Clawen • What comes next

|| CHAPTER 18 ||

           

They got a flight the very next day, not that Claire thought it would be fully booked. It's not like there's a lot to see out in the middle of nowhere and especially with no holiday coming up. To their luck, Maisie's passport had been included in the stuff they saved. After booking the tickets, they found out that Maisie had never been on a plane before, which didn't surprise them at all. The poor girl was terrified, asking question after question getting every detail needed, to be able to wrap her head around it.

The journey to the airport wasn't long but Maisie still fell asleep. Claire managed to sneak a picture of the peaceful girl to save for later.

Arriving at the airport, Maisie's nerves were really starting to show, clinging to Claire with both her hands, never letting her leave her side. Finding more questions to ask for every 10 minutes that went by. "Maisie sweetheart, it's okay to admit that you're scared, we understand. I'll tell you, I was very scared before my first time on a plane but it's amazing once you're up in the air" Claire said. All three were sitting in the seating area, waiting for the gates to open and as Maisie had cuddled up to Claire, she had felt how much the girl was actually shaking.

"I'm n...not scared" Maisie said and took a deep breath. "Hey Maisie?" Owen said leaning forward from behind Claire. "I was once terrified of flying, wouldn't get on a plane. Then later, something came up and I simply had to get on the plane, and I regretted saying no the years earlier" Owen told the girl who eventually pushed herself out from Claire to look at him. "Really? You were scared?" The girl asked with a cheeky grin growing on her face. "Indeed" Owen said and reached up behind Claire to put an arm around her.

Maisie calmed down a bit but was still a small shaking figure by Claire's side when they walked to the gate. Owen walked first, leading the way for his girls as Claire was way too busy with managing a scared Maisie. They found their seats and let Maisie choose where she wanted to sit. She chose the middle and the adults decided that Owen sat by the window in case Maisie needed to go to the bathroom and wanted Claire with her.

Both adults, sending longing looks to each other. Wishing they were able to sit closer, but the girl's needs came first and they swore to do everything they could to make sure she was doing okay. Letting her sit between them was a price they had to pay, to now have little sweet and clever Maisie as their daughter.

During the flight, Maisie fell asleep on Owen's shoulder and he didn't dare move one inch. Claire took another picture of the sleeping girl. If she kept going, she could eventually make an album and call it 'Peaceful Maisie'.

About half way through the flight, Claire started noticing a guy looking at her from time to time. A couple seats in front. He kept turning his head to glance at her and eventually she caught him staring and send him her famous death glare. He just winked at her and let out a laugh before turning back in his seat. She eyed him carefully but he kept turning to look, wiggling his eyebrows, smirking and winking some more. Claire was used to idiots like that but in a place where she couldn't escape them, she might just go insane.

Eventually she turned to Owen and leaned over to whisper. "There's some guy a few rows in front who keeps turning to send me looks, he won't stop I swear I've tried Owen I swear" She had to make sure Owen knew she wasn't trying anything. Not that she had ever given him any reason to doubt her. "Two rows you said?" Owen asked and Claire nodded. "Opposite side of the aisle" She whispered, as to not wake up Maisie. Owen gently moved the girl's head from his shoulder to Claire's, getting ready to teach this dirtbag of a man a lesson.

When he turned to look again, Claire nudged Owen who then stood up and found the guy's eyes immediately. Claire swore she could see the stalker's balls shrink when Owen stared him down. To her, Owen might be a sweetheart, the love of her life, and the gentlest man she knew but to other people, he was extremely intimidating and could scare the hairs off your back in seconds.