Consequences

Chapter 8

The next morning, Grace awoke to the sound of Connie entering her room with a tray full of pancakes; she smiled and sat up, careful to watch her arm.

"How you feeling baby?" Connie asked as she set the tray on the bed and sat opposite her daughter.

"Sore"

"You will be for a while but for today...we can sit and watch movies and eat really bad food"

"But you have work"

"Not for a few days; you come first. I made a promise and i'm not about to break it the minute i finally get you back"

"I dont mind"

"I know you dont but i do" she answered, leaning over to kiss Grace's hair. "Watching you live with Zoe, that hurt me more than you'll ever know but the thing that kept me going was knowing that one day, i would be able to prove just how much you meant to me; i've made a lot of changes at work and it means that at weekends, i can spend them with you. I might have to work the odd one and obviously we'd have to sort out the holidays but when i made that promise to you, i had every intention of keeping it"

"You dont have to..."

"Yes, i do; sweetheart, the worse thing i ever did was let the job take time away from you. I want us to be able to do all the things we planned but didnt do; i want to be able to go to work and know we've had an amazing weekend..."

"We can mom...i'm sorry i was so selfish. You're the best mom ever..."

"You werent selfish baby; you were trying to tell me you needed me and i ignored you. From now on, i'll be there no matter when or where or what time it is; you need me, i'll be there. I need you to keep talking to me though; tell me if i start ignoring you again...and if i do, you tell Zoe or Uncle Charlie and they'll tell me"

"Okay"

"Now, eat up and i'll get everything set up for us in my room, okay?"

Grace nodded; Connie kissed her forehead again before leaving the room.

An hour later, they were laid in Connie's bed, surrounded by snack as they watched film after film all day; at just after 7, the door went and Connie had gone to answer it, leaving Grace on the sofa.

"Gracie, there's someone to see you" Connie said as she entered the room with Zoe and Max behind her, holding a gift bag.

"Zoe. Max" she smiled, getting up to hug them both. "Why are you here?"

"Well...you didnt get to have your presents yesterday and i forgot to tell your mom about them so..." Zoe said, as Max held the bag out for her to take.

Taking the bag, she sat on Connie's lap as Max and Zoe sat next to them; the watched as Grace opened them and smiled.

"Thank you" she beamed as she showed Connie the new Ipod they had brought her along with some funky headphones and an Itunes card to get started.

"You're welcome; hows the arm?" Zoe asked.

"Sore...but mom's making it better" she smiled, leaning against Connie.

"Well, we brought cake too; if your mom says it's okay?" Max said, showing her the chocolate gateau.

"Can we mom?"

"Go on; why dont you show Max where everything is?" Connie agreed before Grace and Max left the room.

"How's things been?" Zoe asked, hesitantly.

"We had a good talk this morning; and a general lazy day watching films"

"Any nightmares?"

"She was restless; i spent most of the night at her side, just watching her. I cant believe how close i came to losing her Zoe" she admitted.

"But you didnt though; she's still here and better still, she's back home, where she belongs"

"That's the one good thing to come out of the accident i guess" she replied as Grace and Max came back to sit on the sofa and handed out the cake.

When it was all eaten, Zoe and Max left whilst Connie sent Grace to get ready for bed; after clearing up, Connie got changed before sitting on the edge of her daughter's bed and stroking her hair back.

"You okay baby?"

"Tired"

"That's the pain killers kicking in; try and get some sleep and i'll see you in the morning"

As Grace snuggled further down the covers, Connie kissed her forehead and turned the lamp out, watching as her daughter let the sleep overtake her body.