The entire family was having breakfast next to the pool in the back. Darius seemed to be distracted, his head very distant from the conversations going on at the table. "Dad," his son called bringing his focus to the table. "Everything okay?"
Callie raised her head to watch her father, eager for his answer.
"Yes son, all is well-" Callie jumped in before he could finish his sentence.
"Wanna try that again dad? You've always been a better liar."
There was a loud exhale from Darius before he spoke. "Just some issues at work."
"Is it that serious?" Hiram pushed. "You've barely said anything all morning."
"No, not really." He added a smile to that, hoping it would sell it.
'You're lying again dad." Callie told him.
"Just tell them honey." His wife advised him, taking his hand into hers.
"There is an issue with the New York branch. A few months ago, I named Hiram C.E.O but he has yet to assume that role. The troubles started a few weeks ago because the board doesn't have faith in an inactive C.E.O." Darius explained.
There was a long period of silence at the table, as the children processed what their father had just said.
Hiram was first to speak. "I'm really sorry dad-"
"You have nothing to be sorry about son. I'll handle it, you just focus on completing your studies and leave the worrying to me." His father told him. "Promise me you'll do that."
"I promise dad. Will everything be okay?" Hiram wanted to know.
"Yes." His father replied, his voice full of confidence. "I'll be flying to New York next week to sort all this out."
After breakfast, Darius and Carol left the house for work, Callie had some friends coming over and Hiram disappeared into the in-house library for the rest of the morning. He had some projects to work on and research papers to write which ate up most of his morning hours.
"Hey guys, I'll be back in a minute." Callie told her friends and stepped out of the lounge. She was about to take the stairs to the first floor of the house when she spotted a familiar face in the living room. She paused for a minute, like she was contemplating whether to go to her or not. She settled on the prior.
"Trisha," she called from behind the couch where the blonde sat. "Hey."
"Hey Callie," Trisha replied as Callie walked around the couch.
Trisha could tell Callie was shocked to see her although Callie tried so hard not to show it.
"It's been a minute. How are you?" Callie opened her arms for a hug from Trisha and the both sat down.
"Yeah, I'm well, frustrations from school is all I can complain about." She cried.
"I do not envy you at all." She laughed lightly. "Anyway, what brings you by?"
"Umm, I'm picking up Hiram, we're having lunch together."
That didn't surprise Callie in the slightest, she had guessed it before she asked. The two had been hang out a couple of time in recent times.
"Does he know you're here? I could go get him for you, I think he's in the-" Trisha cut in.
"Yeah, he does. He went to his room a couple of minutes ago to prep." She informed her.
"Okay you guys have fun." She said standing from the couch. "I wish I could keep you company but my hands a full." She whispered pointing to the lounge where her friends were.
Trisha laughed lightly, "I totally understand."
Callie met her brother stepping out of his room. "Trying to rekindle the fire little brother?" She teased standing in front of him.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Stretching out his hand for her to help him fasten his watch.
"I just met Trisha downstairs."
"It's just lunch dear sister, nothing more than that." He said firmly.
"You do know that is not the same answer she would give, right?"
He didn't answer that, she hadn't expected him to. "Have fun." She said to him as he walked away and he mumbled a 'thank you' to her.
He knew his siter was right, he knew all this hanging out with Trisha meant something more to her than it did him. At times he felt bad for her but what could he do about it? Was it not Trisha who always invited him for the hang outs and lunches? He surely couldn't turn her down.
Outside, Trisha walked to the driver's side of her car having promised to drive him to wherever they were going for lunch.
"Nice ride." He told her admiring the car's interior.
"Thank you! Dear old dad still thinks his gifts will make up for his absence in our lives." The bitterness in her voice shocked Hiram, but he chose not to make a comment on her family matters.
He was surprised when he found out where she was taking them for lunch. It was a restaurant that they frequented a lot when they were still together. Even the table she had reserved was the same one they used to sit at.
A few weeks back, Trisha was at a sleepover with her two friends where they talked about anything and everything. Hiram came up in the conversation with Trisha admitting to them that she was still attracted to him. She went further to admit the posting with random guys on her social media was to make him jealous but it was evident it wasn't working.
"Maybe you should just try to make him fall in love with you all over again." One of them told her. "I mean, you didn't end the relationship on bad terms. I'm sure you two can work it out. Because, as much as it pains me to say this, you going out with random dudes is pathetic!" That took some balls.
There was a period of silence before Trisha spoke. "And how do you suggest I do that?" She inquired, having pondered on the idea and deemed it sane.
"You could ask him out, spend time with him, do things you liked doing together. I'm sure it'll bring back memories and maybe make him fall for you all over again." She explained.
Trisha thought it was a splendid idea, it was no guarantee that it would work but it was something. She put it into play, asking him to hangouts, coffee dates, lunch dates all with the hope that he would fall back in love with her. Whether it was working or not, she didn't know.
On their way back, his phone rang as he was explaining something to her. "This is important, can I just-" She didn't let him finish.
"Yeah sure."
"Hello, good afternoon Gwendoline," he greeted and fell silent for Gwendoline, his father's PA, to reply.
"Yeah, I had tried to reach you earlier, I'd like to request that you write me a report on the New York firm." He said into the phone. "No, he is not aware. I'd just like to get the whole scope of the situation." He explained and listen to Gwen's reply. "Okay thank you Gwen, I appreciate it." He finished and hang up.
"Everything okay?' Trisha asked stopping when the traffic light in front of her turned red.
"Yeah, totally."
She knew he had lied but didn't push him, it was not her place. She had had a splendid time with him at lunch and that was all that mattered to her at the moment.
"Thank you for agreeing to this." She told him with a warm smile as she stopped the car in front of the Michaelson house.
"Don't mention it. It was a good distraction from everything that's going on. So, thank you." He replied.
She hated that he said that, the burning sensation in her throat almost made her chock on her words. That afternoon meant so much to her, and she hoped it meant the same to him, and for him to call it a distraction was completely heart breaking. She managed to force a smile and she said goodbye to him after adding another 'thank you for today'. He stepped out and walked up the few steps to the entrance of the house, turning midway to wave her goodbye.