The Meeting with the Parents
The house is cozy, every corner obviously lovingly tended. And although it's far from the luxury Gabriel has grown accustomed to, there's something about it that makes him feel so at home. He stands in the living room, gazing at old family pictures. There's a picture of Claire and her sister wearing school uniforms in primary school, smiling widely. Didn't Claire say she was an "ugly duckling," that people teased her for looking like a clown? Gabriel's gazing at a childhood picture of Claire and he couldn't see what in hell was that "ugly duckling" narrative was about—because here, smiling back at him from maybe a decade past, is a very cute, incredibly adorable girl who seemed to be the happiest child in the world. Her sister, Mariya, is cute, too—good looks obviously runs in the family, and he could see that both her parents contributed to that beauty.