After checking her office Connie left the hospital to find Grace sitting in the car. She sighed as she crossed the car park before getting inside.
"Grace-" "You and Jacob?" Connie glanced across at her with a small nod. "I was going to tell-" "On the way home from the airport. You said it would be just me and you."
Connie looked up at Grace again as she placed a hand to her daughters hair. "It has been, you get on with Jacob don't you? He hasn't got in the way so far-" "Were you together then? Is that why he came too, because you were together then."
Connie sighed looking out the front window of the car. "It's complicated Grace, I don't know, I didn't know what we were-" "Why did I leave last time?"
Connie closed her eyes resting her head back against the headrest. "Why did I go Mum? Tell me... Because you didn't have enough time, you couldn't do it. Your job was more important-" "That's not true-" "It was! And now it'll be Jacob, you can't have both."
Connie shook her head. "I can Grace, you said yourself how perfect things are this time... I'm happy Grace, with you and Jacob. It hasn't got in the way of us and I won't let it-" "But you will! You always do..."
The girls sat in silence for a moment as people began to wander out of the ED. "You have to choose." Connie sighed shaking her head with a small laugh.
"I mean it Mum, something has to give and it can't be me. It can't..." Connie lifted her eyes to look at Grace as she realised her daughter was being serious. "Grace..." She stuttered as it registered what she was saying.
Connie placed a hand to her cheek and tried talking to her. "Sweet heart things are different this time and that's because of Ja-" "Mum! You can't have us both. End it with Jacob or I go back to Dad, for good."
The thought of losing her baby girl again scared her. She could not say goodbye to Grace again, she wouldn't. Not after she let her walk out of her life last time.
But the sudden realisation of leaving Jacob tore her in two. Her eyes fell to the wing mirror of the car where she could see Jacob throwing a basketball about with Jez, Iain, Max and Louise.
He looked so happy, so content with everything he had as was she until now. Knowing she was going to be the one to pull that smile from his face made it all worse.
Connie couldn't pull her eyes away from him. She had finally been ready to tell him today, tell him she loved him. Now this, now she'd never get the chance to.
"Mum?" Grace looked across at Connie but received no answer. She looked forwards to the group of people heading into the pub where Jacob was. "Mum!?"
"Sorry sweetheart..." Connie started the engine without another word catching Jacob's attention. He smiled from where he was watching them drive away. He couldn't believe how happy Connie was making him, and now he knew she really wanted this too.
Connie drove away without looking at him knowing she wouldn't be able to without showing some sign that something was wrong. As they passed him she glanced into the mirror looking back at him feeling tears begin to build in her eyes.
The journey home was a silent one other than the radio which played quietly in the background. "Is everything okay Mum? Normally you can never be quiet in the car." Connie nodded quickly blinking back the tears. "Everything's fine, how about a movie when we get home yeah?"
Grace smiled as they both focused their attention back to the road. Connie's mind wandered to him again. How was she going to tell him it was over? After everything he's done for her, this was how she was going to treat him.
They we're curled up on the sofa together when a text came through on Connie's phone.
Hey, is everything okay with Grace? Jacob x
Connie had to bite her lip to stop the tears from falling. She sighed as Grace lifted her head up from her side. Connie locked her phone placing it back down as she looked at Grace.
"What happened today Mum?" Connie shook her head. "Nothing sweetheart-" "Stop lying, I'm not a little girl anymore. I know something happened to you. Is that why you're so quiet?"
No. Connie nodded her head slightly as a few stray tears rolled down her cheeks. Grace tightly wrapped her arms around her. "I love you so much Grace... I promise I'm never letting you go again." She pressed her lips to the top of Grace's head as her eyes fell to the picture of her and Jacob on her phone.
Tears continued to fall down her cheeks as she spoke the words she wished she could say to him. "I love you..."