Tristan
My brothers and I have been getting together more often lately, outside of work and board meetings, just existing in the same space without an agenda, and it’s been good.
Really good, actually. We’re finding our way back to something that got lost somewhere in the years of slowly drifting apart, and I hadn’t realized how much I missed it until we started hanging out together again.
Tonight though, I can’t seem to just fucking relax and enjoy it.
I stare into my whiskey glass while the others’ conversation goes in one ear and out the other.
Reid’s nudge brings me back to the present, his concerned gaze fixed on me. “Hey. What’s up with you? You’ve been quiet all evening.”
I offer a strained smile, ready to brush off his observation.
Every instinct I have pulls toward the short answer, the one that closes the question off before it gets anywhere.
I’ve been giving that answer my whole life and I’m good at it.
But I think about my father, who gave that answer every single time until the day he died, and my jaw goes tight.
That stops here.
These are my brothers, my confidants, and it’s time they knew the truth. I won’t be like my father, keeping this shit to myself. I take a deep breath, getting ready for what I’m about to reveal.
“I need to tell you all something,” I say, loud enough to pull the others in. They stop talking and turn to listen as I continue, my voice level despite the mess inside me. “I found something in Dad’s files. Something that changes everything.”
As I lay out the details of what I’ve learned, I can see the shock on their faces. Gabriel’s face goes tight with concern, while Reid’s eyes widen. But I press on, determined to share this with them.
“I didn’t want to believe it at first, but it’s true. Dad was sick again. And I think he knew… I think he knew he was going to die.”
The words stick a bit in my throat, but it’s a relief to say them out loud, in a way. I may not have all the answers, but at least now I’m not facing this alone.
It’s Gabriel who breaks the silence. “It does make sense.” His tone is thoughtful, his brows pinched.
“I remember when Dad was going through treatment the first time. There were moments when things just felt… off. I didn’t fully understand it then, but looking back, a lot of it starts to fit together. ”
Beckett’s voice cuts through the salty breeze drifting over Gabriel’s rooftop deck. “Honestly, I always felt a bit abandoned by Dad.” He grunts under his breath. “That man distanced himself from us constantly.”
Dominic nods in agreement, his expression hard. His reaction is understandable, considering he always had the most strained relationship with our father. “Yeah, he did. Kept us all at arm’s length.”
“It’s too damn bad he never let anyone in,” Reid mutters, leaning against the bar. He tips his head all the way back, as if to look at the sky. “He missed out on a good thing.”
I smile despite myself. There’s some truth there.
“You’re right,” I say. “He did miss out. But we don’t have to make the same mistakes. We look out for each other from here on out. All five of us. No more keeping shit to ourselves because it feels easier. Whatever comes, we handle it together. We’re a team. A family.”
Dominic raises his glass, an uncharacteristic grin on his face. “You know what? I’ll fucking drink to that.”
“Hear, hear,” Beckett chimes in.
All of our glasses come together in a series of clinks, the sound of rattling ice echoing off the floor-to-ceiling windows of Gabriel’s house. It’s a small gesture, but it feels like a big one, a promise to each other that we’ll do things differently than he did.
As the evening goes on, what I told them lingers in the air.
The good mood everyone seemed to have at the start gives way to a thoughtful silence, each of us getting lost in our own heads.
It helps to have gotten that all off my chest, and I feel a bit lighter, but the grim topic has definitely brought down the mood.
Gabriel clears his throat after a while. “Should we call it a night?”
There’s a chorus of agreement, and we get to our feet, exchanging claps on the shoulder as we say our goodbyes.
As we start to make our way out, I catch sight of a new addition to Gabriel’s collection. It’s a striking piece, an abstract sculpture in black and gold, standing out brilliantly against the muted tones of the room. The intricate design draws me in, compelling me to stop and admire it.
Gabriel notices my interest and steps up beside me. “It’s new,” he says, a hint of pride in his voice. “I picked it up last week from a sculptor at an art show in Paris.”
The colors remind me of Chloe, her love of gold and black. I can picture it perfectly in our home, something she’d absolutely adore.
“I want to buy it from you,” I tell Gabriel, my mind made up.
He frowns. “Really? I just got it.”
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
“It’s for Chloe,” I admit. I clear my throat and add, “She would love it. It’s perfect for her.”
All of my brothers raise their eyebrows in surprise at that. Reid is the first to chime in, a teasing grin on his face. “Since when did you get so into art, Tristan? I thought your taste was limited to corporate décor.”
Dominic chuckles, adding, “Must be some woman to make you want to buy a piece like that.”
Beckett crosses his arms with a wry grin. “I never pegged you for the romantic type. What’s next? Poetry readings?”
Gabriel smirks, clearly enjoying the moment. “Well, if it’s for Chloe, I suppose I could let it go. But it’s going to cost you. Let’s say… five hundred thousand.”
I know he’s inflating the price by at least a dozen times what he paid for it, but I don’t care. This is for my wife, and it’s worth it. “Deal,” I respond without hesitation.
Gabriel’s smile falters for a split second before he recovers. “Oh. Well, shit. I was not expecting you to go for that.”
Reid whistles, shaking his head. “Too bad. You can’t back out of the deal now, Gabe.”
“No, I guess not.” He chuckles, shaking his head. “Fine, it’s yours. For a ridiculous sum of money.”
“It’s not about the money,” I reply, a small smile playing on my lips.
All four of my brothers laugh at that, and Reid claps me on the shoulder, grinning widely. “Fuck, you must really have it bad for her.”
I don’t respond to their teasing, just pull out my phone and transfer the money to Gabriel.
After a quick confirmation from him, I pluck the statuette from the side table, shooting him a wink.
He gives me a look that’s both amused and mildly annoyed as we all make our way to the front door, but he doesn’t protest. Hell, out of all my brothers, he probably knows better than any of them how I’m feeling.
He’s the only other one of us who’s been married before.
“Enjoy your overpriced art,” he calls after me with a smirk as we leave.
Chuckling, I give him a mock salute as my brothers head to their cars. “I will.”
I drove myself tonight, so I slide in behind the wheel of my Audi, my mind still buzzing with everything that’s happened. I tuck the sculpture carefully into the passenger seat and buckle it in place.
As I start the engine and head back home, Reid’s words echo in my mind. “You must really have it bad for her.”
It shouldn’t be such a remarkable thing, falling in love. But it is, simply because I never saw it coming. This marriage was supposed to be a business arrangement, a way to secure our futures and strengthen the company. Chloe… she’s become so much more than that.
I’m falling for my wife, and there’s not a damn thing I can do to stop the fall. Not that I want to.
I pull the Audi into my driveway, keying in the passcode at the front gate and rolling past the lawn. I park in front of the wide garage doors and sit in the car for a moment, letting that realization sink in.
It’s both terrifying and fucking amazing, the thought that my life is so fundamentally connected to someone else’s now.
I step out, the night air crisp around me, and head inside, anxious to see Chloe.
Because now, more than ever, I want to show her just how much she means to me.
As I stride into the house, I find her on the couch.
She looks gorgeous and comfortable, her legs tucked beneath her and her hair loosely pulled back from her face.
My chest squeezes at the sight of her. Carefully setting down the black and gold statuette on the kitchen counter, I move into the living room.
I stride over to the couch, not even bothering to take off my jacket, and sit down beside her.
Without a word, I tug her onto my lap. Chloe yelps in surprise, her eyes widening for a moment, then melts against me as I bury my face in her hair.
The scent of her shampoo fills my senses as her warmth seeps into me, and I tighten my arms around her, running my nose up the line of her neck.
She shivers under my touch and then draws back, concern and curiosity mingling in her eyes. “How did it go? Telling your brothers, I mean.”
I take a deep breath, feeling the weight of the evening’s revelations settle into a more manageable load. “It was okay. I’m glad they know now. It felt good to finally get it off my chest.”
Her fingers trace patterns on my arm as she nods. “How did they take it?”
“They were shocked, of course,” I admit, leaning back against the couch and pulling her closer. “But I think it brought us closer together. We’re all still processing it, but we made a pact to have each other’s backs from now on. No more secrets.”
“I’m proud of you,” she whispers softly, her words wrapping around my heart and making it swell.
Then she glances over at the kitchen counter and spots the black and gold statuette. Her eyebrows lift in surprise. “What’s that?”
I follow her gaze and feel a surge of satisfaction. “I got it for you.”
Her eyes widen, a touch of dusky rose painting her cheeks. “For me?”
“Yeah. I saw it at Gabriel’s place and knew you’d love it.”
She climbs off my lap and walks over to the statuette, her fingers gently tracing the intricate details. When she turns back to me, her eyes are shining. “It’s beautiful, Tristan. I love it. Thank you so much.”
I stand up and walk over to her. “I’m glad you like it,” I say, wrapping my arms around her from behind and resting my chin on her shoulder.
“I more than like it,” she breathes, leaning back into me. “It’s perfect.” We stand there for a moment before she turns in my arms and looks up at me, her eyes filled with affection. “You didn’t have to do this, but I’m really glad you did.”
“I wanted to.” I brush a strand of hair from her face. “You deserve nice things.” I pause for a moment, then ask curiously, “Why are your favorite colors black and gold?”
“Oh.” She’s quiet for a few seconds. “When I was younger, probably around thirteen, I found an injured warbler near our house. It was so beautiful, with its glossy black wings and gold head. But one of its wings was hurt. The feathers were all ruffled the wrong way, and it couldn’t fly.
I couldn’t just leave it there, so I put it in a shoebox and kept it in the pool shed. ”
Chloe’s voice softens with nostalgia as she recalls the memory, her eyes distant.
“I made a little nest for it, and brought it worms to eat. And after around a week, it flew off. It seemed so delicate, but it was strong. It healed so fast. That always stuck with me. I wanted to be like that bird.”
She clears her throat, turning to face me.
“When I started to lose my hearing, I thought about that bird a lot. It didn’t pity itself. It just kept surviving, bringing beauty into the world despite its fragility. I wanted to be like that.”
“You bring more beauty into the world than anyone I know,” I tell her.
She laughs softly, a slightly self-conscious sound. “Not according to Iris.”
I go very still. “What?”
“I still see her at Ashbury Athletic sometimes.” She says it lightly, waving a hand like it’s nothing.
“The other day I overheard her talking shit about my clothes, my hair, and whatever else. Standard mean girl shit.” She shakes her head with a wry smile.
“Honestly, maybe one of the upsides of eventually going deaf is not having to listen to bitchy women like that anymore.”
She laughs again, seeming to let it go, but as I stand there with my arms around her, anger settles in my chest, cold and hard.
Nobody talks about my wife like that. Fucking nobody.