Call Me Sir

restoring family ties

Cameron.

Everything has been going down south. Whether it's been my love life, my professional life, my personal life, all of it wasn't coming up Cameron anymore. Alyssa doesn't trust me, a new rival company just started and is taking my clients and jeopardizing my entire career, my brother called to let me know my mom has been shot.

After I left the cafeteria 4 days ago with Alyssa, I went straight to the office to clear my head, rethinking everything that has been going on lately. And literally within a few hours, Brandon calls and says 'bro we got a problem. Mom is laying in ICU with a bullet wound to the neck'. He hanged up and left me hanging with a sore heart and a messed up mind that couldn't even comprehend anything. Rain was pouring outside and thunder storms appeared in the sky, my mom's face appeared countless times in my head, proving to me what a coward I was. I wasn't man enough to be there for her, to protect her, when all she did was care for me and my brother, and raising us without a father wasn't a easy job to do. Brandon blamed me for it obviously, reminding me that I was almost never there, never visiting or calling to even say how much I loved them.

Your head is constantly in your work. When are we going to be good enough for you?

Are we as important to you as your status? As your wealth?

Is mom not good enough for you to even visit or even fucking leave a call or a voice message to tell her how much you love her, or even fucking miss her.

You're too busy fucking whores who wants nothing but your wallet!

His dissaponted voice rang through my mind like a broken record that's been playing over and over again. He was right. I spun around in my chair and motioned toward my glass wall in my office, watching the beautiful lighting appear in the sky, the droplets of rain running races and marathons down my window.

I was always too busy for my family.

And now I'm too much of a coward to go back.

Alyssa needed me. My mom did, and so did Brandon. Not that they were poor- no. My dad left us enough. And even left my mom multiple companies that were all written in her name, that Brandon was helping her out with. They were well off, but that didnt mean I had to shut them out.

With a heavy heart and pride being my middle name, I was too confident to call them, but my mind was made up. I had to. With shaky hands I dialed in the number and waited for him to pick up.

Please pick up, please pick up.

"Cameron," he said with a sigh, I wasn't sure if it was out of relief or out of annoyance, "You called."

"Yeah," I sighed too, the conversation hadn't even begin and it was already awkward, "How's-"

"Mom's okay, if that's what you're asking, she's always been strong, where do you think we get it from?" He tried making light of the situation with a heavy laugh, but the seriousness was laced in his tone of voice completely.

"Brandon I-"

"You dont have to say anything Cameron," he paused, "I get you're going through alot, your business, Alyssa-"

"Wait, how do you know?"

"Cam, secrets haven't always been your best trait," he laughed, "You posted it on social media, and right before you took it off I had managed to come across it. She's beautiful."

"I know, trust me, I know," I sighed out again, this wasn't where I wanted our conversation to go. I didnt want it being about me, things were always about me, "Brandon-"

"And y'know, if I'm being ho-"

"Brandon I-"

"My gym session the other day had me-"

"Brandon."

"But that's life, yanno-"

"BRANDON LISTEN TO ME," I growled out over the phone and I could hear him swallow. He stayed silent as his breathing slowly started regulating, "I've been a very bad brother, I haven't been there for you when you needed my support, I left mom when she started drinking, I couldn't even provide for you when you needed a moral support buddy. I wasn't there for you when you first started high school, I wasn't there for you when you needed your older brother to show you how to play football, I wasn't there for your first game, I wasn't there when you graduated, and I-"

"Cameron its oka-" his voice started cracking and I knew this was a topic he wasn't ready to discuss but he was going to have to suck it up because I needed to put my pride aside when it came to the people I loved. I wasn't prepared to lose Alyssa, and I'm definitely not prepared to lose my only family.

"-Let me finish," I said sternly, "Im sorry for letting you down, I'm sorry for letting mom down, I'm fucking sorry for everything!" The tears were brimming my eyelids and I was ready to let the waterworks come, "I'll try my best to be a better person. Ill be your brother 2.0," I laughed, but he just remained silent, "I'll be there for you. Always."

My heart was aching and my brain was over clouded with wishful thinking. Images of me and Brandon started popping up of when we were kids, playing together, and then images of us together now, as grownups. This was where I was going to put my personal life before my professional one and start treating my family like... family.

The line went quiet, nobody spoke, as our breathing seemed to calm down. My heartbeat stilled, and my palms weren't so sweaty and the hair that clung to my forehead were anxiously moved out of my way as I waited for a response. He could've disowned me right now, could say that he doesn't forgive me, never will. He could hate me for the way I treated them, he could despise me even.

And I wouldn't blame him. It's the least he could do.

"Come visit us," he said softly. His voice seemingly starting to crack and I knew he had put his pride away and swallowed everything he had to say.

I breathed out, "Thank you, Brandon."

"Just," he blew out a puff of air, "Dont let us go this time."

"I promise."

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