A Most Graceful Life Ch. 11

Author's Note: Here we are, the penultimate chapter of the story. As you can probably tell from the description, this chapter is going to get a little dicey. Hang in there with me, we are almost at the end!

*****

Dawn broke early that morning and the rays of the sun pierced the light blue curtains that attempted to hold it back. Stephen cracked an eye open wearily, catching a glimpse of the light. Squeezing his eyes shut, he attempted to roll back over, shutting out the daily intruder.

He bumped up against Grace, still wrapped up like a cocoon within her blankets. He draped an arm around her stomach, using it as leverage to pull her in close to him. Grace let out a subtle moan of approval when his heat was joined to hers, and once more his nostrils were assaulted by the sweet smell of jasmine.

Stephen hesitated to open his eyes again, daring to keep them closed for as long as possible. Opening them would be akin to acknowledging that it was already tomorrow, and soon he would have to render true the internal promise he made yesterday. If he was going to move in with Grace, he wanted it to be because she chose to move in, of her own free will. He wanted Grace to choose him willingly, as he did. It was time to set her free, and end the servitude.

He glanced over to his desk on the other side of the room. Sitting on one forgotten ledge was the puzzle box, or portal, that contained Grace's essence all those weeks ago when he had first released her. Stephen usually avoided looking at it as much as he could. To him, it was no better than locks and chains, a symbol of her bondage to him. Yet, somehow, today, he would find a way to sever those bonds. He had to. His conscious demanded it.

Putting his head back down, he found himself staring into Grace's open eyes. Sleep still held portions of the corners, but the smile she was wearing was one that would have willingly sent him out to slay any dragon. His world was contained within those eyes.

"Good morning," she whispered sleepily, nuzzling her head against his.

"Good morning, baby," he returned. Grace pressed her lips into his for an early morning kiss. Tastes of mint immediately filled his mouth as her tongue invaded, a pleasant reminder of a previous wish for them to never have morning breath.

Content to lay there together, as they had so many times in the past, had Stephen delaying the start of his morning. In honesty, it was one morning when they should not delay, as much activity awaited them on this day.

Grace seemed to reach the same conclusion herself, "We really should get out of bed. There's so much we need to do!"

"But you're so comfy right now," he argued, softly, while pulling her on top of him.

"I can be even more comfy, if you allow me," she whispered, sweetly.

Before he knew it, her hands were reaching between the drawstrings of his gym shorts, and stroking his awakening member.

"I think someone else is more awake than you are right now," Grace giggled, continuing her gentle massaging.

"You've always had that effect on me," he smiled.

"It's one of my favorite talents," she beamed. In no time at all, she had him fully erect. She shuffled her weight forward, allowing her hands to pull down her panties. They slid down off her ankles in a hurry, hitting the floor beside the bed. Grace gently aligned her hips with his, and gasped as she felt the loving intruder begin to impale her.

"I will always argue that this is the best way to start a day," she grinned, sitting with his cock fully encased inside her.

"You'll find no argument here," he chuckled. She leaned in for a kiss, one filled with passion, and then their hips began to move together. Grace rode him with vigor, and with tenderness, even throwing her head back in the moment of sweet release. Try as though he might, Stephen found it difficult to let release come. His mind was distracted and wandering, not able to fully focus on the task at hand.

After her second orgasm, Grace seemed to sense the same problem, frowning at him with a sweat-slicked brow. "Is something wrong, baby?"

Stephen opened his mouth to say something, but closed it in just as much of a hurry. He wanted to say the truth to her, and tell her what was on his mind, yet he knew now wasn't the right time. She deserved better than having their coupling halted just because he couldn't focus. Instead, he picked a white lie.

"Sorry, Grace, just thinking of all we had to do today. It's not you," he lied, looking everywhere in the room except into her own eyes.

Her frown deepened, "Do you want me to stop?" She hardly needed to have asked. The intimate moment seemed to have already passed, and he could feel himself deflating like a cheap balloon.

"I'm sorry. We'll do this later, okay?" he stammered.

Grace nodded, looking down into his avoiding eyes, before slipping off his body to lay on his side. A genie would, and should, think nothing of the event that just transpired between them. It was a rare human being who was willing to go at any time of day, or any number of durations per day. It had marked the first time Stephen had ever rejected her, yet that was normal. It was impossible to always be in the mood for sex.

Yet, why did she feel hurt? Why did her heart sting at his rejection?

Resolving to put on a brave face, and not let him see how it affected her, she climbed out of bed, setting her feet firmly on the floor. Stephen seemed to still be avoiding her eyes. She looked down at her nude body. Did he not desire her anymore? Was he upset with her? Angry?

Yet, for some reason, she rejected the urge to peek inside his mind and see if there was more to his story.

Love, and curiosity, finally got the better of her, "Are you sure it's not me?" She whispered.

Sitting up straight, Stephen wrapped his arms around her torso, holding her against him. How he loved to feel her warmth against his own body. He finally forced himself to look into her eyes, and did the only thing he could.

He lied beautifully.

"It's not you at all," he smiled, gently.

Grace nodded, recognizing the lie that just passed from his lips. She stood up and quickly had herself dressed, picking clothes that would be comfortable for all the moving that would be done today. They had received a message last night from the landlord, offering them the ability to start moving furniture into the new apartment. Since Grace didn't own anything, it would come down to what Stephen had that would be coming with them, and that included his entire bedroom.

Seeing as they weren't cleared to move in officially until a few more days, the bed would stay here until the official move in day. However, the desk, dresser, chair, majority of the clothes, books, and all the other possessions of Stephen's would go over today. They had even received permission from Theresa to take with them an older couch, as well as an outdoor dining set for their new balcony. All would be moved out today.

Grace looked out the window to see the moving truck that Stephen had parked last night. It would be time for them to start loading soon. It wasn't as if they had all day to complete the move: Stephen still had work tonight.

"I guess I should get dressed, too," said Stephen sheepishly, watching her walk around fully dressed. It only took him a handful of minutes to pick a pair of shorts, and an older gym shirt, and together the couple walked out into the kitchen to see Theresa Willow already doting over a cup of coffee.

Usually they played the careful charade of pretending Grace didn't sleep with him every night, but due to how busy today was likely to be, Stephen had informed his mother that she was sleeping over last night. As had been expected, it was met with no resistance.

"There they are," Theresa beamed, putting down her newspaper. "How did you sleep?"

"I've slept better," replied Stephen, a bit too honestly.

"Probably because you knew you had so much to do today," Theresa responded, positively.

Stephen avoided looking at Grace, lest he find himself once again in an awkward situation. Thankfully, Grace had already moved on.

"Thank you so much for letting us have the dining set," replied Grace brightly, as she sat down with her own cup of coffee. "I can't wait to see how it looks on our balcony!"

"Oh, it's my pleasure, dear. It's about time someone got some use out of it! If it stays here, it's just going to collect dust!"

"Same for the couch as well, Mom," said Stephen. "I appreciate that you're letting us have it. Otherwise the new place will be kind of sparse."

"Anything I could do for you two, you know that," smiled Theresa, a bit sadly. "I just know I'm going to hate seeing you move your things out. It feels like the end of an era."

"You know I'm still sleeping here for the next few days, right?" Stephen replied.

"I know, I know," Theresa waved. "It's just a mother's sentiments at her eldest son sprouting his own wings and moving on."

Stephen forced a smile, before reaching out to pat her hand, "It's going to be okay, Mom. It's not like I'm never going to be around ever again."

"I know, sweetie. Plus, I know you'll be in good hands as well," she gestured to Grace, who blushed a lovely color of red. To Stephen, there was no more beautiful sight than Grace with slightly flushed cheeks.

After ten more minutes of small talk, Stephen and Grace were ready to get underway with the bulk of the move. Propping open the main door to the house, and rolling up the backdoor to the truck, they worked in tandem to carry out the heavier pieces of furniture, and load them up into the open bed. From there, Stephen had them secured with plenty of bungee cords, making sure that every delicate piece was firmly strapped down to the truck to prevent any damage. Even though they weren't going far, Stephen knew that hitting the wrong bump would cause enough damage to render just about any piece nearly useless.

Most of the pieces went easily. The dresser came out without much work, as well as his bedroom desk. What caused most of the problems was the older couch that they were taking, as it barely fit through the front door with the way the entrance was angled.

"Stop for a second," Stephen said, putting the couch down after their third attempt. "How the hell did they get this in here?"

"Maybe they had their own genie to help with that," Grace suggested with a smile.

"We might need to wish this one out onto the truck," he suggested, looking back at Grace.

"You know the rules," replied Grace, giving him a level, suggestive look.

"I wish for this couch to fit easily through the door so that we can get to the apartment quicker to make love," wished Stephen. Grace clapped her hands excitedly, yet nothing happened with the couch himself.

"Did that work?" Stephen asked, puzzled.

Her eyes sparkled with mischief, "See for yourself."

Stephen went to grasp the couch with both hands, steadying himself to pick up the weight. However, as soon as he had it in his hands, the couch popped up effortlessly. His eyes went wide. A couch that had weighed next to a hundred pounds a moment ago was almost as light as air now. He shuffled forward, trying to get it around the corner, and to his amazement, the couch bent around the corner, as if it were nothing more than putty. In no time at all, he had it around the corner, out the door, and sliding onto the back of the truck.

"That was much easier," he laughed.

"I was hoping you'd see things my way. Can't wait to collect later," grinned Grace, as she skipped down from the truck and headed towards the door. "I'm going to grab a few extra boxes from your room."

Stephen watched her go, loving the way her jean shorts framed her perfectly shaped ass. There was no more perfect woman on earth than Grace, and he said a silent prayer that she would be happy in their new place.

"How's it going up there?"

Stephen looked down to see the face of his mother peeking in from the backdoor of the truck. He walked forward, carefully jumping off and landing on the ground. "So far, so good! I think we have all the heavy stuff!"

"Good! I have to admit, your room is looking a little empty now," she smiled, sadly.

Stephen gave her a one armed hug, "It'll be okay, Mom. It was going to happen eventually. I can't live with you forever," he chuckled.

"I know, I know," she repeated once more. "I'm just glad you're moving forward with Grace. She's such a joy to be around and she's infatuated with you. You really know how to pick 'em, sweetie."

"She's like a perfect fit for me," he replied, softly.

"I know. You two are moving in and moving on together. You're doing the right thing, moving forward with her. I always knew you would. You're a good man, and I'm proud of who you've become, Stephen," she said, beaming with a smile.

Stephen smiled for himself, if not rather awkwardly. The phrase 'doing the right thing' kept echoing into his mind. Did doing the right thing include keeping Grace as his personal slave? No, doing the right thing could only allude to one possible outcome. He steeled himself for what he knew he must do.

"Anyway, I'm off to work now. I'll see you tonight, right?" Theresa looked up as he heard her car keys jingling in her hand.

"Of course, I'll see you later," he replied, hugging her again.

"Great! I can't wait to hear about your new place," She gave a little wave as she slipped into her car. A few moments later, she was down the driveway, and off to the hospital. He knew she would be back home late tonight, as was her usual when she left so late in the morning. Of course, the twins were already out and about, and who knew when they would be home next. It would just be him and Grace for the rest of the day. It was the perfect opportunity to bring up the topic that weighed so heavily on his mind.

Using his excess of bungee cords and straps, Stephen secured the now magical couch in the bed of the truck. After getting a good, secure hold on the couch, he heard the front door open again, with Grace coming out while carrying two stacked boxes on her arms.

"Just about done, babe," She smiled, stepping up into the truck and setting them down.

"We made good time on the loading this morning," he noted, looking back into the truck bed. Just about everything he intended to bring along was packed, locked, and loaded, ready for the short journey to their new apartment. At this point, there remained only one thing to do.

Stephen took a deep breath, and sat on the ledge of the truck bed, watching as Grace settled the boxes as best she could. When she was done, he looked over to her, and patted the seat beside him. "Grace, will you come here for a second?"

"Your wish is my command," she grinned, giving him a goofy smile while bouncing down to sit next to him. He had no idea how she might take this, but it was worth a shot any way. Grace was too real, too much a human, with her own wants, needs, and desires to be enslaved to him forever.

"Something is on your mind," she commented, watching the array of emotions as they danced upon his face.

"Yes," he commented, "There is. Something important I want to talk with you about."

Grace nodded, but otherwise said nothing. In that moment, it was like the air around them became supercharged, heavy with the fate of the words he was about to speak. For Stephen, it felt an awful lot like the period before the first time they made love: pregnant with the expectation of what was to follow.

"I've been giving this a lot of thought, and there's something I want to do for you. Something that I think I need to do, after seeing some recent events. I just hope you aren't put out by it," he began, watching her face for any hint of what she might be feeling. If she was reading his mind in this moment, it certainly didn't show. Her expression remained calm, but there was a degree of alertness about it.

"Okay, what is it?" She pressed.

"It's not an easy decision to come to this, but here goes: I'm having a hard time, both mentally and morally, with keeping you bound to me, Grace."

Her eyes widened, but she said nothing. There was an awkward feeling in the air, and Stephen pressed forward to get around it.

"Please, let me explain," he said, taking her hands. They felt warm to the touch, and returned a squeeze. "I'm very much, one hundred percent, and totally in love with you, Grace. You are everything I could have asked in a woman, a partner, and more. Everything about you brings me happiness: the way you cuddle against me at night, the way we make love, the way you kiss me in the morning, and how effortlessly you fit into my life. All of it."

Grace frowned, looking at him more closely, "So what's the problem?"

"Grace, I'm so in love with you because of who you are. You're my dream girl, and I can say I truly love you of my own free will: because you're perfect for me. Can you exactly say the same?"

"What? I don't understand what you mean. Of course, I love you, Stephen," she replied, her eyes softening. This was getting harder.

"Does Grace the woman love me, or does Grace the genie love me? Grace the genie loved me from the moment I opened her portal, but my mind makes a distinction between the two. I want to be loved by Grace the woman."

Grace wiped a tear away from her eye, "Stephen, that's silly. I'm just one being. As much as you like to think I'm a real human being, I'm still a genie. I may have been human at one time, but that is no more. You know what I am, and I can't change that."

Stephen looked away, focusing on a spot on the pavement below, "Can't I?"

Her brow furrowed. "What do you mean by that?"

"What would happen if I set you free, Grace?" He asked, quietly.

She gasped, her hand flying up to her mouth to cover the opening, "Stephen! I told you about that before! It's not what you may think, and just because it seems like a good idea from some movie doesn't make it applicable in real life!"

"But, Grace, I struggle with this. I feel like you are enslaved to me, and it makes me feel just... rotten inside. I feel like I have left you no free will but to serve me for the rest of our lives. It hurts me greatly to think of such a wonderful person such as yourself constrained in such a way."

Grace scooted closer to him, while squeezing his hand, "Don't you understand? I would choose this fate over any other possible form of life. I'm deeply in love with you, Stephen. There are events in motion right now that prevent us from going back anyway." She absentmindedly touched her stomach, over the spot where life was growing inside.

"You don't have a choice though, Grace," groaned Stephen. "If I told you to go away forever, you would do so, simply for the matter that I had wished it. If I told you to... I don't know... wear a clown costume for the rest of your life, you'd do that, too! If I commanded you to spend the rest of my life in your portal, would you not slip away right now to complete my wish?"

She looked at him with red-tinged eyes, saying nothing and everything with a single look.

"There's no freewill aspect to it at all, Grace. How can I know you really love me, and not the magic?"

Grace frowned, dropping his hand. "So that's what this is about? You doubt my love?"

"No, Grace, I don't doubt the love. Only the manner in which it is given," he replied.

She looked at him, as if she wanted to say a million different things all at the same time. Around them, it seemed like the world largely stood still. No cars had driven by, no wind to rustle the nearby trees, and no children walking in front of the house. The only going on was weird Mr. Lopez across the street, who looked to be fixing something with his mailbox with a hammer.

Stephen turned his attention back to Grace, who was now weeping freely. He put his arm around her to attempt to soften the blows. His heart contracted greatly when she scooted away, letting his arm fall down to his side.