The Callahan Dynasty

Flowers

I've always loved flowers. My mother did too.

That's why my father would always get her a different bouquet of different flowers every year on their anniversary.

I would always spend the whole day staring at them and wondering if I would ever marry someone who would do something that sweet for me.

But here, in the garden filled with more flowers than I could even name, alone with Mr Callahan. The flowers made me nauseous. They were everywhere I turned, making me feel trapped.

Mr Callahan strolled down the pathway obviously oblivious to my nervousness as he called out the different flowers surrounding us by their names.

I was deep in thought wondering what he could possibly want from me.

What if he wanted to put more pressure on the threat Mrs Callahn had made to me.

Or maybe he wanted to 'take care of me' once and for all.

Maybe he knew about my deal with Dean.
What if he had found out?

Suddenly, my dress was too tight and I felt like I couldn't breath.

"Has Jason ever told you about his great grandmother?" Mr Callahan started out of the blue.

"I don't believe its ever come up, sir." I replied. I had no idea where my composure was coming from.

"Good woman, Sophia Callahan." He muttered with a shake of his head as if he couldn't believe it himself. "She's the one who started this garden." He announced gesturing to the beautiful surroundings.

"Well she did a very good job. It's beautiful." I commented.

"Isn't it?" He agreed.

I was still holding onto his arm out of respect. When in reality, I just wanted to be as far from him as possible.

"Many people won't admit it but she is in fact the one who started the Callahan Dynasty." He confessed. He kept walking, only looking ahead with a serious expression on his face. "Really. People didn't give her the credit she deserved. After her husband, Ferdinand Francisco Callahan died, she took on three jobs to keep her family fed and make sure they were educated. And also to keep her late husband's dream alive. She refused to sell this land which her husband had only acquired a year before his untimely death. Even though it was sure to give her hell with taxes and maintenance. I mean, it is quite a vast expanse of land. You haven't even seen the half of it."

I just nodded in agreement taking his word for it. I couldn't even begin to imagine hall many hectares this place ran for.

"Do you know why she kept it, Miss King?"

"I have no idea, sir."

"Well, do take a guess." He urged me.

I looked at this man, radiating with power.
It was worse than being in school with the strictest teacher. I thought for sure that he would bite my head off if I gave him the wrong answer.

"Like you said, sir, to keep his dream alive." I wasn't sure what the point of this Q and A was but I still didn't want to get it wrong. "Perhaps even in death she still believed in his vision."

Mr Callahan seemed satisfied by my answer.
"Right you are."

I felt like letting out a breath of relief.
"Because the truth is that's one of the most important things a man, especially in a position like mine would need. Support. Because all in all, my great grandfather was an optimist. Sometimes he dreamed too big and often, he would keep secrets from even his wife. But my great grandmother was always there to hold him down and help him see reason. She was his anchor."
He spoke as if giving me a lecture.