Glamorous - A Grace Bishop Novel - Chapter 39
© Denise Bossarte
Late the next afternoon,
Grace stopped by the hospital to check on Billy and see how his family was
holding up. When she arrived at Billy’s
room, she found Anthony looking somewhat bedraggled at what had become his
permanent place sitting outside in the hall. Sophie must have brought him a
change of clothes recently as he was at least wearing something different than
the last time she visited. She nodded to him as she entered the room, not
surprised at finding Mrs. Winiarksi at Billy’s bedside.
“Hi Mrs. W.” she greeted her with a hug.
“Gracie, good to see you honey. The crew left a few minutes ago.
They’ve all gone to grab a bite to eat.”
“And you didn’t join them?” Grace admonished her.
“No, I am not feeling much of an appetite these days. Not with
Billy still playing at being Sleeping Beauty,” was her half-hearted attempt at
a joking reply, tinged with sadness.
“Why don’t you at least walk down to the cafeteria to see if
they have anything that might interest you? Even if it is a slice of chocolate
cake? It would be lovely to stretch your legs for a bit. Getting something in
your stomach will help keep up your energy for sitting with Billy. I can stay
with him while you’re away.”
Mrs. Winiarksi eyed her.
“Ok, Gracie, I appreciate your offer. I’ll go take a walk down
there. See if I can find something to tempt me. Would you like me to send
Anthony in to join you?”
“Yes, I would like that” Grace admitted, surprised at herself.
Mrs. Winiarksi unfolded
herself from the chair, stiff from sitting in one place for hours. With a sigh,
she put a hand on the lower part of her back and stretched a bit before turning
and walking through the door.
A few seconds later, Anthony
came into the room.
“Would you shut the door, please?” Grace requested before he got
too far into the room.
“Sure, Grace,” he said and raised the door stopper with one foot
to let the door swing shut, making sure it closed with only a small thump.
“How are you getting along with Billy’s family?” she asked him
as she took a seat next to the bed and laid her hand on Billy’s arm.
“They are marvelous, especially Mrs. Winiarksi,” he responded as
he took a seat opposite her, sounding surprised by the experience. “They are
generous and welcoming. They let me come in and see Billy all the time. They
even bring me food when they stop by to see him. They don’t ask questions, but
let me stay out in the hallway.”
“Not what you expected?”
“No, not at all. Sophie always gives me a hard time about my
attitude towards Norms. She tells me I spend too much time on the stage seeing
them as an audience rather than as real people. Sophie is around Norms all day
with her job. She always has a more open attitude toward them than me,” he
admitted as he moved to take his seat across from Grace, following her lead by
taking Billy’s hand.
“And now?” Grace prompted him.
“I admit she is right. Being here with Billy’s family makes me
realize how foolish I have been,” he said with chagrin.
“Well, Billy’s family is a fantastic group of people, especially
his mom. They’re a second family to me, which makes me biased when it comes to
them. Not all Norms are as open and supportive as Billy’s family. But it’s good
you’ve stepped off the stage to find out some of them are like that.”
“I am not glad this happened to Billy,” he said, gesturing to
Billy’s bandaged head. “But regardless of how this all turns out, I am glad I
met Billy and you, Grace.”
Grace grew uncomfortable at
Anthony’s confession, not wanting get into an
emotional conversation with Anthony on the night of her meeting with the
Glamour. She came to check in on Billy and say her goodbyes. She wasn’t sure
what would happen this evening but realized she might not make it back from the
lake house.
“How is he doing?” she redirected.
“The doctors say the swelling has gone down some, but not as
much as they would like. According to the doctors is not unusual to keep
someone in an induced coma for several weeks. They are not overly concerned at
this point, only hoping to see more progress by now.”
“There’s a chance he might not come out of this, right? That he
may never get better? I’m not trying to be negative about his chances, but I
also want to be realistic on what might happen from here.”
Anthony grew solemn at Grace’s questions, searching Billy’s
still face before answering.
“I understand what you mean Grace about not fooling ourselves
with false hope. I think it is still too early to be sure. But there is a
chance Billy could never wake up again.”
It was what Grace needed to
hear. She could not talk to Mrs. Winiarksi or the others of Billy’s family about it. They needed to focus all their positive
energy into believing Billy would get well. She needed to face the reality of
the situation as it gave her even more reason to stick to her resolve and
finish things with the Glamour like she planned.
Grace leaned in close to
Billy, wrapping her arms around his prone form to hold him in an awkward hug
and lay her check against his rough unshaven one.
She whispered into his ear.
“Billy, keep fighting to
come back to us. Your family needs you back and Anthony needs you back. Danny
and I need you back.”
Grace felt the tears pooling in her eyes and she blinked rapidly
to help her eyes stay focused.
“I’m going to meet the Glamour at mom and dad’s lake house
tonight. I’ve challenged him to face me there, and I plan on making sure he
never leaves again. If you were awake, I’m sure you would tell me I’m doing
something foolish and try to stop me. But I’m not.
This is necessary for me to risk it. I’m as prepared as I can
be, but I’m not sure whether I’ll be coming back home tonight. If I don’t, I want
you to know I love you. You are the best big brother and friend; better than I
deserve. You’ve always inspired me, and it’s your example I am following
tonight.
Get better, Billy, please get better!”
She gave his stubbled check a solid and lingering kiss, then
straightened back up in her seat.
“Grace?” Anthony questioned her once she regained her composure.
“What are you planning to do?”
Grace grimaced at him, glad to have something to be annoyed at
to let her move on from her tears. Anthony was too perceptive for his own good.
“I’m taking care of the Glamour tonight” she stated, trying to
convey her commitment to her plan of action with the tone of her voice.
Anthony scrutinized her face for a moment before answering.
“I see. You are planning on doing this alone, I take it?”
“Yes, I am. You should stay here with Billy in case the Glamour
pulls a fast one and comes here instead of meeting me. I wouldn’t put it past
the Glamour to pretend to be willing to meet me and then use the opportunity to
get access to my friends. It’s too risky for you to come with me.”
“I could send for someone else to watch Billy…” he began.
But Grace interrupted him. “No Anthony, you’re the one I trust
to keep Billy safe. No offense to the other Paranorms. But if I’m going to risk
everything tonight I can’t be worrying about whether someone is doing their job
here. I know you will, and it will let me focus on what I need to do.”
Anthony didn’t like what she was saying but he wouldn’t argue
with her logic, either.
“If something happens to me tonight…”
“Grace…,” he started to interrupt her.
“No, Anthony, let me finish. If something happens to me tonight,
tell Billy how much I love him and I’m trying to do the right thing. Billy will
understand and will forgive me in time for doing this. Tell him I was my usual
unbendable stubborn self and I wasn’t willing to accept your help or to put
anyone else at risk. I had to do this myself. Will you do that for me?”
Anthony didn’t point out he might never deliver the message to Billy if he stayed in a coma. He bowed his head a moment then looked back into her eyes accepting her decision.
Anthony didn’t point out he might never deliver the message to Billy if he stayed in a coma. He bowed his head a moment then looked back into her eyes accepting her decision.
“Yes, Grace, I will.”
“And please explain to Sophie for me. I didn’t have time to
catch up with her before I left tonight.”
“I will. She is over at DL’s right now keeping an eye on him and
Beth, but I will tell her if anything happens.”
At the mention of DL, Grace looked at her watch. She had a few
more minutes before she should hit the road. She should call DL and let him
know what was going on before she did.
Grace stood and circled around the bed to where Anthony was
sitting. She surprised him and herself by giving him a quick hug.
“Despite everything that’s happened, Anthony, I’m happy I got a
chance to know you, too,” she whispered.
Then she released him to open the door and slip out into the
hallway.
As soon as she got to the
parking lot and pulled herself back together, she made the call to DL. He
picked up on the second ring. Grace’s
throat tightened at the sound of his voice.
“Grace, I’m glad you called. I was about to check in with you to
see how Billy is doing.”
“He hasn’t changed much. Some reduced swelling in his brain, but
no major progress to report. The doctors say it will take some more time for
him to improve.”
“I’m sorry he hasn’t seen much improvement. We’re all sending
our prayers to him and his family.”
“I am sure they appreciate that, DL. All the help they can get,
right?”
“Definitely, Grace. Speaking of progress, how’s it going with
our ‘new friend?’”
Grace walked him through her plans to meet the Glamour,
including the chance she was giving the girls to find closure in confronting
him.
“Grace, I would ask you to swing by and pick me up on your way
there. But I know you well enough to understand you won’t do that. I’ll settle
for saying thank you for what you are doing for the girls and ask you to take
care of yourself.”
“Thanks, DL. I want you and Beth safe tonight,” she said
relieved, not wanting to start another discussion about the feasibility of her
plan. “I hear Sophie is there watching out for all of you?”
DL laughed, sounding bemused.
“Sophie’s got Jennifer and Beth and bunch of my girls here doing
a ‘Tarot Reading party’. It was a clever way to bring in the girls to get them
off the streets and away from the Glamour, and they’re having a blast. Could be
an all-night thing. Maybe even a slumber party afterward.”
“Are you joining in with them for the reading?”
“Oh, no, Grace. What Sophie is doing is real enough, but I don’t
believe in relying on hints of the future to dictate how I live my life. Free
will and all. I’ll take it as it comes, one day at a time.”
Grace shook her head at the
phone. But she admired DL’s conviction he didn’t need to know what
was coming to live his life in the way he wanted. She agreed with his
sentiment, given her own conviction in what she was about to do.
“Good luck, Grace. Call me once you’ve finished.”
“All right, DL. I’ll call after it’s all over,” Grace assured
him, turning the key in the ignition and putting the car into drive.
It was time for her to get back to the house and get everyone on
the road.
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