ETHAN - AGE SIXTEEN
“Let me see—”
“I got it.” He snapped, yanking his tie away from me and walking toward my aunt Cora by the fireplace. She glanced at Wyatt and then back at me.
“Don’t mind him. He’s just—”
I know. I mouthed back. He was always at his worst this time of the year. There wasn’t much anyone could do but just let Wyatt do what he wanted. Seeing Dona writing, as always, sitting by the window, her black shoes on the ground beside her. She was concentrating so hard, wiggling her toes excitedly. She didn’t even notice me as I sat opposite her by the window.
“ETHAN!” she screamed at me as I took the book away. “Give it back.”
“I hate being ignored!” I hollered back at her, smacking her hands away as I flipped the book open. “What are you writing anyway?”
“Ethan, I’m going to kill you!” She lunged at me, but I dodged, getting up with the book. I hadn’t meant to actually read it but seeing Mother’s name written there I couldn’t help it. “Ethan.”
Ignoring her and running around the room as she tried to steal it back, I read quickly.
“Wyatt, get your ass out of bed!” Melody yelled, ripping the sheets from the sleeping idiot who was still dry humping his pillow.
“Mom!” he hollered back. “Get out!”
“You get out. I own the house!” she yelled back.
“Ugh, you’re so an—” Before he could say it she took the pillow and beamed it right into his head, sending him back on his ass.
“What was that?” She crossed her arms.
“Seriously, why must we always train? I want to sleep.” He took the pillow and threw it back at her. But being the great woman she was, she caught it with one hand. However, the pillow burst, sending goose feathers all over the place.
They both froze.
Wyatt looked at his mother, his eyes widening in shock before he couldn’t help himself and broke out into a fit of laughter.
“You little….” His mother grabbed another pillow and began to beat him mercilessly until all of sudden a pillow was beamed at the back of her head.
Upon turning she saw the teenage reflection of herself with green eyes already in battle mode with two pillows in hand. She tossed one to Wyatt, who made his escape, quickly grabbing onto the pillow, spinning around to face her.
“Et tu, Dona?” Melody asked her daughter.
“Caesar must fall, Mother,” her daughter said, charging toward her. But before she made it a pillow hit her square in the face.
In shock, Donatella looked up at her brother, who glared down at her, trying his best to be serious, as was his nature, but even he couldn’t help but smile.
“Not on my watch,” he said, standing by his mother, who handed him a pillow.
“And so the battle lines have been drawn,” Wyatt said, a fat grin on his face, pulling his sister up before bouncing on the balls of his feet.
Melody glanced at her first born, saying, “Remember…”
“Mercy is only for God and the Pope,” he replied, well versed in her battle strategies.
“FIGHT!” Dona yelled, charging once again.
All-out chaos ensued as the most epic battle of pillows began.
Feathers flying left and right in people’s faces, mouths, getting stuck in their hair. Neither would bow their heads in defeat. In the Callahan family victory was the only option. And part of victory, their mother had told them, was strategic planning. She knew her son and daughter would fight with their pillows until every last feather was out. However, she was wiser, much more cunning, with years of victories under her belt. While her first born kept them distracted and she half-heartily fought back with one hand...her right hand was gathering up all the other pillows and throwing them behind her. It was only when every feather had fallen out of Donatella’s and Wyatt’s pillows did they realize they didn’t have any other weapons.
“CHEATER!” Wyatt yelled, pointing at them.
“Ethan?” Melody called him. “What do we say about people who call others cheaters?”
“They have to be losers.” He smirked wickedly.
“Exactly.” She nodded. “And as the losers you must pick up each feather.”
“Mommmm,” Dona whined.
“Ethan?” she called again. “What do we call whiners?”
“Still losers,” he replied, the smirk on his face now a full-blown smile.
“You guys are…” When Dona saw her mother’s glare she shut up and got on her knees to gather up the feathers.
“This is going to take all day,” Wyatt grumped, getting down beside her.
“What is this?”
All four of their heads rose to see their father, still in his pajamas, his brown hair an epic mess.
“Victory,” Melody and Ethan said at the same time.
Liam glanced down at his two other children and shook his head. “You do not surrender.”
“They took all the pillows,” Wyatt said, looking up at him.
Liam sighed, walking over to his wife and kissing her cheek. “What are we going to do with these brats?”
“Hey!” Ethan snapped. “I was on the winning team.”
Liam raised his eyebrow, bent down, and took the pillow, smacking him upside the face so hard he landed on his ass next to Wyatt. Then he stepped in the same spot he once stood.
“That’s your team.” He pointed to his brother and sister. “The only team your mother is on is mine.”
Melody laughed, shaking her head. “So immature.”
“Try and deny it,” he said, waiting for her to speak, and she didn’t, rolling her eyes at him. But he ignored it and looked down at his kids. “Enjoy cleaning. Your mother and I are going to—have adult time.”
“URGH!”
“SERIOUSLY?”
“JUST GO.”
The three of them yelled, completely grossed out.
Their mother bent down to Ethan, picking a feather out of his hair. “Thanks for having my back, little man.”
“I’m taller than you,” he said back, sulking.
“Want me to cut you down to size?” She tilted her head to the side.
“I mean, no problem,” Ethan said quickly, causing both his siblings to snicker.
As Melody kissed her other children, Liam bent down in front of Ethan, smirking, the one Ethan had yet to master. “No hard feelings, kids. One day when you get married you’ll understand.”
Ethan didn’t say anything to him.
Rising back to his feet, he ruffled both Dona’s and Wyatt’s hair before he and his wife left.
That is how the Callahan family spent today.
I’d gotten to her last words, the date today’s date. When I glanced up, she had tears she wouldn’t let fall built up in her eyes. She snatched the book from me and walked back to the window.
Rubbing the back of my head, my chest burned…I’d smiled. I’d wanted to laugh. It felt so real. Like a memory I’d forgotten. I could feel the pillows. I could see her…our mother. But it wasn’t a memory. There were no pillows and I couldn’t just see her. She was gone. She’d never have that moment.
That’s what she’s doing. I realized. Every year she’d taken out that same book and she must have made a story, an alternate ending.
“He’s not coming.” My uncle Declan frowned, standing at the door.
“Then I’m not—”
“We’re going!” I hollered at Wyatt. “Mom at least deserves us.”
Annoyed, I wished I’d never read it. It made it worse. I stomped out of the room and out through the hall until I got out of the damn house. The black cars were waiting. Turning back, I looked up at the office, his office. All I saw was his hand with a glass of wine…my mom’s wine.
“Ethan?” Toby said in shock, immediately placing the roses behind his back.
“Why do you look shocked? It’s my house.” I looked him over and the roses still behind his back. “I told you last year my mom wasn’t a fan of roses.”
“It’s the only flower they had ready at the flower shop.”
That sounded like bullshit, but I didn’t want to think anymore, opening the driver’s side door.
“You comin’?” I asked him.
“Yea.” He ran to the other side of the car, hopping into the front and throwing the roses into the back.
I pulled out. I didn’t want to be near any of them right now. I was sick of it…all of it.
“Toby.”
“Yea?”
I thought about how to phrase it and just settled on the simplest. “When I take over, I’m going to have to get married…don’t let me fall in love with her.”
“And how the hell am I supposed to stop you?” he asked seriously.
He had a point. “Fine…if I do, and she dies, kill me too…don’t let me become like him.”
“Fine.”
I glared over at him, ready to kick him out of the car while I was still driving. “At least pretend to be conflicted about it, you fuck.”
“How about you fall in love first? I’ll worry it about it then,” he muttered, closing his eyes and smiling. “I’ve never had a Callahan drive me before.”
“Have you ever had a Callahan run you over?” I asked him and luckily he didn’t speak. I drove, knowing full well a guard was following behind me. He wasn’t needed. I dared anyone to start shit today…I’d kill him with my bare hands.
If my father wasn’t going to be at my dead mother’s side, I’d be there.