Anna's Grace

Chapter Two

     Anna was sitting on a couch near a window overlooking the small front garden of her mothers' house. The tears that had run down her cheeks were sticky because she hadn't even bothered to wipe them away.

     A voice behind her brought her back to the present, "Can I sit down?" Elijah Grace asked pointing towards the open spot next to her. She gave a nod and glanced out the window again. Why did he have to remind her that she was still inside this nightmare?

     For a few moments they sat in utter silence, the guests already left to their own homes about an hour ago, they were now alone in this dark place.

     "Have you tried talking to Adam yet?" Elijah finally asked, he too – she realized as she looked over at him – was staring out the window and at the empty swing set, "you know... about my father..." but she noticed that he couldn't quite finish the question as fresh tears leaked from his eyes.

     She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, "Elijah," words seemed too far away for her to grasp, "... I won't tell him, not until you tell him about..." but before she could finish she noticed Adam entering the living room.

     "Elijah," he said looking at his brother, he spared Anna a disgusted glare, "You need to take that old man home." And he looked back towards his father with contempt, "He's complaining about that stupid headache again! I just can't deal with him right now."

     "That old man," Elijah said angrily getting to his feet, "That's our father, Adam."

     "I don't have a father," Adam said heatedly, "You know that. You know what he did, so stop calling him my father!" And he turned around and walked away not even sparing Anna a glance.

     Elijah turned back towards Anna, "I can't tell him about our father, you see how he reacts whenever I mention him..." he sounded tired. He was tired. He had lost his mother, wife and daughter in a time frame of four years, he was bound to feel drained, she thought sadly.

     And here she was being self-absorbed by her grief when this man clearly was lost as well, he was now the one taking care of the Grace family, because Noah needed him and Ruben, how could she have forgotten about poor Ruben.

     "Don't worry about it," Anna said as she too got to her feet and hugged Elijah, "Go take Noah home and get him to bed..." her heart broke as she said his name, I will never be able to get over this, she thought. Saying his name, and him not being here, it was never going to be the same.

     Elijah walked over towards his father who had now entered the room, "Dad," he said softly and the older man smiled fondly at his eldest son, "Let's go..." he steered his father towards the door before giving Amelia a goodbye hug.

     Ruben Grace, the youngest of the Grace boys followed his brother and father from the room. He returned a few seconds later to give Amelia and Anna a hug, "So you don't forget me!" he said teasingly at Anna as he winked and left.

     Amelia walked over towards Anna, "Did you get a chance to talk to Adam yet?" she asked, she knew her daughter dreaded talking to Adam, but she was bound to talk to the man one time or another.

     Her daughter shook her head as she looked at her mother, fresh tears in her eyes, "Mom, I can't make him hate his dad more..." she started crying again, "... He doesn't even know about his dads' brain tumor yet..."

     Amelia pulled her daughter into her arms, and watched as Adam Grace sat on the swing set that he had made for the two children when Little Noah was two years old. She sighed heavily and kissed her daughters' crown, "But now he hates you dear..." she said softly as her heart broke for her daughter.

     "I know," Anna said softly in between sobs, "The Lord has abandoned me mom and I don't know why..."