Saving Grace | ✓

Chapter Ten

Already half way done. Wow. I should start planning more often.    -Mack

{ Chapter Ten }

 When I wake up in the morning, Alexis is still tightly squeezed against my side, and my arm in thrown around her waist. I slip off of her gently and walk downstairs to meet the Brian's for breakfast.

"Good morning, dear." Eliza smiles at me and I sit down across from her.

"Good morning." I mumble as Amanda slides two pancakes onto my plate. We eat in silence for a few minutes before I hear the screams.

"Grace! Grace!" It's Alexis, and she's wailing. Instantly, I am out of my chair and rushing up the stairs.

"Alexis?" I call out, shoving my bedroom door open. My sister is sitting up in the middle of the bed with her knees pulled to her chest. Her eyes are wide with terror.

"Alexis." I say, bringing her to me for a hug. "What's wrong?"

"I-I didn't know w-where I-I was." She stutters, burying her face in my shirt. 

"Shh." I whisper while rubbing her hair. "It's okay. I'm here. Do you remember yesterday? I went and got you from Hope and David's house and we drove you here and gave you food. Then you took a shower and we went to bed?"

She hesitates before nodding. "I don't w-want you to l-leave me a-again."

My heart breaks when she says 'again'. She knows. "I won't, sweetheart. I promise. I'll never leave you. Now let's go get some breakfast in you, okay?" I wrap her arms around my neck and carry her to the dining room.

Everyone falls quiet and looks up when I enter. I ignore them, placing Alexis in the chair next to mine. Amanda puts food on her plate.

"Good morning, Alexis." Eliza says slowly. "Would you like some orange juice?"

I watch as my sister nods slowly. Amanda pours the tangy drink into her cup and walks into the kitchen. 

"So," Eliza asks Alexis, who is shoving food into her mouth, "how old are you, dear?"

"Eleven." She mumbles through the pancakes.

"And your grade?" 

"I don't know. Fifth?" Alexis shrugs.

"You don't know?"

"Cut her some slack, okay?" I blurt out. Everyone at the table looks at me. "She was locked in a closet for almost a month. She probably forgot a few things. Don't bombard her."

Michael opens his mouth to speak, but Eliza gets there first. "I understand. I apologize, Alexis."

I look at her and mouth, I'm sorry. And thank you.

Eliza smiles and shakes her head. No worries.

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After breakfast, Alexis and  I go upstairs to get showered and dressed. At breakfast, Michael told Caleb and I to take Alexis to get her new clothes, like they did when I arrived.

"I like this one." Alexis says, holding up a purple tank top with sequins.

"That's cute." I nod, out of breath. "Is there a chair around here?"

Caleb slides a dirty, brown, folding chair under me, and I sit. Alexis glances at me, and Caleb kneels in front of my legs. "Are you okay?"

I nod, taking a deep breath and exhaling. "Just great."

"What about this one?" Alexis holds up a bright orange sweater with a picture of a cat wearing glasses on it. Under the cat, it reads: Check Meowt. I raise an eyebrow at my sister. She bursts out laughing and slides the shirt back onto the rack. "I was kidding, Grace."

I nod, giving her a small smile before standing back up. My head feels light and bile rises in my throat. "I need a bathroom. Now."

"It's over here." Caleb rushes me to the unisex bathroom in the back. I bend down and start to vomit into the toilet. Caleb rubs my back until I'm done. 

I lean back and sit on the floor, my head in my hands. "I'm sorry." I say quietly. 

"No, no. Don't worry about it. It's probably just pregnancy sickness." He tells me.

"Can we go home?" I ask, my voice weak and barely audible.

"We need to get Alexis clothes-" 

"No, it can wait." My sister says, standing at the door of the bathroom. "We can go home if she's feeling bad."

I nod, and Caleb helps me to my feet. We walk to the car, Alexis holding my left hand and Caleb's arm around my waist.

The ride back to the house is silent.

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Eliza insists that she take me to the hospital for a check-up on the baby when she hears the story of the shopping trip. As she drives, I look out the window and rub my protruding belly. I feel her glance over at me a few times, but she never says anything.

"The baby's fine." Doctor Marks says after the ultrasound. "You just have morning sickness, most likely. Don't worry about it. I can prescribe some medication if you would like to help lessen the dizziness."

I nod. "That sounds great."

He scribbles something on a slip of paper and hands it to me. "Have a nice day, Grace."

"Thanks." I say, following Eliza out the door.

As Eliza drives, I fall asleep in the car, my head pressed up against the window. I dream that Hope and David find me and kill my baby while it's inside of me.

I wake up to a gentle shaking. "Grace, honey, let's go inside." When I open my eyes, I see the church. 

"What are we doing here?" I ask. 

"I'll tell you if you come inside with me." She smiles hopefully. I roll my eyes, unbuckling my seat-belt, and follow her into the church.

We sit on the front pew, like I did with the preacher. She turns to me and smiles again. "Would you pray with me, Grace?"

I furrow my eyebrows and shake my head. "Um, no thanks."

"Please?" She touches my hand, and I flinch away.

"No." I say more sternly.

She sighs and closes her eyes, folding her hands, and begins: "Lord, I come here today in your house to pray and thank you for everything you have done for me. I thank you for Grace and Alexis. Thank you for my family and my home and all of my blessings."

I roll my eyes as she continues.

"Please continue to help us through each and every day. I love you, Lord. You are the one almighty God. Amen."   

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At dinner that night, Eliza and Michael talk about someone that moved into a house down the street a few days ago. Caleb is silent. Alexis and I eat, watching their nightly routine once again.

I glance over at Alexis, who is putting a forkful of corn into her mouth. She gives me a small smile and continues eating. But after a few seconds, her eyelids flutter closed and her body goes limp. I catch her before she falls out the chair unconscious. "Alexis!" I scream, tapping her face lightly. "Alexis, wake up!"

Michael rushes over and picks her up, running her to his car. I hold her body in my arms and Michael drives to the hospital. Please let her live.