Amazing Grace: A heart warming, feel good romantic comedy

by Kim Nash

  ‘I’ll leave you to it then,’ Grace said.

  ‘You will not, you daft bat, you’re coming with me. You’re a part of our family now, Grace, whether you like it or not and you are included in everything we do.’

  The women shared an understanding smile as they got into their respective cars and drove the short distance to Ruth’s house. Grace was still officially on her lunchbreak, although it was a rather extended one today. Once there, Grace made a pot of coffee and took it into the lounge where Mike sat on the arm of the sofa, arms round Ruth’s shoulders while she sat next to Vinnie, holding his hand tightly, telling her brother and husband everything that had been said at Michelle’s.

  There wasn’t a dry eye in the house. Mike went into the kitchen and returned with a bottle of Veuve Clicquot and four flutes. The anticipation and then the delightful noise of the cork popping, made them smile and through their tears, they raised their glasses and made a toast. ‘To Meredith!’

  * * *

  Yay! I told Meredith she could do it. I knew that between us all we could get her to speak to Ruth. How amazing is that! I know she’s made up. Being up here in heaven is so difficult. I am so chuffed that Meredith got through to her sister. I’m so proud of her and of you for helping it to happen. And Michelle needs a medal. She is so amazing and I’m so glad that we found this way of contact. It’s miraculous, isn’t it, this universe that we live in? Well done, my darling, thank you for sharing your experience with others. I know some don’t believe but we do. I always told you I’d find a way to let you know I was still here. Always was and always will be. Love you, Mum xxx

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Ruth called round on Saturday morning unexpectedly and said that she was taking Grace for a surprise day out because they had some planning to do to organise fat club – although they agreed they really must stop calling it that. If nothing else came from their day, it would be a new name for the group. Grace was stunned and totally unprepared. She told Ruth that she couldn’t go out for the whole day because of Becks and Archie. It had been a long time since Grace had been able to be spontaneous; she was always fully aware of the responsibilities she had at home.

  With a twinkle in her eye, Ruth said that she had already sorted that out. ‘Vinnie is going to arrive here any moment to look after Archie for the day – between them, they will make sure that Becks is looked after, too.’

  She added that it would be good for Vinnie and Archie to spend some ‘bonding’ time together and that Grace needed to grab a swimming costume. Grace groaned internally. There were few things she hated more than showing off her wobbly bits in beachwear. However, she did what she was told, touched by the fact that someone had actually taken the time to make some decisions for her; as she seemed to spend her whole life making decisions for everyone else.

  Grace had tried to get out of Ruth where they were going, but she was giving nothing away. They chatted on the journey about how they were going to run the slimming club. They were both delighted that they had the same ideas and shared the same beliefs and values. They were so in tune with each other and it was a wonderful feeling for Grace.

  When she saw the sign for the spa, Grace gave a little squeal. And then thought she’d better not get too excited, just in case that was not their destination. She was beyond ecstatic when they pulled up in the car park.

  ‘Little bro’s treat to his lady and his sister!’

  ‘Really?’ Grace asked. ‘Your brother is a proper Prince Charming. I really do love him to bits.’

  Ruth smiled at her and Grace didn’t notice that she’d admitted to loving him.

  They were greeted with a fruit cocktail and the strong fragrance of essential oils which, along with the sound of ambient music, gave an immediate feeling of peace and tranquillity. Grace thought she’d died and gone to heaven. She’d dreamed of having a spa day for so long, but because so many other things came first in her life she had never thought it would happen. In fact, not only had Vinnie arranged a spa day, but he had booked the very spa she had always wanted to go to. There was an image of it on her dream board. He was amazing. He was doing everything he could to make her happy and she loved the feeling that someone wanted to make her dreams come true. She felt loved and valuable.

  After a morning of relaxing, they ambled along a corridor, following signs to the restaurant where they were seated at a table by a window which overlooked a beautifully serene lake. Swans gracefully glided on the surface and the women watched them, sharing a comfortable silence. Even speaking seemed to be a bit of an effort; they were so blissfully relaxed.

  They devoured the most exquisite meal and, stuffed to the brim, spent a bit of time after lunch brainstorming names for the club. They laughed till they cried as they tested out names on each other.

  ‘Skinny Minnies!’

  ‘Cakes Be Gone!’

  ‘Cakes No More’

  ‘Get Stuffed!’

  ‘Hippy Hippy Shakes!’

  ‘Spare Tyres United!’

  ‘Lard Arses No More!’

  Ruth shouted out, ‘Fat Fuckers Anonymous!’ and an elderly lady who was reading got up, threw her book down on her lounger and stormed past them in disgust, which, though Grace tried to blurt out an apology, made them roar with laughter until neither of them could breathe.

  Calming down but realising how good it was to laugh, they decided to head over to the relaxation lounge where they grabbed a chaise longue each. They pulled cashmere blankets over themselves and snuggled down for a rest while watching the dancing flames of the huge log burner, which hypnotised them to sleep. A minute later Grace heard a strange noise and realised that it was herself, snoring. Maybe Vinnie was right and she did snore, after all! She was mortified but as she looked around, it seemed that no one else had heard her and it looked like Ruth was equally sparked out. She looked at the clock and to her surprise, saw that an hour had passed.

  She grabbed a passing waitress who returned with two steaming coffees in gorgeous blue-and-white polka-dot Emma Bridgwater mugs accompanied by a selection of pastries on matching plates. ‘Oooh, I couldn’t possibly eat anything else,’ Ruth groaned, as she woke and immediately reached for a cinnamon swirl. ‘OMG, these are exquisite!’

  Grace laughed and took one herself. She didn’t know how they could possibly eat any more after the three-course lunch they’d not long devoured but it seemed that it was possible after all.

  Grace pointed out two fifty-something ladies who were sitting drinking out of champagne flutes around the hot tub area. ‘Bet the glamorous one on the left is a rich widow and she’s brought her friend along on a spa day for a bit of company. I hope those glasses are plastic. Health and safety you know!’ Ruth laughed at her which encouraged her to gossip some more. ‘And what about that couple over there? They can’t keep their hands off each other and she keeps sticking her tongue down his throat in full view of everyone.’

  ‘Clearly having an affair,’ Ruth giggled. ‘Ew! You’d never do that with your husband now would you? What about her behind the desk? What’s her story do you reckon?’

  ‘Oooh we’re proper busybodies, aren’t we?’ Grace laughed. They both stopped dead still and looked at each other.

  ‘Busybodies! Busy Bodies. That’s it!’ The name they’d been looking for. It was perfect.

  They high-fived each other and toasted Busy Bodies with their mugs.

  They were quiet in the car on the way back, not because they had run out of things to say, but because they were so relaxed and there was no need to fill the time with anything. It had been such a perfect day. Adult company had been missing from her life for a while, but no longer.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  As they drove down the street towards Grace’s house, she realised that the outside lights were on. Vinnie, Archie and Becks were all standing on the doorstep waiting for her. Archie seemed to be jumping up and down with excitement about something. She gave him a great big hug, ruffled the fur on Becks�
� head and then gave Vinnie a kiss full on the lips and told him what a wonderful day they’d had. She whispered in his ear that she’d show him later how much she had appreciated his wonderful gesture.

  ‘Mum, Mum! You have to put this blindfold on because me and Vinnie have something to show you!’ Ruth smiled at her, nudging her to do what he said. Grace bent down to let Archie put the blindfold on. She recognised it from an old beauty kit of hers – it had a dog’s face on it. Knowing just how ridiculous she must have looked, she went with it anyway; Archie’s enthusiasm was infectious.

  Vinnie took one hand and Archie the other, and they led her through the wrought-iron side gate and down the path along the house.

  ‘Ok, Mummy, you can take it off now!’ Archie squeaked with excitement.

  What Grace saw when she took the blindfold off took her breath away. A huge lump formed in her throat and she couldn’t speak. Her whole garden had been transformed into her dream. In one corner stood an angel statue which had been stored in the garage. It was something that she’d spotted in a salvage yard just before they’d moved into the house and the reason she’d bought it was because she wanted to think of an angel watching over her and Archie and protecting them in their home. In another area, her rattan furniture had been assembled and arranged with loads of cushions on the chairs and on the table in an ice bucket was a bottle of Bollinger and lots of glasses. In the far corner was what used to be her old ramshackle creosoted shed. Now it took pride of place, painted in a beautiful rich cream and duck-egg blue, with bunting and fairy lights round the doorway and Moroccan glass lanterns hanging outside each window. She still couldn’t find any words. She wandered over to it and inside it there was bunting and more decorative lanterns. In one corner was a desk and an office chair and in the other, a sofa covered in technicoloured throws. Bookshelves lined the other walls.

  She turned around and flung herself at Vinnie, clinging on for dear life. ‘You did all this? For me?’

  ‘Not just me, I had a great deal of help from my wing man.’ He swept his arm round to Archie who had the biggest, proudest smile on his face that Grace had ever seen. ‘And Mike and the kids, too. I’m not Superman, you know!’

  ‘You guys are amazing! I just don’t know what to say! And you!’ she turned to Ruth, who was chuckling naughtily. ‘You knew, didn’t you? That’s why we’ve been out all day, isn’t it?’

  Ruth smiled at her. ‘Grace, if my little brother wanted to give you your dream garden, how could I refuse? Especially when he offered me a spa day as a bribe to get you away. As mum to three kids, I’m very easily bought, you know.’

  Archie insisted that they all have a group hug, and how could they refuse? Apart from the day that Archie was born, Grace had never felt so blessed in her life.

  She felt totally overwhelmed. These people, who she’d only known for a short time, had turned her world around. They were kind, they were generous; they were beautiful souls. Just a few months ago, she had never felt more alone and sad, not knowing what the future held. And then one day, Vinnie had knocked on her door and it seemed that her luck had changed. And she’d never been happier.

  * * *

  Mike appeared from the conservatory with the karaoke machine in one hand and an extension lead in the other.

  ‘We decided that we’d have the party at your house instead of ours. Hope that’s OK?’ he added, apologetically.

  ‘That’s a fantastic idea,’ Grace replied. ‘I’m never leaving this garden again, anyway. Hope the neighbours don’t mind the noise!’

  As if by magic, they heard laughter coming from the side passage and Belinda appeared with a bottle of wine, with Bill following behind staggering under the weight of a huge pot filled with chilli con carne.

  ‘The first rule of being neighbourly is to always invite the neighbours to the party,’ Bill laughed. ‘Surely you know that, Grace. Although I’m not sure how we got conned into cooking most of the food too!’ He winked at her and once he’d plonked the pot down on the table, stooped and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

  Monica then appeared from the kitchen carrying a huge bowl full of jacket potatoes, a tub of butter and a big dish of grated cheese. ‘Hello darling, hope you liked your surprise.’ She grinned.

  ‘Dinner is ready!’ Vinnie announced. ‘But before we start the food and the evening’s entertainment, I want to make a toast to Grace. A few months ago, I’d never even met this amazing lady. And now, I feel like she’s always been in my life. She’s made me happier than I thought possible. I hope you love your new garden, Grace. I just wanted to do something nice for you for a change as you seem to spend your time making everyone else’s lives better. So, ladies and gents, please join me in raising your glasses to Grace.’

  ‘To Grace,’ they chorused and the kids cheered. Then from the karaoke machine, Pink started singing ‘Get The Party Started.’

  Grace was insistent that she wasn’t going to sing, saying that she had never done karaoke before in her life and did not intend to start at the ripe old age of thirty-seven.

  Vinnie thrust a flute of Bollinger into her hand as the kids decided to kick off the singing and dance along to the music. Becks had plonked himself under the food table, just in case anything dropped onto the floor and he was required to hoover it up with his mouth.

  Belinda came over and slung her arm around Grace’s shoulders. ‘Grace, I’ve never seen you look so happy. I had a feeling that day when Vinnie turned up that he was going to be someone significant in your life and I couldn’t be more delighted for you. I used to worry about you so much, in the house on your own; I always wished that someone special would come along and show you that there was more to life that sitting around and waiting for your son to come home. I’m so pleased for you, my love.’ Tears sprang to Grace’s eyes as she hugged this beautiful lady that she was so lucky to have living next door.

  Grace looked around at her friends and took in the scene. She thought that she had never seen Archie look as happy as he did right now. She’d always wished she’d had more children. She and Archie adored her sister’s kids and missed them dreadfully now they were in the US. He was certainly in his element with his new friends, who felt like family already.

  Ruth had had a couple of huge G&Ts by this point and decided that she would sing ‘Firework’ by Katy Perry. It was certainly a very different version from the original and she really didn’t care. Mike looked like he couldn’t have been prouder when she hit the high note at the end, even if she didn’t quite get there.

  None of them tried in any way, to get Grace to have a turn. They knew and appreciated how she felt and didn’t try to do that ‘oh go on’ annoying thing with her. Because of this and how much fun they were all having, and how easily those G&Ts were going down, Grace asked whether there were any songs by The Carpenters on the machine.

  Nobody commented, they just looked for the track she wanted. When Ruth asked her who was going to sing it, Grace said, ‘You, Monica and me, Ruthie! That’s who!’

  There was a big cheer and when ‘Top of the World’ started playing, the three ladies sang at each other rather than look at the screen. They all knew the words off by heart and sang a fairly acceptable rendition. When they finished, Vinnie flung his arms around her, and gave her a great big hug. ‘I’m so bloody proud of you Grace,’ he said. ‘I thought you didn’t do karaoke.’

  ‘I don’t and I never have and I never thought I would. But right here and now, I don’t think I’ve ever felt more comfortable. I don’t think I’ve ever felt more myself. And you’re the reason for that, Vinnie. You’re the one who makes me feel like I can do anything I want to. Like nothing is out of my reach. You’re amazing, Vinnie, do you know that? I… er… love… the way that you make me feel.’ She had come dangerously close to telling him that she loved him but she didn’t want to scare him off. She thought it was too early for that, but she knew deep down that it was only a matter of time before those words came out of her mouth.

&n
bsp; They spent the rest of the evening pretending to be The Sugababes, Little Mix and One Direction and they had a complete whale of a time. She couldn’t remember when she had enjoyed herself so much. It was soon midnight and she realised that Archie was starting to get really tired. It was a good job it was school hols so he could have an easy week and some lie-ins to make up for it. A late night once in a while was OK; and tonight had been a special occasion.

  * * *

  Darling girl, I hid tonight behind that angel in your garden. I don’t know why because I know that you can’t see me. I am apparently allowed, once and only once, to be seen by you. I am saving that moment for a time when you really need me because it really will be the last time that you ever see me. Tonight though, my love, I was so proud of you. So proud that you have turned your life around. So proud that you have made such wonderful friends. People that you deserve in your life and who deserve you. And I’m so pleased that you have someone like Vinnie, who I really do think will treat you exactly how you are meant to be treated. Someone who will do everything in his power to make you happy, which is what love should be all about. I’m so happy for you my darling.

  Please think carefully about what Mark has suggested, about bringing together your family for Archie’s sake. And make the right decision. I’m right here beside you all the way, whatever you decide. I love you, Mum xxx

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  A week later, the time had arrived for the first meeting of Busy Bodies. There had been a little response to the Facebook posts and a few people had put their name down on the list that Ruth was keeping on a clipboard at the café. To support Grace in her new venture, Belinda had very kindly offered for Archie to go to hers for tea, which he was really excited about, so Ruth and Grace had been at the café since five that evening setting up everything, and Ruth had spent the day making low-calorie snacks in the hope that people might like to order some. The start time on the poster was seven-thirty and at seven-fifteen the doorbell tinkled and two ladies popped their head round the door asking if they were in the right place. They introduced themselves as Gill and Maureen.