The Sunshine Girl #wattys2017

Chapter Two Starting Again

Grace took a walk into Emmerdale Village watching everyone socialising and getting on with their lives while she was wrapped up in her own sadness. As she walked down the street, she could see Aaron and Robert walking along path holding hands with their adoptive children Lexi and Matthew following behind them. Grace smiled at them and they waved at her. She waved back secretly envious of them. She had hoped that would be her and Jack someday but sadly that wasnt to be. She felt sick again and took deep breaths before heading home. She needed to confront her mother.

Moira was sitting at the kitchen table, sipping her morning coffee when Grace walked through the door. Moira smiled at her but Grace didnt return it. She instead stood there with her arms folded.
"Andy and Jack have gone." She mumbled and Moira looked at her.
"Oh love. Im sorry. I know how close you and Jack were." Moira said softly and sadly. Grace rolled her eyes,
"Did you really? That didnt stop you from not trying to convince them to stay?! Andy told me mum! You went round to see him and convinced him that a fresh start was necassary!" Grace shouted, clenching her fists.
"Darling, have you any idea what that family has been through?! Andy has lost alot and it was better he started a fresh elsewhere. I would have loved him to stay but he was determined to go." Moira said, shocked that her daughter blamed her for her friends departure.
"Dont you get it?! Jack was my friend since playgroup and he was the only proper friend I had and you took him away from me! You have taken everything from me by doing that and it will never be alright again!" Grace yelled with tears in her eyes as she left the house once more, slamming the door behind her.

Grace run and run until she reached the fields: a place she was all to familar with. She had gone there many times and she always took her horse Lucy there. She kept on running feeling the tall grass tickle her arms and legs before she reached an oak tree at the end. Panting, she sank down and sobbed. Everything had gone wrong for her and she was hurting inside. She loved Jack dearly and had hoped that he felt the same way. She would never love anyone the way she loved him.

"You alright?" A voice called out. Grace looked up and saw Kyle Dingle, her former step brother standing in front of her. Moira had once been married to Cain Dingle, Kyles father. She had also had a brief affair with him whilst pregnant with Grace. Grace had first thought Cain was her Dad and was sad when they divorced but now she couldnt stand him and was glad he wasnt her dad. She liked Kyle though and they had recently got reaquinted after he returned from visiting his mother Amy Wyatt, whose mother Kerry lived in the village.
"Hello John Travolta, wheres Olivia Newton John?" Grace said with a half hearted smile. Kyle sat with her.
"Listen Grace. If its about Jack, forget him. Hes not worth it. If he liked you then he wouldve stayed." Kyle said, he never liked Jack and the feeling was mutual.
"How do you know?! Jack was my only friend! You was my friend too! Im on my own now. I cant face college on my own!" Grace cried and Kyle put his arm around her, secretly fancing her. Grace was gorgeous in his eyes and he liked the fact that she was fiesty.
"Im always here for you. Im staying in Emmerdale from now on. Gotta help the Dingles now that Granddad isnt in the best of health. Dad is away at the moment with Charity so Im in charge. You can drop by anytime." Kyle said kindly and Grace gave a small smile before getting up and walking away without saying goodbye.

Towards the end of January, Grace decided to go and ride Lucy. She had her since she was eight and she loved her dearly. Lucy was dark brown all over and Grace rode her three times a week. She stroked Lucys mane and kissed her nose.
"Come on girl. Lets go to the fields." Grace said softly as she mounted her. She rode Lucy all across the fields, feeling the cool breeze blow through her hair. She loved riding Lucy as she felt free like a lost spirit that had been finally set free.
Suddenly Lucy changed gear and headed for the direction of the woods.
"Lucy! Turn back! Dont go there!" Grace yelled, wondering why Lucy had changed track. She had never done it before.
Grace grabbed hold of Lucy's reins and slowed her down as they reached what looked like a stone mausoleum. Grace got off Lucy and walked towards it looking around. This was the first time she had been here. She had come to the forest many times but never this part. She always liked the forest, finding it to be a place to reflect on things and to be a place that could be mystical and enchanting like a fairy tale.
"Your not supposed to be here!" Someone shouted and Grace was brought out of her trance. It was her uncle James, her dads brother. She always saw him as a father figure and liked him alot along with her cousins, Finn, Pete and Ross.
"Uncle James! I didnt come here intentionally! Lucy lost control...." Grace stammered and James came over, carrying a long gun after a day of hunting.
"I see your standing in the place where Johns ashes were scattered." James said and Grace looked at him.
"My Dad? His ashes are here?" Grace asked, shocked by this peice of information. She knew he had been cremated but she didnt think this was the spot.
"Yeah right here actually. Its a beautiful place. Thats why your mum chose it. So, taking Lucy for a ride eh? Shes a fine old thing. It was good of Adam to buy her for you."
Grace nodded smiling. Jamed was really nice and she liked spending time with him. She didnt like her aunt Emma though. She found her weird and not very nice. As she headed back to the village, she looked back at the forest and how her father now rested there.

That evening, Moira had gone out with Vanessa and Debbie and Sarah and Grace was left alone. She had just phoned her sister Hannah and was arranging a visit to see her. She liked it in London and loved spending time with her neices Leah and Trixie and her twin nephews Johnny and Kai. Grace also loved her other sister Holly but disnt like the fact that she was once a drug user. She had been a little girl when she witnessed Holly using in her room. She had hiden a stash in Graces Doll. Holly now appeared to be clean and was a mum to two kids, Roxanna who was eleven and Lucas who was three.
But it was Adam whom Grace adored the most. Technically he wasnt her full brother. Moira had a drunken, meaningless fling with James and John had raised Adam as his own which showed what a decent man he was. Adam was married to Victoria Sugden, Jacks aunt and they had three kids, Lily, who was thirteen, Harry who was seven and Tommy who was two. Grace loved being part of a huge family and hoped one day to have a family of her own. As Grace looked out of the window, she could see Kyle was on his own in the fields, carrying a bottle of Vodka. She rushed out to him,
"Kyle!"She called out and He looked at her smiling, already half drunk.
"Hello Gracie! Come join me! Granddad Zak is asleep and nana Kerry is out with Dan!" Kyle boomed as he sat under the oak tree. Grace couldnt help but grin as she grabbed the bottle of Vodka and took a swig.
"So not planning to leave Emmerdale then?" Grace asked sipping the vodka and looking over the fields. Kyle shook his head,
"This is my home now. My Gran Joanie lived here and she practically raised me. I miss her you know." He said and his voice cut off, Grace who had already become drunk after one too many swigs of Vodka put her arm around him,
"Oh Kyle dont cry." She said softly as he gave a little cry. Then, they looked at each other for a few moments before Kyle leaned in and kissed her. Grace was taken aback and then before she knew it, she kissed him back. Within seconds the kiss became passionate and they were ripping each others clothes off before going all the way.....
When it was over, Grace, feeling embarrased and shocked by what had happened, got dressed and ran back to the house. She felt sick. She couldnt think properly. She shut herself in her room and began to cry. She felt as though she had betrayed Jack in a way. She lay awake until Moira returned home before heading downstairs. Moira smiled at her,
"Hello darling, you ok?" Moira asked. Grace nodded,
"Yeah mum. Mum, im sorry what i said about Jack and Andy. You were right, they need a fresh start. After everything thats happened. You was being a friend like you and Dad were to Andy." Grace said softly before going over and giving her mother a hug. Moira held her youngest daughter in her arms, feeling blessed every day that John had given her this child, she also felt a tinge of sadness as she had been born on the day John had died. As Grace headed to bed, Moira gave a little cry.