Chapter Fourteen

Callum

"Ready or not, here I come!"

I crouched down in the dark corner of the closet I was hiding in. I was on uncle duty since Precious's day care was closed for a small renovation this week. So far today, we'd colored, had a tea party, and she had me take her to get a manicure and pedicure. The women in the shop couldn't get over how cute she was. Now, if I had been interested, I would have worked that in my favor too.

Many of them were smiling in my face and telling me what a good uncle I was to babysit. I got compliments on my looks, and a few of them asked if I was single. One even slipped me her number before she left. My niece had unofficially become my wingwoman, and she didn't even know it. Alas, I threw the number away. She was a beautiful woman, but again, I wasn't interested.

After we left the nail shop, we got food and ice cream, a treat I was now regretting. She was hyper, and I had to burn some of that energy off. Or so I thought. Back at my house, we'd jumped rope, roller-skated, and had a dance battle. Currently, she had me playing hide-and-seek. It was the first time I got to sit down since we'd been home, and I was grateful for the break.

"Uncle Cay!" I could hear her little feet running across the hardwood floors. "Where are you, Uncle Cay? I'm gonna get you!"

She giggled as she ran out of the room. I smirked to myself. As a kid, I used to play hide-and-seek for hours with Bella. I moved quietly enough to change spots every time she got too close. Just when she thought she had me, I was gone. When she finally gave up, she would always go get our mother to find me. Every time, she found me in my closet. Eventually, Bella got hip to it and found me with ease.

I heard Precious's footsteps outside of the room again. This time, it sounded like she was talking to someone. I frowned, thinking I know she didn't let someone in my house. Just as I was about to come out of hiding, I heard her loud and clear.

"Mommy, I can't find Uncle Cay. We're playing hide-and-seek, and he got me good."

I waited for a moment, knowing my sister was about to give me up. I heard her laughing on the speakerphone.

"Callum, you will not get my baby like you used to get me!" she yelled, causing me to stifle a laugh. "Check the closet in his office, baby. That's his favorite hiding spot."

I heard the pitter-patter of little feet come back into my childhood bedroom, which was now my office. Then I heard the doorknob rattle and twist until it opened. When Precious's eyes landed on me, she grinned.

"I found you!"

"You cheated, too. How are you gonna call your mama on me? The rules don't say, phone a friend."

She giggled. "Thank you, Mommy."

"Anytime, baby."

"You're a snitch, Bella," I said, climbing out of the closet.

"Why would you torture my baby like that?"

"That was a solid fifteen minutes of rest. She's wearing me out. No more sweets today, Precious."

Bella laughed. "That's what you get. You're trying to tire her out, and she's getting the better of you."

"It's my turn, Uncle Cay. Close your eyes!"

She handed me the phone, and I closed my eyes.

"You ready?"

"Yes!"

"One... two... three..."

She took off running. I opened my eyes and turned my attention back to the phone.

"Is she behaving?" Bella asked.

"You know we don't have those problems."

"Martin is going to pick her up. I have to work late."

"I got you." I pulled the phone from my ear and shouted, "Ten, eleven, twelve!"

"You know she's just going to give herself away, right?"

"Of course, I know. The giggle box can't help herself. I might make her sweat this time."

"Well, you two have fun. Give her kisses for me."

"I will. Love you."

"Love you too." I hung up and shoved the phone in my pocket. "Twenty! Here I come!"

I left the room and began the search for my niece. Within a minute, I knew she was hiding under my bed. I could hear her giggle when I walked into the room. True to my word, I decided to make her sweat a little. I left the room and went into the kitchen to grab us both some water to hydrate once I found her. As I turned the corner, someone knocked on my door. I abandoned my original path to answer.

"Who is it?"

"William."

I frowned. My cousin and I hadn't spoken in years. Ever since I cursed out half the family at my parents' will reading, most of them didn't bother with me much. His mother was one of them. She forbade her children from speaking to me again. It was hard at first. Sometimes, we'd see each other, and it would hurt not to say anything. Over the years, it got to the point where we barely acknowledged each other's existence.

My hand lingered on the knob before I twisted it open. William stood on the other side with a pained look on his face.

"You good?" I asked.

He shook his head. "Dad died."

My eyes widened. His father was my mother's youngest brother. William and his father were very close, so I knew this was eating him up.

"I'm sorry to hear that, William. Come in." I stepped aside and allowed him in. "Give me a second."

I headed to my bedroom and located Precious.

"Gotcha!" I said, dropping to the floor. She squealed as she scrambled from under the bed.

"I almost got you!" she declared.

"Yeah, you did. Hey, Precious, I have a visitor. Can you sit in here and watch TV for me for a little bit?"

"Okay."

She climbed onto the bed and relaxed into my pillows. Grabbing the remote, I turned on her favorite movie and left the room. William stood in front of the fireplace, staring at the old family photo perched on the mantle. His head turned slightly as he looked back at me.

"It doesn't seem like it's been seventeen years," he said.

"Yeah... It doesn't." I took a seat on the couch.

"This place doesn't look the same as it did when I was a kid."

"I renovated a few years ago. I could never move out, so I made it my own."

"It looks good."

"Thanks. So... Was Uncle James sick?"

He slowly turned around with his hands in his pocket. "Lung cancer. I guess all those cigars caught up with him. It's been a quiet three days."

"He died three days ago?"

"Yeah. Nobody was sure if you would have wanted to know, given the parameters of your relationship with the family."

"I guess. Have arrangements been made?"

"The funeral is Saturday at one. Everybody is meeting up at the house around eleven."

"Okay. Well, I'll talk to Bella and make her aware."

He nodded. "You know we miss y'all, Callum. You have to know none of us wanted to cut you off. It's just... We were kids, man."

"I don't blame you. I blame the adults involved. William, a lot went down behind the scenes that you don't know. I could understand those who couldn't take us in because they couldn't. I can't hold that against them. What upset me were the people who flat-out said no if they couldn't cash out on it. People were fighting over money they thought my parents had... money left to me and my sister... money that I refused to sign over. That's what the falling out was about. Bella and I would have been left with nothing if I did that. My parents wouldn't have wanted that any more than they wanted us to split up. Based on those two facts alone, I don't regret anything I did or said."

"I get it, Callum. I know I wished I'd reached out after I left home. Me, Jessa, and Mo talk about that all the time. We've been keeping up with you, though. I see you're doing well for yourself. Bella too. We're proud of you. I know your parents would be proud too."

He stood and headed for the door. His hand lingered on the knob momentarily. Turning, he looked back at me.

"Whether or not you come to the funeral, we'd like to see you and Bella more often. Life is short, and we are family."

I nodded as he walked out the door. Then I pulled out my phone to call Bella.

"Princess, Mommy is working—"

"It's me."

"Oh! What's wrong? Why do you sound like that?"

"I just got a visit from our cousin William. Uncle James is dead."

"Oh... Well, I'm sorry to hear that."

"The funeral is this Saturday at one. He said everyone is meeting at the house around eleven."

"You thinking about going?"

"I don't know, Bells. He told me he misses us."

"Well, we used to be close to them before Aunt Sheila nipped that in the butt."

"I know... How would you feel about going?"

"I'll go if you go, and I want Martin to be there. Somebody has to be able to hold you back if anything happens."

"Maybe you're right. I won't go to the house beforehand, but I'll go to the funeral and burial."

"Okay." She sighed heavily. "This just takes me back to Mama and Daddy dying."

I knew exactly what she was talking about.

It was two weeks after the funeral. My father's lawyer had gathered us together to read his final will and testament. Bella sat beside me on the couch in my father's office with her head resting on my shoulder. She hadn't been herself in days, and I honestly hadn't either. Our house had become a revolving door of relatives coming in and out. Mr. Charles wasn't keen on discussing my father's personal matters in front of everyone, so he brought us in here.

"I'm so sorry for your loss," he said softly. "Your parents were good people. I have known your father for a long time, and he spoke so highly of both of you. He was very proud of you."

"Thank you, Mr. Charles," I said quietly.

"Let's get to it then. Your father had an accountant who kept track of his expenses. He'll be available to help you figure out what you need to do with the money he left you and your sister."

"He left us money?"

"Well, upon his death, everything was supposed to go to your mother had she outlived him. With both of them gone, it defaults to you and Bella. Between his insurance policies at work, retirement benefits, and their personals, there is a total of about $400,000. Since you are of legal age, Callum, that goes to you. This is just my opinion, but that is a lot of money for you to hold on to at such a young age. Maybe it would be better to put it into an account and allow one of your relatives to oversee it until you're older."

I didn't trust that. My relatives were acting suspiciously. They've been over here every day like they were looking for something. I even caught my aunt in my parents' bedroom, searching for something in the closet. She claimed she was looking for something of my mother's that she wanted for a keepsake, but I didn't buy it.

"No. If I did that, Bella and I would have nothing. None of them are willing to take us in without financial compensation. I get that. Taking on an extra mouth is a lot. I can take care of myself, but I have to think about Bella. I have to make sure she's okay, not just for the time being."

I looked down at my sister. Sadness had become a permanent fixture on her face.

"I want to adopt her, Mr. Charles."

"You're eighteen, Callum. You're barely an adult."

"But I'm legally an adult. They have to consider me, right?"

He sighed. "You can be her foster parent at eighteen. There are several requirements, though. You have to have a stable source of income and a place of your own, for example. You can't take Bella on campus with you."

"We can stay here. This is our home."

"Your parents still owe quite a bit on this house, Callum. It would take a chunk of that money to pay it off."

"Then do that. Pay it off and put the house in my name so nobody else can take it or sell it. Put some money aside for Bella and the rest in a savings account. I'll... I'll take some time off from school. I'll get a job. I'll do whatever it takes. They just have to give me time. They can give me time, right?"

He gave me a sympathetic look. "There is a grace period. This won't just be on you. This falls on both of you."

I sat up and turned to my sister. Cupping her face, I kissed her forehead.

"Listen to me, Bella. If I do this, you have to work with me. You have to keep up your grades and listen to what I tell you. I want us to stay together, and I know Mama and Daddy would want that too. We can make this work, but you must do your part, you understand?"

She nodded, tears in her eyes. "I understand."

She was only thirteen at the time. It was a lot asking her to help me keep us together, but we had no other option if someone in the family didn't take her. Mr. Charles talked to us a bit more about what we could expect with the process of fostering Bella. When he left, I sent her to her room so I could get everyone out of our house. It was unusually quiet. I searched until I found my two aunts, my uncle, and a few of my mother's cousins in our den. I was about to make myself known when my aunt Sheila spoke.

"James and I have three kids. If we take them, we should get that money. What are any of you gonna do but run through it anyway?"

"Ha! Like you wouldn't?" That was my aunt Glenda. "Your husband has a good job. You don't need the money, Sheila. You're just greedy. I, on the other hand, am raising two kids by myself. I could use that."

"You live in a two-bedroom apartment, Glenda. Where the hell are they gonna sleep?"

"We could move in here. Callum's gonna be away at school. He isn't gonna be able to keep up with the mortgage. What does an eighteen-year-old need with that type of money? He's gonna blow it. I say we talk him into signing the checks over. We give him a cut and split the rest."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. My parents were barely dead two weeks, and they were already fighting and plotting on money that wasn't even theirs. I'd entered the room, and before my better judgment could kick in, I cursed out everybody and let them know that none of them would see a dime of that money. They had to listen to my thoughts on how disgusting they were as human beings, let alone a supposed "loving" family. Before I put them out, I told them that Bella and I were better off without them. I guess they took that to heart. In seventeen years, nobody made a move to apologize or make amends.

That was fine by me.

I wasn't wrong. Cutting them off was hard. There were times I needed them, and my pride wouldn't let me go back on my word. I sucked it up and did what I had to do to push through. I refused to touch the money I had set aside for Bella or our rainy-day funds. God forbid anything went wrong with the house and I couldn't fix it. Like I said, it was hard, but we came out of it better than we were—no thanks to my family.

Maybe I would go to the funeral; maybe I wouldn't.

I sighed. "At least we're both grown now."

"And I can fight," Bella tossed in.

I shook my head. "Nobody is fighting anybody. If we go, we'll go to pay our respects, then leave."

She kissed her teeth. "Oh, all right. I guess I can do that."

"I'll let you know what I decide by Friday."

"Okay. Are you gonna be fine? I know how you get when you think about back then."

"I promise I'm good. Besides, I have Precious. How can I be sad around a ball of sunshine?"

"I guess you can't. Please call me if you need me."

"I will."

"You won't, but okay. I love you."

"I love you too."

We disconnected the call, and I stood from the couch. Walking down the hall, I entered my bedroom.

"Okay, Precious. How about—"

I stopped when I saw that she was knocked out in my bed. She had the right idea. I was exhausted, and the old saying was to sleep when the baby slept. Well, Precious wasn't a baby, but she was my baby. I lay my body across the end of the bed and closed my eyes. In no time, I was joining my niece in a peaceful slumber.