“O’Faolains!” Jo rubbed her temples as though the three adult O’s were too much for her psyche. River was dying inside, but she totally agreed. However, a family inclination toward nude proposals sounded like glorious blackmail. Hmm, what would Patrick be willing to do to keep this information from his grandma?
“Wow. You two won’t be telling your children your proposal stories in the future,” Rowan shook her head, grinning.
“Auntie Jo will, though!”
Raven gasped, “Don’t you f-ing dare, Josephine O’Connor!”
“We’ll see in eighteen years or so, won’t we? Now everyone inhale this spread. We have granny minds to blow!” Jo smiled, attempting to keep the side glance she sent Thomas undetected.
* * *
After lunch,they decided to head straight to Nan’s and surprise her with the news. River tried to imagine how she would react. Definitely thrilled. She’d texted Patrick to meet them at Nan’s apartment. River wanted to go all out with the news, plus they could Facetime Matilda too.
Minutes into the visit, Nan and Matilda were crying and talking over each other, and even Devlen was thrilled to learn of her and Patrick’s engagement. Both grandmas were knee-deep in wedding planning— no input from the engaged couple was necessary. They stayed for a couple hours. They were saying their goodbyes and about to stand when Patrick asked everyone to stay seated for another minute. He and Nan exchanged knowing glances. What was this about? Jo and the sisters looked equally flummoxed.
Nan and Patrick disappeared into her bedroom, coming out a moment later with a wrapped present and an envelope. The same style of envelope as her letters. Patrick handed Raven the package. She took it gently, a bemused look on her face. “I wasn’t here for the baby shower to give this to you. Nan’s been keeping it for me.”
Patrick was blushing. Oh my. River might have fallen even more in love with him at that moment.
Everyone in the room leaned toward Raven as she unwrapped the gift, except for Patrick, who backed up a few paces. River stretched her hand toward him. “Come stand by me, Pat.” He relaxed when River wrapped her hand through his.
Raven took the top off the box, peeled back the tissue, and pulled out... every woman there, except Nan, gasped at the crocheted baby blanket. It was soft and green. Lovely and thoughtful. Raven was crying.
Raven tried to scooch off the couch. Whether to get a better look at the blanket or hug Patrick was anyone’s guess. Patrick walked to Raven, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Stay sitting, Rave. Here,” he took the box off her lap and laid the small blanket over her lap. “It’s pretty small, and one of the sides is wobbly,” he mumbled something about the stitch count being off. “It’s a lemon peel stitch. Umm... good for baby blankets.”
“I love this, Pat. What a beautiful blanket. I can’t wait to snuggle Baby O in it.”
Jo handed Raven the hundredth tissue of the day to blot her ever-present tears.
Patrick looked at Nan desperately. River just realized why Patrick was so out of sorts. Wobbly... stitch count off... lemon peel... River recalled last night, Patrick mentioned her sweater was a fisherman’s rib stitch. “Oh my God, Pat! Did youmakethe blanket?”
Nan was the one to answer the question. “Well, of course, he did. He barely needed but a few hours of instruction.” Nan was obviously proud of her student. “Patrick is quite a skilled crocheter. He even picked out the yarn by himself from the craft store in Boyle.”
“One hundred percent cotton,” Pat quietly added.
Raven stuck her hand out to Jo and Rowan. “Get me up.” Once she was vertical, she crushed Patrick in a huge hug, her behind stuck out at an exaggerated angle due to her belly, and the blanket squished between them. “I loved it before, but, oh Patrick... this... I will cherish it always. And... oh, Bran... he’ll cry over this. It’ll mean so much.” Raven was patting Pat’s back while she wet the front of his shirt.
River doubted Bran would break down quite like his wife currently was, but who knew, because damn it, River was sniffling her own tears. Rowan and Jo’s eyes even looked glassy.
“Ok, Raven, my love, let the boy go,” Nan chuckled. “Patrick has something else.” Nan handed the envelope to Patrick, who only said, “Oh right,” like he’d forgotten about it.
He handed the heavy, white envelope to River, her eyes widening in surprise. “It’s for you and your sisters, babe.” Nan took Jo’s hand, tears sparkling in her grandma’s lashes. Devlen stood close to her Nan’s free side. Rowan and Raven moved next to River.
River carefully slid her finger under the flap, loosening the bit of glue before pulling out a sheaf of tri-folded paper. Unfolding things, the girls put their heads together and read until River’s hands shook enough that Rowan had to take over holding them.
They all looked at Patrick, who was grinning. Rowan asked, “Pat, did you buy Nan’s house?”
“And put it in our names?” River needed clarification. Raven was so shocked her tears never stopped from the blanket reveal.
“I’ll be moving in with Devlen,” Nan smiled at the man standing to her left, “but I hated to give up my home where I’d raised my family. Patrick and I discussed it at some length, and he wanted it to stay with the Byrne family as well, and though he insisted on paying a ridiculously overpriced sum, I agreed.”
“I had planned on asking you three if you would want the house, but in your letter, Riv,” he stopped to smile at her before continuing, “you mentioned wanting to talk with your sisters and see if you all could afford it. So,” Patrick shrugged, “I just went ahead and did it.”
They rushed Patrick as one, laughing and hugging and loving him for the generous gift. He hugged them all and gave River a soft kiss and anI love youbefore telling them all it was time to head to the O Building. Hugh and Bran were apparently blowing up his phone since someone, Raven most likely, told her husband about the engagement.
Nan hugged everyone once more as they filed out of the apartment, including MacGregor, who wore a look of pain, but everyone knew he secretly loved her hugs.
They were outside Nan’s, waiting for their cars to be brought around. Noting Jo’s continued stiffness around her personal guard, River moved closer to her friend.
