Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Claire came home and saw her mother standing in the kitchen. The brown-haired woman was immediately greeted by the Malinois dog, who came running up to her. Her mother wanted to have a search dog for tornado rescue operations so that she could find survivors quickly. It was an advantage that her mother was a captain. She could bring in new ideas and implement them. In addition, Lotty, as the Malinois dog was called, was the mascot of the 126th, which she was currently supporting after difficult missions.
“Mom, are you cooking again? You should stop,” said the 15-year-old as she leaned briefly against the countertop and eyed it critically. The black-haired woman gave her an offended look.
“Claire, don't be cheeky. I'm trying my best and I haven't burned the kitchen down, okay! The cooking class Judd and Grace gave me as a gift has to be worth it,” her mother protested as she returned to the stove. Suddenly, the black-haired woman looked back at her daughter. Claire saw the roots reappearing, revealing a few gray hairs. Nevertheless, some people thought she was in her mid-30s, not 50.
“Don't say anything. I know the roots are coming back. I have another hair appointment this week,” remarked Lainey, leaning against the counter. Her gaze became thoughtful as she looked at her daughter.
“When I look at you, I can't help but notice how much you resemble your father,” the older woman remarked wistfully, smiling at her daughter. Claire raised her eyebrow.
“You keep saying that, but you never tell me who he is,” she remarked with a sigh, pushing herself away from the counter.
"Claire... It's complicated, okay?" said the black-haired woman, smiling more than just painfully. Claire. But the brown-haired woman looked at her thoughtfully again. She heard that over and over again. She has his eyes and some of his facial features, but she never said who he was.
She could already guess why it hurt.

But maybe it was just to protect her.
Maybe he was a criminal?
“I bet Dad is a criminal gangster and is behind bars,” remarked the brown-haired girl, causing her mother to start laughing.
“Exactly, he was a mafia boss and I was his beloved who ran away. Claire? You have a vivid imagination,” she said jokingly and laughed.
The brown-haired girl shook her head.
“I'm going upstairs to do my homework,” said the brown-haired girl and finally went up the stairs. The sheepdog finally ran upstairs and waited in front of her bedroom door. When Claire opened it, Lotty jumped onto the brown-haired girl's bed while she sat down at the table and unpacked her books.
So she could start her homework. Lotty, on the other hand, had curled up on the brown-haired girl's bed and fallen asleep.
The 15-year-old put on her headphones and started her homework.
After about half an hour, she heard a loud bang and the Malinois dog jumped up and started barking wildly. The brown-haired girl took off her headphones and looked at Lotty.
“Hey, calm down,” said the brown-haired girl calmly, stroking the dog's head once. Immediately, she thought of her mother making a mistake while cooking. She slowly pushed her way out of the room, leaving the dog in her room. Claire carefully went down the stairs.

“Mom, is everything okay?” she asked cautiously, and suddenly she heard someone running out of the house. The brown-haired girl quickly ran downstairs and saw her mother lying unconscious on the floor.
“Shit, Mom!” she screamed, grabbing a towel and pressing it onto the wound to stop the bleeding. Tears welled up in the 15-year-old's eyes.
“Mom, please stay with me,” begged the brown-haired girl as she pressed the towel tightly against the wound. Just as she reached for her mother's cell phone, she heard someone enter the house. The brown-haired girl looked desperately at Carlos.
“Claire, let Michelle and the others do their job,” Carlos said, grabbing the brown-haired girl by the arm and carefully pulling her away from her mother so that Michelle and her team could do their work.
“Actually, I had to catch the kid so she would know what it's like to lose someone,” a male voice suddenly shouted.

Chapter Text

Three weeks later

The brown-haired girl still didn't understand what had happened. She kept hoping that her mother would come home and everything would be as it used to be. But that wasn't the case. With Claire's mother's death, she lost the only family she had left.
The brown-haired girl sat down on a bench and watched Lotty as she leaned against the bench and closed her eyes. The brown-haired girl couldn't stop thinking about that evening. The evening when her mother died and she had to watch it happen. Claire also thought about something else. Something that she couldn't get out of her mind either.
The reading of the will, which took place immediately after the funeral and came as a surprise to everyone. Because it stated that custody would go to her biological father. The surprise for everyone was that the will had been changed in January 2015 and this sentence had been added. Why wasn't custody given to her stepfather, whom she also knew? He only inherited the house and the land. Everything else, such as the life insurance payouts, was to go to the 15-year-old. Just like Lotty, who was to stay with Claire. Claire sighed and watched Lotty, who was running across the lawn, full of joy. Claire tried not to think about it any further as she continued to watch the Malinois dog. Today was supposed to be the day she would meet the man who was her father. In a way, she wasn't ready yet. Claire just didn't know what to do. How would he react? Would he want to take Lotty in?
Questions upon questions swirled around in her head.
Claire closed her eyes for a moment, but the images of that evening when her mother was murdered kept coming back.
The evening when she could do nothing but watch as Michelle said there was nothing more to be done. Her mother had to die because resuscitation attempts had been unsuccessful and the man never got over the loss. But he only wanted to catch Claire and kill her so that she would feel the pain of loss and know what it felt like to lose someone.
Now Claire was in the man's place, struggling with the loss of her mother and now an orphan.
Claire had to fight back the tears again.
It was the recurring memories that had been haunting her for three weeks. The brown-haired girl finally looked back at the dog, who was chewing on a stick. She was finally torn from her thoughts when her cell phone started ringing. Glancing at it, she saw that Grace had called her several times. When she didn't answer the call, Grace sent her a message asking where she was and if she was okay. Claire hesitated a little and finally wrote back that she was fine and that she was out with Lotty. After putting her phone away, she looked around again. There were no other dogs in the park, so she was glad she could be alone and think.

After a while, she heard footsteps and noticed someone approaching and sitting down on the other side of the bench. The brown-haired woman tilted her head slightly and saw a man sitting on the other side, who glanced briefly at her.
“So you're Claire?” the man finally remarked, and the brown-haired woman saw that he was struggling.
“Yes, I am, and who are you?” she finally asked dismissively, looking back at the Malinois who was running towards her and greeting the stranger, who also stroked the Malinois dog's head. One of the reasons her mother got the dog back then. She had been too friendly.
“Your mother's good friend who is mentioned in the will,” said the stranger, looking at her. Claire raised her eyebrow and looked at him. Had that been her father? If so, Grace must have told him where she was. Perhaps he wanted to comfort her by talking to her here in the park and not somewhere where they were surrounded by people.
“I know how you feel, Claire. That pain when you lose someone and feel alone,” he finally explained, and the 15-year-old could hear from his words how difficult it was for him to say them. The brown-haired girl looked at him and listened to his words, remaining silent. Did he mean the death of her mother? If so, why had she never met him?

“You're not alone, Claire, and I would be happy if you gave me the chance to be there for you,” said the man, looking at her.
“I'll give you the time you need if you're not ready yet,” he added as the brown-haired girl looked back at the dog.
"I'm not pushing you into anything, but I knew your mother very well; she was a good friend of mine. She had always had a soft spot for dogs and had brought a German shepherd with her to guard the house.
Your mother had learned from her studies that dogs are good for stress relief,“ Bobby finally explained, continuing to stroke Lotty's head while looking back at the brown-haired girl. ”I'll give you time to decide and won't pressure you to decide now, but you should know that my door is always open for you and, of course, for the dog.
The people at my station would certainly be happy if we had a guard dog now," remarked the brown-haired man, looking at the 15-year-old and a faint smile appearing on his lips. Claire looked at the floor and thought while she remained silent. Her head had been full of so many things.
How should she decide?

Chapter Text

A few days passed and the brown-haired girl flew to Los Angeles with Bobby. They left the terminal and Claire looked around as she walked beside him. The airport was more than busy and the 15-year-old tried not to be too nervous.
The teenager had decided not to take Lotty with her because she knew he only had a small apartment and it was best for her to stay in Texas for the transition. Even though it broke her heart, the brown-haired girl didn't want to do that to the dog.
Claire had settled down on a small bench where she waited for her father to return with the luggage.
The brown-haired girl glanced at her phone from time to time because Grace and Judd were sending her pictures to let her know that the dog was doing well.
Suddenly, she heard footsteps approaching and the 15-year-old looked up at her father, who was carrying her suitcase and his own.
“I've got everything. A colleague is coming to pick us up. You'll like her,” said Bobby, looking at the teenager as she remained silent. She kept thinking about what would happen now. Whether he would really keep his promise to her.
“Don't worry, we'll get the rest when we have a bigger apartment. I know a lot of guards who have dogs,” Bobby finally said, looking back at his daughter as they waited in the hall. The brown-haired girl finally thought about how things would work out here now as she sighed.
She noticed that he was watching her out of the corner of his eye.
“Everything okay? If you want to talk about anything, you can talk to me about anything, Claire, or if you feel uncomfortable, you can also talk to Hen in private. Of course, once you've gotten to know her and trust her,” he asked, and she heard the concerned tone in his voice. The 15-year-old hesitated for a moment.
“It's just strange to be here now and not in Austin anymore,” Claire replied hesitantly as she looked around again. She avoided looking at him. Besides, she hadn't told him that he was just a stranger to her or something she had overheard when her mother was talking to Grace and Judd and he might have been the topic of conversation. She didn't really want to tell him what was going through her mind right here and now, especially not here at the airport and not in the early days when they didn't know each other yet. She was suddenly torn from her thoughts by footsteps and a female voice. Claire looked up and saw a woman greeting Bobby and asking if they had landed safely. She finally turned her gaze to the teenager and smiled gently and kindly at her.
“Hey, you must be Claire? I'm Henrietta Wilson, you can call me Hen,” the stranger introduced herself, smiling warmly and gently as she held out her hand. Claire cautiously took it and shook it.
“Yes, that's me,” she replied, somewhat intimidated and suspicious.
“You really look just like your father,” she remarked, and Claire raised her eyebrow. She had never heard anything like that before. Nor had anyone ever said that the brown-haired girl looked like her mother.
Claire was a little overwhelmed because she didn't know how to deal with it.
Bobby patted her gently on the shoulder, as if to tell her it was okay.
“But she gets her modesty from her mother,” Bobby replied, almost nostalgically.
“I'll drive you home,” Hen finally said kindly. Just as she was about to pick up her suitcase, Hen grabbed it and walked purposefully toward the exit.
“I hope this isn't too much of a culture shock for you,” Bobby remarked cautiously as they left the airport and Claire looked around, visibly surprised. There had been even more commotion outside the airport, and for a brief moment she wondered if she had made the right decision. However, they both seemed nice.
After a somewhat longer drive, they finally arrived at Bobby's house where he had the apartment.
After the two said goodbye, Bobby unlocked the door and let the younger woman enter the apartment. Somewhat taken aback, the brown-haired woman looked around.
"Don't worry, you can have the bedroom. I'll sleep on the sofa, and no, please don't feel bad about it.
It's okay and only temporary. We already have two apartment viewings this week so we can catch up with Lotty as soon as possible," Bobby remarked immediately when he saw the expression on the brown-haired girl's face.
Claire nodded silently and continued to look around.
The apartment was simply and neatly furnished.
No pictures, nothing.
It seemed emotionless.
As if it were a hotel room or something.
“Did your mother actually cook?” Bobby finally asked, and Claire turned her gaze to him. Did her mother cook?
"More like a pitiful attempt. Grace and Judd always gave her a cooking class for Christmas and her birthday. But somehow it never worked out. That's why we always ended up ordering something,“ said the brown-haired girl, looking at him as she explained. Bobby raised his eyebrow and looked a little surprised.
”Yeah, that sounds like her. She didn't have a knack for it back then either,“ Bobby finally said, somewhat nostalgically. Claire noticed the undertone in his voice, though.
”Because of your school? I'll give you the time you need. You decide when you're ready to go back to school,“ Bobby finally remarked, looking at her. Claire nodded, knowing that it was certainly easier to find a girls' school here than in Austin.
”You don't need to put pressure on yourself. You should settle in first and get your bearings," he added as he leaned against the counter. The brown-haired girl looked at him again and nodded.
“Thank you,” she finally replied, looking at him.
“Did you and Mom still keep in touch after she left Minnesota?” she asked curiously, looking into the older man's somewhat surprised face. It seemed as if he hadn't expected this question.

Chapter Text

The 11-year-old came home and looked at her mother, who was coming down the stairs with a suitcase. It was just before Christmas and her mother wanted to go away?
“Mom? Is everything okay?” she asked, puzzled, looking at her mother. Lainey looked at the 11-year-old, somewhat surprised. Only now did she notice the worried look on the black-haired girl's face.

The little brown-haired girl looked at her mother with even more concern.
"Claire, my little princess. I've learned that a good friend needs help right now, and unfortunately, I can't take you with me. Judd and Grace will pick you up in a minute, and you'll have a few nice days together. Judd even wants to take you horseback riding. Please don't be angry with me for not being able to take you with me. But you're too young for something like this," the black-haired woman said quietly and desperately, and the brown-haired child nodded and looked at her mother.
Lainey ruffled her hair briefly and smiled weakly and painfully at the same time. Claire couldn't be angry with her mother because she knew that if her mother had to leave at short notice, it must have been important. Especially since it was just before Christmas, she knew it must have been really serious.
“When I get back, I promise we'll fly to Iceland, just you and me, Claire,” said the black-haired woman with a smile. Claire nodded, her eyes wide.

The next day, she was awakened by loud rummaging and clattering in the kitchen. Claire got up tiredly from the bed and looked at the alarm clock standing next to it. It was 10 o'clock. It was unusual for her to sleep so long, but perhaps her body had gotten what it hadn't had for weeks.
Sleep.
Despite the sedatives she had been taking since the night her mother was murdered, she couldn't sleep properly. However, she briefly thought about the dream. It was the first time she hadn't dreamed about the murder, but simply about four years ago when her mother wasn't there for Christmas because she had flown to a friend who was in need. That was her mother. She had been there for everyone whenever she could.
Claire brushed a strand of hair from her face and thought about how things had gone the night before.
She felt awful when she asked the question. Had she triggered him? Set something off? But she didn't think about it for long. Perhaps a relationship between two captains was probably forbidden, which was why he hadn't answered her question. She could understand that. Claire didn't know what had happened between him and her mother. Besides, he hadn't had any pictures hanging on the walls, which made her wonder why her mother had never told her about him. From what he said, they had been best friends.
Claire got up tired after thinking about it for a long time and stretched before getting out of bed and leaving the room. Somewhat surprised, she looked at her father, who was just putting the plates on the table.
“I didn't want to wake you. I got breakfast on my way here,” Bobby remarked, looking at the 15-year-old as she sat down at the table.
“On your way here?” the brown-haired girl asked, puzzled, tilting her head.
“Nothing serious, I was shopping and I wanted to get breakfast,” he explained, looking at the brown-haired girl and handing her the orange juice.
Bobby sat down at the table and looked at her.
"We can look at the apartment Hen found for us today. The one with the garden and where dogs are allowed,“ Bobby remarked, looking at the brown-haired woman and smiling slightly. Claire looked at him in surprise.
”If all goes well, you can bring Lotty here at the end of the month," Bobby added, looking at the brown-haired woman as he took a sip of his tea.
Claire nodded silently, took a sip of her orange juice, and bit into her bagel.
“If you come to the station tomorrow. I mean, if you're there from the start. There's a daredevil there, please don't let him talk you into anything,” Bobby finally remarked, looking at Claire, who was a little taken aback.
A daredevil?
Especially in the fire department?
Once again, she thought of her mother.
She had been easygoing but disciplined.
Why did he have a daredevil at the station in the first place?
“But he's a nice guy. You'll like him,” he said confidently, and the brown-haired woman nodded somewhat uncertainly. She decided to trust him for now.
“Then there's Chimney, who's also a really nice guy,” he said, looking at her. The brown-haired woman nodded again as he told her about his station. She found it interesting; in general, the brown-haired woman was very interested in the fire department because she had been exposed to it at an early age. When she was little, her mother had often taken her to the station because she knew there was always someone there to look after Claire when she was out on calls. Even as Claire got older, she continued to visit the station and usually stayed until dinner time.
“Do you also have 24-hour shifts? They do in Austin,” Claire finally asked, and Bobby nodded.
“Yes, it works the same way here as it does in Austin,” Bobby remarked, looking at Claire.
“Did your mother always take you to the station when you had time off or didn't have school?” the older man added, looking at her. The 15-year-old nodded silently and looked at him.
“Yes, Mom was a helicopter mom. When I was on a school trip, she would text me every half hour. If I didn't reply because I was doing a leisure activity with my classmate, she would call the teacher and ask if everything was okay,” the teenager explained with a sigh, brushing a strand of hair from her face. Bobby had to smile briefly.
“Yes, I can imagine,” he remarked, looking at her. But Claire had had the feeling that it would end up the same with him as it had with her mother.

Chapter Text

The brown-haired teenager looked out the window as her father drove through the streets. It had been relatively early in the morning when they both left the apartment. Her father had to go back to work today, and the brown-haired girl had decided to explore the city a little.
Alone.
Without her father, because she really wanted to find her way around the big and unfamiliar city where she would now be living.
“Claire, wait,” Bobby said, finally handing her some money. The brown-haired girl looked at him, somewhat taken aback.
“So you can buy something to eat on the way. I don't know when we'll get around to cooking and you'll visit us,” Bobby said, smiling slightly.
Claire hesitated a little before finally taking the money and putting it in her purse.
“Thanks,” said the 15-year-old, a little taken aback, as she found it strange to accept money from her father, whom she hardly knew.
“Don't be so self-conscious, Claire. I'll text you later to let you know how things are going and whether he's making anything to eat. Take care, Claire, and text me if anything happens,” said Bobby as he closed the window and finally drove off. Claire watched the car drive away for a moment before taking out her cell phone and looking up some sights. It felt strange to do all this without her mother, and she felt her stomach tighten. The 15-year-old grimaced at the thought that her mother was no longer there. Once again, she tried to suppress the feeling of loss. She didn't want to burst into tears in public and show that she was weak.
Claire decided to walk along the footpath and just see where it led. Her cell phone told her that there should be a department store a few hundred meters away. Claire looked around the bustling city and was amazed at how much was going on in the outskirts. Now she had to think about what it would be like when she was downtown. How busy the streets would be then. Claire tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she looked around every now and then. In a way, she felt a little homesick in this very lively city. But could she still call Austin home after her mother's death? On the one hand, it was the place where she had spent her childhood, but on the other hand, she had bad memories of this place. Claire entered a shopping center where she looked around a bit, but it was getting more and more crowded, so she quickly left because she felt uncomfortable. After a long walk, the brown-haired girl bought a smoothie, which she drank. However, she suddenly heard sirens, which made her look around repeatedly. Her heart was beating fast. She kept looking around Austin, hoping to see her mother. But how likely was it that she would see her father in Los Angeles?
High?
Low?
Was there any chance at all that she would spot him?
From a distance, she saw a fire truck performing a risky maneuver.
Could it be called risky?
It had been life-threatening as it drove through the streets. Claire stopped at the road and waited for the pedestrian light to change so she could cross the street. To her dismay, the vehicle stopped right at the traffic light where she was standing, and the brown-haired girl raised her eyebrow when she saw the license plate.
//118. That's Dad's station, isn't it?\\, thought the brown-haired woman, puzzled, as she looked at the young man who was obviously trying to chat up a woman. Claire watched closely as she crossed the street.
“Hey, what are you looking at? Just keep walking,” the young man called to the brown-haired woman, shaking his head. Claire looked at the man in shock.
“That's not the purpose of a fire department vehicle,” the brown-haired woman called out to the young man. Her mother and father were probably speaking through her. Claire learned early on what it meant to have discipline. Somewhat taken aback, the young man looked at her and called something else after her.
The brown-haired woman shook her head and simply ignored him. Instead, she texted her father to ask if he was at the station and that she was on her way. To her surprise, he replied immediately, which surprised her greatly. Had he been sitting there on his phone the whole time, waiting for Claire to text him?
Was he really worrying too much? Had they even had any calls?
In his next message, he sent her the address of the Fire station.
He also included the bus route that went there. Luckily for her, the bus stopped nearby.
The brown-haired girl quickly went to the bus stop and texted him that she had seen one of the vehicles from his station in the city.
All she got in response was a rolling eyes smiley. He had never used smileys before. Was he trying to act cool?
The brown-haired girl smiled and put her phone in her pocket while she waited for the bus.
It didn't take long before it arrived and the brown-haired girl got on.
The ride was quiet and the brown-haired girl listened to her music.
After a few minutes, the bus reached the nearby stop and the brown-haired girl got off. In the distance, she could already see her father waiting in front of it and waving to her.
“Did you find your way here okay? And what did Buck say to you?” he finally asked, sounding both concerned and serious. It was as if his paternal instincts had kicked in.
Claire looked at him, somewhat taken aback, and hesitated to answer.
“Yes, it was easy, and because of that guy. He said I was just a pubescent kid who had no idea,” remarked the brown-haired girl, and the expression on his face became a little more surprised.
"Don't worry about it. He's probably still stuck in puberty himself. Come on, I'll introduce you to Chimney. They just took over for me,“ said Bobby, finally pointing inside and leading the brown-haired girl upstairs, where the table was already set and Hen was watching over the food.
”Hey Claire, have you looked around?" asked Hen with a smile. But the 15-year-old didn't get a chance to answer because someone approached her.
“So you're the captain's daughter. I'm Chimney, nice to meet you,” said the Korean man with a smile. Claire was a little taken aback by his friendliness and didn't know who to answer first.
“Um, yes, just a little, and nice to meet you!” said the brown-haired girl, completely taken aback as she looked back and forth between Hen and Chimney.
“Sit down, dinner's ready,” Bobby finally said, pointing to the table. Without hesitation, the brown-haired girl sat down, still a little overwhelmed by the whole situation as she didn't know these people yet. It had been different for her on 126th Street, where she had known the people since she was little, unlike here, where she had only known them for a few minutes.
Just as Hen sat down, the Teenager saw the vehicle she had seen in town pull into a parking space, and the young man got out and came up the stairs.
However, he looked at the brown-haired girl with some surprise.
“This can't be true,” Buck said in surprise, while the brown-haired woman looked at him seriously.
“Maybe you should practice your driving style, or is it normal to try to impress women with your vehicle?” said the brown-haired woman, looking at Buck. Hen had to stifle a laugh when Claire said that.

Chapter Text

The next day, the brown-haired girl had been out with her father. After a short nap on the couch, he had invited her to go for a walk along the beach promenade. The brown-haired girl had been a little surprised by the invitation, but she agreed and went with him. She wanted to do something with him and not shut herself off from him and make it even harder for him.

“You were pretty brave, Claire,” he remarked, looking at the brown-haired girl walking beside him.
Somewhat puzzled, she looked at him and tilted her head. She didn't know what he was talking about and was a little surprised.

“Yes, you told Buck exactly what you thought, and don't worry, everyone at the station thought it was good that you didn't put up with anything,” he said, looking at her with a hint of pride. Claire, on the other hand, looked away again and sighed. She had felt a little uncomfortable telling the young man what she thought. But hearing that the others thought it was great that she had done so only made it even more uncomfortable.
Bobby finally sat down on a bench and patted the empty space next to him so she would sit down next to him.
After a moment's hesitation, she sat down next to him.

Claire could see how difficult it was for him. Something was bothering him.
“You really have your mother's courage. But when I look at you, I see myself in a way,” he remarked with a faint smile, and the brown-haired girl raised her eyebrow. Was he getting sentimental now?
Claire was confused and didn't know how to interpret the conversation.

Bobby glanced sideways at her.
“You know, your mother and I were good friends,” he finally remarked, and the brown-haired girl raised her eyebrow.
“You had an affair,” she replied, looking into his horrified but surprised face. It seemed as if she had thrown him off balance.
But he also seemed a little embarrassed that she knew.
“Yes, you could call it that,” he remarked, looking back at the promenade, which was gradually becoming busier. Claire resented her parents. She didn't know why she was taking it so lightly. Was it because her mother kept assuring her that he had no bad intentions?
The brown-haired girl looked out at the sea and sighed as she thought again about how her mother always tried to avoid the truth.
“But you should know that I will always be there for you and do everything I can,” Bobby finally said. The younger girl looked at him and nodded.
It felt strange because her mother had said the same thing about him. Her mother had always described him as a good-natured person.
“That's what Mom always said, too. That you weren't an asshole,” she explained, continuing to look at the people walking along the promenade. She wasn't used to being so close to the water in Austin.

“She did? So she talked about me a lot?” he asked, somewhat taken aback, as he looked at his daughter.
Claire thought for a moment and nodded shortly thereafter.
"She had a picture in the living room of the station in St. Paul where she was still in the emergency services. Of all the members of the station. Where you were also on duty,“ she replied, continuing to look at the water. When she thought about it, that picture had been sacred to her mother.
”You mentioned you have a brother? Does that mean...?“ Bobby asked cautiously, and the 15-year-old shook her head.

”No. We were born in the same year. We have different fathers. Anthony lives somewhere near the Canadian border. After the separation, his father took him in. I stayed with my mother," she finally explained, sighing quietly. Her brother Anthony was born in December 2003, while she was born in January. She had had no contact with her little brother; only her stepfather had been at the funeral. They were both still young when her mother and stepfather separated. So Claire didn't even know what he looked like now.
However, she was torn from her unpleasant thoughts when she saw a black German shepherd running along the beach with its owner running after it. Claire watched it and sighed briefly, thinking of her Malinois dog, who was still in Texas. The 15-year-old missed her very much. But Grace and Judd kept sending her clips and pictures of Lotty to reassure her that she was fine and wanted for nothing.
Her gaze at the German Shepherd did not go unnoticed.

“You miss Lotty a lot, don't you?” he asked cautiously, to which the brown-haired girl nodded silently again.

“If you want, you can bring her to our place next week. I mean, the move is coming up the week after next,” the older man blurted out.
Claire looked at him and saw the older man smile slightly.
“Yes, I know you'll take care of her and that she won't tear our current apartment apart,” he said and smiled a little.
Claire hesitated a little. She had been unsure whether to accept the offer.
She wasn't going to school yet because she still didn't feel ready. On the other hand, she wanted to have what she still had of her mother with her.

“But only if it's okay with you,” she said meekly, looking away and back at the sheepdog running around on the beach.
“Why wouldn't it be okay? Lotty is your dog, and I know how much she means to you because she's the only thing you have left from your mother. We'll look for a flight for you when we get home. If you want me to come with you, let me know, and I'll come with you if you don't want to fly alone,” Bobby said, finally patting her on the shoulder encouragingly.