Page 33 of Paddy

Conversational redirects gave me time between questions to not feel overwhelmed by them. By the time dinner was consumed, I couldn't believe how late it had been. Cillian asserted that his wife should sit in the bedroom and rest, and many of us helped with the cleanup, as the kids chased each other on the open grass.

“Mommy, Eoghan asked if I could spend the night over his house. Can I?” Elijah begged.

“Elijah, we mustn't impose. Youjustmet them.”

“But this is the first time I've had someone to play with my own age,” Elijah argued.

Órfhlaith walked by, eavesdropping on the conversation. “Would really be no trouble. I have the room and it's just me and Eoghan. Some cases Bellamy, if he's hungry.”

Being Caribbean, the thought of letting my son sleep over a stranger's house gave me pause, but I’d never seen Elijah bond with kids his own age since moving to Back Bay. I kept forgettinghow much it affected his confidence to not have someone to bond with.

Against my better judgment, I said yes, but only under certain conditions. “If I let you go, you have to be on your best behavior, and if you need to come home, call me. I’ll pick you up right away.”

“None of them have school tomorrow, since it's a holiday. Got plenty of old clothes for him to change into, unless you want him to bring his own clothes.” Órfhlaith offered.

Once we got things sorted, it took an additional twenty minutes after the first ‘I'll let you go’to actually make it to the car. Irish folk weren't any better than Black folk in that regard. Halfway through the ride home, I felt compelled to thank Paddy for such a wonderful time.

“Thank you for helping me make the most of tonight, Paddy.”

“Not a problem. Just glad that you enjoyed yourself.”

“You didn't tell me that your sister in law was Black,” I said, playfully looking for a spar.

“Did it matter?”

“No. I was just caught off guard. Not in a bad way. It just brought up a bad memory about meeting my father for the first andonlytime. I know I don't look it, but I'm Irish on my dad's side.”

“You fucking joking?” He turned, his vicious contrasting eyes narrowing at me.

“I wish I was. He's probably where I get most of my talent from. He's an entertainer too.”

“Would I know him?” Paddy questioned quickly.

“Everyoneknows him. Honestly, after what he said to me, I can't even walk by a movie poster of his without crying. Guess it didn't look good for his legacy to have a half Black daughter. I said I'd take it to the grave who he was, but?—”

“Don't tell me. Take it from me. Sometimes, things like that are better not to know.”

“You sound like you're speaking from experience,” I questioned but the comment immediately made Paddy disengage and quiet for the remainder of the ride. When we finally reached the garage, I took his silence as a sign that we had planned to part ways, so when I kicked off my shoes once I reached my floor, it surprised me when Paddy joined me with two glasses and my good rum.

“By the way, you need some fucking whiskey in this house,” he said, pouring us both a shot.

“Hope I didn't offend you earlier,” I said, taking a light sip.

“You didn't. I'm just not always willing to talk when the subjects of fathers come up.”

“Was this about what happened when your brother brought him up at dinner?”

Paddy downed his shot in one gulp. “Any story involving my Pa ain’t a good one. I just didn't want you to pity me in a room full of people, even if it was family.”

“What happened between you two?”

“It ain't a story meant for women's ears.”

“Paddy, I'm not going to judge you if you need someone to talk to. I've honestly never told anyone that I attempted to meet my father, not even my mother. If I could trust you with that you can trust me with whatever is on your mind.”

Paddy shifted in his spot, took a deep breath and met his gaze to mine.

“Truth is, at dinner, Bellamy wasn't honest that ain't much that don't embarrass me. My father was a mean drunk. He beat the shit out of all of us, but he always saved a special case of it for me. Remember when I told you how scary it was overseas?” he said, waiting on my nod as a sign to go on.

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