The morning of the next day, Claire rose at 7 sharp, thinking that she was so early. But by the time she arrived downstairs, her house was already filled with life. Breakfast was on the table, the air smelled like citrus cleaning supplies, her grandmother was pounding beef in a mortar with a pestle on the porch.
Paddy, the mahogany red golden retriever her grandmother had stolen was relaxed in a recliner which had not been there when Claire went to bed. None of the chairs or potted plants and flowers had been there, in fact.
Claire to her grandmother’s side and whispered, "Gran, good morning. Sorry I woke up late and left all the chores to you." When her grandmother moved in and offered to take care of the chores, Claire had promised to help out. Leaving everything to the old woman was not appropriate.
Wilder let go of the pestle and smiled up at Claire. "What are you apologizing for? You have spent your life waking up earlier than the chicken I raise. It is not surprising that your body and mind are adjusting to your new life. Besides, you are pregnant, there is no harm in sleeping longer." She picked up the pestle and added, "Your grandfather has gone fishing. He wants to catch some crabs for lunch. If you don’t have plans for the day, go to the dock or shore and have a look."
Claire nodded. "What about my parents? Did they go fishing too?"
"They rented the old shop where their breakfast shop used to be. A lot of work is needed to get it into shape." Wilder replied, with a warm smile on her face. "They plan to re-open it. I guess it’s a good thing that your younger brothers never transferred from the local high school two years ago. Now, your whole family can live together again."
Claire walked back into the house slowly. A breakfast of oats with chia seeds and honey was waiting for her. Some slices of avocado sat beside two slices of whole-grain bread. In a smaller bowl were two boiled eggs and beside it, a bowl of berries and banana slices. When her eyes caught the glass of milk, Claire nearly gasped.
This was a big breakfast! It was not the single slice of toast and cup of black coffee she usually grabbed to go while rushing to work at her old house. Ever since Ritah moved in, nobody had bothered to prepare meals for her anymore.
Wilder walked into the house and patted Claire’s hand. "Eat, child. This is not just breakfast; it’s nutrition for you and the little one. I am going to prepare a lunch bag, in case you don’t make it home for lunch or get hungry on your walk."
Claire sat, comforted by the kindness. She ate a spoonful of oats and nearly choked up.
It wasn’t the sweetness, but the care that had gone into it which touched her. She had been running around to help her former parents build a successful business, but they had never cared about what she ate. Only she knew how hard it had been to keep a full stomach.
More alcohol than proper had been absorbed by her body. She had endured it all thinking her sacrifices would give their family a better future, but in the end, she had lost everything.
A few tears slipped from her eyes as she finished breakfast. Her grandmother, who sat quietly beside her, took the dirty bowls away with a smile. Claire had eaten everything, and that pleased the old woman greatly.
After breakfast Claire said goodbye to the old woman and then headed to the shore with Paddy, who followed her for a reason she couldn’t put her finger on.
She didn’t send the dog away. In fact, she appreciated its company, because it made her feel secure. The streets smelled faintly of bread from bakeries, snails, and a mixture of other scents. Children darted past her with kites, and an old man tipped his hat as she passed the beach ball stall.
Claire stopped for a moment and bought a ball for Paddy before continuing toward the sandy beach.
She noticed that most of the population in the place where she lived was elderly. Even at the shore, there were more old men and women gathering seafood while laughing.
"That’s her, Wilder’s granddaughter." Someone whispered.
Claire rolled her eyes. It was not surprising that people were gossiping about her. They would probably do so for a few weeks until something more exciting came along.
"My daughter gave me a call last night asking about her." Another joined in the whispers. "She was raised by Alden Dane, but it turns out that she is Victor Dane’s daughter."
"Really? I have not heard about that." A woman turned to look at Claire before her friend forcibly turned her around.
"Don’t stare, it’s rude."
Claire nearly laughed. Was there any difference between gossiping about her and staring at her? Both activities were rude!
"What will she do now that she has been thrown out by Alden and Heimi?"
"She moved here so what else can she do apart from fishing?"
"Fishing! You think fishing is easy? Someone like her who is used to sitting in an office will probably look for a job in one of the hotels in the busy parts of town. She will not remain in this less developed part of Briarshore for long."
"I think you are all wrong and she is here for a vacation. I have seen her before. She comes for two weeks every year and leaves. She is early this year, but it’s because she is hiding from the scandal. Besides, she is Apollo Ashford’s girlfriend. Why would she fish for a living?"
Claire stopped immediately and turned back to look at the group. She drew the line at being called Apollo’s girlfriend.
Those who were looking at her turned away, pretending they had seen something more interesting on the ground or above in the sky.
Paddy barked twice, like he was rebuking them.
"You tell them Paddy," Claire muttered. "They are dead wrong about that. Me--Apollo’s girlfriend! The sky would weep if it happened."