A Mother’s Love - A Timeless Side Piece
A/N: Happy Mother’s Day! Here’s a little side piece featuring our favorite mom, Grace! ❤️
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Grace stared at the picture that the shaggy man had handed to her outside the Southlife Hotel. It unsettled her. Was this her Reggie or was that man who handed it to her truly just delusional? She didn’t know. She wanted to believe that this was all a misunderstanding but something ate at her. Was she putting you at risk by being with him? All these close calls and times where you could’ve gotten hurt synced up with the knowledge of the president coming to Dallas. You had never been in any danger before and in the span of a week your life had been threatened multiple times. Grace needed to know that this was all just coincidence.
Taking a car to the D.S. Umbrella Manufacturing Co. building she snuck inside with the spare key Reginald had given her. Entering his office, she looked around through the papers and desk drawers but found nothing. Maybe she was letting this all go to her head. But then out of the corner of her eye she saw a light coming from...behind the bookcase? Curious, she walked over and started to pull the bookcase trying to access what was behind it. The case moved with ease and opened like it was a door. When it was wide enough Grace peeked her head in and her eyes went wide. There was a secret room back here. Carefully she stepped inside and slowly looked around. There were tons of blueprints and notes hung up on bulletin boards all around the room. What was this stuff?
As she approached the table in the center of the room Grace noticed a thick file folder laying on top of it. Opening the folder, She found a flurry of images all relating to the president before finding a printout of a map showing the route the motorcade was supposed to take tomorrow. Her heart raced and her voice wavered as she said,
“Oh, my God.”
She continued to look at the map in shock until she heard a voice ask,
“What are you doing in here?”
Her head shot up and looked over towards the entrance. There stood Reginald looking on with a blank expression, his hands in his pockets and he quietly waited for a response.
“Not sure what I could say that would overwrite the obvious.” Grace responds nervously
Reginald nods his head and leans against the frame of the entrance. His eyes still on Grace as he follows up,
“Fair enough. New question, then. Why are you doing it?”
IF she was going to get an answers it was going to have to be now.
“Are you involved in somethin' nefarious?” Grace asks
Reginald stands up straight again as he slowly starts to walk over to Grace.
“Quite often. Did you have something more specific in mind?” He questions back
Grace backed up a little bit to put some space between her and Reginald. She felt crazy in this moment, like she was torn in two. This was her Reggie, he would never hurt anyone but these pictures she found made her feel otherwise. Not knowing how to explain herself Grace rambles,
“That- that shaggy man at the consulate, the one who chased after us with the boy.”
“Calls himself Diego.” Reginald states
“Yes, that's the one. He...he thinks that you want to harm the president.”
“I see. You take the word of lunatics these days?” Reginald inquires
Grace felt backed into a corner. She needed to lighten things because she didn’t know what she could trust at this point. If she could just get some positive reassurance, that’s all she’d need.
“Not over yours, but these...these photographs, they're all about the president's visit tomorrow, aren't they?” Grace questioned
“You know there are aspects of my work I cannot discuss. You've always respected that line.” Reginald comments
“I don't need to know the details, Reggie. I just need to know that you're not involved in what I'm afraid you might be.” Grace states
Reginald takes a step forward and asks,
“What are you really afraid of, my dear?”
Grace wasn’t born yesterday. She knew what he was implying. He was implying that she was afraid of him, and in a small way she was. Grace started to realize all the things she didn’t know. All the secret meetings behind closed doors and the late nights in his office. She barely knew anything but the surface of who this man was. Grace looked at him with sadness and confusion in her eyes,
“There's so much about you I don't understand.”
“I could say the same about you.” Reginald replies with a smirk
Grace can feel herself shake as she takes a step towards him. Her heart felt like it was being torn in two given all that had happened in these very few moments. She still loved him but loving him felt much harder with ever roundabout dismissive answer he gave her. Practically begging him for a straight answer. Grace says,
“I want to share my life with you, Reggie, but I need to know you're a good man. I need to know you would never hurt the president.”
“As I said, there are elements in my life that I can't discuss with you. Someday, I hope to share it all with you. Until then, I'm asking you to trust me.”
Tears built in her eyes. This wasn’t going to work. She wanted to know that no harm would be done to an innocent person and he could not give her that answer. He gave her no answer at all. If he could not guarantee the safety of the president how could he ever guarantee the safety of you.
“I can't wait that long. I'm sorry.” Grace states as she starts to walk away
“Grace. Wait.” Reginald calls out
Grace stops in place and turns on her heels to face him. Before he can say anymore she answers,
“No Reggie. If you can’t tell me that you’re not going to harm the president with your work how do I know one day your work won’t cause us harm?”
“I would never let that happen.” Reginald states firmly
“How can I believe that when you won’t tell me what’s going on? It’s not even my safety that I’m worried about. It’s the safety of my daughter. She has been put in harms way enough and I refuse to have her come close to harm ever again.” Grace exclaims
“She’ll be safe if we all stay together. Please just calm down.”
Calm down? She couldn’t calm down if the safety of her child was on the line. A child who Reginald took in and help to raise. Yes, you were an adult the whole time but the three of you made a family. Grace though Reginald had seen you as his daughter but he couldn’t even give a straight answer about protecting you.
“Reggie, It is my duty as a mother to protect my child and if you’re involved in something that can end up hurting her then I don’t want any part in it.” Grace angrily retorts
Reginald looked at her, taken aback. He had never seen her so angry before. Actually, he had never seen her angry at all. Grace silently looked at him before attempting to turn away. Trying to keep her there, Reginald blurts,
“There’s things about her that she’s not telling you, Grace.”
Grace turned back again and narrowed her eyes at him. Her tone sharper as she remarked,
“Well, everyone has secrets Reggie. You would know that.”
“She needs to be around me, someone who can handle her.” Reginald harshly explains
Grace couldn’t believe what she was hearing. He was talking about you as if you were a pet to be trained or like some kind of lab rat. You were a person not some kind of object to be used. Disgust coursed through her veins.
“Handle her? My daughter is not some animal Reggie!” Grace yelled “She doesn’t need to be handled she needs to be loved and protected from the dangers of this world.”
“Grace, please just listen to me, (Y/N) is more than just your daughter!” Reginald exclaims
“You’re right! She’s my world!” Grace yelled back “Y’know, I always wondered why she was so abrasive and sarcastic with you and now I see why. She saw your true colors when I couldn’t.”
“You cannot just take her away from me!” Reginald shouts
“I can and I will.” Grace firmly replies “Now, I’m going back to the house to take my things and my daughter as far away from you as possible.”
Finally turning around, Grace storms out of the room and out of the building towards her car.
“Grace!” Reginald called behind her
There was no response. She had left and it became clear in that moment to Reggie that a mother’s love would always trump that of a lover’s trust.
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