Grace Taylor Hudson

Chapter 24

"Katy. Katheryn. Mom. Tweet. The. Picture." I shook my mom's slender shoulders from side to side.

She had been sitting at her desk for a good hour with Twitter open and the picture we had taken this morning attached to a tweet with "Like mother, like daughter. Say hi to my Grace everyone!" typed above it.

My patience was running thin while my nerves were eating away at me.

"You're sure about this?" Katy turned to look at me with her piercing blue eyes.

"For God's sake, babe, just do it!" John butt in from the opposite side of the room, emotionally exhausted by Katy's fickle attitude.

I shrugged and smirked, "What he said."

Katy turned and glared at John, then looked back down at her screen. Slowly, but surely, her manicured thumb made it's way to the correct button and tapped "Tweet". After she hit it, Katy slid her phone toward the center of the desk and stood up.

"Grace, this is the end of your normal life." Her voice was had a hint of melancholy to it and her eyes looked sad. "I wanted to wait longer and protect you, but that clearly isn't in your best interest-not that this is either. This is basically a catch twenty-two. Nobody will win." She pulled me in for a hug and I nestled close to her, inhaling her familiar scent. "Just know, Gray, that what they say does not matter; the things they print do not matter. The only thing that you should ever believe is what I, John, or one of my team members say. Ignore the rest, baby."

I nodded and pulled back. "Thank you, Mom," I whispered.

She smiled and kissed my forehead. "Anything for my kiddo," she said with sparkling eyes.

"Grace, Katy, I am so proud of you two. I want you to know that I will be here to protect and help both of you throughout this." John's smooth, familiar voice was also a comfort to me.

He's so kind, I thought. He watches out for Katy and I so much.

Soon enough his tattooed arms enveloped Katy and I into a group hug. His muscular frame felt like a shield from the rest of the world and all of the things to come, and I realized that these two people are my parents.

No, they're not married. No, John is not my biological father. But I don't care. They have taken care of me and will continue on for the rest of my life.

I smiled to myself and I whispered, "I love you, Mom. I love you, Dad."

I have decided to make this chapter the last chapter. There is just way too much going on right now and I'm a few months away from graduating and going off to college where I won't have time to continue on. I appreciate everything, including your patience. Happy New Year! Thank you.