The Peacemaker

To See My Love Again

Later that night Claire's father came in to check on her and to meet his granddaughter. Claire was asleep so he crept over to the cradle and looked down at the baby. He smiled when he saw her. She looked just like Claire did as a baby. "Her name is Olivia," Claire said softly as she rose to join her father by the cradle. "She's beautiful isn't she?"

"She looks just like her mother," he responded the smile still on his face. Claire picked Olivia up and handed her to her father. He held her as if the slightest movement or a too deep breath would break her. "Do you..."

"Do I what pa?"

"Do you still want to keep her?"

Claire stared at her father in shock. She and her mother had come up with so many ideas and plans to convince her father to let the baby stay. She had never imagined or even dared to dream that it would be as simple as letting him see her. "Yes. With all my heart," she finally managed with tears in her eyes.

"Well then. I guess I should tell everyone the wedding is cancelled then." He handed Olivia back to Claire and went to leave the room. At the door he paused and turned back to Claire. "I am truly sorry Claire. I see now that I should have left you and Wyatt alone. You were happy. I hope one day that you can forgive me." Claire could see tears streaming down his face as he finished speaking and left her alone. The apology was genuine. She knew that. Now she just had to find it in herself to forgive him.

Six months later, Claire had taken Olivia down to the river. They often came to the river on nice days. Claire would tell Olivia stories about Wyatt and how they had fallen in love. This day Claire was telling Olivia the story of how Wyatt proposed. As she was talking, she had noticed that someone had stopped nearby to listen and look at Olivia. This was not uncommon as Olivia was a favorite among the parkgoers. Claire continued with her story without looking up. She had just gotten to the part where Wyatt pulled out the raisin cake when the stranger approached. He laid a raisin cake in Claire's lap.

"And then I pulled out a ring, looked your mother in the eye, and asked her to marry me." Claire could not move. She could not speak. All she could do was stare into Wyatt's eyes. He was alive. More than that he was here in front of her. Wyatt smiled at her and then turned to Olivia who was trying her best to get his attention.

"You.. You're alive," Claire managed to whisper. She burst into tears as he drew her and Olivia to him. "I never thought I would see you again. Wyatt I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have let them take me form you!" Wyatt held his two girls close to his chest. They sat there as a family for the first time.

"Claire, I think you have someone you need to introduce to me," Wyatt said with a smirk on his face. Claire and Wyatt spent the rest of the afternoon talking and telling each other what the past year of their life had been like. "Claire I can't stay. I know your father is sorry but that does not mean he will invite me in with open arms. I'm also a wanted man now. The people who found me after that night, they are not good people Claire. When I got better, they expected me to become a part of their gang. They wanted me to do terrible things, so I ran. They have been chasing me ever since."

After that day, Wyatt would come and visit Claire and Olivia as often as he could. He soon started to call Olivia "Liv" for short. He always brought a raisin cake for the three of them to share. This was how their life was for two and a half years. Claire often wished they could live a normal life but despite everything, their life was beautiful and happy. On Olivia's third birthday Wyatt had come over briefly to give her a raisin cake along with a small toy he had made. he had not been able to stay long and he had seemed nervous the entire time.

That night Claire awoke to a banging on her front door. She quickly got up and grabbed Olivia from her crib. Claire ran over to the bookshelf and pushed it away from the wall. Wyatt had created this secret compartment when Claire had moved out of her parents' house. She put Olivia in there and said, "I love you so much my darling. You have to be quiet now ok? Can you do that for Mama?" Olivia gave a small nod as her mother pushed the bookshelf back in place. Olivia heard strange men yelling at her mother, a gunshot, and then all was quiet as the men left the house.