Claire Davis:
I wake up on the couch in the apartment that I'm staying in. I check the time on my phone, and it says "5:30 AM." It must be evening for Ray right now. I stand up and walk into the kitchen, and see the apartment's owner, Marcello. He's like a father to me.
I remember it like it was yesterday, when I was sixteen, and I just experienced one of the worst days of my life. He took me in and helped me build the lab that Jane resides in now. He taught me all of the cooking I know. He's also a former hero, but I never knew anything about that. He moved back to Italy when I was eighteen, but I had long stopped living with him at that point.
He stands at five feet and seven inches tall, his hair is starting to grey, and he now walks with a cane. He's wearing a blue button-up shirt and some jeans.
"Claire! Bambina! How was your day exploring Milano yesterday?" He greets me, shuffling over.
"Oh, it was great! I got a lot of souvenirs for Ray!" I exclaim, I find myself feeling quite giddy.
"Claire. The boy? You have not stopped talking about him; you even dedicated your day out to him." He says with a slight frown.
"Well, is it wrong to get something nice for my kiddo?" I ask with a hint of annoyance creeping in.
"Bambina. You're your own person. Not just the boy's guardian. Think about yourself for once. You know that once you start on what you're here to do, you won't have any free time at all." He lightly scolds, his eyes shine with concern.
"But Ray is probably really missing me right now. He's alone right now." I reply. I feel my eyes drop to the floor.
"You left him in the care of Jane and that Eun-ji fellow, right?" He says, his tone slightly bitter as the name Eun-ji leaves his mouth.
"Yes, Marcello. Eun-ji. And he's not someone I entirely trust. And he's the main one in charge of Ray's care." I grimace.
"If you don't trust him, why did you leave the boy with him?"
"Because he's scared of me. He wouldn't do anything directly, but he's had a track record of not keeping his damn mouth shut." I scoff.
"Is that the only reason?" He asks.
"No, there's also the factor of Jane," I explain.
"I remember Jane used to sneak out of Dreis Forest to go see him in the early days of her being confined to the lab." He reminisces.
"And that was ruined quite quickly. Eun-ji and I have had a rocky relationship since." I say with an exasperated sigh.
"Claire, back to the point! Your boy is in good hands! It's natural to worry about him, but don't let it eat you up! He's not alone. He's fine. He's going to call you as you asked. So. Getting him something small is fine. But don't let some guilty conscience nonsense prevent you from being you and enjoying this trip!"
"I see your point." I contemplate.
"When's the last time you crocheted?" He asks.
"Well, I made a scarf for R-" I begin, before he cuts me off, "For you, just having fun. Not some project for the boy."
"Everything you've been doing is so Ray-centered. You look stressed out. Take a break and be Claire. Not Ray's guardian. Okay?" He says, placing a hand on my shoulder, offering me a kind smile.
"I'm not saying that you should not check in and just ignore the boy. I'm telling you not to be so obsessive. Okay, Bambina?"
I take a long pause. Thinking it all over. I suppose all the recent events have had me on edge. Ray's first mission, then he goes to battle rankers in less than three months.
His stubbornness and rash actions make me wanna pull my hair out, but I love him, so I let him make his mistakes, and then I did what I could to help him not get himself killed. But I think Marcello is right. I left Ray in good hands, and I taught him a lot; Ray is not weak.
"Okay, you're right. I'll spend my afternoon taking some me time." I tell him.
"Good. Now, I am going out to keep working on the preparations you asked me to make for your mission." He replies.
"Sounds good, see you later, Marcello!"
"Bye, Claire."
He shuffles over to the front door and exits the apartment. I stand up and rush over to where he just exited and lock up the door.
Even though Marcello gave crocheting as an example, I think I'm going to spend my day hiking. I likely won't have cell service on a mountainside trail, so I should probably send a text to anyone who might want to contact me while I'm gone.
I pull out my phone and start texting people: "I will be out hiking today, I likely won't have cell service, so if I don't respond, that's why." I text Jane first, then Marcello, then Ray, and then finally Eun-ji.
I put my phone back in my pocket and start packing a few things in a black polyester backpack that I brought with me. I take some sunscreen, a can of bug spray, a pack of tissues, two bottles of water, and a bag of pretzels.
I sling the backpack over my shoulder and exit the front door behind me. I lift the beige mat that is outside the door and grab a spare key, I lock up the apartment, and I put the key in my pocket. I let out a worried sigh before heading down the stairs and out into the city streets.
Hopefully, I'm not needed by anyone today.