Chapter 2

Pinakabagong kabanata

• Holding On   Chapter 6

  About a week after Grace’s arrival, everyone had settled down and her presence wasn’t so strange anymore. So far, she hadn’t tried anything so I didn’t have any problems with her. Brad had taken to ignoring her whenever he could and that meant only when the children were absent. Ken and Kim didn’t question her continuous presence anymore. They probably thought she was a long-term guest. I never actually got around to explaining to them her position in the house.Lisa, on the other hand, I couldn’t really place how she felt. Sometimes, I thought she was happy just having her mom here and that was mostly when Grace was in view. Other times, I sensed unease and dissatisfaction. During these times, she tended to be bitchy to me if I happened to be around her. I mostly ignored her and tried as much as possible not to respond and this was a major feat for me, considering the fact that I was a no-nonsense kind of person and most times, before she had completed her sassy re

• Holding On   Chapter 5

  As everyone finished breakfast, the rush began for last minute preparations. Finally, the children picked their bags and followed Brad out. I had already brushed my teeth and taken my bath before stepping into the kitchen so all I had to do was dress up and leave. It took me close to an hour to accomplish that but when I was done, I couldn’t help but feel confident. Like I could take on the world. It was what I needed and probably what I should have done yesterday instead of wallowing in tears. I stepped out of my room and as I looked around, I went to the kitchen in search of Grace and saw that she had assumed the position; behind the kitchen counter on a stool, sipping coffee. Something tells me it’s a habit she’s formed.I stared at her for a second, “If you have something to say to me then just say it.” I wasn’t surprised that she had seen me. I hadn’t exactly tried to hide it from her. I sighed. “I’m leaving. There’s food in the deep freezer if you’re hungry. A

• Holding On   Chapter 4

  After that episode at the school, I drove home feeling numb. What was Lisa and her mom playing at? It looked to me like they had planned it right from the start. What angered me most was that I drove Grace this morning and she didn’t think to inform me. She made me believe she was coming straight back to the house. I can’t believe that I didn’t see it coming though. I mean, I’m usually good at foreseeing people’s actions. Not that I am psychic or anything like that, just another thing that makes me a top notch lawyer. Right now though, it appeared as if since Grace came into my life, I haven’t been top notch at all.I expected to meet them at home. I had already planned out my speech for both Grace and Lisa, only to get he and realize that they weren’t back yet. I had charged into the house like a woman on a mission and they weren’t even home yet. I waited in the living room, pacing for almost thirty minutes before fear started to creep in. Even with any type of tra

• Holding On   Chapter 3

  I honestly was not in the mood for another argument but judging by the rising volume of the two voices outside, whether I let Brad in or not, I was going to end up with a headache either way. I decided to let him in because I figured that if I talked to him now, I could avoid another headache when I got home. Upon opening the door, the scene before my eyes would have been funny if I was dealing with a matter of less gravity. Macy looked like a scared rabbit in front of a ferocious lion. I had to give the girl some credit; even with Brad all but breathing fire, she didn’t vacate her spot in front of my door. A lesser person would have left at the first sign of danger. “I’ll see him Macy.”Even though the look of relief could be seen clear as day on her face, she still asked, almost protectively, “Are you sure ma?” I was touched and made a mental note to give her a raise. “I’m am, thank you.” I tried to smile but she still looked concerned and judging by the wei

• Holding On   Chapter 2

  “Did you really think the best thing to do was to let Grace handle breakfast?” He was mad. Like fire-breathing dragon mad but I wasn’t about to back down. “It’s not like I had much of a choice. By the time I came down, she was half-done already. What did you expect me to do?” “I expected you to NOT let her cook. If you hadn’t spent so much time thinking of how to get rid of me, maybe you would have been downstairs early enough to cook.” “What’s the issue? It’s not like you haven’t eaten her food before. Or is she such a bad cook that you can’t stand just one meal she made?” The idea that Grace was a bad cook was laughable. I could still catch little whiffs of breakfast even if I was upstairs in the bedroom with the door locked.Brad isn’t a violent man, but at that moment he looked like he could put a giant crack in the major pillar of the house. “Don’t you realize what’s going on? The more the children see and hear of Grace, the more confused and conflicted t

• Holding On   Chapter 1

  My favorite time of the day is when the sun is setting and there’s that cool breeze running through the air. I always like to sit at the balcony and reminisce on all I have achieved that day and what I plan to do on the next. I also use that opportunity to see what is happening beyond the four walls of my home. It was on one of these occasions that I first saw Grace.I remember wondering to myself, “who is this woman walking so confidently, heading straight for my gate?” I saw her converse with the gate-man, both of them at ease with each other. It seemed strange and surprising. What was even more surprising was the fact that Aliu let her in without alerting me of her presence and checking if I wanted to see her or not. We live in a very secure estate. Before anyone comes into any home, the security at the main gate must have seen the person and collected his or her phone number and address. After this, at the gate of each house, the gate-man will call the main hous