Love, Claudia (BWWM)

Chapter Nineteen

"If you don't apologize to her right now, you have to go. I will not have you hurting my daughter. I know you don't care about her feelings, but try to think of someone other than yourself for once, Eliah. You had no right to feel confident enough to speak that way," David didn't want to yell at Eliah.

He didn't want to be having this talk with her.

But she was twisted. He tried not to see it, but it was clear Eliah had been doing small things to Claudia for the past four years.

She would 'slip' and curse her out. She would ignore her. She would take things from her.

And Claudia would wave it off when he would discipline her for it.

He didn't understand why Eliah felt so strongly against Claudia, but he would find out when he calmed down.

"Claudia is pathetic, dad. She always has been. I shouldn't have to mince words to spare her feelings. That man is clearly taking advantage of her, she's not smart. She doesn't know anything about real life. She's lived in a bubble for her entire life. And I'm sick of walking on eggshells with her. She won't have daddy around to save her forever."

The coldness in her tone hurt David.

He knew she meant it all.

"I can't have strife in my home, Eliah." He shook his head in despair. "I don't know what happened, your mother and I didn't raise you like this." He looked into her stormy eyes. "You go out, go get some air, something, just,"

Eliah scoffed. "You obviously didn't raise me right, I am honest. You guys keep it all in, you let handicapped men wheel in and harass your 'special' daughter. Good parenting, mom would be proud." She flashed a malicious smile and walked away.

The front door slammed.

She was gone.

It broke his heart to see Eliah turn on Claudia. To see his oldest daughter become cold.

It was hard.

"Lord, You don't give us the playbook for this stuff." David sighed. "I trust You, Eliah has been in Your hand since she was born. You know how to bring her to You, she will be Yours in due time."

His prayer was for all his children to abide in God, and four out of five were there. Eliah would be next.

David shook off his anger and went to check on Claudia.

He was confident in River's ability to comfort her. The man cared for her. David appreciated him.

"It's more than okay to be upset with her. You can't let your emotions bottle up, sweetness. You know that,"

David lingered in the living room to listen. He didn't want to ruin their cute moment.

"I-i don't, don't know h-how to process this,"

Tears sprung in David's eyes at the voice of his little girl.

Her voice was identical to Isabelle's. It was haunting and a blessing at once.

"How did you process everything else? Think of when you realized that you were madly in love with me," River's words brought about another sound David had missed.

Claudia's laughter.

"S-shut up, River."

David's heart lurched.

"Thank You, Lord." He hated that Eliah's eruption caused Claudia to speak, but she spoke.

His little sweet potato spoke.