Amazing Grace: A heart warming, feel good romantic comedy

by Kim Nash

  It turned out that the lady who owned the shop was a medium and did private readings and Grace’s heart soared as she considered the possibility of an appointment, but it soon came crashing back down to earth when she was told that the woman was booked up for months ahead. Grace had said that she’d pop back in again after Christmas and turned to walk out of the shop. Unbeknown to the shop owner, tears started to fall from Grace’s eyes, but quickly stopped when she was called back by the medium. Gently, the medium asked her to come back the following Tuesday night as she felt an overwhelming urge to help her. As Grace walked out of the shop, wondering what on earth she’d done, her mobile rang and it was Hannah.

  ‘Hey babes, just phoning to say hi. How are you doing today? I’m struggling a bit to be honest. Hope you don’t mind me calling. I just felt the need to pick up the phone to you. I didn’t want to talk to anyone else. Just my little sis.’

  ‘Of course not, love, in fact you’ll never guess what I’ve just done! I’ve only gone and booked a session with a medium. I was just going to message you to tell you.’

  ‘You haven’t! How could you do that without me? I want to come too.’ She laughed.

  ‘Shall I see if you can come with me? I can pop back in and ask.’

  ‘Oh I don’t know now. I want to but I don’t want to. Oh bugger it, yes please. Will you ask?’

  Grace went in and asked if she could take someone along and the medium smiled and said of course. She dropped Hannah a text to tell her it was all sorted.

  The following Tuesday, just before they went into the shop where they were due to see the medium, Grace felt the strangest sensation in her legs – it felt as if there was no circulation in them at all from the knees down. Hannah laughed at Grace as she rubbed her legs to warm them up, but Grace brushed it off, putting it down to the fact that it was a very cold December night.

  The room smelled of incense and candles and was warm and cosy. ‘So, my name is Michelle, as you know. Please sit and try to relax. The way this works is that if any spirits come through to me, I will give you evidence so that you know who they are. Is that OK?’

  Hannah and Grace nodded, nervous and full of anticipation, clutching at each other’s hands.

  ‘There is a lady here trying to make contact with you but she’s struggling because she’s so upset. She’s someone who has very recently passed to the spirit world after battling with cancer and is devastated to leave her family. Do you know who that could be?’

  Michelle became very emotional at this point and said that she needed to hold her chakra stick to ground herself because the spirit’s sadness was flowing through her and making her feel a little overwhelmed. Tears started to stream down both Hannah and Grace’s cheeks as they hoped and prayed that this was their mum trying to get through to them.

  ‘Your mum wants to thank you girls for all you did during her illness. She knows how you both sat for hours on end at her bedside and she wants you to know that even though she couldn’t communicate for the last few days, she could hear everything that was going on. She says that she is glad that you are wearing her rings, Grace, and that she loved the freesias that you put in her coffin.’

  The next thing she said stunned them all as Michelle explained that their mum was new to the spirit world and had to find her own way of communicating with her girls. She would do this by letting them feel a cold sensation in parts of their bodies. Grace and Hannah were astounded and both smiled through their tears at the fact that their mum could make contact in this way.

  ‘Your mum says that she will always be around her girls and will never leave your side. Just as she tried to be the best mum she could be in life, she will continue to do this in death; the only real difference is that you can’t see her any more. She wants you to carry on talking to her; she hears everything you say and she wants you to try to see through your sadness by knowing that she’s really not far away and will still always be there to wipe away your tears.’

  At the end of the reading, the sisters, who were still a bit dazed by the events of the evening, as well as extremely emotional, went back to Grace and Mark’s house. Seeing their distress, he asked them what had happened but then sneered when Hannah told him, saying that they were both ridiculous for believing in someone who was clearly a charlatan and taking advantage of two people who were going through immense grief.

  Despite his attempts to belittle everything they felt, Grace and Hannah felt a huge sense of peace and calm, something they hadn’t felt since their mum had passed away.

  * * *

  After Grace relayed the story, she looked up to see tears streaming down Ruth’s cheeks. She went over to sit by her and put her arm around her. ‘Ruth, I’m so sorry for making you cry. I’ve spoilt your evening.’

  ‘But darling, you couldn’t be further from the truth: it’s beautiful, the fact that you connected to your mum that way. I’d love to have that experience with Meredith, wouldn’t you Vinnie? Mike, darling, surely you would want that for me. I don’t know how else I can find peace since she was taken away.’

  Grace turned to Vinnie and his cheeks were tear-stained too. Mike was still sceptical and asked, ‘But how do you know that the things she said weren’t just general and that you latched onto them because you were so deep in your grief? I’d hate to think that someone was capable of doing that to people who were so vulnerable.’

  Grace explained further. ‘There were things she couldn’t possibly have known. Like the rings – how could she have known that I was the one wearing them and not Hannah? And she didn’t say thanks for the flowers, she said thanks for the freesias. Who would know that? I went back to see Michelle a few days later and took her some flowers, and she told me that she was thinking of giving up because she hated the fact that she had to take money from grieving people, but that she needed to earn a living. I was devastated because I felt like I’d found a way to communicate with mum and that she was taking it away again, but it also showed me that she wasn’t a charlatan out to exploit anyone. Michelle did explain that the bond between my mum and us was so strong that she didn’t feel like it mattered who made that connection; that my mum would always find a way to tell us that she was around.

  ‘She must have seen the sadness on my face though, so she offered to book a date in. The day before I went to see her again, I’d found out I was pregnant. When I walked through Michelle’s door at that appointment, she sat me down immediately and said, ‘Your mum has been bothering me all morning and couldn’t wait for you to arrive. She says that she wanted to give you something very special and decided that the best gift that she could give you is the gift of a child. She wants to know whether you will keep her present.’

  Tears were once more streaming down Grace’s cheeks at this point and Vinnie got up and moved to sit next to Grace and held her hand, stroking it gently as she continued her story.

  ‘There was no way that I was doing anything but keeping this gift from my mum, and Michelle went on to give me all sorts of proof that these messages were from my mum. She told me Mum knew that Mark wasn’t happy about the pregnancy and that it didn’t matter and that she’d help me through it and that I’d never be alone. She told me that Mum was delighted that she could send me this very special present and would always be around me and my baby. That’s probably why I mollycoddle Archie so much, because I see him as a very special gift from heaven from my mum.

  ‘I’ve been back another seven times or so, and was constantly told that Mum thought that Mark wasn’t right for me and that I needed to sort my life out. Michelle even gave me a crystal once, charged with Mum’s energy and told me to wear it on a chain around my neck so that whenever I needed to feel close to her, I could just touch it. When I did, the crystal throbbed in my hand, it was bizarre! She even told me at one point that Mark was carrying on behind my back but I chose to ignore that part – more fool me. The last time I saw her was just after Dad had moved to the retirement village; she told me that Mum was really h
appy that he had lifted himself up and was living his life again. And since Archie’s dad and I have split up, I don’t feel the constant need that I did before. It’s strange but I feel that I know everything I need to know and I feel her around me all the time.’

  Ruth hugged Grace tightly. ‘I know I’m crying but what you’ve told me is just so beautiful and I would love to have that peace and calm when I think of Meredith. I worry about her all the time and wonder if there was something more that I could have done to save her or worry that I should have spent more time with her. If only I’d known that we only had a short time together. That’s why I’m so hell-bent on creating memories for my children. Life is a gift and can be snatched away at any time. Life is for living and enjoying.’

  ‘Do you know, Grace, I was really against this when Ruth mentioned it before’ said Mike. ‘But now I hear your story and see how it’s helped you through the years without your mum. I’d love you to pass on this lady’s number if possible and I’ll arrange for Ruth to go. You too, Vinnie, if you fancy it.’

  ‘Not sure, mate, it’s a lot to take in. I’ll think about it,’ Vinnie replied. He seemed really quiet for the rest of the evening but as usual, was very attentive to Grace.

  Archie came through from the den. Grace smiled at him and he beamed back at her. ‘Hello, gorgeous, how are you? I’d forgotten you were here.’

  ‘Hey, Mum, I’ve had the best time ever. But I’m getting a bit tired now.’ He climbed up on to her lap. It didn’t matter how big he was getting, he always nestles into me when he is tired and he still fits into my body perfectly, she thought as she snuggled him tight.

  ‘Shall we get you home soon, tiger?’ Vinnie asked.

  ‘Yes please.’ Archie yawned and his eyes looked heavy.

  ‘Fancy a piggy-back out to the car?’

  Archie’s face lit up. ‘You bet I do!’

  Ruth hugged Grace long and hard and thanked her for sharing her story. Grace conveyed what a fabulous evening she’d had and once again apologised for the emotional outpouring, but Ruth brushed it away, saying how much it had helped her to reach a decision. Mike dropped a kiss on his wife’s head as he stood with his arms around her shoulders at the door as they waved Vinnie, Grace and Archie off into the night, with promises of being in touch very soon.

  Within seconds of being in the car, Archie was fast asleep.

  ‘You’re quiet, Vinnie, everything OK?’ she asked him.

  ‘Yep, fine, thanks. Just pondering on everything you said earlier. Do you really think that Michelle is the real deal? For the first time in a few years, I’ve seen Ruth really get excited about trying to make contact with Meredith. I couldn’t stand for her to build up her hopes and have them come crashing down around her and set her back again. I’m just worried, that’s all.’

  ‘I can only talk from my own experiences, Vinnie. And I know how I felt each time after going to see her. The last few times it felt like I was going to meet mum and have a coffee and a catch-up with her and I would give anything to be able to do that with her again.’

  ‘I’m sure you would, I just worry about Ruth, that’s all. I know she’s a big girl, but I only have one sister now and I want to make damn sure that she’s happy and content in her life. I can’t let her go through something that would devastate her all over again. I feel really confused.’

  They pulled up outside her house and Vinnie dipped his head. Grace turned to him. ‘I’m sorry. Should I not have said anything, Vinnie?’ she asked.

  ‘No, you weren’t to know, babe. I’ve just never seen Ruth look so determined to do something. I just hope it gives her what she needs. Come on, let’s get this little fella indoors.’ He reached across and kissed her tenderly on the lips.

  ‘Do you know, Vinnie, it could be just what Ruth needs to help her to move forward.’

  ‘You’re right, Grace, I know that, it just feels a bit strange. The thought that we might be able to make contact with Meredith is both exciting yet terrifying at the same time. It’ll sort itself out, I’m sure.’

  As Vinnie lifted Archie out of the back of the car, the boy stirred and moaned a little but was in a deep sleep. Vinnie carried him straight upstairs and placed him gently on his bed. Grace took off his shoes and his jacket without waking him, kissed his forehead and whispered, ‘Good night, my little angel.’ Archie snuggled down under his duvet, rolled over and farted.

  When they stopped giggling like a pair of teenagers, Grace put the kettle on and while they waited for it to boil, Vinnie put his arms around her and held her tight. She felt safe in his arms. Safe and loved. It was a feeling she hadn’t had for a long time. Half of her was filled with joy and the other half was petrified. Could she really pour her heart and soul into someone all over again, with the possibility that it could one day be taken away from her again? And now, there wasn’t just her to consider. She had Archie to worry about too. Could she let him get close to someone when there was a possibility that it could all go wrong? She really felt like Vinnie was someone very special but there was just a nagging doubt in the back of her mind that he might just be too good to be true. Or was Mark right? Should she get her family back together so that her son could be with both parents? Her heart was saying one thing and her head was saying another. And she remembered that insecure feeling in the pit of her stomach when she’d seen that text message. Half of her wanted to ask Vinnie about it and the other half just wanted to ignore it and hope it went away.

  Vinnie put his hands under her chin and tilted her head and looked her in the eye. ‘You know I’d never hurt you and Archie, don’t you, Grace?’ It was as if he was reading her mind. ‘I’m too old and sensible to play games. Watching you tonight with the people I love most made me realise how much I want that and how I’d love you to be a part of our family. Ruth adores you and I think I’m falling just a little bit in love with you. When I’m not with you I’m thinking about you. I can’t concentrate on my work, I want to talk to you all the time. I think I’ve got a huge crush!’

  Grace felt her heart swell with joy.

  ‘I think I’d better go before I whisk you upstairs and ravish you,’ Vinnie said, grinning. While she wanted nothing more than for him to stay over, his words calmed Grace’s nerves. The thought of sleeping with somebody new after all those years still terrified her. She said that she’d speak to him tomorrow and waved him off at the doorstep. She went to bed thinking of what a fabulous evening she’d had and how much she’d felt like she fitted in with their wonderful family.

  * * *

  Oh darling, you have started something wonderful. Meredith has been desperate to get Ruth to see a medium and make contact with her. We’ve spent a while up here chatting and she knows that Ruth feels like she should have done more to help, or to spend more time with her. But none of it matters. Meredith just wants to show Ruth that she’s around her all the time and watching out for her and, more than that, she wants Ruth to stop worrying about her and to move on. She wants that for Vinnie too. What better legacy to leave than to help your siblings to live their lives to the full and enjoy every minute? That’s all I want for you too, darling. Don’t worry if this thing between you and Vinnie doesn’t work out. Sometimes you can ruin something by thinking the worst all the time and you’ll make it go wrong. You just have to let go and trust in something higher than you. Meredith and I are here and we’re always watching over you all. I’m your mum and I’ve never told you to do something that wouldn’t be right for you. Just open your heart and let love in! Trust me darling, I love you, Mum xxx

  Chapter Twenty

  Grace had invited Vinnie for an early dinner on the Sunday afternoon. At eight o’clock that morning, her phone pinged and she saw that she’d got a text from Ruth.

  Hey gorgeous girl, how are you today? Such a lovely evening even if we did have a few tears between us. Can’t stop thinking about what you said last night. Can you pop me Michelle’s number over when you have a sec please? X

  Grac
e replied:

  Of course, here you go. And thank you again for a wonderful evening. Hope there’s lots more of those to come x

  The reply that came back was:

  Thanks sweetie. And I know there’ll be years ahead of evenings like that. You know we all love you and the kids adore Archie. They said they’d had the best night ever. X

  * * *

  Grace had put a beef casserole in the slow cooker on a timer, which had started cooking overnight, and the aromas emanating from the kitchen were divine and were making her mouth water. She thought she’d better do a bit of maintenance in the lady department and made the effort to shave her legs and her lady garden just in case. For the first time in what seemed like ages, she was wearing matching underwear under her jeans and shirt – orange underwear. She hoped Monica appreciated her taking notice of what she said. Grace was feeling good and, although nothing would probably happen, she wanted to be prepared. Nothing like getting a bit of bedroom action with your skanky old pants on and a manky old grey bra!

  Grace and Archie had had a tiring and emotional morning which all started with a battle over homework. Archie never wanted to do it when he came home from school at night, so it was always a weekend job. Grace wanted to get into the habit of doing it before he went to football late on a Sunday morning but it was a constant struggle. Archie was good with his English but really struggled with his maths and got easily frustrated. That morning it had ended with him throwing his pen across the room and stomping off to his bedroom. She’d let him off before she took him to his football match where his team had lost 3–0. Reeling from the result, he answered her questions with curt responses all the way home, until Grace finally lost her cool when they were sitting on the drive.