Chapter Text
David and John fought about the young man’s plans to go to Mexico. Grace pleaded with him to reconsider. At least to wait until he’d finished his university education. As a compromise, he was willing to wait until he’d finished the semester, so that all his credits wouldn’t go to waste.
“Then I’ll find a college down there where I can finish my degree,” John said.
David laughed angrily. “Good luck finding a job when you come back to the US if all you have to your name is a degree from some obscure Mexican college.”
David had always been so calm and peaceable. It was one of the things about him Grace loved the most. The issue with John and Pilar brought out a new side of him, hostile and irritable and even emotional. He blamed himself. Sometimes he would fume about it, other times talk obliquely about “karmic retribution”.
Grace didn’t like it either. She felt betrayed by Pilar and worried about John being in a relationship with someone who would break the law, lie to her friends and family and the United States government for so many years. If Pilar could turn out to be so duplicitous, how could she be trusted with John‘s heart? But Grace also knew it would be foolish for them both to fight John. The young man had made up his mind, and any further resistance from her and David would only serve to push him away.
In May, with his exams complete, John started making his preparations for Mexico. Grace had taken these months to spend time with John, to continue to deepen their relationship. She had missed out on his childhood and teenage years, she didn’t want to let this disagreement drive a wedge between them. Not after so many years of separation. David’s anger cooled somewhat, although he could not get over his disapproval and often made comments under his breath about Pilar and the “mistake” John was making.
“Your father doesn’t mean it,” Grace said once. “He just wants what’s best for you.”
“And being apart from the woman I love is supposed to be good for me?”
“John, be reasonable.”
“I think this has more to do with him being away from you for so long. He lost out on having the prime years of his life with you and so he wants the same for me.”
This was ridiculous of course. Grace objected but said, “Let’s not fight, OK? Your father loves you. He will come around.”
In the months since Pilar’s deportation, Grace’s attention to her son and her husband meant she had no time to pursue her investigation into Eve and TC or the son Eve supposedly had with Julian. There were no more supernatural occurrences, no omens. In truth, many days would pass without Grace so much as thinking about Eve and TC. She wanted to spend as much time with John as possible before he left Harmony to be with Pilar.
“Don’t worry,” David said to Grace one night as they lay in bed after making love. “John will only be a flight away. We could take a trip down to visit some time. Stay at a resort in Cancun or maybe in Puerto Vallarta.”
“I know,” Grace sighed. “It’s just hard to believe he’ll really be gone. I worry about him, and not just because of his relationship with Pilar.”
David tensed up at the mention of her name but resisted the impulse to launch one of his rants against her. He didn’t want to be that person with Grace. The love we share is real, even if it’s all based on a lie, he told himself. He didn’t want to jeopardize it. He kissed her shoulder, then her neck. She felt herself melting into him.
x
Kay, Jessica, and Charity all came to the airport to say goodbye to their half-brother (half-cousin in Charity’s case). Reese Durkee and Simone Russell were there as well. Conspicuously absent was Miguel.
“We’re going to miss you, brother,” Jessica said, giving John a playful shot in the arm. “A lot of people would have run screaming when faced with all the drama in our family. But you stuck around and that means the world.”
John beamed at her. “All my life I dreamt of what it would be like to have siblings, to have a mother. Finding all of you has been like a dream come true.”
“Take care of yourself down there, John,” said Charity. “I haven’t had any premonitions, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have your guard up. My mind’s been.. distracted lately.”
Kay looked uncomfortable.
“Something tells me, though, that with or without one of my premonitions, nothing could stop you from being with Pilar,” Charity added.
John nodded.
“I wish Miguel could understand I never meant to betray our friendship,” he said.
“I thought he would be over this by now,” Charity said sadly. “I’ve tried to change his mind, but there’s no convincing him.” Kay rolled her eyes but said nothing.
When John and Simone embraced, their hug lasted longer than any other. “Thank you for keeping my secret,” John said. “Even though it eventually came out, I knew you would never be the one to reveal it.”
Kay was surprised to hear that her best friend had known about John and Pilar all along and not shared it with her. Then again, she had been so preoccupied with Miguel and Tabitha, she’d really neglected her friendship with Simone. And all during the same year her parents went missing. Kay felt a pang of guilt. She needed to be a better friend to Simone. Someone Simone could confide in, especially now that John was leaving.
What Kay did not overhear was Simone whisper to John: “Just as I knew you’d never reveal my secret.”
A voice on the overhead speaker announced final boarding for John’s flight.
“Ok, this is it,” he said. He hugged his parents one last time. Grace felt tears in her eyes.
“Call as soon you as arrive, ok?” she said, not wanting to let go. But she had to, and soon they were watching as the plane took off. He was gone.
David hugged Grace tightly and reassured her. “We’ll see him again soon. If not down there, then here. We aren't going anywhere.”