Chapter 283: Gallaghers Motto: Family Comes First
"What do you mean? You're finally planning to come clean?" Frank looked at Jimmy.
Frank knew Jimmy was hiding a lot of secrets. To keep them buried, Jimmy had even paid the price of an entire house.
Sure, they already knew most of Jimmy's secrets—but his family? His parents still had no idea what their precious youngest son had really been up to.
"Are your parents coming here?" Debbie asked.
"No," Jimmy said. "My dad hasn't been south of the Art Institute in ages. The last time was probably back in the '80s—when some celebrity held a concert at Comiskey Park."
Jimmy came from a family of doctors, old money, upper-class people. The South Side slums were a world they rarely even brushed against.
"Then are we eating at your place?" Fiona asked. She'd just heard the news herself.
"Not that either," Jimmy replied. "My mom has mild OCD and chronic nervous exhaustion. If you went to my house, she'd probably start by de-licing you. She has a pathological fear of bacteria. If you wanted to take a nut from a plate, you'd have to put on surgical gloves and use tweezers."
He exaggerated a little—for effect.
"Does she really?" Frank frowned, trying to recall.
When he'd gone over to fix the plumbing, Mrs. Candice didn't seem that strict.
Then again… thinking carefully, the place he'd most often encountered Jimmy's mom was the bathroom—specifically, that giant massage bathtub.
"You've met her?" Fiona turned to Frank.
"Uh—yeah. Once," Frank coughed. "She looked pretty young. Nice woman."
"My mom's been doing better lately," Jimmy said thoughtfully. "But it comes and goes. Sometimes she's fine, sometimes she slips right back to how she used to be."
"Ahem—so," Frank cleared his throat loudly, eager to change the subject. "Why the sudden parent meeting?"
"Fiona asked for it," Jimmy said, leaning against the table and taking a sip of his coffee. "Of course I'm going to give her what she wants."
To win Fiona back, Jimmy had put in a lot of effort—and agreed to more than a few troublesome demands.
"You said 'you guys' earlier," Debbie said. "Does that mean we can come too?"
"Of course," Jimmy smiled. "All of you are welcome."
"So where are we meeting them?" Fiona asked.
"At the Morton Hotel downtown," Jimmy said. "My dad's got a private wine locker there. You know, with a little brass plaque engraved with his name and all that. Don't hold back—whatever's expensive on the menu, order it. My dad's paying."
That one sentence alone said everything about his family's wealth.
What kind of family had a personal wine cabinet in a five-star hotel downtown?
"Prime rib? Bone-in steak? Those giant-ass lobsters?" Carl asked, eyes lighting up.
"Absolutely," Jimmy laughed. "All fine. Like I said—whatever's expensive, order it."
"Frank, what do you say?" Jimmy turned to him. "Free luxury dinner. You in?"
"Nope," Frank shook his head. "We've got a flight this afternoon. Tickets are already booked."
Family came first—but not before a plane ticket.
Today, Frank, Pinkman, and Peggy were set to leave Chicago for New Mexico.
Besides, given Frank's… relationship with Candace, if he showed up at the dinner, things would almost certainly become awkward.
Then again, considering Candace's condition, there was a good chance she wouldn't even attend the dinner herself.
"That's really a shame," Jimmy shrugged.
Later, Frank pulled Fiona aside and spoke to her quietly.
"You need to be mentally prepared. Jimmy's family is upper-class—an old medical family. Everyone in his house is a doctor. Given our situation, you don't need to force yourself."
In any country, social classes exist. Jimmy came from the elite, while Fiona was a Cinderella from the very bottom rung of society.
If the two families sat down to eat together, Jimmy's parents would be able to read Fiona's background at a glance.
In situations like that, the people on top often spoke coldly, sometimes even cruelly, believing that Fiona was marrying up. They would never imagine that it was actually Jimmy who clung to Fiona, desperate not to lose her.
That was why Frank warned her—to be ready, and not to endure mockery or condescension just to save Jimmy's face. Frank didn't want his precious daughter suffering that kind of humiliation.
"No… I'll go with you after all," Frank muttered after some thought.
He really couldn't rest easy leaving her alone. He decided to refund the tickets and fly to New Mexico tomorrow instead—one day wouldn't make much difference.
"I'll be fine," Fiona said. "You know what I'm like. If his family dares to bully me—or Ian or the others—I'll throw wine in their faces and dump food on Jimmy's head."
Her tone was pure Gallagher—fierce, straightforward, and unapologetic.
"That's my girl," Frank laughed.
"But about Jimmy…" Frank continued, glancing at Jimmy playing with Debbie in the distance. "Have you really thought it through?"
"I'm actually… a little scared," Fiona said. She almost nodded instinctively, then hesitated before admitting it.
"Afraid he'll disappear again? Leave you without a word?" Frank asked.
"Everyone leaves me eventually," Fiona said softly.
"You really do need to be prepared for that—for Jimmy vanishing again," Frank said seriously.
"Jimmy isn't the kind of guy who stays put. He'll cause trouble again sooner or later. And when things get hard, he doesn't face them—he runs. He stirs things up, muddies the waters, leaves you behind, hurts you until you're covered in scars… and then comes back later like nothing ever happened."
"That's why I've never supported you being with Jimmy. But if this is your choice, your old man will bless it—and I'll do everything I can to help you."
"And remember—you're not alone. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. Neither are Sammi, Lip, Ian, Debbie, Carl, or Liam. We'll all stay by your side."
Frank pulled Fiona into a hug.
"Thanks, Dad," Fiona said, deeply moved. Warmth filled her chest, and her eyes grew wet.
"Hey, don't cry. Crying makes you look ugly," Frank joked gently.
"By the way, do you know what a proverb is? Short phrases full of wisdom—meant to warn and guide."
"Big families all have proverbs passed down through generations. And look at the Gallaghers—we're a huge family, with plenty of people."
"So I've decided we should have one too. A family motto, you could say."
He wiped away Fiona's tears and smiled.
"How about this: Family comes first. What do you think?"
"Family comes first?" Fiona repeated. "Sounds a little weird…"
But her mood had clearly lifted.
"What are you two talking about?" Jimmy noticed them and wandered over, curious.