A State of Grace Pt. 02

Kevin's eyes flew open wide, but he didn't protest. I pushed him into the middle of the bed and settled in on his left. Crystal set Kayla next to Kevin. My heart melted as the little girl instictively burrowed into his chest. Kevin looked at me and grinned at her sleepy antics. Crystal squeezed in on Kayla's other side then she and I pulled the comforter over all of us. She smiled her gratitude at me, and then settled against her pillow and closed her eyes. The next morning, I woke up wrapped in a pair of warm, feminine arms. A gentle hand was sensuously tracing my flanks, pausing to explore the curve of my ass, before sliding beneath the waistband of my panties and moving south...

"Crystal!" I said, tiredly.

"Sorry," she mumbled back, equally tiredly.

Then she sat bolt upright, eyes widening in fear.

"Where's Kayla?!" she cried, seeing that she and I were alone in bed.

She flew out from under the covers, dashing to the bedroom door. She didn't quite make it into the hallway before Kayla's sweet little voice drifted into the room through the open door.

"Good morning, Mommy!" she cried. "Uncle Kev and I are making you and Aunt Gracie breakfast in bed! You weren't supposed to wake up, yet!" she added in a scolding tone.

Crystal paused for a moment to catche her breath before she replied.

"I'm sorry, punkin," she said. "I just got a little worried when I woke up and didn't see you. What are you and Uncle Kev making?"

"Mommy," she replied in that same tone, "If we told you, it wouldn't be a surprise!"

A few minutes later, Kayla walked into the bedroom. She was still wearing her pink Disney pajamas, and she carried a little tray with a plastic bottle of maple syrup on it. She stepped carefully and with the utmost seriousness into the room, making way for Kevin, who carried the rest of the breakfast.

"Mommy, you have to be in BED if I'm gonna give you breakfast in bed!"

"Oh of course!" Crystal said quickly, getting into bed. "Sorry honey! It's been so long since I had breakfast in bed that I forgot what to do!"

"You're so silly sometimes, Mommy!" Kayla said with a giggle.

Crystal and I propped ourselves up with extra pillows behind our backs, while Kevin set his tray onto the nightstand. Then he picked up a still-giggling Kayla and set her down between us. With a grin, Kevin handed each of us a lap tray with a plate of pancakes and sausage patties. He set a carton of milk and a carton of juice on the other nightstand, and settled onto the bed by my side.

"It't pancakes!" Kayla exclaimed. "Aren't you so surprised, Mommy! I made pancakes and snausage-"

"That's sausage, honey," Kevin corrected gently.

"Yeah, sawww-sage!" she agreed, stretching the first syallable for emphasis. "I made it for you and Aunt Gracie! Uncle Kev helped a lot, though," she added, with a sidelong glance at Kevin.

"Just a little bit," he agreed with a conspiratorial wink. "Kayla's an excellent pancake chef, though, so I didn't have to do much."

"Mmmmm, they're delicious, Kayla!" I said. "Thank you very much!"

"You're welcome!" she said, through a mouthful of pancakes.

As I watched the child eat and banter back and forth with her mother and Kevin, I felt a strong tug at my heartstrings. She was such a delightful child, I thought to myself. Someday, I promised God and Kevin in the privacy of my mind. Someday soon, we will have a child of our own!

But all too soon, Kevin was up again, clearing the dishes and trays. Kayla helped him clean up by getting the syrup bottle and the juice and milk cartons. As they trooped back toward the kichen, I shot Crystal a bright smile.

"She really lights up a room, you know?" I told her.

"Oh, she certainly does that!" Crystal agreed, grinning fondly after her child.

She shot me a searching glance. Then she smiled tenderly at me.

"Being her Mom is the greatest, most wonderful thing that's ever happened to me," Crystal said. "In many ways, I owe her my life. I'm not at all certain I would've been so driven to escape if she hadn't been growing inside of me. And even now, when things get dark, all I have to do is spend some time with her, and-"

She gestured with one hand towards the door, where we could hear Kevin and Kayla cleaning up the kitchen.

"I can't stay angry or depressed when I'm with her."

We spent a pleasant morning together, but soon it was time for Kevin to get ready for work. He directed Kayla back to the guest room to double check that all of her things were packed. Then he turned back to us.

"Gracie," he began, "It's going to be okay. We'll figure out what to do when I get home, okay? In the meantime, keep your 'friend' close, okay?"

He patted a spot on his right hip where his pistol rode beneath his shirt.

"I will, love," I agreed.

I bit my lip and looked at Crystal, and sighed.

"Kevin, I need to tell you something before you go -- something I probably should have told you when we first admitted we were in love. Crystal and I have -"

"I know," he said simply.

"What?!" Crystal and I said simultaneously, shocked!

Kevin grinned and shook his head at the two of us. He cupped my face in one hand and pulled me in for a quick kiss.

"Gracie, I've known you my whole life," he said. "You don't have near as many secrets as you think you do -- not from me, anyway. I can tell from watching the two of you that you've been lovers! It doesn't bother me."

"It doesn't?" I asked, not able to totally conceal my disbelief.

"No," he replied, firmly. "It happed before we were together. In fact, it was before you and Matt were together!"

He smiled and kissed me again.

"Gracie, I've aleady told you: the things that happened in the past are just that. I don't hold your past against you! How could I? What matters to me, is what happens from this point on! You haven't been with anyone but me since that night with Matt and Lance in our parents' house. I know that without having to ask. I can see the truth in your eyes, just as you can in mine! I trust you just as much as I love you!"

"Even when we have a rough patch?" I asked, eyes watering a little. I was thinking of the days just passed, when he and I were at odds with each other over what I'd thought was a crazy conspiracy theory.

"Even when we have a rough patch!" he agreed with a smile. "I'll never, ever stop loving you, Grace!"

"I'll never stop loving you either, Kevin," I whispered, and kissed him again.

Crystal smiled at the two of us, her face suffused with love, and tinged with a little sadness. Kevin eyed her with compassion. He rested a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it gently.

"Crystal, I consider you family. You and Kayla both! You are forever welcome in our home and in our lives! Never doubt that."

Crystal smiled fondly at him.

"Thanks, Kevin," she said. "To be completely honest, I was a little worried about how you'd react when you found out that Grace and I had loved each other. I'm sorry I wasn't honest with you before now."

"Don't be!" Kevin said. "It wasn't really any of my business."

"Kevin," I began, reluctant to break the mood. "What are we going to do about-"

I gestured towards the floor, indicating the secret room. Kevin sighed.

"You were right with what you said," he replied. "It's all crucial evidence that needs to be turned over to the authorities. I have an idea about that, and we'll talk about it tonight. Just don't take any action on it until then, okay?"

"Okay!" I said, feeling like a great weight had been lifted from my shoulders.

"I already know what a cautious person you are, Crystal," Kevin began, "But just the same, I hope you'll be extra vigilant for a while."

"Way ahead of you there, Kevin," Crystal replied.

"Good," he responded.

He kissed me and held me for a moment before he released me slung his rucksack over one shoulder.

"Hey, don't I get a hug?" Crystal demanded. "And you need to tell Kayla goodbye, too!"

"Yeah, me too!" Kayla agreed loudly as she reentered the room.

Kevin scooped her up and hugged her tight, kissing the top of her little head.

"Goodbye, Sweetheart! I love you!"

"I love you too, Uncle Kev!" she said happily, kissing his cheek.

Then he set her down, and she trotted off to use the bathroom before they left.

"My turn," Crystal murmured, giving Kevin a gentle hug.

"Crystal," Kevin said, squirming, and pulling the hand I hadn't seen away from where she'd been groping his balls. "I said you were welcome in our home and in our lives. But, uh, not there!"

"Sorry!" Crystal said, then giggled.