Novels by Turquoise Grace

The hot water beat down on Kate’s tired body, doing little to ease the aches and pains of her exhausted muscles and absolutely nothing to diffuse the mental depletion she felt. Perpetually fatigued was now her permanent state of being, but she wouldn’t have it any other way. She hurried to work the shampoo through her now shoulder-length brown hair, keeping one eye on the baby monitor that flashed on the vanity. She closed her eyes momentarily, silently praying that everyone stayed asleep for just five more minutes. Bubbles tingled across her pink chipped toenails - a reminder from her and Paloma’s last day out alone, sans kids. She stifled a giggle, remembering how Colton had phoned her, asking her a million questions while squeals echoed in the background. Upon her return, he had met her at the door, black tee covered in spit-up and mashed banana while exhausted eyes stared at her gratefully. The click of the bathroom door dragged her from her thoughts, squinting eye

Colton’s wide eyes stared back at Kate, as she panted through yet another excruciating contraction; her entire pelvis spreading apart to allow their baby to enter the world. The floral tones of Bernadette’s perfume wafted through the room as she returned, snapping on a pair of blue latex gloves, a stack of blue sheets tucked under her arm. Another woman trudged behind, not clearly as enthused as Bernadette, sanitizing her hands before sliding on her own pair of gloves. Snapping her gum, she made her way over to the machine beside Kate’s bed, mature hazel eyes peering over square glasses to scan the paper slowly rolling from the machine.“Okay, Kate,” Bernadette chirped from the end of the bed, her short hair curled eloquently atop her head. Kate took in the swirls of brown, ebbing and flowing across her crown as she pushed through another surge of pain. “Kate,” Bernadette smiled, patting Kate’s bare leg to garner her atten

Shivering as she swept the blankets off her bloated body, Kate groaned, awkwardly clambering from the bed, one hand attempting to massage her lower back as she waddled to the bathroom. The sun had begun to rise, its rays just starting to seep through the small crack of their curtain. It bounced off Colton’s watch face, illuminating a soft glowy spot on the roof. She cast a glance over her shoulder, unable to help the smile that grew across her face at Colton’s muffled snores, his bare torso exposed with one inked hand resting atop it. His wedding ring glistened ever so slightly in the dewy dawn light. She’d always assumed married life would feel no different and for the first few weeks, aside from the bubbling excitement that they’d actually gone through with it, it hadn’t, but as the weeks turned to months, Kate grew to understand exactly why people did it. Knowing that Colton had wholeheartedly committed himself to her for the rest of his life was an

The car jounced down the dirt road, wheels spinning stray flecks of gravel through the air. The sky was almost pitch black now, a thick blanket filled with tiny stars that glinted brightly against the navy backdrop. The woods, still filled with the unsettling presence of flashlights, seemed eerier in the rearview, the few police cars that remained at the cottage shining from the glow of the kitchen light emanating from the window. Kate tugged at the threads of Colton’s sweatshirt, pulling the fabric over her mouth as she buried herself into the passenger seat. The radio announcer's voice drifted through the otherwise silent interior, talking about a new song being released by a popular female artist. Kate tried to focus on what he was saying, to push away the intrusive thoughts that were swirling through her mind, but his words turned into a mish-mash of nonsense, garbled sounds that made no sense to her. From her peripheral, she caught Colton m’s hand resting gently aga

“Colton!”Her own voice rang in her ears, the sharp whistle of a gunshot pulsing deep in the chambers of her mind as all other noises diffused, dulling down to an almost non-existent whine. Colton’s body crumpled to the floor, the rifle discharging as it hit the scuffed floorboards; another loud pop burrowing into her eardrums. Attempting to stand, she clutched her stomach, huffing as she brought herself to her feet, watching in horror as a small team of officers, dressed in dark S.W.A.T vests, approached, their movements slow and controlled, methodically assessing the scene before them.“Kate!”Sandy’s voice cut through the mind-numbing noise, the warmth of her hand resting on Kate’s shoulder, preventing her from moving forward. Tearing away from her grasp, Kate stumbled forward, tripping over Preston’s extended leg and careening to the floor. She stuck out her hands, her wrists taking the brunt of the impact as s

Tucking her knees into her chest - as far as her pregnant stomach would allow - Kate covered her ears, consciously inhaling and exhaling through pursed lips in an attempt to steady her erratic heart. Somewhere in the lounge room, she heard Colton shuffling about, the harsh rake of the curtain rings sliding along the thick wooden rods, shading them from the view of the outside. He continued grumbling over the phone, the string of expletives showing no signs of easing as his heavy footsteps clunked past her, growing muffled in the weathered carpet as he retreated into the bedroom. Cabinet doors banged open, the clang and clatter of objects dispersing as he rifled through them before forcefully slamming them shut with an irritated grunt. The anxiety coursing through her triggered the baby, its tiny limbs poking and prodding her stomach as she strove to calm herself down.“You better have someone here soon, Sandy,” Colton spat in the background, the sound of ano

Sitting in front of the wall of monitors, beady eyes fervently scanning for any signs of movement, the shaggy-haired man let out an exaggerated sigh. Clasping his arm across his growling stomach, he leaned over, the swivel chair creaking at the sudden uneven distribution of weight. Rummaging through the junk-filled drawer beside him, he found the tin of cayenne tuna he’d stored months earlier, in case of an emergency. Cracking it open, he savored the spice as he shoveled a heaping spoonful into his mouth.Her voice echoed through the cold, concrete office. It always shocked him when she spoke – her sweet, timid tone the complete antithesis to the harsh, detached and vindictive orders she barked at him.“You are fucking kidding,” she hissed, slapping the underside of his greasy, disheveled hair. “Do you see a fucking window in here, you fucking moron? You’ll stink up the entire fucking building.”Rolling his eyes in frustration, the man spoke, a mouthful of tuna sloshing between crooke

Burnt orange quilts spilled along the sofa Zoe was curled up on, the warmth of its rays coating her arms and face as she unfurled, stretching aching muscles. Peeking over her shoulder, Zoe stifled a giggle at Anja’s undignified position. Sprawled awkwardly over the recliner, Anja’s neck was twisted uncomfortably, her mouth hanging open as she snored louder than Zoe’s dad. Sun beams danced, licking the ceiling like flames as it inched across the entirety of the lounge room and into the kitchen. As Zoe watched the intricate patterns it made, she relished in the small weight lifted off her shoulders from sharing her secret. Telling Anja had been therapeutic. Someone else knowing exactly what she was dealing with made her feel better, especially because Anja got it. There was no judgment or disapproval, only concern and compassion. She’d reveled in the juicy details of the relationship, sinking into intimate questions Zoe never would have answered had she not consumed almost a bottle of p

Anja pulled two wine glasses from her cabinet the minute they entered her apartment, filling both to the brim with red wine before shrugging off her leather jacket and slumping down into the small two-seater. Zoe followed, removing her shoes and curling her aching feet underneath herself. The wine was cheap, bitter, but Zoe knew the intended purpose was to get her drunk enough to spill the beans. Anja hadn’t been convinced by the narrative of Jon and Zoe’s split, and had pestered her for the entirety of her shift, dancing giddily as she cleaned tables once Zoe had agreed to spend the night at her place.“It was nice to have you back tonight, chicky,” Anja grinned, taking a large gulp of her drink as her head fell back against the sofa. “I was lonely as fuck without you and Sienna there.”“Not going to lie, I didn’t miss it… like at all,” Zoe laughed. “It was nice being back with my family.”Raising perfectly preened brows, Anja pounced on the opportunity to open interrogation. “Sooo…

Their time together in Pittsburgh had only solidified their relationship. Being carefree had been good for them. As they said their goodbyes to Zoe’s family, ending with promises of return, warm embraces and assurances of more contact, there was no way Zoe or Jon could prepare themselves for the eerie discomfort of not knowing what awaited them back in New Jersey. Every mile closer to home sunk them deeper and deeper into silence.By the time they arrived at Jon’s house, there were permanent pathways indented into his dark hair, his fingers scraping through the strands continuously for six hour drive. Her lips stung from the constant chewing. The way Jon’s hand gripped hers, confining her to her seat in the car until the garage door had securely closed, made her uneasy. His insistence of her remaining in the car while he checked the house caused the hairs on her neck to rise. Would this be her life from now on? Constantly checking over her shoulder. Feeling afraid and tense. Waiting i

The moon hung low in a navy sky reflecting in the still lake, a stark contrast to the blood red lights of the haunted house disarmingly flashing behind them. Petrified screams and eerie cackles pierced spirited conversations, eagerly awaiting people impatiently bouncing on the balls of their feet to psyche themselves up for entry. Fluorescent lights shone from the food truck pulled into the lot beside the house. A pimple-faced teenager stood behind the greasy counter, an electric food warmer showcasing rolling hotdogs. Evan watched longingly, his hands grabbing his stomach as it growled.“I should’ve eaten first,” he whined. “I only had two chicken sandwiches before coming.”“You must be starving,” Zoe rolled her eyes, head shaking in disbelief.With her hands tucked into Jon’s jacket pockets, Zoe allowed the heat of his body to warm her against the chill of the night air. As he cradled her against his chest, fingers brushing through the waves of her chocolate hair, the buzzing in his

Neon rainbows cascaded in rays through an otherwise dim arcade, crowds of people bunching together like sardines in a can, all cramming to play the smorgasbord of lit-up arcade machines while electronica competed with the animated chatter. With his palm splayed across the small of Zoe’s back, Jon directed her through the throng of teenagers absentmindedly dawdling toward them. Dark eyes darted around the expanse, lips pursed as he searched for a particular machine. As he spotted the flashing screen, a large buck staring at him through the static, his face lit up.“Fuck yeah, it’s here,” he whooped, almost childlike. “I was the absolute boss of this game as a teenager.”Zoe couldn’t help but smile. She’d hesitated when he’d suggested going to the arcade for an hour or two before meeting up with Evan, but seeing him now, in all his unencumbered joy, she was glad she’d agreed.Broad shoulders rolled back as he stepped up to the machine, large palms gripping the red rifle from its holster