca di Bacco, she got Grace a good coat from Nordstrom, she gave Grace a tour around Florrick & Canning offices. It was a nice day, like they used to have when Grace was younger.
They meet with Daniel at the apartment for dinner, Grace realized Alicia had definitely a type. The law school professor was tall, dark and handsome. Over dessert, Alicia made Grace a proposition.
"Take the bar here in New York and work with me at the firm."
"Mom, you know I can't."
"You can't or you won't?" Alicia asked.
"I must go back to Chicago for Angie." Grace said. "She's my little sister and I want to be part of her life."
"You can live here and visit her."
"I babysit her, she stays over on weekends and we watch movies and eat ice cream. It wouldn't be the same if I only see Angie on her birthdays." Grace told her. "Besides, wouldn't working for you be nepotism?"
Grace the idealist. Alicia thought. "I understand" Alicia took a bite of her cheesecake. "So do you have any job prospects?"
"I'm thinking of working for the State's Attorney office of the public defender office."
Daniel saw how Alicia's posture changed, she dropped the fork and crossed her arms. Can you hear someone's blood pressure raising?
"I'll put these in the dishwasher." He took the plates and left for the kitchen.
"Grace, you can't possibly tell me that's the best option for you." Alicia said with incredulity. "You worry about nepotism but you want to work for the State's Attorney's office?"
"Dad doesn't work there anymore." Grace replied. "Dad did offer me a job at the company. I turned it down too."
"They're only gonna see you as Peter Florrick's daughter. Pick something else, do you want to help people? Work for the UN, for doctors without borders, for the NAACP. Come on."
"Mom, I made up my mind about living in Chicago, and I don't have that many choices. Plenty of lawyers and law firms hold a grudge against you and dad."
You and dad. Alicia didn't appreciate being in the same boat as Peter.
"But that's okay I see it as a positive, they all know my name but I can change their opinions." Grace said with enthusiasm.
"You don't have to atone for your father." Alicia told her. "Let his reputation be his reputation."
"I'm not." Grace told her.
"Work for me, let me protect you."
Grace caught the change from work with me to work for me.
"I don't need protection. I only need to find where I belong, I believe this is a good place to start."
Alicia sighed, she didn't want to be like Veronica or Jackie who were always judging and nitpicking everything their kids did. Was she meant to be like them? Does life make you that way?
"Give me a year." Grace offered, "One year to see if I like the job, or being a lawyer at all. Don't worry about me mom."
"What's the other part?" Dr. Anderson asked.
"I want to prove that I am better than my dad, I'm incorruptible, I won't fail and I won't clean his name." Grace said. "Screw him, Florrick is my name now and I'm gonna shove it down their throats."
It was election night, Grace was waiting for the results. So far, the polls were in her favor and her camp was ready to celebrate. Grace went looking for her sister, she found her in an office, laying on a couch.
"Hey." Grace opened the door carefully. "Are you awake?"
"Yeah." Angie sat up and took off her earbuds. "I was just listening to a podcast."
"What is it about?"
"The 2025 TikTok murders."
"Oh. That doesn't sound appropriate for a 13 year old."
"It's not gory or scary." Angie shrugged. "Is the election over?"
"Not yet." Grace told her. "You know, I don't remember dad's first wins. I fell asleep both times he won the States' Attorney office. I do remember when he won the governor election, everyone cheered, dad hugged me and picked me up."
"You're smiling." The girl pointed out. "You don't usually talk about dad."
"I know you miss him."
"You don't?"
"It's complicated…" Grace said. "But yes, I miss him."
"If you…like…I dunno. Can you help solve dad's murder?"
"Angie, I…" Grace felt so much for her little sister.
"I mean, no solve it but like… arrest someone and trial them. Maybe I shouldn't listen to true crime podcasts."
"Dad's murder is…The chances of solving the case are low. I wish I could give you something."
"Ok." Angie rested her head on Grace's shoulder.
"Sorry."
"Why are you doing it? Why do you want to be the State's Attorney?"
"Because there are a lot of people out there who feel like you do. That the world is unjust and criminals win."
"Can you give them justice?"
"I'll try."
"A kid at school told me that his dad told him that Florricks are bad news."
"Don't listen to them." Grace said. "And if they gave you any trouble you tell me or your mom."
"I know. But it's weird, seeing you on TV, on billboards and people talking about you like they know you." The teen told her.
"They don't know me. You know me." Grace looked at her smartphone to check the alerts again. "Hey, do you want to hold the bible for me?"
"What?"
"In the swearing in ceremony you can hold the bible for me. I think it'd be cool."
"Did you do it for dad?"
"I didn't get a chance, I was too young. Zach held it for the governor's ceremony." The lawyer said. "I'll find the photos and show them to you."
Angie thought about it for a moment. "Okay, yeah, if you win I'll do it."
"That's a deal."
"Grace?" Selina Perez, the campaign manager, entered the office. "It's Getz on the phone, he's conceding. You won."
"Hell yeah!" Angie hugged Grace with excitement.
Doctor Anderson pondered for a moment. "I think you didn't want to acknowledge your anger because you thought you'd lose your motivation." Dr. Anderson said. "Because you know those are impossible goals. No one is incorruptible, no one is free of failure."
"And now what?"
"You're slowing down and now you have time to think about your life." Dr. Anderson said. "Does those goals matter? Or can you focus on the positive aspects and still do the work. "
That night, Grace went to pick up her daughter from Ramona's apartment; her sister, Angie answered the door.
"Hi baby sister."
"When are you gonna stop calling me baby sister?" The teenager complained.
"I see, you're turning sixteen and you're no longer a baby, right?"
"Well, yeah. Also, I'm taller than you." Angie said smugly. At 15 years old she was a foot taller than Grace
"Well, I can still do this!" Grace tickled her sister.
"Wait..ha ha haha, okay, okay, I gave up." She said between laughter. "It's really not fair."
"No, it isn't, baby sister." Grace gave her a kiss. "What do you want for your birthday?"
"Uh..nothing. I'm good."
"Are you sure? A new phone? A car?"
Angie laughed. "No. I don't want a car. I'm good, really. Thanks."
In her studio, Grace found Ramona working on her laptop with Debbie sleeping next to her.
"Hi, how was Debbie today?" Grace checked on her daughter.
"She 's an angel."
"Thank you for babysitting."
"Anytime." Ramona took off her glasses and faced Grace. "How is therapy?"
"If you want to say: I told you so. You can do it." Grace said. "I admit it is helping me."
Ramona smiled. "I told you so."
"Angie says she doesn't want anything for her birthday." Grace sat down on the couch.
"She says she only wants to go bowling with her friends and maybe cake."
"Oh." Grace leaned back and rested her head on the couch. "I hope Angie is happy."
"I believe she is." Ramona cleared her throat. "In other business, Capstone sent me an email. They want to know if we are gonna extend the Peter Florrick Scholarship."
"The deal was for 10 years, we still got 2 years to go. Why are they asking now?"
"They want to know their options." Ramona shrugged. "What do you think?"
"Jackie is gone, she was the one who cared, Angie will be finished school by then." Grace
said. "But we have helped kids."
"We can find a different way to help the community." Ramona told her. "Let's be over with it."
"Alright, 2 more years and we'll be done with it."
Ramona sighed. "2 more years and we'll get away with it."
Ruffles the Orange Cat will return in: You never love once.