Gracie’s Hope

The Homecoming

Hope knocked on the door of her parents mansion, located almost right in the center of a gated neighborhood, surrounded by a pond in the back, a park in the front and numerous gardeners and statues scattered around. It looked like something from a movie and she still stood shell-shocked every time she visited. She couldn’t believe only her parents lived here with her two siblings. It seemed a bit excessive if you asked her. Sure her parents net worth was astronomical, she herself was a billionaire after she’d inherited a lump sum from some distant relative with no children of their own and added to it from her own wages preforming as a prima ballerina with a prestigious ballet company that traveled all over the world. She was grateful for the experience as it allowed her to earn money and keep her daughter by her side, with the help of her nanny, friends. She was also able to finish college online once the opportunity had been presented to her during her third term at Hamilton School of Musical Arts and Dance. She was able to earn a graduate degree in dance and her masters in early education. And she did all that while being a single mom. She never forgot the help and support and strength she received from her little village. Her daughter, Gracie, now 5 years old, had never wanted for love or companionship during her time on the road. But still, Hope was excited to provide a nice stable, normal home life now that she was back home.

She’d been lucky enough to be offered a position as kindergarten teacher at the start of the next school year in August, almost a full year away. That meant she had a whole year to just hang out with Gracie and soak up small town life as best as a local celebrity could. While she’d been gone, the town had actually opened a dance studio and named it after her in her honor. Hope couldn’t wait to propose a program to both encourage volunteer work for young high schoolers and offer under privileged children the opportunity to take free or reduced, professional dance lessons.

Oh how she loved working with children! She’d always had a nurturing spirit. That’s probably why she was such a natural at being a mom. Balancing work and life and a child jay came so easily to her, like she’d been made to do it. Gracie was such an easy going, lovable child too. Everyone who met her fell in love with her. She had beautiful golden brown ringlets, a cute little button nose, an adorable round face. She was the spitting image of her mother, aside from her eye. Gracie had her fathers brown, almond shaped eyes with flecks of gold splatted near the iris. Ugh, her father! Hope could still feel bile raise to the back of her mouth every time she thought about his abandonment of his daughter. It was his loss though and Hope could not be more proud of her little mini-me.

She looked down into the deep wide doe eyes staring at her incuriosity and smiled.

“Mommy, when are they going to open the door?” Gracie asked impatiently.

Hope laughed, “Give them a minute. It takes a while to walk down all the stares!”

Just the then door swings open to and elderly Mrs. Preston reaching down to embrace her granddaughter in a giant bear hug.

“Gammy!” Gracie exclaimed excitedly. “I missed you. Why’d you take so long to open the door?” She pouted sweetly.

“Because I was in the middle of making you my famous four cheese grilled cheese when you knocked and I didn’t want to burn it,” Mrs. Preston placed her hands on her hips in mock frustration. “Your momma should know better than to knock on the door of her old home though! You never have to knock at Gammy’s house. Just come on in!”

Hope loved the fact that even though her parents were, no doubt, the richest people in any of the surrounding area and lived in a modern day castle, they still lived humbly and made their only grandchild grilled cheeses as apposed to having the maids do it. She rolled her eyes at her mothers picking and moved in to hug her.

“Mom! It’s been so long. Where’s dad and my big headed brother and sister?” She asked stepping inside with her bags and looking around.

Not much had changed since the last time she been in this house 6 years ago. The high white ceilings still sparkled with chandeliers throwing reflections of rainbows here and there. The white marbled tile floor was polished and shining, leading to a solid oak mahogany staircase where the rest of my family was making their way down to greet us.

Hope thought to herself, “It’s so funny that while I was busy living such a hectic on the go life, and changing by the day, this place looks as if it stood still in time. Just waiting for me to come back.” She sighed, feeling at peace, as her dad, brother and sister all wrapped their arms around her in a giant bear hug before pushing her away to fawn over her daughter. She loved watching people dote on her. Gracie was truly her pride and joy.

“Hey, Sweet pea, are y’all about ready for lunch or would you rather go settle in first?” Her father asked her excitedly.

“I think I’ll head up and just put our bags down in my bedroom for now, and then we can eat. Gracie and I were just talking about how starving we are. And Mom’s four cheese grilled cheese sounds amazing right now!” Hope answered.

“Oh, no ma’am! I only made one for Gammy’s favorite little princess. You can eat what Mattie, the new housekeeper, prepared!” Mrs. Preston teased as she scooped Gracie in her arms and tickled her, causing a fit of giggles to follow them as they headed to the kitchen.

“But I thought I was your favorite princess,” Hope shouts to her mother, still in the entryway.

“Ha! Not since you gave birth to that little angel. She’s all your mom every talks about. I think her garden club was starting to think she was making up grandchildren though. So I know she glad to have y’all here to visit for a while. You know you were always welcome to visit us while you were touring.” Her dad says.

“I know. I just prefer to keep her near me. Call me an over protective momma bear! But we’re here now and can’t wait to catch up.” Hope quickly changed the subject.

She’d never told anyone who Gracies real father was. Partly, to protect her daughters feelings. Partly from embarrassment. Her family knew how much Derrick, Gracie’s sperm donor, had meant to me. I never had to heart to tell them that he had fooled me and completely abandoned me and Grace. Plus, we live in a small town. Word gets around and I didn’t want rumors starting. It was just easier to keep everything a secret. Tell people that Gracie was just a result of an irresponsible one night stand and I wasn’t ever able to figure out who the father was. Hope almost wished that was the truth.

“I’m going to go ahead and put our bags up and I’ll meet you in the dining room.”

“Actually, your mom wants to eat at the patio. We have some people coming to repair some of the light fixtures in the dining room. Also, don’t try to carry your bags all the way up the stairs. Take the elevator.”

“Wait, since when did we have an elevator?”

Mr. Preston chuckles to himself, “Your mom got tired of scuffing the staircase with her heels so we decided to install one just last year. We also knew our grand baby was going to be coming to stay for a little while and didn’t want her to fall down the steps.”

“Wow, I know you guys are billionaires, but that’s still a little shocking! You wouldn’t ever let Nikki change the paint color in her room before I moved out. What changed?”

“Money. Money has a way of changing people. Besides, I’m getting older and you won’t catch me in a stair lift!”

“I guess, that’s a good enough reason!” Hope laughed. “Well, I’ll see you guys in a jiffy!”

Hope quickly deposited her bags in her room. She was surprised to see not much had changed since she’d left. Her old ballet slippers still hung on the wall next to all her trophies and ribbons from dance competitions. Pictures and posters scattered the walls and mirror. One picture caught her attention. She walked to her vanity and stared at it.

It was a picture of herself, her ex-boyfriend Derrick and ex-best friend, Sarah. She could not believe how happy she looked in this photo. It was taken on the day of her high school graduation. Her and Sarah wore their cap and gown while Derrick, who had already graduated two years prior, was dressed in a suit holding a bouquet of flowers for Hope. Both of them had one had around her waist and a big phony grin on their faces. She couldn’t believe how badly they’d fooled her into believing they cared about her. She wondered how long they’d been cheating behind her back. Laughing at her. Using her. She felt the familiar sting of rejection creeping into her chest. She quickly snatched the photo from its resting place and shredded it until the prices were too tiny to rip anymore. Taking a deep breath she calming herself.

“It’s okay,” she spoke to herself in the mirror, “Mom said he moved about a year ago. So you never have to worry about seeing those two snakes again. Time to eat.”

With that, she tossed the destroyed photograph in the trash bin, almost as aggressively as she shoved the memories resurfacing to the back of her mind, and headed to the patio where her family awaited her.

Her siblings, Nikki and Brody, were already sitting at the table engaged in a heated battle of Rock, Paper, Scissors to see who would get the last role. Even though they were both in their 20’s, they still acted like little kids when they were around each other. And Hope loved that about them.

As she sat down at the table, Brody excitedly slammed his fist on the flat, wooden surface and yelled, “Yes, the prodigal daughter is finally here. Let’s eat! And I get the last roll!” Everyone rolled their eyes and chuckle, Nikki calling him a cheater.

Hope pulled little Gracie onto her lap and reached for her sandwich as Mattie, the housekeeper, approached with her hands tucked quietly under her daisy printed apron.

“Mrs. Preston, the man working in dining room have a few forms for you to sign before they start working on the light fixtures. Would you like me to ask him to wait until you’ve finished?”

“Not at all, send them out here!” Mrs. Preston answered.

“Yes ma’am!”

“Thank you, Mattie”

Mattie smiled and ducked back inside as everyone began serving their plates.

“So, Hope, are you excited to be back in Snoozeville?” Nikki asked her sister.

“Snoozeville? Why do you call it that?”

“Well, Grand Clifton must seem pretty boring compared to the glory and splendor of the big cities you’re use to now!”

“Actually, I’d take this small town country bumpkin living over any of the cities we traveled to. I’m excited to be back and get back to reality.” Hope explains between bites of her delicious Rueben sandwich and sweet potato fries. Mattie had certainly done a wonderful job on lunch! “Lunch is absolutely wonderful! I feel like I haven’t had a meal cooked with love in a decade!” Hope moans out, taking another bite.

Everyone continues in the light banter and dinner conversation, when they are interrupted by the electrician with his forms. Mrs. Preston leaves the table to sign the paper and discuss payment. When the door banged open again, Hope ignored the sound and continued eating and feeding Gracie, on her lap still, some fruit from the fruit tray in the middle on the table. As she sat there listening to her families conversation as they catch her up in the small town gossip and events, she starts to feel slightly uneasy. Like someone if watching her. She looks up suddenly and is stunned when she sees the pair of eyes fixated on her. Her family notices her shocked expression and quiet down to stare at her and the person staring back her eye. Eyes locked as if the world was standing still. It was Hope who broke the contact and first spoken again.

“So, Brody, what were you saying about the new baseball field being built? Are you planning on coaching if they can get it finished before the season starts?” She asked, successfully restarting the conversation.

She did her best to focus on what everyone was saying but she found it difficult to concentrate when every time she glance up, she could see the same pair of emerald green eyes that broke her heart and left her to raise her child all on her own 6 years ago.