Chapter 5 - Reclaiming the Past
The upstairs hallway was blessedly quiet, a stark contrast to the simmering tension echoing from the ground floor. Claire pushed open the door to the guest room. The floral duvet was undisturbed, and the elongated cardboard box sat precisely where she had placed it an hour earlier.
She walked over, picked up the garment box, and tucked it securely under her arm alongside Molly’s blanket. She didn't open the box to inspect the lace or count the seed pearls; she trusted her instincts. This gown belonged to a lineage of makers, of women who understood the immense value of stitching love into fabric with their own hands. It did not belong in a household that measured worth solely by price tags and brand names.
As she descended the stairs, carrying both boxes, she passed a cluster of bewildered guests whispering near the front hall. Lauren appeared at the bottom of the staircase, her face flushed with anger and embarrassment.
"What are you doing with that?" Lauren demanded, pointing a trembling finger at the garment box. "That's for my baby's christening! You can't just take it back!"
"I can," Claire said smoothly, her voice remarkably calm. "And I am."
"Mom! Tell her!" Lauren shrieked, turning to appeal to their mother, who had hurried up behind her.
Mom stepped forward, her eyes blazing with indignation. "Claire, put that down right now. You promised it to Lauren. You are ruining her baby shower over a childish tantrum! Grow up!"
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"I am grown up," Claire replied, looking directly into her mother's eyes for the first time in her life without flinching. "For decades, I grew up by letting you both belittle what matters to me and mine in the name of 'keeping peace.' That ends today."
Without waiting for another retort, Claire opened the front door, ushered Molly outside into the warm sunlight, and locked the door behind them.
