Page 46 of Duke of Disaster

CHAPTER ONE

“So, any idea of when you’ll get your braces off?” asked Claire as she drove through the pint-sized town of Pismo Beach.

The familiar shops of Claire’s childhood faded into a sea of colors through her back window. Glancing in her rear-view mirror, Claire caught Alexis’s shrug.

Throwing up a hand, Claire continued, “Take a wild guess.”

“How would I know?” hissed Alexis. Narrowing her eyes into tiny slits, Alexis flashed a directed glare. The car pulsed with catastrophic energy, almost combustible. “I’m only thirteen.” After a dramatic eye roll, Alexis dropped her head back down, burying her attention once again in her phone screen.

“I know you’re only thirteen.” Claire forced her voice to be even, refusing to let a thirteen-year-old rattle her. Though during the recent days, it proved to be incredibly difficult. “But, I figured maybe the orthodontist mentioned it to you at your other appointments.”

“No,” said Alexis in a vague whisper. Alexis peered out the passenger side window, pausing. Running a finger across the glass, she continued, “Mom always talked to Dr. Clark at the end.”

Whoosh. Mom. Claire’s heart clenched tight, and the air became stifling. Tugging at the collar of her shirt, Claire attempted to rid her skin of the restriction of her clothing. Eyes itching, she rubbed them to keep the tears at bay. Oh, how she wished Mom was still here. She’d know how to handle Alexis, and her full-blown teenage fury.

Honestly, the two sisters were practically strangers. Claire had left for college before Alexis even started grade school. When Claire came home to visit for the holidays, she usually took Alexis for ice cream, or maybe a trip to the park. Then after a few days, Claire would return to Los Angeles to her real life, job, and friends. She now regretted not visiting more over the past few years, but hindsight was always 20/20.

Silence enveloped the car, only widening the distance between the two sisters. Biting on the inside of her cheek, Claire paused. If she misspoke, the headway she had gained over the last weeks with Alexis might take a major step back. Alexis was grieving, tiptoeing her way through the various stages of the grief cycle, coming to grips with her life never being the same without Mom in it. Sympathy wiggled its way into her heart. Alexis wasn’t a bad kid, and Claire needed to recognize how grief sometimes manifested itself as anger.

With a loud wistful sigh, Alexis said, “I wish Mom was here…” Her voice faded away. Then—almost as if a planned attack—her jaw locked, and eyes narrowed. “Not you,” Alexis hissed.

Claire flinched. Blinking rapidly, she forced away the emotions bubbling to the surface. Don’t cry. Don’t cry. Don’t. Cry. This isn’t about you, not directly. She misses Mom. Even though the insult was tangled up in grief, it still stung.

Pushing her hair over her shoulder, Claire blew out a long rattling breath. “I know,” whispered Claire. After making a left into the parking lot of the orthodontist’s office, Claire continued louder, “Me too, kid. Me too. I miss Mom every day. I wish she was here too.” Her shoulders drooped and chest pinched tighter.

Finding an empty spot, Claire parked. Immediately, Alexis jumped out of the car before Claire even turned off the engine. Alexis wandered into Dr Clark’s office, leaving Claire alone in the car. Claire slumped in her seat, trying to not let the feeling of defeat overtake her.

Staring out the window at the orthodontist’s office, Claire wondered if parents went inside and waited. Or did she tell Alexis to text her when she was done? Pondering her predicament for a few moments, Claire climbed out of the car, walking to the front door.

Claire needed to speak to the office about the payment of Alexis’s braces. Nowhere in any of Mom’s financial records did she find a remaining balance. Keeping her fingers crossed, Claire hoped Mom had already paid for the braces in full. Alexis’s finances were tight enough, and Claire didn’t think she could afford another payment if it was required. Maybe she could charge it? But then how would she ever pay it off? Their expenses seemed to be a never-ending list. Kids were so expensive.

When Claire received the news of Mom’s sudden passing, she took a three-month sabbatical from her physical therapy job in Los Angeles. Three months of unpaid time off. Three months to pack up her sister and all their stuff, sell Mom’s home, and bring Alexis back with her to Los Angeles. Apparently, years ago, Mom took a second out on the mortgage. Claire didn’t have a choice, as much as it pained her, she needed to sell her childhood home to break even. Fast.

Alexis was furious about the plan, because her friends and life were in Pismo Beach. Many sleepless nights, Claire went over and over her budget. As much as she didn’t want to uproot Alexis, financially, it wasn’t possible to stay. The landlord of her apartment in Los Angeles refused to release her from the terms of their lease agreement, even after Claire explained the situation. So, she’d let Alexis finish the school year, then they’d return to Los Angeles and try to build some semblance of a new life.

Pushing open the door to the orthodontist’s office, the door chimed as Claire entered. Glancing around the small waiting room, Claire didn’t spot Alexis, so she peeked into the large communal exam room with a long row of dental chairs. Locating Alexis reclined in a chair with a dental assistant already adjusting her braces, Claire walked over to the reception desk.

A woman in her mid to late forties with curly brown hair sat behind the reception desk. She glanced up from her computer screen at Claire’s arrival.

“Good morning, I’m Sarah,” said Sarah brightly. Her eyes sparkled kindly back at Claire. “How may I help you today?”

Leaning forward on the reception counter, Claire fiddled with the cup of pens next to the sign in sheet. “Good morning, Sarah.” She bit her bottom lip. Claire continued, “My sister Alexis is here getting her braces adjusted.” She let go of the pens and stood straight, adjusting her slipping purse strap.

Interrupting her, Sarah wagged a finger at her. “I thought there was a resemblance. Sisters? What are you like double her age?” Sarah scooted backward on her rolling chair, grabbing a file from the wall-to-wall shelving behind her. She swiveled back to face her, flipping through the file without looking up.

Claire tucked some flyaway hair behind her ears. “You almost guessed right, we’re fourteen years apart.”

People were always amazed at the age gap between Claire and Alexis, especially with no other siblings in between. Alexis was a surprise. The day Mom told Dad she was pregnant; he took off and never came back. Dad never wanted children, so two kids was out of the question.

“Anyways,” Claire shuffled her feet. “I needed to find out how much of a balance is remaining for my sister’s braces.”

Glancing up, Sarah tilted her head to the side. “I’m sorry.” Sarah shut the file in her hands and tossed it into a bin. “I can’t discuss that information with you since you aren’t on the account. Is your mom here?” Sarah glanced past Claire, surveying the waiting room. When Sarah didn’t spot Mom, she reverted her gaze back to Claire.

Claire took a deep settling breath, bracing herself. “Our mom passed away, suddenly, a month ago. I’m now Alexis’s legal guardian, so…” A pinch between her shoulder blades made her neck stiffen. “Could you let me know how much we still owe?”

Sarah’s eyes widened, awkwardly, she shifted in her seat. “That’s so tragic. I mean how...” She waved a hand, looking away. Moving the mouse around, her computer screen lit back up. With a few more clicks of her mouse, Claire guessed Sarah was searching for Alexis’s account information. She stopped clicking and met Claire’s gaze. “I’m really sorry for your loss.”

“Thanks.” Claire didn’t want to elaborate. If she did, then the tears started, and sometimes, they didn’t stop for a long time. “So, about that balance.” Leaning over the reception counter again, Claire gazed at Sarah’s computer screen.