Ten years later.
My hand grips Grace’s and she entwines our fingers while she looks up at me in bewilderment. My... our daughter is on stage dancing in a huge competition. She never once gave up, is now going to a college for performing arts and will stay there until she’s nineteen.
“She’s amazing. You’ve done great with her.” I compliment Grace as she smiles proudly then her gaze turns back to the stage.
“Thanks, but that’s all her.” She was so determined ever since she started with me. “I’m so proud of her.” Her eyes shine as she watches Ella twist and turn across the stage. Ella asked me when Grace was pregnant if she could call her Mum, now I’ve never been the macho type so I’m not too proud to admit my heart burst when she asked, Grace on the other hand cried a whole boat load of tears and couldn’t stop hugging Ella.
“Yeah, but all her determination to carry on has come from watching you over the years.” Grace answers bringing me back to the here and now.
“I think you forget just how determined she was to become that dancer. It wasn’t just me.” I don’t forget at all I know she inherited that from Vic. Leaning across, my lips softly kiss her cheek then I turn back to watch my daughter.
We’ve left the others at home with my Mum and Dad because they won’t sit still. Brandon is seven and the twins, Laura and Luke are three. Laura is so different to Ella at that age, she definitely doesn’t want to be a dancer, I think growing up with boys has made the difference.
When we first found out Grace was pregnant with Brandon my anxiety shot through the roof, worrying that it would happen again. Grace got angry with me and told me if I didn’t back off she was moving in with her mother; like that would ever happen, I know she loves her but she wouldn’t stand her nagging at all. Grace was... let’s just say she was a little agitated through her pregnancy but I definitely didn’t help matters. I was constantly worried it was going to happen all over again but the pregnancy went without any problems and the labour was easy, well easy for me to say maybe not Grace though. Brandon was born at 6lb 2oz and she had a natural birth I’m pleased to say.
The twins though were different, she had the worst time and went as far to tell me while she was in labour that if I went anywhere nearer her again she'd chop my dick off. I thought it was a bit extreme. She ended up in hospital a couple of times with high blood pressure. The doctor assured me she would be fine though as long as she had bed rest. Yeah, that was the hardest part, especially when I had to work and she had a three-year-old and a seven-year-old to look after.
Pulling up outside the house, we head inside for Ella to tell her grandparents everything. She talks at a mile a minute, kind of reminds me of Grace when we first met, I let her get on with it and go check on the others in bed.
I push open the door to Brandon’s room and see he’s still on his PlayStation playing on FIFA. “Hey bud. That should be off now.”
“I know, but I’m playing against someone and I can’t quit because then they’ll take the lead in the table and I’m top.”
“Okay but as soon as it’s over then it’s to go off.”
“Yeah, yeah.” I raise an eyebrow at him but he just smirks. He’s so like me. I forgot the younger version of me when I lost Vic, I’d hit rock bottom but Grace helped to bring the real me back and now I can see it in my son. Closing the door on the bedroom, I go into the twin’s room next and see they are both fast asleep, pulling the door to, I walk away with soft steps.
Grace meets me in the hallway and wraps her arms around my middle as she hugs me. “They okay?” She asks as she looks up at me. I nod at her but I’m not really paying attention because I end up hypnotised by her. My head dips to kiss her lips as she presses back against me, my arms hold loosely around her neck to hold her in place while I get my fix of my wife.
“Ugh, get a room.” Ella frowns as she walks past us. Grace smiles up at me then rests her forehead against my chest. Ella’s door shuts so with my hands I tip back her head and kiss her lips again with no interruptions this time.
It’s funny how life goes, you think there’s only one person in the world for you and for some people I suppose that’s true but I believe only the lucky people get to have that twice.
Eleven years ago, I was broken beyond repair until Grace came along and made it brighter, even if I couldn’t handle that at the time, she loved me anyway and waited for me. She healed all the fractures in my heart until it was whole again and for that I couldn’t ask for anything better. Now we live each day as it comes and deal with whatever life throws at us, together.
There was a time when I said I didn’t want her to be my crutch but we’re each other’s, we pick each other up when we’re down and I make sure to never let her forget how much I love her.
Nothing is eternal, so you have to make the most of what you have.
Grace is my wife, my best friend, my heart.