Clawen • What comes next

|| CHAPTER 76 ||

"Mom I want a new bed...bigger" Maisie tells, as she walks into the kitchen, where her mom was currently emptying the dishwasher. Claire turned around with a towel in hand and looked back at her daughter. "Alright" She said. Maisie nodded confidently, before she lost it and started biting her lip. "And new curtains" She then said nervously. Claire agreed to that as well, not thinking much of it. Maisie was turning 15 very soon and her room hadn't been changed even the slightest, since they moved in.

"Maybe move a few things around as well...and...maybe paint my closets black?" Maisie continued, nervously fidgeting with the sleeves of her red flannel, as she leaned against the kitchen counter. Claire thought about it all for a second. Going over how much it might cost and how difficult it would be to fulfill Maisie's wishes. After her speedy brain had done its job, she figured it would take a few days, tops, especially with Owen's expertise. "How about we do it all this weekend then?" Claire asked a shocked Maisie. Eyes big and suddenly free of fear, she nodded with a big smile on her face. Going in for a hug and thanking her mom over and over again before disappearing upstairs.

The weekend came and all four of them went to the city to pick out a bed and most likely some more stuff, for Maisie. After having finished their business in the city, plus devoured some lunch. They drove home, where Claire and Maisie started ridding Maisie's room of everything she wanted out of there. Owen drove back to the city but in his truck, this time. To be able to pick up all the furniture they had just bought.

When he came home, there was a bed outside the house, plus a chair and a couple other things. A few boxes were placed as well, which he guessed was filled with all the things Maisie had thrown out, such as bedsheets, toys, stuffed animals, kids books and what ever else there might be in there. When he entered the room, he found his two girls laughing, both wearing animal hoodies that Maisie had forgotten all about. Buried deep in her closet.

Owen took in the view and allowed himself to laugh with them, before jumping in and picking Claire up from behind. Spinning her around, as she shrieked and laughed till her lungs burned out. Maisie was buckling over with laughter, much like Claire. Nothing efficient was done for the next half hour, as they messed around in the half empty room.

After having gotten the bed through the shallow hallways and up the stairs, before finally landing in Maisie's room. Maisie helped assemble it, while Claire ran the few times that was needed to get the last of the stuff, upstairs.

The room was already finished by the end of the day and they all agreed that pizza was well deserved.

Maisie demanded that they deserved to relax as much as possible, meaning they were allowed to sit on the couch and eat. Claire being Claire wasn't much for it, but it was two versus one so in the end, they were all sitting on the floor around the coffee table. Owen with an arm around Claire and Maisie on the other side with Charlie right by her. Holding on to the little girl by the waist, as they devoured too much pizza for their own good.

"Karen has invited us over" Claire said after swallowing the last bite of her slice. Maisie smiled, waiting for her mom to continue. "In a couple of weeks" Claire continued. "For how long?" Owen asked, before taking another bite. "Don't know, she didn't say" Claire answered and looked over at Maisie. "I wouldn't mind going" The girl said, rocking back and forth with Charlie in her lap. The little toddler was leaning against her older sister, while giggling a bit here and there. Looking and sounding very content.

"Thought maybe around four days" Claire said and looked up at Owen who agreed with a nod, as he took yet another bite. Claire smiled and looked over at their daughters. "Sounds okay" Maisie said and looked down at Charlie. "Doesn't it, Charlie? Huh?" She then asked the little girl, in a cheerful voice. Charlie started giggling and reaching up to cup Maisie's cheeks." "Yaaaaa" She shouted, making everyone giggle.