Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 90919 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 455(@200wpm)___ 364(@250wpm)___ 303(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90919 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 455(@200wpm)___ 364(@250wpm)___ 303(@300wpm)
“Not true,” Cian said quietly, kissing the side of my head. “And nothin’s gonna happen with us.”
“I like that the club looks out for each other.” Saoirse plunged forward. “That’s nice.”
“I like biscuits,” Sean announced. “With honey.”
“Honey’s the best part,” I agreed.
Conversation flowed smoothly after that. Cian’s family was a lot like mine in the way they teased each other. Normally I would’ve hopped right in, but I was still a little anxious about Aisling’s comment, and I wasn’t quite sure where I fit in. I figured I’d eventually find my footing, so I spent most of the night just listening to them. I’d noticed it before, but with such a small group, it was even more apparent how much Saoirse, Aisling, and Cian revered Aoife. They adored her.
As Cian rose to clear the table, I ran my hand along his thigh.
“Sit,” he ordered, leaning down to kiss me. “You’re a guest, remember?” He turned to Aoife. “You want some coffee, Mam?”
“No thanks, bud,” she said, smiling at him as Sean climbed onto her lap. “I’m going to crash in about an hour.”
“I don’t wanna go to bed,” Sean whined.
“It’s not bedtime yet,” she assured him.
He wiggled to get down and came around the table, stopping at my chair. “You wanna see my treasures?”
“You have treasures?” I whispered excitedly.
“Yeah.”
“I’d love to see them.”
I let him lead me from the table by the hand, smiling at Cian as we passed him. Underneath the TV in the living room was a small wooden box that Sean pulled out very carefully and set on the floor between us.
“Cool box,” I said, crossing my legs.
“It’s my daddy’s,” he informed me. His little tongue stuck out the side of his mouth as he fiddled with the latch, and he broke out in a huge smile when he got it open.
I oohed and aahed as he proudly pulled out one thing after another. An almost perfectly round rock. A friendship bracelet. A quarter. A penny. A tiny figurine wearing a helmet. A whistle. A tiny green army man connected to a parachute the size of a tissue that was carefully wrapped up.
“You want one?” Sean asked.
“I couldn’t take one of your treasures.”
“You can have one if you want.”
“That’s so nice of you, Sean,” I said, using my finger to sort through the little pile on the rug. “You know what? I think the next time I come over I should bring you something for your collection. What do you think?”
“You gonna bring me a treasure?”
“Yeah, I know just the thing,” I replied. I knew Lou had some embroidery floss at the house, and I was pretty sure I still remembered how to make a bracelet with his name on it from my days at camp.
“Okay,” he said.
“What are you guys doin’ in here?” Cian asked, walking into the room.
“Sean’s showing me his treasures.”
“That’s nice of you, Seanie,” Cian said, crouching behind him. “You still have your Lego man?”
“Yeah.” Sean handed his uncle the helmet-wearing figurine.
“This was mine,” Cian said, grinning at me. “Then it was Ronan’s.”
“Now mine,” Sean added.
“Yep, now it’s yours,” Cian confirmed, giving it back.
We sat with Sean while he gently refilled his box and set it back on the TV stand. When he was done, he hopped up and ran back to the kitchen table.
“He is so cute,” I murmured. “He looks just like Aoife.”
“He looked just like Richie when he was born,” Cian replied, helping me to my feet. “He’s still got his coloring, but he looks way more like a Kelly now.”
“He has all of your mannerisms, too,” I pointed out as Sean tilted his head in a way I’d seen Cian do about a thousand times.
“Can’t really take credit for that,” he muttered, pulling me in for a hug. He kissed my hair. “We both got some of those from Richie.”
“Thanks for inviting me to dinner,” I said, tilting my head back to look at him.
“That was all Mam,” he argued quietly. “If it was up to me, we’d be eating pizza naked in bed again.”
“I think Frankie finished off the pizza today, but I can deliver on the rest of it,” I assured him.
“We’re gonna head out,” Cian announced loudly.
“No, we’re not,” I argued, pushing away from him.
“Myla’s gotta work early.”
“Cian, I do not!”
“She’s just bein’ polite,” he said, following me back to the table. “She’s exhausted.”
“You’re exhausting,” I corrected as I sat back down.
“Where do you work?” Saoirse asked.
We made small talk for half an hour more. When Sean started showing signs of losing it, Cian rose from his spot and put his hand out to me.
“Okay, now it’s really time to go.”
“Thank you so much for having me,” I said, looking around the table. “Next time I’ll have you guys over to my house.”
“Say the word,” Aunt Ashley replied.