𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳 • 𝘣𝘦𝘯 𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘴 [✔]

chapter fifty six.

Claudia sat in her chair with Ben by her side. He held onto her hand as she listened to Nate and Lara. It was late so they decided to close the bar so they could have more time to talk. Lara had texted April while Nate talked with Claudia. Each time he brought up Janis, Claudia would squeeze Ben's hand. At one point he even kissed the back of it to calm her. Nate noticed.

Nate explained how much he didn't want to leave, but he didn't want his parents to hurt Janis or Claudia. When Claudia asked Lara why she decided to come to Detroit Lara explained that her dad had grown up in Detroit so that was the first place she thought of.

"You know, all this time I thought to myself, 'if I meet my dad, what am I going to ask him? Maybe why? Why didn't you want to be my dad?' But you left for a reason and now I know, but I need the person who raised me to know too. She deserves an explanation after all these years." Claudia said.

"And I'll tell Janis everything, I promise." Nate replied.

"Me too, every last bit." Lara added.

"Well I guess that settles it, you'll be coming with us." Claudia said which caused Ben, Nate and Lara to react differently. Ben looked at her with a worried expression, Lara looked confused and Nate looked scared.

"Are you sure?" Ben asked.

Claudia turned to look at him and nodded with confidence. "Of course,"

𓆩❤︎𓆪

Janis paced around the living room in her scrubs. Edward was in the kitchen making dinner for him and Layna. He asked Janis multiple times to sit down so they could eat together, but she refused. She was far too worried about the whereabouts of her daughter and her future son-in-law. (She didn't call Ben that to his face, she kept that name to herself.)

Layna walked into the living room with a bowl of grapes. "You're making him worried." She handed the bowl to Janis, which she took.

"Thank you," she sat with Layna on the couch. She grabbed a grape and popped it into her mouth. "I didn't mean to. I'm just worried about Claudia and Ben. They've been gone for a while, hardly ever answer my texts or call back. Do you think they're dead?"

Her question caught Layna off guard. "What?"

"Nevermind, don't answer it. Unless you want to—actually don't take me seriously," Janis passed the bowl of grapes to the teen. "I always wondered how it would be after Claudia finally decides to leave me in this house so she can start her own family. I guess I'm going to be clingy and worried all the time. I would hate myself, I hate clingy people."

"You're her mom, you're allowed to be worried about her." Layna replied.

"I find it nice and comforting that now I have three cool and kind people in mine and Claudia's life, before it was just my girl and me." Janis smiled.

"Three?" Layna questioned.

Janis nodded. "You, Edward and Claudia's british loverboy."

Layna laughed. "I have a feeling you already arranged their wedding."

"Date, venue, dress and honeymoon too. As for their kids, don't care what their gender is, all I know is that I'm going to be the coolest grandma in the neighborhood."