They've reached the cafe soon. Claire stopped and froze, terrified of her friends' reactions. It didn't seem to get any easier.
"Ladies and Gentlemen." Gabriel walked in first. "Finally came a moment when we can all meet the infamous Elise Cooper." He spoke theatrically.
Claire went pale in worry and Samuel chuckled as he walked past towards Gabriel, leaving her alone just outside of the sight of anyone.
"Is she here?" Gina looked towards the entrance.
Claire stood still, worried about the reaction she was going to receive. Gabriel waved his hand towards her but it didn't help.
With a sigh he walked up to her and grabbed her hand, leading her inside. Claire looked at the floor.
Her dark hair disguised her enough. Her weight loss didn't help either.
Zoe looked at Claire angrily, not recognising her as Claire but rather as a woman from the news that Gabriel was seen with.
She started to wonder if Gabriel wasn't seen with her because he was trying to scout her for the company.
"I believe that we are very lucky as this amazing designer will be staying with us and she will represent Harris Design Studio, helping us to maintain the partnership. Projects are already lining up." Gabriel announced.
Claire looked up cautiously. The silence was too much for her to bear. She needed to know what was happening. Nothing. Not for a moment longer. Not until they recognised Claire's hazel eyes. Not until they recognised the vague resemblance of the old Claire in the current one.
"Claire…?" Zoe was the first one to utter. Claire wasn't sure how to answer so she just nodded with a shy smile on her face. Zoe and Gina threw themselves at Claire.
"I'll explain. I'll explain it all." Claire said through her tears.
"I'd f*cking hope so." Zoe cut in. Claire looked at her, terrified of what her friends will do, but instead of scolding, they carefully let go of her to have a good look at her.
"Elise Cooper?" Mark asked Claire, still trying to process what was happening. Claire took out her wallet from her handbag, passing it to Pattison. Her fake IDs were in the front pocket. "The E.C.?" Mark asked her. Claire nodded. "You sneaky b*tch." He grumbled. Gabriel turned his face around quickly.
"What did you just say?" Gabriel asked.
"We found your infamous E.C." Mark replied with a wide smile as he passed fake ID to Gabriel. Gabriel looked at it with disbelief. He already knew that Elsie Cooper was Claire but it didn't click with him yet that she was also 'Truly, E.C.'.
"You were under my nose all of this time?" Gabriel asked with some annoyance in his tone.
"I wasn't going to just leave you alone with all of the mess." Claire responded. "I've tried to leave the clues for you but I couldn't be any more explicit."
"I guess I'm sorry for slapping you." Zoe said honestly to Gabriel. "I thought that…"
Claire now looked between them wondering what occurred. "Slapping…?" She asked.
"Zoe thought that I already managed to move on and, I guess, she tried to ensure that I remembered that I am to continue to mourn you."
"What?"
"We were photographed at the hotel last night. Zoe didn't recognise you from the photos."
"Oh dear." Claire mumbled.
"You!" Zoe grumbled at Claire punching her on her arm. "How could you?!"
"I-…" Claire stuttered. She wasn't even sure where to begin. "I think it might be a story for another day. I'll explain everything. Maybe over dinner?" She offered.
"You can't buy us over with a dinner." Zoe continued.
Gina was her usual quiet self. She was processing the information in silence.
"I am so sorry." Claire said quickly.
"I guess you aren't as crazy as I thought." Mark said towards Gabriel. "Maybe we should've listened."
"Maybe. But I wouldn't have listened to myself either." Gabriel answered. His dimples graced his face as he looked at Claire.
Claire sat down for a coffee with her friends and colleagues and afterwards she excused herself and Gabriel.
Gabriel looked at her in surprise.
"Would you be willing to join me for lunch?" Claire asked cautiously.
"Of course I would. Why are you asking like that?"
"There's something you need to know. Or rather, there's someone I need you to meet." Claire smiled enigmatically.
"Who?"
"It's better that you see them yourself."
"Claire, you're the only one that I want to see."
"I wouldn't be so sure." Claire smiled as she led Gabriel towards a restaurant that was hidden away from the busy streets.
Her stomach turned into a pit many hours earlier, and that feeling persisted.
She pulled Gabriel by his hand in between the tables, looking for the familiar person.
"Katherine." Claire called out as she spotted her friend. Diane was sat with her back to the entrance due to the awkward seating arrangement.
"Elise." Diane stood up, turned around with a smile ready to welcome Claire. But her smile faded as she noticed Gabriel.
"I don't understand." Gabriel said quietly.
"Katherine, I believe that you know Gabriel." Claire said with a smile, pulling Gabriel forward.
"Gabriel?" Diane asked in disbelief.
"I thought that you were dead…" Gabriel said in a whisper. He didn't need anyone to tell him that Katherine was truly Diane. He could never miss his mother.
"Miss Cooper found me." Diane said shyly, her hands were shaking.
"Diane, please sit down." Claire let go off Gabriel and gently placed her hand on Diane's shoulder.
"Elise, why didn't you say? If you knew, why didn't you tell me?" Diane asked Claire in a shaky voice as she sat back in her seat.
"Would you have courage to come with me?" Claire asked. "It's okay, Diane." She moved her hand onto the back of Diane's hand.
Gabriel hugged Diane.
"Is it really you, mum?" He asked.
"I'm so sorry." Diane started crying, gently stroking his face.
"Mum…" Gabriel said softly. Diane was shaking in her sobs.
"Don't be angry with Elise. She just did what she needed to to save you." Diane said quietly.
"I'm not angry, mum." Gabriel said. "Maybe a little because I'm hurt, but not for long. I can't be angry at Claire for long."
"So, Claire is your real name?" Diane asked as she looked back up at Claire. "That's why you had to hide. You were all over the news, weren't you?"
Claire nodded. "And your dad…" Diane looked up at Gabriel with so much love and worry.
"I know." Gabriel looked down at her. "I've won, mum. We've won."
"You grew up so much." Diane touched his cheeks in disbelief. She analysed her very grown son who changed so much in such a few years.
Claire took a step back, giving them space.
"You can't go anywhere." Gabriel turned around as soon as he noticed that she moved away. He grabbed her hand and pulled her closer. "I can't let you go." He cried. Claire gently stroked Gabriel's hand.
"I didn't realise that you were so close." Diane whispered.
"Mum, Claire is my wife." Gabriel said through his tears. "She's my wife."
"You didn't tell me anything." Diane shook her head at Claire. "You didn't let on at all. I thought that you were genuinely Elise Cooper."
"I'm sorry." Claire apologised honestly.
"It's not her fault, mum." Gabriel came to her defence. "Father wanted to hurt her. He wanted to hurt a lot more people. And I guess that he wanted to hurt you too."
"I'm sorry for leaving you behind, Gabbie." Diane said softly.
"You do not have to apologise. You did what you had to." Gabriel was stern in his voice, but his tears kept streaming down his face.