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“Joey.” Trish’s eyes were wild with panic. “She doesn’t even want to go back to school. If you heard the fights we’ve had about her returning to BCS…” She shook her head. “She’s fighting me tooth and nail on this.”
“I’ll be with her at Tommen,” I pushed, sensing her mother’s resistance falter and going in for the kill. “Nothing has to change regarding AJ’s childcare. If you’re willing to look after him for us while we’re at school, then I would be so fucking grateful.”
“You want her to go to Tommen?” That was Tony. “Private school?”
“I can’t get back into BCS. If I could follow her there, I would,” I told him. “But Tommen is the only school willing to take me.”
“And she’ll follow you anywhere,” he answered for me.
“It’s a good school,” I added. “She would get the best education there.”
“Well, shit.” Leaning back in his chair, Tony rubbed his jaw. “You have this all thought out, don’t ya, boyo?”
I shrugged, not bothering to deny it.
“And what about Aoife?” he asked then. “What is she saying about this?”
“I haven’t spoken to her about it,” I replied. “I wanted to run it by you first.”
“Hmm.”
“No, Tony, I don’t want her to move out,” Trish was quick to protest. “It’s not the right time.”
“Trish.” He sighed heavily. “It’s not about what we want, love. Not anymore. She’s over eighteen.” His gaze flicked to AJ and emotion flashed in his eyes. “And the boy’s right. They’re a little family.”
“And if he lets her down again?”
“I’ve a shovel in the backyard that we can use to bury him with.”
______________________
Jerking awake in the middle of the night, Molloy sprang up in a panic, immediately seeking out our baby.
“AJ’s fine,” I whispered in the darkness, gently pulling her back down. “I just checked him. He’s sleeping.”
Sagging in relief, she twisted onto her side to face me and expelled a shaky breath. “Have you slept?”
I shook my head.
“Why not?”
“I’m sort of…battling something here.”
“Her ghost?”
I nodded.
“Joe.” Her hand was on my cheek then. “Tell me what’s going on in that head of yours.”
“It hurts.”
“Where?”
“Everywhere.”
She watched me and I watched her right back. I wanted to be closer to her than my own skin. The connection I felt to her was overwhelming when I was high but now that I was sober, it was so strong that I could hardly stand it.
After watching her give birth, after witnessing the inhuman strength she possessed, I knew I would never be worthy of the girl.
