Candle In The Wind

2 | Purse Full Of Donuts & Crackers

Callum
________

I groaned at the sound of the knock on the door. It's becoming more familiar than I'd like it to be — it felt like the whole town was dropping by with pies and condolences as if Ardley and Celeste were dead. Every knock at the door aggravated me, I was busy enough with all the properties I was working with, hospital papers, and I was behind with my emails.

I was starting to get used to the knocks at the door now, as much as it annoyed me I was starting to get used to it, I barely have a reaction talking to everyone in this town now. It was always the same thing, a pie or some different sort of pastries and a dull apology.

"I'm so sorry about Ardley and Celeste, Cal."

I always politely reminded them that Ardley and Celeste were both still alive and they always stared back at me like I was the one making stuff up. Then I offer them my gratitude for making time in their schedule to see me today as if it benefited either of us, and I would stare at them until they finally walk away.

I was surprised to see Daniel when I opened the door today. I released a small breath of relief. At least one person without flowers and baked pies hoping I'd just fall apart and cry in their arms.

"Daniel." I greeted. "What brings you here?"

He smiled coyly, "Cal."

I shook my head and closed the door behind him, "no, you shouldn't have anything to say to me, Ardley is doing. . ." I took a deep breath, "fine." I said through clenched teeth.

Daniel was our family lawyer, he handled our assets, the will, and any other unexpected issues we might run into. I hadn't seen Daniel, not even a call from him since the accident, though I knew he would know about it. It's a small town, plus he's in touch with my paranoid parents. I was expecting him, I was, but that didn't mean I wanted to see him though.

He nodded, "yes, but you know the protocols, we still have to go through some stuff and prepare."

"Prepare for what?" I snapped. "If it's Ardleys' business you know I can't take over, he's still alive."

"Listen, I wouldn't be here if this wasn't important, I have someone very important who's whole life could change if you'd just listen. She's scared and she's stressed. And the last thing I want to do is stress her out"

"What are you talking about?"

Daniel ignored my question and walked further into the house and started making himself comfortable on the couch. He pushed away a few building sketches that I was looking into and decided on, he had this serious look on his face that had me on edge.

I crossed my arm over my chest and waited for him to start explaining but he only opened his briefcase and started messing with a few files until he found the paper he was looking for. He looked up at me, I didn't understand but if I could try to decipher the look on his face, I'd say it was a brace yourself look.

"Ardley didn't tell you this, but after months of trying for a baby, they couldn't so they looked into surrogates, of course that wasn't going to well either, Celeste didn't have— she wasn't healthy—"

I blinked frustratingly as I frowned. I was completely annoyed at the fact that he couldn't just spit it out.  "What the hell are you talking about?" I cut him off.

Daniel sighed, "when they met her she had nowhere to go, and if you ask me, she was running from something. But she agreed to use her own eggs with Ardley's," he gestured with his eyebrows and a look in his eyes, and I immediately knew what he meant. And it sounded very unorthodox.