My sister glared up at him. “You can’t te-tell me wh-what to do.”
“Watch me,” Dominic countered, and levelled her with a glare of his own.
Bronagh, as usual, didn’t back down and neither did Dominic—surprise, surprise.
I chimed in and said, “Bronagh, you both need to go home so you can get Georgie fed and put down for the night.”
My sister’s eyes filled with tears. “I can’t feed ‘er, Branna.”
“Sis.” I frowned and stepped forward, gathering her in my arms. “It’s goin’ to be okay, I promise. There is nothin’ wrong with you or Georgie; she is just ready to move on from breastfeedin’. I know you aren’t ready for this change, but she is, so we’ve all got to roll with the punches.”
Bronagh nodded against my shoulder but said nothing; she only cried. I looked up at Dominic, whose eyes were on my sister. He hurt for her, and it was then that I knew she would be okay. Bronagh and Georgie were his life, and he’d give everything up if it meant their happiness. I knew he would take care of her when I couldn’t.
“It’s time to go home with Dominic,” I said, smiling as I pulled back from our hug. “You will get through this together as a family, okay?”
She nodded, but I could see she still wasn’t convinced. And that was okay because the acceptance wouldn’t happen overnight.
“I wanna sing again!” Alannah suddenly announced as Keela helped keep her upright.
“Singing?” Damien grinned, making sure to stay out of her view. “Is that what you call it?”
Alannah slid her eyes to his, and they widened almost instantly.
“Snowflake!” she squealed. “You made it!”
She stumbled away from Keela and over to Damien who was more than willing to hold her up.
“I came,” he said, chuckling. “How are you?”
“You’re here, so I’m gr-great,” she replied and leaned her head against his chest.
Damien looked at me and Keela, his brother, and then back down at Alannah.
“What do you say I bring you home?” he suggested.
“I say,” she paused to hiccup then continued, “that’s a br-brilliant idea.”
Bronagh looked at Alannah and laughed. “You can’t ha-have sex with ‘im.”
Alannah pulled a face at her. “I ca-can if I want to!”
Damien widened his eyes then glanced around and said, “I’d never touch her. Not when she’s like this. I swear.”
Dominic snorted. “You don’t have to assure us. We know it’d be Lana trying it on with you. She’s drunk; it’s the only time she has any courage.”
“Shut up, Dominic,” Damien grumbled.
Alannah, who was standing right next to Dominic when he spoke, yawned like she didn’t hear a word that was just spoken. She leaned her head back and looked up at Damien.
“Who is your favourite fictional ch-character?” she slurred.
Damien furrowed his brows. “Uh, I guess it’s Bugs Bunny?”
“Want to know mine?” she asked, her voice turning sultry.
Damien nodded, licking his lower lip.
“Mine is Jack Frost.”
I wonder why.
Damien held Alannah tightly. “Nice choice.”
She gave him a thumbs-up before quickly saluting him.
I raised my brows. “Lana, what the heck are you doin’?”
“Damien and Dominic,” she said like whatever she was thinking was obvious.
I blinked. “What about them?”
“They’re the pilots in the cockpit!” she announced as she extended her arms and began to ‘fly’ around us whilst making aeroplane noises.
Bronagh was completely unfazed as her twenty-three-year-old friend zoomed around us pretending to be an aeroplane. My sister locked eyes on her man and said, “I’ll jump in your cockpit, Captain Slater.”
“My God, woman!” Dominic hissed, sucking a deep breath through his teeth.
“Do you have a boardin’ pass?” Alannah asked Damien, pausing during her ‘flight’ long enough to speak. “You can’t enter the cockpit without a boardin’ pass. Airline rules.”
“Yeah,” Damien answered, and I saw how hard he was trying to hold his laughter in. “What airline is that, good looking?”
“Bad Bitches Airways,” Alannah said without missing a beat.
I shared a look with Dominic, Damien, and Keela, and at the exact same time, we all burst into laughter.
“What so fu-funny, fuckers?” she then asked, before stumbling into Damien who grabbed her.
“Okay, Freckles, time to go.” He smiled, and it made me smile, too. I only saw him smile like this around Alannah, and the kid was oblivious to it.
“You’re my Jack Frost. You know that, right?” Alannah said as she leaned into Damien and lifted her hand to his white-blond hair. “Mine.”
Damien closed his eyes. “You’re breaking my heart here, Freckles.”
“You broke mine a long time ago.”
I saw Damien’s shoulders slump, and my heart hurt for him.
“I know,” he said, reopening his eyes, “but I’m trying real hard to make up for it.”
Alannah bobbed her head up and down. “I know.”
“You do?” he asked, surprised.
“I do,” she said.
“Well, okay then.”
I looked at Keela when both he and Alannah began to ‘walk’ out of the pub. Both of them laughed at Alannah’s stumbling with each step she took.