Summary: Clare was shocked by the sympathy she felt for her dad's new girlfriend. She knew all to well, how this would end. Oneshot
Clare's eyes widened when she caught sight of the woman at her dad's side. The two had agreed to meet up at Little Miss Steaks, for some badly needed father/daughter bonding time. As well as to discuss Clare's knowledge, of why he and her mother divorced. He hadn't informed her that he would be bringing anyone with him, though. It didn't surprise her that he had a new girlfriend, or even that he'd dare bring her, with him. No. What shocked her, was how young this woman, was. She appeared to only be in her mid-to-late twenties and she was wearing a baggy gray, "University of Toronto" sweatshirt. She felt a bit sick to her stomach, as she saw the woman grip her father's arm and stare up at him, adoringly. Was she one of the women, that he'd cheated on his ex-wife, with? Was this woman one of the people who helped destroy her family? Clare took a deep breath and stood up, as they came closer to the table. She pasted a smile onto her lips, trying to be polite.
"Clare-Bear!" Randall said, letting go of the woman at his side, to hug his daughter. "I'm so glad that you agreed to meet me." He motioned his girlfriend, to step forward. "This is Madison White. Madison, this is my daughter, Clare."
Madison smiled at Clare, moving forward to embrace her warmly, before she pulled back. "Your father told me so much about you. I'm really happy to finally meet you!" She exclaimed, hands fluttering. She felt just a little bit nervous, pushing some of her thick, dark brown hair behind her tanned ear. She wanted so badly for her boyfriend's daughter to like her. She really cared about Randall, and wanted to be part of his life. And if his daughter liked her, it would be a bonus. At twenty-four years old, she didn't have much family left. Her parents were dead, having died in a car wreck about four years ago, and she and her aunt, uncle, and cousins didn't get along. Her paternal grandparents had died, before she was born and her maternal grandparents, wanted nothing to do with her. With Randall, it almost felt as if she had a family, again. Especially after he'd told her about his daughters. She also knew that it might not be easy for the teenage girl to accept her, considering her age. But she had hopes that they could develop a friendship.
Clare bit her lip, to keep herself from yelling at her father or telling Madison, that she'd never heard mention of her. She gave Madison a polite smile, her blue eyes locking on gray. "It's nice to meet you, too." She answered softly, taking her seat, once more.
Her father smiled grimly, noting the way that his daughter was glaring daggers at him, before he and Madison took a seat across from her.
"So, how long have you and my dad been dating, Madison?" The teen inquired curiously, resting one of her hands under her chin and staring at the woman.
Madison grinned. "For about two months, now." She answered. "We met, at his law office. I got a job as his secretary."
Clare's raised an eyebrow, shooting a hard look at her father, before turning back to Madison. "That's nice." She purred, smirking dangerously. So they'd been dating for two months and her father hadn't thought to tell her. "How long were you working for my father, before you two started dating?" She couldn't help but be a little bit curious.
"Only about a month." The woman told her, cluelessly. "I had a crush on your dad, the moment I met him."
Randall frowned a little bit, wondering what his daughter was up to. "I'm going to go to the restroom, for a minute." He stated hesitantly, after they'd all ordered their food and drinks.
Madison smiled, leaning in to kiss his cheek. "Go ahead! Clare and I will have a little bit of girl talk, while we wait." She replied, shooing him away. She turned back to face Clare. "So, do you have a boyfriend?"
Clare grinned softly as she thought of Jake Martin, taking a sip of her rasberry iced tea, that had just been placed infront of her.
The woman let out a laugh, face completely lit up. "Oooh. So you do." She announced.
The girl looked down, blushing slightly. She nodded. "My mom and dad don't know." She whispered.
Madison smiled, reaching out to touch Clare's hand. "Don't worry. I won't tell him." She replied with a laugh.
Clare grinned gratefully, before she asked curiously, "So, do you have any brothers or sisters?"
Madison became quiet, the smile falling from her pink lips as she stared down at the table. She shook her head. "I'm an only child. My mom's pregnancy with me, was really rough on her. They died in a car wreck, four years ago."
The teen's eyes widened in horror. "I'm sorry! I wouldn't have said anything, if I'd known!" She told her with a horrified gasp.
The woman tried to smile and shook her head. "It's okay." She murmured. "It's not your fault."
Still though, Clare couldn't seem to get rid of the painful clenching, in her heart. She knew exactly how this would end. As soon as her father became bored with Madison, he would leave her. Or he'd cheat on her, if he wasn't already. He'd betray her trust and leave her impossibly broken, just as he'd left his ex-wife. What was worse, even if Clare were to warn her, Madison probably wouldn't believe it. She was already too blind to Randall's faults. And anything that Clare were to say, would probably just be seen as bitterness over the divorce.
End