After arriving in New York, Grace had quickly found a place to live with secretary Angie Ryan, and Cultural anthropologist Christine Braden, who were both in her department and had had an extra room for rent. They rented an old brownstone not far from the university campus, and Grace had the attic floor all to herself. It was a bit chilly, but she kept a space heater handy, and the space in the room as well as the skylight made it worth it. Having instant friends and a place to live had helped ease the transition into her new life, a life without Bryce.
She had started teaching in September and was enjoying the experience of sharing her knowledge with others, but she still needed more to do to fill her time, so one of the first things she had done after she had settled in was to start volunteering with College for Fosters. It was the program that had helped her get on her feet after she was thrust into the real world, and without them she would not have been able to achieve the academic success that she had.
Only a few people at Fosters knew that she had participated in the program, and she was doing her best to keep it that way. She was able to council other kids who were interested in attending college who thought that they wouldn't be able to because of their circumstances.
The only real issue that she had was the Dean of her college, Dr. Edgar Rush. He was a small man with a potbelly and a receding hairline, who had been divorced for years. He had been harassing all of the women in the department long before she had arrived. It had only taken a week before he had zeroed in on Grace as a target. He saw her as fresh prey, and enjoyed the challenge that she presented. She had tried to get some of the girls together to lodge a complaint, but they had all declined to join her. They were of the mind that the devil you knew was better than the devil you didn't.
Grace pushed the unpleasant thought of Rush from her mind as she climbed the steps to the building that housed the Fosters program. Eileen Kramer had asked her to come in a little early so that she could talk to her about the annual gala that was to be held in mid December. Grace responded to several of her new friends' greetings as she made her way to Eileen's office. It was the Saturday shift which was always lighter than the weekdays. Most people preferred to be home with their families but because Grace was alone, it was ideal for her to work and keep busy.
Eileen called for Grace to enter after she knocked on her door, and as soon as she entered she noticed two other women with Eileen. They were both stunning. One had the bluest black hair she had ever seen, and the other was a blond haired, blue eyed beauty, who seemed vaguely familiar.
Eileen had a warm smile on her face. "Grace, good you're here. I would like you to meet Trisha Livingston and Lizzy Stevens. They are planning December's fund raiser, and I mentioned that you might be able to help."
Grace gave a smile of greeting in return as she recognized Lizzy's name immediately. That was why the blond seemed familiar, she was Rainer and Bryce's sister; she had their eyes.
Grace shook hands with both ladies. "Your Rainer and Bryce's sister, aren't you?"
Lizzy looked shocked then wary. "Yes, do you know them?"
"Yes, you might say I dug up your backyard this summer." Grace used Rainer's words.
She watched Lizzy as she searched her memory bank. "In Kent?"
"Yes, but I am afraid we didn't find anything."
Lizzy nodded. "I remember Mom saying something about that."
"Wonderful, if you know the Stevenses then you know that they are very generous. They're the main reason we are able to keep our doors open. They have supported us, almost from the beginning." Eileen gushed.
Grace had not realized that fact and it must have been evident to them all because Eileen felt the need to explain. "Elizabeth and Douglas, Lizzy's parents, became our primary sponsors at least twenty-five years ago, but now it is a family affair. Lizzy helps plan the annual fundraiser, Mason and Cassie perform, Davis photographs it, Rainer reports on it, and of course there is Bryce, he handles all of our legal work pro-bono. Lizzy also brought us Trisha who is a wiz at asking for money."
"You only have to ask my husband and he'll confirm that fact for you." Trisha gave Grace a warm smile. Lizzy was still guarded but Trisha was all warmth.
"How can I help?" Grace asked, taking the other chair in the room.
"Well Grace, we'll get everyone there, but we need for them to hear about what we do, and we've all agreed that the best way to do that is through someone who we have helped succeed. I didn't have to think about it long before I realized that you would be the ideal one to do that because, not only did we help get you through college, but you graduated with honors and with a doctorate." Eileen gave Grace her most reassuring smile.
Grace felt herself tense. They were asking her to get up in a room full of people that she didn't know and tell them the one fact about herself that she tried to guard the most. Grace studied all three women. The only one who realized that this was a hard request to fulfill was Eileen. The other two women had polite smiles on their faces.
Grace studied her hands for moment thinking about it. If it had been just Lizzy and Trisha asking her, her response would have been no, but she owed Eileen. Eileen had gone above and beyond for Grace. She had even personally cosigned a loan for her for graduate school.
"This is important, Eileen?" Grace's voice was soft.
Eileen nodded.
"I'll help, but can we keep my name to a minimum. Perhaps just mention it as you introduce me? The fewer people who know the happier I'll be." Grace swallowed hard at the thought of having to publicly share her history.
Lizzy eyed her coldly. "Why, do you not want your name associated with this organization? Now that you have your degree, are you too good for it?"
Trisha and Eileen's mouth fell open. "Lizzy!" Eileen admonished.
Grace looked at Lizzy without expression. "No, that's not the case, if it was I would not be volunteering here now. I've learned, through little petty comments like yours, that once people learn that you were a ward of the state they look at and treat you differently. Almost as if you had no feelings or that investing ones time in you as an individual wouldn't be worth it."
Grace rose from her chair having put Lizzy in her place without being as rude as she had. "Please tell as many people as you like that I'm a volunteer here, and that I'm helping with the fundraiser, but I would appreciate it if you would keep my exact involvement vague until the evening of the event. I'm aware, Lizzy, that I owe everything I currently have to this organization and I guess, in turn, that means your family as well, since as Eileen says they are the reason that this organization survives."
Grace left the office and went to one of the desks in the work area, not realizing that she had just made a huge impression on all three ladies.
She had been working for awhile when Lizzy approached her.
"I owe you an apology, Grace." She sat at the desk across from hers. "I'm normally not so rude, but you threw me when you mentioned my brothers. I'm very protective of them, and I myself have been used to get to them, especially Bryce."
Grace searched her face to see if she was being sincere or not. "But you approached me?"
Lizzy shook her head. "It is well known that my family is attached to this organization, and I figured you already knew that-,"
"I didn't."
Lizzy eyed her for a moment then gave her a weary smile. "No, I can see that you didn't."
Grace was aware that Lizzy was still unsure of her but wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt.
"Look, the only way for us to resolve this is for you to let me make amends and get to know you some. I have an extra ticket to the theater tonight. It's the closing weekend for my brother and sister-in-law's show, and I promise you it's worth seeing. Trisha was going to take her husband, but he had to go out of town unexpectedly. We'll all go out to dinner afterwards. Please say you'll come. Rainer was planning on being there."
Grace was considering it, she didn't know why, but she was. She had hoped with her move to New York she would distance herself from Bryce and this was not the way to do it, but if Bryce wasn't going to be there... it would be good to see Rainer again since they had left things a bit stiff last time she had seen him.
"You're assuming that I want to see Rainer," Grace said with a small smile.
"You don't?" Lizzy sounded shocked, everyone loved Rainer.
"He was a bit of an ass the last time I saw him, and I'm not sure that I've completely forgiven him yet."
Lizzy started laughing, "Yes, Rainer does have a tendency to make it hard to forgive him at times."
"So, have we all made up?" Trisha asked, joining them.
"Yes, Grace is going to take your extra ticket for the show tonight, and it seems Rainer is an ass."
"Well, I don't know if he is an ass but I know he has a cute one." Trisha looked at Grace curiously. "And what is your opinion about Bryce, you said you knew him well?"
Grace returned Trisha's look, hers unwavering. "I never said I knew him well, what I do know of him is that he is very polite and very English."
"If only you knew." Lizzy rose from her seat having written down all of the necessary information. "I'll leave the ticket for you at will call."
I do know, Grace thought, her heart breaking at the knowledge that she couldn't share it. She took the information from Lizzy with a nod saying she was looking forward to it.