Grace Under Pressure (Grace Walker Series Book 1)

Chapter 44:

My life for the next couple months consisted of very few things: Mason, Mom, school, and my friends. Everyone was getting ready for finals and summer vacation.

Mason and I skipped the Prom because he didn't get his boot off until the beginning of May and well I'm a klutz so, I thought we should skip it. Reni got up enough courage to ask Carter to go with her. She didn't care about the status-quo and wait for him to ask, unlike Gretchen, who seemed to wait an eternity for Ashton to ask her.

We all as a group started hanging out, which was fine, but I enjoyed time alone with Mason as well. Most nights were spent driving around and talking. He was able to drive again, so I had to surrender the Jeep. It was fine, though. I liked to drive it but, it wasn't mine and I was worried all the time that something would happen.

Mom has been working non-stop since they've started their new fiscal year. She got a promotion and a huge raise. Executive Director. After year-end review, the company finally got rid of the director they had and put Mom in her place. She deserved the job anyhow. Mom had been there 10+ years and knew the job in and out. It didn't stop all the time away from home though, but like before I understood.

It was getting warmer outside, so Mason and I  were able to go to the park and hang out there and this afternoon, we decided to go to this dirt track in Griffin that had go-karts. We raced a few races, which Mason shamelessly beat me at and decided to sit in the picnic area to have lunch. I had packed a big cooler full of sandwich meat, cheese and bread, some nacho flavored chips since those were both Mason's and my favorite and a few sodas.

We sat and ate and fed our crusts to the ducks and talked.

"Gracie, do you think you'll be getting a car soon. You drove my Jeep for so long and now you borrow your mom's when you can, don't you want your own car?" Mason asked.

"Well, it's not that I don't want one, I don't know if we can afford one. Mom works hard, but I never pressured her into getting me one."

"Maybe she will get you one soon, who knows." He said and went back to feeding the ducks.

We walked around the park and bought some fish food. They had a pond with the biggest koi fish I'd ever seen in it and allowed to feed them. After a while it started getting dark, so Mason said he better get me home. He said we were supposed to get a storm tonight. Seeing since it was Spring, they can get bad at times.

It was going on 6 and Mason pulled up to my house. I gave him a quick kiss and told him I'd talk to him later.

Mom got home around 7. I was still full from lunch, so I wasn't hungry yet, so she just made herself a salad. I sat at the kitchen table with her whole she ate.

"Mom, Mason asked me today if I was ever going to get a car. I realized you and I never really talked about it. I just always assumed we couldn't afford it." I said.

"Well, if you want one, we can start looking around. You'll be 17 soon, maybe by then, I can find you an affordable car. Did you have something in mind?" She asked.

"No, not really. Just one that won't break down on me." I teased. I can remember a time before the car we had now where it seemed like Mom was getting it repaired more than she was driving it. That's why we ended up getting the car we have now. Sure, she now had a car payment, but it was under warranty, so if anything went wrong, we got a loaner, so we didn't have to go without.

She finished up her salad and said she had some emails to answer. She rinsed her bowl out, stuck it in the dishwasher, gave me a kiss on the top of my head and walked into the study. I went upstairs to grab my charger to bring it downstairs, so I could watch TV. I had a show I was watching and I had the latest episode DVR'd. I heard the thunder start to develop outside and you could hear the rain hitting the front door. Just as I sat down, my phone rang. It was Mason.

"Hi, what are you doing?" I answered.

"Grace, can you come get me please. I ran from the house and don't have my car keys!" He cried.

"Tell me what's going on Mason." I pleaded.

"It's Olivia, I can't talk about it right now, can you please just come get me?" He begged.

"I'm on my way. Try and stay calm Mason." I said.

I went to the study and told Mom I needed to borrow her car, something was up with Mason because of Olivia.

"Do I need to come with you punkin?" She asked with concern.

"Would you?" I asked. I've driven in the rain before, but this sounded heavy and I was nervous for Mason.
"He said he ran out of the house and went to the park by Sherry's."

We got to the park about 15 minutes later and I spotted Mason. He was soaked because of the rain and looked like he'd been crying. Mom had some emergency blankets in her trunk, so I grabbed those and wrapped them around him and made sure he got in the backseat. The car had enough time to warm up so he didn't get chilled. Looking at him so upset, I didn't know what to say. I looked at Mom and she broke the silence.

"Mason, honey, what happened?" Mom asked.

"I went home after I dropped Grace off and when I opened the door and the house, there were suitcases by the front door. They were Olivia's. Dad was nowhere in sight. I think he thought I would be gone longer and wouldn't see her leaving. When I asked what was going on, she walked right up to me and slapped me right across the face. She told me that it was all my fault that she and Dad were going separate ways, that I was the one to cause their problems all these years. She told me I was no better than the poor, useless people, including you and your mother. That I will never amount to anything. She just snapped.

"Oh my God, Mason, have you talked to your Dad?" I asked, grabbing his hand. He squeezed mine so hard, but I didn't want to let go.

" I called him and told him what was going on and they you were coming to get me. He asked if I could meet him at his office? Can you take me there?" He looked at Mom, and she nodded her head and said of course.

My mom looked extremely upset. And I didn't know what was going to happen.