What They've Done To Us

44 ➹ broken brothers

I often wondered if he ever cried when he was a baby. For food? For water? For anything? I don't think he ever did. In my fourteen years of knowing Caleb, I've only ever seen him cry once and that was at mom's funeral.

He'd been in the pew behind me with the rest of the boys. I remember looking behind me for the briefest moment and watching him wipe away a single tear.

"The next kid I have, I definitely will. Promise."

"What about me? Will you not name a kid after me?"

"I'll add it to the list. I've still got Sage to appease, I've promised to make his name my first son's middle one."

"Why not first?" Dad asks.

"There's no way I'm subjecting my kid to have the first name as Sage."

"Fair enough." I agree.

"Sage is a great name, respectable even." Dad attempts to argue, but neither Caleb nor I are hearing it. Sure, the name Sage isn't bad but it isn't suitable for the masses, the only person that suits the name Sage is well...Sage.

"Respectable for a plant." I scoff, dad's look has me shutting up though.

"Unless Sage is here to defend himself I want neither of you insulting his name...you never know if Helem is listening to us, and I don't know about you boys but I'd rather hold off on death for at least another decade."

"True," Caleb nods. "So, where's the woman of the hour?" He asks, eyes searching the empty foyer.

"Winter's at the still at the Weaver's place, I just came back actually."

"Good family?" I ask.

Dad nods, "I've known the Weavers for nearly two decades, Luca, you haven't forgotten Reid's friendship with Joshua have you?"

I shake my head, pretty hard to forget when before the boys and I were in high school it was Reid's friend group that was being thirsted over.

Sage has this conspiracy that if we hadn't met at ballet class we still would've been friends solely based on the fact that his older sister - Ivy - and her friend group were pretty much always around Reid and his friends.

There's a knock on the door and dad straightens up. "That must be the catering, they're about two hours late. You boys go make yourself home while I deal with them."

I make a headstart not wanting to carry our luggage upstairs, Caleb already knowing my plan catches up to me in five steps passing me my suitcase.

"Tell your parents we're sorry for keeping you from them. I know they'd rather you spend time home." I say, attempting my best to deter the conversation from him possibly cussing me out.

Caleb shrugs easily, "Nah, you saved me actually. Dad and I got into an argument a couple of weeks ago and he's still upset." The information is a surprise since the Delvaùx family has always been the most serene.

"Shit, really? What about?" I ask after a few seconds of climbing up the stairs with my suitcase in tow.

Caleb shrugs and I follow him into one of the guest rooms where he stays. He used to stay in my room but at one point - when were twelve or something, my bed couldn't fit the both of us without some limbs touching and Caleb runs hot when he sleeps which pissed me off so I just assigned him the room next to mine and it's stuck ever since.

Caleb sighs, taking a seat at the end of the bed before looking up at me. "Nothing, most things...everything. He's still mad about me having a kid, but like I keep telling him I can't just abandon her. He's also pissed off that I had to try out for the soccer team and not get it immediately which makes no fucking sense. Then there's the whole Valé thing."