YOU'RE LOSING ME ✦ WOLVERINE

CHAPTER THREE

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5TH — 2007

THE SOUND OF Clara's home phone ringing was what woke her up.

Groaning, she rubbed a hand against her face, and then got out of bed to answer it. "Hello?" She sleepily said, rubbing her eyes again.

"Oh, listen to my little mother here, being a sleepy bug," Jamie cooed from the other side, making Clara laugh, which in turn made Jamie laugh. "But for real, hi mom. How are you doing?"

"Hi, honey," Clara replied, and then walked over to her small couch, lounging on it. "Oh, you know. Same old, same old. But some new guy came into town the other day. I'm going to be fixing up his motorcycle for his friend."

"Ooh, is this the sign of a new friend?" Jamie said, "you've got to take pictures of his motorcycle, I wanna see it!"

Laughing, Clara replied, "Sure, I'll take some pictures of it when I've finished with it. I don't know if he'll stay in town for much longer once I'm done though. Which is a shame."

She could hear her son adjusting on the couch, and taking a drink of something while she talked. Soda, likely. Now that he was away at college, he drank much more of it than before. "Oh, a shame you say?" He said, and she could practically hear him smirking on the other side.

"Let your old mother have some fun. You're always having fun, I know you are," She said, and Jamie groaned on the other side of the phone. "I don't want you to tell me! But come on. It's college and you're in New York city."

"That's true, that's true," Jamie relented. "But you do deserve a bit of fun too. Oh, before I forget. Kiera's flying to London to spend Katie's winter break with her, so if you don't mind, I'm gonna come crash at your place for my entire winter break."

Clara made a sound of excitement, even as a tiny part of her was disappointed she wasn't going to see Kiera and Katie for another Christmas. "Oh, let me know the dates! I'll get the guest bedroom ready for you!"

"I knew you'd love that," Jamie replied, humming happily. "Now that I'm old enough, we can finally go to Jerry's bar!"

Clara laughed at that. "That's true, your old mom can finally buy you a shot!"

Jamie laughed as well, and Clara overheard voices in the background on his side. "Oh, mom, my roommates just got back. I guess they want us all to go out to lunch together, so I gotta run. I love you! We'll talk again soon!"

"I love you too, Jamie! Talk to you soon," Clara responded, and hung up the phone. She debated calling Kiera now, but every time she called, Kiera was always in the middle of something.

Shaking her head, Clara got up from her couch, and headed into her open kitchen. "What should I make for breakfast?" She asked herself as she opened her fridge and leaned down, looking in.

For once, her brain didn't feel as foggy as it usually did. Most mornings she just put some Eggo waffles in the toaster, and called it a day, but today she actually felt like making some eggs and toast.

Maybe it was because she had a new and exciting project to work on. She hadn't had something so different since the auto body shop she worked at back in the city, before the kids had gone from community college to university and college, and Kiera had moved into the city for work. Which was when she had moved here.

After she had made her breakfast, she brought it over to the small table by the window, to the right of the apartment on the wall. She sat down, and looked out at the town. Loneliness struck, and she sighed. Maybe if she was able to talk to anyone more than Jerry and Jamie, she wouldn't feel so lonely. Maybe if she was able to break herself out of her shell, she wouldn't feel so lonely.