~Five Days Later~
Claire stepped out of the Dark Room, the light from the hallway burning her eyes. A shudder went through her back as she felt the cold from the room sweep across her. She grabbed onto the rail next to her and took a step forward, putting more pressure on her left foot than her right.
Claire hissed as pain racked her body, shaking, attempting not to fall down.
She felt someone's eyes burning into her skull. She knew it was her father. He was watching her to see if she was "determined" enough to make it back to her room without any help and without falling down. The rail was only there to hold her through her first steps, but then she would have to let go to prove her strength. It was almost like a Rite of Passage back into the world.
Claire's ankle, cheek, and the rest of her body throbbed with pain as it continued attempting to make it back to her room.
A cough came from behind her and Claire knew it was time to let go. She took in a deep breath before slowly letting go of the rail, putting even more pressure on her good ankle.
A low whimper escaped her before she forced herself to keep quiet. These next few moments were important because Senator de Monte was the one who had to decide if she was well enough to be put back into society.
Claire stared ahead at the long hallway before her, despair in her heart. She knew it would hurt, but she had suffered more when she had to walk with fractured bone in her leg.
She could make it. She was strong.
A de Monte did not cry out, whimper, moan, groan, or cry in pain in the presence of anyone else. Any act of it was despicable and any person who did it was cast out of the family....It didn't matter if the person who saw you was your father.
Claire learned of this when she was five-years-old. Since then, she's never cried unless she was alone, and even then it was still rare.
Her father had embedded these lectures into her brain since she was young, so much that even she thought herself despicable when she cried or did something wrong.
This...this was the de Monte way, and if you couldn't deal with it, then you had to leave. Most did and were never heard from again.
Jonny left, and he was barely fifteen years old. Senator de Monte had told the police that he was kidnapped, not wanting to let anyone know that he had ran away...
...Sometimes...Claire missed her younger brother...
~~~•••••~••○~~••••○••~••○••••○○●○•••
It was the day I never thought would come. The day I hoped would never come...the day I saw Josey again.
I was at the farmer's market, getting some groceries for the dinner I was making for William later on today. I was picking tomatoes for the salsa when I bumped into someone.
The person's basket flew to the floor, fruits and vegetables rolling out.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" I bent down to pick up some of the fruits I could salvage, thinking of the five second rule. I looked up at the person and froze, recognition fluttering across our faces.
"Josey."
"Anna..."
Josey Rochester used to be my best friend. We had been together since elementary school all the way to senior year when she...when she didn't agree with a decision of mine...
We separated ways in the last few months of my senior year, I transfered schools, and we never saw each other again...until now...
"Um, hi, Josey..." I clutched my bag tightly, nervous fluttering in my stomach. The urge to turn and walk away came very suddenly, but I resisted. "How are you?"
Josey sniffed and looked away, twitching with nervousness. "I, um, I'm fine. How are you?"
"Good."
She nodded and clutched her basket tighter. "I...uh...should go. I would say it's good to see you, Anna...but it really wasn't...I'm sorry."
"I know. It wasn't."
Josey looked at me for a few seconds before turning heel and walking away.
I should talk to her. I should really talk to her. This time...I couldn't resist and sped up to her.
"Josey...hey...wait." I caught her arm and stopped her, turning her toward me.
"What is it, Anna? I have to be home soon."
Feeling slightly rejected, I took my hand away from her arm. "I just... I just wanted to know how you've been, how you're life's been..."
"It's fine. I'm fine. I told you that."
"Josey," her head turned toward me slightly, my pleading voice catching her attention, "can't you forgive me for what I've done? It's been five years now. Why can't we forget about it?"
"Because it's not something you just forget about, Anna! It's something much more than that! It's a person!"
I gasped and rage fueled inside me, swirling and tightening. "I know it is! I know...he is, but he's in a much better place now, Josey, and you know that!"
"No!" Josey vibrated with anger and years of pent up frustration. "No...The best place for him would have been with his mother:you, Anna..."
Tears filled my eyes and I looked away. "Don't talk to me about knowing what's best for my son, Josey. He was better off with a family who could provide for him and love him fully."
"And you wouldn't have loved him fully?"
"You know I would have..." My voice had dropped to an almost whisper, my heart beating with pain and regret. "But it wasn't just about that...and you know that too.
"I just wish...I just wish that you would have been there for me, Josey. I needed you so much..."
"Well, it's a little late for that now, isn't it?"
I tear slipped from my eye and rubbed at it profusely. "You've always been brutally cruel, Josey, and that was one of the things I loved about you."
"And you always did what you thought best. That's why you're here now, and not with your son."
I nodded, knowing she was right. Giving her a small smile, I turned and walked away, another tear streaming down my face.
"Anna!"
I swiveled around, surprised. "Yeah?"
"How about you give me a call sometime? I have the same number."
I smiled fully and nodded. "I'd love that, Josey."
•~•
"The boy is five now, correct?"
"Yes, Mr. Winters. His party was cowboy themed."
"Fun. How is he?"
"Good. Still doesn't know he's adopted."
"I hope he won't ever know. My plans will be all for nothing if he does."
It was silent on the other line and Daniel sighed, changing the subject, "John, I want you to send out the best Christmas invitations money could buy."
"Christmas invitations, sir? What for?"
"For the Christmas ball I am hosting tomorrow night."
"Tomorrow night?!?"
"Yes, boy, did you not hear me? Tomorrow night! Make sure that it says for ladies to wear white and for the gentlemen to wear white, blue, or black. No red whatsoever."
"I...yes, sir."
"Good. Oh! And call Candy Fringe, send her over to Anna William's apartment early tomorrow morning. I'm sure my son will be there as well, so call Toomas Manner to fit William in a new tuxedo."
"Yes, sir."
"And make sure to make it's satisfactory, more than satisfactory; my youngest son and daughter will be coming back from Paris."
~~~End of Part One~~~~
Author's Note:
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! OR HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVE wherever you are!!! It is currently 8:01 PM where I am and I CANNOT TAKE IT ANYMORE!!!
I'm sitting right next to the presents literally waiting for the rest of my family to come and for the clock to strike twelve.
Anyways...how was this chapter? Good? Bad? Okay? Please tell me...
Please remember to VOTE AND COMMENT!!!!
The next one should be up later today or tomorrow. Anyone bothering to read this shall know that Charles and Charlotte, William's younger siblings shall be coming into the story. Also being introduced are the Rossi family, Brian, Eliza, and Piper Rossi.
Do their names ring a bell? Anyone?
THANK YOU!!
BYE!!
-RavenMoon06
© RavenMoon06