A quick check in

“You doing okay back there?” Grace asked, starting the conversation back up before you could even think of what to ask.

“I’m fine” you cheerfully replied.

“You sure? You’ve been making sure me and Emma were okay after all that so I’m pretty sure you have something on your mind as well” Grace responded, picking up on your mood even if you tried to hide it.

It took a moment to collect your thoughts into something you felt comfortable saying but Grace patiently waited for you without pressuring you for an answer. You leaned forward from where you were sat so you could be closer to her and Grace had undone her seatbelt so she could more comfortably turn to face you, locking eyes with you when you were ready.

“...I thought I’d be excited to go home and put all of this behind me but as it gets closer and closer to actually making it back, I feel like my nerves are just getting worse” you said, feeling a bit of the pressure lightened once you admitted it.

“I don’t think that’s weird given your situation. The situation you have gotten yourself in is weird though” Grace joked trying to ease the tension before she continued.

“Have you thought about what exactly is making you feel this way about going home?” she asked, the warm smile never dropping from her face.

“It’s just… I have a lot of things planned for next week and stuff that will be coming to an end that I need to go well. This trip was sort of a way to put some of that to the back of my mind for a few days. Like we did earlier before we came to Izzy’s. Plus exams. Plus making sure everyone is happy and that I’m spending time with everyone. Plus… you get the idea” you explained, stopping yourself before you got too in-depth.

You could see Grace considering your worries and she looked like she was ready to speak multiple times before she kept reconsidering her words. You gave her the same courtesy she had given you by waiting for her to speak without rushing her in any way and eventually you got an answer.

“I wanted to say that you’ve been doing great so far but that might just sound hollow as I’m sure you’ve already had the same thought yourself. I can’t speak for you or what you are going through as I’ve clearly not had any of the same experiences you currently have but I genuinely think you’ll be fine no matter what you do. The only comparison I can make is me running my own business and while it’s scary and you feel like other people have expectations of you, it’s those same people that can make it less terrifying if you open up to them” Grace stated, giving you her opinion on the matter.

She ended it with a motion of her hands to say you had already essentially taken the first step by opening up to her and she was right, you did feel better knowing that while not the same circumstance, Grace had gone through struggles that did feel comparable in your mind.

There was a moment of silence where Grace could see she had gotten through to you, letting her briefly check in on Emma before turning back around to face you. She must have been okay with what she saw as she leaned her head to the side of the headrest to relax facing you, a little smirk now curling her lip as her eyes locked with your own.

“I mean I’ve certainly enjoyed everything we have done so far and I think it’s fair to say Emma would agree with me even though she isn’t here” Grace said, never looking away from you.

“You didn’t seem as upfront about it when I first suggested our practice kissing” you teased back, seeing the light in her eyes as you leaned forward to get just that bit closer.

“If I’d known back then how far you were willing to take things, I don’t think I’d have agreed to it in the first place. In hindsight I don’t regret it one bit but back then I guess I wasn’t aware I’d already fallen into your trap” she replied, looking happy to have fallen into the trap she mentioned.

“Well I'm sure there’s a lot more ‘practicing’ I can get your help with? Only if you want to of course” you continued, getting just that bit closer where you could run your finger up alongside her neck causing her to shiver.

“I’m sure we will get to that but for now, I think one of our lessons sounds good right about now” Grace added, her line of sight moving down to eye your lips.

At her invitation, you leaned forward and Grace’s lips met your own, starting the kiss between you and running your hand up behind her head to pull her in closer, wanting to feel as physically connected with her as you could in this moment.

You knew Emma would be back shortly and while you both knew she would be okay seeing you like this, there was a spark between you that enjoyed the forbiddeness of doing this while she wasn’t here. You didn’t push for anything more and you didn’t feel the need to go further, just enjoying the tender kiss while you could before you parted.

Once you could look in her eyes again, Grace took your hand in hers and moved it to her chest, letting you feel her heartbeat racing in her chest.

“See? If you can do that to me after just one kiss then you are gonna be fine. Follow your instincts and even if you lose your footing, we’ll be here to help” Grace said, patting your hand affectionately.

Some moments passed as you felt her heart rate slow down back to its resting rhythm and by the time you felt ready to move your hand, the passenger side door opened and Emma climbed into the back seat with you.

“What did I miss?” she asked innocently, passing her mother her drink before reaching into the bag to get yours.

“Just some casual kissing, nothing you haven’t seen before” you replied, finding it easier to admit that you had kissed Grace than to say what you had actually talked about.

Emma froze with a pout, the bottle she had picked out hovering halfway between the two of you as you attempted to reach out and take it.

“Ah, ah. Nope it’s mine now. Serves you right for not letting me watch” Emma fussed, pulling back the bottle.

“The fact that that’s what you’re mad about still boggles my mind” Grace said, chuckling to herself and turning to face forward so she could start the car.

Hearing the sound of the engine start brought back that feeling of nervousness you had been holding over going home but you looked and saw Grace keeping an eye on you through the rearview mirror, the feeling drifting away as she made true on her promise to look over you. With a brief nod, her attention turned back to the car as she pulled out of the parking spot, and the journey home began.

Author's note: Spoiler chapter will be updated shortly :)