Home. She wanted to go home. The ball was over and she had put all the kids to bed. And as much as she was happy with everything that had happened that night, as much as she had enjoyed her time there, Claire couldn’t help but feel a little bit bothered by the fact that he wasn’t there. Not that she was expecting him to randomly show up for the ball and make her the happiest woman in the world. But she did miss him, and she did wish he would return. Or at least tell her how things were.
When he had told her that he was going back to South America, they both were in a bit of an awkward position. None of them knew what was going to happen next, and she certainly didn’t know how she felt about starting over their relationship when they were so far apart. So he left, and she stayed, and that bittersweet feeling never left her. Yes, she was proud of him, but she wanted to be next to him. She wanted to be with him. They both had their own lives, though. And she knew she had to let him go live his, even if that meant saying goodbye and going back to Serenity alone.
Serenity… That was her life. That was her home. But it didn’t quite feel like one when she was alone, especially after the ball. She had seen the patients so happy; even the staff members were enjoying themselves! And although she was asked to share a few dances with some people she very much cared about, Claire just wanted to dance with him, to feel his arms around her again, to feel his fresh minty scent, to look into those deep brown eyes and…
Claire sighed as she shook her head lightly, pushing those thoughts away. Thinking about that would definitely do her no good, it would only make her upset, make her wonder what could have been, make her nostalgic for a much simpler time. She kept walking to her apartment, glad that there was no one around to see her and ask her why she wasn’t smiling, eager to just get to her bedroom and lie down with the hopes that sleeping would clear her head. She kept walking, until she saw a package by her doorstep. Claire stopped a few steps away from her door, blinking in confusion as she stared at the white box for a moment. She didn’t remember ordering anything, and staff packages were usually left at the reception anyway. So it must have come from someone inside Serenity.
After a few seconds, she finally decided to just pick it up and open it. Once she was inside the apartment, package in hands and door closed behind her back, she put the box on a table and pulled out the note from under the ribbon. As soon as her green eyes landed on the contents of the note, she knew exactly whom it was from. Jordan. She knew his handwriting and would recognize it even if she hadn’t seen it in so long. But… How could it be Jordan’s if he was in South America? Claire took in a deep breath and tried to calm her heart from doing another flip as she focused on the note.
He was back. He was here, and he wanted to see her! She let out a giggle of excitement, unable to hold back her happiness, and almost ran off to the rec room without even opening the box, just so that she could see him. Claire put down the note on the table and took another breath, unable to wipe away the huge grin from her face. She opened the box and carefully pulled out what was inside of it; a dress. A gorgeous dress that made her feel like what she was wearing was almost inappropriate to be seen around the one Jordan had gotten her. And then… Then it hit her…
If Jordan was back and still wanted to be with her, why didn’t he talk to her while he was gone? Should she be worried? Had he changed his mind? Had he met someone in South America, and now that he was back he simply didn’t want to be alone again? The redhead took a seat by the table, holding the dress to her chest as she sighed, letting her eyes read the note once again. How could she be so sure that that was even from him? Yes, she knew his handwriting, but… Maybe someone was pranking her? Maybe her brain was playing tricks on her?
Claire stood like that for a few minutes, scared that she was fooling herself, that she was making herself believe that Jordan was back and wanted to be with her just as much as she wanted to be with him. And it wasn’t until she looked at the clock hanging on the wall that she snapped out of those thoughts and jumped up. It was already 11:55, and if she wanted to find out the truth, she would have to go to the rec room and see it for herself.
She quickly stepped out of her dress and into the one she had gotten in the box, a smile growing back on her face as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. The dress was gorgeous, and she felt beautiful in it. The redhead took a moment to make sure that her hair and makeup were still in place, and then kicked off her shoes, putting on heels instead, so that she wouldn’t trip with the dress.
00:02. She was already late! Claire took one last look in the mirror, and ran to the door, stepping outside of her room and taking a quick glance around the hallway. She had no time to waste, so she held the ends of the dress up a little bit, and walked as fast as she could without it being considered running.
00:03; she made it out of the staff housing area. 00:04; she made it to the main building. 00:05; she made it to the rec room, but didn’t quite go in yet. Claire took in another deep breath in order to calm her heart, pressing her back against the wall next to the door that would lead her into the room. She let go of her dress, letting the fabric flow beautifully around her, and closed her eyes for one brief moment. And then, as soon as she opened her eyes again, taking advantage of the adrenaline rush she had somehow created, the redhead stepped to the side and entered the room, immediately searching for the familiar face.
The waiting was nothing short of torture as the minutes ticked on. By the time it had reached a few minutes past midnight Jordan couldn’t bear to keep waiting for her to come around the corner. He gripped tightly to the handle and pushed open the door to the rec room, his hand nearly slipping as his palms were so sweaty from nerves. After awkwardly trying to dry his hands on his suit trousers, he moved over to the speaker he had connected his phone to and checked - for what was probably the sixth or seventh time - that he had the correct song lined up.
Jordan was so distracted by what he was doing that he barely heard the door opening behind him. It wasn’t until he saw the flash of the gorgeous red hair he knew so well out of the corner of his eye that he realised she was there. He spun around to face Claire so quickly that he nearly stumbled but managed to recover his balance just in time for a ridiculous smile to spread from ear to ear. “Hi,” he said simply. He wasn’t the type to be lost for words but at that moment it was as if his brain had forgotten how to function - let alone form a structured sentence. “Dance with me?” Jordan asked, holding out his hand for the woman to take if she wanted to as he fumbled the other hand behind him to press play. Perfect began to sound out through the speakers, filling the whole room with life as he waited for her response, his whole body gravitating towards her.
