Page 21

21

E veryone already knows we’re together when we arrive at Lake Tahoe the next afternoon, but that doesn’t stop the O’Briens from celebrating as if we’ve just won the Olympics.

Helen doesn’t want to let go of me, which I don’t mind at all. I happen to be quite fond of hugs.

“I’m a bit mad at you all, by the way,” I say as we all sit down at the dinner table.

“Why?” asks Cian.

“Because you played along with this charade.”

They laugh.

“No one can help it if you’re a bit slow, kiddo,” says Brian with a grin.

“How was I supposed to know?! He didn’t give any hints. I was convinced he just wanted to be friends,” I laugh as I defend myself.

“Then you’re slow and blind,” Helen says dryly. “I don’t know how you young people do it, but in my day, friends didn’t look deeply into each other’s eyes and hold hands all the time.”

More laughter.

“We weren’t holding hands the whole time.” I look at Roan. “Were we?”

He gives me a look of exaggerated innocence. “Well, we didn’t hold hands, but we did touch each other pretty often. Just like, on the arm and stuff.”

I’m trying to remember if that’s true. And yes, there were somehow always reasons for hugs and touches. And kisses, too, I realize, innocent kisses, but still. Somehow, I didn’t register all of it at the time, maybe because it just felt so good and right, so normal.

“Oh, you totally couldn’t stop touching,” says Eoin. “Don’t worry, Mom, this has nothing to do with your old age. It’s still not normal friend behavior.”

“Old age?” she asks indignantly. “Watch who you’re talking to!”

Eoin grins. “Which, of course, doesn’t show in any way. You look like you’re still in the prime of your life.”

Helen turns to her sister-in-law, Bridget. “Can we talk about swapping again? Three boys for three girls. How about it?”

“Mom!” Cian, Eoin, and Roan all sound outraged.

Her husband asks, “Are they my kids again?”

“That’s for certain.” She smiles lovingly at her sons before turning to me. “See? There’s no reason for you to be mad at us. We did what we could to support Roan while you were figuring your own feelings out.”

“Was it part of supporting Roan when Cian and Brady knocked me over at rugby?” I ask with a laugh.

“Nah, that was just so you knew you were a part of the family, obviously,” replies Cian.

“Ah, so that’s how it works. As a guest, you’re treated well; as a member of the family, you’re run over.” I nod understandingly.

“Exactly,” says Eoin. “You’ve got it. The kid gloves are off from now on.”

“But I would like to keep her in one piece,” insists Roan.

“Just a few scratches and dents,” Finn promises.

“Hey! I thought you were the nice one,” I chuckle.

He shrugs his shoulders with a laugh. “Sometimes I’m like this, sometimes like that.”

Helen raises her glass. “To the newest member of the O’Briens. Thank you for finally giving me a daughter.”

“Walshs!” shout Cian, Roan, Eoin, and Brian at the same time.

Helen shakes her head. “Will you ever understand? Majority wins!”

Then, the others cheer, and there is a chaotic hullabaloo because everyone is talking at the same time.

I lean back and look at these loud, funny, loving people.

And I feel at home.

Later, I ask Roan to go for a walk with me because the evening is so beautiful. We walk hand in hand along the lake. This time, we’re really holding hands. And I notice it, too.

I’m finally noticing things.

“Why did you feel the need to take such a huge handbag with you on a walk?” he asks after a while, nodding at the enormous beach bag I’m carrying along.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?”

“Absolutely. Come on!” he pleads. “What’s in there? Survival kit in case we come across a bear?”

“There are bears here?” Involuntarily, I take a step toward Roan.

He grins. “Very dangerous bears. I guess you’d better get even closer so I can protect you.”

“Haha, you’re not funny.”

“Oh yes, I am.”

“Conceited is what you are.”

“Why can’t I be both?” He caresses my face before kissing me. “They all love you, by the way.”

“What’s not to love about me?”

“You’re right. You’re perfect.”

“Don’t overdo it,” I laugh.

“Perfect for me.”

“Okay, I can live with that.”

And then I kiss him again because there’s hardly anything better than kissing Roan.

“Can you tell me what’s in the bag now?” he asks as we continue strolling along.

“A gift,” I say tantalizingly.

“For me?”

“For you.”

“Can I have it?” He grins at me.

“Do you deserve it?” I tease him.

Roan clasps my face with his hands. “No. I don’t deserve you at all. But so what?”

And then he kisses me again. And I can say, yes, he deserves it. We deserve each other.

Breathless, I look into his eyes, which are so beautiful. Just like his whole face, his nature, his everything. I can’t believe that he really belongs to me. And the fact that I also want him to be mine is even more incredible.

I slowly pull a very crumpled paper bag out of my giant handbag and hand it to him.

He looks at me curiously before opening it.

“Oh my God, I can’t believe it!” he exclaims as he unpacks the vintage boxing gloves that he had admired so much at the flea market in Florida. “Are you serious?”

I shrug my shoulders. “I had a feeling you liked them.”

“You’re totally right! Wow! Thank you!” It’s clear he’s overjoyed.

And happy Roan is my favorite.

Then he kisses me until I’m happy too. Until I’m absolutely giddy.

Ewww. What being in love does to people. Awful. Really.

We go to sleep in the loft of the barn, which has been converted into a guesthouse. With so many O’Briens, there’s not enough room in the big house, so Orla and her daughters sleep in the main house with the parents, but the other O’Brien and Walsh kids sleep here in the barn.

I’m asleep in Roan’s arms when a noise pulls me out of my dreams. At first, I’m disoriented. I don’t know where I am. I don’t know what woke me up.

The ringing doesn’t stop. Finally, I realize that it’s my phone.

“Answer it already,” mumbles Roan sleepily.

“Hello?” I ask, just as sleepily, when I manage to answer the phone.

“NINA’S HAVING THE BABY!” Jared’s voice shouts into the receiver.

I am suddenly wide-awake. “But she’s not due for another two weeks!”

“TELL THAT TO THE BABY. IT’S COMING!”

“I’m on my way. But I’m at Lake Tahoe. It might take a while.”

“OKAY! PLEASE! I’M PANICKING!”

“I’ll drive as fast as I can. See you soon.” I jump out of the bed. “Roan!” I shake him.

“What?”

“I have to go back to the city. Nina is having her baby. Can I have your car?”

I remind myself to always have my own getaway car with me in the future.

“Do you want me to come with you?”

I kiss him on the cheek. “No, stay here. I’ll call.”

“Okay. But I don’t mind.”

I smile at him. “I know, and I almost love you more for it, if that’s even possible.”

“Wait. I’ll find you the keys.”

He gets up and pulls on a pair of boxers while I quickly get dressed.

I take my handbag and slip into my sandals. We go down the stairs of the barn loft. Roan searches for his car keys in the bowl on the sideboard by the entrance before opening the door for me and accompanying me to his car.

He opens the driver’s door for me before taking my face in his hands. “Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you? It’s a three-hour drive. Are you awake enough?”

“Wide awake,” I reply with a grin.

“Still, it doesn’t seem right to let you drive alone.”

“Remember, a birth can take forever, and there’s nothing you can do, anyway. I’ll get a front-row seat to this show and be forced to watch the whole gory mess. You stay here.”

“Okay. Drive carefully and let me know when you’ve arrived.”

“I’ll do that. Go back to sleep.” I stretch up on my tiptoes to kiss him.

Roan smiles lovingly at me. “ Mo ghrá thú, a thaisce. ”

He’s said that before. “What does that mean?”

“I love you, my darling.”

“I love you too.”

Then I get in, pushing the seat forward before driving off. I take one last look in the rear-view mirror. What a sight.

Roan’s naked torso, covered in tattoos, wearing just a pair of boxers, softly illuminated by the outside lights that came on as we stepped out of the barn. And he’s mine.

I am definitely a lucky woman.

I revise this opinion a few hours later, as I attend the birth of Nina’s baby from the front row.

“Thank God you’re here!” Nina shouts with relief. I rush to her, hug her as much as I can, and brush her sweaty hair out of her face. Jared, at her side, is looking very pale and clammy.

“Of course! You’re my bestie.”

“You’re my bestie too,” she cries, before screaming as the next contraction comes.

She squeezes my hand or rather crushes my hand so that I feel some of the pain too. I say nothing, knowing her pain is way worse. When the contraction is over, I dab her forehead and tell her she’s doing a great job.

Then I remember that I should let Roan know that I’ve arrived, so I do just that.

Jenna

I’m in the delivery room now. Will call you later!

Roan

Tell Nina good luck, #!

I smile softly to myself. He didn’t go back to sleep. He waited until he heard from me. I wish I had time to tell him how much he means to me.

But then the next contraction starts, and I rush back to my friend’s side.

Women are amazing marvels. They can give birth to life. They spend almost ten months shaping a human, and then they see the light of day, and it is just so damn perfect.

After twenty-three hours, little Ava decides to enter the world.

Since Jared doesn’t feel up to it, I’m the one who cuts the umbilical cord, which is totally fine, after all, since I’m going to be her favorite person. That goes without saying.

When I put the tiny baby in Nina’s arms, we both sob. This is the ultimate moment of our friendship. I am grateful that I was able to experience it, and I know that my bond with this little being will always be a special one. I am definitely going to be her favorite aunt.

Nina looks so happy. Absolutely exhausted but so happy.

And Ava is perfect. I don’t miss the opportunity to count her toes and fingers. My favorite feature is her tiny rosebud mouth, which yawns in contended pleasure after nursing for the first time. Perfection. There’s nothing else I can say.

“Jared!” I call out.

He looks up, still pale.

“Come here and meet your daughter.”

“Is it over?” he asks, relieved.

“I’m afraid this is just the beginning.”

I kiss Nina on the forehead before making way for the father, who bursts into tears when he sees his daughter. Smiling, I go to the door and watch the little family for a while before I go out. I need a coffee.

As I turn the corner, I stop, rooted to the spot. Roan is sitting on the bench. Next to him are Tara and Brady.

Shaking my head, I walk toward him. “Hey.”

He looks up, jumps up, and takes me in his arms. “Hey, everything okay?”

“Yes, it’s a girl. A little Ava.”

He smiles and hugs me before Tara and Brady hug me, too.

“What are you doing here?” I ask.

“I thought it was wrong not to be there for you, so I stole a car,” he grins, “and drove after you.”

“What? How long have you been here?”

“I was already here when you sent me your message.”

“But that was ages ago.”

He shrugs his shoulders a little sheepishly. “I should have come with you straight away.”

I melt, of course, because how could I not? Then I kiss him because he’s the very best.

“And what’s your excuse?” I ask Tara and Brady.

Tara grins. “The O’Brien’s come as a package, you know that.”

“You guys are crazy.”

My crazy family. Damn.