Speak Now | Shawn Mendes

0.4

Grace and I sit on the floor of the personal ballet studio of the loft. We both stretch out our legs as she talks about Shawn's parents. She stretches her body to her left leg, holding onto the foot, and sighs. I listen to her talk about how she felt outcast when he would bring her over to his house multiple occasions. I did feel bad; Grace was an easily likable person. One time during a show, she realized that her partner didn't enjoy dancing with her and she was affected by his feelings that she was completely lost during her solos. She almost fell and when she came into the wings, she cried in my arms.

"How do you know if they like you or not?" I ask Grace.

She shrugs her shoulders and looks at me. "I have that feeling. Sometimes it's just a little look I get, or a vibe I feel."

"Have you mentioned this to Shawn?"

"Yes, but he says that I'm just overreacting. And when I try to bring it up, he gets upset."

"When was the last time you brought it up with him? Maybe he'll be open to what you have to say and hear you out," I shrug my shoulders.

"Tina, I talked to him when he called me into the room." Grace groans.

"Oh."

"It's useless! They don't want their son to marry me."

"Don't talk like that, Grace. I have a feeling that they like you!"

"In all the years that I have been with Shawn, I don't think I ever held a conversation with them that lasted longer than thirty seconds."

I remain quiet, unsure of what to say to Grace in the moment. The man she is about to marry is in love with her, but his parents aren't so much. Her family are about to land and think that they're going to meet his family, as well, only to realize that they didn't want to show.

"I don't know what to do, Christina." Grace groaned into her hands. She picks her head up and looks at me. "Was it like this with Olivier's parents?"

"No, sadly." I say.

"Why does everyone have to love you at first sight?" Grace chuckles.

I shrug my shoulders. "Maybe it's your accent. They probably don't like the New Yorker voice."

"If I faked a French accent, would I be loved, too?"

"Mix in a Russian accent, too, and you'll do fine." Grace laughs lightly and I stop stretching and give her a hug. "How bad is it?"

We pull back and she sighs. "He wanted to throw me a birthday party. They didn't show. I just, call me crazy, Tina, but I just know that they don't like me."

"Well I don't think so. I think that they like you."
"They threw Shawn a welcome home party once and forgot to invite me."

"Okay, you're right. They might hate you." I say. Grace lets out a sad chuckle and covers her face with her hands. "But that doesn't mean you can't change that. Look, they're going to come around. I promise."

"I hope you're right. I just can't shake off this feeling that they truly don't like me. Tina, every time his mom looks at me, it's like...it's like she's thinking it. She's thinking to herself that I'm not good enough for her son." Her voice begins crack in the slightest and I stop stretching and go wrap my arms and legs around her as we hug. Koala hugs were how we let one another know how much we loved the other.