Asalie held their phone near their ear, “H-hey Astin... so how are y-”
“Explain yourself.” His voice, while soft-spoken had a sharp edge to it.
“Urk...” Asalie shuddered a bit, “U-um, well, time goes so fast planetside! And I uh! Didn’t mean to forget! I just um... didn’t have the time to visit!” They bit their lip. They didn’t have the money either. If he had found out about their money troubles then...
He sighed, “Asalie dear... you know you never have to buy me anything for my fusion day. You’re the younger sibling, I just would have appreciated a call or something.”
“Are... are you mad at me...?” Asalie felt their heart drop. He did sound really mad. They had never forgotten his fusion day before, even when he was an explorer.
“Well, I’m not mad. I’m just a little bit upset. But, if being planetside is making it harder for you to remember dates... then we’ll have to come down to see you.”
A great panic overtook them, “W-we? J-j-j-just you and Adhara right??? Right?” They struggled to regulate their breathing.
“Asalie, calm down, I wouldn’t bring her to see you for your fusion day. What kind of brother would I be? You don’t need to stress...”
Asalie took a few deep breaths in and out, “I-I’m... alright... O-ok... Wh-what um... when are you coming down...?”
“We should get there on Tuesday. Would you be able to accommodate us where you’re staying, or should we look into a hotel?”
They paused for a bit. They couldn’t let him know about their current situation... He’d freak out... “Erm well... you should probably get a hotel room, but I’ll see you soon! H-haha bye!” They immediately hung up before he had a moment to answer. They collapsed to the floor and exhaled. Guess they had 3 days to prepare for this family visit.