Chapter 6: An Unfamiliar Luxury
The morning sun broke through the clouds, casting brilliant beams of light through the breakfast room windows.
Claire sat at the long marble table, feeling utterly displaced. She had changed out of the agency maid uniform into a simple soft-knit cream sweater and slacks provided by the housekeeper. Yet, her hands still instinctively reached to clear plates when the staff served breakfast.
""Claire, stop,"" Andrew said gently from across the table, placing his hand over hers. ""You are not an employee here. You are the lady of this house.""
""It feels like a lifetime ago, Andrew,"" Claire admitted, looking at the silver cutlery and porcelain cups. ""For six years, I lived in a shared studio in Lyon, earning eighteen euros an hour mending clothes and cleaning bakery floors. I learned to survive on so little. This... all of this feels like a dream I might wake up from.""
""Mommy!""
The dining room doors burst open, and the twins ran in, fully dressed in their school blazers. They immediately scrambled onto Claire’s lap, completely ignoring their untouched oatmeal.
""Are you staying today?"" Liam asked, his hazel eyes wide with fierce vulnerability. ""You won't turn into smoke when the sun comes up?""
Claire wrapped her arms tightly around both of them, kissing their foreheads. ""I will never turn into smoke. I am right here. Every morning, every afternoon, and every night.""
Lucas looked up at Andrew. ""Can we skip school today, Daddy? Just for today?""
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Andrew looked at the three of them—the family he had buried in his heart—and for the first time in seven years, a genuine, radiant smile lit up his face. ""Yes. Today, the world can wait.""
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