Single Parents

18//Lawyers and Ice cream

Maddison

When I woke up this morning I felt sick to my stomach. 
I felt like throwing up and I felt weak.

Listen Maddie, you're one of the strongest people I know.

Toby's words from a few days ago make me suck in a sharp breath and let it out slowly. 

I can do this, I can do this.

I go downstairs into Lewis and Juliana's beautiful kitchen and see Clara already there, pouring herself some coffee.

"Good morning." She said bright and chipper, though I see right through that and I can't believe she's even attempting to fool me.

I see her smile not reaching her eyes and I see the tenseness in her shoulders by her posture. I see her hands trembling around the mug of hot coffee despite it being warm in the house because of the heater.

I walk over to her. 
"What's wrong, Clara?" I ask softly.

Her smile trembles but it stays put.

"I'm fine! Better than ever, actually. I got most of the designs ready for V magazine's Halloween edition and I got another offer to-"

"Clara. What's wrong." I say more sternly and that's when her smile falters and she puts her mug on the table.

"Me and Luc got into a pretty bad fight last night on the phone."

I try and let my rational side come out and help her but all I see is red.

"What did that motherfucker do." I ask in a low, venomous tone.

She took a breath.

"I-It wasn't just him, I guess. Something small just turned into something big, words that we didn't mean have been thrown at each other. I don't know...we've never fought like that before and I'm scared he'll l-leave me." She says and chokes on a sob at the last word.

I throw my arms around her and she cries softly.

"Hey, it's okay. You and Luc will make it through this. This is healthy for every relationship, it can't all be rainbows and kisses."

"Why?" She whined and sobbed like a child.

"Because it's not realistic, Clar. You both love each other and sometimes when you love each other too much it'll most likely have to balance out with the other feelings you have about each other. This argument just shows that you both have strong feelings for each other and that's amazing."

She sniffed and I feel her nod against my shoulder where her head is buried in.

"Thanks, Mads." She whispered once she pulled away from me.

I smiled at her reassuringly.
"Any time."

Clara then walked back upstairs to our room with her coffee.

I looked outside on the balcony. There are a few small drops of paint residue from yesterday on the wooden porch and the sky is cloudless but still grey. I pulled my robe tighter against my body and walked out. My head is pounding but it's bearable.

I breathed in the fresh air and smelled the earth. It has been raining over night. I sat down on one of the white wooden chairs with a green pillow on the seat.

I heard someone tap on the glass double door lightly behind me and I turned and saw Toby. 

He came out and pulled another chair and sat next to me.