Chapter 6 - Family

December 22nd is the final workday of the year. Or rather, it is the last day our office is open until January 10th. As I submitted my work to Erica, I opened the calendar application on my laptop, and a smile worked its way onto my face. Our team may have been behind schedule for months, but we managed to pull ahead and complete everything by the 22nd. I did not think it was possible, but it looks like we won't have to work during vacation.

"It's cold outside tonight. I'm glad we won't be having to make this commute again, at least for a little while." Standing up behind me, Matt began to pack away his computer.

"Well, it is winter now. If I were you, I would just be happy there is no snow to make our commute worse. Although maybe I'm mistaken, and you would like to see snow for the first time. We could even get one of those pictures taken of you and Bell together, where you celebrate a child's first Christmas."

"Ehhh… You know if you have seen it before, I have too. Right?"

"Yeah, I know." Chuckling to myself, I look over my shoulder to see Charles and Erica walking toward us.

"Well, everyone, I guess it is time for our last group meeting of the year." Pulling up a chair, Erica sat down, and the three of us turned to face her.

"Looking at the hard due date of January 10th, I am proud to say we managed to finish everything by our goal completion date of… today. All of our hard work these last few months has paid off, and we can spend the next few weeks relaxing before coming back to the office in January."

"That sounds great to me!" Charles spoke up from behind Erica with a massive grin on his face.

"For the longest time, I thought we would be working from home throughout the entire holiday. But this means that I will get to spend it with Lilac instead. Since this is the only extended vacation we have at the same time, I'll be sure to enjoy every moment."

"Well, that has got to make you excited. I'll be sure to spend my time off relaxing after working nonstop for so long." Returning his smile, I grabbed my laptop from the desk beside me and slid it into my briefcase.

"Taking it easy for once does sound nice, although you should try to make some memories during the holiday if you can too. Otherwise, it may slip away before you know it."

"I will be sure to do that then."

As I finished clearing off my desk, the four of us made our way to the elevator and headed down for the final time this year. Stepping outside, a bitter gust of winter air bit my face, hitting me like a wall. Although I would be lying to say it was unpleasant. The feeling is almost refreshing, like a sobering wave to let you know the workday is over or a cold shower to wake you up in the morning.

"Hey, James." Erica tapped on my shoulder as we entered the subway and pulled me away from the group.

"What's up?"

"I uh… I was wondering if you had any plans over the break, like to visit family. Or if you would be staying here for the holidays?"

That is a good question. Looking over my shoulder, I see Matt talking to Charles as the two of them wait for our train. Normally I would head home to visit family for a couple of days, but I'm not sure I want to leave Matt and Bell alone together in the apartment for that long. As Erica looked at me for an answer, her face started to turn red from the cold. I wonder if mine looks the same.

"Well, I was originally planning on heading home if I could. But, on second thought, I will probably stay here instead."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, if we didn't finish the project today, I would have stayed anyway."

"Aha, well, that makes two of us then." Taking a step to the side, Erica leaned forward and whispered in my ear.

"Seeing as neither of us have any work to complete over the break, we should meet up and do something. Like how Charles said to enjoy our time together before it slips away."

"Y-Yeah, we should do something like that then." As I stuttered in agreement, her train pulled into the station, and the two of us waved each other goodbye.

Going somewhere together outside of work? I'm not even sure where to suggest. Turning around to rejoin Matt and Charles, a shiver went down my spine, and my face felt warm. I guess that means it couldn't be red from the cold.

"Hey, Where did you run off to? I almost thought we lost you for a second there!" Charles' eyes lit up as the three of us boarded our train together.

"Ah, I was just talking to Erica. She said I should take your advice and use this vacation to do something around town. Do you have any suggestions?"

"Hmm, that is a good question." As the train started to pull away, Charles sat next to me and began looking at various seasonal events around the city on his phone.

"Oh! The light show at the zoo. I like that one a lot. Most of the animals are asleep, and the park hours are extended so you can walk around and enjoy the festive decorations. Although it gets a little cold considering, everything happens outside at night. I know Lilac prefers the holiday event at the aquarium. They only allow adults in on Christmas eve, and the lights are lowered to make everything more relaxing. Watching the jellyfish glow in the dark is a special experience. If you are looking for something to do, I don't think you can go wrong with either of those places."

"I'll keep those in mind then. Thanks, Charles."

As the train came to our stop, the three of us exited the subway and began to walk home in silence. The sound of our dress shoes hitting the pavement in rhythm is somewhat relaxing, but it won't stand up to the relief of taking them off after a long day of work. Turning around the corner and walking up the stairs to our apartment, I felt a numbing sensation with each step. I definitely won't be missing moments like these over the break.

"Well, here we are. James, Matt, it's been a pleasure working with both of you over the last few months." Charles stopped at his door and waved the two of us goodbye.

"Yeah, I'll look forward to catching up with you in a couple of weeks." As I waved back, Matt hurried forward to unlock our apartment, and the two of us stepped inside.

Closing the door behind me, a sudden wave of warmth hit my face like a wall. Although I would be lying to say it was unpleasant. The feeling is somewhat relaxing, indicating the workday is officially over, and I am safe at home. Sitting down to take my shoes off, a second wave of relief rushed over me.

"Hey, James. Whose shoes are these?" Lying on the floor next to Matt are a pair of women's athletic shoes and a computer bag.

"I don't know. They look familiar, though. Maybe Bell invited someone over today?"

"He must have."

Making my way down the hallway and into the living room, I am greeted by the sound of laughter as Bell and Callie play a game together on the TV. Taking a step forward, I felt a little jealous of what was going on. I didn't know the two of them were friends, but I guess it makes sense considering Bell knows everyone I do. Although I still wish Callie would have told me she was planning on dropping by.

"Oh, James, welcome home!" Bell paused the game and turned around to look at me.

"Today was your last day of work for the year, right?"

"Yeah, it was. What are the two of you doing together?"

"Ah, well… I wanted to talk with you sometime today, James. But you were not home from work when I got here, so I hung out with Bell for a while." As Callie put her controller down, she stood up and started to walk toward me.

"But now that you are here, I guess we can get started."

"What did you want to talk about?" Looking around the room in confusion, I stepped aside as she walked past me towards the front door.

"Go grab your laptop and meet me at the dining table. We can work from there."

"What?"

As I followed her into the hallway, Matt walked past me and into the living room. Picking my briefcase up off the floor, I grabbed my computer and entered the dining room. It's strange that Callie would come here for help during winter break. Now that I think about it, the last time she asked me for help was months ago when Matt and Bell appeared. I wonder if she still remembers how upset I got that night. Thinking back, it would be pretty hard to forget. What did she ask me for again? I think it was something like-

"Have you applied for med school yet?" As she entered the dining room, Callie set her laptop on the table and plugged her charger into the wall.

"Ah… no. I've been busy with work for a while now, so I ended up forgetting completely."

"Well, it's a good thing I caught you tonight then. I wanted to apply at the same time as you if I could, but the deadline for applications at the local university is tomorrow afternoon." Callie pulled two chairs back at the table, sitting down in one and motioning for me to take the other.

"From what I heard Bell say earlier, you are on vacation for a couple of weeks now. So I would imagine you have time to apply with me tonight. Unless you changed your mind and no longer want to…"

"... I'm not sure I have any chance of getting in this year since nothing has changed from the last time I applied. Besides, I'm also kind of enjoying my current job, so-" As I began to stutter out reasons not to apply, Callie looked up at me and sighed.

"Do you still want to go to med school?"

"Yes, of course I do."

"Then, do you want to apply with me tonight?"

"Sure… I guess the worst outcome is I get told no again." Sitting down next to Callie, I open my laptop and turn to see her smiling at me.

"I was hoping you would say that. The last two times I talked to you about school, it seemed like you had given up, and that made me really worried for you. But I'm glad I was wrong. At the end of the day, all we can do is try our hardest. Of course, it will hurt if we don't get accepted. But we can still take pride in being able to say there was nothing more we could do."

Sitting back in my chair, a wave of emotions rolled over me. What Callie said sounded almost exactly like what Matt told Charles and I months ago when things were looking bad at work and we were ready to give up. But now, after everything, I am enjoying work, or at least I can find pride in my efforts there. Had I actually given up on med school, and if so, when? Was it the moment I got rejected? Was my determination so weak that I ran away after the first sign of failure? The reasons I am enjoying work now are partially due to the effort I put in, but I also got lucky in uncontrollable ways. I guess that means the situation with med school is no different.

"Yeah, we can't control the future. But we can change the present to set ourselves up for happiness, both now and later." As I muttered a response under my breath, Callie looked at me with a confused expression.

"Did you say something?"

"Sorry, just thinking out loud. Are you ready to get started then?"

"Yeah, that sounds good to me."

Facing my computer once more, the mood in the room lightened, and the two of us began to help each other fill out our applications. When I left the office today, I thought I was done with work for the year, yet here I am after hours filling out various forms. Although much like the time I spent in the office today, it did not actually feel like I was working. As Callie and I distracted each other with jokes and laughter, the time seemed to pass like it was nothing. Do the people surrounding you at work affect your perception of the job this much?

"Aaaand… Submitted. That wasn't too bad, was it?" Closing the lid to her laptop, Callie turned to me and smiled.

"No, not bad at all. It was nice having you here to keep me company. Although filling out all those forms has got me feeling a little tired."

"I'm happy to hear that, James. If everything works out for us, the effort we put in now will be more than worth it later."

As Callie stood up and started packing her computer away, I walked into the kitchen and poured myself a glass of water. It's not good to get my hopes up on everything working out for me. That is what happened last year, and it got me nowhere. At the same time, I need to keep trying, or failure will become certain. This whole process is exhausting.

"Ah, it's 10 pm." Glancing at the oven clock, I suddenly realized why I felt tired.

"Haha, yeah, that took a bit longer than I was expecting. Luckily both of us are on break, so we can stay up later and sleep in if we want." Pushing our chairs in, Callie turned around and looked out the kitchen window.

"It's really dark out there, huh?"

"Yeah, It's probably pretty cold too." Walking over to join her, I peered outside at the streetlights illuminating the sidewalk and the parking lot.

"Do you have any other plans tonight or tomorrow morning?"

"Hm?" Callie turned to look at me with a confused expression.

"If you don't, I was wondering if you wanted to stay here a bit later and do something together? Other than filling out school applications, that is."

Hearing the TV faintly in the background, I was reminded of Bell and Callie having fun earlier and how I wanted to join them. Now that all my work was finally out of the way, I could do just that. Of course, I can only spend time with others if they want to spend time with me as well.

"Sure, I would love to!" In a matter of seconds, Callie's confusion was replaced by a smile.

"Earlier, I was learning how to play a game with Bell since he told me it was one of your favorites. But I'm not very good at it yet, so maybe we could watch a movie instead?"

"A movie sounds nice. I'll go ahead and get a streaming service pulled up on the TV. Do you want any snacks?" Opening the pantry, I grabbed a package of microwavable popcorn.

"Sure, I can make that while you get the movie ready." Taking the bag, Callie began to punch numbers into the microwave.

As I made my way to the living room, I remembered what she said about playing games with Bell. Even though I have not had any time to play over the last few months, Bell claimed to know what kind of games I liked. Is that because the three of us enjoy the same things? And if so, would those kinds of shared emotions relate to my thoughts regarding work and school?

"Hey, James. Did you get everything sorted out?" Standing up from the couch, Bell powered the TV off and turned to face me.

"Yeah, both of us sent our applications to the local university. All we can do now is hope and wait."

"Well, it's out of your hands, so there is no point in losing sleep over what we can't control." Leaning forward in his seat, Matt jumped up and patted Bell on the back.

"The two of us are probably going to head to bed for the night. I know I'm feeling exhausted after wrapping everything up at work today."

"Ah, I was just about to invite you guys to watch a movie with Callie and I." Walking toward the TV, I changed the input on the back to pick up a streaming service from my phone.

"I think I'm feeling tired as well. Sorry, James. But don't let the two of us stop you from having a good time." Throwing up a hand to wave goodbye, Bell followed Matt out of the room.

If Matt and Bell are going to bed, then I better pick something I think Callie would like to watch. If I remember correctly, she likes the supernatural genre and vampire stories. Sitting down on the couch, I began to scroll through different movies with those themes, trying to find one that both of us would enjoy. Leaning against the armrest and reclining, I began to feel relaxed for the first time tonight. In my opinion, the seats at the end of a couch are far more comfortable than the alternative center seats. Maybe it is because of the armrest or the reduced number of people that can sit next to you. Regardless of the reasoning, I don't think I would choose a different place to sit if the option was available.

"Did you pick a movie?" Sitting down next to me, Callie set a steaming bowl of popcorn in the empty seat to her left and grabbed a blanket pulling it over both of us.

"Yeah, I think you will like it."

As I pressed play, Callie shifted closer toward me, and the blanket's warmth made its way throughout my entire body. Maybe it was because I had a long day or because I had no plans for tomorrow. But in this moment, I felt nothing other than comfort and exhaustion. Resting my head against the back of the couch, I closed my eyes, and the movie faded into the background.

"Hey, hey, James."

"Hm?"

"The movie is over. Did you sleep well?"

As I came to, someone was tapping me lightly on the leg. Oh shit, I fell asleep while watching the movie with Callie. Did she know and just let me sleep through the whole thing anyway? Partially opening my eyes, I looked at the TV and saw the credits scrolling sideways. What is my head resting on? Sitting upright, I looked at where I was lying and jolted backward in shock.

"I'm so sorry. I must have fallen onto you while I was unconscious!"

"Ahh, don't worry about it. My shoulder feels fine, and if it gives you better sleep, I am more than willing to do it again sometime." Lightly yawning, Callie shifted forward in her seat and began to stretch her arm out.

"It's getting pretty late, though, and I'm a little tired myself. So I better head home before I end up crashing here."

"Do you want me to walk you to your apartment? It's the least I can do." Looking at my phone, it's almost 1 am. Did she really let me sleep like that without saying anything for three hours?

"Ah, you don't need to do that. I live close to here anyway. But thank you for offering." Pulling the covers off of herself, Callie stood up and started gathering her things to leave.

"Hey, Callie… Thanks for coming over tonight. It meant a lot to me. I know you wanted my help applying to med school for the first time, but I think you ended up helping me more. And even though I slept through the movie, just getting to spend time with you was nice." Standing up, I turned on the lights to see her smiling at me.

"Of course, and don't worry about falling asleep. I had fun all the same. Although, if you are feeling guilty, feel free to invite me over for another movie anytime. My schedule is open for the rest of winter break."

"Well, I might just have to do that then."

As the two of us made our way to the front entrance, Callie slid her shoes on and leaned forward to give me a hug. Opening the door, a gust of cold air pushed its way into the apartment, exchanging all the warmth for a winter breeze. Stepping outside, she threw up a hand to wave goodbye and began her walk home.

-click-

Closing the door and locking it behind her, I made my way back to the living room and began to clean up from the movie. Most of the popcorn remained uneaten. Although that was probably my fault for suggesting we make it and then falling asleep before eating any of it. As I turned off the lights and shuffled into my bedroom, I threw my clothes on the chair next to my desk and climbed into bed. The sheets were cold, and the mattress did not seem as comfortable as the couch had earlier.

-ding-

Looking at my phone, I received a message from Callie letting me know that she got home safely. That is comforting to know. Closing my eyes, I drifted off to sleep once more.

-knock knock knock-

As I opened my eyes, sunlight was streaming through my bedroom window. Glancing over at my clock, I smiled and collapsed back into bed. I slept until noon. Did I need the extra rest, or did I sleep in because I could?

"Wake up, James. We need to get groceries, and you should come along." Calling from the hallway, Matt was knocking on my door.

"Sure, Give me a minute to get ready."

Climbing out of bed, I threw on a hoodie and a pair of athletic pants. Comfortable clothes and waking up at noon? Time away from work is the best. Looking in the mirror above my dresser, I straightened my hair and shrugged. I don't need to put any product in it today since I'm not going into the office or meeting up with anyone.

"Alright, let's head out." Peaking my head into the living room, I waved at Matt and Bell, and the three of us began to make our way downtown.

Ever since Matt and Bell appeared, the grocery store has become one of my least favorite places to go. I used to be able to quickly enter the store, grab what I needed for the week, and leave without issue. But the two of them, for whatever reason, like to argue about what we should buy for meals. Creating a hellish environment where we end up walking through the entire store, wasting at least an hour, only to leave with the same items we agreed upon last week.

"Hey, let's split up today so we don't spend as much time here." As we entered the store, I turned to Matt and Bell, giving them each small list of groceries to collect.

"Bell, I need you to grab some milk and frozen pizza. Matt, I need you to get whatever fruit is on sale and a bag of potatoes. I am going to find everything we used up last week, and the three of us can meet at the registers."

"Can I grab anything else along the way if I see something I want?" Turning around, Bell picked a shopping basket up off the ground."

"Sure. You might as well pick something you want too then, Matt."

"Finally, I can choose something without Bell interfering." Smirking, Matt grabbed his own basket and began to walk away.

"If you bring back something weird, I'll make you eat it by yourself."

As I took a shopping cart and began to fill it with items, I felt a sinking suspicion that something was off. The shelves were more empty than normal, and I was one of the only people in the store walking down every aisle. Oh, it's Christmas eve tomorrow, that explains it. People are making last-minute runs for items they forgot. Meanwhile, I am trying to shop like it's a normal week. Grabbing the remaining items on my list, I pushed my cart up to the checkout line, waving Matt and Bell towards me.

"Put your items in the cart… except for that turkey. Matt, what are we even going to do with that?"

"I want to make it on Christmas. I'll do all the work, so you have nothing to worry about."

"You are going to make a whole mess cooking a turkey for three people?" Raising his voice, Bell began to argue with Matt.

"Yeah, at least the turkey is for everyone. What did you get?"

"I got ice cream. We can share that too."

"Ahh… I'll get your things. Just stop fighting." Shaking my head, I began to place our groceries on the conveyor belt.

"Hahaha, are they your kids or something?" Laughing, the cashier started bagging our items.

"No… thankfully they are not." Sighing, I paid for our things, and the three of us began to walk back to the station.

Are they my kids? The cashier's joke echoed in my head. If I remember correctly, Matt accidentally implied something similar on the night we met. I might understand someone thinking that we are siblings. The three of us look enough alike for that to be mistaken. But they have never once suggested we are related. What are we to each other? If I were to put it in words, I don't think I could call them brothers. They are my roommates and friends, as close as family.

"Watch your step" holding out his arm, Matt caught Bell as we stepped off the platform, and the train began to pull away.

"If you want, I can take some of those groceries from you. There isn't any need for you to carry more than us." Sitting down next to him, I held out my hand.

"No, I'm ok. But thanks anyway."

"Ahh." Sighing, Matt leaned back in his seat.

"You are unbelievably stubborn sometimes. Do you know that?"

"So are you." Letting his grocery bags collapse on the floor, Bell turned around and stared out the window.

"I wonder who we got that from."

"I-" Stuttering in frustration, I closed my eyes and exhaled.

Looking at the advertisements lining the train ceiling, I noticed a familiar poster for an event at the local aquarium. Charles told me about this yesterday, and I had almost forgotten. If I invited Matt and Bell, would they come along?

"Hey, how would the two of you feel about going to the aquarium with me tomorrow night? Apparently, there is a holiday event."

"That sounds fun to me… but shouldn't you be inviting someone else to go with you instead?" Tilting his head to one side, Bell turned to look at me.

"Good idea. I'll invite Callie and Erica as well. Both of them said we should do something together over vacation."

"I'm not sure that's what they… I mean… If you are sure that's what you want to do…" Shaking his head, Matt closed his eyes and sighed.

Pulling out my phone, I sent Erica a text explaining the situation and inviting her to the aquarium. I wonder if tomorrow night is too short of notice for her to respond. Regardless of whether she can come or not, I can at least say I tried. As the train came to our stop, the three of us stepped off, and I decided to give Callie a call.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Callie. It's James. I know this is last minute, but I was wondering if you wanted to go with us to the aquarium tomorrow night. One of my coworkers told me there was a holiday event."

"Are you inviting me to go somewhere with you on Christmas eve? I mean, yes… yes, I would love to. Text me the time, and I'll be there for sure."

-click-

That was odd. Normally Callie isn't the one to end our calls. But she also sounded a bit panicked, so maybe I had called at a bad time. Walking up the stairs to our apartment, I felt my phone vibrate from inside my coat pocket. That must be Erica's response.

"Yeah, that sounds fun. What time should I meet you there?"

As Matt unlocked the door and the three of us walked inside, a smile worked its way onto my face. Getting to go somewhere with my friends from work and school at the same time might seem hectic. But I think Erica was right. It sounds like fun. Texting them both back a time to meet outside the aquarium, I put my phone away and carried our groceries into the kitchen.

"Keep your schedules open for tomorrow night. We have plans now." Shoving the turkey in the freezer, I called out to Matt and Bell.

"What kind of plans?" Peeking into the kitchen, Bell moved out of the way as Matt walked up to join him.

"We are going to have some family fun."