𝒇𝒖𝒍𝒈𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒔 .

          callum  could  keep  pressing ,  but  he  doesn’t .  he  will  let  evan  live  in  that  illusion  for  a  little  longer .  soon ,  he  would  realize  on  his  own  that  kids  grow  up  way  too  fast .  though  he  did  hope  his  nephew  would  be  less  troublesome  than  his  cousins .  “ fine ,  fine . ”  let  it  never  be  said  he  isn’t  a  good  brother .  “ i  knew  you  wouldn’t  let  me  down , ”  he  quips ,  following  his  brother .  “ the  most  important  part .  jasper  thinks  he’s  the  favorite  uncle;  i  have  to  show  him  it’s  not  even  a  close  race . ”  and  he  wasn’t  above  getting  the  little  boy  everything  he  could  possibly  want .  “ what’s  his  favorite  toy  right  now ,  by  the  way ? ”

          “ no  fun , ”  he  admits ,  lips  curving  in  an  easy  smile .  “ i’m  trying  to  protect  my  kids  from  having  videos  of  their  father  badly  dancing  on  their  phone , ”  he  adds  playfully .  truly ,  the  best  parent  in  all  of  willow  glen .  but  the  more  the  woman  talks ,  the  more  his  resolve  wavers .  “ fine ,  fine .  we  can  go ,  but  i’m  getting  at  least  a  drink  out  of  this . ”

          “ come  on ,  it  can  always  get  worse , ”  he  points  out .  it  was  true  to  most  things  in  life;  of  course ,  it  would  be  the  same  with  teenagers  and  college  students .  “ i’m  ready  if  you  are , ”  he  shrugs .  callum  had  put  his  brain  and  ears  —  and  mateo  —  through  enough  for  one  day .  “ where  should  we  go ?  i’m  sure  we  can  find  a  place  crowded  enough  to  drive  you  crazy an put a smile on your face , ”  he  jokes .  

"Gave me a list of dos and don'ts if I want the accident to remain uncovered. Pretty much, need to dot my Is and cross my Ts from here on out." If he didn't, there goes any access to anything Morgan-related, especially funds. Not that he needed their money. With his career, he'd done a lot of investing and would be good on his own for quite some time. He managed it all well. "They're ruthless. I see why grandad hired them ages ago." Archaic and old-school, they passed that mentality on even to the youngest member of their team. "So...you want to tack on to what they already said? Feel free to lay it on me."

          avoiding  is  precisely  the  right  word ,  in  callum’s  opinion;  but  he  has  raised  four  kids ,  and  if  there’s  one  thing  he  has  learned ,  it's  when  to  pick  his  battles .  so ,  he  lets  it  go .  the  truth  is  that  sometimes  grayson  is  too  much  like  he  was  one  day;  reckless  enough  to  do  things  he  shouldn’t ,  but  not  careless  enough  not  to  feel  about  it .  some  would  call  it  karma .  he  can’t  blame  the  kid  for  dodging  him  if  that’s  something  he  would  easily  do  to  his  own  father .  though  he  had  hoped  that  his  kids  would  find  it  easier  to  come  to  him  with  their  problems  than  he  had  found  to  go  to  his  father  in  his  days .  

he  nods  and  moves  closer  to  the  chairs .  those  seats  have  been  witness  to  plenty  of  morgan  conversations .  “ that  sounds  about  right . ”  callum  had  learned  not  to  take  it  personally ,  the  lawyers  were  there  to  protect  the  family .  “ lay  it  on  you ? ”  he  chuckles  and  shakes  his  head  before  he  sits  on  the  chair  next  to  his  son .  “ kid ,  when  have  i  ever  laid  it  on  you ? ”  and  maybe  that’s  the  problem ,  maybe  if  he  had  been  a  little  less  indulgent  with  his  children ,  they  would’t  be  dealing  with  rehabs  and  near  deaths .  he  can  vividly  hear  his  father’s  voice  pointing  that  out .  “ you  know  you  fucked  up ,  yeah ? ”  he  questions ,  eyes  fixed  on  grayson .  “ all  i  need  from  you  is  to  make  sure  that  never  happens  again .  got  it ? ”  he  didn’t  think  he  would  be  able  to  deal  with  seeing  his  son  like  that  again .   

          his  eyes  move  back  to  his  daughter ,  one  eyebrow  rising  before  his  lips  curve  into  a  smile  .  that’s  what  he  gets  for  all  the  love  and  attention  he’s  given  the  girl  throughout  the  years .  having  kids  keeps  being  the  most  humbling  experience  in  life .  “ what  it  matters  is  that  i  look  great  for  my  age , ”  he  counters  playfully .  he’s  nice  enough  to  keep  it  from  her  that  he  wasn’t  the  only  one  who  thought  that .  her  question  brings  a  genuine  smile ,  softer ,  the  kind  only  his  kids  get .  “ i  am , ”  he  nods .  more  due  to  her  company  than  the  acts  of  the  night .  “ we  could ,  but  i  wouldn’t  want  to  ruin  their  trauma  dumping , ”  he  jokes .   

          callum  doesn’t  have  the  same  tact  as  his  friends  and  chuckles  freely .  the  sound  gathers  the  attention  of  a  table  next  to  them  that  apparently  had  been  enjoying  the  presentation  more  than  him ,  he’s  thoughtful  enough  to  apologize ,  though  it’s  anything  but  genuine .  “ i’m  afraid  do  ask  about  the  worst  you’ve  dealt  with . ”  nicky  is  a  strong  man  than  him ,  certainly .  “ i  think  this  will  be  a  one  and  done  for  me . "

      ⋆    𓂃    mateo's  trying  to  be  nice  ,  truly  he  is  ,  but  there's  only  so  much  room  for  patience  when  it's  already  running  quite  thin  compared  to  most  people's  .  “  as  soon  as  literacy  rates  started  droppin'  to  the  goddamn  dirt  ,  ”  sighs  sharply  ,  sipping  on  his  drink  .  “  but  im'ma  take  this  over  a  crowded  bar  any  day  of  the  week  .  ”

          callum  chuckles ,  unable  (and  willing)  to  suppress  the  amusement  at  the  other’s  clear  dissatisfaction .  “ i  don’t  know , ”  he  tilts  his  head  in  faux  thought .  “ if  you  can  dilute  whitman  and  frost  into  Instagram  posts ,  i’m  sure  they’d  be  able  to  read . ”  and  after  a  beat .  “ probably . ”  he  sips  on  his  coffee  and  on  this  he  has  to  disagree .  “ give  me  a  bar  any  day . ”

          callum  shrugs  at  the  question ,  “ why  not ? ”  he  isn’t  as  open  when  the  invitation  is  extended  to  him .  head  shakes  and  he  chuckles .  “ oh ,  believe ,  i’m  not  a  pro .  i’d  be  stepping  on  toes  with  you . ”  it  was  possibly  an  exaggeration ,  but  not  by  far .  “ my  role  here  is  to  sit ,  drink ,  and  offer  moral  support , ”  he  jokes .  

          unfortunately ,  she  is  right ,  and  he  knows .  “ you  know ,  sometimes  i  wish  i  was , ”  he  replies  playfully .  wouldn’t  it  be  great  to  hide  and  avoid  life  problems  sometimes ?  but  it’s  not  something  that  he  can  do .  or  would  do ,  really .  callum  chuckles  at  the  question .  “ i’ve  got  plenty  of  trauma ,  but  if  i  was  a  twenty-something  i’d  rather  drown  those  in  a  good  whiskey  than  share  it  with  the  strangers . ”  it  truly  was  a  different  generation .  “ and  i  still  think  it  works  better . ”

          laugher  rings  and  callum  takes  pity  at  his  younger  brother ,  pulling  his  hand  away .  “ it  really  doesn’t , ”  he  counters ,  adding  another  strawberry  to  their  haul .  “ i  make  a  better  taster  anyway . ”  at  the  mention  of  his  kids ,  he  raises  and  eyebrow .  “ you  do  know  that  one  day  ace  will  be  a  teenager  too ,  right ? ”  and  then  he  would  be  the  one  laughing  at  his  brother’s  faux  pain .  he  talks ,  but  he  adores  his  kids  even  at  their  worst .  “ strawberry  shortcake .  i’ll  take  one  just  for  myself ,  actually . ”

It was terribly humbling to be in this position. Your entire life had been nothing but propped and curated for you, yet you took every chance to go against it. When you did, there was an opportunity, but instead of handling it with care, ego and pride took over with unmarked invincibility that no level of discernment could keep him from crashing and burning. On the brink of death was what it took for a wake-up call. Sprinkle that with the disappointment that came from the Morgan family, and all Grayson wanted to do was run for the hills. But he had to heal, so the doctors claimed, and what better place to do that than at home? 

A morning spent with the family attorney provided an unending list of ultimatums and demands requested to see from him in the next three months. Sighing as he wandered off into the yard, he was surprised to see his father out back. They hadn't really shared many words despite living in the same building. What was there to be said at this point? "Hey," he states gruffly. "What are you doing here?

          the  manor’s  yard  has  changed  since  his  boyhood  days ;  subtle  changes  in  the  decor  and  new  flowers  where  old  ones  were ,  but  it  somehow  feels  the  same .  callum  stands  under  the  texas  weather ,  eyes  out  on  the  horizon ,  and  mind  somewhere  further .  it’s  still  too  hard  to  think  about  the  boy  inside  —  no ,  the  man ,  grayson  is  a  man  in  his  own  right  —  without  being  taken  back  to  the  worst  phone  call  he  has  ever  received  and  the  days  spent  in  a  hospital  hall ,  wondering  if  his  son  would  be  okay .  the  same  son  who  had  been  avoiding  him  like  the  plague .  the  joys  of  fatherhood .  

he  hears  the  door  and  the  steps ,  recognizing  them  immediately .  his  kids  like  to  think  callum  knows  them  less  than  he  actually  does ,  but  that’s  okay  with  him .  it  only  means  he  gets  to  catch  them  off  guard .  “ hey . ”  blue  eyes  find  the  younger  morgan ,  and  he  sees  the  tension  that  no  doubt  comes  from  the  conversation  that  happened  inside .  callum  knows  the  feeling  well ,  lived  through  many  of  those  in  his  youth ,  and   tried  his  best  to  protect  his  kids  from  that .  he’s  not  always  succeeded .  “ i  heard  my  kid  might  be  here , ”  he  says  unhurried .  “ figured  if  he  won’t  stop  avoiding  me ,  i’ll  just  force  him . ”  he  serves  grayson  with  a  pointed  look  before  he  nods  toward  the  imposing  manor  behind  them .  “ how  bad  was  it ? ”

open starter from raven harte ( accepting ! )

location: line dancing night at frank's

          callum  brings  his  glass  to  his  lips ,  blue  hues  taking  in  the  crowd  of  people  already  letting  themselves  be  taken  by  the  rhythm .  he  had  once  been  good  at  it  —  it  almost  makes  him  feel  old .  “ well ,  no  better  day  to  learn  than  today , ”  he  points  out .

open starter from evander morgan ( accepting ! )

          strawberry  picking  wasn’t  high  on  callum’s  list  of  events ,  really  .  it  had  once  been ,  when  his  kids  were  much  younger ,  and  the  idea  of  getting  their  own  strawberries  was  still  enticing ,  but  his  youngest  was  thirteen ,  and  cal  doesn’t  think  the  boy  was  capable  of  finding  anything  interesting .  still ,  his  brother  had  been  able  to  convince  him  to  come  along .  “ all  red ,  got  it , ”  he  nods ,  picking  a  strawberry  and  throwing  it  at  the  basket .  “ me ? ”  he  says  with  a   single  eyebrow  raised .  “ no ,  no ,  no .  i’m  not  making  anything ,  my  baby  brother  will  do  all  the  cooking  and  baking , ”  he  grins  and  ruffles  evander’s  hair  as  if  they’re  still  boys .  

Jasper’s house actually felt like a home when he had his family over. It was rare that they were all there together because of conflicting schedules and the fact that some of the younger members would rather do their own thing than spend time with their bachelor uncle.

He had invited Callum for drinks- something which they tried to arrange often- and they’d end up talking about stuff until time ran away with them. They would reminisce, talk about their day, discuss their futures… They weren’t afraid of even the more uncomfortable conversations either and Jasper always appreciated Callum’s perspective on things, especially familial matters.

As usual, Callum would let himself in and Jasper would be found on the sofa, dressed in just a shirt and trousers- his jacket and shoes discarded hours ago. He was already a few sips into a glass of whisky, needing it after what had felt like an incredibly long day. Thank God for the weekend.

“Hey!” He exclaimed, getting to his feet. He approached his brother with a broad grin and embraced him, whether Callum liked it or not. Jasper had always been affectionate and he was never going to change. “I’m glad you’re here, kid. Let me get you a glad of something. What will you have?”

the  way  to  the  morgan  estate  had  been  ingrained  in  his  mind ;  he  hadn’t  lived  in  the  manor  in  decades  —  happy  to  let  his  older  brother  take  it  as  the  current  head  of  the  family  — ,  but  it  had  been  home  for  a  long  while .  in  a  way ,  it  still  was .  it  was  the  reason  why  he  didn’t  bother  ringing  a  doorbell  or  waiting  for  a  formal  invitation ;  instead ,  he  just  let  himself  in .  callum  knew  that  jasper  wouldn’t  have  it  any  other  way ,  and  if  he  did ,  well ,  he  would  do  it  anyway  if  only  to  annoy  his  big  brother .  for  old  time's  sake .  

he  let  his  shoes  by  the  door  before  moving  deeper  into  the  house ,  knowing  exactly  where  to  find  his  brother .  “ couldn’t  even  wait  for  me ? ”  he  quipped ,  lips  curled  in  a  playful  grin  as  he  accepted  his  older  brother’s  hug .  the  man  had  always  been  more  physical  with  his  affections  than  even  their  parents  were ,  but  cal  was  used  to  jasper’s  ways .  just  like  he  had  gotten  used  to  the  nickname  that  had  annoyed  him  to  no  end  when  he  had  been  all  of  ten  years  old  and  trying  to  prove  to  his  much  older  brother  that  he  could  tag  along  with  him  and  his  friends .  “ i’ll  have  what  you’re  having , ”  he  nodded  toward  the  tumbler .  “ as  long  as  it’s  one  of  mine , ”  he  joked .