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When she’d helped get me to Ireland, she hadn’t exactly cast me out, but neither had she defended me, something she’d compounded by never visiting.
As for Dad, I didn’t even know if he was aware I had a son, and if he did, I wasn’t sure if he would be interested. It wasn’t like he was the most fatherly of people.
Of course, things might be different because Seamus was a boy.
Goddammit.
Two sets of grandparents who’d more than likely want him in the life…
How was I going to keep him on the narrow path that, so far, had fired him up? Had made him get out of bed every morning to work hard, train hard, study hard?
A little at a loss, I barely registered when the vehicle slowed, but as I became aware, I directed my kid to, “Stay here.”
He arched a brow, but knew not to argue with me when I used that tone. Man, that made me sound like a hard ass, but there were some places I just didn’t want him to go.
This was one of them.
I had no idea of what welcome we’d get. No idea if I even wanted to be welcomed.
Coming back home didn’t mean a family reunion was going to happen, but the least I could do was visit and see how things were. See if I wanted my kid under the same roof as my folks.
Pursing my lips as George clambered out of the car, while Liam stayed put, I waited on him to open my door for me—this security situation was going to get wearing fast.
As a young kid, the family had never been that important where we’d necessitated such things. We hadn’t even been put into lockdown on the Five Points’ secret compound until Dad had moved up the ranks some.
George nodded at me, and I sensed he was grateful I wasn’t being a pain about this. Inwardly, I felt all the irritation, but it wasn’t his fault. He was just doing his job. There was no need for me to be a bitch about it.
I peered up at the building, unsurprised to note it hadn’t changed much in my absence. That they were still here told me Dad had peaked, never getting another promotion, and I knew why too. He’d always had a bad temper, one that was exacerbated by the drink.
Old fool.
When I climbed up the steps to the front door, I hit the buzzer to the place that had once been my home and heard her voice. “Yes, who is it?”
She sounded a little dazed—no change there either.
With Dad focused on work and whiskey after the job ended every night, and Mom popping pills to stop herself from feeling anything at all, it was a wonder I’d managed to grow up and be pretty normal.
Of course, normal was relative.
To many, I was the exact opposite of normal. Especially when I was in the middle of a project.
Not even Declan had seen me like that. Only Shay knew what I was like.
The thought had me pursing my lips, wondering how Declan would react, then deciding not to worry about that now, I murmured, “It’s me, Mom.”
Silence fell. “Aela?” she asked hesitantly.
Did she have some other kids she hadn’t seen in over a decade?
Rather than be difficult, I just said, “Yes.”
The buzzer sounded, and I knew that meant Dad wasn’t home. I was pleased about that. I had no real desire to see him, but Mom was different. I’d like to reconnect.
George pushed the door and stepped in front of me. He placed his hand on his weapon, then peered around here and there, guiding me down to the elevator doors. As they opened, he tensed, but it was empty.
Climbing aboard, we shuttled toward my family home, and I let him step out first before I finally made my way to my old front door.
She was standing there, waiting on me, looking frail and a lot older than I’d expected. We hadn’t kept in touch much, mostly because she was out of it and had an odd perception of the passage of time. I understood that though—when I was in one of my moods, I shared that trait.
