Joseph climbs into the car next to Clarisse and she quickly leans against Joseph. She doesn't like arguing with Joseph at all and she doesn't even like hearing his voice raised or cross. "Hello by the way Joseph," James says from the front seat.
"Hello James. It's been a long time." Joseph says as he wraps his arms around Clarisse.
"It has been a long time. I'm happy to have you back in London as my brother. Clarisse sounded so happy when she called to tell me and she looks very happy now that I see the two of you together. We all knew, you know." James says slyly as he drives towards his house on the outskirts of London.
"What did you know?" Clarisse asks pretending she knows nothing about what James is talking about.
"We knew how you felt about Joseph. When you came to visit on your way home from San Francisco Lillian and I could see the change in the connection between the two of you. You stopped wearing black and I suspected that Joseph had something to do with that. You were glowing and you looked so happy. Lillian was waiting for the telephone call from you to say you and Joseph were in a relationship, but it never came. You were too discreet, but I could tell that you were much closer when I came to visit and meet Mia. I noticed the looks between the two of you and the touches when you thought no one was looking. It was so sweet." James says with a genuine smile.
"You noticed all that? Clearly we weren't as discreet as we thought we were. Perhaps that's why the Archbishop said what he said at the ceremony." Clarisse says with shock written all over her face.
"You tried not to be obvious with anything, but I'm your brother I can read you better than most people, with perhaps the exception of Joseph. Your emotions show through to me every time." James tells his sister.
"Well, maybe I was a little more obvious with my emotions than I thought, but Joseph may disagree with you. He and I were always trying to clarify our feelings for each other. Joseph has been very important in my life. He was there for me when my whole life felt like it was falling apart. I don't know how Joseph survived those few days after Philippe died. He was up all day protecting me and then up all night with me because I wasn't sleeping and he didn't trust anyone else to be with me. I don't think he slept for about four days." Clarisse says as she smiles compassionately at her husband.
"I remember calling to talk to you and Joseph answered and wouldn't let me talk to you because he'd just gotten you to sleep and he didn't want to wake you. I could hear the concern in his voice, but I could also hear the tiredness in his voice. His voice sounded raw and scratchy. He sounded very emotional. I don't think he quite knew what to say because he'd been talking to so many people. I didn't know what to tell him to help him. I knew when I heard Joseph's voice that I needed to get to Genovia as soon as possible. Joseph started sleeping because I was there though I don't think you realized I was there at all." James says seriously.
"Well, at least this visit is under better circumstances." Clarisse says happily.
"It certainly is. It's nice to see you so happy, Rissie." James teases his older sister.
"Oh, James, no one has called me that since I was a little girl." Clarisse says exasperatedly.
"You'll always be Rissie to me. I called you Rissie most of my childhood." James whines slightly.
"Rissie?" Joseph looks at his wife as he chuckles at his wife's nickname.
"Don't you start, Joseph. I've only just gotten James to stop calling me that." Clarisse moans.
"Didn't I ever call her Rissie in front of you? No, I guess I didn't on pain of death from my big sister, the queen. She threatened to have me hung by my toes in the courtyard by you, Joseph." James admits.
"I definitely have never heard that particular nickname for her." Joseph bites his tongue as he tries not to laugh at his wife's nickname.
"What do you call her then?" James asks cheekily.
"When I'm mad or when I'm happy?" Joseph asks seriously.
"Both," James requests. He wants to know as much about his sister's relationship.
"Oh Joseph, don't! James has no right to ask questions like that." Clarisse begs her husband. She's very private.
"Now, Clarisse, if anyone has the right to know about these things it's your brother. Besides, you can tell you brother your nicknames for me after." Joseph reasons with his wife.
"Well, alright, at least they're sweet nicknames." Clarisse finally concedes.
Joseph kisses Clarisse's cheek before he answers James' question. "When I'm really upset with her I use her full name. If I'm frustrated or trying to make a point I call her Clarisse and I call her Claire when I'm happy and I use sweetheart as a term of endearment." Joseph explains.
"How do you keep all the names straight?" James teases his brother-in-law.
"Clarisse and I know what each one means and that's all that matters." Joseph says firmly.
"Alright Clarisse, what do you call Joseph?" James asks as they pull up at his house.
"Well, I have a bit of a different system. I never shorten Joseph's name. It's always Joseph. When I'm talking to his parents I call him José because that's what his mother calls him. He was born and raised in Spain. I have more terms of endearment for Joseph. I call him darling at more public times and my love when we're alone and I'm feeling particularly happy, which is much more often now." Clarisse tells her brother honestly.
"So, José when you're home with family hmm? I don't see it. You'll always be Joseph to me, but that's probably my sister's fault. I heard that my great niece calls you Grandpa Joe. That's sweet." James tells Joseph.
Joseph smiles. Secretly he likes that he and Amelia have that kind of connection with each other. "I've always said she could call me anything as long as she didn't call me Joey. I have to admit I was surprised when she started calling me Grandpa Joe though."
"Oh James, you should see the two of them together. It's sweet the way they are with each other. I love watching the two of them. They get all so well and they always have. They had a connection from moment one. He facilitated how much better my relationship with Mia got. He doesn't know I know this, but I know Joseph told Mia some stories about me to try and get Mia to understand me better. He desperately wanted my relationship with Mia to work well. Mia adores him and my favourite moment very early on between Mia and Joseph was when he was trying to teach Amelia how to dance. I loved the connection I saw and Joseph rescued her to get her to the Independence Day Ball in time to say she wanted to be a princess. To Mia Joseph was a member of the family before we ever got married. Joseph has always been able to calm Mia down better than anyone else. He always knew what to tell her to reassure her when she was upset and worried about a situation. Joseph was invaluable in getting Amelia to where she is now. I never told him that before." Clarisse admits. "I wasn't surprised when Mia started calling Joseph grandpa. She's been trying to call him Joey for years, so grandpa was her allowable term of endearment."
"You wouldn't let Mia call you Joey? That's funny." James chuckles.
"No, I draw the line at going into a show store and buying black pumps for her in San Francisco. I was asked if I wanted to wear the pumps or if I wanted them boxed. That was the most uncomfortable moment I've ever had." Joseph remembers that moment vividly. Joseph and James pull all the luggage out of the car.
