C.P.O.V
"Isabelle, I would like you to meet Wren Helena Fray. My daughter. " I said to Isabelle, feeling a little ridiculous for saying Wren's full name, but I guess I was self-conscious about Izzy meeting my daughter, the thing I love the most in the entire world. Izzy just can't not love Wren. She's practically a dress up doll for Izzy, bows, glitter, and sequins galore. On second thought, scratch the glitter, it's choking hazard.
Izzy just stared at Wren and kneeled down in front of her. She looked at her like she was trying to find the answer to something, like Wren was a puzzle to be solved.
After the couple minutes were up, she looked back up at me and smiled. "Clary, she is gorgeous. I think I understand your reason to leave now. But, is her father who I think he is?" asked Izzy as she stood up and dusted her skirt off. She was impeccably dressed for the occasion, typical for Izzy. Her dark blue dress with a sweertheart neckline, clung to her. Then at her waist it opened out into a circle skirt. Paired with black velvet heeled ankle-high boots and a black cardigan for the cold rainy air, she (of course) looked amazing.
We all settled into our seats with Wren sitting on her chair, coloring with crayons and a coloring book I had brought for her to draw with.
Across from me sat Isabelle, and her look still telling me I haven't answered her question yet. I sigh and look into the window that is to the left of me. The rain had slowed from raining cats and dogs to a light drizzle. The skys had brightened to almost blue, and I thought of the time I had first spoken to Jace in the alley right outside of here. How his hair had glistened like living sunlight, and how he had seemed like a caged tiger, pacing back and forth in front of me. His face just angles and cheekbones, and his eyes that were the color of molten copper, they could burn you if he stared too intensely at you. I missed him so much.
I looked back at Izzy, looking her straight in the eye and told her "Izzy, Wren's father is Jace. You are right. But, I need to be the one to tell him about her, and about me leaving New York. I just need to be the one to deliver the news to Jace, and I need to be there when he meets Wren for the first time. I know this is a big deal and huge news, but I'm afraid-" my voice cracks a little, "I'm afraid that he won't see me again if he hears the news from another person. So at least let me meet him one last time before he hates me forever."
Izzy just stares at me, completely in shock, and then she just bursts out laughing! "Jace, 'hate you' are you serious, Clary? he could never hate you, hell, he couldn't get over you in four years, much less hate you in twenty minutes!"
"Izzy! Language! Please, little ears!" I command, pointedly looking at Wren. I clasp my hands and look down at the floor. Trying to get the fact to cross her mind that me not telling Jace was despicable, something that I'd be suprised if he'd forgive me for doing it, because if I were him, I wouldn't forgive myself.
"Clary, he just loves you too much to ever let you go. That's all I'm saying." Izzy told me, pleading with me. "I know Izzy, I know. I just need to tell Jace, because I can't face him and not tell him about Wren. You know, she just started Pre-school, and already the teacher has told me that she is the smartest in her class." I smile to myself, remembering the rush of pride, and the tingle of regret. I remember myself picturing how Jace would react. How he would puff out his chest and say something like 'She's my daughter, of course she's the top of her class!' and I would laugh and thank the teacher and we would walk off, a happy family. By far, it was one of my favorite fantasies.
Isabelle smiles at me, and looks over at Wren. "Wren do you want to meet another special friend of your mommy's and I?" Izzy asked Wren. "Okay." Wren stated and continued to color. "I need to you to tell Jace that I'll meet him at Central Park, though I'm not sure when I can leave to meet him. I need him to know I want to meet him. But I will text you when I actually can meet him. Is your number the same?" I ask her.
"Yes, it is."
"Good, so I'll text you when to tell Jace."
"Clary I have one more question to ask you before you go."
"And that would be?"
"Why didn't you contact us when you were away? You never even tried to tell us where you had gone."
I looked away and though and though about all the times that I had picked up the phone and wanted to call her, or Simon, or even Alec, but I couldn't, it was too dangerous.
"Izzy, my mom was really angry about me being pregnant."
"That's still no excuse for leaving us, making all of us think that you didn't even care enough to say goodbye!"
I whipped my head around and looked Izzy straight in the eye, my voice reflecting the ice cold fury that I felt.
"You want to know why I spent days and nights feeling so lonely that I wondered if I was the only person left in the world. Do you want to know why I never called you or Jace when I felt so depressed that the only reason that I ate was to keep the baby growing inside of me alive." I was shaking now. "My own mother threatened to make me abort my baby if I contacted you, and even after I had Wren she still was considering making me give her up. So if I contacted you, it would be the tipping point, and I would have to give Wren away."
Izzy stared at me shocked, and for the first time in a while, was without words.
I.P.O.V
Her own mother, I was so shocked I couldn't speak. Clary watched me from the other side of the table, quaking with fury over what her mother had threatened her with.
"I just, wow, Clary I am so sorry." I got up and walked around the table to Clary and hugged her. She seemed suprised at first, but then hugged me back. I could feel her chest raggedly rising and falling. I pulled away to discover that she was crying.
"Shhh Clary, shhhhh she can't take her away, nobody is going to take her away from you." I hug her again and comfort her.
I pull away and she wipes her eyes. "Thank you, I just needed to let that out." I nod and she turns and gets them prepared to leave.
"So make sure Jace knows that I at least want to see him, I just don't know when."
"Oh trust me, he'll come when ever you want." I wink at her, and she blushes just a little bit.
She gathers up their things and walks out the front door.
I think when I tell Jace, he is going to explode.