Saving Grace

It was weird to walk back into the O'Callaghan home after acting like a royal brat earlier this morning to find everyone acting like nothing had happened.

Whenever I pulled a stunt like I had this morning, I had often been in trouble from my father for weeks when I was younger. Even when I had acted out around Nick, I hadn't been let off the hook nearly as easily as I was now. It was rather odd and in all honesty, I was actually expecting stern words if not being yelled at.

Sure, I was an adult but Jay and Bree both had the right as the wiser people in the house to tell me their opinions on my behavior. Slamming doors and yelling were simply inexcusable.

Instead of any words or shouts, I was greeted by Bree in the kitchen where she was busy baking cookies.

She smiled upon seeing my return with John following me inside. "Hello Amelia," she said brightly, a large smile spreading easily across her lips. "Would you like to help me?"

I leaned in the doorway debating it within my head before agreeing.

I sauntered over to the island where she was busy rolling out a batch of sugar cookie dough, setting my laptop case down by the doorway.

I settled on a counter stool after washing my hands. John slipped upstairs to do something or other, it was impossible to know what that boy was up to. I picked up a cookie cutter and dipped the bottom in a little flour before pressing the flower-shape into the flattened dough.

I sucked in a breath before looking up to the woman. "Bree...?"

"Yes, dear?"

"I'd like to apolog-"

"Don't you dare," she interrupted me. "You have nothing to apologize for."

I furrowed my brow. I did. I acted childishly and it was inappropriate, especially in her home.

She looked to me, resting her palms on the counter-top. "Honey, I know what fights are like and I know how John can be," she said. "He and Jay act alike during arguements." I raised an eyebrow in questioning. She sighed. "Let me guess, he turned everything around to blame it on you. Am I correct?

He did do that... "You're good," I said before cutting a few more shapes out.

She smiled and I found myself engaged in small chit-chat with Bree as we baked like professionals.

I noticed for the first time that she was much more pale than she had been before as I turned from sliding the last filled cookie sheet in the oven. She had been thin from the first day that I had met her but it seemed like she was losing more and more weight by the day. I didn't know how that was even possible but that's what appeared to be happening.

"This is fun," I said as I walked over to the sink to help her wash the bowls that weren't able to fit into the dishwasher. "I usually don't do this kind of thing," I admitted.

"You don't?"

I shook my head as I rinsed the suds from the Tupperware bowl and began drying it with a dish towel. "N-No." 

"Your mother doesn't bake?" Bree questioned.

Like I was going to bake with my mother. She wasn't that kind of woman, plus I would probably end up storming out on her before we had the chance to roll out dough. We didn't have the closest mother-daughter relationship.

"No. My grandmother does though. It's just been a while since I've seen her..." It had been nearly five years since I had stopped in to visit with her. 

"Why haven't you?" Bree asked casually.

I shrugged a little. There really was no reason. Life happened: I found Nick, bought a house to take care of, finished up college and started my career. There were plenty of times I could've driven to the Cape just to talk with her but I found myself occupied with something else. In my defense, I did call... on occasion. Every six months...

I felt terrible for not making more of an effort to let her know that I was still on the planet Earth and still thinking about her. She had practically been the only mother figure in my life and I couldn't take the time to drive the short distance to say 'hi'? It made me sound like a horrible person.

"She's very important to you, isn't she?" Bree asked.

I glanced to the woman beside me and nodded. "Why?"

She shrugged. "Just the way you spoke of her when we were being pampered at the salon. You and your parents really don't get along, do you?" She paused. "If you don't mind me asking," she added. "I really don't mean to pry..."

"It's fine," I said as I put the bowl in its appropriate spot. "W-We really don't," I agreed.

"Can I ask why?"

I sucked in a breath. "My mom is polite when she wants to be but whenever it came to choosing between my father and I, she always chose him. It didn't matter if he was wrong. My father was, and still isn't, the nicest guy." I took a breath, knowing that I was about to stutter. "He liked his alcohol and if that meant not paying bills to get his beer then he wouldn't pay the electric or the rent."

Bree turned to me, her eyes serious. "He never hurt you, did he?"

I studied her, wondering what to say. I never told anyone about my family life with the exception of Nicholas. I didn't have to say anything for her to know, though. She didn't gasp, she didn't overreact or anything of that sort which I was thankful for.

Instead, she embraced me in a tight hug and didn't say anything with the use of words. Her arms wrapping around me spoke clearly for her. I was thankful that she didn't show any sympathy toward me; it wouldn't change the past and I really didn't need it. Her hug was more symbolic, as if saying, "I'm here for you if you need me" and it was nice.

Surprisingly, I felt my arms wrapping around her and for the first time I realized just how thin Bree actually was. I felt the need to make her eat all of the cookies we had just spent our afternoon baking.

Suddenly, she pulled away, her hands lightly gripping my upper arms to look at me, her eyes confused. "Am I smelling peppers?" she asked.

I smiled a little, nodding. "Yeah, I ate some salsa earlier this morning when I went out for a while."

She laughed. "Of all things to order from a resturaunt,you choose salsa?"

"Yeah. It sounded appetizing. John tried stealing some," I added so I didn't sound so ridiculous.

"Yes I did," John said suddenly, strolling into the room.

Bree and I studied him as he snatched a warm sugar cookie from the table and took a bite. I put my hands on my hips, shooting him a stern look. He froze before looking to the cookie in his hand and cautiously setting it back amongst the others. "John!" Bree and I hissed in protest.

"That is disgusting!" I cried, wrinkling my nose.

He threw his hands up. "I can't eat it, I can't put it back?! What am I suppose to do with it!?" he cried.

I face-palmed, shaking my head.

Bree just sighed before handing me a glass bowl to rinse and dry. I turned back to the sink as John picked his cookie up and began eating it once again. I turned to study him after rinsing the suds off of the bowl, a dish towel in hand to dry. He stuck his tongue out at me and in return I made a face at him.

I obviously hadn't been paying much attention to what I was doing because before I knew it, the bowl slipped from my fingers and shattered at my feet, barely missing my toes as it crashed to the tiled flooring. There was a deathly silence following the crash.

"I'm so sorry, Bree," I said after what seemed like an eternity of seconds filled with silence ticked by.

"It's perfectly okay," she said. "It was nothing valuable."

I attempted to step around the glass, away from the counter so I could clean up the mess I had just created. Unfortunately, I misjudged just how far the glass had broken and stepped on a tiny shard.

I bit the inside of my lip, holding back the urge to curse out of little pain. My expression must have gave it away that I had injured myself because John set aside his cookie and came to my aid. "Are you okay?"

I nodded, bending down and picking up the glass, ignoring my foot for the moment. With the help of John and Bree, we had the mess picked up in a matter of moments. It wasn't until then, that I decided to look at my foot which had a faint scratch like that of a paper cut with hardly any blood.

"Did you step on glass?" Bree asked.

I nodded after making sure that no glass was being trapped within my flesh. Finding none was, I glanced up to Bree. "I'm perfectly fine," I said.

"Amelia is injured?" a new yet familiar voice asked. Turning, I saw Linnely leaning in the doorway with the guys crowded behind her. "You know what that means..." she trailed off with a smirk.

John and I furrowed our brows in confusion. "No..." John said.

"It means you have to kiss Amelia better," Linnely said matter-of-factly.

Both John and I froze, my body going ice cold. He saw me naked, wasn't that enough?

I frowned as the guys and Bree agreed with Linnely.

"You know, I'm better already," I said with a light laugh. "John and I will keep our displays of affection private," I said before pausing. That sounded awkward and dirty.

"It's a kiss, Lia. Not sex," Jared said with a laugh.

I sucked in a breath. There was no way to avoid it. 

Damn it. Damn it all to hell.