Graceful Stubborn Heart

How It All Started: Who Are You?

Jake P.O.V.

I saw Mark put a necklace around her neck, kissed her forehead, and said, "Are you happy?". She was smiling as she nodded her head in response. Carmen then came to her side kissed her on the cheek while hugging her tightly as she told her, "I love you very much". The birthday girl hugged back, smiling with her eyes closed. 

Who is this woman???  Mark's 40 and she just turned 25. A 15-year gap sister? Nah! Hmmmm... A daughter perhaps??? But she calls Mark by his name. Very intriguing... Before I could think further, I realized that Carmen was already pulling my hand as she was trying to introduce me to her. She said, 

"Grace, this is Jake. My best friend and fiance. You know...", Carmen said while rolling her eyes. She extended her hand for a shake, "Grace", everyone laughed, I mean, "Anne. Glad to meet you. Welcome to my party. Haha." I smiled clueless. We shaked hands and with my eyebrows raised I asked, "so Anne or Grace, which is which?" Everybody laughed again.

One of their friends, Mike, told me that her name is really Anne, They just changed it to Grace because they thought that Grace suits her best as she acts with grace all the time. So that figures...  I wanted to ask more about her to feed my curiosity about her in Mark's life, but they already called us to start eating. 

We own a pastry house and a seafood farm, so it was just natural for me to willingly bring shrimps and some cakes. I brought a layer of New York cheesecake and some wine. As we were eating, I noticed that she didn't have any of the food I brought. I thought that she was just shy so I offered to put some on her plate, it's her birthday anyway, "Here are some shrimps I brought. They're fresh from our farm. You should try some." Everyone jumped in panic. Mark hurriedly took her plate to the sink, while everyone else was speechless. She just smiled at me. "What's the problem?", I asked. "She's allergic to shrimps and crabs. She could die.", Carmen calmly informed me. "I'm sorry.", I said. She just shrugged it off, "Oh, it's nothing. Happens all the time." "How about some wine?", I offered, trying to make up for my mistake. She gave a cute laugh, raised her finger across her throat, giving me sign that she also could die from it. "Hahaha. What a boring life you have.", I blurted out unconsciously, as I drank the wine myself. "You bet!", she replied. Everybody laughed.

After a while, someone turned on the music and everybody was drinking and dancing. That's when I noticed that everyone in the party were couples except her and me. She sat at the dining table, enjoying the view of her friends having fun, while she was helping herself with 2nd slice of cheesecake. It made me secretly happy because at least she could eat one of the food that I brought. It somehow eased the pain of guilt I felt from the incident earlier. "Couldn't get enough?", I smiled at her pointing at the cheesecake. "My favorite. This is heaven to me. My first love.". We both laughed. Even without alcohol, she just acts as drunk as us.

"So...", I tried to move my seat so that I sat, adjacent to her, at the corner of the table. "Where's your?", I pointed at the couples dancing, and snuggling to each other at the living room. "Oh, there's no one.", she calmly replied with a smile. I had a drink but I could clearly see that unlike other single ladies I know, she has confidently shown contentment of not being in a relationship. Usually, most girls I meet, especially at parties like this, would always throw their selves at me or at other men.

 "Hmmm?", I looked at her searching for clues and as if she got what I asked for she confidently said, "Choice." I raised my eyebrows at her and told her, "No fun." She just laughed at me and turned her attention to her friends, taking candid shots of them.

Now, I want to know more...

Suddenly, I needed the urge to use the restroom but Bea was still there trying to puke out all the alcohol so Grace offered to have me use her bathroom upstairs. She was busy cleaning up and just instructed me to find it in her bedroom, "It's the only door aside from the bedroom door." I shrugged to say okay and went upstairs. 

A rosy scent greeted me when I opened here bedroom door. I checked around and  I see a well kept bedroom. The bed is well-made up with clean, white, hotel-like sheets and her pillows are fluffy. They look so inviting after a hot shower from a long tiring day at work. On her bedside is a lamp and a book. That could be what she is currently reading. On the other side of the bed is a calendar-clock ad a wireless charger for her phone. I wonder if she has a diary kept in the drawers, I almost tried to open one but decided against it. Privacy, I said. 

There's a tv right across the bed, a painting, a work table, yet I couldn't find a single photo of her. This lady is very unassuming. In most rooms I've gone to, I always find photos of the owner. I even have one in mine. I shook my head unbelievably and went to the only door aside from the bedroom entrance. It must be the bathroom door. 

Wow! How could someone keep things very orderly in a small space like this? I was greeted with the most orderly walk in closet. Everything was in their proper order. Her closet looks like one of those high end boutiques that mom and my sister Carol go to.

I went back downstairs after my time at the bathroom, but the everyone was already settling down. The lights were dim and I could only hear Grace and Carmen giggling over something. I sat observing them. I feel happy that Carmen is happy despite the pressure we feel from our parents. Surprisingly, Grace approached me, "You can sleep on my bed tonight." My sleepy, chinky eye suddenly turned bigger from her words. She and Carmen laughed at my reaction, "She'll sleep with everyone here in the living room. You fool!", Carmen said.