Tides of grace

Rebuilding bridges

The night after her conversation with Sarah was the first time in a long while that Grace felt a sense of clarity. The air between her and Sarah wasn't perfectly clear, but it had shifted. Sarah had admitted her fears, and Grace had promised her that nothing would change between them-not if she could help it.

The next morning, things felt lighter. Grace woke up with a sense of purpose, her mind made up. She wasn't going to let the tension control her anymore. There were still unresolved feelings between the girls, but she knew one thing for sure: She couldn't keep walking around like everything was fine when it wasn't. She had to act-talk to Kiara, talk to everyone, clear the air. No more avoiding the hard conversations.

Grace found Kiara sitting on the porch of the chateau later that afternoon, her gaze distant, staring at the water. Grace approached cautiously, but Kiara looked up before she could say anything.

"I know you've been trying to avoid me," Kiara said, her voice calm but guarded. "I get it."

Grace shook her head, feeling the weight of Kiara's words. "Kiara, that's not it. I'm not avoiding you. I don't know what's happening between us, but I hate how it feels. I hate that we're not talking."

Kiara's eyes softened, just a little. "It's not easy. Watching everyone go after what they want, and... well, it's hard to explain. But I've been feeling like I'm the odd one out lately. It's not just about you, Grace. It's just the whole thing with the Pogues and the Kooks. It's messy."

Grace sat down beside her. "I don't want things to be messy. I don't want to be the reason things are weird."

Kiara glanced at her, her expression a mix of frustration and understanding. "I know you don't. It's just... I guess I'm scared. I'm scared that if I don't keep up, I'll lose my place in the group. That's why I've been distant. I'm trying to protect myself."

Grace nodded. "I get that. And I want you to know, I'm not going anywhere. You're important to me, Kiara. We're important to each other."

Kiara's eyes softened, and she gave Grace a small, grateful smile. "Thanks. I think I needed to hear that."

As they sat together in the quiet, a sense of peace began to settle between them. Kiara and Grace didn't need to fix everything in one conversation, but this moment was enough-a step toward repairing what had been broken.

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