The sweater

"You know", Zephyr remarked, "I find it hard to believe it was that hard for you to find a sweater".

"Shut up!", Alex exclaimed, embarrassed by his comment, "We would've done fine without you".

"Would you though?", Zephyr asked, "Would you though?"

"Stop doing that", Alex snapped.

"Stop what?", Zephyr questioned, a teasing smile on his lips.

"That thing where you repeat the same thing twice to prove your point", Alex explained.

"Can you two do this elsewhere?", Claire asked, exhaustion evident in her tone

"You need to relax Mrs Dunphy", Zephyr replied, "But avoid the mall. I'm told you're banned from going to the masseuses there".

"Urgh", Claire groaned, "Don't remind me. Can't believe Dad said I sound like some stripper", Claire muttered the last part under her breath. Shaking her head, she turned to look at Zephyr and said, "Thanks Zephyr. You made things so much easier today".

"I aim to please", Zephyr replied, trying to loft the depressing atmosphere.

Shaking her head, Alex made her way up the stairs, "Hurry up", she said, looking down at Zephyr from the stairs, "I've got to put this away and then we can compete against each other".

As Zephyr followed Alex, he stopped halfway through the stairs because Claire called out, "How's your game going by the way?"

"Which one?", Zephyr asked.

"Huh?", Claire mumbled.

"I've released two games so far. Candy Crush and Subway Surfers which came out a month ago", Zephyr answered, "Candy Crush has over 4 million downloads while Subway Surfers has been blowing up recently and has reached over half a million downloads".

"Woah", Claire muttered in awe, "That's great".

"Thanks", Zephyr said, walking up the stairs and entering Alex's shared bedroom.

A small sigh escaped her lips as she watched the door shut. A few moments later, the door opened and Phil walked in. "Hey honey", she greeted, hugging Phil.

Hugging her back, he whispered, "Had a bad day, huh?"

"Don't get me started", Claire murmured.

"Why don't you tell me?", Phil asked, separating from the hug.

"Thanks Phil", Claire responded, giving Phil a quick peck on the lips, "You're such a good listener".

[Flashback]

"Hey, Mom, my friends and I are going lunch so I need some money-", Haley began, "Oh My God! Take off my sweater! Mom, tell her!", Haley screamed upon seeing Alex.

"Alex, take it off!", Claire demanded.

"Last week, she wore my sweatshirt without even asking", Alex argued.

"That's true", Claire agreed, looking at Haley for her response.

"Oh, please", Haley retorted, "That was an honour for your stupid old sweatshirt. It was the first time the top half got any exercise!".

"Haley!", Claire interrupted, seeing the downcast look on Alex's face as she looked down at her chest.

"Mom. Please", Haley begged, "That's my favourite sweater. I just got it".

"You know what. You two need to learn to share", Claire exclaimed, "You need to learn to share because that's what sisters do".

Rolling her eyes, Haley replied, "But she's always taking my things without asking".

"I do ask", Alex argued, "But you just wave me off because you're on your phone the whole day".

"Okay. Okay. Stop it", Claire cut in, "All right. Nothing's going to happen to your sweater. Right Alex?"

Nodding her head with a smug smile on her face, "I'm just taking it for orchestra practice".

"Okay. Fine", Haley snapped, "Then I will just go and wear your favourite stupid nerdy T-shirt. The one with the guy from Back to the Future on it", she said, storming out of the kitchen.

"That's Albert Einstein. The guy from the movie is Christopher Lloyd", Alex retorted, "And it's not nerdy".

"I mean ..." Claire mumbled, agreeing with Haley.

[Time Skip]

"Can you hurry up?", Claire asked Alex who was dragging her cello from the car. Seeing Alex struggle, she asked, "Tell me why the violent just wasn't you".

"It's too happy", she snarked, letting out a groan.

"Why don't you start coming to the gym with me?", Claire questioned, "I'm sure it'll help you if you want to keep playing the cello".

"I don't have time to go to the gym. I have to focus on my exams", Alex replied, huffing with every breath.

"Zephyr goes twice a week", Claire argued, "And besides. It's been scientifically proven that doing regular exercise, i.e. going gym, increases blood flow to your brain which fires up your neurones and promotes cell growth, particularly in the hippocampus, improving concentration and your ability to recall knowledge".

"Did you research that just to get me to go gym with you?", Alex asked.

"Come on", Claire begged, "Just try it for one week, and if it doesn't help, you can stop going", she tried, opening the door.

"Fine", Alex agreed. As she walked in, the weight of the cello caused her to trip and fall over, with the sweater getting caught on one of the hinges. Due to the momentum, the sweater was torn with the cello falling right beside her.

"Alex!", Claire exclaimed, "Are you okay?"

"I am", Alex replied, "But the sweater isn't", she remarked, looking at the state of the sweater.

"Okay. Hang on. Hang on. Let's see", Claire anxiously muttered, turning Alex around to look at the damage done, "It might not be a big deal. Oh!", she exclaimed upon seeing the large hole.

"Is it bad?", Alex asked, feeling bad.

"No. It's going to be fine", Claire replied, trying to calm down Alex, "You're going to be okay". Taking a deep breath, she continued, "You can get changed and I'll go get a new sweater".

"It's my fault so I'll go with you", Alex replied, trying to calm down her breathing.

"Thanks honey", Claire said, slightly surprised.

[Time Skip]

"Was there a sweater?", Claire asked Alex when she met up with her in the middle of the mall.

"No luck so far", Alex replied, worry and anxiousness evident in her tone.

"Don't worry. It's going to be okay", Claire muttered, hugging Alex and patting her back.

"But It's not", Alex mumbled, "Haley's going to find out and then she's going to say some really mean things about me".

"No she won't", Claire retorted, passing her fingers through Alex's hair.

"But she will", Alex remarked.

"Alex? Mrs Dunphy?", a voice asked, causing the duo to turn to look at who it was.

"Zephyr!", Alex exclaimed, running to him and giving him a quick hug.

"What are you doing here?", he asked when they separated.

"I accidentally ripped Haley's sweater and we can't find another one because they're sold out in all the shops we visited", Alex replied, anxious.

"Let me see", Zephyr replied, "I might be able to help".

"You don't need to", Alex muttered.

"I don't need to", Zephyr agreed, "But what sort of boyfriend would I be if I didn't help you".

"Thanks", Alex murmured, giving him a quick kiss. She was about to give him another but was interrupted by Claire coughing. Realising the situation, Alex blushed and looked away from her Mom.

"Can you show me the sweater?", Zephyr asked Claire.

"Sure. Here", Claire answered, passing the bag with the sweater.

Looking inside, Zephyr stroked his chin in deep thought. "I think I've seen this somewhere".

"Really?!", Alex exclaimed.

"Yeah", Zephyr replied, and a few seconds later clapped, "I remember. It's in one of the last shops on the West side of the mall".

"Thanks so much", Alex said, sighing in relief.

"Let's go quickly Alex", Claire stated, running in one direction.

"You're going East Mrs Dunphy", Zephyr exclaimed, causing Claire to stop and turn around, "You know what, why don't I take you there?"

"That would be great", Claire muttered, following Zephyr who was walking side-by-side with Alex.

[Time Skip]

"Yes!", Claire cried, exiting the shop with a bag in her hand. Turning around, she looked at Zephy who exited the shop with Alex, "Thanks so much Zephyr".

"It was no problem", Zephyr replied.

"Do you want to eat something?", Claire asked, "Consider it a treat for helping us".

"Nah. I'm fine", Zephyr answered, waving her off.

"Are you sure?", Claire questioned.

"Yeah", Zephyr answered.

"Mom!", Alex complained, "You don't need to be so forceful".

"Fine. Fine", Claire muttered, "Let's go Alex. We need to put that sweater away".

"Actually", Alex interrupted, "I was wondering if Zephyr could come with us. We have something really serious to deal with".

Claire looked at Alex for a few seconds, staring at her, before nodding, "Fine".

"That's great!", Alex exclaimed.

[Flashback end]

"It sounds like you had a tough day", Phil commented.

"Yeah", Claire agreed, "Meanwhile, Cheryl has been calling me all day because she's angry I didn't show up".

"Doesn't she have a housekeeper and a nanny?", Phil asked, "Why does she need so much help?"

"I know right", Claire agreed.

"You work so hard", Phil said, "You do so much", hugging Claire.

"I do", Claire muttered, "I do". After hugging each other for a few more seconds, she tiredly whispered, "Oh sweetie. Thank you so much. I appreciate that".