The lucky one

Chapitre 15

"You should really just come," Kara said as she and Astra were preparing themselves "You never know, you might even have fun. You always loved their house"

"Save your breath. I'm not going" Eliza said from where she was vacuuming 

"Why not?"

"You know I can't stand Judge Clayton and his fundraising extravaganzas."

"Mom!" Astra called as she ran from her room, jumping over the vacuum's wire on the way "Check it out!"

"Hey. Oh, that looks great, sweets." Kara smiled, kneeling in front of her daughter, inspecting the tie and dress shirt that her daughter had decided to wear. "You look beautiful"

"Do you think dad will be upset that I'm not wearing a dress?"

"You can decide what you want to wear. If you feel more like yourself in pants and a dress shirt, you can wear that," she assured, making her daughter smile

Oliver took a deep breath of the autumn air in the wood as he walked dogs, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere of these woods. Beside him, his three companions were following without problem, being exhausted from the 20 minutes run they had just done.

When he rejoined the road, Oliver spotted Kara and Astra walking down the stairs to the truck, Eliza comfortably seated in a chair with tea on the table beside her.

"Hello Oliver!" the young girl said

"Hey Ash" he smiled back, waving as she got into the truck

Despite herself, Kara smiled at the interaction. She raised an eyebrow, however, at Oliver's use of her daughter's favouritenickname. She would have to investigate it later.

She quickly got in the cabin and the mother-daughter duo left, passing Oliver. 

"Oliver" Eliza called as he passed by her

"Yes ma'am?"

"Care to join me for some tea?"

"With pleasure." he smiled "I'll drop my friends and I'll be back"

Eliza simply nodded, continuing the portrait she had been doing

"Hey, dad!" Astra called as she ran to her father, who received her in a hug

"Hello girl" he smiled, spinning her around "What happened, you didn't find your dresses?"

"I prefer a suit." she said, quickly adding "Because it makes me cool like you!"

"Ahaha! That's right. But we'll have to teach you how to properly do a tie then"

Astra simply nodded, forcing a smile as she ran toward her foster grandparents.

"Whoo-wee." Mike said as he saw Kara walk toward him "I love you in that dress, huh? Makes me wish I never would have signed those papers."

Kara patiently let him give her a quick greeting kiss on the cheek before walking away, her ex-husband right by her side.

"Why don't you tell me about your new boyfriend?" he asked smugly

"Who?"

"Former rich boy. Huh?"

"Don't ask about him."

"Come on"

"I didn't hire him"

"Okay"

"He has nothin' to do with me"

"Okay," he chuckled as they approached the table where Mike's foster mother was seated "Hey, mama. The place is lookin' great."

"Thank you so much for comin'." Judge Clayton, the mayoral candidate, was saying as he shook yet another hand later that day "Ash?" he called 'Where my grand-child?"

"There she is" his wife pointed out as she arrived by his side 

"Come here, Ash"

"How are you doin' sweetie?" Kara asked as she too joining her former in-laws 

"Well, she's fighting the good fight for Hamden's future, that's how she's doing." Judge said promptly

"Uh-huh"

"Tell your mama how we're going to win this thing"

"Vote Clayton," Astra said, sticking an electoral badge on her mother's dress

"All right, and...?"

"The name you trust..."

"You know"

"The name you know?"

"Yep"

"The Judge you trust, the mayor we need?"

"This kid is sharp as a tack" Astra's grand-father laughed "She is. She's going to do great things. You mark my word"

However, the smile on his face fell quickly when he saw what his son, who had just joined him, was wearing "Where did you gid up that jacket? Huh?"

"Oh, come one. It's just a garden party, daddy" Mike tried to brush off, his stupid smile not mirrored by his disappointed foster parents or his awkward ex-wife 

"It's not just a garden party." the judge said as he walked on with his wife and grand-child, leaving poor Kara with Mike, who wanted nothing more than jump and pierce a hole in the ground with his foot. He internally swore for not being able to anymore.