Page 96 of The Irish Redemption

“To this day whenever I hear a honk, I fear it’s his promise coming true.” I grin. As we reach the pond, Ma immediately pulls me in and presses a powdery kiss to my cheek.

“Thank you for talking to Da’.”

“Aye.” I nod. “I’m glad I did.”

“How was he?”

“Just the same,” I assure her. “Healthy.”

She nods curtly, then turns to Evie and kisses her cheek. “Welcome, dear.”

“Thank you for having me,” Evie replies.

“Fuck,” Cian mutters, suddenly wiping his eyes. “Shitty fucking?—”

“Come here, little brother.” I loop my arm around his shoulders and pull him in for a tight hug. Saoirse joins us and together, the three of us squeeze onto one another until a demand for air and space breaks us apart.

“Y’alright?” I clutch Cian’s shoulder, and he nods, wiping at his eyes.

“Aye. Just… why’d he have t’die, y’know? Fucker was supposed to be old and gray.”

“No one in this life makes it old and gray,” Saoirse says.

“Oi, cheeky. I did,” Ma remarks. “Brenden… what happened was horrible, but I choose to think he’s looking down on us happy that we dealt with the fucker who took him from us. And we’ll make him proud. All of us.”

We all nod. I reach for Evie’s hand, and she flashes me a comforting smile. Ma removes the lid of the urn and then takes out a handful of ashes. Whatever she says to them is so quiet that I don’t catch it, then she scatters them into the pond where they drift down onto the water.

“I love you, Son,” she says tearfully.

Cian is next. He takes a handful, and whatever he says as goodbye is only for his ears as he doesn’t speak a word of it aloud. Then he scatters his handful and clears his throat. “Man, I’m kinda pissed you died so early. All these pranks I never got a chance to play, and I wanted to wreck one of your fancy fast cars just once.”

A rumble of amusement moves through us.

Saoirse steps up next. “You were the best brother I ever had and you’ve left me with these two fucks,” she mumbles. “But I’m so happy that you found someone to love and I’m totally stealing your diamond watch. Love you.” She scatters the ashes and dusts her hands off.

My turn.

The ash is heavy in my hands and a thousand thoughts burst through my mind, but nothing feels right. Slowly, I spread my fingers and watch the ash trickle down into the water.

“I’ll make you proud, Brother,” is all I say.

I stare down until the last of the ash melts into the water that rocks softly back and forth from the movement of fish, frogs, and other animals that live here now. Then Ma offers the urn to Evie and her eyes widen.

“Are you sure?” she asks.

Ma nods. “You’re family, dear.”

She takes a handful, looking uncertain, then approaches the water’s edge. “I didn’t know you, but if you were even half the man your brother is then I know you were great. I’m sorry I didn’t get to meet you.” She scatters the ashes, then steps back into my arms.

Ma moves forward and turns the urn upside down, pouring the rest of the ash out into the pond. Just as she does, a gust of wind kicks up and blows the ash back at all of us, invading eyes, noses, and throats.

A flurry of coughing rises up in all of us as we turn to avoid Brenden’s ashes getting carried in the wind and caught on us. Coughs that then turn to laughter.

“That fucker.” Cian laughs, brushing ash out of his suit. “I knew he’d pull something like this.”

“Always had to make his presence known,” Saoirse groans.

“That’s my boy.” Ma laughs along with them.

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