** Brynn's POV **
I'd decided to grab Grace from school, three hours before it got out, just to be sure Ryan couldn't get to her. I'd gotten lucky that she was outside...
I watched her fall off a tree stump and get a cut on her finger. So she went back into the building, and I got out of my car, walking through one of the back entrances and seeing her go into a room.
She was wearing jeans and a black jacket. Her hair was pretty similar to mine, just slightly lighter, likely due to being out in the sun more. Hers also is a little longer, given that mine is cut just past my shoulders..
I followed her, surprised that there was literally nothing stopping me from walking right into this building.. I mean seriously, anyone could come in here... I sighed, reminding myself to focus on getting Grace out of the school..
I walked over, standing in the doorway of the room. It was the nurse's office, and she was putting a bandage on Grace's finger. Grace looked over at me, her eyes widening. "Mum! You're here!" She exclaimed, jumping out of the chair and running over, wrapping her arms around my legs. I laughed.
The nurse turned around, studying my face. "You look really familiar." She commented after a few seconds. I shrugged. "I don't believe we've met." I replied, and crouched down to Grace's height. "Did you want to spend the rest of the day with me? Is she allowed to do that?" I asked, looking back up to where the nurse was standing.
"She only scraped her finger. I think it would be best for her to stay in school." She stated, and I studied her face for a moment. Something about her was off. She was fairly young, but I still couldn't figure out why I was getting a weird vibe from her.. I looked back down at Grace, who was staring at me, smiling..
"Please, Jackie, can I go? Please? I don't get to spend a lot of time with my mum. Can I please go?" Grace begged, and I realized it was odd that they were on a first-name basis with one another.. But I guess if Grace gets injured a lot, she would be in here quite often and get to spend time with this nurse lady..
Jackie sighed. "Fine. Ok. I guess that would be alright. Just make sure she gets all her homework done." She said, and I nodded. "Absolutely; thank you." I commented, standing back up..
I stepped out of her office, and noticed she was still watching me. "Sorry, it's just.. You're Grace's biological mother?" She asked. I nodded. "Isn't it obvious, Jackie? We have the same eyes." Grace said, grabbing my hand and pulling me down the hallway.. I laughed and walked out of the school with her.
"You know, her and daddy have sleepovers sometimes." She commented, and I looked down at her, not pausing our walking. "Sleepovers? Wow. So you two probably get to spend a lot of time together." I said, and she shrugged. "Not really. Dad doesn't know that I know, but I saw her coming out of his room one morning." She replied.
Of course Harry would start sleeping with the school nurse. I mean, that's fine. But, doing it while Grace is around? And trying to hide it from her? Doesn't he know that she's my child, and that she's already much smarter than any other five year old?
"Alright, let's get you home." I said, opening the backseat and helping her get in. I buckled her in. "Daddy has a car seat. I hate it. I'm glad you don't make me sit in one." She commented. I laughed. "I would, but I don't see you enough to have one.. But they help you stay safe." I replied, shutting the door and then getting in the driver's side..
"Hey, mum?" She asked as we started driving. I glanced over my shoulder. "Can we not go home? Dad's going to make you leave again, and I want to be with you." She said. I nodded. "Sure. Besides, he's not expecting you back for a few hours." I commented, smiling and making a few turns.
She told me she wanted to go to the park that her dad takes her to sometimes, which I knew exactly where it was due to me following them sometimes.. I don't always follow them, since I've actually been pretty busy with work stuff. But I do when I have time...
We spent the next hour or so walking around the park, talking about all of her friends at school. She told me about all the bugs they catch during free-time, and about what they're learning right now in her class.
Turns out, she likes to talk a lot, which she definitely got from Harry. "We should get something to eat, right?" I asked, and she smiled, quickly nodding..
I parallel parked in front of a small café, and helped Grace out of the backseat. She held onto my hand as we walked inside and sat down at one of the tables...
***
* Harry's POV *
***
"You told me her mother was out of the picture, Harry. She definitely isn't that, considering she's picking Grace up from school in the middle of the day." Jackie stated, and I rolled my eyes..
The police had watched over all the footage from during free-time, and learned that Grace had cut her finger, and while she was in the clinic, Brynn came and took her from the school...
"She was out of the picture, Jackie.. She just recently, over the last month or so, decided to show back up." I explained.. "And you let her?" She asked. I sighed. "Listen.. If you're going to be like this, I'm going to go ahead and end this little thing we have going on." I commented, and she looked at me. "You're going back to her, aren't you?" She questioned.
I ran a hand through my hair. "No." I replied. She groaned, sending me a look. "Jackie, can you just calm down, please? Brynn is not in the picture." I stated. She looked at me.
"Oh my god... That's why she looked so familiar. She was that girl.. Your personal trainer that you dated or whatever.. No fucking way.. She's Grace's mother? Seriously? Oh my god." She commented, and I shoved my hands through my hair..
"Can you please keep it down?" I asked, knowing the media somehow had no idea that Brynn was the mother.. I'd told everyone she was adopted.. They also had no idea that Brynn "died."
I kept that from them, and everyone just assumed we'd broken up and that she'd left.. I hadn't wanted to deal with the media hassling me about her death. It was too difficult for me, so I just lied about it...
"Wow.. Of course you fucked her." She stated, and I sent her a confused look. "Over five years ago." I replied. "Still, I can't compete with her. She's literally perfect." Jackie said, and I laughed. Little did she know, that as perfect as Brynn appeared to be on the outside, she was all sorts of fucked up on the inside.
"You aren't competing with her, Jackie. As I told you before, she isn't in the picture."
