Hi everyone, I'm so sorry it's been so long since I last posted an update and disappeared on you all, it's been a crazy few months and my muse decided not to work with me when I wanted her too but I'm back now (hopefully it'll stick around long enough to get a few more chapters up) and know that I appreciate your continued support, always have and I always will, and I can't thank you enough for all the reviews and follows that was left for me in my absence.
Friday 9th November 2007.
Opening her eyes, Clarisse tilted her head to check the time on her alarm clock before looking up at the ceiling and letting out a sigh. It had been a long, restless night with hardly any sleep at all and now it was time to get up and go down to prepare her breakfast.
As the car pulled into her drive Clarisse turned to Joseph and smiled as he shut of the engine and turned to her. "Thank you for driving me around to look for my sister."
"Oh, you don't have to thank me," he said as she looked up into his eyes, "I'm just glad I was about to help."
"Me too," Clarisse nodded as she looked up at the house a long, silent moment. "I would invite you in for a coffee, but it's getting rather late and given our history I don't think it's such a good idea."
"There's nothing wrong with that, we are still married after all," Joseph said and turned his head to look at her to find that she was looking at him with her eyebrow raised. Shaking his head, he agreed, "no no, you're right it wouldn't be a good idea."
"Good, I'm glad you agree," she said and glanced back up at the house before looking back at him, "but because we still have a lot to talk about, maybe we could go to lunch tomorrow before your flight home, if you have time and don't have any other plans that is?" She asked.
"That could work, yeah," Joseph nodded and smiled at her.
"Great," Clarisse said and smiled back.
Later That Morning.
After getting ready for her day, Clarisse slipped on her knee length cardigan and made her way down the stairs just as Pierre came through the front door with the post. Smiling, she stepped from the last step and walked towards her son. "Good morning, mom," he smiled.
"Good morning, darling," she smiled back and reached up to kiss his cheek before stepping back and taking the post from him while noting his attire was the same as what he had worn the day before, "are you only just returning home?" She asked and looked down at the letters in her hands while shuffling through them before looking back up at him.
"I am," he nodded and put his hand up onto the back of his neck, scratching it nervously.
"Slept on your friends couch again I take it?" Clarisse said with a small smile as she turned and began making her way through the hall towards the kitchen.
"Yes, actually I did," he nodded and followed her. "Did you get to talk to Joseph yesterday?"
"Um," she began while placing all the letters but one down on the countertop, "we did and we didn't."
"What do you mean, you did and you didn't?" He asked as he watched her open the letter in her hands.
"Well I managed to ask him about being in hospital and why he didn't tell me but then we were disturbed by Bea calling to let me know her mom had disappeared," she said while looking up at him and resting her hands down on the countertop.
"What? Aunt Isabella disappeared?" Pierre exclaimed.
"Yes, but only for a little while before she returned home. She had just wanted to be alone for a bit so went for a walk without telling anyone." Clarisse said, "and because of what day it was yesterday we all freaked out and went looking for her."
"Well that's natural but I'm glad that aunt Isabella is safe," Pierre said as he took a seat at the kitchen table, "it's a shame though that you didn't get to talk to Joseph much."
"I know, but we are going to lunch today before his flight home so hopefully we can talk about it more then," Clarisse said as she picked up the letters and joined her son at the table.
"Hopefully," Pierre nodded and watched as his mother looked down at the letter she had opened moments before. "What's that, it looks important?"
"Hmm?" Clarisse mumbled as she looked back up at him, completely missing what he had said.
"I asked, what's that as it looks important?" He said, gesturing towards the letter in her hands as he smiled.
"Oh, just a letter from my lawyer," she said and looked back down at it in her hands.
"He's writing to you now? Doesn't he normally phone if he needs to contact you?" He said in surprise and watched as she nodded.
"He does, and has, but with everything that's happened this last couple weeks what with Charles passing away and my supporting Isabella, I haven't had chance to get back to him yet," she said.
"Oh," he said and watched her a moment, realising that the letter must be of some importance for her lawyer to actually write to her instead of waiting for her to contact him. "What does it say?" He dared to ask.
"He's asking if I can call him and let him know if I'm absolutely sure I want to go ahead with divorce proceedings," she said and slowly placed the letter down on the table in front of her as Pierre gasped in surprise before they both looked up into each other's eyes a long moment.
"And do you? Want to divorce him I mean?" Pierre asked and watched as his mother rested his elbows on the table in front of her and covered her face with her hands for a long moment.
"I don't know," she shrugged heartbreakingly, and shook her head, "I did... I don't know."
"Mom, you need to be absolutely sure that's what you want before you file," he said and reached out for her hands. "You have both been through so much together, is that what you really really want?"
"I thought it was, I have had many sleepless nights over this decision but then when you told me yesterday that he had been in hospital and even though I felt so damn angry at him for not telling me I realised that I still cared and loved him a great deal," she said sadly and looked up into her sons eyes. "I even thought what if that had been Joseph who had passed away and how crushed I would have felt at losing him," shaking her head, she looked down at their hands resting on the table for a long moment.
"Mom?" He said softly, knowing that there was more she wanted to say.
"You know, before Philippe passed away we spent so many wonderful happy years together, and when we did get back together and finally got married after all those years everything seemed to go wrong between us and I'm not sure I can take anymore heartbreak after loving him for so long." She said tearfully and brushed a tear away.
"Oh mom," Pierre said sadly, his heart breaking for her as he moved and sat in the seat next to her. Wrapping his arms around her, she came undone in his arms and right then he understood her reasons but he wasn't entirely convinced it's what she actually wanted. Smoothing his hand up and down her back in an attempt to calm her, he prayed that they could sit down together at lunch and actually talk about everything once and for all.
Early Afternoon.
Arriving at the restaurant where she and Joseph had planned to meet, Clarisse made her way inside and spoke to the waiter when she saw Joseph waving at her in the background. Removing her coat, she walked over to him and watched as he stood to his feet to greet her.
"Good afternoon, sorry I'm a bit late," she said as he leant closer and kissed her cheek. "I was talking with Pierre and completely lost track of time."
"Oh that's okay," he said and watched as she put her coat over the back of her chair and sat down. "Is everything alright?"
"Oh yes, of course," she nodded and watched as he sat down in his chair. "I am glad it worked out today though as we do need to discuss a few things."
"We do," he nodded in agreement and picked up his glass of water, "but first, shall we order?"
Watching him take a sip of his water, Clarisse nodded, "alright," she said and picked up the lunch menu.
Pushing her plate towards the middle of the table once she had finished eating, Clarisse raised her napkin up to her mouth and dabbed her lips before looking across the table at Joseph as he done the same and rested his elbows on the table. "That was nice."
"Yes, it was," he said and nodded in agreement as she picked up her drink and took a sip.
"What time is your flight?" She asked a moment later while placing the glass back down on the table and looked back up at him.
"I have to leave in a couple hours, so still plenty of time for us to talk," he answered and leant forward, folding his arms on the table.
"That's good," she nodded and slumped back in her chair while leaving her hand resting on the table beside her glass.
"Have you heard from Isabella today?" Joseph asked, watching her, "I was worried about her last night."
"I was too but she called me this morning to let me know that she was alright," Clarisse said and nodded, "Bethany was staying over there with them today, in case they needed anything."
"That's good, at least she's got a great support network around her," he said and watched her a moment as she nodded. "Listen, about yesterday,"
"Joseph, about yesterday," Clarisse said at the same time as Joseph, causing them to both stop and look at one another in surprise. "You go first," she said and half smiled.
"Oh no please, you first," he smiled, gesturing for her to go first and watched as she looked down at her hand still resting on the table.
"Thank you," she said and looked back up at him as he nodded, "about yesterday. It was great to see you, and know that we are all thankful that you made it for the funeral and I'm extremely thankful that you drove me around to look for my sister when you didn't have too, but that kiss we shared shouldn't have happened."
"Oh," Joseph said, trying to hide his feelings.
"I got caught up in the moment, I think we both did but that's all it was, us getting caught up in the moment," she said and leant forward, placing her arms on the table in front of her and spoke more softly.
"Well there was a lot going on what with your sister going missing and after the deer incident our adrenaline was pumping," Joseph said and watched as Clarisse nodded.
"Exactly, that was exactly it," she said and looked into his eyes a long moment, "you do understand, don't you?"
"I do," he nodded, "but where does this leave us now?"
"I don't know," Clarisse said and shrugged as she looked down at her glass momentarily before looking back up into his eyes, "maybe we would be better if we were just friends?"
"You mean...?" He asked, knowing what she meant but couldn't bring himself to say.
"Yes," she nodded, "the more I thought about it the more I realised that as soon as we got married everything seemed to go wrong between us. Sure we had our ups and downs before but nothing like what we have been through since we have been married and I'm not sure I can take anymore heartbreak if I let you back in."
"I understand," he said and nodded before looking down. He knew it was his own fault that they were having this conversation but it didn't make it any easier and knowing that she had already made up her mind he realised that there was nothing else he could say that'll make her change her mind.
"I hope so, and I hope you also understand that this decision hasn't come easy for me," she said as her mobile started ringing.
"I do," he nodded and watched as she took a sip of her water, "isn't that your phone ringing?" He asked, realising she hadn't realised.
"Oh, yes," she said while placing her glass down and grabbed her handbag from the floor by her feet. Pulling her phone out and seeing it was Nick ringing, she looked up at Joseph, "sorry I need to take this."
"That's fine," he nodded and watched as she answered the phone while turning her body in the chair.
"Hello Nick, is everything alright?" She said quietly.
"No, Mia's bleeding so we are heading to the hospital to get checked out and Mia asked me to call you to see if you can meet us there," Nick said sadly.
"Oh yes definitely, I'll be there as soon as I can, but in the meantime please tell Mia that I'm sure everything will be fine," Clarisse said, her heart breaking for her granddaughter.
"I will, see you soon," Nick said.
"Yes, you will. Bye darling," Clarisse said and hung up. Sighing, she turned and waved at the waiter to bring the cheque. "I have to go, Mia's bleeding and on the way to the hospital to check the baby is okay."
"Mia's pregnant?" Joseph said in surprise and watched as Clarisse looked up at him at the same moment she realised she slipped up.
"Yes, but shh nobody knows," she said quietly and looked up at the waiter as he appeared with the cheque. "Thanks," she said and glanced at it before pulling her purse out of her bag.
"Let me pay for this," he said and handed the waiter the cash, "keep the change."
"Joseph, you should have let me pay," Clarisse said and looked up at him as the waiter walked away to put the payment through.
"Oh tush," he said and looked into her eyes a moment.
Pulling her gaze away, Clarisse looked down at her handbag resting on the table in front of her and stood to her feet, "I need to go, Mia needs me," she said while grabbing her coat from the back of her chair.
"Let me drive you," he said and watched as she turned to him.
"It's okay, my cars out in the car park," she said.
"We can get one of the guys to pick it up later," he said and stepped closer while putting his hand lovingly on her arm, "I know things aren't working out to well between us right now but I still care about you and Mia,"
"Joseph, please don't," Clarisse interrupted and shook her head while looking away momentarily before looking back at him, "not now."
"Clarisse, you are still my girls and I really don't want you driving, knowing what's going on." He said while looking into her eyes, "so please let me drive you."
To Be Continued...