Page 6 of Paddy

She pointed her spoon at me, wearing a scowl only a mother could love. “Paddy, next time you do that, I'll kill you. I ain't against mixing cyanide in your supper.”

“Relax, you overly sensitive shrew.”

“And while I'm at it, I ain’t against throwing a little powdered glass in there too,” she threatened.

“Is Bellamy coming?”

“You know how he is when he's seeing his Memphis delight. Barely comes up for air with that one,” I said making myselfuseful by setting up the table. To avoid going home to an empty flat, I alternated between staying with siblings when they would have me, but staying with Órfhlaith had the best perks.

Cillian’s was nice, but you couldn't get any sleep with all that fucking and kids running around. Bellamy's was the worst. We just end up fighting over who ate the last of Órfhlaith’s leftovers in the fridge. Tadhg wasn't so bad, but he was too quiet for me, so it was like being on my own.

Órfhlaith hadonekid, so not a lot of screaming. Her husband was dead, so I didn't have to fight anybody putting their hands on my sister. Lastly, her house had a revolving door of food made that no man could resist.

“Eoghan! Table’s set,” I yelled from the kitchen. It wasn't much, but I valued the time I spent with family. Now more than ever. Sometimes I didn't always feel like I belonged, but I was still a Sullivan in all the ways that mattered. It's not like they knew, so they didn't treat me otherwise.

“How's the shop?” I asked, able to see through Órfhlaith’s half-truth.

“A little slow after a few good months, but we’ll manage.”

“How much do you need?”

“Did I ask you for money?” Órfhlaith asked defensively.

“How muchdo you need?” I asked with more authority this time, which appeared to pierce her pride.

“Two grand. But that’d cover me for the year, in case business doesn't pick up,” she spoke low and under her breath, like she was ashamed she had to even ask for it.

When I reached into my suit jacket, she stopped me by saying, “Not in front of my son.” As Eoghan made his way to the table.

“Is Uncle Paddy staying?” he asked enthusiastically.

“I don't know,isUncle Paddy staying?” Órfhlaith directed the same question at me.

Making my place at the table, I struggled. “Of course, I am. Who else is going to feed me in the morning?” I joked. For all our bickering, I admit, I didn't always give Órfhlaith enough credit for being a good sister.

Mum had checked out, or maybe because she had known the truth, she didn't take to me like a mother should. Órfhlaith was probably the closest I had to one. Protected me more times than I wanted to admit. Didn't mean I couldn't give her hell from time to time.

“Eoghan, please stop using the downstairs washroom sink until the plumber comes tomorrow. You made a mess that I shouldn't have had to clean.”

“A plumber's coming here?” I asked, as she nodded, confirming. “When?”

“Tomorrow. Between eight and noon. I'm gonna have to close the shop because I'm tired of the bathroom floors getting flooded,” she admitted, this time with more stress in her tone.

“Well, it's a good thing I'm here. Ain't no way I'm letting a strange man be in a home with my sister all by herself.”

“Oh, please. I've got a revolver if I need it.”

“I saidI ain't letting no strange man be alone with my sister,” I reiterated through clenched teeth.

“Fine, you immature little shitehawk.” If anything, I could probably take a look at the leak. It wouldn’t be as good as a plumber, but it would hold up until tomorrow.

Through a conversation shift, asking Eoghan how was school going, reminded me of how little of us got to center education. It was like we graduated from primary school to the family business.

Cillian and Órfhlaith’s kids don't know how good they had it. They just got to be kids.

I’ve never been good at anything but being a gangster, but it ain't like I was ever encouraged to be anything else. SometimesI wonder what life would have been like if I had just been left at the doorstep of a fire station.

It was foolish to wonder about what if’s and maybes, but sometimes I wondered where my life could have gone. After dinner, I took a look at that leak, as it wasn't long before Órfhlaith was sending Eoghan off to bed.

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