Take A Breath, Let the Rest Come Easy

“Hi! It’s so great to see you guys again!” The woman in the red sundress grinned at the two women standing at her front door. “Please, please come in!” She ushered both inside.

“It has been a while, hasn’t it, Isobel.” The other mother said, shrugging off her jacket and hanging it on the rack in the large foyer. “This is Grace, my daughter.” She pushed the girl standing behind her mother forward. Grace smiled politely and shook the woman’s hand.

“Goodness, she’s grown. I haven’t seen you since you were crawling around on the floor!” She joked, to which Grace laughed again politely.

She honestly just wanted to get out of the hideous dress her mother had forced her to wear. It wasn’t often her mother invited her to formal dinner parties, but since the divorce, she had increased her appearance in Grace’s life- inviting her everywhere. Grace was twenty-four, and had her own apartment along the coast of Maryland, in Baltimore to be exact. She was glad to finally leave the tragedy of a family she had come to know.

Grace’s childhood was not unusual. She had a loving mother and father. She was an only child, and was completely spoiled. Being the daughter of a Lawyer and a politician had its benefits. Her mother was a representative, currently working to run for Mayor of Baltimore, which meant that Grace was brought up with impeccable manners, and respect. She had to keep the family name honorable. Part of the reason her mother dragged her along to these dinner parties.
She had a feeling this one was slightly different though, it felt more relaxed and not forced. They had traveled to the outskirts of Baltimore to visit the Gaskarth Family, whom apparently her mother had been very close with when she was a child.

Grace fidgeted in the hallway as her mother and Mrs. Gaskarth chatted away about the economy and current pothole situation throughout Baltimore. Her dress was too tight, too uncomfortable. She felt like a lemon in the thing. It was tight fitted up top, and then jutted out in the middle- like something a 12 year old would wear. If she had it her way she would have come in the pink shorts and black tank top she had on before her mother wailed at her about the get-up. The bright yellow flower pattern made her eyes hurt, and her wavy hair had been straightened to death and pulled up into a tight French twist. She scratched at her hair, and began to make assumptions about the household.

The house was beautiful, and cozy, nothing like her mother’s house. Since her dad had left, the place felt very empty. This house was full of family pictures, and blankets, and warm leather couches. It had an urban feel to it, yet the house was located in a giant field. Grace’s mother continued to the kitchen, still chatting away and Grace followed closely behind.

“Grace is trying to get into the music industry, as well.” Clara told Isobel. Grace’s cheeks heated up. “Although I’m not too sure how it’s going. She doesn’t tell me much about it, do you Grace?” Her green eyes reflected her own. Grace stiffened, she hated when her mom did this.

“I’m working on getting signed.” She said, looking at Mrs. Gaskarth’s smiling face. She nodded in agreement.

“How’s that going, sweetie?” Her mom asked with a hint of cynicism. Grace’s heart pounded. Time and time again her mother pulled this crap. That’s the whole reason she moved from her parents large Hollywood looking house.

She wanted to focus on her music without the help of her parents. She refused contracts her mother had set up for her, in hopes that she could do it by herself. It’s not that she wasn’t appreciative of her mom’s work, but the deals she would recommend had Grace locked into situations where others would write her songs for her, and they would control what got on the records and where she would play. Grace couldn’t handle that. Her mom controlled everything, and Grace wouldn’t let her control her career too.

“Let’s go sit down.” Mrs. Gaskarth directed the conversation elsewhere and they ended up in the dining room.

Grace kept quiet during the meal. She listened to the catching up her mom was doing, and honestly wondered why she was there in the first place. She could be at her apartment, recording more songs, or calling up agencies. But instead, she was sitting in a house she didn’t know playing daughter of the Representative.

Just as Grace was about to fake a headache to leave, the door to the dining room swung open. “Hey mom, I forgot my laptop. I’m just going to- hi.” The boy stopped in his tracks and looked down at Grace. His brown eyes flickered over the Grace’s mother and he looked caught off guard. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know people were here.”

Mrs. Gaskarth rolled her eyes. “I’m so sorry Clara, Grace, this is my son, Alex.”

“Nice to meet you.” Alex stuck out his hand to Grace’s mother first and shook it firmly. Clara blushed.

“My, My- You are a handsome one aren’t you?” She giggled. Grace’s cheeks heated up- how embarrassing.

Alex jutted out his hand to Grace who took it. His eyes focused on hers and he grinned, causing Grace’s face to turn an incredible shade of red. The boy was tall, and wore a grey beanie. His hair was a brownish red. He had chocolate brown eyes, and incredibly thick eyebrows. He swallowed taking in Grace with his eyes. “Nice to meet you.” Grace smiled.

“Alex is the one I was telling you about.” Isobel said. “He’s got a band closer to the coast.”

“All Time Low.” Alex clarified, almost cockily. Anyone could tell he was trying to impress. Grace didn’t move though, she had never heard of an All Time Low.

“Cool.” She breathed out. Alex stuck his hands in his pockets and watched Grace, almost as if he was trying to figure her out from the second he met her. Grace looked away from him uncomfortably. She folded her arms over her lemon covered body.

Weird.