1989

grace met cordell walker when she was six years old. her family was new to austin, texas and cordell's mother, abeline walker came over with cordell and a plate of cookies. grace was six years old, hiding behind her mother's leg, peeking over to see see a tall seven-year-old kid with a cowboy hat over him.

"hi, i'm abeline walker, and this is my son, cordell"

grace's mom, claire greeted abeline and then her son.

"i have another son at home, he was just born, but i thought i have him stay with his dad while i come over" abeline confessed

"aww, a baby that's adorable, why don't you come in?" asked claire

abeline pushed cordell to go in first; everytime claire move, grace continued holding on to her mother's leg. abeline noticed grace's shyness right away before asking claire who the little girl was.

grace tried hard as possible to hide away from the new incomers.

"gracie, you mind your manners! i'm sorry, this is my daughter, grace. you say hi when you meet new people"

grace lets go of her mom's leg and makes herself visible to the walkers.

"hi" grace whispers

"hi grace, how old are you?" abeline asked

"i'm this many" answered grace, holding up six fingers

abeline smiled at her before claire told grace why doesn't she go ahead and take the cookies into the kitchen. abeline told cordell to help grace out; the walker boy grabbed the plate and followed grace into the kitchen.

"wow, a little girl, she's just darling" answered abeline

claire just nodded before looking at the kitchen.

"so is it just you two?" asked abeline, making a subtle comment trying invest more

"no, my husband is out, right now"

"oh, well i love to meet him sometime, how about dinner tonight at our place?" asked abeline

"are you sure?"

"yes! then cordell and grace can get to know each other more, and you can meet little liam"

claire smiled at abeline saying that it was a plan before she called out to cordell and grace.

"we're going to see the walkers later tonight, you can see cordell later" answered claire

grace just nods before claire told her to say goodbye to abeline and cordell. grace did a small wave before running off back to the kitchen. claire apologized to abeline before waving bye to the walkers.

✿

later that night, claire was getting grace ready when she heard stephen arrive home. he calls out to the girls before claire answers back that they were upstairs in their room. when stephen makes his way into the room, he smiles seeing his daughter and wife.

"hey, what's up?" asked stephen

"we are invited to dinner from our new neighbors" answered claire

"is that so?" stephen asked

"yes, and gracie made a new friend"

stephen gasped, causing grace to laugh before he asked who it was. claire explained the interaction this morning. stephen nodded, adding how he assumed claire just picked up on baking all of a sudden.

"i don't wanna go" answered grace

"why not, princess?" asked stephen

"because i don't wanna talk to cordell"

stephen furrowed his eyebrows before asking who's cordell, claire rolled her eyes saying that it was the neighbor's son that grace met today. stephen asked grace why she didn't like cordell and the young girl answered that she hated boys.

"a father's dream" jokes stephen

claire smacked stephen lightly on the chest before saying that he should get ready soon but stephen let out some bad news.

"i can't make tonight, i got to get to work in the office already, settle in and get to know the team"

stephen was in charge of the construction company and expanded his place to austin, hence the move. claire furrowed her eyebrows asking if it was possible stephen couldn't wait till monday to introduce himself.

"i could but i really want to get started"

"okay, fine! but remember you have to pick up grace on monday"

stephen nodded his head before kissing claire goodbye and then the same to grace.

"goodbye my little red bird" stephen answered, kissing her on the cheeks

grace said goodbye before stephen grabbed the coat, before leaving the house. claire looked at grace in the mirror and said that it was just going to be them at the walkers tonight. grace nodded before running off to put her shoes on.

claire lets out a sigh, looking at herself in the mirror, upset, thinking that moving to texas was going to be better, different for them. claire believed that stephen would be able to have more time for the family here, but instead, he was running off to work already.

✿

"alright gracie, ready?" asked claire

"sure" grace answered

claire knocked on the door of the house before being revealed to abeline with a baby in her arms, before smiling at claire and grace.

"good to see you here! come in, come in" answered abeline, stepping to the side to let the two in

"thank you! you have such a beautiful home" claire answered

"thank you so much, will your husband be joining us?"

"uh...unfortunately no, he has some business to attend to"

abeline nodded her head, saying that she hopes to meet him soon, before looking at grace and telling her that cordell was in his room if she wants to run off with him.

"he's just with his friend, hoyt"

grace shook her head, holding on to her mom's leg, once again

"gracie, go on"

grace hesitated before abeline told her where cordell's room was before sending her off. claire smiled before thanking her; abeline lead her into the kitchen before putting baby liam into a baby pen.

"he's so adorable" claire pointed out

"he's very quiet for a baby, unlike my cordell" answered abeline

claire let out a laugh before a tall man entered the house. he had some logs in his hands before realizing claire was there.

"bonham! what did i tell you? we have guests tonight, you couldn't do that afterwards?"

"sorry i want our family to be warm, bonham walker"

"claire wilkins, nice to meet you" claire answered

"she's here with her daughter, grace, who's playing with cordell"

suddenly there's a yelp from down the hall. all three adults look over to see cordell and another young boy run into the kitchen, with grace close by.

"grace hit me!" cordell yelled

"it's true! i saw her!" yelled the other boy

"gracie! why would you do that?" claire scolded

"because he said girls can only be princesses and not the guys who go on adventures" grace snapped

claire told grace that doesn't mean she hits other people, she uses her words or talks to her. grace crosses her arms in defense before saying that she didn't even want to play with cordell anyways, before stomping over right next to her mother.

"and cordell, although it's not okay for grace to hit you, you don't tell her what she can or can't be, she can be whatever she wants" abeline answered

"maybe he deserves it, never tell a lady what she can or can't be" bonham said

abeline gave him a look of annoyance before claire told grace to apologize. the young girl mumbled an apology. claire told her to speak more clearly.

"i said sorry" grace answered

"good, now go play"

"no"

claire said she tried.

1996

"grace! you ready?" asked claire

"yes, sorry!" answered grace yells out before coming down the stairs

grace was now 13, in her last year in middle school. claire works as a realtor in texas, she started three years ago, thinking it would be nice to get back to work after awhile. grace is able to take the bus and the meal is prepared for the week.

"your dad said he might be able to pick you up after school" answered claire

"ooh! okay, maybe i can convince him to get me a milkshake"

"gracie..."

"what?"

"what did i say about guilting your father into buying you things"

"it's literally a milkshake"

claire gave her a look before they got into the car and headed out of the house.

✿

grace didn't really talk to anyone at school, and the only people who talk to her is after school aka cordell, hoyt and their friend, geri. but she didn't really like them, they just talk to her because of cordell who only talks to her out of pity and because their moms are friends.

most of her free time, grace would be in the music room, playing the piano and maybe singing some songs, sometimes singing songs she had written. she started writing when she was 11; her mother had given her piano lessons when she was 5 and her dad...well, he gave her guitar lessons.

one time the choir teacher caught her singing and begged her to join the choir but grace declined. she didn't want to be part of other people singing, she wanted the spotlight on her own. and drama department was no better.

grace had this huge dream since she was little to be a famous singer, but teachers said it wasn't possible or to have back up plans or that it was just a hobby and grace would get bored and not stick to the passion. but they were all wrong, grace had a huge passion to be a huge singer and make it big, bigger than anything in this world.

after school, grace waited for her dad to pick her up. it was currently 4:00 and school ended at 2:15. the young girl wasn't sure what to do, till she saw cordell and hoyt leaving from the high school field.

"hey, wilkins" hoyt calls out

"hi" grace mumbles

"don't you usually take the bus?" asked hoyt

"my dad is picking me up" answered grace

"it's 4:00" responded cordell

grace didn't answer, and she felt even more embarrassed when abeline showed up with her car, calling out to the boys before noticing grace standing there.

"hey there gracie, where's your mother?"

"hey, mrs. walker, she's just working"

"what did i tell you about calling me mrs. walker?"

"sorry, abeline, and my dad is picking me up"

abeline had a sore look on her face. the past few years, abeline and claire gotten to know each other the past few years. that lead to abeline also getting to know stephen as well and not being a huge fan of him; she has heard claire talk about stephen and their relationship. they've been trying to stay together and go to couples therapy, and it's all been for grace.

"why don't i take you home" abeline asked

"it's okay, i'll wait"

"grace..." abeline answered with a stern tone

grace gave in, as she walked over to the car about to sit in the back with hoyt before abeline told her to sit in the front with her. cordell mumbled a comment under his breath before they started headed to grace's house.

✿

"you give your dad a stern talk" abeline jokingly said, knowing she truthfully meant it

"okay, thanks mr-i mean abeline for the ride"

"of course, always happy to help, cordell, walk her up to her door"

cordell groaned loudly before getting out of the car, hearing hoyt yell out something at them causing cordell's face to turn red.

"see you later, grace" cordell said once grace unlocked her door

grace didn't answer, shutting the door right in his face before entering her house, and calling out to her dad. but no response, it was weird considering that his car was in the driveway when she arrived home. as graced headed upstairs, she heard laughs and noises coming from her parents' room. the young girl furrowed her eyebrows before seeing the door was slightly open.

grace pushed the door open to see her father and a woman with blonde hair in the bed. grace stood there in shock for a few minutes before processing what was going on. she was standing there and her father still hadn't noticed her, probably like how he didn't realize he didn't pick her up.

her dad was with another woman that wasn't her mom.

"dad?"

"oh shit! gracie!"

grace didn't wait for her dad to say anything, she turned around and just started walking; she was numb and she kept walking till she was out of the door. but she didn't stop, she started to walk to the walkers ranch till she heard her dad's shouts.

"grace! gracie! come back here! let's talk"

"no! leave me alone!" grace started running off

it seem like her dad had given up trying to chase after her but that didn't mean he wasn't worried about grace running her mouth.

✿

"abeline! abeline!" grace was pounding on the door of the walkers over and over again

"gracie?"

it was little liam walker, he was coming back from the backyard and noticed the distress look on grace's face. the young girl asked where was abeline; liam motioned his hand to the back and lead her to the backyard where abeline was.

"abeline" grace said

"gracie, what's wrong?" she asked

"my dad"

"what happened?"

"he was with someone else, he was with some woman"

abeline's face dropped before telling liam to go inside. grace was trying not to cry her eyes out; abeline drags her inside the house and into the kitchen before turning on the kettle. grace was still processing everything, one thing she did know was her dad wasn't someone she knew. even if he loves her, even if everything, he wasn't the same man from before.

✿

"that son of a bitch!" claire stomped her foot

"quiet, grace is in the living room" abeline said

"i just, i thought we were doing well! but fuck!!!" claire screamed

the women were out on the patio, while grace was sitting in the living room with liam who was demonstrating his toys to grace. the young teen wasn't sure what was to happen next, or even if her dad was still at the house. what was even waiting for them at the house.

cordell came out from his room, seeing grace sitting on the couch, looking at the ground; he was confused by the appearance before leaving to the patio to find claire smoking. when claire notices cordell, she mutters a swear and drops the cigarette on the ground and stomps on it.

"hey, cordi" claire greeted

"hi, mrs. wilkins, uh...was there a special dinner plan for tonight?"

"uh...no, sorry, i'll order some pizza, hey, can you make sure grace is doing well?"

cordell nodded his head, this whole thing felt very tense. on top of that, cordell has never seen grace so down.

that night back home, grace was sent to her room, while her parents argued in their room about the whole situation; grace couldn't stand the yelling or the fighting, she just wanted all of this to go away. so grace grabs her headphones, placing them over her head and blasting the music.

abba blast loudly into her ears, she just ignored the sound of her parents shouting and arguing. part of grace wondered if she shouldn't have said anything, wondering what would've happened if she just listen to her dad when he called her to come back. if she just kept her mouth shut.

perhaps her parents would be decent, or their family would've been somewhat okay but now she felt like she ruined everything that it was her own fault.

after what felt like hours, grace's ears started to hurt, so she took off her headphones to hear words that haunt her forever: "get out of this house!"

grace scrambled up to her feet, and walked over to the door to peek outside to the hallway to see her dad being thrown item after item, expecting to pack them in the suitcase that sat on his feet. the young teen couldn't help but feel at fault; when her dad noticed her staring, grace quickly closed the door and stayed quiet.

"at least let me say goodbye to gracie"

"...fine, fine, grace!"

grace slowly stepped out of her room, she saw her parents standing in the hallway looking over at her. the young teen slowly made her way over, pretending she didn't hear the last moments of conversation and stood there waiting for her dad to say something to her.

"hey, amazing grace, uh...i'm going away for a bit"

"when will you be back?"

"i'm not sure" stephen answered, looking at claire, who avoided eye contact

"but you'll be back?"

stephen just stares at her before placing a hand on her face and just gives a smile, then a kiss on the forehead before telling grace to take care of her mother. grace just stares at him as he starts to leave out the door.

grace looked out the window and watched as her dad drove off. there was a lot of emotion building up in grace before she turn to look at her mom and asked: "is this my fault?"

"what?"

"is it my fault that you and dad are getting a divorce?"

claire looked at her daughter before walking over and kneeling down to be at her height and said: "none of this is your fault"

"but if i didn't say anything then maybe-"

"grace, look at me, this isn't your fault, none of this is"

grace stayed quiet, she was feeling alot and she wasn't sure what to feel till her mom asked her what was she truly feeling at the moment.

"i feel upset because i feel like it's my fault"

"but it's not"

"but i always felt so much pent up anger, and i hate him for hurting you and i hate him for doing this! and i wish i can..."

"you can what?"

"scream"

"so do it, scream"

grace looks at her mom, before taking in a deep breath and screaming at the top of her lungs. when grace stopped screaming, her mom looked at her before the two screamed. grace may not feel better but at this moment, she knows that her mom was always going to be by her side.

with so much emotion, grace poured all that out into her song-writing, actually writing parts and including them into guitar and piano. grace eventually started singing at voice contestants, performing for the school. when grace turned 16, everything changed.

grace was discovered by a manager; she was performing weekly at the local cafe, the side step. by the grace was performing her own songs and in the crowd was nina rivers who took grace and claire under her wing and rose grace up to stardom.

after her first album, grace soon became more popular and her fanbase grew. by her second album, grace was famous worldwide and won three grammys that year. that's when grace decided to leave texas and never look back. there was no need to visit, her mother came to see her where she lived but grace never returned to texas, expect on occasions.

the one thing grace didn't know was the amount of people she left behind, hurt and heartbroken.