Tides of grace

The night things changed

The tension had been building for days, and Grace could feel it crackling in the air like static electricity. As she and the boys gathered around the fire at the Boneyard that evening, she couldn't ignore the weight of the situation. Everyone was in a different place-Sarah, Kiara, John B., Pope, JJ. They were all trying to figure out where they stood, both with each other and with Grace.

It was JJ who spoke first. "Grace, you've been kind of quiet tonight. Something on your mind?"

Grace looked over at him, a little surprised by the directness of his question. She hadn't expected him to notice, but he always seemed to be paying attention to the small details.

"I've just been thinking about everything," Grace said, her voice low. "About how things have changed."

John B. glanced over at Grace, his brow furrowed. "Changed? How?"

Grace hesitated, then shrugged. "It's just that... I don't know. It feels like everything is different now. With Sarah, with Kiara. Even with you guys."

Pope spoke up, his voice surprisingly thoughtful. "You've been carrying a lot of weight, haven't you?"

Grace looked at him, surprised by his perceptiveness. "Yeah, I guess I have. But I don't want to be the reason things are so weird."

JJ chuckled softly, though his eyes were serious. "You're not the problem, Grace. The problem is everyone trying to figure out where they stand. We're all a little mixed up right now."

Grace nodded, taking in the truth of his words.

"I guess we just need to figure it out," she said, more to herself than anyone else.

John B. reached out, offering a comforting smile. "You're not alone in this. We're all in this together."

And for the first time in days, Grace felt a sense of calm wash over her. She wasn't alone. Maybe everything would be messy, maybe things would never go back to normal-but at least they were facing it together.

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