Callie's POV
" Merry Christmas, Brandon." I say as I get up from the kitchen table and pour Brandon a cup of coffee. Brandon comes up from behind me, as he wraps his arms around my waist. He kisses my cheek as he says, " And Merry Christmas to you."
Brandon brings his coffee to his keyboard as he begins to fiddle with the keys on his beaten keyboard, Mike gave him when he was sixteen, nearly ten years ago.
" You know-" Brandon begins as I smile and sip on this new recipe for organic tea, Lena discovered during her pregnancy with Carter. " This is our last Christmas as a married couple."
" And first Christmas as a married couple." I say as I pull up a chair next to Brandon.
Brandon begins to play one of his new songs with his right hand as he intertwines our fingers together.
" Brandon." I say as Brandon responds, " Hmm?" without looking at me.
" I need to tell you something." Brandon continues to play, complelty unaware.
I let go of his hand, as he stops and looks over at me. " Robert got in touch with me this morning."
Brandon confusingly glares back at me as he says, " What did he want?"
" He gave me- he gave us a very generous Christmas gift."
" What to repay for the time that he knew about you- but he still abandoned you." Brandon says bitterly.
" Brandon- stop." I say as I pull a check from my pocket. Brandon edges closer to me as he looks over the check, then does a double take as he looks back at it.
" Ten thousand dollars? Callie- what the hell? We are not his charity case." Brandon says as he stands up and walks over to the edge of the kitchen.
" I know Brandon." I say as I say, " I know we were not going to exhange Christmas gifts. But- I got you a new piano. I thought that this one, may be getting older." I say as Brandon, expressionless walks out of the kitchen and hands me a new gutiar, beautifuly polished with my intials carved into the frame.
" It's beautiful, where- how did you afford this?" I said as Brandon replied, " I made it. I made it without his money. You keep his money- but I don't want it."
" Brandon, you're being a child." I say as Brandon looks down at the floor and quietly says, as if he cannot be defeated, " Thank you for the piano- it looks great."
And with that Brandon walks out of the front door, as I hear his ignition turn on as he pulls out of the driveway.
Brandon's POV
On my way to my mothers' house, I stop on the side of the road to search for Robert Quinn's address, in order to straighten out this entire mess. After I find his address is nearby, only a ten minute ride I make a U-turn as I drive further away from home. As I pull into the neighbor, I realize that I have been here before. The houses look familiar, as do the perfectly assembled apple trees in front of everyone's lawn.
As I pull up to the house I stop as I realize this is not an ordinary house, but Lou's.