A/N: Do we ever find out Claire's mother's name? Emily's sister? We probably do but I don't remember so I've named her Erin. And her husband (Claire's dad) is named Jack.
I've been on a Leah and Sam kick lately, so here's a short one-shot about the annual Clearwater Christmas photo. Things have changed quite a bit since last year. Leah hasn't phased yet so she still thinks Sam had a choice when he left her.
Reviews are greatly appreciated.
I hate family pictures but my mother always insisted on them anyway. She had no right to force me into it, especially when she didn't have to be in it but 'Grandchildren Only' was her specification. Apparently Grandma Clearwater had no interest in photos of her children or their spouses. All she wanted were more pictures of her grandchildren. Of course grandchildren's significant others were allowed, even encouraged, whether they were married or not.
That was mostly my fault. If I hadn't insisted on Sam being in the picture last year, I know Emily wouldn't have said anything this year. But how could I have ever seen this coming?
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I looked my mother directly in the eye. "The only way you are getting me in that picture is if Sam is in it too."
She wasn't budging. "No," was her only response.
"Come on Mom! Jack gets to be in it." This wasn't my best argument but I was starting to get desperate. I had already told Sam my mom had asked for him to be in the photo. It would suck to have to tell him he couldn't be in it now.
"That's completely different and you know it. They're married. You and Sam aren't married. And don't say you're 'close enough', there's no ring on your finger." She had thought of everything but I had one more trick up my sleeve.
"Fine, you can say no. But Grandma won't. She actually likes Sam, unlike you." I didn't wait for a reply as I stormed into the kitchen to call my grandmother.
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She said yes of course. And now, since I was so bullheaded last year, I was suffering this year. I tried even harder to get out of the picture this year but apparently my mother has no human emotions at all.
I pulled my sweater over my head with disdain. My mother's obsession with this photo was getting more irritating with each progressing year. This year I was forced to wear a disgusting red sweater with Christmas ornaments. Seth only had to wear a red button down shirt and Emily and Erin got to pick their own outfits. I was the only one who was going to look stupid. At least if the others had horrible outfits too then the only thing drawing attention to me would be the depressed look on my face at having to be in the same photo as 'the perfect couple'.
I hadn't cared much at first. This was just going to be another family event where I had to see Sam hanging all over Emily and I had gotten used to that now. The thing that bothered me was the posing of the picture. It was always the same, always positioned in birth order from oldest to youngest with significant others placed in between. Last year it had been Erin, Jack, me, Sam, Emily, and Seth. This year it was going to be the same order except Sam's arm was going to be around Emily instead of me.
I almost couldn't wait to see the picture. I wanted to be able to put them side by side to see how much I had changed in the past year. I also planned to put them in the same frame to give to Sam for Christmas. Some would think it was thoughtful but I knew he would see my message in it. He needed to get the message though. I hoped Emily would mount it on the wall. He deserved to have to look at it everyday to see how much he'd hurt me.
I tried not to be so bitter but it was hard to think about this picture without remembering the promise he had made last year and broken less than 4 months later.
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"This is torture," I whispered to Sam through my teeth while the photographer repositioned Seth for the fifth time. She was starting to get impatient with him and so was I.
"It'll all be over soon. Just smile," he said turning towards the camera. His arm tightened around me as the bulb flashed.
"I just wish she would stop looking at me like that," I murmured. My mother was still angry at me for going over her head to get Sam in the picture so she was refusing to speak to me.
"It'll be okay. And next year you won't have this problem."
"And why is that?" I asked louder than I should have. The photographer gave me a dirty look.
"Because next year your mom won't be able to say anything about me being in the picture." I raised an eyebrow waiting for an explanation. He obliged. "Like she said, husbands are always allowed."
"Oh, and you think we're going to be married by this time next year?" I asked.
"We will be. I promise."
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Then at Seth's birthday he saw Emily again. After that he broke that promise along with every other one he had ever made to me. He left me heartbroken and after 8 months I still wasn't close to being over it. But for now I had to put on a brave face and take a picture with the man I love….and the woman he loves.
A/N:I really shouldn't have taken the time to write this since I have finals next week and I really should be studying but I was thinking about the picture my mother forces me to be in and I realized that Leah had it much worse, so maybe I won't complain so much this year haha.
If you liked this one you should read Never Enough, another story I wrote about Sam and Leah the first time Leah phased.