Grace
Grace had rehearsed what she wanted to say to Natalie. The little baby the woman carried in her womb was her sibling. She had never wanted one until faced with the reality of it. Mikey believed Natalie would do the right thing. But the right thing for whom, her or the baby?
She squared her shoulders, took a deep breath, and rang the doorbell. The door wasn’t answered promptly. The longer Natalie took to let Grace inside, the more she wondered if it was her place to say anything. No, it probably wasn’t. Her shoulders sagged.
Dammit.
She had been so sure of own self-righteousness on the drive over. The door creaked open as she turned toward the porch step.
“Grace?”
Crap.
“Oh, you’re home.” Grace stayed poised, ready to walk away.
“Is there something you needed?”
“No, I just…” Her face flushed.
“Why are you here then?” Natalie touched her stomach so naturally Grace’s eyes went there too. “Did you need to talk? Is everything okay with Mikey?”
Grace blew out a breath. “Yeah, Mikey’s great, except for driving me nuts because he misses Brayden already.”
Natalie opened the way for her. “Come in. Have something to eat with me. I’m making chicken noodle soup.”
Grace followed her to the kitchen. “Mmm, smells delicious.”
“Thanks. It was your great-grandmother’s recipe.”
“My mother gave it to you?”
“Gave it to me? No. More like begged me to make it for your dad.” Natalie smiled. “You never knew, did you?”
“Uh uh. I always thought she had made it. Then again, she was a terrible cook most of the time. Did my dad know?”
“I dunno. I never told him.” Natalie chuckled. She ladled soup into two bowls. “Sit at the table, I’ll bring it to you.”
Grace sat down while Natalie served the soup and saltines. Once they were both settled, Grace did more digging. “Did you make other things my mom passed off as hers?”
“Well, as you know my husband and I spent practically every holiday with your family after your grandmother passed away. I think you were about ten.”
“I remember you helping my mother in the kitchen. No, say it isn’t so.” Grace covered ears in jest.
“She helped me in the kitchen.”
“I told you not to say it. My childhood memories are crushed.” Grace giggled. “Seriously, my dad had to have picked up on that.”
Natalie laughed. “I’m sure he noticed.”
They talked and laughed for a few minutes until Natalie changed the subject. “What was the real reason you came over? I know it wasn’t to talk about recipes and family secrets.” She winked.
Grace cleared her throat, not because she needed to but because she was stalling. Her expression grew serious. “I wanted to say something about the decision you’re about to make.”
“What decis—”
“Let me say this and I’ll never bring it up again.”
“Grace…”
Grace held up her hand, quieting Natalie. “I want a little brother or sister.” The statement hadn’t sounded nearly as whiny inside her own head. “I know it’s your body, but it’s my family too we’re talking about and whose fate is in your hands. Mikey believes you will do the right thing, but honestly, I’m scared.”
Natalie smiled. “I’m having the baby. Didn’t Harry call you with the news? He was so happy when he left this morning, he practically floated out of here.”
“Then what was all this talk about options?”
“Fear and raging hormones.”
“Oh.” Grace laughed. “Sorry.”
“It’s all right. I don’t know what I was thinking. I’m still pissed at Harry for telling Rudy before I was ready though.”
“Yeah, my dad called me about that. So it wasn’t about the choice he took away from you?”
“Not really, but if I wanted to choose to end the pregnancy, he had taken that away from me. How could I look at anyone in the eye after that if I had wanted and had taken that route? I don’t want to. I love your dad even if I don’t always know that he loves me back.”
Wait, what? “How can you say that? My dad loves you.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“Absolutely. He’d still be drinking if it hadn’t been for you. I truly believe that. He respects you, always has, because you stayed strong after Mr. McGregor left. Your opinion means a lot to him.”
Natalie put her spoon down and leaned back in her chair. “I don’t want to be the sole reason for him not drinking. It should be for himself.”
“That’s not the way everyone works. And I’m sure you’re not the sole reason. People’s motivations for staying sober are different for everyone. For Mikey, all he has to do is look at his son and he knows what he has to do. I imagine he looks to me as well. And I’m okay with that.” Grace shrugged. “For my dad, it’s you. He wants to be good for you because he loves you.”
Tears welled in Natalie’s eyes.
“Quit that or I’ll cry.”
“He never tells me,” Natalie sobbed.
Grace recoiled. “That surprises me.” She sniffed back her emotions, the same way her father did.
“Why?”
“Because he tells me all the time, and how grateful he is that you still wanted to give him a chance after all these years.”
Natalie looked up from her bowl. She took a bite of a saltine cracker. A tear rolled down her cheek. “Oh Grace, I didn’t mean what I said about me being the only reason for his staying sober. I’m sure it’s mainly you.”
Grace snorted. “Doubtful. It never worked on him before, seeing me cry and begging him to stop. He always drank before my mother died, and it got ten times worse after we buried her.”
“I don’t remember when he quit. What was it like five years ago, give or take?”
“Yeah. I asked him one time why he decided it was time and he told me it was something you said to him.”
It was Natalie’s turn to recoil. “Something I said? I have no idea what I said that would make a difference like that.”
“You’d be surprised how much influence something you say can have on a person’s life. A simple truth you never thought much of when you said it can have a life changing effect on someone else.”
“I guess. He told you that? Did he say what it was I said?”
“No, he wouldn’t tell me. I always figured it was private, between you two. I didn’t pry, which isn’t like me.” Grace giggled.
Natalie wiped her tears with a napkin. “You know, I was surprised by everyone’s reaction to the pregnancy.”
“Why? It’s wonderful news.”
“‘Cuz we’re old and I thought people would think I was crazy to want a baby at my age, especially Harry. Think about it, he’ll be seventy-three by the time our kid graduates high school.”
“So? That just means he’ll fit right in with all the other grandparents.”
Natalie tilted her head back and laughed. “You’re terrible.”