Going Home

Part 13

As they were having dinner the next night Grace looked at Josh. They hadn’t spoken about the meeting since the phone call. Grace wanted to give Josh some breathing space so he wasn’t consumed by it and Josh seemed happy to let the subject rest for a while. But needing to check he was prepared she asked “are you ready for tomorrow?

Josh looked at her, then away “I guess so. I just wish I knew why she needed to see me all of a sudden.”

Sensing Josh was in a more relaxed frame of mind than he had been in since this started Grace chose her words with care as she asked a question she has been considering for some time “when you were talking to her, did she mention your father?”

Josh turned his head again to look at her with a frown. He knew that there was something behind that question. “No why?”

Grace had been speculating ever since his mother called, about whether his father was part of this or maybe even the cause of it. Josh hadn’t said anything about him and she was not sure if he even realised the omission. So still choosing her words with care she said “I just wondered, you haven’t mentioned him.”

Josh continued to look at her and realised she was right. His thoughts had been so confused since this started he hadn’t even considered how or if his father was involved. He just assumed the renewed contact involved both of them.

Watching the expression on Josh’s face, Grace was worried that maybe she shouldn’t have said anything and she reached out and put her hand on his arm “sorry Josh I didn’t mean to make it more difficult for you. I just wanted to make sure you were prepared for what ever happened tomorrow.”

Looking at her worried expression Josh pushed aside all thoughts of tomorrow. Until he saw his mother he had no way of knowing anything and all the thinking in the world wouldn’t change that. But there was something he could do now. Moving his chair back from the table Josh grabbed Grace’s hand and pulling her up out of her seat, he guiding her around the corner of the table and sat her on his lap. Sliding one hand into her hair and gently holding her head, he pulled her slowly towards him. Just before his lips met hers he looked at her and said “difficult is the last thing you have made it Grace. I couldn’t do this without you, so thank you” and as he finished speaking he leant forward and kissed her with an intensity born of the emotion of the last couple of days.  

Then lifting his head a few minutes later Josh stood with Grace still in his arms and carried her to bed to show her just how grateful he was.