Saved By Grace

Chapter 32

Sometime during the late night hours Grace woke to Liza softly caressing her body. Liza had said that the size of the bed was perfect for cuddling but she needed more room to make love so they pulled the bedding off the bed to make a pallet on the floor. Awake again and unable to go back to sleep, Grace laid there on her side and watched the gentle rise and fall of Liza's bare back as she breathed.

She laid there thinking about the beautiful woman that she's loved for as long as she can remember. Thinking back to her heartache when Liza left all those years ago for the first time. Then each time thereafter, her weekend pass after boot camp, her first leave after her first year in the Army. Liza's time home had become less often after she signed up for her second tour. She had just stopped coming home. Grace remembered a few times when Grandma Jessie and Jess had traveled to see Liza when she was stationed at Fort Jackson or Fort Dix.

When Liza was promoted to Sergeant, Jess and Meg went to the ceremony. That was during the time that she wasn't speaking to Cali so she didn't know about it until after. She regretted missing out on those things just like she regretted losing the time they could have had together had she known how Liza felt to begin with. Grace had gotten into the habit of keeping up with what was going on in the world when it involved the US military after Meg told her that Liza had been deployed to Iraq. So she knew what was currently going on in the world. She knew that Liza wouldn't end up in combat but she knew Liza's job could still get very dangerous. She prayed that Liza returned home in one piece.

The thought of losing Liza had tears forming in her eyes. She quickly wiped them away and stood up. Grabbing her robe from the back of the door, she slipped it on and quietly stepped out into the hall. Making her way to the kitchen she turned on the light and went to the fridge for a bottle of water.

"Hey Grace." Rachel said softly when she came in behind Grace. "What are you doing up?"

"Couldn't sleep." Grace softly replied.

Rachel heard the sadness in her bestfriend's voice. "What's the matter?" She asked and reached out to lift Grace's chin so that the redhead would look at her.

Grace looked up with tears in her eyes, "I can't lose her Rach. I just can't. I can't live without her."

Rachel pulled her in, wrapping her arms around her and cried with her.

Liza found them a short while later sitting on the floor with their backs against the wall, leaning into each other. She noticed that they had been crying when they both looked up at her with red eyes. Grabbing them each a paper towel she joined them on the floor.

"What's going on ladies?" When neither answered she asked "Is David okay?"

"He's fine." Rachel answered, "He's sleeping."

"This is about my deployment isn't it?"

Fresh tears started falling from Grace's eyes.

Rachel looked at Grace, "Talk to her honey." When Grace nodded she added, "I'm going back to bed." She got up and when she reached the doorway she turned back to look at Liza. She smiled then left the couple alone.

Liza moved to take Rachel's spot and pulled Grace into her side. "Grace, my love, there's nothing on this earth that is going to keep me from coming home to you."

"You don't know that." Grace replied.

"But I believe it. I have to. Believing it is what's going to get me home." Liza leaned back to look at Grace. When Grace didn't say anything Liza continued. "When I leave out I have to believe that my loved ones are going to be okay while I'm gone. I have to believe they're safe and that I am coming home to them. When I believe everything at home is okay then I can concentrate on my job and that leads to fewer possibilities for mistakes. We could be going just to babysit some celebrity that's performing for the troops. Please don't get worked up."