State Of Grace

Chapter 27 - Delicate

Authors Note: Just wanted to let you all know what I'm still writing and I'm about 15 chapters ahead of here, with a projected 56 chapters in total, if there a times when I'm not updating frequently just know that I'm still writing and you will get to see the end of this story. Thank you all for reading and please leave comments etc. I love seeing what you have to say. Constructive criticism is welcomed.

"Tijuana!" Stella fumed at her children, her face bright red and worry lines showing on her face. She stood with one hand on her hip and one with white knuckles gripping the back of a chair. "Tijuana! What the hell were you thinking?"

Gracie bit her lip, "I'm sorry, it was my fault," she admitted, there was no point trying to come up with a lie now. "I made Marco take me there, don't blame him."

In hindsight, it was a bad idea and she knew it. She already blamed herself for deceiving her parents and using Marco, and now she blamed herself for being so stupid. She hadn't realized it at the time but she was looking for more than just a signature from Julia, she wanted an explanation because buried deep down there was a part of her that looking to understand her birth mother; how she could leave her child. But she still didn't get it. She couldn't understand how a mother could put a child through what she went through, and she left the prison more confused than when she went in. More unanswered questions than ever before.

"Oh no, you're both to blame," Stella clenched her teeth and tried to calm herself down, but she was furious.

"Marco, we expected better from you," Lilah shook her head. She never got as outwardly angry as Stella but she was still mad and her disappointed glares could needle at you just as much as Stella's yelling, "You're supposed to be a big brother, you have a responsibility to take care of your younger siblings."

Marco and Gracie sat with their heads bowed as their mothers scolded them. Neither of them had realized that they would need passports to get back into the country. When they reached the border, they had to call their moms to come and pick them up. Stella hadn't stopped yelling since they got home.

"Well, go on then, what was so important that you needed to cross the border? And don't tell me you were shopping," Stella glared at her kids.

Gracie and Marco exchanged a glance, and Gracie swallowed the lump in her throat, "I went to see my birth mom," she braced herself for more yelling, but the room fell silent as Stella and Lilah sat down.

Stella's face returned to its normal color and she shook her head in disbelief.

"Marco, can you give us a moment with Gracie?" Lilah asked. As Marco made his way upstairs, she called out, "We'll discuss your punishment later."

"What were you thinking?" Stella spoke calmly but her voice was still raised, "Going there after we said we'd discuss it?" Stella and Lilah looked at Gracie, waiting for an explanation.

"I was thinking I want to get adopted," Gracie sighed, "I just wanted to get it out of the way, I couldn't stand all of the waiting around."

"Oh, love," Stella sighed, finally lowering her voice, "I understand that it's been frustrating, but you don't know this woman."

"She could have been dangerous," Lilah added.

"There were guards all over the place, it was fine."

She wasn't just trying to justify her actions to her parents, she was trying to prove to herself that she wasn't being completely reckless, that she wasn't the burden she so often felt like, but she'd never felt more like a plague on their lives, especially now that she'd roped Marco into her antics.

"That's not the point Gracie, and you know it," Stella was getting angry again but Lilah took her hand and she calmed down immediately.

"I know, I'm sorry," Gracie was all out of tears and spoke matter-of-factly to her parents, "She signed the papers," Gracie revealed the document.