Hope from the Ocean: 45

Todd and Blair made their way to the kitchen, and sitting at the table was Aiden, his elbow propping him up, as he ate, rather ravenously, Tina's creation of a pseudo-Irish breakfast.

Todd said, "Hey," and went to the refrigerator.

Blair said, "Good morning."

"Ah, finally, the two of ya must have finished with those promises, eh?"  he grinned largely, and his teeth showed.  He had quite a handsome smile.

Blair blushed a little, Todd jumped in, "You know it, Bro."

"It's worth it in the end, eh, Todd?"

"She is.  Always."  Todd drank his orange juice.

Aiden took another bite, "Why do Americans eat strange things in the mornings, eh, Mate?"

"You're calling us strange?  You Micks eat the weirdest things I've ever heard of."

Tina chimed in, "Something called black sausage."

"Ya don't want to know what's in that," Aiden said.  "Ya won't like it.  Besides," he said, shooting Tina another winning smile, "What Little Tina here made is good enough for me."

She smiled back, and Todd and Blair shot each other a look across the table.  Blair was trying to eat fruit and yogurt, but nothing was agreeing with her.  Aiden said, "So, you're going to have a babby?"

"Yes."

"Then I won't describe black sausage or white sausage to ya."

Blair grimaced, and said, "Thanks."  She noticed that in the light, he was a stunning man, aside from the scar running along his head.  His eyes were piercing, almost familiar.

It was clear that Tina had noticed also.  She was smiling and doting on him, and Todd thought he detected a slight degree of protectiveness in her.  She said, "Do you want anything else?"

"No, Dear Little Tina, I'm quite happy with this.  The closest thing to a real Irish breakfast I've had all month,"  Aiden said.  Their eyes lingered.

Todd looked at Blair, and under his breath, said, "I think we should leave, or else get them a room."

Blair widened her eyes and admonished him.  "Stop."

Todd laughed a little and kept eating.  

A few minutes later, Jack came barreling down the stairs and said, "Here, Dad, your phone was going off."

Todd took it from Jack.  "Hello?"

"Son, how are ya?"  Timothy said.

"Hey, Dad, how's it going?"

"Fine.  Top a' the morning to ya, and to that lovely wife."

"Thanks."

"Ya made it, and ya did quite a brave thing, Son.  I'm proud of ya."  Timothy said, and then added, "There's someone here who wants to see ya."

"Let me guess, he's hairy?"

Blair, walking by, slapped Todd's arm playfully.  Timothy said, "Well, he's alive.  That should be something."

"Patrick."  Todd sighed, and Blair detected a note of emotion in Todd's voice.  "Yeah, sure, I'll come and see him.  He wants to pester me about the accommodations on the plane, right?"

"Just get yourself here soon," Timothy said, ending the call.

***

Jack was laying on his back, staring at the ceiling.  He was playing his old-school music, with both earphones in, and his expression was as if he were far away.  Blair came to his door, and went over to him, and shook him.  He removed the earphones.  "Yeah?"

"You okay?

"Yeah, I guess."

"You miss her, don't you?"

"Who?"

"Jenna, Jack.  Come on."

"Yeah, I miss her.  I really do.  She's cool people, I love talking to her.  I mean, I can talk to her here but . . ."

"Have you spoken to her?"

"A lot.  Yeah.  I hope Dad doesn't mind but the bill is going to be bad for international calling."

"Your father won't care in the least about that, Jack.  That's not his concern.  You know that."

"I guess.  Yeah."

"It's okay to miss her.  We might not be here too much longer, our business is almost done."

"That's good.  I miss home, I don't like my tutor, and I miss Jenna.  I even miss Unforgettable."


"Actually, I do, too."

"Can we go home, Mom?"

"Soon.  I think we will be going home very soon.  I just have a feeling about it."

***

"You ride in limousines often, eh?"  Aiden said, climbing in.

"I do.  I don't own a car.  Just the limo and the helicopter," Todd answered.

"That would have been a treat.  What kind of money ya got, Brotha?"

"Enough.  My late great father the pedophile left it to me."

Aiden's smile faded, and he looked to his feet.  "I don't know what to say to that, Paddy."

"Not much to say to it.  My biological father gave me up for adoption to a sicko who abused my adoptive mother and I."

"Not much better, either way, eh?"

"Not much."

"Is she alive?"

"My adoptive mother?  Yes.  I recently found her.  She's mute.  From the beatings."

Todd could see Aiden's throat working.  The Irishman said, "This seems like it's the tip of a larger story, for some reason, Man."

"It is.  There's a lot, just . . . it's almost like it's not my life, you know?  But at the same time, who else's can it be?"

"Ay, I see.  Your wife, the two of ya.  I see you're very close."

"We are.  For a while, it wasn't quite that way.  We always loved each other.  Always.  Even when we weren't together."

"It's the way it is, when ya find your kindred one, eh?  Nothing else matters."

"You sound like you have experience?"
  
"Actually, no.  I got the idea from my parents.  The ones that took me in.  This is why I have no past.  I was found, injured . . ." he pointed to his head.  

Todd was cautious.  "You were a child?"

"Ay."  He seemed unable to go beyond the place they were, so Todd didn't push, remembering the headaches.

"So we both had it rough as kids, that explains it."  Todd said, "But nothing can explain your flirting with my sister."

Aiden smiled, and his grin was contagious and sprawling.  "She's quite the beauty.  Those crystal eyes."

"She's a beauty, all right."  Todd heard the sarcasm in his own voice, and added, "Sorry, she's my sister, hard to think of her any other way."

"She's kind.  Has a sparkle in her smile.  I'm sure ya've seen it."  Todd didn't say much else, he just smiled to himself.  Aiden continued, "And Blair, she's simply a gorgeous woman."

"She's the most beautiful woman in the world," Todd said.

The rest of the ride was quiet.  Aiden was nestled between watching the countryside from the limo window and dozing; Todd was on his phone, looking at photos of Little Ray going to the stairs, only to be met with the gate, and getting frustrated faces, trying to bite it to move it out of his way.  He laughed lightly to himself. 

My sons, and Starr, and Jewel on the way.  It's all you and me, Blair.  All of it.

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