Free Waiting for Grace by Hayley Oakes
Authors: Hayley Oakes
stepping forward.
“Sorry only one of you,” she said, leading me towards the ambulance.
I looked back at Robert and saw the pity in his eyes. I hated myself at that moment and my fucking idiot mother for making me different than everyone else once again. He walked up to me and slammed into me, holding me tightly and kissed my head.
“I’ll meet you at the hospital,” he said softly.
“No, no please don’t Robert, God no, just go home, I’ll text you later.” He nodded grimly, and the paramedics shut the house up as he stood on the front step watching.
***
We got to the hospital at midnight. I was left in the waiting room and mum was rushed through somewhere. I had enough change for a bottle of Coke. The waiting room was almost empty; a few people sat with minor wounds, and there was a scruffy man in a wheelchair humming to himself. I took a seat as far away from them all as I could and retrieved my phone. No message. Robert was probably still in shock and wondering what kind of fucked up girl he was getting involved with. I let my head fall forward and realised I was actually exhausted and didn’t have any money on me for a taxi home. I’d have to wait to see what the damage was, and then get home somehow. My head was spinning. I started to cry silently and then was interrupted by warm arms. I looked up to see Robert, Barbara, and Bob. Robert was crouched down in front of me. I wiped my eyes, embarrassed. He kissed me gently on the forehead; Barbara sat by my side. She put an arm around me and rubbed me warmly.
“I’m okay,” I said, sniffing.
“We know,” Barbara said, squeezing me. “Come on, Bob, let’s go and see what’s going on.” she nodded to Robert Senior.
“What’s your mum’s full name?” Bob asked.
“Irene Cooper,” I sniffed.
“Right, Bob will sort this out, and then you will come home with us.” They walked off to go and find a nurse to speak to.
I looked at Robert and he smiled at me.
“Babe,” he said, taking the other seat, leaning into me and kissing me again. I closed my eyes and let him soothe me. “I’ll always be here for you, you know. You can tell me anything.”
“I don’t think you want to hear it all; we hardly know each other. My mum is just …” I sighed. There were no words to describe how she was dead inside.
“I want to know everything about you, Grace, and it will only make me like you more.” I smiled and leaned my head on his shoulder. The tears started again, and I wondered where my mum was and whether she would survive. I hoped that no one would be poking his or her nose into our living situation after this incident.
Eight
Now
My mobile phone rang early on Saturday morning. Maria and I sat on the sofas eating toast and drinking tea, and the kids were busying themselves around us. Max had his Nintendo DS and Devon was dressing her Barbies. It was Robert.
“Hello?” I answered.
“Hi Grace, it’s erm … Robert.” He sounded terrible.
“Oh, hi,” I said, standing up and taking the phone to my room. “Wow, you sound awful. Are you sick?”
“No,” he sighed. “Too much whiskey.”
“Oh,” I said. “You’re up early then,”
“Yeah, personal trainer on a Saturday. He almost killed me.”
“Oh,” I said again.
“Look I realise that I’ve been a crazy person this week, but shit I’m still in shock and I’m angry. I’m so angry at you … but also I’m not. I’m all over the place.”
“Right.”
He sighed. “The thing is I want to meet Devon, I want to be okay with what you’ve done, and I’m trying to understand. It’s hard, but I want to meet Devon as soon as possible, I deserve that.”
“I know,” I sighed.
“I just can’t understand why you would rather have been alone this whole time.”
“Ahh … Robert can we not just accept it for what it is and move forward?”
“Yes, you’re right, my mind’s wandering again.” He sounded defeated, and I felt terrible
“Sorry only one of you,” she said, leading me towards the ambulance.
I looked back at Robert and saw the pity in his eyes. I hated myself at that moment and my fucking idiot mother for making me different than everyone else once again. He walked up to me and slammed into me, holding me tightly and kissed my head.
“I’ll meet you at the hospital,” he said softly.
“No, no please don’t Robert, God no, just go home, I’ll text you later.” He nodded grimly, and the paramedics shut the house up as he stood on the front step watching.
***
We got to the hospital at midnight. I was left in the waiting room and mum was rushed through somewhere. I had enough change for a bottle of Coke. The waiting room was almost empty; a few people sat with minor wounds, and there was a scruffy man in a wheelchair humming to himself. I took a seat as far away from them all as I could and retrieved my phone. No message. Robert was probably still in shock and wondering what kind of fucked up girl he was getting involved with. I let my head fall forward and realised I was actually exhausted and didn’t have any money on me for a taxi home. I’d have to wait to see what the damage was, and then get home somehow. My head was spinning. I started to cry silently and then was interrupted by warm arms. I looked up to see Robert, Barbara, and Bob. Robert was crouched down in front of me. I wiped my eyes, embarrassed. He kissed me gently on the forehead; Barbara sat by my side. She put an arm around me and rubbed me warmly.
“I’m okay,” I said, sniffing.
“We know,” Barbara said, squeezing me. “Come on, Bob, let’s go and see what’s going on.” she nodded to Robert Senior.
“What’s your mum’s full name?” Bob asked.
“Irene Cooper,” I sniffed.
“Right, Bob will sort this out, and then you will come home with us.” They walked off to go and find a nurse to speak to.
I looked at Robert and he smiled at me.
“Babe,” he said, taking the other seat, leaning into me and kissing me again. I closed my eyes and let him soothe me. “I’ll always be here for you, you know. You can tell me anything.”
“I don’t think you want to hear it all; we hardly know each other. My mum is just …” I sighed. There were no words to describe how she was dead inside.
“I want to know everything about you, Grace, and it will only make me like you more.” I smiled and leaned my head on his shoulder. The tears started again, and I wondered where my mum was and whether she would survive. I hoped that no one would be poking his or her nose into our living situation after this incident.
Eight
Now
My mobile phone rang early on Saturday morning. Maria and I sat on the sofas eating toast and drinking tea, and the kids were busying themselves around us. Max had his Nintendo DS and Devon was dressing her Barbies. It was Robert.
“Hello?” I answered.
“Hi Grace, it’s erm … Robert.” He sounded terrible.
“Oh, hi,” I said, standing up and taking the phone to my room. “Wow, you sound awful. Are you sick?”
“No,” he sighed. “Too much whiskey.”
“Oh,” I said. “You’re up early then,”
“Yeah, personal trainer on a Saturday. He almost killed me.”
“Oh,” I said again.
“Look I realise that I’ve been a crazy person this week, but shit I’m still in shock and I’m angry. I’m so angry at you … but also I’m not. I’m all over the place.”
“Right.”
He sighed. “The thing is I want to meet Devon, I want to be okay with what you’ve done, and I’m trying to understand. It’s hard, but I want to meet Devon as soon as possible, I deserve that.”
“I know,” I sighed.
“I just can’t understand why you would rather have been alone this whole time.”
“Ahh … Robert can we not just accept it for what it is and move forward?”
“Yes, you’re right, my mind’s wandering again.” He sounded defeated, and I felt terrible