Grace Under Pressure (Grace Walker Series Book 1)

Chapter 23:

I'm glad it was lunch time, because all I had was the toast this morning, and I was hungry. The closer I got to mom's office, I could smell the aroma of chicken fried rice coming down the hall, which made my stomach rumble.

I got to mom's office and she was on the phone. I waved and she held her finger up, basically telling me hang on a minute. She seemed a bit upset. I waited for her at the reception desk and talked to Debbie for a minute. She loved snow, she told me. She lived in Texas a good amount of her life, and it was always not. She said she never seen a drop of snow until she moved to Preston. So to her, this was the best thing since sliced bread.

My mom came down the hallway to the front desk.

"You ready?" She asked.

"Yeah, what was that all about?" I said.

"Eh, we will talk about it once we eat, I'm starved."

We walked into the dining room to get to the kitchen, and some of the residents were still in there eating. There are many residents here that are sweet and caring like your granparents would be and then, you've got the Golden Girls as my mom likes to call them. They come down to eat every meal and every meal they are dressed to the nines, makeup and jewelry as well. One lady, Donna, is drunk 90% of the time she's down here I think. They all sit at a round table with chairs with high backs and gossip to each other about other residents, then sit and reminisce about their past. Past marriages, past servants, past parties, you name it, these women lived it. I just shook my head and walked into the kitchen behind my mom.

"Hey Jacob, is our food ready?" She asked.

"Yeah Tess, it's right here." He handed her our food and said if we wanted anything else, to let him know.

Mom and I went and sat in the employee break room. Star was in there eating, but looked like she was finishing up. I knew my mom would never say what she was on the phone about until she and I were alone. So we ate the chicken fried rice and egg rolls we ordered and they were on point as always. We grabbed diet Cokes. I'm glad because I was thirsty as well. I'll have to remember to grab some water if I go back to visit Mason.

"Okay Mom, spill it. What was the call about?" She got up and shut the break room door and sat back down.  "Olivia called this morning." She said.

Olivia, the step monster. Poor Mason.

"She was all in a huff because Mark had to leave because he had a trial in Griffin and would be gone for a few days. He wanted her to come in and check on Mason. Well of course, being the snot she is, she has other "affairs" to tend to and only called. She said it was just simply impossible and unnecessary for her to come in and check on him, because that's what we are for."

"What a bitch." I said and then realized what I said.

Mom gave me the look and I apologized. "No, punkin, you're right. That boy doesn't seem to have much of a support system does he? His dad cares, no doubt but, he's always busy. I mean being partner at a law firm can't possibly be a walk in the park. Then he has his stepmom, who doesn't work, has never worked, but is always doing too many things to pay him any attention. I swear that woman spends more time shopping and having lunch with her friends than she actually spends with her husband and stepson." She said.

"Mason seems to be in better spirits today. Once he finds out, I bet it's going to make him upset." I said, shaking my head. And I didn't know if I wanted be around to witness that.

Mom and I finished up with lunch and our sodas and took the trays back into the kitchen and walked to her office. We sat and talked for a little while and my phone chirped. It was Reni:

"Gracie, are you okay to talk?"

I walked out of mom's office and called her. She picked up on the first ring.

"Hey girlie, what's up?" I asked.

"Nothing, just wanted to tell you we will be there tonight. The snow wasn't as bad as Daddy thought, so we will be home tonight. Can you come spend the night?" She asked.

"Sure, what time should I be ready. Mom will be most likely working, so maybe your mom or dad can come get me?"

"Oh that's no problem. Let's see it's almost 1:15 now, Daddy said it'll be about 3 more hours before we get back to Preston and he'll wanna make sure to clean the SUV out first because Sierra and Shayna sat in the third row seating there and back, so I'm sure they've left candy wrappers and everything else back there. " I laughed. Reni always butted heads with her little sisters, but she'd murder someone over them, if needed.

I was finishing up talking with Reni when I swear I seen Olivia walk towards Mason's apartment.

"Okay Reni, I gotta go, I'll be ready around 7. " I said goodbye and rushed into Mom's office.

"Uh-oh, I think Olivia just walked past to go to Mason's apartment." I said with worry.

"Well, honey, there's nothing I can do, unless she were to start an argument or something. " We will just sit here and wait for her to leave.

We talked about Reni and how she was coming home tonight and that I would be spending the night there. She said that it sounded like fun. She's glad that Dr. Ward is giving Reni some of her freedom back.