Drake ✔️

Chapter 20

Drake

"...and your father gave Melanie her very own Daniels pendant. You missed it, Drake. All your brothers were here, all the kids, the wives, the girlfriends. Everyone besides you! And if you think you're off the hook, you got another thing coming. Your father and I have talked about this..."

I pull my phone away from my ear as Tristan walks into the sitting room shirtless with a piece of toast hanging out of his mouth. I can still hear my mom's shrill tone coming from the phone, but I'm zoned out. She's been going on and on about how disappointed in me she is for about twelve minutes already. Not sure how much more of this I can take. 

"Still your mom?" T asks, dropping the toast from his mouth and catching it. I nod my head, rolling my eyes as I hear mom mention Melanie's pendant again. 

"I am this close to scrunching a piece of paper against my phone and telling her my service sucks." I whisper to T, holding a hand over the phone so mom doesn't hear. 

Tristan laughs a little as he collapses onto the sofa opposite. He resumes devouring the toast while pulling his phone out, absentmindedly scrolling through it as my mom drones on. I sigh as I press my phone up against my ear again. 

"...Kirk was so happy and you missed the whole thing! All of my boy's girls have a Daniels pendant now, all of them. Besides your girl, because, oh, you don't have one!" 

I raise my eyebrows, noting the pause. Oh, she's done talking? Great, my turn. 

"Yeah, and until I decide to settle down it's gonna stay that way." I say casually. 

"And how long is that gonna be, hmm?" Mom clips back. "You're gonna be twenty years old soon, Drake. You've never taken a girl home, you've never shown any interest in settling down. It's time to start thinking seriously about your future!"

"Mom, I'm in college!" I raise my voice a little. "Finding a wife ain't my top priority right now. Graduating and getting a god damn job is far more important to me."

Tristan looks up from his phone curiously as I shake my head to the tune of my mom clicking her tongue in annoyance. Seriously? Aren't parents supposed to be happy and supportive about their kids going off to college and focusing on getting a fucking career out at the end? 

She is, I know she is. She just wishes I had other priorities on top of my future career. 

"Back to the point of my call." Mom snaps. "You didn't come home for Christmas. I'm furious, I'm upset, but I'm ready to forgive you if you come home soon. Just for a weekend, you don't need to miss class or basketball practice. Just come home and see us for one weekend. Kirk misses you, he wants to tell you about Melanie's pendant himself."

Like hell he does. 

"Mom, he has my number. If he were really that excited to tell me that dad presented his girlfriend with her very own Daniels family crest, he could pick up the phone and talk to me. But he hasn't, because it isn't that big of a deal." I reply, knowing that will cut deep with her. Giving Melanie that pendant is dad's way of welcoming her into the family and unofficially giving her and Kirk his blessing to tie the knot. It's happened with all my other brothers already, all their girls have a Daniels pendant. They wear them on bracelets or necklaces or whatever like a badge of honour. It's actually a really huge deal with my family, and mom won't appreciate my downplaying Melanie receiving her pendant at last. She's been dating my little brother Kirk for years now, it's about god damn time. 

"Your father has one pendant left. We never thought you'd be last, Drake. Kirk's the youngest, he should have been last, that's why your dad waited so long before giving it to Melanie. But you've proved you have no interest in letting us meet any of the girls you date, so this was inevitable."