Winter Legacy -23-

"I've been in China."

"What?" Claus looked up at Jaylee confused.

"China, it's where I schooled."

"I really didn't want to leave, but Mother insisted that I did. She said it was for my own good that I learn...self control and mental discipline. The school was called Harmony School for the Gifted, it closed recently, after the final old monk died.

"I would sit for hours, listening to the steady sound of the stream and enjoying the cool, crisp air, but my mind would be on home. I always wondered what my sister was doing, what you were doing. Never what my parents were doing through, I already knew. They were busy working twenty hours without having to feel guilty because I was home alone."

"From the monks I learnt martial arts, for self defense rather than violence. I learnt meditation, to ease my troubled mind. Shang Simla was beautiful, I met many friends there and I'll never trade my experiences for anything but China never felt like home."

Claus shifted on the couch, enjoying the familiar surroundings of the house that had been his home since he'd graduated. He tried to put himself in Jaylee's shoes. Claus had never felt neglected, unneeded, in fact, his family gave him so much attention that it annoyed him. He had taken his family's love and attention for granted and now he'd felt guilty. 

"Well, we can start over, we can make our own home." Claus told her and slapped his hand in the book Jaylee was reading so that he could get her attention. 

Jaylee smiled, "This already feels like home Claus."

Erika stopped by the next day to check out the changes to the house. "There's nothing different." She whined. "Except for that closet in the hall that you expect my little sister to sleep in."

"You do realize I'm your brother don't you? You never take my side."

"That's because you've got Jack's big mouth when you're ready, Jaylee needs me to take care of her."

"Jaylee is a grown woman Erika."

"Really? Then why do you treat her like the girl you left behind?"

"Because...I do not." Claus glowered at his sister and stepped into the dining room so that he didn't have to see her smirk.

Claus picked up the book he'd left on the table and flipped through the pages but he wasn't reading, he was too distracted by the girls' conversation.

"I'd love to meet is Andre guy." Erika was saying.

"He surprised me in Sunset Valley, I'd like to return the favor by dropping in on him in France."

"I'm gonna have pretty French nieces!" Erika said dreamily. 

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves." Jaylee told her sister.

Claus grunted, he could have told Jaylee what he'd found out about her precious Andre or he could let her find out the hard way.

Jaylee left the following week and Claus found himself sitting alone in the living room. The house seemed so empty that he could hardly believe that just a few weeks ago he had lived alone. With the quiet came a boredom that Claus had never before experienced, he was so bored that he couldn't even think of anything to do. If things went his way, Jaylee would be home sooner than she expected, that thought made a grim smile spread across Claus' face, maybe he was wrong for not telling her, but there was no way Jaylee would have listened to him.