Chapter 196 - "Snow Day and troubles from the past..."
Clara's PoV
'Afternoon' he said as Lexi ran towards John looking for a hug.
'Oh my god. She's gotten so big since I last saw her' I announced. 'She's walking and everything' I said stroking her cheek and following her into the lounge, where she obviously wanted her brother to follow her too.
It was weird calling him, her brother.
'What the bloody hell are you doing here?' John demanded as I halted in the hallway and saw who was sitting on the sofa smugly.
'Language' Daniel grunted.
'That's no way to treat an Aunt John. I am family after all' she said rolling her eyes.
'I don't care if you are or not... Your not welcome here'
'John? That's no way to behave' Daniel scolded.
'And what right do you have to say that' John snapped at his Dad and regretted it as soon as he said if. 'I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be rude to you. I just don't like her' he said sitting down on the carpet where Lexi was getting ever so impatient with him, for not focusing his attention on her. 'Sorry. What did Santa bring you?' He said focusing on her and not Grace.
'Clara. Your still around? Bloody hell'
'Hi Grace' I smiled not listening to what she said.
'Mm. It's one thing that your still alive but still with him? Pft never thought I'd see the day' she smirked and John stood up.
'This is exactly why I don't want you here'
'What's going on?'
'She just insulted Clara' John said like a whiny child.
'Oh really were going to go there?'
'Stop it. I'm not insulted John. It's true to say there was a rough patch where I may not have been alive. Can't blame her for that' I said rolling my eyes and sitting down.
'Come again? Am I missing something here?' Daniel said confused.
There was a dignified silence before John broke it and spoke directly to Daniel not Grace.
'The last time I saw Aunt Grace - Clara had come for dinner with me, and she was still recovering from Cancer. There was a while I guess where Clara could have potentially died' John said and walked out the room.
- - -
There was an awkward silence between everyone in the living room and a good 10 minutes where nobody said anything - but I decided that I couldn't take the silence anymore.
'I'll check on him' I smiled, and found him sitting on the swing of a swing set in the garden amidst all the snow. I grabbed his scarf and coat for him and went to see him.
'Well this brings back memories. A strong sense of de ja vu'
'Huh?'
'The swing set. Might not be mine - but still brings back memories of when we first got together'
'Oh. Yeah I guess' he half smiled. I gave him his coat and sat on the other swing.
'So what's up? Because you've been off recently.. And you had a bit of a shout up in there?' I questioned. 'And don't lie... I want some answers' I demanded.
'It's nothing really. I just hate thinking about when you were Ill. Believe it or not - but things were just so much simpler then'
'Oh I believe it. They really were. But I don't like thinking about back then. I don't like thinking about when I was ill' I smiled placing my hand on his cheek.
'I know. Don't dwell on the past' he muttered.
'Why did it get to you so much? What Grace said?'
'I-- I just don't know. It just did. I'm not completely sure why okay' he said standing up and pushing a pile of snow to the ground.
I went to follow him, not seeing him bend down and grab a handful of snow. I squeaked at how cold the snow was when it hit the back of my head.
'Your an idiot' I snapped, scooping up a handful of my own. Thank goodness I had bought my gloves, scarf and hat. It made things so much easier so I pelted the snow at his face.
'Hmm. Excuse me. Not the face. Don't mess work natural beauty young lady' he smirked
'Says the man who threw a snowball at my head?'
'Was necessary though' he grinned smacking more snow on my chest this time and pulled me down to the ground.
'That's better. Nice to see you smiling'
I collapsed in a big poof of snow - extending my arms to make an angel. 'What are you doing?'
'Making a Clara angel' I informed him.
'A Clara Angel?'
'It's just like a snow angel' I confirmed. 'Except much better'
'Mm. So what about a John angel?'
'It's not as pretty' I said admiring the snow gaps in the ground. 'Is there really that much of a height difference between us?' I wondered as I admired the two different snow angels and realised he really was much taller than me.
'Yeah. Id say I'm at least a foot taller than you - if not more. Your 5"1 and Im at least 6"2' he smirked.
'You don't need to show off. Being short has its advantages' I shrugged.
'Such as?'
'I dunno. Hiding. Getting on a train. Planes. Photos. The list is endless' I said staring at him, but suddenly our snow angels were ruined.
There was a small body pushing her way through the snow, and stood next to us. Demanding John's attention.
We turned our heads to look at Daniel in the doorway.
'She was watching you in the snow' he shrugged. 'I couldn't stop her from wanting so desperately to get out and copy you both' he said.
John laid down in the snow again and showed her how to do it, which she did, and then he taught her how to throw a snow ball at me.
'Ugh' I said in mock offence. 'You little munchkin' I smirked and threw a tiny snowball at her frame, but she immediately tried to shovel her way through the snow.
The snow wasn't very deep at all. It was just about setting to the ground. But because she was quite small, she was enjoying it and hoofed through it like a tiny dog.
I smirked, and stayed outside playing like kids for what felt like hours, but really was only a further 40 minutes, helping her to make a tiny snowman and pushed her on the swing in the snow.
But she is only little and started to get cold a lot quicker than we did, and because she went in she wanted us in as well, but it was okay because dinner was pretty much ready.
'Where did Aunt bitch go?' John huffed, sitting down at the table.
'John' Daniel groaned.
'Can't tell me what to say. I'm 18'
'Just mind your language around her please. And anyway, she said she had to leave. Family emergency or something which is strange seeing as we're her family but she was insistent on leaving'
'Oh well. Can't say I'm going to miss her' John said, stealing a potato from my plate.
'You could at least act concerned' I smirked as he rested a hand on my knee underneath the table.
'Listen Clara. I didn't know you had Cancer' Daniel said mortified that he didn't have any idea.
'I know. It's not exactly a story I like to go around announcing to people but it's the truth. I had it before my Mum died, and I got over it. Had the all clear every year since' I smiled.
'Gravy anyone?'
'Eww. None for me. Can't stand the stuff' I admitted, grabbing the cranberry sauce and stuffed a pig in a blanket in John's face.

YOU ARE READING
"Your Dying... But I love you" (2016)
RomanceThis is a sort of Whouffle AU. Clara finds out at 15 years old that she could potentially die. She makes the awful move to London to get treatment. She feels like she's never fit in, but the prospect of dying frightens her. She lives a year of up...