More Time

“I’m sorry, Mom. I need more time to figure out my decisions in life,” Klarisse mumbled as she parked her car and headed to another branch of her café. She owned multiple branches of Klarisse’s Café around the area.

“Good morning, ma’am,” the guard greeted her.

She smiled warmly. “Good morning. I’m just going to check some things here.”

The guard nodded as she walked inside. The café was bustling with customers, which brought her a sense of pride. It made her happy, but a wave of sadness washed over her as she remembered her twin sister, Klara, was no longer alive to share in her success. The happiness was bittersweet.

“Klara, if you were here, I know you’d be happy to see how well the café is doing, I know you’d be proud to see my hard work paying off,” she whispered to herself.

Just then, the manager spotted her and called out, “Klarisse! It’s great to see you here.”

Klarisse forced a smile and walked over. “Hi, I just wanted to see how everything’s going. It looks busy.”

“Really well, actually. We’ve been getting a lot of positive feedback from customers. They love the new menu items you introduced,” the manager said enthusiastically.

“That’s great to hear,” Klarisse replied, trying to focus on the positives. “I’m glad everything is running smoothly.” Her mind was momentarily distracted from her grief. She walked around, observing the customers and staff, taking a moment to appreciate the atmosphere she had worked so hard to create.

“Klarisse, there’s something I wanted to discuss with you,” the manager said, pulling her aside. “We’ve had some inquiries about expanding our catering services. I think it could be a great opportunity.”

Klarisse nodded, considering the idea. “That sounds promising. Let’s set up a meeting to go over the details.”

“Absolutely. I’ll arrange it,” the manager replied.

As she made her way around the café, checking on various aspects of the operation, she couldn’t shake the feeling of loss. Every detail reminded her of Klara’s absence, making her heart ache.

“I miss you so much, Klara,” she thought, pausing for a moment to gather herself. “But I’ll keep going, for both of us.”

As she continued her tour, Klarisse’s phone buzzed with a message from her mother, but she ignored it. She needed this time to immerse herself in her work, to feel a sense of normalcy amidst the chaos of her emotions.

“Klara, you always believed in me,” she thought, feeling a bittersweet mix of pride and sorrow. 

She spent the next few hours at the café, engaging with the staff, tweaking the décor, and ensuring everything was running smoothly. It was a brief respite from her troubles, a reminder of what she had achieved and what she still had to fight for.

As the day drew to a close, Klarisse felt a little more at ease. Klarisse spent some time chatting with the staff and ensuring everything was in order before deciding to leave. As she walked out, she felt a mixture of pride and sorrow, knowing that her success was something Klara would have been proud of, even though she wasn’t there to see it.

“I’ll keep making you proud, Klara. I promise,” she whispered as she got back into her car. 

Meanwhile, at the Mansion...

“Alan, I didn’t catch her. Allie said she went out,” Kareen said.

Alan took a deep breath. “What are we going to tell them? They're on their way already.”

“I don’t know, honey. I think she needs more time to think about it, but I know she won’t let us down,” Kareen said, though worry crept into her voice.

Alan sighed deeply. Klarisse needed to accept her fate. As the heiress of a mafia family, she had to claim including the arranged marriage.

“Angela and Bronson are already here,” Kareen announced.

They composed themselves and greeted their guests cordially.

“Bronson, Angela, come in,” Alan greeted them.

They welcomed the guests into their mansion warmly.

“Where is she?” Bronson asked.

Kareen and Alan exchanged uneasy glances. “She needs to take care of a few things in her business and she's not done yet,” Alan said.

“She needs more time to think about it, and she’s not home yet,” Alan added.

Bronson nodded.

“Angela, you didn’t bring him?” Kareen asked.

Angela rolled her eyes. “You know Alex, he can’t accept the situation. He’s still fighting for his girlfriend.”

They knew Alex had a girlfriend from a poor family, which was why he fell in love with her.

“I pity him,” Kareen said.

Angela chuckled. “Don’t. I hate his girlfriend. She’s just after his money.”

Kareen remained silent, avoiding a debate with Angela, known for her sophisticated yet harsh attitude. Kareen felt uneasy thinking Angela might become her daughter’s mother-in-law someday.

“Kareen, your daughter is beautiful,” Angela said, admiring Klarisse’s picture.

“Yes, she is,” Kareen said proudly.

Angela noticed another picture of Klarisse and was shocked.

“Why does she have two portraits of herself?” Angela asked.

Kareen stuttered. “Oh, she loves doubling her photos.”

Kareen felt nervous as Angela nodded. Everyone knew the Fowls family had only one daughter, Klara, because Klarisse had separated from them when she was young to build her own life.

“When will we set up dinner for our children to meet?” Bronson asked.

Alan asked the maid to serve wine and coffee. “Anytime, but I’ll check my daughter's schedule first,” he said.

“That’s good,”  Bronson agreed.

Alan felt uneasy, knowing his wife felt the same around the Robinsons, especially knowing Alex still had a girlfriend.

“How about Alex? Where is he?” Alan asked.

Bronson sighed. “Probably with his girlfriend again.”

“Oh,” Alan muttered.

“Don’t worry. Before he marries your daughter, we’ll make sure he’s no longer involved with that woman,” Bronson assured.

Alan nodded, worried that if Alex still had his girlfriend, Klarisse might end up as the mistress instead of the wife.

**************

Klarisse wanted to go home, but she was afraid.

“Klarisse, you have to talk with your parents,” Allie said gently.

“Allie, I know, but what am I going to say? I don’t want to get married already!” Klarisse replied, frustration evident in her voice.

Allie sighed. “Then what are you going to do?”

Klarisse went silent, her thoughts tangled and uncertain.

“Ugh, I need more time and more, more, more,” she mumbled.

Allie chuckled softly. “Klarisse, remember, they are still your parents.”

Klarisse nodded, her eyes filled with uncertainty.