Wait For Me

It's Right Here

As they walked, Connie found herself listening to Grace gossip away with everyone. She watched as her daughter smiled, taking in everything around them as though she were seeing it all for the first time. It was a sight she could never have imagined, and she was glad she had given it a chance.

"Pick your spot firecracker." She looked along the dock before nervously frowning slightly. "Jacob?" He smiled bending down beside her as she placed her hands either side of the chair. "I want to walk." Connie spun around from where she was looking, a glance of uncertainty on her face. "Okay firecracker-" "Jacob."

Standing up he looked to Connie seeing the worry she wore. "It'll be okay, I promise." He caressed the back of her hand gently as he held it before dropping it and returning his focus to Grace. Charlie took a step closer to Connie knowing she would only refuse his support if he had said anything, instead he placed a hand to her back quietly.

"Let's get you down there then." He smiled as he held his hands out for Grace to take, pulling herself out of the chair to stand right before him. "Think you can manage?" She thought for a moment becoming accustomed to having her feet on the ground. Nodding silently, he stood up allowing her the room to move.

Grace gradually took the first step, before continuing on a slightly wobbly path down the steps to the dock. Jacob remained close to her side as they wandered down following Grace's choice of direction. Suddenly she lost her footing, stumbling to one side. Connie instantly froze as she saw her daughter slip, but Jacob was already there to catch her. "All good firecracker?" "All good..."

She pushed the large grin onto her face as she kept one hand within his using the support he offered. They made it to the edge of the docks where Jacob helped her sit on the floor, Connie a few steps behind. "She's alright Connie, she's coping with this and she's doing well." "I just don't think she should be doing too much too quickly." Charlie offered a small smile as he nodded before going to sit beside Duffy and Grace looking over the water.

Connie rubbed her hands up and down her arms as she held them tightly against her chest. Jacob smiled to Grace before bringing the wheelchair down to where they were sitting, the sun still looming over them brightly helping to keep everyone warm. "Hey, she's good-" "She fell Jacob-" "A slight trip, it's to be expected."

She swallowed past the lump in her throat before Jacob stepped forwards moving his hands to rest above hers. "Stop panicking. I'm not going to let anything happen to you, either of you." He moved placing a kiss to the top of her head as she closed her eyes briefly. Feeling the warmth radiating from his chest, she sighed before heading to sit beside Grace, Jacob the other side of her.

As the afternoon went by, Grace sat laughing endlessly, a smile always on her face as they talked about anything that came to their minds. "Remember the time you ran into the garden because of the spider in the kitchen?" "I did not-" "You so did Mum, she saw it and screamed before I put it into a glass and followed her out of the door." Jacob laughed as Connie turned to glare at him, his arm lifting to wrap around her shoulders.

Charlie watched smiling as Grace continued to mock her mother, Connie refusing to admit to the situation at all. "You must have a great imagination Gracie-" "It so happened, you're just in denial because you don't want Jacob knowing how much of a chicken you are." He smirked watching as Connie reached across for Grace causing her to laugh. "Someone afraid of spiders are they Mrs Beauchamp?" "No."

Jacob arched a brow as Connie frowned. "Don't do that, I do that." He kept his expression with an added smile before pulling Connie back into his chest. "Hate you-" "As much as you hate spiders?" "More-" "So you admit you're scared of them." "No, no, no- Hate and scared are two totally different things." Jacob looked to Grace over Connie's shoulder seeing her pulling a face while shaking her head.

"Grace Beauchamp if you're saying anything behind my back I will make sure I eat your share of pizza and ice-cream." She laughed as her mother turned round to glare at her playfully. "Don't worry firecracker I'll save you some, your Mum's a pussycat really. Wouldn't harm a fly... Or even a spider." "You and me are going to fall out Masters."

The sun continued moving across the sky as the afternoon's summer breeze blew over them. The music from the restaurants began to get louder, the lyrics drifting through the air as they remained beside the water. Connie sat with her head resting against Jacob's chest, his humming audible as she lay there. "You trust me?" "Mhmm..."

She lifted her head as she felt him move beside her, standing with a hand stretched out to her. "What are you doing?" Connie took his hands despite herself and almost instantly was spun around in a circle before being pulled closer to his chest. "Noooo." He smirked continuing to move, pushing her backwards before spinning her around. "No I am not dancing-" "Already are Beauchamp."

Rolling her eyes she laughed gently as Jacob spun her around again, pulling her back into his chest. Grace looked up from her ice-cream with a wide grin seeing them dancing together. "Mum you look ridiculous-" "Well you can blame Jacob for that, it's his dancing-" "You saying my dancing is bad Mrs Beauchamp?" "I'm saying you're making us look ridiculous." He laughed as he moved his arms around her waist, Connie's resting over his shoulders as she smiled.

Charlie looked up to see them standing together before glancing to the time. "Why don't you two take a walk? Grace is fine with us for a few minutes." Connie nodded gently, surprising Jacob as she let him lace his fingers through hers.

They turned away walking along the bay until they came to the pier, walking out along it before stopping at the very end. Jacob sat down with his legs hanging over the edge, Connie soon following suit. "You think something's going on between them?" "I think they both still feel things for each other if that's what you're asking." "And you're playing devil's advocate trying to get them to admit it to each other?" Duffy nudged his arm as Charlie smiled. "Something like that."

The quiet air surrounded them as the peace and serenity helped clear her mind from all the worries she'd been having. "Thank you for convincing me this would be good. I haven't seen her that happy since..." "You don't have to thank me, ever." Jacob caressed her cheek before she turned to look back out over the bay.

"I don't know why we never used to come out here, it's beautiful." "Well maybe we can make more time for this, you, me and Grace." His hand slipped into hers once again causing her eyes to drop to their fingers, now entwined. "Yeah... Maybe we will." Leaning closer, she lay her head to his chest as his arm wound around her shoulders.

As the water lapped up against the dockside, Connie watched the sky turn an array of oranges and reds. "If you could have anything in the world what would you wish for?" Connie sighed as she kept her hand resting against his thigh, something she used to do whenever they sat together in this way. "I'd turn back the clocks to before this all happened, make Grace okay again. Like nothing ever happened, I'd just want everything back to the way it was."

Jacob looked down at her reading into her words as she swallowed past the small lump in her throat before turning the question onto him. "What about you? If you could have anything right now, what would you want?" Jacob smiled looking across the water confusing Connie as she watched, waiting for an answer. "Nothing, I wouldn't wish for anything. I have everything I could want, it's right here."

Her eyes reflected the light of the slowly setting sun as he looked to her, a feeling of pride and love bursting in his chest as he looked to the woman that was so nearly his again. Connie lifted a hand to his neck, holding on gently as she leant closer pushing her lips against his. She kissed him desperately, all her emotions into the single action as he began to respond to her, kissing back with as much passion.

His hand moved against her cheek as she enjoyed the closeness they had in that moment. She deepened the kiss feeling his other hand rise up her back. Breaking apart with a smile, she felt his hand run through her hair tucking it behind her ear. "You're everything I could want Connie, remember that." The smile faded to a small one of contentment as he kissed her tenderly once more.

Their heads lifted simultaneously as they heard the gentle footsteps of people behind them. "Hey-" "Someone was getting a little tired so we figured it was about time to take her back." Connie smiled as Jacob helped her up from the floor moving to push the wheelchair. "It's alright I've got Grace." Jacob nodded as Charlie continued to push her, instead stepping back and winding his arm around Connie's waist while she leaned into him comfortably as they walked back to the hospital, retiring for the evening.