Fourteen

"What happened?" Sarah asked quietly.

Clementine, tired from her busy morning, had fallen asleep sitting on Haven's lap about five minutes ago.

Haven looked up, almost sheepishly. She bit her lip, her eyes instantly welling up. Blinking, a tear spilled onto her face and she shook her head. "I snapped at her," she murmured.

"What?"

"I snapped at her," Haven repeated, a little louder. "She came out here a little while ago to get her roundello and there were people still eating… and I told her not to come out here alone when guests were still eating."

Sarah smiled sadly. "Haven, you're her mother, sweetheart. Remember? We've talked about this before, it's part of your job to correct and discipline her. Otherwise she'll turn into a little brat."

"I know, I know, and I've been trying to be better about being more on her when she's actually misbehaving, but I snapped at her and she didn't even do anything wrong."

"We all make mistakes and say things without thinking. It's not the end of the world; don't let it ruin your day."

Haven chewed her lip.

"I take it that's why you were hugging her."

Haven nodded. "I told her I was sorry."

"Okay, there you go."

"I just… I hate that I snap like that without thinking or giving myself a chance to rationalize what I'm thinking and correct her gently. My body reacts instinctively before my brain can catch up and I don't want to be like that," Haven sighed, smoothing some of Clementine's hair away from her face. "I'd rather take two hours to work up the nerve to spank her. At least that way I have time to think things through."

Sarah almost laughed. "More like two minutes."

"Felt like two hours." Haven muttered. It hadn't gotten much easier disciplining Clementine, but at least her tantrums were growing farther and farther apart.

"That was also a year ago. But look at how much better she's doing! She's still perky and bubbly, but she listens to you much more than she used to. And she loves you, Haven. Anyone can see that."

Haven faintly smiled, glancing down at Clementine and kissing her forehead.

Sarah reached across the table and grasped her hand. "You're getting better, you know. Much better."

Haven faintly smiled. "Thanks."

Clementine inhaled sharply, her eyes snapping open. She sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"Have a good nap?" Sarah asked.

Clementine nodded, her hair falling in her face.

"Come on munchkin, let's start cleaning up," Haven said as she got to her feet and start collecting the dishes on the table. She let Clementine grab the silverware.

"I'll let you two clean up," Sarah said, giving Haven a quick hug as she left the dinning room and started into her office.

As soon as the kitchen was clean and sparkling, Haven hung her apron on the wall and Clementine followed.

"Hey." Haven lightly tugged on Clementine's hair, kneeling down beside her. "I love you."

Clementine grinned. "I love you too!" she said enthusiastically, throwing her arms around Haven.

Haven smiled, her throat tightening. She held onto Clementine for several seconds before she started to squirm.

"C'mon, I wanna do the garden!" Clementine said, taking Haven's hand and starting towards the back door.

"You sure you don't want to go upstairs and take nap?"

"Uh-uh." Clementine shook her head. She let go of Haven's hand as they stepped outside and darted into the tool shed, grabbing her own little box of garden tools.

Haven unlatched the garden gate and wove her way through towards the middle, where she'd left off yesterday. She let Clementine move around at her own pace, her eyebrows set in deep concentration as she used her small hoe to chip and churn the dirt.

"You're getting all the rocks out?" Haven asked.

"Mm-hm. And look!" Clementine held up a massive weed.

Haven grinned. "Good job!"

Clementine beamed. She tossed the unwanted plant in the garbage pile and continued with her work.

Haven filled her basket with carrots, potatoes, celery, and peas, bringing them inside and setting them on the counter.

Clementine was right behind her. "Is that for the chicken puck pie?"

"Pot pie," Haven laughed. "But yes."

"Can I cut them?"

"No, let me do that, but you can help me cook them when it's time to make dinner. Okay?"

"Okay!"

After lunch, while Clementine was upstairs taking a nap, Haven moved to the front desk to catch up on some bookkeeping. She had just finished when an older couple came down the stairs, suitcases in hand, to check out.

"Hey, what do you say we all get dressed up tonight and go out to dinner?" Sarah asked as she walked past Haven and stuck some papers into the cubby beneath the desk.

"I have to do dinner here," Haven said, knotting her hair up on the top of her head. "Melissa asked me to cover for her."

"You can get someone to cover for you, can't you? You're best friends with the owner, so…"

Haven laughed. "True. Yeah, okay, let's do dinner." She smiled. She and Sarah didn't get to go out much, so this was a real treat.

"My treat."

"Sarah you always—"

"Nah-ah! It's my treat or we don't go."

Haven hugged her. "Thank you." She glanced at her watch. "I should go wake Clementine up or she won't sleep at all tonight."

"Ugh, yeah, go get her."

Taking the stairs up towards her room, Haven quietly pushed the door open and immediately smiled. Clementine's smaller bed was on the opposite wall as hers, but the little one had abandoned it and was sleeping in Haven's large queen. As she so often did.

Sinking down onto the plush mattress, Haven moved a strand of Clementine's hair out of her face and kissed her cheek. Clementine stirred, stretching her arms above her head as her eyes fluttered open.

"Hi Momma," she murmured, sitting up and reaching for Haven.

Haven wrapped her arms around her, picking her up and finger combing her hair. "Do you want to go out to dinner tonight?"

Clementine nodded. "Can I wear a dress?"

"Yeah, we're gonna get all dressed up and go somewhere fancy."

"Can I get a ice cream?"

"An ice cream, and we'll see."

Clementine wiggled out of Haven's grasp, standing up and darting to the closet. She pulled open the doors and started flipping through her hanging dresses. "I wanna wear this one!" She said, grinning as she pulled out a pale pink dress. She pulled her shirt over her head and started to take off her leggings.

"Don't put it on yet, we're not going for a little while. Besides, you need a bath first."

"Oh, okay." Clementine scurried towards the bathroom and came to a screeching halt. "Where's my cup?"

"In there. The cabinet," Haven said, stopping for the abandoned dress and hanging it back up.

Clementine disappeared inside the bathroom and Haven could hear her riffling around for her bath toys. While she was busy, Haven turned on the water so it would start to get hot.

"Can I do the bubbles?"

"Mm-hm." Haven nodded, handing her the bubble bath and watching with amusement as Clementine tried to hold the massive bottle and squirt some in the water. It immediately started foaming, filling the room with a sugary-sweet smell.

Clementine excitedly squealed, dropping to the ground and pulling her leggings off. She had to hold Haven's hand as she climbed in the tub.

"You good?" Haven asked.

"Yeah." Clementine dunked her cup in the water, squinted her eyes shot, and poured it over her hair.

Haven laughed. "Good job, do it again; get all wet."

Clementine nodded, awkwardly wiping the water from her eyes.

"Alright, c'mere; let me wash you all off and then you can play," Haven said, kneeling down at the edge of the tub. She soaped through Clementine's hair and ran a rag over her arms and legs, back and stomach before standing up and drying her hands off.

"Mommy, look!"

Haven glanced over her shoulder just as Clementine dunked under the water and popped back up.

"Are you practicing your swimming?"

"Uh-huh." Clementine nodded, dipping her head again and again before saying she was done swimming and was going to practice floating.

Haven let her stay in longer than she normally would have since they still had some time before they needed to leave for dinner. She moved out into her bedroom and picked up the book she'd been reading.

She hadn't read more than a page when she heard a thud, followed by loud splashing. She shot up and darted into the bathroom just as Clementine started crying, holding her elbow.

"Ooh, did you fall?" Haven asked, reaching for one of the towels.

Clementine, still crying, nodded.

Haven helped her stand up, wrapping the towel around her and lifting her out of the tub. "You're okay. Rub it."

Clementine quieted down after a few minutes, her face red and splotchy.

"Did you stand up?"

"Yeah. I wanted to get more bubbles."

Haven didn't say anything else, figuring Clementine's fall was enough of a reprimand for standing up when she wasn't supposed to. Instead, she helped her out and wrapped a towel around her little body. Scooping her into her arms, Haven nudged her sides and legs.

Clementine let out a little laugh, squirming.