Lifeless (Book II)

Lunch

~Chapter Nine~

Grace sat at the dinner table looking at her family dig into their plates of meatloaf. She looked down on hers. Somehow she couldn't seem to lift up her fork and start eating. The fact that Alex had offered to take her out for lunch seemed a bit unreal. Did I dream that? She asked herself as she fiddled with the baked carrot in her plate.

"Grace, honey aren't you hungry?" Her mother asked.

"Starving," she muttered.

"Then why aren't you eating?" her father asked.

"I'm sorry, I trailed off," she replied smiling. Picking at her meatloaf once again she shoved it into her mouth and smiled. That was enough reassurance for them and soon they turned to their plates and began to eat. Grace chewed the juicy meat in her mouth and savored the taste of the ketchup in her mouth. But her mind was a million miles away, back with Alex. She wondered for a moment what he might be doing and then quickly shook her head.

Don't get ahead of yourself, it's just lunch, she thought.

When dinner was finally over Grace stood and did the dishes making sure to leave everything spotless. The house was dark and gloomy as she went about sweeping and giving the glossy wooden floor a mopping. When she was finished she made her way upstairs and sat on her desk looking at the laptop. She was tempted to look up information on Victoria Elven. She quickly logged on and punched in her name on the search bar waiting for the information to load. Before she would lay eyes on the internet site being loaded, Lacy slowly pushed the door open.

"Lacy," Grace whispered.

Lacy walked in rubbing her right eye and holding her stuffed bear under her arm.

"Can't sleep?" Grace asked pushing away from the desk.

Lacy shook her head and stretched her arms out to Grace holding her tight, whenever she had trouble sleeping she would climb in with her.

"Lullaby," Lacy whispered clutching on to Grace.

"Get under the covers," she replied.

Lacy quickly snuggled in and Grace lit the lamp near her bed to keep the "evil monster away". Her cheeky smile made Grace's heart melt at the sight of it and sat next to the bed stroking Lacy's hand.

The only thing heard coming from the outside were the crickets as she began to hum her lullaby watching as her baby sister's eyelid began to droop and soon shut. Grace stretched and rose off the side of the bed forgetting everything and everyone. All she sought at the moment was sleep, looking at Lacy sleep so peaceful made her want to snuggle in next to her and so she did just that.

*****

Alex shuffled through a few papers trying to make the puzzle connect, there was something missing. How would he be able to proof that Grace was really Vicky? It didn't make sense how another girl would end up inside the neon.

He had called the towing company that had picked up the remains of Vicky's car as well and was informed that it had been her breaks that had caused the accident. He remembered the way Victoria's car would come to a screeching halt every time she drove it and now regretted ever forgetting to tell her to change them. He flipped through a few more papers and read the information on it.

Grace Holiday had to be Vicky, she just did, Alex didn't care how crazy all of this sounded he was determined to prove it. He pulled the picture id out once more and looked at it comparing it once again to one of Victoria's photos.

"It's you, I know it is," he whispered

He smiled and slipped the photo back into the file feeling his world suddenly come to light. Vicky was alive! She was alive, and nothing thrilled Alexander more than to be receiving a second chance from the heavens. This was something he was determined to make work, he hoped deep down that nothing stood in the way, nothing at all.

****

Grace took her seat in the lunch room and slowly opened her lunch bag to pull out a ham sandwich. She felt deep down disappointed that Alex hadn't showed up, but simply pressed a thin lip smile when Rebecca and Jenny joined her.

"So what did you bring?" Jenny asked.

"Ham sandwich," Grace  replied.

"I saw Mr. Jewels approach you yesterday after I walked away, what did the boss want with you?" Rebecca's asked

"He...wanted to apologize for the incident in the office," she muttered biting into her sandwich.

"Incident, what incident," Jenny asked biting down on her Twisler.

"You know when the boss called her into the office to...," Rebecca said but was soon cut off.

"Excuse me ladies, I need to speak with Grace for a moment," Alex cut in.

Both girls looked up to meet there bosses cheerful smile, Grace looked down at her sandwich trying to swallow the ham in her mouth.

"Grace, can I speak with you?" Alex said.

Grace blushed crimson red and slowly placed her sandwich into her bag and rose feeling her friend's eyes on her back.

"Are you ready to leave?" he asked.

Grace glanced up at him surprised, she hadn't expected for him to say that, she was waiting for more on an apology saying he wasn't going to be able to make it. She stood a little frozen not sure how to answer him.

"Won't this raise gossip," was the first things she found herself saying.

"Is it wrong for the boss to want to have lunch with one of his employee's?" he asked.

"Well no, but...,"

"But?"

Grace finally locked gazes with him and felt her breath shortened, those eyes held so much longing and plead. She found herself whispering an okay, and Alex took no time in taking her by her arm and leading her towards the back into his BMW.

"I thought maybe I'd show you the old bakery, take you back in time," he said as he drove off.

She simply nodded and gripped her seat belt looking at the houses go by a blur.

"Sir...don't you think that driving fast might cause you to have an accident?" she said.

****

Alex felt a deja vou come on and smiled at her slowing down his speed. The memory soon came to him and remembered the first time Vicky had gotten in the car with him. It was the very first day they had mad the plan.

"Call me Alex, please." He replied.

His plan was to take Grace back in time, maybe hoping that something would jump start her memory again. He headed in the direction of the old bakery, the one that held so many memories and had been Vicky's place of solitude. Deep within himself Alex hoped, wished for this plan to work.