Claire woke up abruptly as they arrived at the villa. She hesitantly walked towards the door, feeling her stomach twist into a knot. Somehow returning to the villa made her feel anxious.
"You know what I failed to do?" Gabriel asked Claire.
"What?"
"I am yet to carry you through the threshold." Gabriel walked up to Claire.
"Absolutely not."
"Why not?"
"I hate traditions like this. Do you even know how they originated before being romanticised?"
"I haven't thought about it." Gabriel was in deep thought.
"Just because society tells you to do certain things, it doesn't mean you should," Claire grumbled as she walked into the villa with a few bags in her hands.
"Do you like any traditions?"
"I'm not sure. I'm more of a 'make your own traditions kind of a person."
"And what traditions would you like to make with me?"
"It's not something that you can plan." Claire smiled. "It's something that happens and then you love it so much that you want to keep on doing it."
"Good morning, Mr Moore." Martha hurried into the hallway.
"Good morning, Martha," Gabriel responded with a smile.
"Miss Thompson? You're back." Martha looked surprised.
"Indeed." Claire smiled warmly.
"Miss Thompson!" Jonathan came out through the dining room.
"Good morning, Jonathan."
"Let me take this off you." Jonathan hurried for the bags with groceries.
"Thank you."
"I don't think I like the sound of Miss Thompson." Gabriel mused.
"You don't like my name?" Claire looked around at him curiously as she passed the bags to Jonathan.
"It's the Miss part that I truly dislike."
"Oh." Claire looked at him curiously.
"So, the staff is going to be dismissed for the afternoon unless you'd like some help."
"No, that's fine."
"Get some rest and refresh yourself. Everything was left as it was."
"Thank you." Claire started heading up the stairs followed closely by Gabriel.
"I'll grab a shower and I'll hide in a study for when you need me."
"Shouldn't you get a rest yourself?"
"Maybe later." Gabriel smiled as he waited for Claire to disappear into her bedroom.
Claire quickly showered and put on a summer dress that she found in the closet. She still didn't know what was in there as she never checked through her clothes. She caught a glimpse of her old blue cardigan that she thought Gabriel got rid of. And besides, it was her old clothes, tidily folded and put away. She smiled as she took the cardigan and put it on.
Claire was tempted to a nap but after tossing around for a few minutes she decided to leave her room. Her hair was still wet, leaving wet patches on her shoulders.
"Shouldn't you be resting?" Gabriel sounded behind her. Claire turned around to see him wearing some dark jeans and a blue sweater. His hair was wet and in a mess. Her heart skipped a beat as the fresh smell reached her. She suddenly felt as if the entire world around her started spinning. It was intoxicating.
"I couldn't fall asleep." She said quietly, hoping to not let Gabriel know of the turmoil he was causing her. She didn't want to show him any weakness.
"Would you like a cup of tea then?" He offered. He smiled showing his enragingly adorable dimples.
"Yeah, that sounds good." Claire smiled back at him.
Gabriel followed her down and once in the kitchen, he was keen to put a kettle on. He placed some cookies on a tray that Jonathan made earlier and prepared the cups. Claire watched him curiously.
"Shall we sit in the living room? We can put the tv on and rest there for a while." Gabriel suggested as he carried the tray. Claire followed him across, slowing down by the doorway to the living room as she was flooded by a memory of when she was there last time with Gabriel. Her chest tightened and her hands started shaking. Gabriel looked up after placing the tray down when he noticed Claire being unusually pale. "You must be tired." He said carefully as he walked up to Claire. He gently took her hand and let her towards the sofa, getting her to sit down beside him. He urged Claire to have her tea and cookies, which she accepted without a word. "Would you like some sugar and milk in it?"
"No, thank you."
"I thought you liked your brew sugary."
"Only coffee. I don't really like coffee so I use sugar, milk, and syrup to cover up the flavour."
"Why do you drink it then?"
"I need caffeine to function."
Claire sipped her tea, slowly relaxing again. She fixated on the tv and before long she fell asleep.
Gabriel covered her with a blanket, shifting closer to her, holding her hand gently, making sure that he didn't wake her up. Claire squeezed his hand in her sleep and held onto it tightly as if she never wanted to let him go. Perhaps it was because she started to like him, but perhaps it was because for the first time in a long while that she wasn't alone. Claire always was independent, and often she faced her battles alone. She had her secrets and she had her darkness. For years she went back to her small flat, isolating herself from others. And right now, it was a comfort she needed - another person breathing beside her. A warmth of another body beside her. A comfort that she longed for, and which was out of reach for so long. A comfort that she was paying a huge price for, and she was yet to pay more.
She woke up sometime later, keenly putting an apron on and starting to cook, delegating Gabriel to do simple tasks.
As dinner time came, Mark brought Zoe, Gina and Joe across. Zoe was particularly ecstatic about the villa, quickly taking a tour over the ground floor.
They've sat down to dinner together, chatting happily about nothing really, and after dinner they've played some board games that Zoe forced upon them, laughing at how competitive Gabriel and Claire were.
Then they sat down to watch the movie that was suggested by Gina and Joe, in the small movie theatre that was hidden at the back of the house.
After the movie, as they were about to head upstairs, Zoe, Gina, Joe, and Claire ran outside into the garden, racing on the grass.
"You look happy," Mark said to Gabriel on the side.
"I am." Gabriel nodded.
"I think you once told me that this is something you dream of."
"Yes." Gabriel laughed. "My life-long dream was to have nights like this. Meal with friends and just being careless, with special someone by my side."
"Yeah, I remember." Mark smiled. "Did you work out what happened with Claire for the past two months?"
"No. I dare not to ask." Gabriel sighed. "I hope I can catch you on Monday morning. I need you to investigate something for me."
"Of course."
"If we survive this." Gabriel nodded at the girls running. Claire and Zoe ran towards them dragging them onto the lawn.
"You're it!" Zoe poked Gabriel, who with determination run after Claire. "I wouldn't, you don't stand a chance!" Zoe shouted behind him. Gabriel was determined, trying to keep up a pace. It was only when Claire tripped and tumbled down the slope, that he managed to catch up with her.
"Are you okay?" He ran up to her.
"Yeah," Claire replied as she laughed.
"You're it." Gabriel declared as he slipped and fell beside her, starting to laugh equally hysterically. Claire got up and started running behind the rest, no one had a chance with how fast she was.
Once she caught Gina she run back to Gabriel.
"Are you okay?" She asked with a smile, looking at Gabriel still on the ground.
"Yeah, I'm just trying to catch my breath."
"Come on." She pulled him with all her strength up to standing. "I thought that you'd be fitter than that."
"I didn't think you were serious when you said that you used to run marathons."
"You, sir, must stop underestimating me," Claire said sternly.
"Lesson learnt." Gabriel laughed, still out of breath.
They've run for a while until they were all out of breath. And as the dawn started setting in, they all sat down on the lawn, looking at the first rays of Sun and quietly chatting.
"You know, Claire-bear, I always wondered how things will turn up for you…" Zoe spoke quietly as she laid her head on Claire's lap. "This right now is something I wished upon you for years. I wish I could see you smile and laugh like that so much more."
"Hmm…" Claire smiled.
"You're not going to mess it up, are you?" Zoe asked worriedly.
"What do you mean?" Claire looked down at Zoe's face.
"I know you well enough to know that you're probably already finding a way to sabotage yourself and your happiness."
"Don't be ridiculous." Claire laughed. "It's not like I plan those things."
"I know. I just can't shake off the feeling that you aren't letting yourself fully enjoy it, as if you were worried that it's going to be ripped apart again."
"Maybe you're right," Claire admitted stealing a glance at Gabriel who laid across the lawn himself.
"I love you, Claire-bear," Zoe said as she snuggled her face into Claire's stomach, soon falling asleep. Gina sat beside Claire, holding her hand tightly and smiling at Claire warmly.
As the morning set in, they all had breakfast and soon Gina, Joe, Zoe, and Mark set off, leaving Gabriel and Claire behind.
"I should probably get going, too," Claire said quietly as they closed the door behind their guests.
"Claire, you can stay here…" Gabriel said quietly.
"I-…" Claire hesitated.
"I will not force you," Gabriel said quietly.
"Thank you." Claire looked back at the hall taking a deep breath in. "Thank you for the last two nights."
"It's been a pleasure." Gabriel smiled. "Are you okay with still seeing me tonight?"
"Yes." Claire nodded.
"Thank you, Claire." Gabriel took her hand and kissed the back of it. "Thank you."
"There's nothing you should thank me for," Claire replied looking at Gabriel with worry.
"You don't even know how much joy you bring me…" Gabriel said with a single tear escaping his eye. He moved forward and embraced Claire. "I'll drop you off in a moment."
"That's unnecessary."
"Why? Are you taking Tansy back?"
"No." Claire chuckled. "If it's okay, Tansy can stay here a little longer."
"Then, I'll drop you off."
"What's the plan for tonight?"
"Hmmm… I was thinking about meeting in the evening, but frankly, I wonder if it's okay if we meet a little earlier so that you can get an earlier night tonight."
"Okay, but what are you planning?"
"I've said before that it's a surprise."
"I was hoping to catch you off-guard so that you tell me what it is," Claire grumbled.
"4 pm?"
"Sounds good." Claire nodded.