The Family Origin

Chapter Seventeen: JOSEPH POV

 Maisie's mind was clearing, and I could see her realizing she belonged in this family. A few weeks passed, and she did not cause any trouble. She did not scream or cry. Despite the doors being locked, there were no other attempts to escape the house. She even began to smile, which lightened the mood of the home.

We were a family again. It was like it used to be. This is how it should have always been.

Clara was cleaning the kitchen counter with a rag. She and Maisie had already cleaned the kitchen after dinner, but she continued to fuss with washing the counter after Miles brought Maisie upstairs. I sat at the table as I watched her clean. She was humming, which was a lovely sound I had not heard since Emily's death.

"It's great to see you happy," I said.

Clara stopped humming, and she looked in my direction with a smile. I leaned back in the chair, crossing my arms over my chest.

"It's nice to see you not drinking," she said.

I had not poured a glass of whiskey in over a week. The headaches were painful at first, but I needed to keep a clear mind. I was unaware if Maisie's change in attitude was an attempt at manipulation, and I needed to be alert. Once I realized she had accepted the family, stress had left my tense muscles and I did not feel compelled to drink.

I was saving this family. We all benefited from having Maisie in the home. This was where she belonged.

Clara turned and leaned against the counter's edge. She stared at the staircase, and her smile did not waver. Her hands clasped in front of her chest, and her smile grew.

"What are you thinking about?" I asked.

She walked over to the table and pulled out the chair to sit across from me at the table. Her hand stretched out as she leaned forward. I grabbed her soft hand and ran my thumb across her knuckles.

"I never thought this would happen," she said. "It's hard to believe that Miles is so happy."

"He was always a happy kid," I said.

"No." She shook her head. "Joey, you know that's not true. There was always something different about him. None of us could figure out his mind, but we knew he was not happy. Whatever he was struggling with got worse after Emily died. But now he has Maisie, and he looks at her like she is his whole world."

It was great to know I brought this to my son. The more Maisie settled, the more he would enjoy being a husband.

My thumb ran over Clara's wedding ring. The diamond was small because it was all I could afford when we were young. She was never disappointed when she looked at it. I had offered her my Mother's ring after she had died, but Clara wanted to save it for Miles's wedding. She glanced down at me, fiddling with the band.

"You did the right thing by giving them a wedding," she said.

"Do you think I should have waited?" I asked. "Maisie was quite upset and cried through the entire thing."

"I think it was good that the wedding happened quickly. Maisie needed to see she is part of the family."

Clara covered my hand with hers to stop me from playing with her ring. I looked up at her, and she was still smiling. She had not smiled this much in years. The thought of my family being so happy spread warmth through my chest.

"Do you think we'll be grandparents soon?" she asked. "It has been so long since we had a baby in this house."

The image of Maisie with a large belly filled my mind. She was a beautiful girl, but the thought of her carrying my grandchild made her even more gorgeous. She deserved this life much more than being trapped in that disgusting tavern.