Two Streets Down [R.D.J]

Chapter Ten: Sick

The entire week had been exhausting. She had finished a painting, only to start another. She was doing commissioned work that she must be done within two weeks. The entire week was going slow and tiresome until she received positive news on Thursday morning. One of her professors had told her a gallery was hiring and she would gladly recommend her if Grace wanted to apply. It was a sudden possibility but Grace did not hesitate to take it. The pay was good and it was in her field of interest. She had dropped off her resume and filled an application after her last lecture.

The rest of the week continued slow, she had worked an exhausting eleven hour shift on Friday, covering for an extremely late coworker that had an emergency. So by Saturday morning, Grace was still tangled in her sheets at eleven in the late morning.

The brunette was lying on her stomach, arms tucked under her pillow, her consciousness in a state of half awaken. She felt so comfortable that it would be so easy to slip back to sleep. Grace had all the day to herself, all day to be lazy and stay in. She could paint a little later, but for now, she wanted to enjoy her glorious bed.

The restful position and carefree state of mind were disrupted by the ringing of her phone. Grace groaned. Who could be calling her on a Saturday morning. She stayed just the way she was until the ringing stopped. If it was any of her friends, they'd have messaged her. The ringing started again and as she stretched her hand to reach for her phone in the nightstand Grace knew who could be calling her rather than texting her.

"Mom," she answered.

"Good morning, Grace," her mom said from the other end. "Are you free today?"

Grace grieved her day of rest silently. "Yes, why?"

"Well your father and I are taking Lily to one of her friend's birthday party," he mother informed her, "and we're staying as well."

"Uh-huh."

"And your father has told me that Uncle Robert is sick so I made some soup and packed some food for him."

Grace was waiting for her mother to include her in all of this, grimacing a bit to the way her mother referred to Robert. Robert was not her uncle.

"Could you stop by the house so I can give you the food before we leave and take it to him?" Her mother said.

"Mom, why don't you just take it to him?" Grace asked.

"Grace honestly," her mother sighed into the phone, "if I go I won't have time for a cordial stay and heat up the food for him."

"So you want me to go to his house and not just drop off the food, but make sure he eats it?" Grace exclaimed.

"Artemis," Anne scolded her, using her serious tone and Grace's middle name for a good measure, "where are the manners I taught you? Your uncle is sick and he's on his own, would it be so hard for you to lend him a hand."

"Fine, Mom," Grace sighed, making a face. Robert was not her uncle, for gods sake.

"We leave at one so get here before that."

"Okay, see you then."

Grace ended the call and pressed her face into the pillow. Why did her mother have push her into temptation? Grace was struggling to retain her feelings for Robert and her mother kept shoving her face first into his life. Letting out one last sigh, Grace rolled off bed to get into the shower.

The brunette ended up taking too long in the shower, her thoughts had wandered aimlessly and she ended up acting out scenarios on how she should behave around Robert. She was pathetic, really. Grace knew that not matter how much she rehearsed her words she would end up making a fool of herself in front of Robert. He made her nervous and flustered, she was hopeless.