Departure Lounge (Completed)

Reality Strikes

"No it's not and I would want nothing more than to try mom." She smiled brightly at my enthusiastic response. "I can't believe it's taken this long or us to get here but I am happy we are, I can't believe it was so easy."

"Me too darling, me too. How about we turn this day into a spa trip? I have been thinking to something drastic with my hair." She called the server over and signed off on the bill.

"What?" I looked at her stunned.

"I was looking through one of your magazines, Cosmopolitan, and I read an interesting article about how to keep things spicy in the bedroom..."

"Okay mom, one step at a time. And this is probably going to be a step we skip over." There was no way I was discussing my parent's sex life.

"Very well, just your advice on my haircut then," I nodded in agreement and we both started laughing causing a few distasteful looks from the other ladies. Taking my arm my mother stepped through the tables with a poise that would put the royal family to shame. The car was waiting by the front as soon as we stepped out, the driver noticed the change in the atmosphere between my mother and I and it sparked his interest, after my mother told him the next destination he snapped out of it and got back into his professional mode.

"Claire, now you know that I don't like to meddle in other people's love life, but Ms Porter's mother is a member of that foundation I am on the board of and just say the word and I can..."

"Mother! Sabotage? You told me that was beneath us."

"I wasn't going to revoke her membership-I just thought maybe life could become a little difficult for her." My mother had a vindictive streak but then again one couldn't survive in high society without one but I have never experienced it where my mother was doing it to protect me or my feelings.

"No its fine. Mrs Porter is not the problem and I hate to say it but it's not Lindsay either-Nate has to be the one to stop being oblivious and make the decision. I can't do it for him."

"I understand that sweetheart but don't you think you are making it a little easy for her by not fighting."

"True but I can only manage one fight at a time and right now Amy and Emmy is where my focus should be. Ben is...he's a lot more vicious than I thought-I underestimated him and his resources."

"It will all work out dear, anyone who takes those gossip rags as gospel are idiots. I trust they will look pass all that and see that you are a wonderful person and mother to those girls."

"Thanks mom. That really means a lot." Reaching over she hugged me and we stayed like that for the entire car ride.

The spa day turned out to be a wonderful afternoon and well needed, I was incredibly tense the last weeks. After Nate's dinner, I went to the family crypt and spent the rest of the night crying till I fell asleep; my driver had to come and get me. Needless to say I was embarrassed when he carried me into the manor and handed me over to my dad who then tucked me into bed. I made sure to include a bonus in his next pay check. The following morning wasn't any better the papers knew about the break up and it took almost a week before they stopped; Ben however capitalised on this publicity and somehow made everything a reflection on my poor ability to be a proper caregiver to the girls or my complicated and dysfunctional lifestyle was not what two young impressionable girls need.

It was horrible and every time I heard his name I could only imagine his head on a spike. My thoughts were broken when our butler came to let me know that Marc was at the door to see me, extremely surprised at his visit I could only nod to let him in. I listened as he walked from the foyer into the parlour where I was waiting, as he entered the room I stood to greet him.