Clawen • What comes next

|| CHAPTER 70 ||

Charlie was now 11 months old and doing as well as could be expected. Maisie was 14 and had really started the whole teenage phase. It could be felt in the whole household but both Claire and Owen handled it well. It wasn't like Maisie to yell or slam doors. That had now changed.

Claire and Owen were doing better than ever. To them, it felt like everything was perfect, most of the time. Like at any minute, it would all break and they would end up in a third disaster.

Even though things seemed perfect, there was still a few things that reminded them that perfect was an illusion. Like when Maisie had a meltdown or freaked out. At this point in time, Claire had learned how to handle Maisie when she broke down. It could be the smallest things that pushed her off the road. Whatever it was, Claire was always there. It was harder and more difficult to figure out how to handle the situation, when Maisie started freaking out. Neither parent had any idea of how to handle it and in most cases, what caused it. Mostly just letting her be by herself till she calmed down.

Another thing that shook their little world, was the fact that Charlie wasn't walking yet. Claire had asked the doctor, because Charlie hadn't even made any attempt and Claire was starting to get nervous. She was told to wait and if nothing had happened after she turned one, then they would see if they could figure something out. Claire had sighed as she held on to Charlie, with Owen's hand on her back.

Both parents were in the living room, on the couch. Claire leaning into Owen's side. All four eyes, starring intently at Charlie who was tumbling around on the floor. As if they looked intensely enough, their daughter would magically stand up on two legs. All they could do was hope.

Suddenly two feet could be heard walking down the stairs. Having learned her lesson after her fall, Maisie appeared at the bottom of the stairs. Charlie snapped her head to look at Maisie, who didn't really pay much attention. Just gave her sister a quick smile, before looking back up at her parents. "What's for dinner?" Maisie asked. "Don't know yet" Claire said, without taking her eyes off of Charlie. Maisie sighed with a grin on her face. "You know, you're going to wear her out just by looking at her" She added before turning around to head upstairs.

After her first step towards the stairs, Charlie started babbling insanely loud, making Maisie turn back around, accepting the smile that was forming on her own face. Before she knew it, Charlie raised herself up and tumbled towards her, grabbing Maisie by the legs and pulling her small body against them. Charlie looked up at her big sister, a grin on her face going from one ear to the other. Maisie was starstruck, mind blank with no idea of what to do. She stared down at her sister with eyes bigger than the titanic, before tilting her head up to look at her parents. She found the same size eyes on them, a tear added to her mom's, of course.

"Hey there Charlie, how are you?" Maisie started, a laugh very clear in her voice. She leaned down to pick her sister up who grabbed both Maisie's cheeks and started giggling like crazy. Maisie couldn't help but let her laugh out and join her sister.

On the couch, both parents were incapable of doing anything other than stare at their daughters. Claire was very aware of the tears making their way down her cheeks but couldn't care less. Owen heard a whispered 'omg' from her before she put her hands to her mouth. He smiled faintly and leaned back slightly to enjoy the view better.

"You want me to stay so badly that you decide to finally take your first steps huh?" Maisie laughed, bouncing Charlie up and down slightly. The younger sibling never stopped giggling until Maisie let her down on the floor again. The girl sat down on her butt and looked up at her sister, with a confused face. Slamming her small hands on the floor, obviously not happy with being back on the floor. She started crawling towards Maisie, who squatted down to Charlie's level. "No Charlie. Walk, you got to walk" Maisie said. Charlie stopped the crawling and sat back down, holding her arms out in hopes of getting picked up again. Instead, Maisie took a hold of her sister's small hands and started guiding her towards the couch where their parents were sitting. "See Charlie, like this" Maisie said, her tone happier than she had been the whole week.

They eventually made their way to their parents and Owen didn't think he had ever seen Claire be silent for so long. Like she had lost her voice, completely incapable of speaking. Maisie let go of Charlie's hands when the girl leaned forward on the couch and grabbed Claire's legs. Charlie started giggling as she tried crawling up Claire's leg. Failing miserably of course. Claire leaned forward to lift her little girl up. Her little precious sunshine of a girl. Cradling Charlie to her body, still unable to speak. She rocked them back and forth, leaving kisses all over Charlie's head.

As Claire was doing that, Owen looked up at Maisie who was still standing by the couch with a smile on her face. He really enjoyed every time, her and Charlie spend time together. Every time Maisie would come downstairs to play with her or help out and look after her for a second. Seeing Charlie take her first steps, in an attempt at making her sister stay, warmed his heart more than ever. He knew that Maisie loved Charlie to pieces. What just happened proved more than anything, that Charlie loved Maisie just as much.

He returned Maisie's smile and winked at her. Maisie knew what it meant. It meant that he was proud of her. That whatever she had just done or said had made him happy. That she did something good.

Claire's voice finally decided to make a comeback. "You beautiful little thing" She said. The two people in the room, capable of understanding her, both heard the tears in her voice. Heard it break at the last word. They both knew that Claire was overwhelmed. More than that even. Both aware, that they just had to give her time until she became more human again.

Claire eventually looked up at Maisie who was smiling ever so sweetly down at her mom. "Both of you. God so beautiful" Claire said, almost a whisper but not quite. Maisie's smile softened with the tilt of her head.

So, I'm moving things even further forward. Hope this was okay.

I was really in the mood for some sibling fluff and the picture I got in my head when I thought of this. Just made me write it instantly.

I really hope this was good enough.