"Yeah, I think Calista's definitely the better fit," Eamon said, nodding in agreement with Silas.

Since Silas seemed to favor Calista, Eamon didn't see the need to argue. "Gideon's got a lot of issues, honestly. He's just not right for the company."

"So what do you think we should do?" Silas asked. "Should we just give him some cushy position?"

Silas knew that, at the end of the day, Gideon was Eamon's grandson. If Eamon wanted to look out for him, Silas would go along with it, but only if that's what Eamon asked for.

But Eamon shook his head. "No need. If he's not a good fit, there's no point in keeping him on the payroll. He wouldn't contribute anything useful anyway, right?"

Silas nodded in agreement.

"If he's got any drive at all, maybe this is his chance to prove himself out in the real world," Eamon continued. "If he's happy just sitting around collecting a paycheck, then he really doesn't belong here anyway."

Eamon was clearly disappointed in Gideon. When Silas first put him forward, Eamon had hoped Gideon would step up, maybe not match Silas, but at least not fall too far behind. But in just a few months, Gideon had changed completely, and not for the better.

Eamon was done making excuses for him. Silas wasn't the type to play favorites for no reason. If Silas said Calista was the better choice, then that's how it was. Gideon didn't need a spot at the company anymore. Eamon had more than one grandchild, after all. If the older one wasn't up to the task, then the younger one could take a shot.

Whatever path Gideon chose from now on was up to him. If he made things hard for himself, that was his own doing.

"Don't worry about me,” Eamon said. "Just do what you think is best. I told you the company's yours now, and it's going to stay that way. If you ever want to hand it off to someone else, that's your call."

Eamon had no intention of interfering anymore. Silas was in charge now, and these sorts of decisions were his to make.

Silas nodded. "Alright, I'll handle it the way I see fit. But if you ever have any concerns, please let me know."

"Sure," Eamon replied. "But I doubt I'll have much to say. I trust your judgment and your integrity."

Silas and Calliope spent the rest of the morning with Eamon. After lunch, Silas and Calliope left the old family home and got into the car.

As they drove off, Silas turned to her. "Earlier, you mentioned there might be something wrong with Gideon's baby. Is that really true?"

Calliope nodded. "Based on what I've seen, there's a pretty good chance, like eighty or ninety percent, that Yvette's baby will have some kind of defect."

"What kind of defect?" Silas asked, frowning.

"Could be intellectual, could be physical," Calliope replied. "I can't say for sure, but the odds aren't good. Unless they do some thorough testing, they might be in for a tough time."

Silas's expression darkened. "But they won't listen to you, will they? They're determined to go through with it anyway."

He was clearly frustrated. Bringing a child into the world under those circumstances would be a burden on the whole family, and the child wouldn't have a happy life either.