A Touch of Grace✔️ (Wattpad version)

When all else fails, go left

Our restrictions with each other lifted finally, and the weather took a turn for the worse. It headed us for a storm in the form of snow, which came early.

The five of us were hanging out at my house when the snow started and won't stop until morning. My parents got a recorded call about school canceled. Dad had the guys help bring in wood since we have a fireplace, and the power goes out.

I helped Mom get supplies together, such as candles, blankets, and other necessities. Once we settled in, we had something to eat, then camped out in the living room. Like clockwork, our power went out, and so did our heat. Dad got a fire started, then climbed under a blanket with Mom while the rest of us lie around like we did when we were younger.

"Hey, Zack, remember when we were kids and did this?" Tony asked.

"Yeah, and Gracie got so mad," Zack smiled.

"Only because you guys ganged up on me," I said, rolling my eyes.

"Those were some fun times," Zack sighed.

Dad and Mom listen to us as we all talked, and Dad signed, "Remember when we were their age?"

"Yeah, we hung out as they do," she signed back.

"Got a deck of cards?" Sean asked.

"We might have a deck in the kitchen. Let me check," Dad said, getting up and going into the kitchen. He returned a short while later with a deck of cards and handed them to Sean.

"Anyone wants to play cards?" Sean asked.

"Sure," I said, crawling over to the coffee table. We all gathered around it, and Sean dealt the cards to all of us. We played poker, crazy eights, rummy, and any other games to pass the time. It reminded me of when we were kids, and a storm trapped us.

A little while later, Mom and Dad made some hot cocoa over the fireplace, and I snuggled up to Zack. That never changed even as kids. Zack was the one who I always snuggled when we were younger. Most boys would push a girl away, but Zack let me snuggle him.

It was nice to have this time with everyone because I knew we would all do other things with our lives. That made me a little sad.

"What's wrong?" Zack asked in a whisper.

"I'm thinking about when we graduate," I whispered.

"What about it?" Zack asked.

"Things will change for all of us. We'll attend separate colleges, then meet other people and drift apart. It's sad if you think about it," I said, running my finger over the rim of my cup.

"Only if you let it. Look at our parents. They're still friends after all these years," Zack said.

I'm still unconvinced, "Maybe."

Zack took his finger and reached over, placing it under my chin, bringing my face to face him, "If there's anything I know is the way I feel about you will never change. No matter what happens, my love for you will remain the same."

I am hearing those words comforted me. If it was one thing I knew about Zack, it was how he felt about me. I reached up and gave him a soft kiss, then snuggled into him.

I drifted off to sleep as did everyone else.

I woke up the next morning, and I was the only one left in the living room. Zack walked in and handed me a hot cup of coffee. I took it from him and sipped it. He took a seat on the coffee table.

"Where is everyone?" I asked.

"Well, since they cleared the roads, your dad went to get breakfast. Your mom is upstairs, and the guys went home to check in with their dads," Zack said, sipping his coffee.

Lucas came downstairs and with wet hair. "Whatever you do, don't take a shower yet. Man, that was fucking cold." Lucas went into the kitchen as Zack, and I laughed.

"Yeah, I could have told Lucas when the power is out, so is the hot water. How did you get hot coffee?" I asked.

"Well, considering you have a gas stove and don't need electricity to run, I used a percolator. That begs the question, who even has one of those things anymore?" Zack asked me.

"My parents do. Dad learned how to use one when he went camping when he was younger," I said.

"I don't remember you guys camping growing up," Zack said.

"We did once, and Mom wasn't crazy about communing with nature. She prefers the modernization of living. It wasn't pleasant when we went," I said.

"Yeah, Hope doesn't strike me as the type to want to commune with nature," Zack said.

"It stemmed from when Mom was younger; something happens with her and Uncle Charlie," I mentioned.

"What things?" Zack asked curiously.

"I'm not sure. Mom and Uncle Charlie never said. The only thing they told me was that my grandparents disappeared one day and left them on their own. If it weren't for my dad's parents, Mom and Uncle Charlie would live on the streets," I explained.

"No wonder why Ace is overprotective with you both," Zack said.

"Yeah, most people would hate it, but we've always been close. I'm close to both of my parents," I said.

Then the door opened, and Dad returned with an armful of food. "Breakfast, anyone?"

We got up and helped Dad bring the food into the kitchen. We all sat around the table and ate breakfast. I sure hope the power comes back on soon. It was getting chilly in here.

After breakfast, Dad started another fire, and we hung out in the living room under blankets. As much as I would love to play in the snow, I also like warmth.

Eventually, the power came back on, and overall it was a good night.