She paused for a moment, clearly shaken, and said, "Oh, I don't like the last one."
I laughed. "Don't worry, Beverley. With me taking care of them, I don't think they'll treat you that way."
"You're wonderful, dear." Beverley gently stroked my chin, her sea-blue eyes filled with wisdom as she looked at me. "From the moment I saw you, I knew you were a remarkable young woman, brave, beautiful, and incredibly smart. I'm so happy Leon got to meet someone like you."
In that instant, my heart felt like it was being ripped apart.
I wanted to shy away from such praise but was afraid of making Beverley sad. "Thank you, Beverley. I feel the same about you."
She, however, looked at me with a touch of concern. "Claire, you may not fully understand just how important you are to Leon, or, I should
