Second Chances at love

New city, new life

Moving away from Europe was the best decision Grace could have made, she soon realized that Americans were free and cool people, they did not live with a lot of inhibitions like she had to, no wonder English people liked to refer to them as vulgar people. She was glad that her children would grow up freely before she moved to Boston, she had never eaten pizza without a proper cutlery i.e pizza cutter, fork and knife, and she had never eaten as much fast food as she had eaten since the move to Boston.

Kris and Jake were settling in wonderfully and that was an additional thing that Grace was grateful for, she had thought that the move and change of scenery would affect her children but they had even been grateful for their newfound freedom, she wondered how she could have been so blind to everything her children had been going through. John had restricted them from activities that included regular children, he was always quick to let them know that those other children were ordinary and beneath them, he was toxic to them, poisoning them with pride, arrogance and basically evil. She didn't want her children to grow up like that and so Boston was a great place to be free, she opened a nice restaurant with some of the money she got from John, nothing overly fancy but classy.

She had even made new friends, Megan was the owner of the run-down restaurant she bought and even though Megan had crumbled her business, Grace still considered her an asset and friend since she was more familiar with the environment.

" That's just beautiful, it's quite breathtaking" Grace commented, Megan had just hung a painting on the wall and Grace was a lover of art, that was one thing she was grateful to John for, John also loved arts and they had quite the collection before they divorced.

" It's okay I guess" Megan replied eyeing the painting warily, she felt that the artist had used too many contrasting colours but she would never mention that fact to Grace.

She was grateful for Grace, she had just graduated from high school and was preparing to go to college when her mother got cancer, her mother was a single parent so Megan never met her father, not that she cared, she was happy by her mom's side.

The restaurant was a huge part of her life but when her mom got sick the business started to shrink, even after her mother died she still tried to hang on to the business till she could handle it no longer and opted to sell it. Grace had great plans for the restaurant and she was glad that she was still a part of it even if it didn't belong to her anymore.

She waved the painful memories aside and turned to Grace with a fake grin on her face.

" The restaurant is all set for opening, I can't wait to see this place buzzing with life once again."

" Oh, am also very eager and excited, once I get the approval of the......."Grace stopped mid-sentence because she saw a confused look on Megan's face, she raised her eyebrows and raised her shoulders in question.

" Well if you don't mind me asking, how old are you exactly, I know you have two teenage kids but am not exactly sure," Megan asked with the same expression on her face.

" First I do not mind but a lady never tells, second why the question and third, I do not get you Americans, that's what you were thinking about when I was talking about opening night" Grace concluded her speech rolling her eyes slightly. She was not surprised that Megan asked about her age, she had very sensitive skin and so she started her skincare journey from a young age. She was in her early forties but she looked like she was in her late twenties owning to her slim stature and young face.

Megan chuckled slightly and said," Yeah our thoughts or should I say my thoughts are everywhere, you look young but you speak like an elderly or maybe that's the English in you am not sure."

Grace smiled to herself, it was not exactly the English in her though it was not weird for English people to speak more polished English. She had grown up to an influential mother and married an influential man so no doubt her English was impeccable, it had to be least she embarrasses her family.

They spent the rest of the day planning and preparing for the opening night, Grace didn't have to worry about her children, they were old enough to take care of themselves and they always called once they got home and they did call. The more time she spent with Megan the more she liked her, Megan was open and interesting, though she knew that Megan had not told her everything about herself but she wasn't upset, she also didn't know if she would ever talk about John or her past.

After the days work, Megan excused herself and left Grace alone at the restaurant, Grace took her time to study the place and she beamed proudly at the various artworks that graced every wall, cabinet and counter as paintings, sculptures and figurines. The place was indeed ready for opening, she took one last look at the paintings, her eyes lingering on the colourful canvas Megan had hung, it was her favourite piece, it's contrasting colours reminded her of the beauty in diversity. She locked up the restaurant and was trying to catch a taxi when a guy came up to her and flashed a Swiss army knife to her, he was being discreet not to attract attention to them.

" Don't scream or try anything funny, walk up ahead and turn into the corner over there" he said pointing towards the knife.

Her hand flew to her mouth suppressing a shriek and she tried to reason with the thug.

" Please do not hurt me, take my purse, take all I have but please do not harm me."

" Move on lady, I haven't got all day." He replied giving Grace a little push, she started walking towards the dark alley praying silently that she would be safe.

As soon as she got there another thug showed up and snatched her purse, the two thugs must've been working together since they both did a fist bump and the other one commended the latter one.

" I've given you all I have please let me go, I promise I won't say a word, I'll just go home" Grace pleaded, she doubted they would listen to her because the other thug was looking at her breasts lustfully.

" Where are you off to in such a hurry, you just got here why don't we have a little fun." The other thug said tracing his fingers down her neck. Grace felt so disgusted she nearly threw up but now was not the time for weakness, if she wanted to get out of this situation, she had to channel her inner strength and that's exactly what she did.

She noticed that the other thug was examining her purse, he was distracted and so she gave the thug Infront of her a good jab between his legs and started running but before she got far, the other thug tackled her to the ground and after landing his fist on her face, he fastened his hands on her throat. She thrashed around on the ground trying to get away from his grip but it was no use, she couldn't even scream, as the lights started fading from her eyes, the only sound she heard was the profanities that the first thug was hurling at her, but just before her brain gave way, she felt a rush of oxygen to her lungs.

" Get the f**k off her you a**holes." A deep voice rang out, several punches, a loud thud and scuffling of feet.

" Lady, are you okay?" The voice asked stretching a hand towards Grace. Now, Grace knew why the lights didn't go out for her and why she started breathing again, she coughed loudly and took the hand of her saviour.

" Thank you very much, thank you, I think am fine." Grace replied staring at the hands that were trying to keep her steady, the hands were large and tough, it also had tattoos and bleeding knuckles.

" You should not be out by yourself this late, it's not safe." The voice which Grace had identified belonged to a muscular man continued.

The words he spoke were out of concern but somehow they managed to piss Grace off, she raised her chin in challenge towards the man even though she knew it was hopeless, her five-foot six-inches slim frame was no match for his six foot four or five inches muscular body, he looked like a giant towering over Grace.

" Am grateful for your help but you do not have to lecture me, I can take care of myself." She was tired of men telling her what she should do and what she shouldn't do.

"Oh really" the man countered " cause it seemed like you were getting the life choked out of you sprawling on the ground helplessly."

Grace bit back a retort, she was still pretty shaken about the incident and the guy was right, there was no need to act like a child, she was after all an adult and the guy who saved her looked younger than she was, she lowered her head and her shoulders trembled slightly.

" Thank you Mr, I need to leave now." Grace turned to leave when she heard the man say

" It's Kade, my name is Kade, come with me let me give you a ride home, you still seem very shaken."