Chapter 1: He's Mine

The day started like any other for Stacey Greenbank.  Since starting a relationship with Grant Muster.  

On waking she'd send him a voice message saying good morning and that she will see him soon.  She would then go wash and make them their packed lunch.  She wasn't big on breakfast so often skipped it.

She loved her job, helping to design and create new learning toys for children with disabilities.  That is where she met Grant nearly two years ago now.  It had been her second day there when he had literally knocked her to the ground by turning around quickly and knocking into her.

He had apologised and held out his hand.  It wasn't until she looked up into his clear light blue eyes that she had been struck at how handsome he was.  Then she had realised he was holding a white cane and that he was blind or pratically sighted.

That was the start of their relationship.  Stacey had confessed to him three months later and they'd started to date.

Stacey had loved the fact that he had wanted to keep her close and seemed to be jealous if she spent to much time away from him.  She remembers the first time; he had became jealous when another work colleague had wanted to get close to her.  She had been thinking of a polite way to tell the colleague, she couldn’t accept the flowers he had wanted to give her.  Grant had walked up to her side put his arm around her, pretending not to know that she was standing in front of someone else.  “Babe, should I cook tonight?” he’s asked kissing the side of her head.  Babe? Cook? She’d thought and then looked at the work colleague and understood.  He seemed to have a uncanny ability to know where she was in any given space and had probably heard the stuttering confession the colleague had made. 

She had turned to him smiling, “I’m just with” “Stacey, it’s alright I understand now, sorry for bothering you” the colleague had rushed to say stopping her from going further.  She’d smiled and nodded her head as he walked away, his ears red with embarrassment.  Grant had apologised saying he hadn’t realised someone else was there.  She’d let it go as she found it kind of cute.

The only times she had to remind him that it was him, she loved was when his insecurity about him not being good enough for her would pop up.  They’d gone to one of his parent’s company’s events and a number of people had told her that she looked beautiful.  He had become quiet and when she asked him if he was alright.  He had asked why she was with him?  She’d spent the rest of the night assuring him that he was the only one she loved and would always love. 

After that she had noticed other times, jealousy would lead him to be brave and confident.  While on other occasions he would become quiet and question if he was good enough for her.  She had learnt to adjust and say the right things, hoping to assure him that she was with him because she loved him.

So, she hadn't minded that he wanted to keep her all to himself, even when away from work.  Now they had a routine.  She'd send voice message him when she woke-up and they'd take turns packing a lunch for each other.

Today was Wednesday so it was her turn to make and pack lunch.  Today she made chicken, salad wraps and cut fruit, as well as two bottles of fresh juice with some good minerals added.

She headed out to her car and went to pick him up.  "Morning Love" he greeted as he got into the car.  "Morning Handsome, how did you sleep?" she asks

"A full 8 hours" he answers "um, you're wearing the new perfume I bought you" he answers smiling at the thought of her wearing his perfume.

"Of course, I like it" Stacey answers as she joins the traffic again.  "There is a lot of blue sky to the east but grey clouds over us at the moment.  I think in another hour we'll be having another clear beautiful day" she continues.  They were blessed as the state they lived in had long summers and a short often mild winters.

"So, we'll have lunch on the roof today?" Grant asks "yes, the spring flowers should be opening by now" she agrees.

Her arm shoots out across Grants chest, as a car pulls out in front of her and she has to break suddenly, "Idiot" she shouts and then glances at Grant.  Who is grinning at her yelling?  "Sorry, it's a reflex reaction" she apologises in case he takes offence a little of her protecting him.

Once at work he kisses her and goes to his work station and she to hers.  They work until lunch and then meet up and go up to the roof top garden with raised planters and benches with tables scatted around them.

“I was right some of the flowers have opened.  Can you smell them?” she asks him, he nods smiling.

They talk about what they might do at the weekend and when the new girl Jane, comes up to shyly greet Grant again.  Stacey moves closer to his side to warn her yet again, that he is hers, he's not the only one, who can get jealous.

Grant moves his hand to Stacey's thigh, "hi again, but I'd like to have lunch with my girl here" he says making Stacey feel all warm and fuzzy inside.  She smiles sweetly at Jane.

"Oh, okay then.  See you later then" Jane pouts before leaving them.  Grant squeezes Stacey's thigh to reassure her.

"Why don't we go out of town, this weekend?" he suggests, she doesn’t say anything for a few seconds.  "You mean stay over somewhere?" she asks feeling her heart begin to beat faster at the thought that they could be taking the next step in their relationship.

Grant has said he wanted them to go slowly and get to know each other properly.  But if she was honest she had been ready to take this step about a year ago.  But Grant had never seemed to be to confident to take that last step.

"Yeah, I think it would be good for us" he agrees

"Okay, I'll search for places to stay when I get back to my desk" she says excited.  When they finish their wraps and fruit, she starts to put the lunch boxes away and clear up.

Her phone rings and she glances at the ID "its Mum, I won't belong" she tells him standing up and moving a little away to answer the call.

"Mum, this is a nice surprise, what's going on?" she asks

"Honey, you need to come home, well to the hospital.  Your Dad has had a turn and its not looking good!" her mother tells her.

"What? How? He was fine when I spoke to you both Sunday?" she exclaims shocked.

"I'll explain more when you get here" her mother says and she hears the restrained emotion in her mother’s voice.

"Right, I'll leave as soon, as I notify my boss, I need some personal time off.  I'll be there as soon as I can Mum" she assures her.

They end the call and she walks back to Grant, "I need to go home, my dad has been taken to the hospital" she tells him

"You can't, we were going away for the weekend!" Grant says 

"What? Did you just hear me? My Dad is in the hospital, of course I need to go back to see him" she says picking up her bag and the lunch bag.

Grant grabs her arm before she can leave "it’s probably just your mother being overly dramatic again and I really don't want you to go?" he pleads 

"That is not an option, it doesn’t matter if she is over stating things, my dad is in hospital, I need to be there for them both, and I'm not asking you, for permission.  I'll ask Craig to take you home and pick you up while I'm gone" she tells him, pushing his hand off her arm and running towards the door so she can go down and tell her boss.

She takes the stairs too impatient to wait for the elevator.  Once she has told her boss, she sends a text to Craig asking him to pick-up Grant too and from work.  She is just getting into the elevator when she see's Grant already in it.

"I've told Sally, I need leave.  I've texted Craig so you've got a ride.  I'll need to head home so I can leave the car and pack a few bits before heading to the train station.  If I'm quick, I'll be able to catch the 3:15pm train as the next isn't until 7pm" she says all in a rush as they head down towards the lobby.

He takes her arm as the elevator doors open and leads her outside a side door to a small courtyard.  "You really have to go?" he asks her

"It's my dad Grant of course I have to go?" she answers

"Then can you wait till afterwork and we can both go together? he offers

"No, Mum sounded as though I needed to get there as soon as possible" she replies

His face falls into a frown, as he seems to think of other ways to go with her or detain her, she's can't really be sure.

"Grant, I need to leave now, I'm already cutting it fine.  If I get stuck in traffic getting to the train station, I'll miss the train" she tells him.

"I don't want you to go on your own!" he states

"I'm a big girl, I'll be fine" she tries to assure him.

"But if you could just wait? I'd leave now but I've an important meeting with local government about books supplies to local schools" he says 

"I know, I don't expect you to drop everything too.  But I really must go" she says turning.  He moves forward and hugs her from behind.  She always finds it surprising that a nearly blind man can still seem to know exactly where she is.

"Grant I've not got time for this let me go!" she cries

"Not got time to give me a hug?" he questions

"I'm going to miss my train" she cries struggling to get out of his hold.

He doesn't let her go immediately seeming to have an inner fight with himself.  But once free she runs for the door and rushes across the lobby towards to exist.  It takes her a little longer than she'd hoped to get back home.

Throwing some stuff into a small suitcase, she tries to calm her mind enough to check she has everything.  But a glance at the time sends her panicking and after throwing her toothbrush and hair brush into her luggage, she closes the case and rushes from her apartment.

The traffic is terrible and she clock watches as the time creeps closer and closer to the 3pm.  In the end she jumps out the taxi after throwing him some money and runs threw the traffic jam towards the train station.

When she gets there, she finds the train station just as a busy.   She stands in line to get her ticket and hears the announcement that her train is leaving the platform.  She swears looking at the time 3:16pm.

So, she decides to go to the coach station next door and buys a ticket.  It will take 2 hours longer than the train but she’ll still arrive quicker than if she'd waited for the 7pm train.

She sends a text to her Mum saying she has had to get the coach and prays she'll be okay.

The trip is excoriating for her as it seems to take forever.  But by 8:45pm the coach pulls into her stop and she grabs her bags quickly and is the first one off.  She walks quickly towards the taxi rank and jumps in one, giving him the hospital destination.

When she gets into the hospital, she goes to the room number that her mother said her father was in.  She finds her Mum sitting outside crying and rushes over to her.

"Mum, Mum what's the matter?" she asks

"He's gone!" she answers

Stacey looks at her mother wide eyed "what do you mean he's gone?" she asks "he's gone, he had another heart attack.  It was too much and he's gone!" her mother sobs.

Stacey falls on her butt just staring and blinking at her mother.  Her mind not being able to take in this information.  It's her mother’s sobs that bring her out of her daze and she holds her tight, stroking her back.  But still unable to believe this reality.

They go back to their home and Stacey helps her Mum change and get into bed.  Once her mother has drifted off to sleep.  Stacey sits on the couch in the sitting room and stares into space.

She stays like that until her mother gets up the next day.  Today her mother seems to be a little calmer.

"Honey did you stay up all night?" her mother asks 

"Let me cook you breakfast" Stacey says ignoring her question.

"Your father has already got a funeral plan sorted out for both of us.  I just have to phone the funeral home up and notify them" her mother explains

"Leave it to me mum. I’ll sort it out" Stacey offers, but in reality, she is just going through the motions she feels numb inside as though she is watching someone move through a dusty lens.

The next couple of days go by in a bit of a blare for Stacey and her mother often finds her sitting staring at nothing.  She sent Grant a message, but she hasn’t really paid attention to her phone since she got back.

Her father will be cremated in 8 days time.  She has put the details of his funeral on her social media as well as her mothers.  Her mother and her have called the family clan and explained to them what's happened.

So, when she gets a call from Craig saying that Grant isn't doing so well and has a fever.  She starts to worry and pace around the sitting room.