Consequences - Grester

Chapter 10

Grace's POV

The next morning, I am up before anyone else in the house, which is extremely unusual for me, as I am not a morning person.

I quietly grab my laptop from the nightstand beside Mamrie's bed and open it up. My fingers fly quickly over the keys, as I try to type softly to avoid waking Mamrie, who sleeps on the other side of the pillow barricade we put up, to keep me from taking up the entire bed.

Before I can even process what I'm doing, I find myself on the Disneyland website, looking at ticket deals.

It seems slightly ridiculous that I am considering going to Disneyland, seeing as this is an idea that my 4 year old suggested we do, but also, I will be going as a single mom with two excitable little girls. As irrational as this plan seems, we need this. My daughters deserve it and I need some sort of distraction from the crushing pain I feel.

I type out all my bank details in the checkout section, and finally, the mouse pointer of my computer wavers over the button which finalises the payment. I click it without hesitation, and within a few seconds, my phone pings as I receive a message approving the transaction.

I take a deep breath in and can't help but chuckle at myself, a grown ass woman, booking tickets to Disneyland for tomorrow. Maybe I'm a little more spontaneous than I thought.

I slip out of bed and into the kitchen to make myself a cup of coffee. I tiptoe through the house, when i spot a little figure on the couch. My great leaps in my chest, but I am instantly calmed when I notice that it's just Sophie with Beanz beside her.

"You gave me a heart attack, you crazy kid." I joke and squeeze her little hand.

"Sorry, Mommy." She giggles. "Why are you up so early?"

"I could ask you the same thing ." I flop down on the couch next to her.

"Charlotte's too fidgety." Sophie complains.

"Gosh, she's crazy, isn't she?" I chuckle. "Thanks for being such a good big sister to her."

"She's a real handful, but I love her anyway." Sophie sighs.

"Is that so?" I can't help but giggle at Sophie's old soul. I pull the petite little girl onto my lap and wrap my arms around her.

"Can I tell you a secret?" I whisper.

"Yes, yes! I'm the best at keeping secrets." Sophie squeals excitedly, before looking at me with avery solemn face and lending out her pinkie, which I lock with mine.

"Let's make it a game. We'll see if you can guess first. It's about something we're doing tomorrow, for 2 whole days." I give her a clue.

"Hmm..." Sophie's brow furrows as she is in deep thought. "Are we going shopping?"

"Nope. A lot more exciting than shopping."

"Swimming at the beach?" She tilts her head with confusion like Goose would.

"Still more exciting." I hint.

"I give up! Tell me." She pleads.

"Well, we're going to Disneyland tomorrow." I grin from ear to ear, like an excited child.

"That's not funny, Mommy." Sophie crosses her little arms and pretends to be cross.

"I'm being serious. We're going tomorrow. I booked the tickets and everything." I look into her eyes for some sort of reaction.

She starts squealing like a little bird. I can't help but laugh as she flails on my lap.

"But wait," Sophie's excitement fades. "We haven't packed! How are we getting there? What if we don't have enough time to get ready?"

"Shh.. Calm down, you little control freak." I tease her. "We have a flight early tomorrow morning, and I'll make sure we're ready by then, okay? Don't stress."

"Alright." She sighs and leans into me.

Chester's POV

The last few belongings of mine are all packed in my suitcase. I've decided that for all the sacrifices Grace has made for me, the least she deserves is our house.

The room looks semi-empty, almost like when we first moved in together, and we were still arranging our lives around each other.

It feels like just yesterday Grace and I lived here without children and without a care. Our days were spent cuddling on the couch whilst we watched Netflix all day, or ordered take-outs for the two of us, or just took dumb snapchats of Goose, all in this very house.

Things changed drastically when Sophie and Charlotte stepped into the picture. We would sing countless Disney songs whilst we cooked in the kitchen, take muddy wellington boots off of tiny feet at the front door on the rare rainy Californian days, chase each other around the garden and read picture books at the side of a cot or toddler bed.

Although I'm leaving the house for Grace, because she is entitled to the best, it is a convenient way to escape the wonderful memories created in this house, which stir up pain and regret in my heart.

I'll never be able to forgive myself for pushing the one person, who loved me unconditionally, too far.