Westley has always known Claire. She's always been a constant in his life, whether it be as his babysitter, his secret Santa, as his pretend-girlfriend, his confident, as the person he could always rely on.
But she's also always been the girl he lov...
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I'm sixty nine and Claire is getting a humanitarian award. Ever since she's retired she's been restless and coming with new projects every month. Lately, she's been helping setting up funds to build schools in third world countries and setting up college funds for young girls that don't have the means to go to college but have the will and she's helped raising funds to give meals for kids that go hungry in our own country. And her latest project has been to start building support groups for women that struggle with having or that have lost children.
There's an actual fancy award ceremony so Claire and I have to dress up. The kids and their significant others come too.
Eliah introduces her. Our son is a bit of a big shot. He's done a few documentaries that have gotten lots of prizes. The both of them are so alike sometimes, it's scary.
After they give her the award, they ask for a speech. She talks about the importance of education and of building your own critical thinking. She talks about the resilience of people that have very little, yet their want to give so much.
She thanks the board for thinking of her and the people she's worked with that have trusted her and given her opportunities, she thanks her parents and friends, she thanks our children, and finally, "most of all I want to thank the missing half of my soul, my husband Westley. I've doubted myself a lot when I was younger, I was afraid of taking risks, I was scared of being who I really wanted to be. I am what I am because he believes in me. I was able to do everything I've done because he's supported me. Even before I married him, he's been here for me, a constant anchor, grounding me to what was important. I've found my true self by seeing my reflection in his eyes. I'm the best version of myself when I'm with him and for that I am eternally grateful."
"What a surprise, Dad is crying again," Eliah whispers beside me, teasingly.
I laugh and wipe my tears. Claire stares at me and I stare right back.
