Courageous Love - Jerry Cole Page 0,1

equally as trivial.

The inside of the mansion was as toned down as the outside. The only decorations were simple marble statues custom made by one of my father’s friends. The floors were a contrasting black speckled marble and the ceilings were high and often decorated with hanging plants that my mother bought and took care of despite the fact she didn’t have a green thumb and constantly had to get dying plants replaced.

We always had family meetings in the sunroom even when we were kids and they were more about brushing our teeth not stocks. It had three large glass windows that basically took up most of the walls in the room. From there you could see the expertly maintained garden that I had never stepped a foot into my entire life. It did look lovely, at least from that angle.

When I stepped into the room filled with wicker chairs and murals of roses on the walls, I noticed, sitting in the very center of the coffee table, a suitcase. My gold painted suitcase.

My siblings had very schooled, concerned looks on their face while my parents sat next to each other holding each other’s hands. Had someone died?

“Afternoon?” I said as I eased down into the last chair. It looked like they had set it up so I would be on one side of the table and them the other. It made me feel like I was in trouble.

Stacy stood behind me and I couldn’t even glance back at her for support.

Rosidae and Isaac were not identical twins but that hardly mattered. They both had the same sharp brown eyes, the same high cheekbones I would have killed for, and had very similar matching black outfits like they were going to a funeral after this. The only difference between the two was Rosidae’s long smooth hair and Isaac’s short cropped hair.

“Adam,” my father began in his shaky but deep voice. “You know that we love you very much.”

I felt a nervous giggle build up my esophagus and choke me. “Yeah Dad?”

“And we’ve been very accepting of your lifestyle, your, your parties?” My mom said the word party like it was a new drug she found out I was taking.

“What’s all this about?” My legs itched for me to get up and run. I stayed, but my leg bounced. I felt trapped and I knew whatever this was they weren’t going to let me run away from it.

“It’s our fault really,” my mom said wiping at her eyes. “We should have taught you responsibility at a much younger age.”

“I am responsible!” My voice squeaked slightly with indignation.

“Adam,” my father said firmly. “Rosie and Isaac told us about how worried they are about you, and we had to agree.”

I glanced at them and saw the glee in their eyes while their expression stayed serious. This wasn’t like their normal schemes and I could see how triumphant they felt.

“We should have made more time to talk to you. Maybe we would have noticed. You are always going to parties, spending money, and when you aren’t doing that, you are just at home.” My mom played with her hair, clearly more upset but trying to hold it back in front of all of us.

She wasn’t wrong exactly, but it wasn’t like any of that was dangerous. I finished school. I had no more responsibilities to worry about and my allowance was more than enough to cover my spending habits. “What’s the problem?” I asked earnestly.

“Your siblings let us know that you really have no plans to change your mind on joining in a business partnership.” My father looked me in the eye.

“Yes?” I had made that clear to everyone, multiple times.

“So? What are you going to do when we retire and they take over?” My mom asked.

I was silent. They wouldn’t like my answer. I looked up at them all sheepishly. “What I’m doing now?”

My parents shook their heads. My dad stood up and picked my suitcase off of the coffee table and put it in my lap. “We need to know you can survive out there without us.”

“What do you mean?” The suitcase felt like it was already filled.

“We’re giving you a chance to prove you can make it out in the real world.” My father grinned slightly. “I think, in time, you’ll thank us.”

I glanced back at Rosidae and Isaac, they weren’t even hiding their grins now. It seemed like they had finally found a way to get rid of me. But