Page 107 of Babies for the Christmas Grump

I swear, if this is her…

I push myself out of the chair, the frustration building.

“Again, really?” I storm to the door, my hand already on the handle.

But when I yank it open, it’s not her.

It’s Claire, standing there in the doorway, come to rescue me from the madness. The look on her face, though, is a little more serious than usual, the kind that says she’s got something on her mind.

“Yeah?” I say, not exactly hiding the tension in my voice.

She glances at me, brows furrowed. “You good?”

I’m about to snap something back about how good I am after the latest emotional grenade Mom dropped in here, but when I see the concern on Claire’s face, I bite it back. There’s no point in taking it out on her.

“I don’t know. I thought it was Mom again.” I throw my hands up in frustration. “And I can’t handle any more of her right now.”

Claire steps into the room, her eyes scanning the insanity I’ve been trying to make sense of. Papers and files scattered everywhere, the coffee cup long forgotten, now cold and stale.

“Ah, well, Mom is still in her zone. I just got off the phone with her. She’s ranting about the latest scheme,” Claire says, rolling her eyes, clearly fed up. “But on the plus side, I don’t think it’s going to be here.”

“Great,” I mutter. “What is it?”

She sits down beside me. “Well, she’s already talking about taking a flight, so…”

“Please.” I cross my fingers. “I just need a break from her shit.”

“Don’t we all.”

I sink back into my chair, pinching the bridge of my nose. Claire’s presence is a welcome relief. Though I can’t exactly put into words how much I needed someone to get it.

She always does.

I take a breath, trying to calm myself. “It’s like… she just doesn’t know when to stop, you know? I don’t get how she’sstillpushing all this nonsense after everything that’s happened.”

Claire sighs dramatically, folding her arms across her chest.

“She doesn’t stop, Ry. It’s an endless loop of schemes and trying to turn everything into her own reality show.” She mimics our mother’s high-pitched tone. “‘Oh, darling, this will be your big break, you’ll be famous, just wait and see!’”

I can’t help it. A chuckle bubbles up from deep in my chest.

Claire’s voice shifts to a mock-serious tone. “You don’t understand, Ryder. The cameras will capture the magic of it all!”

I laugh harder, finally letting go of some of the tension I’ve been carrying. It’s ridiculous, and a little sad, but there’s something about hearing her mock Mom’s over-the-top enthusiasm that lightens the whole thing.

“If I hear one more get famous suggestion from her, I’m going to lose my mind,” I mutter, wiping a tear from my eye, half from frustration and half from the unexpected release.

Claire shrugs, her lips curling into a sly smile. “I mean, you are a Hale and Hales are kind of notorious for their dramatic entrances. Maybe she’s just trying to live up to the family name. Especially the Christmas Prince…”

I shoot her a look, but there’s no malice in it. “You’re a real piece of work, you know that?”

“I know.” She grins. “I take after you.”

I roll my eyes, but my shoulders finally start to relax.

“Honestly, though,” Claire continues, “you’ve done the hardest part. You’ve stood your ground with her. I don’t think I’ve seen you do that in a long time. It was hard for me, too, when she wanted to make my wellness center herthing, but it was a relief to have her gone.”

I let out a breath. It’s all still hanging there, but not as suffocating as before. “Yeah. It’s just… it feels like every time I take one step forward, she pulls me two steps back.”