"I''ll be staying here for a while, and Ss will, too," Calliope announced, ncing around the living room at her brothers.


    "You guys don''t mind if Ss crashes here, right?" she asked, her tone hopeful.


    "He really wants to get to know you all a bit better," she added. "And I figured it''d be good for everyone."


    Quentin, Norton, and Julius exchanged subtle nces. Truth be told, they were more than a little curious about Ss, maybe even a bit suspicious. They hadn''t paid much attention to Calliope''s ex, Gideon, back in the day. They''d just assumed Callie had good taste, and she''d always been fiercely protective of him. So, no one had really put Gideon through the brotherly wringer.


    Turned out, that was a mistake. Gideon''s disaster of a wedding had left everyone furious.


    So, yeah, this time, they wanted to properly vet Ss. Get a sense of whether he was genuinely good for Callie or not. If he wasn''t, they''d make sure Calliope knew.


    "Of course," Quentin replied immediately, shing a reassuring grin. "Let him stay. Family under one roof, it''s the best way to getfortable with each other."


    "Yeah, we''d like to get to know him, too," Norton chimed in, nodding.


    "Callie, you don''t mind if we... test him a bit?" Julius asked, half-joking but half- serious, giving her a heads-up.


    He didn''t want Calliope to be upset if her brothers put Ss through some gentle interrogation.


    "It''s fine," Calliope said, waving it off. "Ss said you guys can test him all you want."


    She knew her brothers wouldn''t go too far, so she wasn''t worried.


    "So, dinner tonight?" Quentin suggested. "Is he eating here with us?"


    "Actually, tonight we''re having dinner at the Baker family''s old house," Calliope exined. “But tomorrow night, Christmas Eve, we''ll all eat here together."


    "So, looks like it''s just us for dinner tonight then," Norton said with a shrug.


    "Yeah, that works." The brothers understood Calliope had carved out time specifically for them, and as long as she was staying at the house, there''d be plenty of chances to hang out.


    After all, the Bakers were her inws now; it was only right to spend some time with them, too.


    After chatting a while, they decided to hit the grocery store for a massive shop. With three handsome brothers in tow, and Julius being a famous actor, even with a baseball cap and mask, people still recognized him.


    Everywhere they went, people stared. Some even whipped out their phones to snap photos, clearly thinking the whole group looked like a bunch of movie stars.


    Feeling the attention, they moved quickly, loaded up on snacks, steaks, and party foods, then made a beeline back to the house.


    Not long after, Ss showed up to pick up Calliope for dinner at the Bakers'' ce, their big family meal before Christmas.


    When Ss arrived, he greeted Quentin and the others politely before heading out with Calliope. He was charming and respectful, already making a better impression than Gideon ever had.


    The brothers, for now, were satisfied.


    Calliope and Ss soon arrived at the Bakers'' old colonial home. Eamon Baker was already there waiting for them. The rest of the family was trickling in, her inws'' big, boisterous n, minus Gideon''s branch.


    Verity spotted her and hurried over with a big hug.


    "Callie! Thank god you''re here, I was bored out of my mind," she gushed.


    “Oh, and remember that face cream you gave mest time? It''s amazing! Did you make it yourself? Is there anywhere I can buy more?"