City of Brokenness

Chapter 10

Jace's face fell and Clary felt a sort of pride. A terrible sense of pride at crushing Jace's fragile hope that she still loved him. Clary absently ran her fingers through her daughters curls. Jace's presence was unwanted and he could see that, so he promptly left and air slowly made it back into her lungs. Finally he was gone. She hugged Tessa close as Isabelle fawned over her.
"By the Angel she looks just like Jace!" Izzy exclaimed. Clary smiled painfully. She knew Tessa's resemblance was purely her father's and none of Clary's, minus the stature and ringlets that covered her head, but it hurt to see her daughter sometimes. Being as golden as Jace had been, with the same scar adorning her right leg. Clary shook her head to make the memories evaporate. It was too painful to remember.
Izzy was sitting and talking quietly to Tessa when Alec burst back into the house with a smiling face. He didn't know that Jace had just been right where he was and that Clary had sent him packing.
"There's my beautiful niece." He said smiling, his blue eyes twinkling.
Tessa giggled and continued on with Izzy, drinking in the new attention. Clary flattened her bangs onto her forehead and excused herself to the bathroom. She locked the door and stared at her reflection in the mirror. Same bright red hair, now cut in a short pixie cut to keep it out of her way. Same green eyes that shined with moisture. Nothing had changed on the outside, but on the inside a war was waging. Which side would win, Clary hadn't a clue.
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Sorry it's taken me so long to write this. Between work and classes I've had barely any time to think. Hope you liked it :) thank you for the wonderful comments and hope I can get another chapter done soon.
Love, Kali