#anywhere

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After appearing at EarthRunes to meet with August and Lord Hume, and after checking in with Innish, Coradel went back to the DuBois mansion to be present with the new parents and (especially) the new baby. Yes, she's fussing, hush.

And she gets a call

It comes pretty much just as she's walking in the door, and she takes it automatically. "Hello?"

"Chloe? " Her mother answers "is everything okay?"

"Oh! Mother, I've been trying to reach you. Is something wrong with your phone?"

To her credit, she manages to sound less annoyed than she feels at the delay in contact.

"So sorry darling, the charge ran out and I couldn' find the silly charger. It's back now and I got your texts."

"Good. So...hang on a moment...." She gets upstairs and into Chloe's room, closing the door for privacy. "So...something has happened, and I need to let you know from me before you hear it from...somebody else. I've got some friends staying over at the house a couple of days. They've got a newborn, and I wanted them to have a safer place to stay than that awful hospital. And the baby is BEAUTIFUL," she can't help bragging.

Outside, August's familiar Prius pulls up and he disembarks, going up to knock at the door.

"Well that's wonderful honey. "

The front door opens, revealing a maid that August knows well enough from other trips here. "Mr. August, you know you don't need to knock here, sir. Not when you're wife's here, certainly!" She blushes a bit at him as she opens the door wider to welcome him in. "Ms. Chloe went upstairs...I believe she's in her room. There was a phone call."

On the phone, Chloe says, "Yes, it is! But that's not the thing I really need to tell you about. Shortly after we got here, Cousin Chelsea showed up. Apparently her parents have cut her off. Did you hear anything about that?"

"Ah. Thank you, Cindy." he steps in and heads up the stairs... but instead of Chloe's room, he goes to check on the Lastname family.

"I Had hearrd she'd bee harder and harder to handle for them, I hadn't realized they'd taken action. Oh dear. She's not going to ake well to hat"

"Mother, she totaled a yacht." Chloe pauses for emphasis. "And she put a poor fisherman in the hospital in the process."

"OH my.. I see. Well no wonder she got cut off. Did she communicae with you? Ask for money?"

"She's HERE. Well, she WAS here. Before I knew what she'd done, I told her she could stay here for a bit...but then I found out what she did, and how she just doesn't care. That's when I told her she had to leave. I put her up at a hotel for three days, but...after that, I'm not sure what she's going to do. I just couldn't let her stay with a baby in the house, Mother."

"Oh Chloe, you've changed so much, for the better I think but then I hope I've changged for the better too. Fine, we'll put her up at the plaza"

"Well...that's where she already is. But Mother...for how long? She doesn't seem interested in...well...doing anything for herself."

"Well, I will make her an offer for a job at a place I know, easy enouggh work. If she tturns that down.. I'm not sure. now you let her down genntly right?"

"I...uh..." A pause. "I slashed her tires."

"Oh Chloe!"

"Honey, do you really think that's going to get her on track?"

"I didn't want her to drive and put somebody else in the hospital! I was doing the responsible thing!"

"Was she drunk?"

"She was when she arrived. She wasn't much better when she left."

"We called her an Uber to get to the hotel."

"Mother..." she starts, then stops.

"I see, then you did the right thing but this is a mess I.. what is it dear?"

"I wish this wasn't something that came to your doorstep."

It might not have been what she originally meant to say.

"She's probably going to come to you, demanding support. If I can help...let me know."

"Well, we'll deal with her in our way. Maybe ggive her monney IF she gets rehab and counselig"

"Wellll...I'm going to talk to her one more time. Maybe I can defuse this before you have to deal with it...but I wanted you to know, just in case."

"Of course dear.. and I'm very sorry about the phonen trouble"

And you hang up

Well, at least if Hume's work isn't successful, they won't be completely surprised. And she goes to check on the new parents and their small, beautiful beast.

And she might find August

With Lastname family

Someone got August to sit down and have pushed the baby into his arms where he holds her gingerly.

"She likes you" Claire says

Coradel's expression can't stay concerned when she sees that sight. "Oh, August...." She takes out her phone and snaps a photo.

Probably catching August with that surprised, bashful grin of his, and River looking at him with a curious expression.

Yep, exactly that picture.

She shows Claire the photo.

"Ah."

"Oh that's adorable, of ocurse it involves River so naturally it would be"

And then shows it to August before bending to kiss his cheek. She tickles River's cheek with a fingertip. "Hello, ferocious," she coos.

Then she looks back to Claire. "How are you feeling?"