Chapter 7

Claire woke up when she heard Charlotte crying and prepared herself to get out of bed when she recognized Alex wasn't there anymore. The same moment she heard Charlotte stop crying. She promised herself to be the first next time. It had become a very funny competition between the two of them who'd be the first to comfort Charlotte when she was crying at night. She hadn't won just once. Alex was just… not sleeping as deep as she did, she told herself.

He came back into the room holding Charlotte in his arms and she felt it was melting her heart again, like always. Maybe she didn't truly want to win, if she'd have to miss that. She smiled at stretched out her arms to hold her baby.

'I won again, didn't I?'
'Yeah, you did,' she said, while he laid Charlotte in her arms. 'I must admit something. I don't want to win anymore.'

'And… why not?'
'Because you're too sweet with her.'

He smiled and stretched out his arms when she laid Charlotte down on her side of the bed. She moved to his side and let him hold her. It was all feeling so safe now.

'You know, Claire,' he said quietly, 'I used to be… bouncing around. It feels like you showed me how to be calm.'

She smiled. 'Maybe. But… I don't feel like being calm now at all. Let's get outside.'

'What, now?'
'Yes, now.'
'Well then, let's go,' he said. Claire made him realise he had chosen the right person. Her surprising character was matching perfectly with his. But, she was very good at calming him down, too, while that was something he still had to learn from her.

'I think Tess will look after Charlotte if she cries, won't she?' He didn't answer her. 'Alex?'
'Ssshh, I don't think she will,' he said. He stood at the window looking outside and having a very big smile on his face.

'Why not,' she said surprised, walking to the window. 'She's done that for two months when I was not…' She stopped talking instantly when she reached the window. This was exactly what she had always wanted to see, but what she'd never seen happening.

'Wow. I thought I'd never see that.'

'Neither did I. Or maybe not, I've always thought some day they wouldn't be able to hide it anymore,' he said.

She smiled again. 'But… I don't think we should be watching them now,' she whispered.

'Of course we should! This is unique, Claire!'
'Ssshh, not that hard!' she hissed. But she was too late for calming him down this time.

'Sit down, sit down!' She took his sleeve and dragged him down under the window, but he made an unexpected move and hit his head to the window-sill.

'Ouch,' he called much to loudly before he realised even Sandra and Harry could here him at Killarney. 'Oops…'
'Hey! What are you little ones doing out of bed at 1am!'

Claire sighted. 'Bugger. You and your big head!'

'You pushed me to that stupid window-sill!' He stood up rubbing his head and looked out of the window.

'Don't forget I'm the big brother in here, Nick!'

Claire's head appeared too and smiled at her sister. It was a very beautiful picture from above.

´I'm sorry, Tess,' she called, ' Big Head made me do it!'
Tess looked up to the window and laughed. ' It's typically… you. I mean, you and Big Head.'
' I'm sorry,' said Big Head. ' It's not very politely.' He looked at Claire. ' And since when my name is Big Head?'
' Since… now,' she answered. ' …. PUT ME DOWN!'

Their heads disappeared, but the noise only became worse.

Tess turned her head and looked at Nick again. ' Do you think this is… magic?'

He smiled at her. ' Maybe. But I'm sure it's right.'

Claire Louise McLeod had always been kind of a "boyish" girl. When she was a little child, she used to look after her little sister Tess and to play with her and to comfort her when she was crying. Tess had always felt safe with her. In her teens, she usually hung around with Nick and Alex, making plans to sneak away from their parents so they could go out in Gungellan. She hadn't had many female friends, but the boys adored her. Not as a girlfriend, but as the only girl who was interested in a boy's stories. She had always felt more comfortably with boys.

But now, standing in front of the mirror, she felt like a woman more than ever. She realised the door wasn't locked because it was broken and she hoped Alex wouldn't feel like coming in. He had the nasty habit of always interfering when he wasn't supposed to.

But it wasn't Alex coming in, but Tess.

'Claire, you look incredible!'

'Tess, it's you. Would you… put that suitcase in front of the door please? I don't want Alex to come in now.'
Tess walked to the suitcase and moved it to the door, but she didn't stop looking at her sister.

'Claire, when did you buy that one?'

'Last week.'

'But I thought you wanted to get married in your mother's dress!'

Claire shook her head. 'Nah. That was that time with Peter. This is gonna be my new life. New life means new dress.'

'Hey!' The sound of someone kicking a door filled up the room. The suitcase started to move. It sounded like Alex.

Claire looked at her sister and sighted. 'He's gonna tear the door and the suitcase apart if we don't let him in.'

'Yeah, but he's not supposed to see you!' Tess responded. 'Under the bed,' she hissed then.

'What?'

'Under the bed, or you'll have a door less room.'

Claire made a face, but she did what Tess told her to and crawled under the bed, trying hard not to make her dress dirty.

'Hey girls, everything alright in there?'
'Yeah, fine Alex,' Tess said much too cheerful. 'Wait a sec, I'll let you in.' She moved the suitcase away and opened the door. Alex came in, looked around and smiled.

'Where's Claire?'

'What do you mean… where's Claire?'
'I know she's here,' he said. He walked to the bed, stepped on it -without taking his boots off, of course- and started jumping around.

'ALEX! What are you doing!' Tess shouted at him. 'You'll break the bed!'

'No,' he said, 'I'll break someone's head.'

'Alex,' Claire called from under the bed 'could you stop doing that?'

'If you tell me what's it I'm not supposed to see.'

'Don't be curious, Alex!'

Tess realised she needed to get Alex out of the room, but she knew he wouldn't leave before he had seen Claire. She took his sleeve, dragged him off the bed, took Charlotte and pushed her into his arms.

'Will you look after Charlotte for a moment? Thank you,' she said without waiting for an answer. She opened the door and pushed him out before he got the chance to protest. She closed the door and moved back the closet.

Alex kept standing there for a moment, with a silly look on his face. Then he turned around and took Charlotte outside.