How does it feel
when tears freeze
when you cry?
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State of Grace: The Sequel
Chapter 4
Chapter 4
The next day found Teddy pacing his bedroom room early in the morning. His dad didn’t need him until about nine out in the fields. Teddy was in a dilemma. Who to invite to this bonfire? It was a small town and Teddy had a handful of good friends. Except, they were outsiders like him. His best friend, Hank, lived in the rich section of town and couldn’t drive a tractor if he tried. His other best friend, Jonah, was one of eight and had no desire to live on a farm anymore. Teddy hung out with some of the farm kids near him; he could fit in if he tried. He understood everything they discussed; he just didn’t enjoy it. He dreamed of wearing a suit to work, taking the subway everywhere, and living in an apartment. He could work in an office, even a cubicle…. he didn’t care. He needed to be free of the open fields and wide, blue sky.
He had texted Jonah and Hank yesterday and gave him the Taylor’s address. Wow, he thought, two whole friends. A knock on his door interrupted his thoughts. Teddy’s mom entered the room.
Annie Parker was gorgeous. She was a petite dark haired beauty who could do work boots or high heels, a ratty old t-shirt or a designer gown.
“Aunt Grace called me this morning,” she said softly, sitting on his neatly made bed. “She wanted me to let you know that word got out about the bonfire and the whole town is coming, or so it seems.”
“The whole town?” asked Teddy, his palms sweating.
“Essentially. She said you don’t have to come but she’d really like it if you did. It’s the first of the season and you know how fun they can be.”
“I guess I’ll go…are you and Dad coming?”
“We were planning on it but if you don’t want us to come, we won’t,” said his mom.
“No! Of course you guys can go, I was just wondering,” he said quickly.
“Good,” and she kissed him on the cheek, “Now, about your birthday.”
Teddy would be turning 15 in November, two months away, but his mother was an early planner. Last year, he got his first gun. It was useful when the kids at school invited him to go to the range but he couldn’t stomach the thought of hunting. His dad, uncle, and grandpa went all the time and they stopped asking him after his second trip, and his third time throwing up.
“Mom, I don’t want a party I’m going to be 15,” he sighed.
“I wasn’t offering you a party! I wanted to know if you wanted to go somewhere special with us and maybe a friend or two? How about the city? Or a different state?” she asked. She seemed nervous.
“You mean like a road trip?”
“Well, your Dad said that’s a lame term but I think it’s a perfect way to describe it.”
“Hey, what does Dad know about cool anyway?” Teddy smiled as his mom laughed. Maybe his family wasn’t so bad. He grabbed his boots and headed outside to join his dad in the yard. Yeah, he thought, it wasn’t so bad.
State of Grace: The Sequel
Chapter 2
Beginning
(This part was not added to the beginning of the last post. My apologies.)
Chapter 2
Beginning
(This part was not added to the beginning of the last post. My apologies.)
The next day, Luke was gone before Grace woke up. Somehow still exhausted, she got up and began to make breakfast. Her two kids slowly trekked down into the kitchen by following the smell of bacon, eggs and sausage. This was one of Grace’s favorite moments of the day. Her sleepy kids would sit patiently at her table, not talking but smiling at their mother. Then just as Grace laid down the food, Luke would enter the kitchen quietly and watch his family. It was also one of his favorite moments of the day. He never failed to take them by surprise. Usually Sarah would shout, “Daddy!” and they would all smile at him. Grace would give him a kiss and their breakfast would commence.
State of Grace: The Sequel
Chapter 1
Part 1
Chapter 1
Part 1
“Hey Ted!” called Luke. He strode up the steps and
shook Teddy’s hand. Luke towered over Teddy. He wished he
would grow to be as tall as his dad and Uncle, both of who were
at least 6’2 and extremely built. Teddy was only
5’4 and one of the smallest kids in his grade.
“You’re looking taller lately, bud, did you know that?” commented Luke as they walked inside. They were seated at the table just chatting when Grace laid down a big bowl of spaghetti.
“Spaghetti?” whined Nick, “I don’t really like it! It looks like worms.”
“Well, you like worms enough, don’t you?” asked Grace, then she turned to Luke, “He put one in his sister’s hair today.”
“After dinner, we’re having a talk,” said Luke. Nick frowned at this idea.
“We’re having spaghetti because its Teddy’s favorite and he’s our guest,” said Grace, clearly indicating that there was no room for discussion from the kids.
“He can’t help with the dishes then, Daddy, can he?” asked Sarah. Teddy laughed.
“I’ll help, Sarah!”
“No, guests can’t do chores it’s not polite,” she said, and Teddy’s day got a little better when she smiled at him.
“Alright, then after dinner I’ll play tag with you and Nick to make up for it,” said Teddy. Both kids got very excited with the prospect of a fun night. After they brought their dishes to the sink, both raced to get their boots on and grab flashlights. Teddy raced after them.
“Don’t forget about our talk, young man!” shouted Luke after his son.
“If I remember correctly, you put a worm in my hair once or twice,” said Grace. She half smiled.
“He’s still a big kid at heart, huh?” asked Luke, ignoring her comment, as he dried the clean plates Grace handed him.
“Yeah he loves those kids. He’s got something on his mind though, he came over pretty angry,” she said. Luke looked intently at his wife. She looked exhausted. Her blonde hair was piled on the top of her head and her glasses were smudged and her clothes hung off her. He gathered her in his arms.
“You’re too skinny and you look exhausted,” he muttered into her hair.
“Thanks for the compliments.”
“You need a day with May. How about on Saturday I take the kids somewhere fun and you won’t have to worry?” Grace’s body relaxed against him. She nodded and moved away.
“Hey I wasn’t done!” said Luke and he pulled her back into his arms, “and we’re gonna finish these dishes and go relax on the porch.”
“Luke, honey, you smell,” said Grace. His blue eyes flashed but she knew the anger would pass. “Go shower and then we can have tea on the porch…or maybe a beer for you at this point.” They did do just that until the kids came in for baths. With all the hustle with getting Nick and Sarah to bed, Grace never got her chance to talk to Teddy.
As the headlights of Luke’s old truck pulled out of the driveway, Grace could just make out Teddy talking animatedly in the front seat of the cab. She left her spot in the window and shut off Nick’s light. He was sound asleep, exhausted from a hard day of playing. As she padded down the stairs she picked up at least eight toys per child. When she had finished cleaning up after her messy kids, she finished the kitchen and shut off the light. Making sure only the front door was unlocked and the porch light was on, Grace headed up to bed. When Luke finally returned, he found his pregnant wife passed out on their bed, still fully dressed from the day.
“Gracie,” he whispered, gently nudging her awake. She rolled into his arms and he carried her into their bathroom. From there, she managed to brush her teeth and get into her maternity pajamas. She was curled into a ball when he finally lay down. They began their familiar routine.
“John?” he started.
“Eh… maybe. How about Denton?”
“What if it’s a girl?”
“Definitely Ella for the middle name,” said Grace. Luke’s younger sister Ella had almost lost her life when she was a little girl. Now she was twenty-one and doing very well in college. When Sarah was born, Ella made Grace promise her that the next girl had to be named after her in some way.
“Just because you made that promise to both May and her, doesn’t mean you have to keep it!” chastised Luke. He adored his daughter’s name, Sarah May, but he wasn’t sure how he felt about his sister and his possible daughter being correlated in any way.
“Luke Taylor, I’m surprised at you! Not keeping promises? That’s not like you,” said Grace but she smiled when she said it. Luke, pretending to feel ashamed, rolled over and hid his face in her shoulder. “Sorry Mrs. Taylor,” he said as he kissed her cheek and turned off the light.
“You’re looking taller lately, bud, did you know that?” commented Luke as they walked inside. They were seated at the table just chatting when Grace laid down a big bowl of spaghetti.
“Spaghetti?” whined Nick, “I don’t really like it! It looks like worms.”
“Well, you like worms enough, don’t you?” asked Grace, then she turned to Luke, “He put one in his sister’s hair today.”
“After dinner, we’re having a talk,” said Luke. Nick frowned at this idea.
“We’re having spaghetti because its Teddy’s favorite and he’s our guest,” said Grace, clearly indicating that there was no room for discussion from the kids.
“He can’t help with the dishes then, Daddy, can he?” asked Sarah. Teddy laughed.
“I’ll help, Sarah!”
“No, guests can’t do chores it’s not polite,” she said, and Teddy’s day got a little better when she smiled at him.
“Alright, then after dinner I’ll play tag with you and Nick to make up for it,” said Teddy. Both kids got very excited with the prospect of a fun night. After they brought their dishes to the sink, both raced to get their boots on and grab flashlights. Teddy raced after them.
“Don’t forget about our talk, young man!” shouted Luke after his son.
“If I remember correctly, you put a worm in my hair once or twice,” said Grace. She half smiled.
“He’s still a big kid at heart, huh?” asked Luke, ignoring her comment, as he dried the clean plates Grace handed him.
“Yeah he loves those kids. He’s got something on his mind though, he came over pretty angry,” she said. Luke looked intently at his wife. She looked exhausted. Her blonde hair was piled on the top of her head and her glasses were smudged and her clothes hung off her. He gathered her in his arms.
“You’re too skinny and you look exhausted,” he muttered into her hair.
“Thanks for the compliments.”
“You need a day with May. How about on Saturday I take the kids somewhere fun and you won’t have to worry?” Grace’s body relaxed against him. She nodded and moved away.
“Hey I wasn’t done!” said Luke and he pulled her back into his arms, “and we’re gonna finish these dishes and go relax on the porch.”
“Luke, honey, you smell,” said Grace. His blue eyes flashed but she knew the anger would pass. “Go shower and then we can have tea on the porch…or maybe a beer for you at this point.” They did do just that until the kids came in for baths. With all the hustle with getting Nick and Sarah to bed, Grace never got her chance to talk to Teddy.
As the headlights of Luke’s old truck pulled out of the driveway, Grace could just make out Teddy talking animatedly in the front seat of the cab. She left her spot in the window and shut off Nick’s light. He was sound asleep, exhausted from a hard day of playing. As she padded down the stairs she picked up at least eight toys per child. When she had finished cleaning up after her messy kids, she finished the kitchen and shut off the light. Making sure only the front door was unlocked and the porch light was on, Grace headed up to bed. When Luke finally returned, he found his pregnant wife passed out on their bed, still fully dressed from the day.
“Gracie,” he whispered, gently nudging her awake. She rolled into his arms and he carried her into their bathroom. From there, she managed to brush her teeth and get into her maternity pajamas. She was curled into a ball when he finally lay down. They began their familiar routine.
“John?” he started.
“Eh… maybe. How about Denton?”
“What if it’s a girl?”
“Definitely Ella for the middle name,” said Grace. Luke’s younger sister Ella had almost lost her life when she was a little girl. Now she was twenty-one and doing very well in college. When Sarah was born, Ella made Grace promise her that the next girl had to be named after her in some way.
“Just because you made that promise to both May and her, doesn’t mean you have to keep it!” chastised Luke. He adored his daughter’s name, Sarah May, but he wasn’t sure how he felt about his sister and his possible daughter being correlated in any way.
“Luke Taylor, I’m surprised at you! Not keeping promises? That’s not like you,” said Grace but she smiled when she said it. Luke, pretending to feel ashamed, rolled over and hid his face in her shoulder. “Sorry Mrs. Taylor,” he said as he kissed her cheek and turned off the light.
Teddy Parker was angry and Grace Taylor could feel it radiate a
country mile long. She sensed his presence as he tore through the
field connecting their houses. She met her nephew on the front
porch as he strode up their muddy drive way.
State of Grace: The Sequel
Chapter 1
Part 1
Chapter 1
Part 1
Teddy was angry. First, he was mad his parents ever named him such a stupid name as Teddy. Now that he was in high school, the other kids teased him for having such a childish name. Second, he was angry about the fact that his parents didn’t have any other kids after him. He noticed the scattered toys and bikes littered around his aunt and uncle’s house and grew jealous of his cousins. They had two kids and another baby on the way? It just wasn’t fair. He looked up to see his aunt standing on the porch, just like she knew he was coming.
“Staying for dinner, Teddy?” she asked as she turned into their house, ignoring his issues. Teddy sighed and followed her inside. He knew she would get to the problem soon enough; she always knew if something was bothering him.
Their house was gorgeous. She and Uncle Luke built it from the ground up on a hundred acres of land, which they converted into fields. It was just the right distance from his house, his grandparent’s house and most importantly, in Teddy’s opinion anyway, town. The big white house had a wraparound porch with black shutters and a chimney. Inside, Aunt Grace kept it tidy regardless of her messy kids.
A small weight hit Teddy’s legs when he entered their foyer. He looked down and Nick, a blonde haired and blue-eyed six-year-old, was hanging on to his legs.
“Teddy, come play with me. Sarah can’t,” he pleaded. Teddy felt like he was looking into the face of his grandmother, although Nick was named after his grandfather. Nick had inherited his grandmother’s bright blue eyes and blonde hair. Teddy was just the opposite, more like his grandfather. Both of his parents had dark brown hair that Teddy inherited. He got his mother’s dark brown eyes and it marked him different from the rest of the blue or green-eyed Parkers.
“Why can’t Sarah play?” he asked his cousin. Nick pouted and shrugged. Just then Sarah, a little girl of three, waded into the kitchen with her long curly dark hair a big mess.
“He says its cause I’m a girl but Daddy said I can play with any boy toy I want and be just like Momma, who played with boy toys when she was a little girl,” rambled Sarah. Her green eyes sparkled with wonder at the world. Teddy tried to picture the world from her three-year-old perspective.
Grace watched her nephew interact with his cousins. Both her kids adored when he came over to play. As she attempted to fix her daughter’s hair, she thought about what Teddy really needed to talk about. His anger had faded at the door when he saw her kids but she knew it would return when they left. She decided she’d deal with it after dinner. Just then, she heard the tractor pull to a stop out in the nearest field. She wiped her hands and went out to meet her husband.
Fifteen years couldn’t erase the way Luke Taylor made Grace feel. They had a whirlwind of a start until they eased into a relationship their senior year of high school. He had a high temper but high enough to match her attitude. They never got a long as kids and they still didn’t. Still, seeing him in his work boots and hat made her heart swell with pride and love.
Luke seemed to be in a good mood but Grace could never tell until she got right under the brim of that cowboy hat. Feeling like she was seventeen again, she raced across the yard in her bare feet and stopped just where she wanted. His blue eyes, exactly like Nick’s, had held no emotion. She could tell he was tired from working. His eyes lit up when he saw running towards him. He picked her up and kissed her while twirling her around.
Teddy watched his uncle and aunt from the doorway and felt jealous almost instantaneously. Why couldn’t he have that relationship? Sure he had liked a few girls but no one ever looked at him like his aunt looked as his uncle. If he ever saw his parents kiss, he might be sick to his stomach but this moment was rare for Luke and Grace. They were hardly affectionate in public. He knew they must have missed each other lately. Both were so busy getting the kids back to school and harvest time was coming for the crops. His parents were just as busy on their farm so Teddy knew he wouldn’t be missed.
This may sound so cliche.
But i hate when you're sad.
And you don't even know the reason why.
You just feel overwhelmed with everything.
And there's nothing you can do about it.
But i hate when you're sad.
And you don't even know the reason why.
You just feel overwhelmed with everything.
And there's nothing you can do about it.
