Page 31 of The Callahan Effect

His eruption of laughter turned several heads from nearby tables before he lowered his voice.

"Fair point. I deserved that."

The easy humor dissolved whatever lingering uncertainty remained between us.

I rested my elbows on the table before answering.

Tell me about Florida. Your family still lives there?

His expression softened.

"Yeah. Mom, Dad and my twin sister, Emma, are all still in Tampa."

Twin?

For some reason, that surprised me.

He smiled as though anticipating my next question.

"Most people expect us to be identical. We're nothing alike in physical appearance or nature. Emma got all the artistic talent. I inherited whatever sporting genes were floating around."

I smiled, encouraging him to continue.

"Dad, Richard, is a corporate attorney. He specializes in mergers and acquisitions, spends half his life negotiating deals worth more money than I can wrap my head around." He laughed before taking a sip of water. "Mom-Victoria, is a cardiovascular surgeon, so between the two of them there was never much chance of anyone accusing my family of lacking ambition."

Neither profession surprised me. Everything about Mason suggested he'd grown up in an environment where success was expected rather than merely encouraged.

"My sister completely ruined their plans." Amusement warmed his voice. "Emma's studying Art History at Tampa University. She loves Renaissance paintings, ancient sculpture, and restoration work. Dad still insists she'll wake up one morning and decide to study law instead because, in his opinion, Art History is one of those modern degrees that sounds interesting but doesn't lead anywhere."

I couldn't help smiling.

What does your mother think?

"She makes Dad crazy by encouraging her." He chuckled again. "Mom keeps reminding him that happiness matters more than a job title. Emma's always known exactly who she is, and Mom's proud of her for refusing to let anyone—including Dad—change her mind."

Mason's words settled deep inside me, awakening an unexpected ache. He had a family that argued, laughed, and still stood firmly behind one another. A family that sounded...whole.

He leaned back in his chair, studying me with curiosity.

"What about you? Medicine couldn't have been an easy choice."

I considered the question before answering. Not because I needed time to think about the answer, but because finding the right words was never easy.

Medicine wasn't the difficult choice. Convincing other people I belonged there was.

Mason waited patiently while I continued.

A lot of people assumed being unable to speak automatically meant I couldn't communicate well enough to become a doctor. Some believed patients wouldn't trust me. Others questioned how I'd function during emergencies. A few lecturers were supportive from the beginning. Others needed convincing.

Mason frowned.

"That's ridiculous."

I shrugged lightly.

People tend to focus on what they think I can't do instead of everything I can.

The waitress arrived with our meals before Mason could reply, setting a generous bowl of house-made fettuccine coated in a creamy garlic parmesan sauce in front of Mason before placing my seafood linguine beside it. The aroma alone made the wait worthwhile. Large prawns, scallops and mussels rested among ribbons of fresh pasta, finished with herbs and shaved parmesan, while Mason's chicken had been grilled until the edges carried just enough char to complement the rich sauce.