Finding Gracie's Rainbow

by Deborah A. Price

  “And like all years, it'll work itself out.” Addison walked with her out of the office and into the parking lot. “I guess I'll see you tomorrow.”

  “If you say so.” Gracie took off to her house where she found Bea and Garrison fighting each other. “What are you two arguing about?” She looked around for Annie, who was walking out of her bedroom.

  “They're fighting over who gets to clean up that mess they made outside.” Annie looked at both children sternly. “I got off early because I finally caught up so I decide to be nice and bring them home with me. They go outside with the puppies and there is paper chewed up all over the place.”

  “But we didn't do it.” Garrison informed his mother as she looked at him disapprovingly. “Beast and Bear did.”

  “And they’re your responsibility.” Annie reminded him as Gracie watched.

  Gracie looked down at Bea. “Go clean it up and no more arguing.” Bea started to walk out the back door as Annie looked back down at Garrison.

  “You, too,” Annie pointed to the back door where Bea had gone and sat down tiredly on the couch.

  “And what is your problem?” Gracie looked down at her as she asked.

  “Some days it doesn't pay to get out of the bed.” Annie said with frustration ebbed in her voice. “Christian called my cell, I know a good ten times this morning while I was visiting with mothers who are trying to get their children back.”

  Gracie smiled and walked to the kitchen as she remembered Christian’s visit to her office. “How do you know it wasn't important?” She asked loudly as she poured a glass of water.

  “If it was important, he would've left a message.” Annie laid down as she answered Gracie, who had walked back into the room. “Not a single message.”

  She opened her brief case and took out the work she had brought home. “Maybe he doesn’t like talking to a recording.”

  Annie stood and walked over to the table to see what Gracie was working on. “You plan on working this weekend.” She raised her eyes as she saw the name on the cover page. “Goodie.”

  “Yeah, another book written by Gaige Forrester.” Gracie saw that Annie sat down. “Go away, Annie.”

  “But I want to read.” Annie pretended to pout as she stood. “You have the good job.”

  Gracie raised her eyes before responding to her. “If I ever get finished with this, you'll be able to read it soon enough.” She noticed that Annie didn't move. “Is there something else?”

  “You forgot?” Annie looked serious as she asked.

  “Forgot what?” Gracie gave Annie her full attention. “Am I supposed to be doing something else?”

  “Sure you are. Jackson is going to be here in a little under an hour, and we're having dinner with your family for Sammie’s birthday.” Annie walked away from the table. “I'm going to hurry the clean up so the kids can get ready.”

  Gracie quickly put the papers away and carried them to her bedroom wondering how she could forget about Sammie’s birthday. She hadn't even bought her a present. She heard the doorbell persistently ringing and walked out to answer the door. Paige was standing there looking at Gracie puzzled.

  “Did you forget?” Paige walked into the house, and Steven followed her carrying a dress.

  “You could say that. I haven’t even been shopping.” Gracie looked at the dress that Steven handed her. “What is this?”

  “That is what you're wearing.” Paige smiled as she looked around the house. “And I had already guessed that you forgot to go shopping because we usually go together, so I picked up a present for you.”

  “I'm not wearing this.” Gracie had laid the dress down and looked at it.

  “Why in the world not?” Steven asked as he studied the dress that Paige had chosen for her.

  “It's just a little too grown up for me.” Gracie looked at Steven and then Paige.

  “Last time I looked at you were a grown-up, and you're going to be whole twenty-eight years-old tomorrow.” Steven picked up the dress and put it back into her arms. “Do I need to treat you like you do Bea?”

  “I wish you would try.” Gracie put the dress down.

  “I know you don't want me to dress you, Gracie.” Steven was growing impatient with her. “Paige went through a lot of trouble picking that out, and I know because she drug me with her.”

  “You went dress shopping?” Gracie was laughing at him as Annie walked into the house followed by Bea and Garrison. “Annie can wear it.”

  “Annie is nowhere your size.” Annie was laughing at her as Steven again picked up the dress and handed it to his sister. “You now have ten minutes to get ready.” She watched as Paige pushed Gracie down the hall.

  “I really hate you, Steven.” Gracie said as she shoved Paige’s hand off the small of her back, “And you, Paige McBride.”

  “That is what you say now, but you'll change your mind.” Paige was laughing as she shut the bedroom door. “Just put on the dress.”

  Gracie glared at her as she walked into the bedroom to change. She came back out and looked at her friend. “Just so you know this isn't my style.”

  “But it so used to be.” Paige was smiling at her. “I think Jackson is here, and we're ready to go.”

  “I'm not going anywhere is this.” Gracie said evenly through clinched teeth.

  Paige opened the door and yelled for Jackson to come down there. “We’ll see.”

  Jackson stepped into the door and looked at Gracie with wide eyes. “Bowsers.”

  “I hate that word.” Gracie wasn't comfortable as she stood there. “Fine, Jackson has seen it. Can I please change now?”

  Paige shook her head no as she pushed her out of the room. “Is getting Bea dressed this hard?”

  “I don't dress Bea up like some tramp, Paige.” Gracie answered as Jackson started laughing.

  “I don’t see it like that.” Jackson informed her as he took her arm. “It's only for a couple of hours.”

  Annie watched as Jackson led Gracie to them and cleared her throat to get Steven’s attention. He raised his eyes as he saw the frustration on Paige’s face.

  “I so hope we don't adopt a girl.” Paige told Steven as she walked to him. “They are too hard to get dressed.” She looked down at Bea and noticed that she was staring at her mother again. “What do you think, Princess?”

  “I think she looks nice.” Bea walked off to the front door after she answered her aunt.

  “Remember who pays your allowance, Beatrice Cameron.” Gracie told her as she still felt like running back to her room to change.

  “You look nice, Gracie.” Jackson told her as he felt her nervousness. “You used to wear outfits like that to dance in.”

  “Those outfits were picked out for the dances to match your suit.” Gracie said as they got into his car. “Besides we aren't exactly dancing- are we?”

  “I guess not.” Jackson smiled as he glanced at her while he followed Steven to the restaurant. He knew that there was another dress for her to wear tomorrow, and he had a matching suit. “But one day.”

  ~

  Gracie turned over in her bed as she was having another dream and noticed that Bea wasn't sleeping there. She turned on the light, threw off the covers, and glanced at her clock. It was two-thirty in the morning. She ran out of her room and down the hall throwing on all the lights as she went. Annie walked out of her room and rubbed her eyes as she looked at Gracie. There was panic in her eyes, but Annie thought that she wasn't fully awake.

  “What’s going on, Gracie?” She asked as she looked around her.

  “Bea is gone. I can't find her.” Gracie continued to turn on lights as she walked around the house.

  Annie walked back to Gracie’s bedroom and saw Bea still sleeping peacefully. She turned around and walked to where she had left Gracie and panicked herself when she saw the front door open. She walked out the front door and watched as Gracie walked up the court to Kim’s house. “Great,” she mumbled to herself as she slipped on a pair
of tennis shoes and walked after her. Annie caught up with her as Gracie was about to ring the doorbell. “Gracie, Bea is sleeping in your room.”

  “No, she isn't.” Gracie started to push the button down when Annie grabbed her hands.

  “Gracie, it’s time to wake up.” Annie watched as Kim’s front door opened and Kim looked at the both of them puzzled. “Wake up, Gracie. It's time to go home. Jackson put Bea in your bed and went home.”

  “Bea is missing. Mark took her.” Gracie watched as Kim opened the door to help Annie.

  “Gracie, wake up, baby girl.” Kim spoke to her as she did Sammie when she used to sleep walk. “Bea is fine.” She watched as Gracie rubbed her eyes and looked at her puzzled, wondering how she had got to Kim’s house.

  “Come on, let's go home so you can go back to bed.” Annie looked over at Kim appreciatively as she led Gracie away from the door. “We’ll see you tomorrow, Kim.”

  Gracie looked over at Annie after they walked into her house. “What did I just do?”

  “You were having a dream about Bea.” Annie told her as she slid out of her shoes. “You dreamt that Bea was missing, and that Mark had her.”

  “This isn't good.” Gracie ran some water into a glass.

  “No, it’s not. However, I promised that I wouldn't tell Jackson.” Annie was looking at her worried. “Bea is still asleep in your bed, and you need to go back to sleep.”

  “I woke Kim.” Gracie drank the water and placed the glass in the sink.

  “Go to bed, Gracie.” Annie said in voice full of authority. “I'm sure that Kim will forgive you.”

  “I'm going back to bed.” Gracie shook her head as she looked at Bea nestled under the covers holding on to her teddy bear. “But will I go back to sleep?” She asked herself quietly as she slid under the covers.

  Gracie managed to go back to sleep and was awakened by Bea a little after nine. “Wake up, Momma!” Bea was shaking her.

  “Why?” Gracie mumbled as she rolled back over.

  “Jackson is here, and you have to see what he’s wearing.” Bea was smiling as Gracie looked over at her.

  “He can wait.” She said as she closed her eyes feeling very tired.

  Bea looked at her mother and thought about the trick that Annie played on Garrison when he didn't want to get up. She walked to the kitchen and grabbed a chair, so she could reach the ice cubes. Annie smiled as she watched and followed her into Gracie’s bedroom.

  Bea placed the ice cube in the back of her mother’s gown and listened as she got the same reaction that Annie got from Garrison.

  “Geez, Bea. I'm up.” Gracie grabbed Bea after she found the ice cube and put it down her shirt listening to her daughter squeal. Gracie sat up and watched as Bea danced around the room trying to free the ice cube from her jumper. Gracie smiled as she saw Annie watching them. “Look at what happens when you teach a kid new tricks.”

  “I didn't tell her to do it.” Annie turned away from them. “Jackson is waiting for us so you need to jump into some action. Get dressed.”

  Gracie looked over at Bea puzzled as she slipped out from the covers. “Why is Jackson here so early?”

  “Because somebody is having a birthday.” Bea smiled at her. “Happy Birthday, Momma.”

  “Thank you, Bea. Now skedaddle so I can get dressed.” She stood and walked to her closet to grab some shorts and a shirt.

  She looked at Jackson funny as she walked into the living room. “Well, don’t you look spiffy.”

  “Do I not?” Jackson smiled as Bea came into the room wearing a dress that was a miniature copy of the one waiting for Gracie at her mother’s house. “Meet my dance partner.”

  “Oh, my.” Gracie stared at Bea in the little frilly gown with blue ribbons. “Bea, you are absolutely gorgeous.”

  “Thank you.” Bea was feeling a little uncomfortable. “How long do I have to wear this?” She looked up at Jackson with huge brown eyes.

  “All day. It's for your mother.” Jackson knelt down next to her. “You really look like a princess now.” He took a toy tiara out of his pocket and placed it on her head as Gracie smiled.

  “I want a picture.” Gracie went and grabbed her digital camera quickly snapping a picture as Jackson was rushing her out of the house. “Will you wait a minute? I haven't even had breakfast.”

  “Just drink some juice and come on.” Jackson told her. “We’re having breakfast at your mother’s house.”

  “I haven’t had any coffee.” Gracie started to frown as Jackson took her elbow and led her out of the house.

  Annie held a travel mug and handed it to Gracie after she sat down in Jackson’s car. “And away we go.”

  Gracie walked into her mother’s house before everybody else and was frowning at her mother. “Just so you know, I was sleeping really well.”

  “You'll have a Happy Birthday anyway.” Janet hugged her daughter as she watched Bea walk into the house, “Déjà vu.”

  Gracie was still nursing her coffee when she saw her mother studying Bea. “Isn’t she beautiful?”

  “Spoken like a proud mother,” Janet looked back at her.

  “Who is very hungry.” Gracie mentioned as Jackson walked into the house with Annie and Garrison.

  “There’s something missing.” Janet started to set the table as Jackson walked out of the room.

  “Coffee.” Gracie said as she saw a full pot on the stove. “Yes, I would love some. Thank you.” She walked over to the counter and poured herself a fresh cup. “Why won’t you people just let me wake up?”

  Janet started laughing at her while she cracked some eggs into a bowl when Chandler walked into the kitchen. “There she is, my little Gracie. By the way, I loved the dress last night.”

  “I don't want to talk about that dress.” Gracie sat down at the table as she stared at her father.

  “Of course not,” Chandler smiled as he sat down knowing what Sammie had planned for her aunt’s birthday. “I guess it's not as comfortable as what you're wearing now.”

  “But she’s used to dresses.” Kim walked in followed by Sammie and Robert, who were all dressed up.

  “Now that I'm awake, I want to know why everybody is dressed up and insisted on dragging me out of the bed really early this morning.”

  “So you went back to sleep?” Kim asked her after making sure that Jackson wasn't in the room.

  “I never woke.” Gracie informed her not wanting to ask any more questions. “Have we got a big bib to place over Bea’s dress?”

  “I think I still have one.” Janet went to her pantry and pulled out the one that she had insisted that Gracie wear whenever they had a competition.

  Gracie smiled fondly at it as she remembered how her mother had made sure that she wore it when she was little. After they all ate breakfast, Janet walked to her bedroom and brought out a dress for Gracie, who just looked at her puzzled. “What is that for?”

  “Sammie, would you like to tell Gracie what you have planned for today?” Janet looked over at her oldest granddaughter.

  Gracie listened as Sammie explained what she had planned for today, and Gracie smiled. “That is why everybody is so dressed up.”

  “Well, girl, go try it on.” Chandler looked at her fondly before glancing at Bea. He walked over to Janet. “She looks just like Gracie did when she was younger.”

  “That she does.” Janet smiled over at Bea as she sat with Jackson. “I can almost believe. . .”

  “Don’t say it, Grandma.” Sammie looked at her seriously. “You're going to set off a bomb if you mention the m word.”

  Janet looked over at Sammie puzzled. “Fine, I won’t say it but you all know what I'm talking about.”

  “We do.” Annie smiled. “But we all know better. I was stupid enough to say something the other day, and she just about shut me out.”

  Jackson was listening as they spoke but didn't say a word as Steven and Paige finally showed up. “Does anybody know this character?” Steven moved out of the wa
y when Christian walked into the room.

  Annie moaned as she spotted who they were talking about. “I'm not working today, Detective.”

  “I'm not dressed for work, Ms. Roberts.” Christian smiled as he noticed the look on her face. “Let’s start over. Hello, my name is Christian, and who do I have the honor of greeting?”

  “Funny.” Annie walked away from him as Jackson started to laugh.

  “Funny. That is a rather unusual name for a lady.” Christian looked over at Jackson and mumbled under his breath. “I think that went rather well.”

  “Sure, it did.” Jackson stood and stared as Gracie walked into the room. He bowed, before he took her hand. “My lady, I think that we have trouble.”

  “We do?” Gracie noticed Christian and then looked over at Annie. “I guess we're going to have to assign them as partners. I know that Annie can dance, you said she was your partner.”

  “Christian can dance, too. He just doesn’t like for people to know that.” Jackson watched his cousin across the room from him. “By the way, she changed her name from Annie to Funny.”

  “Are you serious?” Gracie was laughing before she walked over to Annie. “What’s up?”

  “Somebody invited that arrogant, self-absorbed. . .” Annie looked at the smile on Gracie’s face. “Did you?”

  “I had nothing to do with the invitations. I, myself, was not invited until I was dragged out of the bed this morning.” Gracie picked up the rest of her coffee. “He looks rather sharp, don’t you think?”

  “Jackson always looks sharp.” Annie answered as she frowned.

  “I wasn’t talking about Jackson.” Gracie walked away from her as Paige motioned for her to come over to them.

  “You look great, Sis.” Steven looked her over. “I have but one question.”

  “What’s that?” Gracie was still watching Annie.

  “Why are you more comfortable wearing that than the dress Paige picked out for you yesterday?” Steven asked before he twirled her around.

  “I'm not the only one that looks silly today.” Gracie smiled as Bea walked over to them. “Besides I want to look like my daughter.”

  “She looks just like you.” Steven did a double take as he looked from Bea to a picture that was taken of Gracie at her age. “That is spooky.”