“What’s up, Alex?”

“Well, you sound happy,” my brother says.

“Why shouldn’t I be? I’ve just come in off the beach.”

“Yeah. Dad says you’ve got salt water running in your veins instead of Callahan blood these days.” Alex’s voice drips with condescension. And so it begins. My euphoria begins to plummet. That has to be a new goddamn record.

“You sure are hard to get a hold of,” Alex continues. “How are you, little brother?”

“I’d be fine if I wasn’t on the phone with you. What do you want?”

“Now, now, that’s not a very warm reception, is it? When was the last time we talked? I can’t even remember it’s been so long. Is it so difficult for you to believe that I’d be calling just to check in?”

“Aaaalex,” I groan. “You forget that I’ve actually met you. You’ve never just called for a chat. Why would you start now? Just say what you wanna say so we can both be done here.”

“Fair enough. You don’t have time for pleasantries. I can respect that, though god knows how you’re so busy. For all intents and purposes, it seems like you’re sunbathing at the beach all day long.”

My patience is wearing impossibly thin already. “Alex—”

“Time’s come, Aidan,” Alex cuts in. “The old man’s retiring. You know what that means?”

Here we go. Somehow, my brother seems to think this stuff matters to me. “Yeah, I know exactly what it means.” And I couldn’t care fucking less.

“You are now speaking to the new president and CEO of the Callahan Corporation. The family business is about to enter a new phase of existence. Which means you have to come home.”

Oh, for fuck’s sake. “Alex, congrats on the promotion. Really, I mean it. But whether the plaque on your office door reads president or chief-executive asshole licker means very little to me. And I sure as hell don’t see how Dad’s retirement requires my presence in any way.”

“Chief executive asshole licker. Nice.” He sounds pissed. Good. He carries on talking while I secure my board to the roof of the Jeep. “You’re required because every member of the Callahan family should be present during this time of transition, of course. We have to be seen to be showing a united front. It’s not just about that, though. I’ve decided that you’re coming to work for me. Or not for me, but together. Can’t trust anyone more than family, right? You’ve been wasting your life in paradise for long enough, living your bohemian, rootless existence. I’m glad you’ve been able to sew your wild oats, Aid, but it’s time to grow the fuck up. Time to be a man. Be responsible. You need to get your ass on a plane. Preferably in time for this Christmas Eve charity event that we’re all going to.”

Out of the two of us, I’ve always been the one to experiment with drugs. It would seem as though Alex has been hitting the crack pipe pretty hard of late, though. “Yeah. Like I said, man. I don’t think so.”

Alex sighs. “Listen, Aidan. Truth is, I’m not really asking. You have to do this.”

I laugh, and the sound is harsh, even in my own ears. “Are you serious? We’re not kids, anymore, Alex. You can’t tell me what to do. You can make suggestions, requests, pleas… Depending on what you’re wanting, I may or may not oblige you. In this case, no fucking way.”

“Yeah, you’re right, we’re not kids. We’re Callahans. That’s all that matters. You are a Callahan. Do you hear me? And that means you have to come home. Enough is enough. You’ll be getting an email confirmation for a plane ticket shortly. Be on that fucking plane, man. If not, I’ll take the time out of my busy schedule and come down there and get you myself, and I will not be fucking happy about it. Seeing as we’re going to be working together, I’d think that we’d want to keep things as amicable as possible between us, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Don’t waste your fucking time.” My calm from lying on my board is totally gone, shot down, completely vanished, like it was never even there to begin with. Motherfucker. “Maybe everyone else is okay taking orders from you, doing whatever you say, but I’m not your fucking bitch, Alex. You and I will never work together. You decide to come all the way down here, that’s on you, but I’m not coming back to Chicago with you. Though a vacation would probably do you some good, seeing as you’re such an uptight pretentious asshole.”

“Fuck, Aidan, I am so sick of your bullshit! You’ve been reckless for years, done whatever the hell you’ve wanted, and you think that sort of shit is just going to fly. Well, it’s not. If you’re going to call yourself a Callahan, you need to be around and put in some damn work.”

“Oh? You’re rescinding my membership to the club, huh? I’ll make sure to turn in my blazer and tie.”

He ignores me. “You think I’ve been sitting on my ass the past five years, doing jack shit? Working on my tan? Drinking pina coladas? You don’t just get to be on a perma-vacation and reap all the benefits.”

“Excuse me? What benefits have I been reaping? Have I asked you for money? Have I asked Mom and Dad for money?”

“You’re a punk if you think I don’t know about the checks Mom sends you every month.”

“Yeah, and I rip them up. I haven’t cashed a single one of them. I have a job. I make my own money. You might not think it’s the most glamorous work and it might not make me millions of dollars every year, but guess what? I’m happy. I. Enjoy. My. Life. I’m sure that’s probably a difficult concept for you to grasp, but not everything is about money or what your last goddamn name can get you out of life.”

“You want to be disinherited?” Alex asks softly. “If you don’t give a shit about the family name, perhaps you shouldn’t have it anymore. You joke about it, but how would you like that?”

“You know what I’d like?” I try my best to keep calm, but it’s almost impossible at this point. “I’d like it if you’d fuck off and die and never call me again, Alex.”

He starts saying something else but I hang up the phone.

Asshole.

THREE

ESSIE

Usually I enjoy working at Blossom, enjoy chatting with our regulars, with my co-workers, but today, I can’t help clock-watching and count down the minutes until my shift is over at four. Because when this shift is over, I have eight whole days off to hang out, enjoy the holidays, and spend some time with my brother (who doesn’t have as many days off, but still). It’s December 23rd, only two more days till Christmas, which means only two more days until I can give Vaughn the present that I’ve been saving months for—an iPad. He’s never had something like that of his own before, and I can’t wait to see the look on his face when he opens it.

When four o’clock finally rolls around, it’s started to snow. A thick white mantle of the stuff quickly coats every available surface. I zip up my jacket as I step outside, and I pull my phone out. Vaughn called once while I was working, but it was busy so I let it go to voicemail. I see that he’s called several more times, which is a little strange, though he never left any messages. I give him a call back, but it goes to voicemail.

“Hey,” I say. “Sorry I wasn’t able to pick up the phone earlier. It was really busy today. But I’m heading home now. You already there? I’ll see you soon!”

 The streets are packed with cars and the sidewalks are crowded with people, but nothing can bring my good mood down. Vaughn was only working a half day at the bike shop, so he should be home when I get there, and our “staycation” can commence. We’re going to watch movies, eat junk food, and just hang out. I know to some people that probably sounds pretty low key, maybe even boring, but I can’t wait.