The late afternoon sun filtered through the windows of the local rec center in San Sequoia, casting a warm glow on the lively scene inside. A group of about a dozen teens were scattered around, some engrossed in intense foosball matches at several tables, others lounging on worn-out sofas, drinking soda and munching on junk food. The air was filled with the sounds of chattering, laughter, and the background hum of music playing from a nearby speaker.
Chris was standing off to the side with his best friend Craig, watching their friends when his phone buzzed.
Chris pulled out his phone, frowning. “Shut up, guys, it’s my old man. Be quiet!” he instructed his friends, who all now stared at him as he answered.
“Hey Dad. Yup, totally at home doing homework and being the perfect son,” he lied smoothly, rolling his eyes at Craig. “Yes, I know it’s a school day, it’s called a joke, dad, you should try it some time. No, the homework wasn’t a joke, yes, I did all of it. Yeah, I am here at the rec center with the others. Nope, literally just walked in with Craig and Penny. So, what’s up? Uh huh. Yup. Sure. Yeah, right. Uh huh. Be right there.” He hung up, sighing as he looked at his friends, who were staring back at him, anticipating his explanation. Instead, he shrugged.
“Looks like I gotta go. Catch you all later, I guess.”
“Everything all right?” Craig asked, worried. “Want me to go with you?”
“Yeah, everything’s fine. Dad just said he has an ‘important assignment’ for me, and I need to meet him in his office at the hospital ASAP. Probably something ‘important’ like he forgot to pick up Mom’s dry cleaning or some lame crap like that.” Chris paused, then added, “You know what? Yes, come with. At least you’ve got your dad’s car; I’m not feeling like riding my bike all the way to the medical center only to then ride through town doing dad’s ‘important’ quests like a bike courier.”
The boys arrived at the bustling medical center where Chris’ dad worked. They navigated through the maze of hallways with ease, finally arriving at his office. The sight that greeted them was unexpected—a sobbing girl.
Chris’ dad, Connor, stood up from his desk and gestured towards the girl. “Boys, I need your help. Chris, you might not remember her; we don’t see them often, but this is Vivienne, AG’s daughter. You know, AG—my cousin who lives in Henfordshire?” Connor gave his son a significant look, urging him to keep Vivienne’s true identity a secret. Connor’s cousin, AG, was publicly known as Her Royal Majesty Aria Grace Cromwell, Queen of Henfordshire, making Vivienne a princess—at least theoretically. She had been conceived during a brief divorce between the king and queen, when AG had a short-lived relationship with Jack Kershaw, Vivienne’s real father. That relationship had been doomed from the start and King Maximilian eventually won AG’s heart back, they remarried and have been happy ever since. The king had always treated Vivienne as his own, effectively giving her two very involved dads, whom she loved equally. The king’s love for her didn’t wane when he and his queen welcomed another daughter together, sandwiching Vivienne between their two oldest kids and the youngest one.
Vivienne’s rebellious nature, a common Cameron trait, was further amplified by her cowboy-rancher lineage. Out of all four royal children, Vivienne had always been the tomboy, although she seemed to control that side of her as she grew older. Now, at sixteen, she had decided she wanted to move to Del Sol Valley to live with her maternal grandparents and become an actress. This wasn’t what the king and queen wanted to hear, but rather than say no, they allowed her more frequent visits, especially since Del Sol Valley was much closer to Chestnut Ridge, where her father lived with his wife and son, probably hoping seeing her down-to-earth dad with his no-nonsense views would help ground her again to more realistic ideas about her future.
Chris nodded, though uncertainly. “Right, yeah, no, I don’t really remember her, but I remember AG. So, I know what you’re driving at here. Got it, Dad, no worries.”
“Don’t remember her, huh? Oh, how quickly they forget,” Connor chuckled playfully. “She couldn’t remember you either, which is surprising. When you were toddlers, AG would visit often, and you two were inseparable. Constantly hugging and kissing, even at family events. AG got the heebee-jeebees from it. She already predicted another episode of second cousins marrying each other.”
Connor laughed louder as Craig started wolf-whistling, then air-played the banjo, mimicking the sounds from “Deliverance,” until Chris shoved him and playfully wrestled him into a headlock.
It had been years since those days. With Vivienne being part of the royal family of Henfordshire, their visits had become infrequent over the past decade. At sixteen now, the two hardly remembered each other. The royal family rarely attended family gatherings of the queen consort’s extensive family, which included commoners, some famous figures—musicians, actors—and even successful businessmen and women.
“Gentlemen, enough of that now, please.” Connor sighed, so Chris released Craig, who was still instigating, making exaggerated kissing sounds and batting his eyes at Chris. As Connor gave a playful warning shake of his index finger, Craig exaggeratedly “surrendered,” making Connor shake his head, smiling. But Craig kept blowing kisses at Chris.
“Craig Douglas, are you just about done with the bromance?” Connor asked, raising an eyebrow. Craig then threw his arms around Chris from the back, squeezing hard.
“Can’t help it, Mr. C. It’s real love. How could one help but fall for Chris, and his gorgeous green eyes,” Craig said with a grin.
Chris shook free, exclaiming, “Get off me, you freak! And my eyes are blue, moron, thanks for knowing that, only known you since kindergarten,” assisted by his dad who was known for his impressive build and bear strength. “Alright, that’s enough,” he warned, grinning. “Behave, or I’ll smash your heads together. Squish like grape.”
Craig, unfazed, grinned and said, “What? I can’t help it, even though I am not related to your son, but don’t let that disqualify me. It’s love, I swear it. No medicine for that, Doctor.”
Connor, dryly, added, “Oh, but I got just the cure for you, you joker. You’ll think it’s love when I send you downstairs for a prostate exam. That’ll calm you down for days, son.”
“I don’t need my downstairs examined, Doc. I am 16, not 60!”
Chris grimaced. “Well, great topic. As much as I would love to talk about my best friends twigs and berries with my dad, oh–and thanks for telling that fool about BS Vivienne and I did as toddlers, which literally nobody my age remembers, but will now that you brought it up, right on daddy-oh. So, what’s wrong with her? And why is she here?”
“Nothing is wrong with me! Rude!” Vivienne snapped, so she got Connor’s index finger shaken at her too. “Nope. No snapping at my son, Missy. I am the wrong audience for that. Chris asked a valid question, young lady.” he called her to order.
Connor sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Sooo … in good old Cameron-fashion, our Viv here was staying with my Aunt Vivien and Uncle Liam in Del Sol Valley but decided to Uber over to San Sequoia for reasons unknown as she clams up each time I asked. Now her cell phone is dead, and she can’t get back. She didn’t remember where we live, but she knew where I worked. I have a complicated surgery scheduled in an hour, and I need to finish prepping. Your mother’s busy with a vernissage, your grandparents are babysitting Ana and Bri’s kids already, they need all hands on deck I think, Jasper is abroad on a shoot, Iris isn’t answering her phone, and Bri and Jackson are in Chestnut Ridge helping Jack and Izzy build something for their ranch, I forgot what they were talking about, anyway, they have no cell reception and won’t be back till much later.”
Vivienne piped up, her voice small and desperate. “Chestnut Ridge!? Can I go there? I want my dad!”
Connor shook his head firmly. “No, like I said, I can’t get away. Chris and Craig will take you to our home and you’ll stay there till your grandparents can come pick you up.”
Craig quickly volunteered, “Chris and I can take her! To DSV I mean! Or Chestnut Ridge. I don’t mind. I got my dad’s car.”
Connor’s annoyed glare silenced Craig for a moment. “Do I really look THAT dumb to you, Mr. Douglas?! Nice try, kid but I am not gonna answer to your parents because I greenlighted Twiddledee and Twiddledum here to take Lady DingDong on a fun roadtrip. Please note how I am not even asking if your dad actually knows that you have his car. No, Craig, you and Chris are going to do exactly what I asked, you take Vivienne home—my home, not yours, not her grandparents, not anybody else’s but MY home, Craig. You’ll be good hosts, make sure she’s okay and safe, and do not get her into trouble. Vivien and Liam will pick her up tomorrow morning. So, Chris, I am counting on you here. Can you and Craig handle this?”
Craig saluted with a grin, “Yes Sir! Mr. Connor, Sir!” He earned an eyeroll from Connor, who looked expectantly at his son.
Chris shrugged. “Yeah, sure Dad, we’ll take care of her, I guess.”
He approached Vivienne, crouching down to her level. “So, I’m Chris, this is Craig, and we’ll take you home now, okay?”
Vivienne’s eyes flashed with defiance. “I am not a toddler, you know? I was here all along, listening. Why are all boys total self-absorbed, self-obsessed, misogynistic idiots and everything is just a game?”
Chris shot his dad a pleading look. “Dad?”
Connor sighed. “Viv, listen here now. You are going with Chris and Craig. I assure you they are the exception to your rule about boys, as am I, cos I wouldn’t let him be like that, I wouldn’t let him associate with guys who were like that and I am not like that cos my momma would still kick my rear into next month if I even as much as thought to be a waste of skin type dude. So, take my word for it, unless you need me to get your parents or your grandmother on the phone…”
Vivienne’s eyes widened in alarm, and she jumped up. “Okay, so let’s go then.”
Craig opened the door with a pretend flourish, gesturing out into the hallway.
Chris, seizing the moment, stepped ahead and began to comically walk with exaggerated, high-kneed strides, swinging his hips dramatically. The boys couldn’t contain themselves and burst into laughter, shoving each other as they tried to outdo one another with their own exaggerated impressions. Even Vivienne, despite her recent tears, let out a giggle, wiping her eyes still wet from crying earlier.
Vivienne followed them to Craig’s car. Chris opened the door to the backseat for her, but she side-stepped him and slid into the passenger side with a defiant look.
“Looks like you’re riding in the back, Cameron,” Craig snickered, ducking into the driver seat and ignoring Chris’ unflattering responses.
While driving, Craig got a text from his parents, so he dropped Chris and Viv off at Chris’ home before leaving.
Uncomfortably, Chris let her inside, and they both stood awkwardly in the living room. “Sooo, what do you like to do? You like video games? Movies? Card games? Karaoke? Tree house? Pool?” Chris listed whatever came to mind, each declined vicariously by Vivienne.
“I wanna go home. Or see my dad. My dad is Jack. Do you know him? Can you take me to him?” Vivienne asked, her voice filled with longing.
“Yeah, I know he is your dad and yes, of course I know Jack, he’s my dad’s bro, ya know, BFFs and all. But look, my dad was clear, we’re to stay here and I only have a learner’s permit, I can’t drive that far, especially not without an adult. What are you doing in San Sequoia anyway?”
Vivienne looked away, fighting tears. “Nothing …”
Chris softened his tone. “Come on, you can tell me. Talking through stuff helps. Lay it on me. Not like we have much else to do.”
It took some more coaxing, but finally, Vivienne opened up. “So, there is this boy, Ren, and… well… his dad screws up a lot and now he lives with a court-assigned guardian here in San Sequoia. I wanted to surprise him, so I told my parents I wanted to see my grandparents in Del Sol Valley again, and they can take me to Chestnut Ridge to see my dad, but in reality, I wanted to come here. When I got to his address, he wasn’t home. I waited for hours and hours. And then he finally came home… with a girl!”
Chris raised an eyebrow. “So what? I come home with girls all the time. Half the kids I grew up with are girls, and I got a girlfriend living on the other side of the country too. You know, we boys have our flaws, especially at our age, I’ll admit that, but we’re not hormone-driven braindead monsters who can’t be alone with a girl without trying to hump her. Hello?!”
Vivienne looked at him incredulously. “Do you hug all those girls you are ‘just friends’ with?”
Chris shrugged. “I dunno, sometimes. I mean, if one of us is going through stuff, sure, why not? Or for a birthday. Or if something really good happened to one of us, yeah, I’d say we hug. Why?”
Vivienne’s expression turned serious. “Okay, but the girl Ren hugged … I don’t know. She was leaning.”
“Huh?” Chris was confused.
“Well, leaning. You know, look, I would hug you like so,” she demonstrated a clearly neutral hug, then let go. “But if I kinda liked you a certain way, I would maybe hug you more like so, by really leaning in,” she demonstrated again, hugging Chris in a way that made him very uncomfortable. Stepping back after she released him, he ran his hand through his hair.
“Oh, okay, okay, got it. Leaning, right, got it. So, were they… you know… like… getting in there. Kissing and stuff?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t stick around long enough to find out. But they clearly knew each other.”
Chris pondered for a moment. “Maybe she is another foster? If you know Jack, you would know Jackson. He’s my uncle by marriage and he grew up in the system. The stuff he tells… man, no matter how trying my parents get, whenever I listen to one of his stories, I am glad I have them.”
Vivienne’s eyes widened in surprise. “Do I know Jackson… are you serious right now? Do you not realize he’s my half-brother? And yes, I know he lives in town too and NO I do not want to go see him. Your dad already tried that. If Jackson heard about what I did, I would never hear the end of it, in his drawl, for hours. Just no! But yeah, let’s just say, we met. And before you asked, yes, I know my other half-brother, Cody, too.”
Chris’ face reddened. “Oh, crap, right. No, I didn’t realize it. Alright, so do you remember where you saw them? Your boyfriend and that girl? Like the house, where it is?”
Vivienne huffed, pulling out an address scribbled on a frilly piece of paper. “There, the address.”
Chris squinted at it, nodding slowly. “Yeah, I know where that is. Really close, actually. Let’s check it out. I gotta see this for myself. And yes, my dad said we’re to stay home, so not a word to ANYONE about this, okay?”
They hopped on Chris’ bike, Vivienne gripping tightly to the luggage rack as they sped off. They snuck around the house, peeking through windows, and sure enough, they saw Ren and the girl looking cozy.
Vivienne’s eyes widened. “She’s Asian! No wonder Ren likes her better. Just great.”
Chris shrugged, trying to soothe her. “Decent dudes don’t have types based on race. Plus, if he’s Asian too, so I could say the same about you, and then you have that preference in common.”
Vivienne’s voice softened but stayed firm. “I like Ren for who he is, not his race. And besides, he’s biracial anyway. His dad’s black, his mom was Asian, but she’s gone now. His dad’s a jerk, which is why Ren’s in foster care. Poor Ren. Hmm, never noticed, you can’t really make a nice nickname out of Ren. Renny, Rennie? Sounds like medication. Hmm.”
Chris rolled his eyes. “Okay, whatever.” They both turned to look just as Ren’s gaze met theirs through the window. Panic set in, and Ren bolted for the door while Chris and Vivienne made a run for the bike. They didn’t get far; Ren caught up to them. Chris instinctively pushed Vivienne behind him.
“Look, bruh, we don’t want any trouble,” Chris said, his voice tense.
Ren’s eyes darted between them. “Viv, what are you doing here? Why are you creeping through the backyard? And who is he?”
“Don’t worry about him. Who is SHE?!” Vivienne fired back, pointing.
Ren sighed, frustration evident in his voice. “She is… it’s a long story. What are you doing here, and who is that? I am so confused.”
Chris stepped in, protective. “She doesn’t owe you an explanation!”
Ren’s patience snapped. “Who are you, dude?!”
Chris’ eyes narrowed. “Your worst nightmare if you don’t change your attitude, DUDE!”
Ren’s shoulders dropped, frustration turning into resignation. “Look, I don’t want any trouble. Just tell me why you’re here, Viv. Is he one of your bodyguards?”
Chris laughed, his eyes lighting up with amusement. “Bodyguard? Me? Man, I wish! That’d be pretty cool, huh?” He flexed his arm playfully, striking a mock-heroic pose. “But no, I’m just Chris Cameron, student, valedictorian and soon to be newest captain of the football team. Go San Sequoia Orcas. Ride the Wave, Own the Game! Woot, woot!”
Vivienne sighed, stepping forward. “Ignore him. Look, Ren, I came because I missed you, and I was worried. And this is Chris—he’s… family, kinda. He’s also the son of my dad’s best friend. Now you. Who is she?”
Ren sighed, looking at the ground. “Alright, this is Mei,” he said, nodding toward the girl standing in the doorway. “She’s my younger half-sister. Same mom, different dad.”
Vivienne’s eyes widened in shock. “Wait, what? A sister? I never heard of a sister! How come you never mentioned her?”
Ren took a deep breath, the weight of the past clear in his eyes. “It’s complicated. Mei and her older brother, Takumi, were born to my mom and her husband. I was conceived during an affair she had in between them. Their dad found out about the affair when I was maybe 4 or 5 and that he wasn’t my biological father. He was furious. Mei was still little then. In a twisted form of honor killing, he killed my mom and then committed hara-kiri. The grandparents raised Takumi and Mei, but they sent me away to my real father, as they wanted to recoup what was left of their honor, and could only do so without me, the so-called ‘shame-baby.’ Cool nickname, huh? I told you I had no family left except my deadbeat dad, and technically, I don’t. To them, I basically don’t exist. Yup, shunned by my entire family and clearly not wanted by my own father.”
Vivienne gasped, covering her mouth. “Oh my God, Ren. I had no idea.” and even Chris cringed.
Ren nodded, looking back and forth between them, his voice tight with emotion. “Yeah, not the kind of stuff you lead with when meeting new people. The grandparents eventually died, and Takumi, who was just a teenager then, raised Mei. She’s a little over a year younger than us, Viv. It took years for people to not look at them and remember the shame. Mei asked about me, but Takumi doesn’t want Mei involved with me because of all that. He thinks it’s too risky for them to get involved with me, waking sleeping dogs, making life hell for their family again.”
Chris frowned, looking from Ren to Mei. “So, she just showed up out of nowhere?”
“You seem to have that effect on girls, bro,” Chris added his two cents.
Ren glanced at Mei, who nodded slightly. “Takumi is on a business trip, running their late father’s company, coincidentally here in San Sequoia. Mei found out where I was staying, probably from stalking me on social media, and snuck away since it wasn’t far. She was curious and wanted to meet the ‘lost brother.'”
Mei stepped forward hesitantly, her voice soft and broken. “Yes, yes, I… wanted to meet brother. Always heard about brother, but never met. Uh, don’t remember Ren. They say bad thing about him, but they wrong, I like Ren. Ren is good.”
Vivienne’s heart ached for Ren and Mei. “I’m so sorry, Ren. And Mei. That must be so hard for you both.”
Ren shrugged, trying to brush it off. “It is what it is. I have to say it’s really cool meeting actual family, someone who risks something just to see me, but I told Mei she shouldn’t be here. Takumi would be furious if he found out. He had a temper even when we were kids. That much I DO remember, even though Mei says he’s a good brother.”
Ren realized they needed a car to get Mei back to the hotel safely. He considered stealing the keys from his foster parents but hesitated, not wanting to worsen his already precarious situation.
Chris suggested, “Let’s go to my grandparents’ estate. Maybe we can ‘borrow’ my uncle Jasper’s car. He’s traveling and they usually don’t lock the backdoor of their guest house. Should be easy peasy, once I get inside the main house.”
The group split into pairs and rode bikes to the estate: Ren and Mei on one, Chris and Vivienne on the other. The ride was quiet, each lost in their thoughts. The late afternoon sun was beginning to dip behind the horizon, casting an orange hue over the waterfront estate.
When they arrived at the sprawling property, Chris led the group to a discreet spot near the fence. “Wait here,” he whispered. “I’ll go through the main house and get the keys. Stay out of sight.”
Chris made his way to the main house’s entrance. He rang the doorbell, and a moment later, his grandmother Hailey answered.
“Chris baby! What are you doing here?” she asked, surprised, wiping her hands on her apron, covered in flour. “Baking cookies with the little ones, wanna join us?”
Chris put on his best innocent smile. “Hi, Grandma. Raincheck on the baking, I am not staying, I left my sunglasses by the pool yesterday and need them for tomorrow. Just wanted to grab them real quick. Smells good though. Save me some?”
Hailey smiled warmly. “Of course, sweetheart. You know the way.”
Chris thanked her and quickly made his way through the house, heading out the back door to the pool area. From there, he darted to the guest house where Iris and Jasper lived. He tried the backdoor and, as expected, it was unlocked.
Inside, he moved quickly but quietly, searching for the car keys. He found them hanging on a hook near the door and grabbed them, then rushed back outside to where his friends were waiting.
“Got ’em,” he whispered, holding up the keys. They all hurried to Jasper’s sleek, luxurious Tesla Model X and piled in. Since the Tesla is electric, there was no engine sound, making their sneaking much easier. The car had plenty of room in the backseat due to the need for a baby seat and such. Said baby seat was currently not installed.
“Alright, let’s get to the hotel,” Chris said, starting the engine. He drove carefully, his hands gripping the wheel tightly.
As they pulled onto the main road, Ren and Chris both took out their phones to navigate to the hotel.
“Use my phone,” Ren said, tapping away at his screen.
“No, I’ll use mine,” Chris countered, opening his navigation app, balancing the phone in his lap.
Meanwhile, Vivienne plugged her phone into the car charger, and Mei had hers out as well. Soon, the car was filled with the competing canned voices of four different navigation systems. “In 500 feet, turn left,” Ren’s version instructed. “In 300 meters, take a right,” Vivienne’s metric version contradicted. “Go straight ahead,” Chris’ phone chimed in, while Mei’s Japanese version added to the confusion.
The conflicting directions made 16-year-old Chris increasingly nervous. He tried to focus on the road while Ren and Vivienne argued over which directions to follow.
“I LIVE here, Viv, I KNOW which way!” Ren insisted, countered by Vivienne’s defiant “Yeah, and I can read, actually. You can see it loud and clear, right there, then here, then there and Bob’s your uncle!” she held her phone into Ren’s face, pointing.
“Dudes, can you like chill that shit! I can’t freakin’ focus over here and STILL don’t know where to go and I was born here!” Chris grumbled, swatting at Vivienne’s phone.
“Just pick one phone and stick to that then! Jeeze, just trying to help,” Vivienne exclaimed.
“Yeah, four different voices squawking different crap at me is doing the opposite of helping and I don’t know which to listen to,” Chris groaned, gripping the wheel tighter. “Then again, if I think about this logically … Left? Ren, your navi is trash if it wants us to drive into the ocean. There are no left turns unless we want to visit someone or go to some restaurant or coin laundry. And I can’t turn right either, no matter how many meters, it’s all buildings, no turns for miles! I don’t speak Japanese, so then we are going with mine, ‘cos straight is doable! So doable, they built a road like that!” Chris complained, frustration clear in his voice.
Ren rolled his eyes, “I chose the fastest route option, that’s why mine is different. And there was a right turn back there, you just missed it. And there is a left turn too, just passed it, it cuts through a neighborhood avoiding congestion. Duh. But fine, sure, we’ll just take the taxicab route, not like we’re in a hurry to get to the hotel to keep Mei out of trouble or something.”
Chris shot Ren a fiery glare, but the action caused him to turn the steering wheel slightly. The girls in the backseat screamed as the car veered towards oncoming traffic. Chris quickly corrected the steering, heart pounding, while the girls continued to scold him from the backseat.
Chris apologized, slightly unnerved, then tried to follow the instructions from his phone’s navigation. The tension in the car was palpable as they continued their drive, each teenager doing their best to stay calm despite the chaos.
As they neared the hotel, Mei seemed to relax a bit, though her eyes still showed a hint of anxiety. Chris pulled up to the entrance, and Mei quickly snuck inside to avoid drawing attention.
On the way back, disaster struck. As they navigated a narrow, winding road, a deer darted out in front of them. Chris swerved to avoid it, but the car skidded off the road and into a ditch. Thankfully, no one was hurt, but the car was stuck and probably damaged although it was hard to tell.
Chris’ heart sank as he realized the trouble they were in. “We need to call for help,” he said, pulling out his phone and dialing his grandparents.
A short while later, Chris’ paternal grandpa Chase arrived, pulling up in his sleek, black Bentley Bentayga. He stepped out, grey hair tousled and a mischievous glint in his eyes. “What the hell did you kids get yourselves into THIS time?” he asked, unimpressed.
Chris explained the situation, and Chase let out a long sigh. “Alright, pile in. Let’s get this sorted.”
They all climbed into Chase’s car, grateful for the help. Chase dropped Ren off at his place, then Chris and Vivienne at Chris’ house, but held Chris back as Vivienne was climbing out.
“Vivienne, you stay put and behave,” Chase instructed. “Chris, give her your keys, and put your seatbelt back on, need ya to come with me.”
“Where are we going now, Grandpa?” Chris wondered as he pulled out his keys, handing them to Vivienne, before Chase reached across him to shut the door again..
Chase, casually and cool, turned to Chris, before looking at the road as he started to drive. “Back to the accident. You’ll take this car back home—MY home that is. Once you’re there, you take a cab to YOUR home—yours, not Craig’s, not Ren’s, not any of your other friends’, YOUR home—and you stay there. Here’s 50 bucks for the fare, which is more than plenty. Do not get funky ideas. Trying to help you stay out of trouble, kid.” Chase dug around in his pocket for his wallet, pulled out a bill, handing it to his grandson.
Chris accepted the money, slipping it into his jeans pocket. “And you?” he wondered.
Chase smirked. “As you head back, I’ll be calling a towing company and then Jasper, to tell him I took his damn clown car for a joyride straight into a ditch. That lil’ shit is gonna eat that up. I have been giving him nothing but grief about trading in his exotic sports car for an e-car with room for the baby. He’s gonna love this. I’ll be hearing nothing but that and ‘old men shouldn’t drive’ hints for as long as I will live now.”
Chris couldn’t believe his luck. “Oh my God, thank you Grandpa! You are the best! I owe you one, a big one too!”
Chase chuckled. “Oh, and I will remind you of that one day, you can bank on it, kid, you better believe it.”
Chris looked at his grandfather, curiosity and gratitude mixed in his gaze. “Why are you helping, rather than giving me shit and endless lectures? Isn’t that what adults just LOVE doing, giving teens shit like they never made mistakes at our age and blame us for literally everything that wrong today?”
Chase shrugged pulling up to the car in the ditch. “Guess I am not one of those adults then, huh? Give you shit and lecture you about what? That this was stupid and dangerous? I think you already realized that, I can tell, so there was your lesson right there and here’s your test. I am helping you, you do with that what you will, make it count or fuck this up even worse, that’s your choice, kiddo. I was young once too and got into my fair share of trouble, always unintentional. I know lectures don’t change nothing. Now get out of here, it’s getting dark soon.” he looked back, then hopped out of the car, meeting his grandson halfway around the car.
Chris couldn’t hold back a smile as he hugged Chase. “Love you, Grandpa!”
Chris took the car back to his grandparents’ estate and called a cab. The minute he got home, he was greeted by a surprising sight—Vivienne wasn’t alone. His long-distance girlfriend, Indigo Blue “Indie,” was there, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
“Indie! What are you doing here?” Chris exclaimed, rushing to her.
Indie grinned. “Surprise! I’m traveling with my dad. My school had a main waterline break, so we are to learn from home for a week and decided I can do that anywhere. Dad’s over at Jackson’s, but I didn’t want to go, so I begged dad till he okayed me going here instead.”
Joy washed over Chris as he pulled Indie into a warm embrace. They pressed their foreheads together, grinning like idiots, completely lost in the moment. Chris gently kissed Indie, and their giggles filled the air, punctuating the quiet. The kiss turned into another hug, tighter and more affectionate, as if they never wanted to let go. Their happiness was palpable, a bubble of pure joy amidst the chaos around them.
“Umm, eeew! Get a room or something,” Vivienne complained.
Chris laughed and pulled slightly away from Indie, keeping one arm around her waist as they both turned to face Vivienne. “Girl, you got no room to complain here! I just saved your butt from going to see YOUR dude, and then my grandpa saved all our butts, so you will just leave Indie and me be, okay? There’s the remote, I am sure you can figure out how to entertain yourself. I am busy now!”
Vivienne huffed playfully. “Okay, okay, fine! Suck the lips off each other for all I care then.” She waved them off with a mock-dismissive gesture, but the smile on her face betrayed her amusement.
Instead, they all settled down, and Chris and Vivienne recounted their chaotic adventure to Indie, who listened with wide eyes and occasional gasps and giggles.
“OMG, I am dating a rebel! Guess it’s true what they say, girls often fall for guys that are like their dads! I swear if I ever see you with drugs, I am running!” Indie laughed.
Later, Connor and Keira returned from work. Connor, a Chief Medical Officer who still operated and consulted, had picked up Keira, an artist with a gallery downtown, as her car was in for service. They walked in to find the kids looking as if they were wearing halos, all innocence and charm.
Connor raised an eyebrow. “Anything good happen while we were gone? We already knew about Indie, Bri called us when Stryker dropped by their place. Guess we are having a houseguest for a few days.”
All three kids, in perfect unison, replied versions of, “Nothing happened, nothing at all, just hanging out.”
Connor and Keira exchanged a knowing glance, clearly unconvinced, but decided to let it go. “Alright then,” Connor said, shaking his head slightly. “Who’s up for dinner? We could all use a good meal. I am ravenous.”
Keira smiled, already heading to the kitchen. “Sounds like a plan, I am very hungry too. Come on kids, in this house we all make dinner. I am not the maid. Chop, chop, I will assign duties.” she clapped in her hands.
They all busied themselves with preparing dinner, laughter and chatter filling the house. For a moment, the tension from earlier seemed to melt away, replaced by the warmth of family and friends coming together.
EchoesOfLegacy 