The Final Light

Chapter 1: Clara

"The beautiful blush colour of the strapless masterpiece was accompanied by an elegant silver bracelet and cascades of blonde waves swept to one side, over her shoulder"

I sigh with a sense of relief. I have finally finished the article on this red carpet event. Now I can relax.
I tentavely look up at the clock hoisted on the turquoise coloured diner wall to see how long I've been engrossed in my article.
Oh no... it's been 6 hours. Well, new record.

The smell of my dad's famous grilled cheese wafts through the air as the clatter of the deep fryers fills Miss Molly's Diner.
The diner that my mum and dad own well inherited from my grandpa and have owned since I was born well since my older brother was born so they have owned it for 21 years.

Yes, I know what your thinking.
Joe, Isla, Noah, Clara and Tess, in my entire immediate family there is no one called Miss Molly or Molly for that matter.
My dad inherited the diner but had no idea what to rename it when he and my mum renovated so they thought about it, did a bit of research and thought that Miss Molly's Diner sounded cool or "hip" as they would say and retro.
Strange, huh? But that's my family for you.

"Hey kid, what do you want with your burger? Curly or regular fries?"

Asked my dad, a man that stands 6.4, always smelling of home, with his plaid lumberjack like shirts and backward baseball caps to hide the thinning wispy hair of a man in his mid forties.

"I think I will have curly today. Regular fries....., well regular fries are for peasants correct? My dear"

Dad had a little chuckle and looked at me with a knowing smile while placing my plate of favourite food down on the counter.

"Oh well of course Lady Clara. Curly fries are for the elite. Regular fries well what is a fry if not curled?"

(Dad and I have been a bit well massively obsessed with Downton Abbey recently.)
The bell above the door chimed and mum comes stumbling in with my big brother of 3 years Noah, and my little sister of 13 years, Tess hopped up on her back.
Tess was clinging on for dear life but she also looked so happy like a little kid at Disneyland for the first time.

"Okay little munchkin, mama has to put you down now"

Mum set little Tess down on the checkered floor.

"But Mammmmmmaaaaaaa!" She stamped her tiny 5 year old foot down on the ground in protest. Crossing her arms. Death staring mama. I must say I taught her well.

"Fine, if you don't want to give me a piggyback I'll run off and join the circus!"

Steam fuming from her ears, she runs in a huff into the kitchen with Noah trailing behind her laughing at how adorable she is.

The sound of everyone laughing adoring at Tess's cuteness rang out in the diner as mum kisses dad hi, a little too long for parents (as usual) and sat down on a red vinyl stool just a few seats away from me. I think my parents still kissing so passionately like that is a sign that marriage hasn't destroyed their relationship. I think it's sort of nice that they are still as enchanted with each other as when they were 21.

Ding, the bell rang again and Nora and Alex strolled in and sat down as if this is their second home.

Well, I guess it pretty much is their second home. Ever since we all were curious, scrawny 11 year olds we have come here after school, on weekends, any moment of our free time Alex, Nora and I were in these stools chugging down dad's amazing frothy, delicious milkshakes.

For 8 whole years we have been here, this has been the only place apa
rt from home that I don't get that dreaded anxious feeling. The worrying feeling about absolutely everything. The feeling of a hot flaming ball of dread in my stomach. The feeling that anything will go wrong. My brain going at a thousand kilometers per second. My heart beating out of my chest, but here and at home it all just melts away. Especially with Alex and Nora by my side.

The past few months after graduation have been crazy though. Everyday Alex, Nora and I sitting here, frantically scrawling.

Alex, applying to every university in the Western Sydney area or even further away than that. Anywhere that has any architecture related courses.

Nora, writing articles, stories and novels to submit to all the publishing houses in Australia or even overseas.

I can't even begin to imagine what it would be like without Alex's jokes or comforts or Nora and I sharing an addictions to coffee, Netflix and literature. Or just all three of us together. I cannot even begin to imagine. But I guess it's inevitable. All of us at different corners of the world....

And than there is me, I have been desperately writing articles about statement coats, premiers, red carpet events, parties into the wee hours of the morning and sending them with attached resumes to all the fashion magazines and publishcations in the Southern Hemisphere and some in Europe.

"Hey C" Alex and Nora say in unison.

Dad automatically brings a cup of coffee to me and Nora, and also a water for Alex.

"Why do you two always insist on a cup of coffee before doing anything?" And no this isn't a joke, Alex has never got into coffee. He can't understand why Nora and I take caffeine as seriously as oxygen.
These are the moments Nora and I reconsider his friendship.

"Well, how else could ajndnyone function in the morning?" Nora asked.

"How else could anyone live?" I chimed in.

"The mornings don't start until that first jolt of caffeine to get me going" Nora elaborated.

As you can sense Nora and I take our friendship with coffee extremely seriously.

"Okay, okay obviously a stupid question" Alex said, realising that no matter how many times you ask a question you will aways get the same answer.

Dad came sprinting out of the kitchen with a smile as big and wide as a Cheshire cats with the phone clutched in his right hand. I have not seen dad run in the 18 years of my life.

"Kid, it's Auntie Keely for you. She's got some damn awesome news for you."

The rest of the family came out and dad has clearly let everyone in the loop except for me.
He passed me the phone. What could Keely want to tell me? I thought.

"Hey Aunt Keely"

You can feel the anticipation radiation from Alex and Nora on either side of me. They aren't being exactly subtle about it.

"Yep I did send one with you with a resume attached"

"Oh my god! Are you joking right now? Oh okay your not joking..... haha yes why would you be? Thank you so much. I'll see you a week from Friday. Love you too so much. Bye"

I am shaking from excitement so much that I can barely hang up the phone. Everybody's eyes are boring into from left and right.

"I guess I'm going to Switzerland"