GRACE

A single glance as I walked down the wide corridor was enough to tell that the building was not just a house, but a home.

Apart from the loud voices that chattered away in a nearby room, the homely vibe that emanated from the walls beside me was welcoming enough. From framed images of their family to displays of wise words, amazing paintings, and childish paintings, everything that filled the hall made me feel loved in a strange way.

As I followed Janet's lead, I was able to take a glimpse of their living room. Apart from the grandness, it also had a lot of images and objects that made it nice to look at. Those artefacts were memories and not mere images. And as we walked, a small smile formed on my lips in appreciation of what I had seen so far.

“Does waffles for breakfast sound good?” Janet’s voice caused me to tear my gaze off the walls. When I saw her wide smile, I returned it and replied to her question with a swift nod.

“This is a lovely home,” I said.

“It is, right? I am really glad for this place. Come, come.” She reached for my hand and led us to the next room which revealed the faces of the voices from earlier.

The dining room was quite huge. Or maybe it seemed so because of the many people in the room. And they all shifted their attention away from the huge, wooden table that was filled with delicacies. They looked in my direction and I braced myself for any incoming greeting that might involve bone-crushing hugs.

The adults- two males, two females- admired the visitors that came with Janet and the children appeared curious, especially about Ruby. Before the silence in the room could become awkward, Janet swiftly introduced me.

“Guys, do you remember that Eliot called and said he's dating a woman called Grace? Well…” She pulled my elbow gently and briefly leaned her head on my shoulder. “Meet Grace. And,” she happily hugged Ruby, "this is our darling, Ruby."

Excited chatters followed and they all greeted Ruby who became more shy due to the attention everyone was giving her. The more I looked at her, the more it seemed she would wish to disappear from that room. That must be why she's still staying quiet.

“So, Eliot didn’t make her up.” With eyes as gentle as his voice, a man who bore a slight resemblance to Janet stood up, wiped his hand off a napkin, and approached us. “I am glad to meet you in person, Grace. Eliot sounded fond of you and I can tell why by just looking at your fine face.”

“Eh ehm.” A feminine voice reprimanded from the table. “Don’t forget that your wife is here.”

He turned to face the teasing blonde woman. “Babe, I can never overdo the flirting, you know that.”  The second man in the room got up and approached us; his face wearing grimness in a way that reminded me of Dominic. “Anyway Grace,” a thin smile from the first man greeted me further, “I am Stephen. But most people call me Penny. Don’t ask why.”

I chuckled at the comical face he made at the last statement and replied, “Nice to meet you, Stephen.” My line of sight went to the taller figure that had been silently standing beside Stephen. “And I am guessing you are Q.”

“Quentin.” He stretched his hand for a handshake. I accepted his request and he continued, “It is very nice to meet you. But I have to apologise. I can’t stick around to welcome you to our home properly. I have to head out.”

The manner with which he spoke was also similar to that of Dominic- firm and steady.

But funny enough, apart from the fine face, there was not a lot of facial resemblance between the two.

After I assured Quentin that I understood him, he gave a curt nod, grabbed a plate of sliced apples, and walked out.

“Don’t mind his hastiness. He is always particular about his work. And he hates being late,” Janet explained as I watched Quentin leave.

“Is he the eldest?” I asked and watched as one of the children walked up to Ruby and invited her to eat with them.

“Yep. That explains a lot, doesn’t it?” I nodded and I resumed studying the beauty of the house. But Janet was not done. Her hand glued to my back, she pointed to the blonde woman.
“That is Clara, Stephen’s wife. And next to her is Q’s wife, Jasmine.”

Both women welcomed me but one of the children soon stole their attention before either of them could utter another word.

Janet continued, “You will get to meet the kids later, I am tired of the introductions.”

I waved to the kids who were still kind enough to express their curiosity at my presence. I was about to ask Janet another question but my stomach growled and I was reminded of my hunger.

“Come on, sit.” Janet led me until I was seated where Quentin was.

At the same time, Stephen got up, grabbed a briefcase, and announced that he was leaving. After he gave his wife a quick kiss, he walked out and it was just us, the ladies and the children who were now trying to get answers from a still-quiet Ruby who kept her full focus on her food.

I have to say, I find it bothersome that Ruby has not said more than five words since we got out of the helicopter. It is truly bothersome and I hope she is going to be fine.

The clinking and clanking from the plates and cutlery dragged me out of my worries and when I looked in front of me and saw that a plate of nicely made waffles had been set in front of me, I dug in. I was especially excited at the sight of the caramel topping, so I did not hesitate in devouring the meal as though a hungry tiger was living inside me.

The sight of me munching on my meal must have gladdened Janet who asked Jasmine to pour me a glass of orange juice. As the woman did what was asked, I smiled in appreciation at both women, though a part of my soul kept eyeing Jasmine’s fine, curly afro hair.

“So…” Janet settled next to me, amusement all over her face. I think she is going to wear that excitement throughout the day. “How did you and Dominic meet?"

“Hmm…”

I didn’t get to respond. I was immediately interrupted by Dominic who barged in with anger slightly greater than the one I witnessed earlier.

“Uh oh,” Janet murmured, “it looks like their conversation didn’t go well.” You would think that this woman would say nothing more and keep eating. No, she got up and asked, “Eliot, will you have some waffles?”

Dominic ignored her and every other person in the room. He walked straight to me and grabbed my free hand.
“We need to leave.”

“Dominic, I am still eating.”

“Let’s go, Grace.”

I frowned at him and I began to debate ditching the delicious meal.
But the truth is, I didn't want to.

So, looking up at him with a pout on my lips, I said, “But I am very hungry and I need to eat. And are we going to leave Ruby here?”

“I will take care of Ruby.” Janet volunteered and I was awed by the relief I felt on hearing her sentence. “This is the first time I’m meeting my niece and I am sure every other person wishes to spend some time with her. I am sure Pops also wants to spend some time with Ruby. So, you guys can leave.”

“Hmm…”

“You can leave. I will pack the rest of your meal.” I appreciated the motherly tone in Janet’s voice. I was about to reach for her hand and show her my thanks when Dominic’s gruffiness reached my ears.

“Meet me outside,” he said.

Our eyes briefly met and when he saw that I wasn’t going to give him a reply, he walked himself out.

Minutes after, Janet had readied a meal pack. As she handed the huge bag to me, she said, “I packed some for Eliot. Please, make sure he eats. He can be very dramatic when he’s angry.” 

“Thank you, Janet.” I hugged the bag to my chest and asked Ruby if she was going to be fine. The girl nodded and went back to listening to the high tale one of the children was telling the rest. After that, I wished everyone a good day and left the house.

Once outside, I entered the jeep that drove us to that place. I settled the bag in the back seat and adjusted till I was seated comfortably in the passenger seat. Then, my eyes turned to Dominic and I stared intently at the side of his clenched jaw.

After a while, a sigh escaped Dominic’s lips and he fully turned to link his eyes with mine. “Why are you staring at me so much?” 

“No reason.” I nudged my chin in his direction. “Why are you so angry?”

His jaw clenched again. “No reason,” he gruffly replied. And the next minute, the car roared and soon, we were back on the road. 

Determined to get to the root of his anger, I continued, “I don’t know, Dominic. If you are this angry at your father, there is definitely something.” He spared me a side glance. “All I know is, if my father was still alive, I would always try to work things out with him even if I am really angry with him. But really, what could my father do that would make me painfully angry at him?” I said thoughtfully, hoping to get any form of response from the steaming man.

But all I got was a loud bang of the car door which made me realise we were back at the cabin.

I didn’t imagine it earlier. The distance between the cabin and the family house was really short.

As I watched him make his way into the house, I muttered to myself, “Drama queen.”

I then grabbed our breakfast and made for the entrance. A calming scent ushered me in and that scent seemed to cover the entire length of the living room.

Once I dropped the meal bag on a bare table that was in the middle of the room, I proceeded to look for Dominic. As I moved, I walked past a well-furnished kitchenette, and after a few more steps, I found myself inside a bedroom whose grandeur had to be the reason for the hugeness of the building.

Unfortunately, my focus on the sturdy man that was perched on the edge of the bed didn’t give me a chance to study the large room.

Once I reached where Dominic was seated, I climbed the soft mattress and hugged him from behind, my head leaning against his after he adjusted to accommodate my presence.

Dominic was looking out of the window, so I did the same. And what I saw made my heart flutter. It was another flower field and it was just as gorgeous as the bigger one.

“This is a beautiful view,” I voiced my thoughts.

“Mmm,” came his short response as his hands went on to caress my arms.

“Can I touch those flowers?” He nodded. And I continued, “Your family is nice.”

“And very dramatic.”

I chuckled. “Yes, very dramatic. Though Quentin is a lot like you.”

“Everyone says that.” Another sigh escaped his lips. “It is because he refused.” Confused, I hummed to question his statement. “The reason I am angry at my father is because he refused.”

“Oh. What did he refuse?”

“He refused to cooperate with me for a huge business deal that will benefit his business so well that…”

“I have to stop you right there, Dominic.” I retrieved the embrace around his neck and sat down beside him. Then, I tangled his hand with mine and faced him squarely. “Are you telling me that you are angry at your father of a business deal?”

“It is a very huge one,” he argued, the one strand of hair that failed to be gelled down dancing with the little breeze that seeped into the room. “I have been chasing my father for three years. I have begged him so much to accept the offer before it ends but he always refuses. Why would he do that?” Dominic’s fuming became more evident at this point. “Doesn’t he want to do something good for his business?”

I exhaled hard before I continued.

“So, you have been angry at your dad for almost three years now because of a business deal?”

“Why are you repeating what I am saying?”

“Because you are unbelievable!” His brows jerked in reaction to the exclamation in my voice. “Listen to me,” my tiny hand  squeezed his, “I may not have a father, but one thing I have learnt in life from other people is that you never let your professional life affect your relationship with your parents or family in general.
Okay fine, your father refused a good deal. But three years is too much to be angry at one’s father because of a business deal. And why on earth must he agree to it? It is his business, he can choose to do whatever he likes with it.”

Dominic clenched his jaw, so much I feared for a minute that I would hear crunchy noises the next minute.

Then, he said, “He just… I just feel like I need to do something for him. Something good.” The hardness in his eyes reduced and a sigh left him. “I am aware that I broke my father’s heart when I abruptly left for New York. He supported me, but I know he still felt sad. And I want to make up for the hurt I caused him.”

Aww… My Dominic is so cute.

“How about this?” I licked my lower lip as I framed my next statement in my mind. “How about you start by apologising for leaving him? It is not ideal to try to force something on your father regardless of the good intention behind it. But it is more proper to ease your anger, let him know your real thoughts and maybe from there, a nice relationship can be restarted.” I tightened the tiny hold I had around his hand. “Dominic, as long as you are both alive, you can easily make up for lost time. Be intentional and be patient and I am sure something nice will happen to your relationship with your father.” 

For many seconds, silence ruled the space and my brain proceeded to replay everything I had just uttered while a part of me hoped that I had not spouted nonsense.

“You have no idea how much I love you, Grace Sands,” Dominic abruptly dropped and the way I held his hand slacked. “You are a very wise woman. Thank you.”

This time, he held my hand, brought it to his lips, and planted a lengthy kiss on it.

As I silently watched him, I reluctantly asked, “Did you just say…?”

“That I love you? He flashed a soft smile. “Yes.” My mouth instantly felt dry and as I moistened its insides, I discovered that my heart was racing in a way that made it hard to push out a response. “You don’t have to give me a reply because I know you love me too.” His fingers found my chin and they directed my eyes- which were trained on our tangled hands- to his. “I had to say it because you are so beautiful and damn amazing.”

He leaned in and his lips tugged at mine so much that I felt the tingle that comes alive each time he touches me in my chest. He carefully explored my lips and he set my heart on flames at the same time.

My heart burnt in a strange but not harmful way. It burnt in a way that made me feel light and happy, in a way that made me yearn for more.

And as that happened, his kiss deepened and my eyes began to tear up because of the assurance that I had truly found happiness.

Slowly, Dominic pulled back. When our eyes met again, they communicated silently, and his fingers gently wiped away the tears that had rolled down my cheeks.

“Dominic,” I softly called, my hands reaching for his which were still cupping my cheeks, “we have to eat.”

And as though on cue, my stomach made a low sound that made Dominic chuckle loudly.

“I was hoping that I would get to eat something else. But, okay, let’s eat.”

As Dominic got up, I pulled him back and in a flash, his lips met mine.

Suddenly, hunger for him overcame my senses and I rested my back, my motion dragging him with me until he was hovering above me.

My lips urged him to continue the ravenous kiss from earlier and the man quickly murmured against my lips, “Aren’t we eating anymore?”

My fingers played with the arm of his t-shirt, and I impatiently replied, “It can wait, Dominic.”

He smirked. “I love how you think.”

And from that moment on, he devoted his being to making me feel so good.

And, I made sure to adequately relish the moment because contrary to the thoughts dancing in the dark part of my mind, everything was real. Very real.