Claire woke up when she heard knocking on her door. It was insistent and didn't stop, even though she ignored it. She groaned and stood.

She looked at herself in her mirror. She looked gritty; she hadn't bathed since she heard the news. It'd been 2 days, but as a farmer, that was a lot. "One second," she called her voice gruff. She ran some tap water and wiped her face off. After pulling her hair back up into a messy bun she walked to the door and opened it.

Gray stood just in front of it, poised and ready to knock again. "Oh, morning Claire." Claire stood rigidly in the doorway, unconsciously pushing it closed so he couldn't notice the shards of glass strewn around the house.

She looked him up and down her eyes catching on his ring. She took a defensive stance, anger gripping her. "Can I help you?" she asked.

"Well, um. Mary was wondering if you could be her maid of honor; you know, you guys are really good friends and all." He scratched the back of his head, becoming suddenly bashful.

She gritted her teeth, gripping the doorway harder. "No… problem," she forced out. "You need me to come by?"

"Yeah, later on today if you don't mind."

"Sure, sure. See you then."

She closed the door in his face and pressed her back to it. She bit her hand to prevent from shouting until Gray was gone. She bit too deep and blood pooled at the edge of her hand.

But just like yesterday, she went out into the world to try and distract herself.

As the day went on, she dreaded going to visit the couple more and more. She felt a little insulted by Mary's bliss. The anger she felt grew and grew until she was hoeing the empty field she didn't need to. There was no other way to vent her anger. Smashing the plates had helped; why wouldn't tilling the fields?

And it did, for a little while. But it took up too much time. Before she realized it, she was in front of the inn. She smelled horrible, looked horrible, and probably sounded the same. But Mary wanted to see her, and she was there. Just like a good friend would be.

"Don't fuck with anything, Claire." She continued her quiet mantra as she entered. She waved at Ann and Doug at the counter. "Here to visit the new couple?" asked Ann.

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

"They've been fussing about it all day. They really want your approval."

An awkward silence followed.

"You do approve… right? I mean, they're a perfect couple."

Claire thought of Gray and her feelings, of the suffocation that came onto her when she saw him with Mary and not her. "Of course," she said smiling happily, hoping it at least looked like it was genuine. She continued up the stairs and went up them.

She brushed herself off in front of their door and tucked more stray strands of hair behind her ears. She knocked on the door and waited as she heard their scrambling. Mary finally opened the door and smiled at her. "Welcome Claire. Please, come in." She backed away from the door and let her in.

"Yeah, um, thanks." She stepped in awkwardly, feeling suddenly numb.

"So um, what can I help you with?"

"We just wanted to visit," said Mary. "Or rather, um, we wanted to have you visit. Please sit and eat with us."

Claire watched them as they stood together. Gray handled her so tenderly, trying his best not to hurt her. Mary seemed to fold herself up even more when around him, making herself tiny and insignificant.

Claire hated them for working so well together. She clenched and unclenched her fists, but passed it off as working out sore muscles. She walked toward the table they were referring to and sat herself down. She couldn't help but watch as Gray pulled out a chair for Mary.

Claire could feel her face heating up. "So what's for dinner?" she asked.

"Oh, I baked a roast and made some salad and stuff." He looked over at Mary. "Mary helped me of course."

"Of course." Claire clenched her fists under the table; it was her who had one the cooking festival 3 times in a row these past few years, not Mary. Her cooking was substantially better. She would've been a much better help for Gray.

It was all Claire could think as she sat there, watching Gray put out the roast and other side dishes. She began tapping her foot as well. Gray served her and Mary accordingly; Claire couldn't help but be smug at the fact that she had been served first; but it was just because she was the guest. Nonetheless it was a small victory for her.

They ate while having quiet small talk. For a moment, it reminded Claire of when they were all just friends, when she could flirt with Gray and not be worried about Mary's feelings.

Having been lost in her own thoughts, Claire finally came to, only to see Mary and Gray laughing together. Mary was blushing, as was Gray.

The perfect couple; she'd always known it, just never wanted to admit it. And now she'd heard it around town. There would be no way to break them apart; the way they looked at each other told her that. There would be no deceit between them.

And Claire came to the realization that there was only one way to break them.