state of grace ✦ leon goretzka

n e u n z e h n

a/n: super long, all over the place and with no leon :/ IM SO SORRY. double update to get this part of the story over as quickly as possible I PROMISE THINGS WILL PICK UP in the mid to late 20s of this book!! xxx

paris, france

THE WOMAN WHO OPENED THE DOOR was not her mother. This woman was a stranger with a sympathetic smile, "Hello Grace."

"So a woman named Hanna lives here?" Grace began nervously, playing with her fingers as she stepped through and inside. She was met by a grand landing where either side, two staircases flowed up to join together. In the middle of the room was a table where a golden vase held a huge arrangement of flowers. Then behind that were a set of double doors and to the side of the staircases were some more doors. A grand chandelier hung from the ceiling.

"Yes," the woman pressed her lips together, "I'm the Lacroix family maid. I'm Cecile. Hanna had confided in me before she got married about her past family life."

"She's married?" Grace gulped, already sensing the rising intensity of her nerves, "If she has spoken about me, why has she not made contact?"

"That's something I cannot answer, Miss Grace, but yes, she is married," Cecile nodded, "She's just out at this very moment, but will be back very soon. Please allow me to lead you to the living room. Would you like anything? A drink? The WiFi password?"

Grace could not suppress the giggle, but nodded shyly, "I'd love the WiFi password."

Crazy world she lived in. She was about to see her mother for the first time in 11 years and here she was, asking for the WiFi password. She clicked open her phone and headed to the settings before handing the phone to Cecile. Cecile was a middle-aged woman with deep set wrinkles and fine lines, and she seemed kind.

She was handed back her phone and led into the incredibly grand and glorious living room. Everything there must have had a combined worth of more than what her house was worth. The couches were pristine and it was just so indescribable. It was also the size of the entire bottom floor of her house. Her mother went from barely making it to being incredibly, incredibly well off as it seemed. Grace sat down and directed her attention to her phone.

-

to Leon Goretzka, Eleanor Schiffer
from Grace Bauer
Made it to Paris, got to the place, wish me luck x

to Grace Bauer
from Leon Goretzka
Good luck, schatzi! I don't know what you're doing but you've got this x :)

to Grace Bauer
to Eleanor Schiffer
You're so brave Grace. I hope this works out and Hanna wants to come back and see him. If she doesn't, she's not only a terrible mother, she's a terrible person. Love you xxxxx

-

No one knew of what she was doing aside from her father and Eleanor, who had known her since they were 2. Her boss was told that she had a sudden 'family emergency', which got her the day off. Gale was told that Grace wasn't able to visit during the day thanks to unforeseen circumstances. Leon was told she was going to Paris for something important and not much else.

She was there moving her head around to examine the room for about 10 minutes. The butterflies in her stomach were raging intensely and she couldn't sit still at all.

There was the sound of the doors opening and rushed steps that sounded like Cecile's shoes pounding on the ground. If the person who had come in was her mother, then Cecile must have run over to brief her. A few seconds later, the doors to the living room were thrown open.