Grace Taylor Hudson

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

I woke up in an unfamiliar room, only slightly dazed and confused. Then I remembered, I'm at Katy's. To live with her. Forever. Or at least until I go off to college.... A small forever but one that I'd waited for for a longer forever.

My mind began to wander, this is what my life would've been like; getting to see the Hudson family every birthday, Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Traveling with Katy on tours and press circuits; I would probably have a personal tutor so that we would be able to be with each other or stay with Mary and Keith or Angela or David.

But then again....

Maybe I would've been Katy's only fan. Maybe we wouldn't have seen the world. Maybe we'd have spent holidays in shelters or at a random boyfriend's house. Neither one of us happy. In the end she had to choose. She could either take care of me and scrape by or know that I'm being taken care of and soar. Both of us got what we wanted, but not really. We still didn't have each other. I get it. I understand why now.

I looked over at Katy to see her looking at me with a small smile on her face. "What were you just thinking about? You have the same look that I get on my face when I'm lost in my thoughts." "Nothing..." I mumbled back and she sat up against the headboard, pleading for me to share, "Grace, c'mon. You can tell me! Plus, I kind of wanna see all of this from your perspective." I saw the motherly look in her eyes which melted my heart, then scooted over to her, laying my head in her lap. "I was just thinking that I get why you did it. And I know you may regret it or something but I don't. I totally understand and I just feel like you should know that." I peeked up at Katy but I couldn't see her face; she was staring straight ahead, then she spoke.

"Grace, you're wise beyond your years. Do you know that? I never thought you'd understand so quickly; hell, I thought it'd take you years to forgive me or at least understand it." She looked down at me with tears in her eyes, "Don't cry! Please don't cry!" She wiped the tears away and laughed, "Sorry! It's just that I'm happy." She leaned down to kiss my head, "So, your room. We should probably start on that... You wiggle too much to sleep in here."

"I could say the same about you! I'm pretty sure you kicked me last night!" She covered her face with her hands, "Well that's embarrassing. Russ used to say the same thing..."

I sat up, crossing my legs Indian style facing Katy and took this as an opportunity to jump in and ask one of the questions that had been burning in the back of my mind, "Did he know about me?"

She exhaled for a few seconds then looked at me with her blue eyes, "Yes... He did. He told me I should go see you all the time, but I was in the middle of my first big tour, I didn't want to pop in and not be able to be there. He didn't really get that until things got tough for us as a couple... then we separated. Every once in a while he'd call and he never failed to ask 'So what's going on in Graceland?' He was the only one that knew though. I didn't feel that anybody else really would've been like a father figure to you." She was thinking now; her eyes told me she was lost in another world years behind her...

I decided to drop it there and change the subject. "So, furniture shopping?" She jumped a little at the sound of my voice bringing her back. "Yes, yes. Of course. Go get dressed and we'll eat then go. Today's Sunday, right?" "Yeah, why?" "Less paps on Sunday. That'll make it a little easier for us. Welcome to my life darling. It's not as bad as they make it sound, the worst part is the paparazzi." "Do you think they'll say anything? Like what're you going to say?" "Nothing, nothing at all. Unless I'm asked in an interview which I don't have any anytime soon. So we'll be good for a while. Don't worry love." I shrugged my shoulders then went to get dressed.

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An hour later we were in the car; Katy was wearing her ancient LA cap, black sunglasses, tights and a long tank trying to be discreet. I decided to go for jean shorts, Chucks, and an I ♥ NY tee I'd bought last summer on our vacation.