Chapter 97

"Wilson, I am so, so sorry!" I said again, scrambling to my feet and looking around my office in a panic.

"Claire, it's okay," Wilson's calm voice came through the phone, a stark contrast to my frantic energy. "Take a breath."

"No, it's not okay," I insisted, already moving toward my closet while balancing the phone between my ear and shoulder. "I completely lost track of time. I've been working since this morning and I just... I forgot. I'm so sorry."

"Really, it's fine," Wilson replied gently. "These things happen. If you're busy with work, we can reschedule. I don't want to pull you away from something important."

"No!" I said quickly, perhaps too quickly. "No, we're not rescheduling. You took time out of your day to meet me, and I agreed to this. I'm not going to bail on you."

I could literally hear the smile in his voice when he responded. "Are you sure? I really don't mind waiting for another day."

"I'm sure," I said firmly, pulling out a decent blouse from my closet. "Just give me a little time to get myself together and I'll be on my way. Fifteen minutes, maybe twenty tops."

"Claire—"

"Wilson, please," I interrupted. "I know you probably had to rearrange things to meet me at 3 PM, and I'm already late. The least I can do is actually show up. Just... give me a few minutes to make myself presentable."

There was a pause on the other end of the line, and I could practically hear him weighing whether to insist on rescheduling or to accept my determination to come.

"Alright," he finally agreed. "But don't rush so much that you stress yourself out. I'll be here whenever you arrive."

"Thank you," I said, relief flooding through me. "I promise I'll be there as soon as I can."

Wilson must have heard the sounds of me moving around the room because he chuckled softly. "Are you getting ready right now while we're on the phone?"

"Maybe," I admitted, looking at my reflection in the mirror and wincing at my appearance. My hair was a mess from running my hands through it all day, and I was still in the comfortable but definitely not coffee-meeting-appropriate clothes I'd thrown on this morning.

"You're something else, Claire." Wilson said, amusement clear in his voice. "Okay, I'll let you go so you can get ready. Text me when you're on your way."

"I will," I promised. "Thank you for being so understanding."

"Anytime," he said simply, and then the call ended.

I stared at my phone for exactly two seconds before springing into action. I had promised fifteen to twenty minutes, which meant I needed to move fast.

I quickly changed out of my clothes into the blouse I'd grabbed, pairing it with black pants that were professional but comfortable. A quick glance in the mirror told me my hair needed serious attention, so I pulled it back into a neat ponytail, smoothing down the flyaways as best I could in the limited time I had.

“Makeup.” I muttered to myself. Do I have time for makeup?”

I glanced at the clock, and realized that eight minutes had already passed. I settled for some concealer under my eyes to hide the evidence of my early morning start, a touch of blush to look less exhausted, and some lip gloss.

“Shoes. Where were my shoes?” My eyes scanned around frantically before spotting my comfortable black flats by the door.

I quickly glanced at the clock again. I had put myself together in fourteen minutes.

I grabbed my phone and purse, did one final check in the mirror, and headed downstairs. As I passed through the living room, I pulled out my phone and sent quick texts to both Raymond and Sophia.

To Raymond: "Meeting Wilson as planned. Will be back later. Call if you need anything urgent."

To Sophia: "Going to meet Wilson for coffee. Should be back by early evening. Belle can show me her dinosaur footprints when I get home."

I didn't wait for responses before heading out to my car. I was already running late; I couldn't afford to get caught in any text conversation with Raymond most especially.

The drive to the coffee shop Wilson had suggested took about fifteen minutes, and I spent the entire time mentally berating myself for forgetting about our meeting. How could I have been so absorbed in work that I completely lost track of time? I'd even set a reminder on my phone, but I must have dismissed it without really registering what it was for.

I pulled into the parking lot of a charming little coffee shop I'd never been to before. It had a cozy, intimate feel to it, with warm lighting visible through the large front windows and what looked like comfortable seating inside.

Wilson was easy to spot. He was sitting at a table near the window, and he looked up as my car pulled in, giving me a small wave. I waved back, took a deep breath to compose myself, and headed inside.

The moment I walked through the door, I started apologizing again. "Wilson, I am terribly sorry. I don't know what I was thinking, getting so caught up in work that I completely—"

"Claire," Wilson interrupted gently, standing up as I approached. "Stop apologizing. It's really okay. You're here now, and that's what matters."

"But I made you wait," I protested, sitting down across from him. "You were probably sitting here for over half an hour wondering if I was going to show up at all."

"Actually, I used the time productively," Wilson said with a slight smile. "I caught up on some news and did some reading. It wasn't wasted time."

"Still," I pressed, "it's incredibly rude to make someone wait like that. My parents would be rolling in their graves right now, horrified by my manners."

Wilson's smile instantly disappeared, giving way to utter shock. "Oh my goodness. I didn't know your parents were late. I had no idea. I'm so sorry.”

I shook my head. “Nah… it's fine. It's been a long time.”

“But still. It doesn't erase the memories or the pain.” He added, sadly.

“I know, but there's really nothing I can do. Do we miss them? Yes, extremely. But is there anything we can do about it? Nothing, except to live our lives in such a way that they'd be proud if they were around. I know they are watching us from wherever they are anyway.” I said, forcing a smile.

“Wow…. You're so strong and brave. Honestly.” He managed to say, his shock finally wearing off.

“Thank you… And I'm still very sorry for keeping you waiting.” I began again.

Wilson rolled his eyes, “You’ve apologized enough. Now, can we please move past the apologies and actually enjoy our coffee?"

I took a deep breath and nodded. "You're right. I'm sorry. I mean, I'm not sorry. I mean—" I stopped myself and laughed. "Okay, I'll stop now."

"Good," Wilson said, looking amused. "Now, what would you like? I haven't ordered yet because I wasn't sure what you'd want."

“What would you like to have?”