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She reached for my hand.
I let her.
I absorbed the feel of her hand covering mine.
“I miss her,” I admitted, clenching my eyes shut when the tears started to fall. “I miss her so fucking much.” My voice cracked, and I choked out a sob. “I miss my mother.”
“Your mother loved you, Joey,” Edel vowed, as she pulled me into her arms. “I swear it, love.” Tightening her arms around me, she stroked my hair with her hand. “She just forgot to show it.”
______________________
When we drove through the gates of the manor, a million different thoughts and emotions were rushing through me. All of which fell out of my head as soon as we pulled up outside the house and I locked eyes on my siblings.
“Joey!”
“O-ee.”
“He’s back, guys. Look, it’s really Joe!”
Shannon was holding a cake.
Sean was sitting on Kav’s shoulders, clutching a bunch of balloons.
Ollie was holding one side of a homemade banner that read Welcome Home, Joey, while Gussie, of all people, held the other side.
All of them had party hats perched on their heads.
Jesus, even Nanny was there, sitting at a picnic table that had been decorated with streamers and more balloons, with John Sr. and Darren.
Fucking Darren.
“What the hell is this?” I muttered, unfastening my seatbelt as I battled down a surge of emotion. “What’s all this for?”
“I told you they were excited to see their big brother.” Edel laughed, pushing her door open. “Welcome home, Joey Lynch.”
The minute I climbed out of the car, I was caught up in a flurry of limbs as Shannon, Ollie, and Seany all dove for me.
“Oh my god, Joe.” My baby sister was crying as she practically climbed up my body, locking her arms around my neck so tight it was hard to breathe. “Joe, Joe, Joe.” Peppering my cheek with kisses, Shannon laughed and cried and had a little emotional breakdown for herself, only releasing me when Ollie shoved her out of the way. “Hey, I wasn’t finished!”
“I knew you’d do it,” he said, beaming up at me with pride, as he tightened his hold on my waist. “I knew you’d come back for us, Joe.”
“I’ll always come back for you, Ols,” I replied, voice thick and gravelly as I tried to keep my emotions in check. “Look at how tall you’ve grown.”
“O-ee.” Pulling on the leg of my jeans, a pair of brown eyes looked up at me. “O-ee.”
That did it.
Seeing Sean’s little face had my heart cracking open in my chest.
This kid.
He was my brother, but it was different with him.
From birth, Sean had depended on me in a way the others hadn’t.
I knew he wasn’t mine, but it didn’t stop my heart from beating for him in a paternal rather than brotherly way.
“Hey, Seany-boo.” Sniffling back the lump in my throat, I sank to my knees in front of him. “How’s my baby?”
