Saving Grace | ✓

Chapter Twenty-One

Last chapter before the epilogue.

{ Chapter Twenty-One }

"Grace, we're here." Caleb wakes me up by gently shaking my shoulder. I look out the windshield and see Eleanor's house. Eleanor has been a family friend for as long as I can remember, even before Alexis was born. She was the one that took me to get my driver's license.

"Can you get Noah?" I grumble, sliding out of the passenger seat.

My son smiles as Caleb passes him to me. "I didn't get the carrier. Is that okay?"

"Yeah." I kiss my boyfriend's cheek. "That's perfect."

We walk up to the door hand in hand. Caleb reaches over and rings the doorbell. I take a deep breath.

The door opens and an older woman stands there, a floral apron tied around her waist. "Oh my goodness. Is that you, Grace?"

I smile. "Hi, Eleanor."

She pulls me into a warm hug while laughing. "Look at you! You're so much bigger! I haven't seen you in forever, Grace; I missed you."

I laugh and nod. "It has been a long time."

She looks at Noah and gasps. "Who is this?"

I smile. "His name is Noah."

She chuckles as she takes him from my arms. "Noah. He looks just like you." She grins at me, and then turns to Caleb. "And you are?"

"Hi, ma'am. My name is Caleb." He shakes Eleanor's hand.

She smiles. "Nice to meet you. I'm Eleanor Mosley. Come inside and we can talk in private."

We follow her into her living room and sit as she rests on the recliner. "He has your eyes, Grace. Definitely has your eyes and hair." She looks up from my baby at Caleb. "Is it yours?"

I blush fiercely as Caleb shakes his head. "No ma'am, he's not mine. But he's so beautiful, I wish he was." He slides his arm around my waist.

I smile up at him and kiss his cheek. "Thank you. I love you." I whisper quickly in his ear before leaning back on the couch.

"So how are your parents?" Eleanor says after handing Noah back to me.

"They're in jail." I answer awkwardly. "Alexis and I ran away and moved in with Caleb's family, but they kept attacking us and trying to get us back. So the police put them both in jail."

Eleanor's eyes are wide. "Wow. I'm sorry, Grace. I didn't know."

"It's okay." I give her a small smile. "I mean, it is now."

"Well," she smiles back, "I guess I'll just have to visit you sometime, hmm?"

I wrap my arm around Caleb's middle, my other arm holding Noah, and say, "Sure. That'd be nice."

-

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After we say our goodbyes to Eleanor, Caleb drives us to a coffee shop to get us drinks and Noah some milk.

"Here you go." He says, putting two iced coffees on the table, along with a small cup of milk.

"Thank you." I smile and pour the milk into Noah's bottle. After I start to feed him, I look at Caleb. "Is there anything else you want to do before we go home?"

He shrugs and shakes his head. "Nothing that I can think off. What about you?"

I give him a half-smile. "No. I hate this place. I just want to leave, if that's okay with you."

He nods. "Yeah, totally. Whatever you want to do is fine with me."

Noah pushes the bottle away and curls into my chest, falling asleep with a low groan. "Well, this little fella is ready to go home and get to bed."

Caleb stands, grabbing both of our coffees. "Let's get going then."

I slowly slide Noah into his carrier and buckle him in, taking it all to the car. After getting him settled in the back seat, I climb into the passenger's side and buckle my own seat belt.

"Are we ready to go?" Caleb smiles, starting the car's engine.

"Yeah." I say. "We can leave."

About halfway into our trip, Noah wakes up behind me and starts to wail. I reach into his seat and put the pacifier in his mouth, but it does nothing to quiet him.

I groan, unbuckling my seat belt. "Pull over, will you?"

As soon as the car is stopped, I get out of my chair and slip back in beside Noah. "Hey, baby." I whisper. "What's wrong?"

He lets out a scream, flailing in the baby carrier. I take him out, putting him on my shoulder, and sigh. "Just keep driving, if you can." I tell Caleb over the cries. "It'll probably help."

Caleb looks at me in the rearview mirror before pulling back onto the interstate. Noah shoves his face in my shirt, muffling his wails a little bit before he goes back to sleep.

I smile, kissing his forehead, and rock him slowly back and forth. "There you go. It's okay."

Caleb looks in the rearview mirror and smiles at me. "You're a good mom, Grace. Noah's going to grow up fine. You and Alexis are going to be okay too. You'll be safe. I won't let anyone hurt you again."

And he never did.

A/N : done done done.

I actually liked this book. I think it was fairly well.

Coming Soon ! : epilogue

Mack