Breakfast with Liam and call with Claire

I was awoken the next morning by a knock on the door.

"Hmm, Edward, are you up? I, uhh, made breakfast, if you'd like to join me." Liam's voice said through the door.

I let out a yawn before replying. "Sure. Thank you, Liam. I'll be there in a bit."

I stretched and rose up. I was quite well-rested again, it wasn't too difficult to get my bearings. And unlike yesterday, I wasn't surprised by my situation. The fact that I was a lot more at peace with it also helped a lot.

I checked my phone, noticing a text from Claire, asking if I could call her when I have time. Considering that we were in different timezones now, I knew it was far too early to do so currently, she'd still be asleep. I added a reminder on my phone to call her during my lunch break.

I went to get dressed, choosing a pair of comfy lace underwear, dark pantyhose, a black dress, and leather ankle boots. A more relaxed style while staying professional-looking. I also chose a darker tone of makeup than usual to go with my outfit.

I grinned proudly as I saw my reflection, content with my work. I'm beautiful~

Once done, I quickly joined Liam in the kitchen, not wanting to make him wait even more. The smell coming from the kitchen was enticing.

"Sorry for the wait, Liam. It smells great. What did you make?"

Liam blushed, embarrassed by my compliment. "I tried to make a Japanese breakfast. Minh taught me."

"Oh, that's great." I said, looking at the bowls and plates displayed. "It looks delicious."

There was a bowl of rice, one of soup, and one with eggs. A plate with a grilled fish was next to them. It was much more than what Irene usually had for breakfast, but I wouldn't refuse a hearty meal like this, especially one made by Liam.

I smiled, sitting in front of him. "Thank you for preparing something like this, Liam."

"I-It's nothing, really. I saw that Mother had everything needed, so I thought I could do it."

Liam and I started to eat. The food was indeed excellent, he seemed quite skilled with cooking.

"This evening, I'll be back late. Minh arranged a meeting with another member of the coven, so I'll be with them. Do you want me to leave you some money to order something?" I asked him as we ate.

He shook his head. "T-thanks, but I don't need it. Minh already gave me enough to manage for a while."

"I see. But don't hesitate to ask if you need anything, alright? It may be too early, but I do consider you as a friend, so I'd be glad to help you."

He gave me a kind smile. "Thank you, Edward. And likewise, if there's anything I can do to help you, just ask me."

"I will."

We then did more small talk. I asked him about the guitar I spotted yesterday when I helped him move, and he told me he started to learn how to play recently. He was into old rock and punk bands, making it easy to talk about songs with him, and quite enjoyable too. After leaving my parents' home, I became a loner, I didn't have many friends, so it was nice to have someone to share my passions with and vice-versa.

Once done with the tasty and filling breakfast, I decided to drive Liam to college before going to work. It would be much faster than him taking public transport. He thanked me and joined with Minh, who was waiting for him in front of the campus. Alongside him was the girl we crossed paths with before I met Liam, Melissa. Minh winked and waved at me before the three left for their classes.

After that, I went to work. The morning went on fairly similarly to yesterday, just with different clients. One of Irene's colleagues, a middle-aged man, was clearly interested in her, offering me to go dine together after work if I was free, something I politely refused. It made it slightly awkward for me, but it was otherwise enjoyable.

The more time passed, the more at ease I was being perceived as a woman. It felt so natural, and so comfortable to be one. I already knew I would have trouble returning to my old self after this Friday, but I promised myself I would.

During lunch break, I decided to return to my home to have some privacy. I needed it to call Claire. I sat on the couch, letting a soft sigh before grabbing my chin and pulling, removing Irene's face and regaining my blender, masculine one.

I really feel much better as someone other than myself nowadays...

I took my phone and texted Claire, asking if she was available to call right now. Less than a minute later, I received her answer, a simple yes.

"Hey Claire, how are you?" I asked.

"Alright, I guess. I'm... still not used to living alone. I miss you, you know?" She honestly replied.

I sighed. "I know, and I miss you deeply, too. Unfortunately, I can't come back."

"You told me, but why can't you explain the reason? I'm a cop, Ed, and even if I'm still a newbie, Allistair and his colleagues would gladly help you, no matter the issue."

"I don't think they'd be able to help me with my particular issue. But don't worry, I'm doing fine." I said before pausing, wondering just how much I should say.

She was clearly worried for me, still, and I wasn't sure what I could say to ease her worries. Maybe I could reveal part of the truth? I wouldn't be technically lying to her either, just omitting a few things.

"To tell you the truth, Claire, I met Mother." I admitted, eliciting a small gasp from her.

"Y-you did?"

"Yeah. She's been feeling sorry for what happened to us, and has been helping me here. Things are still awkward between us, but I can see she's making real efforts to fix her past mistakes."

"W-what about Father?"

"She's... finally standing against him." I said, not developing any further.

"Mother... It's... hard to believe."

I chuckled. "Yeah, I was shocked as well at first, but it's the truth."

"Do... Do you think I could come visit you someday?" Claire then asked.

I smiled. "Sure, just tell me beforehand. I'll be quite busy with work for a while, I think."

"I will. Thank you, Ed." She said, her tone softer, as if a weight has been lifted off her chest. "I need to get back to work, but have a nice day."

"You too, Claire. I love you."

"I love you too."

On that, she hung up, and I relaxed on the couch. It went well, and Claire clearly seemed appeased. It was the right call to tell her about Mother to ease her worries.

I put on Irene's face again, feeling much better once I did so, and ate a quick lunch before returning to work for the afternoon.

The sun was slowly starting to set when I was done, so I decided to drive to the club Minh mentioned right away. I was impatient to finally meet this Ashley who apparently helped me in the past.