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“My sweet boy,” Rebel’s mother rushes to him and pulls him in fer a kiss on either cheek.
She’s a beautiful woman with long black hair and the greenest eyes I’ve ever seen. Her curves are perfect, and I wonder if she spends time doin’ yoga while lookin’ out at the ocean.
“Ciao, Ma,” Rebel says, which sounds strange in his accent, which has a strong Belfast lilt, entwined with a very slight Italian inflection. “This is my sweet girl, Callia,” he tells her as he steps aside to allow her ta greet me. And that’s when my stomach twists into knots. “And, Callia, this is my mother.”
“Hello, Mrs O’Donnelly,” I say, my voice so quiet, I wonder if she can hear me. But then she smiles at me with such happiness, and the churnin’ in my gut eases.
“Oh my,” she says as she cups my face in her hands. “You’re as beautiful as I imagined you would be.” She pulls me close, the same way she did with Rebel, and she kisses my left cheek then my right. “And ye can call me Elena,” she informs me, and all the worry and tension that had a hold of me dissipates. “You’re exquisite. What are you doing with my boy?” This has her laughing loudly as Rebel groans behind her.
“Okay, Ma,” he says, holdin’ her shoulders and turnin’ her to see Aine. “And this is my little girl.”
“Hello,” Aine says with a grin. “Ye’re my nonna,” she informs Elena who offers her hand fer Aine ta shake. But the little girl surprises us all when she wraps her arms around her grandmother and leans her head on her belly.
The sweet gesture causes tears ta form in my eyes, and when I look at the older woman, I notice she’s also emotional.
“Ronan,” Elena says after we’re all welcomed into the house and settled on sofas in the lounge. “Why don’t you take Aine and show her where she’ll be sleeping. I’ve made up your old room for her.”
“Okay.” I can tell the only reason he’s been given these orders is because she wants ta talk ta me alone.
Once we’re on our own, she turns ta me and once again, the knot in my stomach twists.
“I wanted ta tell ye Ronan is a good boy, even though at times he does stupid shit.” Her brutal honesty has me smilin’. And I know she’s not wrong. “I’m sure we’re going to get on well. I can already tell that there’s something different about him.”
“Ta be honest, I think it has more ta do with Aine than me.” As I shrug, she shakes her head and takes my hand.
“Listen to me,” she whispers conspiratorially. “He’s never once brought a girl home before or after Orla. After her, he wasn’t interested in a relationship. Then his father died. There were a lot of things he did with his father when they were working together. Ronan was fifteen when he started going out on jobs. The violence became a part of him, and he focused on it too much. After his father was killed, my son was broken. I watched him turn into someone he’s not.”
“He was closed off,” I agree with her. “When we met, he saved my life. I wasn’t in the best place, and neither was he.”
“That’s what I’m trying to tell you,” she says. “He’s back to the person he was before he was broken.”
“He’s definitely not like that anymore,” I assure her. I can’t even imagine Rebel bein’ like that. “He’s a gentleman. I waited seven years fer him because I knew from the moment I met him, that he wasn’t like other lads.”
My confession has her smilin’. Her eyes are glistenin’ with unshed tears, and I feel bad fer makin’ her want ta cry. But I need her ta know how much I love him.
“You’re a good girl,” she tells me. “When I meet someone, I get a feeling, call it intuition, and mine is telling me that you are a kind person. So I don’t want you to feel out of place here. This is your home now too. You’re with Ronan, and I can tell he’s in love with you.”
“Thank you, Elena. I…I didn’t grow up with a mother in my life. Mine was killed when I was a baby. And the woman who raised me till I was sixteen wasn’t good to me.”
I don’t know why I’m spillin’ my whole life story ta her, but she doesn’t seem ta mind.
“I’m so sorry.” She pulls me closer and holds me fer a long moment.
I’ve never had someone just hold me before. With Rebel, it’s different. The nurturin’ comfort that can only come from a parent is foreign ta me, but as I sit there with Elena, I realise I’m finally complete. All my dreams of a family, of a happy future, is right here and now.
