Shannon was holding a cake.
Sean was sitting on Kav’s shoulders, clutching a bunch of balloons.
Ollie was holding one side of a homemade banner that read,
Welcome Home, Joey,
while Gussie of all people held the other side.
All of them had party hats perched on their heads.
Jesus, even Nanny was there, sitting at a picnic table that had been decorated with streamers and more balloons, with John Sr. and Darren.
Fucking Darren.
“What the hell is this?” I muttered, unfastening my seatbelt, as I battled down a surge of emotion. “What’s all this for?”
“I told you they were excited to see their big brother,” Edel laughed, pushing her door open. “Welcome home, Joey Lynch.”
The minute I climbed out of the car, I was caught up in a flurry of limbs as Shannon, Ollie, and Seany all dove for me.
“Oh my god, Joe,” my baby sister was crying, as she practically climbed up my body, locking her arms around my neck so tight it was hard to breathe. “Joe, Joe, Joe.” Peppering my cheek with kisses, Shannon laughed and cried and had a little emotional breakdown for herself, only releasing me when Ollie shoved her out of the way. “Hey, I wasn’t finished!”
“I knew you’d do it,” he said, beaming up at me with pride, as he tightened his hold on my waist. “I knew you’d come back for us, Joe.”
“I’ll always come back for you, Ols,” I replied, voice thick and gravely as I tried to keep my emotions in check. “Look at how tall you’ve grown.”
“O-ee.” Pulling on the leg of my jeans, a pair of brown eyes looked up at me. “O-ee.”
That did it.
Seeing Sean’s little face had my heart cracking open in my chest.
This kid.
He was my brother, but it was different with him.
From birth, Sean had depended on me in a way the others hadn’t.
I knew he wasn’t mine, but it didn’t stop my heart from beating for him in a paternal rather than brotherly way.
“Hey, Seany-boo.” Sniffling back the lump in my throat, I sank to my knees in front of him. “How’s my baby?”
“O-ee.” He didn’t hesitate to scramble onto my lap. “Seany loves O-ee,” he whispered in my ear, as he stroked my cheeks with his chubby little hands. “O-ee make Seany happy.”
“Joey loves Seany back,” I replied, wrapping him up in my arms, overwhelmed by just how well his speech had come on since the beginning of summer. “Seany makes Joey the proudest brother in the world.”
“Okay, okay, everyone back up and let your brother breathe,” John instructed, when all three had thrown themselves on top of me – which wouldn’t have been a problem if it wasn’t for the big overgrown blond bastard who had decided to get in on the action.
“Jaysus, Gibs, can’t you let them have their moment?” Kav growled, yanking his friend off the top of the pile before helping my sister to her feet. “I swear to god, you’re like a bleeding puppy craving attention.”
“Not attention, Johnny, just a little belly rub,” Gibsie replied before turning his attention back to me. “Well, would you look at the comeback kid in all his glory.” He winked. “Howdy friend.”
I narrowed my eyes. “It’s you.”
He beamed back at me. “It’s me.”
And then he had the gall to hug me.
He actually mother-fucking hugged me.
I was so taken aback from the sudden move that I didn’t react.
I couldn’t.
Not when he had my arms pinned to my sides in what I could only describe as the most uncomfortable bear hug of my life. “Believe it or not, Lynchy, I was half-lonesome for your big druggie head over the summer.”
“Believe it or not, Gussie, I will take your rugby-ball shaped head clean off your shoulders if you don’t let go.”
“Oh no,” Johnny sighed and covered his head. “Oh, sweet Jesus, here we go.”
“I knew it!” Gibsie declared, yanking away from me and turning to Kav. “I fucking knew it. That’s the second time someone has said that, Johnny.” Clutching his head, he let out a pained wail. “Twice, Johnny. Two times. That’s a pattern.”
“That’s a coincidence,” Kav tried to reassure him. “I’ve already told ya a million times, Gibs, your head is in perfect symmetrical proportion.”
“Symmetrical?” Gibsie blanched. “What in the name of Jesus are you bringing up maths at a time like this? When I’m having a fucking complex, Johnny!”
“You are a complex, Gibs.” Rolling his eyes, Kav offered his buddy a sympathetic pat on the shoulder before stepping towards me with his hand outstretched. “Joey the hurler.”
“Mister rugby,” I replied, lips twitching up in a smirk that mirrored his, as I stepped forward and accepted his handshake. “Thank you.”
With steel blue eyes full of unconcealed emotion, he offered me a stiff nod. “Anytime, brother.”
And that was all that needed to be said between us.
He knew it and so did I.
The respect he directed towards me was returned in a handshake.
“Joe,” Darren acknowledged with a smile when I approached the picnic table. “You look great.”
“Darren,” I forced myself to respond, offering him a clipped nod. “Thanks.”
“This is Alex,” he said then, gesturing to the man sitting beside him. “You met around the time of Mam’s funeral, but I don’t know if you remember…”
“It’s good to see you again,” I said, offering his boyfriend my hand. “And Darren’s right; I have no recollection of us meeting.”
“Aye, that’s not a bother,” he replied, with a thick northern accent. “You’re looking well in yourself there, lad.”
“Yeah.” Clearing my throat, I turned my attention to the old woman, whose eyes were burning holes in the side of my face. “Hi, Nanny.”
“Joseph.” Her green eyes were full of unshed tears as she reached for my hand. “Our little Joseph.”
Kneeling in front of my great-grandmother, I took her frail hand in mine and pressed a kiss to the back of it. “I’m so sorry, Nanny.”
“What are you sorry for, pet?”
“For letting you down.” I blew out a pained breath and shook my head. “For disappointing you.”
“Look at my face,” she instructed, cupping my cheeks between her tremor-racked hands. “Does this look like a face filled with disappointment?”
I couldn’t answer her.
It hurt too much.
“I am so proud of you,” she pushed, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to my brow. “And if Granda was here, he would tell you the same thing.”
Fuck.
She hit me through the heart with that line.
“Before I go back to Beara, I have something for you,” she whispered in my ear, so that Darren couldn’t hear her. “I don’t want you to show your brothers and sister.” She slipped a folded-up envelope into the front pocket of my hoodie. “Granda only left it for you, but I couldn’t give it to you at the time. Not while he was…well, when you were in your father’s house. I’ve been holding onto it for you. Until the time was right.”