Consequences

Chapter 32

By the time Connie had walked through the door at just gone six, her head was pounding and she hadnt stopped coughing on the journey home, to the point she had had to pull over until she had stopped; shutting the front door behind her, she sighed before entering the kitchen where Grace was eating her dinner.

"Hi sweetheart" she whispered, kissing her hair.

"You have a headache, dont you?" Grace asked as Rachel handed her a cup of coffee before leaving for the day.

"I'll be fine"

"And your face is all red and your breathing is funny so you've been coughing again"

"Gracie, i'm fine; how was your day with Jane and Rachel?" She asked as she took a seat.

"Fine; did you work too hard? Do too much talking again?" She questionned.

"I was doing my job; what do you want to do tomorrow?"

"You're changing the subject mom; i dont like seeing you sick" she pouted at Connie's attempt to avoid her concerns.

"Because i'm fine; today was bound to agitate my cough. But i made sure to drink plenty and try to rest my voice where i could; and Uncle Charlie made sure i didnt overdo it too much"

"Didnt work then, did it?!" Grace replied before grabbing two paracetamol and a mug of honey and lemon tea, swapping it for Connie's mug of coffee. "Rachel made you soup; and i did all my homework so we can watch a film in your room?"

"Will it stop you worrying?"

"No...but it'll help you"

Connie sighed and, after taking the paracetamol, she pulled Grace onto her lap and kissed her hair.

"Okay, talk to me Gracie; i cant have you getting yourself all worked up everytime i leave the house or come home"

"I dont want to lose you mom" she admitted, tearfully.

"Why would you lose me?"

"You were really sick; you couldnt breath and then you got worse. You couldnt do anything for days..." she cried.

"I know seeing me like that was scary but...i'm glad you were here to help me; you calling Auntie Zoe and doing what she said, it helped me to stay calm and feel better, even if i didnt look it. But...i am better now; i'm still going to have a cough for a while longer and that's normal; it's my body's way of keeping me well. I need you to concentrate on your school work and try not to worry when i'm at work; can you do that for me?" She asked, wiping her daughter's tears away.

Grace nodded and snuggled against her mom; Connie sighed heavily and ran her finger's through her daughters long hair.

"What do you want to do tomorrow?" Connie asked, trying to distract her daughter from worrying about her.

"You need to rest"

"What did i just say? I would like us to spend the day together, doing something fun; now, i can choose or you can. We can do amything you want..."

This time, it was Grace who sighed; Connie didnt know what to say. She was exhausted and didnt have the energy to argue with her daughter over if she was doing too much.

"Have a think about it; why dont you go and get changed and we'll watch that film, eh?"

"What about your soup?"

"I had a late lunch with Uncle Charlie; go on up, i'll be right behind you"

As Grace reluctantly went upstairs, Connie put her head in her hands before running her fingers through her hair; sighing, she put Grace's dirty dishes in the dishwasher before grabbing a bottle of water and heading up herself. By the time Grace had appeared in her doorway, Connie had took her make up off, got changed and was snuggled up in bed, waiting to see what her daughter wanted to watch; as Grace climbed in next to her, Connie noticed the bear in her arms. Her daughter only had it on her now if she was truly scared; her illness must've shook her up more than she realised.

"What do you want to watch?" Connie asked.

"Whatever" she answered, her voice small.

Clicking on Grace's favourite, Connie set the remote on the bedside table before holding her daughter close; neither of them were particularly interested in watching the film as it played.

"Sweetheart, i promise, i am fine now; what will it take for you to believe me?"

"Dunno"

"How about if i get Auntie Zoe to show you my xray scans of before and after? Would that help?"

"No; i dont like seeing you like that"

"I'm not like that now though, am i? We knew i would still suffer with the cough for a while and now that the colder weather is starting to set in, it's like to take a little longer to get rid of it; but your cuddles and spending time with you is what keeps me going"

"Did going to New York make you sick?" Grace asked a short while later.

"No, it didnt; it was just one of those things. I need you to listen to me; me getting ill was in no way your fault, or mine. I'm back at work and you're getting on with Jane and starting dance next week; it means we're both getting on with things and moving on. I need you to try and stop worrying so much; you're my little girl, not my carer. It's my job to look after you, not the other way round; i love you darling"

As Grace snuggled closer to her and closed her eyes, Connie bit back a tearful sigh; she hoped her daughter's tiredness was causing the uncertainty worries in her brain and that a decent night's sleep would help. She decided that their day together would be a fun one; something that would make Grace see she was back to normal.