Chapter 21
*Aaron*
The Valentines stare wide eyed at their daughter. She completely blindsided them. I'm sure they never thought Grace would push them away like this, despite how they've treated her. I just wish she'd done this earlier. Better late than never.
"Grace, you're speaking nonsense." Mrs. Valentine says with a shake of her head. "We're your parents. We love you and Sophie."
"Enough, mom." Grace waves her off. "For the first time in a while I'm making sense. Let's just try to get through the rest of this day and tomorrow on good terms. For Sophie's sake."
Before her parents can say anything else, Grace grabs hold of my wrist and pulls me away. She stops by a nearby tree and lets go of my wrist.
"I'm really sorry." She apologizes as she keeps her eyes towards the ground. "I should have listened to you in the beginning. I could have avoided this situation. I should have known they'd never change." She shakes her head.
"Don't apologize." I put my finger under her chin and tilt her head up so her eyes meet mine. "They're your parents and you wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt. You handled the situation perfectly. A lot better than I would have." I give her a small smile. "I think you made the right decision." I say on a serious note. "They're not good people and the way they've treated you is proof of that. It's best if they watch Sophie from a distance. She doesn't need people like that in her life constantly. She'll be better off now." I know it'll take Grace a while to get used to this new way of living, but not having her parents around will be the best for all of us. "I don't have much to offer, but if you need any help moving, finding a suitable job, or anything really, I'm here to help."
"Thank you." She smiles. "You're the bestest baby daddy, best friend a girl could ask for." She lets out a small laugh.
"Funny." I say as my smile grows. "Come on, let's find Sophie and Vicky."
We find Vicky and Sophie on the ice. Sophie holds onto Vicky's hands as she's guided along the ice. Despite her unstable balance, the large smile on her face still reaches ear to ear. She talks with Vicky with bright eyes. She loses balance and Vicky swiftly steadies her. My heart at the sight of them. No matter the situation, Vicky never fails to make Sophie smile. I love her for that, among many other reasons.
Vicky finally looks in our direction and I wave her over. With a slight night, she leads Sophie in our direction. When they reach the edge of the rink, Grace and I help them off the ice.
"Everything okay?" Vicky asks me, a slight look of concern in her eyes.
"Yeah, for now. I'll explain everything later."
"You guys hungry?" Grace asks. "We can find a place nearby."
"I could eat." I reply with a shrug. "How about you, Vicky?"
"I'm starving. Just let me get these skates of first."
"I'll go tell my parents." Grace says a bit half-heartedly.
While Grace goes to find her parents, I help Sophie and Vicky switch out their skates for their snow boots. As they sit on the bench, I kneel down and slip one skate of Sophie.
"Did you see me out there, Daddy?" Sophie asks me excitedly. "I could actually stand up this time. I didn't fall. Not even once."
"Really?" I ask with a smile, her excitement rubbing off on me. "That's amazing Soph. I told you practice makes perfect. Before you know it, you'll be skating circles around all of us." I slip her skates off and replace them with her snow boots.
"I didn't fall because of Vicky. She's the bestest teacher ever. She never let go of my hand, not even once. I want to come here again with Vicky." She turns to Vicky who is in the process of removing her skates. "You can bring me, right?"
Vicky looks at me, her eyes asking for approval. I give her a slight nod and with a smile she turns back to Sophie. "We'll definitely try to come back soon. We have plenty of time."
"Yes!" Sophie exclaims. "This is the best day ever." She sighs as she leans back onto the bench and stares at the clouds.
"Alright Sophie, try to tie your boots by yourself this time." I say. "Ask if you need help."
"Okay, but I can do it." She says confidently before bending over to tie her laces. I smile as I see the focus in her eyes as she starts to make loops with her laces. She's been practicing for a couple weeks now. I think she's got the hang of it by now.
I leave Sophie to figure it out on her own and move over to tie Vicky's laces. "You know I'm fully capable of tying my own laces." Victoria says with a small smile.
"Just let me do this for you. I'm already down here anyway."
"Thank you." She says as she adjusts my hat on my head. "You're the sweetest."
I finish tying her boots and reach up to place a gentle kiss on her lips. "I love you." I say. She lets out the slightest sigh as she looks away. "I know you hate when I say that because of your current feelings, but that's not going to stop me from telling you. You don't have to say anything back. I know you'll get there eventually."
"Grandma! Pop Pop!" Sophie suddenly exclaims. I look up to see Grace approaching us with her parents close behind. Sophie hops off the bench and runs to her grandparents. "Where did you go?"
"We just went for a walk." Mrs. Valentine answers. "I hear you're hungry. Shall we find a place to eat for lunch?"
"Yes! I want to pick."
"Okay, but make sure it's a good place." Grace says.
"I will. Follow me." Sophie takes Mrs. Valentines hand and leads her away, making us follow after them.
*Victoria*
We follow Sophie who talks excitedly to her mom and grandparents as she searches for a place for us to eat. Aaron holds my hand tightly as we stay towards the back of the group. A person knocks into my shoulder as they rush by, pushing me into Aaron. Though we live in New York City where it's normal for the streets to be overcrowded, today is Christmas Eve and people are in a rush to do last minute Christmas shopping. Hopefully that was the issue with this person and they're not just rude.
"You okay?" Aaron asks me before sending a glare in the person's direction.
"Mhm." I nod. "It's to be expected on days like today, right?"
"Still, they could have apologized."
"This is New York, Aaron." I remind him. "That's not really in a typical New Yorker's immediate vocabulary."
He laughs and I can't help but look at his smile. I suddenly feel the slightest fluttering of butterflies in my stomach. There was always something about his smile that would make me all fluttery inside.
"So, what are your plans for tomorrow?" He asks . "Obviously you're finished your Christmas shopping, otherwise you wouldn't be here with me."
"I actually didn't do much shopping this year. The money I made over the summer is already starting to get pretty low, so I had to save somewhere. I'm spending the holiday with my mom this year. She was able to get some time off work, so this will be our first holiday together in a while."
"That's nice. I'm glad you and your mom manage to stay close despite both of your busy schedules. My mom and I rarely talk since I moved. She's so busy with her job, it's hard to catch her between work and sleeping."
"Doesn't mean she doesn't think about you and Sophie all the time. I know for a fact that your mom adores you both. "
"I know, I just worry about Sophie. Grace and I live so far from our families, I'm afraid she won't have a relationship with them."
"Maybe you can take her back for a visit during the Summer. Even if it's just for a little while. I know it would make difference for Sophie."
"I'll definitely put that on the table for next summer. If I'm lucky with these jobs, I should be able to afford it."
"So, you're really far from home, your mom is crazy busy, and Sophie will be with Grace tomorrow. What plans do you have for the holiday?"
"Oh, uh, I don't really have any. Honestly, I was just planning to relax with TV and takeout. Nothing special."
"You shouldn't spend the holiday alone, Aaron. If you want, you can spend it with me. I'm going over to my Mom's place and I'm sure she'd be happy to see you after such a long time. She won't mind. I promise."
"It's really not that big a deal." He shrugs.
"Yeah it is. Christmas is meant to be spent with those you love and care about. Sitting home alone is not how your Christmas should be spent. Besides, there's no way I could enjoy tomorrow knowing you're sitting home alone with mediocre food and bad television."
"Fine. I'll think about it, okay?"
"As long as it's an option, I'm happy." I agree with a smile.
When Sophie finally chooses a place, a small Italian restaurant, we go inside and are seated at two connecting tables. We're handed menus and Sophie an activity mat. She ignores the menu and immediately opens the pack of crayons to start coloring.
"Wait." Grace says. "Sophie, let's go wash up first." Sophie heaves a sigh as she puts hr crayons down and follows Grace to the restroom.
"So, Victoria, is it?" Mr. Valentine asks. I look up from my menu as I turn my attention to him.
"Yes." I reply.
"My daughter mentioned you've been in Sophie's life for a while now. Why are we just meeting now?"
"Um, well it's a bit complicated."
"Complicated? Have you, or have you not been involved in my granddaughter's life?"
"Why does it matter?" Aaron asks. "It's not like you have much involvement in her life. Sophie is a social kid with a life here in New York. You don't know half of the people involved in her life."
"We do the best we can." Mrs. Valentine says. "We have busy schedules to keep to. We planned this vacation a year in advance, just so we can spend some time with Sophie."
"Yeah, well Grace and I don't exactly have easy schedules either."
"Well as parents you have to make sacrifices." Mr. Valentine says.
"And as grandparents you should be more involved in your granddaughter's life."
I clear my throat as I set my menu down. "I'm going to go wash up. Excuse me." I say before standing from my seat and heading towards the restrooms. When far enough away I lean against the wall and take a deep breath. As much as I want to be here with Aaron, it's all beginning to feel overwhelming with the constant arguing. I understand that he has issues with the Valentines, however I'd hoped he'd try to keep this day as pleasant as possible instead of picking a fight every chance he gets.
"Everything okay?" I jump at the sudden voice. I look beside me to see Grace leaving the restroom with Sophie.
"Uh, yeah." I reply with a smile. "I just came to wash up."
"You'd actually have to go inside to do that." She lets out a small laugh. "Sophie, go back to your seat while I talk to Vicky for a little bit."
"Okay." Sophie says before she skips to the table.
"Is there something wrong?" I ask once Sophie is out of earshot.
"Yes and no." Grace replies. "I want to apologize for the way I've been acting." Her apology takes me by surprise. I never thought I'd ever hear an apology out of Grace. Not with her obvious distaste for me. "I know I haven't been the nicest to you lately. Actually, I've been a complete b***h and you don't deserve it. I know I can be hard to get along with, and it's something I'm working on. You've been nothing but nice to me, and love my daughter as if she's your own. I admit seeing how much Sophie cares about you is a little nerve-wracking for me. You've been in her life longer than I have, and I let my fear of being replaced get out of hand. It's obvious she cares so much about both of us, so I'm sorry for the way I've been acting."
I smile. I can tell her apology is sincere. I never expected to receive this apology, but I'm glad I did. I want things to last between Aaron and me, and I want to continue to be a part of Sophie's life. It's refreshing to know there's a chance Grace and I can actually get along from this point on.
"Thank you for your apology." I say. "I understand where your concern comes from, but I would never try to take Sophie from you. She loves you so much, I doubt I could even if I wanted to. I want us to be friends, and I hope we can start over and really try this time."
"I'd like that." She smiles. "I have a good feeling about this time around. Third time is the charm. Anyway, I better get back so I can keep an eye on my dad and Aaron."
"Yeah, things weren't looking good when I left."
Grace sighs deeply before heading towards our table.
*Aaron*
We eat mostly in silence with most of the talking coming from Sophie. She talks excitedly about Christmas and opening presents tomorrow.
"Daddy, will I see you tomorrow?" Sophie asks me.
"I'll video chat with you. I promise."
"Vicky?" She looks at Vicky with pleading eyes.
"Well..." Vicky starts
"Sophie, tomorrow is for family time. I'm sure Victoria will be busy with her own family." Mrs. Valentine says. "Just worry about spending time with us tomorrow, okay?"
"Stop excluding Vicky as if she isn't here." I say. "I don't understand why..." I pause as Vicky places her hand on my arm. I look at her and she shakes her head slightly, telling me to stop. She clears her throat slightly as she turns to face Mr. and Mrs. Valentine.
"Mrs. Valentine, Mr. Valentine, you've made it very clear that you don't trust or like me. That's understandable seeing as today is our first meeting. However, though I have the same feelings towards the both of you, I've tried my best to stay kind and polite. My parents taught me to be respectful and to remain respectful in every situation. I've done my part. I'd really appreciate it if you could show me the same kindness and keep it to yourselves."
"Excuse me?" Mr. Valentine says with disbelief.
"Dad just leave it." Grace says with a sigh. "It won't hurt you to be kind for a day."
Obviously annoyed by the situation, the Valentines go back to eating their food. They remain mostly quiet for the remainder of lunch. Vicky is so sweet and soft spoken that I forget that she can stand up for herself. She doesn't need me to defend her and that makes me love her even more.
***
After a few more hours at the ice rink, we all decide to call it a day. Sophie gives me a tight hug before quickly moving on to Vicky.
"You promise to bring me here soon?" Sophie confirms with Vicky.
"Yes, I promise." Vicky laughs. "I'll see you soon, okay?"
"Okay." Sophie places a kiss on Vicky's cheek before rushing over to take Mrs. Valentine's hand. "Bye-bye." She waves as she leaves with Grace and the Valentines.
"Bye sweetie." I say as I wave back. I watch until they're across the park and walking down the street. When they're gone, I turn my attention to Victoria. "So, it's just us now. Do you have any other plans?"
"Nope." She shrugs. "I reserved the entire day for you. Not to mention Nadine has claimed the dorm for her and Donovan today."
"Well do you want to come back to my apartment for a little while? We can warm up with a cup of hot chocolate and watch some TV."
"Okay." She smiles. "Sounds great." I take her hand and we start towards the nearest subway station. "Are you ever going to tell me what exactly happened earlier? It didn't look good from where I was standing. Sophie was so worried I had to get her on the ice to distract her."
"Right, I almost forgot about that." So much has happened between us and Grace's parents today it's all started to blur together. "Grace has decided to move out of her apartment.
You've probably already guessed that her parents pay for it. She's finally decided to distance herself and Sophie from them. She wants to get a job and support herself."
"Really? That's great."
"Yeah, I think it'll be really good for her. She's been through a lot and most of it is a result of her parents. She wants to move out at the beginning of next year, but even if she got a job tomorrow, it's going to take her a while to save up for an apartment here."
"Her parents wouldn't kick her out, would they?"
"I wouldn't put it past them. They kicked her out when they found out she was pregnant. Hopefully having Sophie involved, they wouldn't do that to her. Even if they do, I offered to help her with anything during this process, so she could live with me for as long as she needs to."
"Are there no dorms available? She could live there until she saves enough."
"She can't live in a dorm when she has Sophie."
"Right." She says softly as she nods to herself. "I guess that would be the only option then."
"You don't want her to live with me." I say, realizing her sudden mood change.
"I don't want her to be homeless, but living together with you and Sophie is like..."
"Like what?"
"Like having the family that you wanted." Hearing those words brings a wave of memories. That's exactly what I told Vicky two years ago when I broke up with her. I wanted to try to have the happy family Sophie deserved. It's like we've come full circle and I didn't even realize. "But that may not even happen, so let's not worry about it." Vicky suddenly says. "Let's hurry up. The next train will be coming soon." She rushes ahead, pulling me along in the process. Is history about to repeat itself for us? I just got her back. I don't want to lose her again.
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Hey guys! I'm so sorry I made you all wait so long for this trash chapter. Hoping the next one will be better.