Snowfalls, Fires, and Family

Snowfalls, Family, and Fires 5

The next morning, Brian and Karla arrived while the three were sipping coffee, Tabby having stayed overnight. Brian smiled as he parked behind Anna's Jeep and waving at the four that was standing on the porch, having heard the truck that his brother was driving. "Hey guys," he called out as he hopped down out of his truck, Karla carefully climbing down from the passenger side seat.

Tristian smiled and waved, eyeing the clothes that Karla was wearing. She had a rather rich fiancé and had her own modelling career going that she was using to build her own brand, so dressed accordingly. A jacket that probably looked better than it kept her warm with faux fur around her neck and wrists sat over a scarf that looked fluffy and soft, a scarf wrapped around her neck while tight jeans that probably cost Tristian's whole paycheck disappeared into slightly heeled boots.

Shaking his head, he drank some of his coffee and eyed Brian next. The man looked like every other college student going to culinary school. Neatly kept but working on very little money for clothes and shoes. He sipped at his coffee and wondered just why he had bought presents for all of them.

Well at least for Karla. Especially with the look on her face.

The three siblings, still in thick socks and warm night clothes, watched as the two unloaded Brian's covered truck bed, bringing up their suitcases. Karla did another trip once her first two were on the porch and brought back two smaller cases. Brian just gave her an exasperated look and shook his head, putting down the hard case that carried his basic knife set and his larger suitcase.

"Hey there, Brian," Tristian greeted, Anna giving him a hug while Tabby smiled into her coffee, and Markus swallowed his mouthful of drink.

"Hey there. Looking good. Seattle treatin' you well?" Brian asked, smiling at his youngest brother.

"It does," Tristian said, shaking his head. "What about you? How does Phoenix treat you?"

"Pretty good, I suppose," he said, shrugging and hefting his case up. "I'm almost done with school and then I start my paid internship."

Tristian smiled widely and nodded. "Awesome. Let's head on in and you two can claim your rooms. I'm in the master, Anne is in her old room. There's two others that are free to choose from since Aunt Tabby here stays at her own place at night for the most part but took the smallest room for her own. We've been setting up the Christmas decorations since yesterday. We got as far as the big decorations. The tree and the small details are left," he said.

Brian hummed and nodded his head. "Yeah, I could help you guys finish that off," he said, smiling as Karla gave them all a blank look.

She simply sneered softly at them before greeting them. "So, we can choose what bedroom that we want? I want the master then," she stated.

Tristian rolled his eyes, unsurprised. "Since I own the house, I took the master. As I said. You have two other rooms to choose from," he stated, sipping his coffee with a bare smile. "Hello, Karla, how are you? How is life treating you?" he asked, sarcastic, turning around on the ball of his foot and heading inside of the house.

He wasn't going to deal with her attitude any time soon.

Brian, Markus, Anne, and Tabby all raised their eyebrows after him before turning to look at Karla. She was blank faced once more before she picked up two of her bags. "I'm going to go claim my room," she said, voice flat before she stalked up the stairs. The sound of a slamming door made them wince as Tristian decided that if she broke anything she would replace it.

He wasn't going to stand her tantrums just because of something that he had done when they had been kids. Especially when he had been in the right of doing what he had done.