Hope from the Ocean: 68

"Let's just say it's going to be a while before you get that information.  I'll tell you when I bring Blair back here to meet you both."  Todd answered.  Aman seemed satisfied with that, for the moment, and turned his attention back to Aiden.

"Are ya all right, Son?"

"I'm fine, Dad.  Fine.  And it's not to say I won't come back and live here, some day, with ya and my family.  Who knows what will happen.  But now, I can't stay long.  I must go back to Dublin, and get my head straightened.  I can't tell ya what seeing ya both has done for me.  I realize, I must make a life for myself.  There's only one way to do it," Aiden said.  "Todd has offered to pay all the medical bills.  He knows of a clinic, a hospital, In Switzerland."

Aman and Lily both turned toward Todd.  "The same?"  Aman asked.

Todd nodded.  He said, "It's the same one you wheeled me off in that cart to the main road, so I could taxi to the airport and go.  That's the one."  Todd gulped, and all of them saw the emotion on his face.

Aiden said, "Ya were here, weren't ya?  In this house, with them?"

"After ya left us, Aiden," Lily began, "It was sad around here.  I went through terrible times, and ya'r father too, missing ya, and we knew why ya went, but ya went, all the same."

"To keep ya safe, Mam."  Aiden said.  "To find my own way.  Little did I know that Canneely was there, waiting to turn me into a Man of 21.  I fought that, and went to Dublin to combat it."

"Well, not long after ya left, and mind ya how ya looked then, ya'r father was fishing, off one of the cliffs, and he saw a young man wash up on shore.  He was broken and battered terribly.  Ya'r father came home, got the cart, and he and I went back and took Todd home.  We knew something terrible had happened to him and after reading the papers, we pieced together that it was The Men of 21 again.  We tended his wounds.  This gave me purpose, when we had lost ya.  He had long hair, like ya did.  He had a scar," she choked up, "as ya did."

"We called him 'Tá súil agam ón Aigéan,'" Aman said.

"Hope from the Ocean," Todd spoke up.  

Aiden was moved.  "I had to go, ya know that."

Both his parents nodded.  "We know, Son," Aman said.

"I thank both of you for what you did for me,"  Todd said.

"Ya did things for us, too, Todd," Aman said.  "Ya helped us through a sad time."

"I changed my mind," Lily said.  "Though ya'll have to leave us, I want to say that it's best now, Aiden, for you to make a family of ya'r own.  It's best that ya move forward.  Ya've been hovering too long.  Whatever it takes, ya should uncover the truth."

"Thank ya, Mam." He leaned forward and kissed her cheek.

"Shall we have a nice supper, before ya go?"  she asked both men.

Todd said, "I'm all for eating, whenever I can."

"Me too," Aiden said.  "Why not?"

"Why don't ya go back and get ya'r car and bring it closer, then," Aman said. "It won't be as hard to find in the dark."

"Uh, well, that might be a bit of a trouble,"  Aiden said.  "There's no car."

"Boat, then?"  Lily offered.

Aiden shook his head no.  He looked at Todd, "I'll let ya tell it."

Todd smirked, "We came by helicopter."

"My goodness, ya came by whirlybird?  No!"

"Yep."

"Well, ya better go and get that contraption and let it down safe here, so ya can see in the darkness when ya have to leave.  I've seen one on television, they have lights."  Lily said.

Todd laughed lightly.  "You're right though, it's probably best I go and get it," he got up, taking his jacket.

Aiden stood, "We'll be back."

Todd said, "Nah, you stay with your parents.  You guys can use some alone time.  I can tell you all, I need to think, and I need to call Blair.  She's . . . she was really upset earlier.  I'll be fine, I'm good at reverse directions."

"Todd, I don't think it's such a good idea?"  Lily said.

"I've got a GPS, don't worry, really,"  he said, and he was out the door before they had a chance.  Beginning his walk back to the copter, he said,  "Manning, you're something else.  What are the chances . . . oh, never mind," he said dialing his wife.  "Hey?"

"Hey.  You okay?"

"Yeah.  You?"

"Yeah.  I'd be better if I were with you, Todd."

"I know that.  I would too.  I said that to myself about ten times already."

"Really?"

"Yeah.  You ground me, and believe me, this was some serious shit."

"You dealing all right?"

"Yeah.  There's something else.  About Aiden.  When I get back there, I'll fill you in.  Some serious shit."

"You've said this twice, Todd.  What's going on?"

"Everyone's okay.  No one's hurt or in danger.  It's just . . . well, I'll tell you in person, about Aiden, but about me, Blair, I just want to tell you . . . I'm grateful you didn't give up on me when I came back from Ireland, and then the Tea thing."

"Todd?  That's old news.  We've been through it all."

"Yeah, well, maybe, but I'm grateful.  I never should have . . . well, I never should have done a lot of things.  I was so . . ." he stopped a moment, and emotion overtook him.  She could hear it.  "I was so fucked up."

"I know.  I know, My Love.  That was then,"

"This is now," he said, and then, "I love you.  I'll be back soon.  We're having dinner and then we're coming back."

"All right.  I'll be here.  I love you, so much, Todd."

"Me too, Babe."

The rest of the way he spent thinking of ways to let her know how much he meant what he had said, and it made his steps lighter.

An hour or so later, Todd knocked outside Aman and Lily's cottage.  "Hey, let me in."

Aman opened the door, "That contraption made so much noise, ya scared the sheep's wool off."

"Well, then you should thank me, no shearing today."

Lily said, "Where did ya learn to fly that thing, Todd?"

"Lily, you just don't know where I've been and what I've learned.  But when I come back with my wife, I'll fill you in.  Right now, you and Aman and Aiden should be spending precious time together.  It's a celebratory dinner, right?  In recognition of this reunion today?  And the future?"

"That sounds right, Todd," Aiden said, raising a thick mug full of ale, "To the future of Aiden O'Farrell," and everyone's mugs clinked.

***

The dinner done, the table cleared, Aiden and Aman were sitting close on the couch, talking over some old photographs they had, and Lily was cleaning away the remnants of supper in the kitchen.  Todd was on his feet helping her, bringing dishes in and out and wiping them as she washed.  She said, "I can't wait to meet Blair.  We knew more about her than we did about y'arself back then."

"I did, too."

"It's been a difficult journey?"  she asked.

"Isn't it always?"

"Your eyes look different.  The last time, there was so much pain in them, and hate.  They're a bit softer, but I dare say, they are a tad sadder."

"Hmf.  That's what kids and a good woman can do to a guy."  He didn't want to mention the torture or his past.  At least, not yet.  He wanted to take as little as possible away from Aiden's return home.

"I am excited to meet her," Lily said, handing Todd the last of the wet dishes.  He wiped it, returned it to the cabinet, and then said, "Would you mind if I took care of putting away the leftover food?  I really think you and Aiden and Aman should have as much quality time as possible."

She kissed his cheek.  "My Lord, I knew this kind of person was in that bitter soul.  And the self-loathing, Todd, it's much better toned down."  She put her apron over the chair, and went into the other room to be with her son and husband.

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