“This day is gonna be a bust.” I facepalmed myself with my free hand while Georgie rested her head on my shoulder. “We’re past overindulgin’ at this point.”
“Can we get a cream bun then if it’s already a bust?” my friend asked, licking her lips. “I’ve been good me entire pregnancy … Today can just be a really long cheat day.”
It was embarrassing how little convincing I needed.
“Fine … but get me two of the cream buns and a slice of that chocolate truffle cake in the window … oh, and a cup of hot chocolate with extra marshmallows. Fuck it, I’ll just come in with ye’.”
Bronagh rubbed her hands together. “Mama is eatin’ good today.”
When we left the bakery, I had a bag full of calories and could already feel the guilt that eating them would cause. By the time I got back to Bronagh’s house, I was on my second slice of truffle cake, and guilt was suddenly the last thing on my mind.
“If I gain back the weight I lost six months ago, I’m gonna kill ye’.”
Bronagh snorted as she finished her hot chocolate from the reusable flask she purchased.
“I’m not forcin’ ye’ to eat anythin’.”
“Ye’ aren’t stoppin’ me either.”
When she made a move towards me, I hissed, “Try to take this cake away from me. I feckin’ dare ye’.”
When she cackled, I had to fight off a smile. I glanced at Georgie, who was playing in the corner with her toys, then focused on finishing my slice of heaven. I left a large bite for Georgie, who came over to me when I called her. She ate the cake, got it all over her mouth and had a massive grin on her face while doing so. I took a selfie of us and posted it as my new Facebook profile picture. I looked at my phone when it rang, and when I saw it was Nico, I answered it and said, “Tallaght morgue, you kill them, we chill them. How can I help ye’?”
“There is so much wrong with you that it’s not even funny.”
“What do ye’ want, loser?” I grinned. “You’re stalkin’ me phone all mornin’.”
“Where are you guys?”
“At the hospital,” I answered. “Bronagh has given birth to twin girls. Congratulations, Daddy.”
“I hate you.”
“Relax the cacks.” I snickered. “She’s still up the duff with one baby.”
“You aren’t good for my heart. I hope you realise that.”
I was thoroughly amused.
“Bronagh and Georgie are fine, alpha daddy. We’re all at your house doin’ absolutely nothin’.”
“Good. Tell Bronagh a pipe burst in the ladies’ showers, so the place is closing while it’s being fixed. That means I’ll be home in ten minutes.”
“Yay,” I said dryly. “Ye’ll be ‘ere to annoy us in person instead of callin’ us every five minutes. Fantastic.”
He hung up on me, and it made me laugh as I turned to Bronagh.
“A pipe burst so he gets to come home. He’ll be ‘ere in ten minutes.”
“Did he hang up on ye’?”
“Yup.”
She snorted. “He thinks ye’ torment ‘im more since you and Damien got together.”
“He does?”
“Yup.” Bronagh grinned. “He thinks ye’ act like a bratty little sister.”
“Then I must play me role accordingly and annoy ‘im whenever possible.”
When the three of us moved into the sitting room, I phoned Keela to see how she was doing.
“What’s the crack?” she answered on the third ring.
“What’s good, preggers?” I smiled as Georgie settled next to me on the settee. “Are ye’ still pregnant?”
“Yup.” She laughed. “But I may give birth out of absolute rage.”
“Uh-oh, what’s goin’ on?”
“Alec has gone to get the messages in Aldi, and he said I wasn’t allow to do any cleanin’, but the windows are filthy.”
“I absolutely hate agreein’ with Alec, ye’ know I do … but ye’ can’t clean the windows. That involves stretchin’ … and a ladder.”
Keela groaned, long and hard, and it made me grin.
“I’ve got ye’, preggers,” I said with certainty. “Auntie Alannah is on the case.”
If Keela ever said I didn’t do anything for her, I was going to kick her up the arse.
“Is the smudge gone?” I hollered. “Say yes, ‘cause me arm is goin’ dead buffin’ this stupid thing.”
For the past forty minutes, I had been Keela’s cleaning mule, following her every order. I had cleaned six windows, inside and outside, and was on the seventh and final one for the front of the house. It just happened to be her and Alec’s bedroom window, and it was the dirtiest pane of glass I had ever encountered because it took a hell of a scrub and buff to make it come up gleaming.
“Ye’ put your hand on the glass, and I can see your handprint from all the way down ‘ere.”
I closed my eyes and began to count to ten.
“Which side is the handprint on?” I shouted and opened my eyes, roaming them over the window. “I can’t see anythin’.”