Do I Love Her?

Way Back When

The year was 1995. Sol and Robert were out of town on one of their "business trips," leaving both Grace and Frankie in their homes, alone, watching their children. Coyote and Bud were playing outside, climbing trees and killing random insects while Frankie sat trying to revive them, never wanting to see even the tiniest living thing lose its life. Grace on the other hand was just getting home from a business meeting, removing the high heel shoes she was always wearing. Most people would think she slept and bathed in those shoes, considering how frequently she wore them. Grace's girls were upstairs "cleaning their rooms," when, in all reality, they were talking to boys on the phone and sharing one of their mother's cigarettes that Bri had stolen. It's not like Grace would notice, she was too caught up in worrying about work. Some time had passed and it was getting later, crickets chirping and singing their song as Frankie sat out on her back porch, of course lighting up a 'doobie.' Sometimes she would get high enough to call and agitate Grace, and that's exactly what she did.
Sitting at her kitchen table, she noticed Frankie had left one of her scarves one night when they were all having a nice "innocent" family dinner. As soon as the thought of Frankie's obnoxious laugh drifted into her mind, the phone rang. She wondered who that could be at this hour.
"Hello? Hanson residence," she perked up, her voice not very relaxed.
"...'Ey, Miss Priss. I know you don't wanna talk because you're all busy emptying a can of hair spray, but I just realized I left something at your house the other day. Mind if I come and get it?"
Grace rolled her crystal-blue eyes, emitting a deep huff. "You're not going anywhere, I know you're high. Here, I'll bring it over. Lemme tell the girls I'm leaving."
And with that, Grace sped out of the driveway, trying to get this whole situation over with as quickly as possible. Arriving at Frankie's home, she was dragged all the way into her house, the pungent smell of marijuana wafting through the living room.
"Frankie! It stinks like pot in here! Christ, lemme leave... here's your stupid hippie rag."
Frankie abruptly snatched Grace's wrist, shaking her head with shit-eating grin on her expression. "No, you're gonna smoke one with me, mon. C'mon! It's not gonna hurt you. Ya pussy." Of course, Frankie laughed at her provocative comment. Grace was starting to feel a little high from just the second hand smoke, so, of course, inhaled that first quick drag just to get Frankie to leave her alone. It was invigorating, her body tingling all over the place. She felt warm, like her skin was melting. For the first time since her teenage years, she felt relaxed, her body becoming much more relaxed and limp that usual.
"Holy shit, that is... shit." Grace mumbled, chuckling loudly as she glanced over at Frankie. For the first time since they met, she noticed the bright color of her eyes, how they glistened when she laughed, or when she was in deep thought. Frankie had always noticed the same thing about Grace, and even mentioned it to her before, but that's how Frankie was. She noticed the beautiful things in life. And one of those beautiful things being... Grace Hanson.