Chapter 17: My Best Friend and I

I do not know how to cope without my best friend, Callum. When we were young children, Callum followed his older brother Cadian around while I followed Callum around. The three of us were inseparable. Our dads were best friends. After their marriage, our moms became best friends as well. I loved Callum, and everyone thought we would be fated mates, but I found my fated mate. Callum was my best friend forever. He adored my twins, who loved him and he was a good substitute for an absent father. We shared an excellent relationship; we were part of the same family, replaced my older brother and was uncle to my twins.

Callum is a professionally renowned hacker who worked in the Cayman Islands, first as his assistant and later as a company shareholder. He also accepted jobs in other countries on behalf of CBC. At this time, he was contacted by a new company in the USA to help remove the glitches from a new software and gaming system they had created. He left for New York on assignment at the B&NWALT that requested his hacking services. He said this assignment should be for about three weeks and was excited. This was his first opportunity to be the hacker for this innovation using an AI system.

My pups missed their uncle tremendously. During his absence each morning, the twins asked, "Tommy, Unca Cal?"Each day, I told them Cal would be back soon. Cal asked me to call him every day, so we agreed I would call Cal at eight so he could chatter or babble with his niece and nephew. They clapped their hands, got excited, and started babbling as soon as they saw him. Their Unca Cal replied to them, and they loved chatting with him. Sometimes, listening to them sounds annoying yet enjoyable.

With Cal gone frequently, Cadi and I were left to run the growing business. We employed fifty people, and I now manage the entire company. A year ago. Cadi asked me, "Bonnie, do you want to invest some money for the kids in the company? "I replied, "Thank you for the opportunity; my answer is yes."I invested in the company with the extra monthly money Nathan sent for the twin's upkeep. Being a co-partner helped me to see things from a boss's perspective. I was the general manager in charge of operations and staff. Although we had many conferences and meetings at home and the office, the final decisions for the company were left to my expertise.

That year, I graduated From NYU with an MBA with a concentration in Leadership and Human Resources. Cadie and Cal were proud of me, and we all took a few days off to attend the graduation ceremony. I did not visit my parents becuase I did not want my family to know about the twins. Onthe other hand, Cadie and Callum visited with their parent. My adopted brothers were confident in my business abilities and any decision I made for the company. Our work family was growing as our business was prospering. Although our company was Information Technology, we were seeing areas we wanted to launch out to, which made our lives pretty busy. I made many new friends, but Cadian and Callum were my besties and bros.

I picked up the twins from daycare and took them to the beach daily. We then met with Cadi for dinner. One day, I said, "Cadi, with this domesticated life, you will never find your fated mate and wife. "He said, "BOnnie, I am getting all the practice I will ever need to be a good husband and father while spending time with you, my niece and nephew. "Our weekend routine was going to the gym while the babysitter took care of the pups.

Cadie went out with his friends on Saturday night while I cuddled with the twins and watched kids' cartoons with them. Our life as a family was calm and rewarding. Who would have thought I would end up thousands of miles away from him after I found my fated mate?

The twins were always excited to see Unca Cal, as they now call him. Every time he went abroad, he always brought candies in his pockets for them. I told him each time he returns home, "Cal you will pay for dentist visits and braces bills if you do not stop feeding the twins candies."He always replied, "What do you think their uncle was working for if he can't spoil the pups."

On a Sunday, while we were home, he tickled Bea with one hand and smacked BBrady's with the other when I heard a growl. I said, "Cal, that's the alpha pup for you."The growl came out of the angry male pup. Cal laughed as he picked up Brady and twirled him in the air, laughing while Brady shouted, "Unca Cal a plane, Wee! Cal loves these pups so much, and I am forever grateful to him and Cadie for all they did for me.

Prior to Callum's New York trip, he went to Milan because Nathan needed a hacker there. Nathan and Callum met on the pup's first Christmas. Their personalities were so similar. No wonder Cal and Nathan got along like house on fire instantly. The first time I met NAte he reminded me of Cal. They talked non-stop about technology, which they were both passionate about. Their shared God-parenting for the twins. When the opportunity arose. Nathan contacted Cal to work on the assignment for him. He also recommended Cal for jobs internationally.

On Cal's return from Milan, He said, "Bonnie, I have something to tell you."I asked him, "What is it." I saw a twinkle in his eyes, and he said, "I think I smelled my mate Bonnie. She smells like Gardenia. I followed her, and I think she disappeared." said, "Callum, do not make this opportunity pass by; you must find her so at least one of us will have a happy ending. Promise me you will find her, Cal?""He hugged me and said," "sure, I will."Cal was an easygoing guy. If you didn't know him, you would assume he is a pushover, but he is not. He is the most stubborn of the three of us to succeed and has the most assertive personality.

When Cal was home, he decided where we visited on the island on weekends. He woke us up early this particular Sunday and said we were visiting Rum Point. Cal loves to visit Rum Point just to get the Mud Slides. We first rode the boat to Sting Ray City, a sandbank in the sea a few miles offshore.

We took turns operating the boat on this trip. It was the first visit to StingRay City for the twins. Cal took his favourite guy, Brady, while Cadie took his princess to touch the stingrays. The twins said, "Fishy, fishy! mama!"

On a ferry nearby, we saw a party boat full of tourists at Stingray City that day. Cal saw some of his friends on the ferry. He anchored our boat and boarded the tourist ferry. I saw him stop in his tracks and his nose scrunching. I said, "What's up, Buddy?"I looked at his eyes, which changed from forest green to black. I said, "Oh, oh!""Cal walked to the bow of the ferry, and he came back with a puzzled look. He said, "Bonnie, did you smell that?"I had no clue what smell he was referring to. The ferry was full of sweating bodies, and a mixture of body odours was present everywhere. He kept walking towards the bow of the boat.

My best friend was acting weird. He said, " Bonnie, I can smell her, but her scent disappeared again."I said, "Don't worry, Buddy, if she is on that Ferry, we will find her."He said, "Maybe it is someone's perfume. Humans are weird as they use all kinds of scent to mask their body odour."

After a while, we left the ferry, and our friends waved and shouted goodbye over the loud music and voices. We wave back, screaming as well. I love Sundays on the sea. This life of sea, sand and sun loved me as I developed a beautiful tan.