Page 62 of Fall From Grace

He laughed. “It’ll make you scream from pleasure soon enough.” He pulled off the condom and tossed it on the floor.

“I hope,” I mumbled. He started attacking my neck and face with kisses until I was giggling.

“Grace.”

“What?”

“I’m still waiting.”

I was mesmerized by his blue eyes peering down at me. “I love you, Noah Phillips.”

“I’ve always loved you, Grace Harper.”

The rain stopped but Noah and I stayed in the back seat of his Jeep talking and taking pictures together. I laughed with him until I had to leave him for another long week.

______

November 11th

I awoke Thursday morning to another text from Noah that read:Happy Birthday. Can’t wait to see you this weekend. He had stayed on the phone with me until midnight just so that he could tell me first. I was smiling about it until I stubbed my dang toe as I tried to walk out of my room that morning. This time, I really did it. I bent my toenail back. I cursed and hopped before falling on my butt until the pain dulled enough that I could remember how to walk.

“Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday to you,” I heard Mom’s singing as she walked up the stairs and groaned. I fell backward onto the carpet. She stepped into the doorway with a pile of pancakes. “Did you stub your toe again?” she asked before she scrunched up her nose. “Ew, that looks terrible.”

“It feels worse,” I grumbled.

“Is Noah coming over to eat cake with us today?” she asked, placing her hand on her hip.

“No.” I finally stood back up. “I’m going out with him Sunday.”

She shook her head. “Nonsense. Ask him to come over.”

“Mom.” I looked at her like she was crazy. “You understand why the thought of bringing him back home is terrifying, right?”

“You can’t keep hiding it from your dad.” I knew that Noah also wanted to tell him. He was more obedient towards adults than I was. “It’ll be worse if you keep hiding it and he finds out.” She turned around. “Tell him, okay?”

“Yeah, okay.” I was so not telling him.

_______

My eyes must be playing tricks on me. School ended a couple of hours ago, I had just gotten off the phone with Noah who said he had practice today… I was standing at the front door with only one possible explanation. MOM.

“Noah?” I gave him a startled look as he stepped aside and revealed a carved bear made from a log. It went up to his waist. I momentarily forgot that I was ambushed as I covered my mouth. “Noah, it’s so beautiful.” He had painted the bear black and in the bear’s paws was a sign that said, “I love you.”

“Thanks for coming, Noah,” Mom said to him, stepping next to me with the same reaction I had just given him to his newest wooden creation. “Oh, Noah, this is perfect.” She stepped out onto the porch and examined it. “This shouldn’t go inside your room, Grace, it’s better to display it outside for people to see its beauty.”

I squinted my eyes at her and stepped next to her. “I don’t think so, this is my birthday present, not yours… but you’re right, it’ll look best outside.” I started pushing it next to the door.

“I think it will look better in the yard,” she mumbled.

“I’ll put it out there this summer, for now, the bear stays here,” I grunted and moved back to admire it again. I pulled out my phone from my back pocket and took a picture of it.

“Do you like it?”

“I love it!” Mom answered for me and he smiled at her compliment.

“What are you guys doing with the door open when it’s this cold…” Dad’s words died out as he stopped and looked at Noah from the doorway. “Noah?”

“Hi, Steven,” Noah said casually. “It’s been a while.”