Disclaimer: I don't own the Clique characters mentioned
It's been three years since leaving Claire. I can't even begin to describe my anxiety. I'm excited to move back to Westchester and see her. But at the same time, I have no idea how much of her has changed. Did she forget about me? Did someone else steal her heart?
Pushing the thoughts away, I finally pull up to my new apartment building and get out of my car. I came back to start my first year in photography. I knew that Claire took it up as well so it was the perfect way to see how she was doing. Before we had broken up, she explained how she was going to pursue a photography career because it was what made her happy.
After unpacking my bags and setting up what little treasures I brought back, I exhaustingly crawl under my covers and fall into a deep sleep.
***…***
"Claire Lyons, name three settings on a DSLR camera that need to be used for family shots" My teacher called out.
"Well you need the aperture for depth, and then you need proper lighting and then a slow shutter speed for slow movement." I replied, hoping that my lack of attention wasn't too noticeable.
"That's correct. I'm glad to see you're paying attention." She replied.
I gave a sigh and looked back across the room where Cam was sitting. Why was he back here taking photography? Of all the careers he decided to pursue, why this one?
My heart ached for him. I never got over Cam after our break up three years ago. I lost interest in boys after he left but both my parents and Massie forced me to go on dates with other boys. Massie refused to go on double dates with me and so did the other PC members.
The bell snapped me out of my thoughts and I hurried out of class with my notebooks to head for lunch. On the way out, I felt a hand grab my arm and spin me around….Cam.
"Claire, can we go somewhere?" He asked.
"Why should I go anywhere with you?" I asked.
Cam looked so pathetic with his blue and green eyes staring at me. He looked like a lost puppy and I almost wanted to hug him….almost.
"Claire, don't you think we deserve to clear the air between us? We never really did talk about what happened between us." Cam spoke.
"But we did. We told each other our feelings. That should be it." I explained.
"Claire, you know what I'm talking about. Remember your problem?" He asked.
I winced at what he was referring to, but he was right. We never did talk it over. Reluctantly, I decide that it's time to tell him and we head out to a Starbucks.
***…***
"Cam, I'm sorry." Claire cried as we walked down the park across from the Starbucks.
I look solemnly down at my vanilla latte and can't help but wonder. Why? Why would Claire look at such degrading images on the internet?
"Claire, I know you're sorry about it. But you've never answered the most important question…why?" I asked.
Claire seemed to go pensive as she stared down at her frappuchino. Would she tell me? She knew that she could trust me with anything, so why seem hesitant all of a sudden?
"Cam I never told you this. But I've always wished that we could just get it over with. I've always loved you and I wanted to show you. But it's a sin to perform such an act before marriage and it's even a greater sin to look at pornography. I knew that. But I did it anyways to get over my deeper feelings because we couldn't share it with each other." Claire explained.
She broke down in tears and I knew that she was sincerely sorry for her misdeeds in the past years.
"I had to take counseling with the bishop and I've been repented of my sins. But I've still thought about you ever since. I've missed you so much Cam, and I'm sorry for ever hurting our relationship." Claire cried.
It broke my heart to see her so unhappy and so vulnerable. I couldn't even begin to describe how much I shared her pain.
"Claire…" I started and sat my cup down on a park bench.
"No, Cam… I can't do this anymore. I can't live in the past knowing that I've hurt you so much. I should go." Claire blubbered.
No! I can't lose her again, not after three years of being apart from each other! Before Claire can make a move, I wrap my arms around her slender waist and pull her towards me, locking her in a warm and loving embrace.
"Claire Stacy Lyons, you can never hurt me. You can yell at me, call me stupid, hit me all you want…but you will NEVER hurt me! Breaking up with you was hard I'll admit it. But it didn't hurt. If anything, it made me stronger. What you went through made you stronger. You can do this Claire. You can move on from your past and start thinking about your future." I explained.
"But what future do I have Cam? We're not dating anymore and I doubt you want to see me again." She cried.
She wasn't getting it! She was so lost in her own world of self regret and lack of confidence that she really thought that we couldn't be together. I knew Claire better than I knew myself. She was hurting…struggling. She was trying to keep me away so that she wouldn't make the same mistakes again.
"Claire, I love you." I spoke softly as I held her close.
Her crying ceased and reduced to small sobs. She looked up at me and for a moment, I was lost in her baby blue eyes. They held so much sadness and angst in them.
"Do you really mean it? You're not saying this to get me to stop crying?" She questioned.
I gave her a warm smile and kissed her forehead. "Claire, I never stopped loving you. I fell in love with you the moment I laid eyes on you." I confessed.
A smile… her smile was now on her beautiful face and it filled my heart with happiness. I loved seeing her smile.
"Claire, you don't have to be afraid of the world. You don't have to be afraid of being alone and you don't have to be afraid of making mistakes. Mistakes make us stronger and challenge us to be better people. You're a strong woman and you can handle anything that's thrown in your way." I told her.
"Cam, I love you too. I love you more than anything in this world." She spoke through her tears.
I brushed them away with my thumb and leaned in to kiss her. It was a wonderful kiss. It was soft and warm and it filled with love and reassuring. It made her feel safe and I knew it because she tightened her arms around my neck.
"Claire, will you marry me?" I asked, knowing that the timing was right.
Claire pulled away and looked at me. Her eyes were suddenly filled with warmth and happiness.
"Yes Cameron Fisher… I will." She smiled up at me.
***…***
It was sheer bliss! The wedding went off without a hitch and the honeymoon was even better. Everyone was invited and Massie of course was my Maid of Honor. Not much else to describe. But the honeymoon… It was wonderful! I couldn't have asked to marry someone better than Cam. He was my everything in the world.
It was only mere weeks later after our marriage that we got the greatest news of our lives. We were going to have a baby! Cam was nervous about being a father, I could tell. But with time, he came to accept that he would be a wonderful father to our children.
***…***
"Daddy, tell me a story." Six year old Corbin begged.
How could I resist those big blue eyes? Corbin settled himself in my lap and I wracked my brains for something to come up with.
"Once upon a time, there was a beautiful woman named Claire…." I started off, telling him about how I first met his mother.
***…***
"I hate you! I wish you weren't my mother!" Sixteen year old Sarah shrieked.
It broke my heart to know that Sarah was going through such a hard time in her life. My heart ached to pull her into my arms and calm her down, to tell her that everything in her world would turn out fine.
It was hard being to mother of five children and my youngest daughter was now old enough to back talk me. I wanted so badly to help my children, but they had to figure things out for themselves.
***…***
"Grandma! Grandpa!" Four year old Madison called out to us.
Cam still looked good at the age of 50. His crows' eyes graced his face and the wrinkles were barely noticeable, but they were there.
"Hi pumpkin!" Cam called out to his little granddaughter.
"Mom, I'm sorry for everything." Sarah spoke to me.
I give her a smile and pull her into a hug. My heart fills with happiness to know that my daughter was finally apologizing after years of fighting.
***…***
My eyes were locked with hers in a loving embrace. Her baby blue eyes still gleamed even after so many years of marriage. After 50 years, it was now time to say good-bye to her. I was too weak to carry on anymore.
"Claire Stacy Fisher, I will always be yours, for time and all eternity." I told her.
"Cameron, I'll see you again, right?" She asked.
I give her a reassuring smile. "You can count on it. We were married not till death do us part, but for time and all eternity. I'll see you in the afterlife." I told her and with one final breath, she left my sight.
***…***
The children, grand children and great grand children gathered around in the graveyard to say good bye to Cameron and Claire. They had lived a good 50 years of marriage and they had left the world in peace.
Cameron was lying in the bed with Claire lying down beside him. The doctors said that Cameron died from natural causes.
Claire had been holding her husbands' hand at the time and they had stayed like that for a while. She joined him moments later as she had grown weary over the years. Seeing her husband leave broke her and she lost the will to live.
The doctors had found them both gone…still holding hands.