I took a few seconds to really look at her. Alannah was a very attractive woman that I knew would be the envy of many women who saw her in passing. Her skin was porcelain pale, and while it was clear of imperfections, she had the cutest splash of freckles sprinkled over her nose and under her eyes. She rarely wore makeup, and unless you were up close and personal with her, you would think otherwise when looking at her striking face. Her cheekbones were high, her jawline defined, her eyes were large and encased by long lashes and guarded by thick, nicely shaped brows. Her eyes were bright blue, and they reminded me of an anime character. Her hair was dark as the night and flowed in waves to the base of her spine.
She was perfect, and I knew she had no idea just how beautiful she was. Usually, if someone was gorgeous, they knew it, or had some sort of hint to it, but not Alannah.
“You’re a bad liar, friend,” I said with a sad smile.
She dropped her forced smile. “And ‘ere I thought I was a convincin’ fibber.”
I winked. “Not on your life.”
Alannah sighed, her shoulders slumping. “I’m debatin’ on whether to tell me ma about me da’s affair... for real this time.”
I gasped at the admission. “Really?”
She reluctantly nodded. “He knows somethin’ is up with me because I refuse to be alone with ‘im.”
I frowned. “I can’t imagine how you’re feelin’.”
“It hurts,” Alannah said, her eyes distant. “I’m angry, sad, disappointed, and baffled. Me ma is beautiful, Branna. I’m not bein’ biased either; she is really pretty, and she can cook and sing and put a smile on anyone’s face without tryin’. You’ve met ‘er so you know. She loves me da to death, which is why this is killin’ me. If I don’t tell ‘er, me da will continue havin’ the affair. She deserves a hell of a lot better than that, but if I tell her, I’ll break ‘er heart and ruin our family.”
I covered Alannah’s hand with my own.
“If anyone is to take blame for this, it’s your father. Not you, not your mother, him and him alone.”
Alannah nodded, but it didn’t look like she believed me, and I hated that. No matter what the outcome would be for her family, she would feel somewhat to blame no matter what anyone said. That was the kind of person she was. She wanted to fix everything, and when she couldn’t, she took on the weight of failure on her own two shoulders and carried it.
“I’m the only one out of our group who has both of ‘er parents,” she commented softly. “For ages, I thought it was because we were normal, but now... now I don’t know what to think.”
“We’re all ‘ere for you,” I told her. “Please, don’t bear this burden alone.”
“It’s hard not to. Every time I pluck up the courage to confront me da or tell me ma, I chicken out.”
“I would too,” I assured her. “This is heavy stuff; you have to do it only when the time is right.”
Alannah nodded and retreated into the comfort of her own mind where she could think. We spoke no further on the subject when Damien walked into the room holding Georgie or when Dominic and Bronagh came in a few seconds behind them. I knew Bronagh was in the house, but the twins were supposed to be at work. Dominic got the full-time gym job at the new leisure centre in town that Ryder told me about on our honeymoon, and both Damien and Ryder got jobs at Aideen’s father’s auto shop as roadside rescue. They had a basic understanding of engines, but Aideen’s father schooled them for weeks to expand their knowledge and make their jobs a hell of a lot easier.
“How come you’re both home from work?” I quizzed.
“Lunch,” the twins replied in unison.
“It’s lunchtime already?” I frowned. “Dame, where is Ryd—”
“He literally just walked in the door,” Bronagh cut me off as she glanced out of the kitchen towards the front door. “Damien came in ahead of ‘im ‘cause he was parkin’ the truck.”
Ryder and Damien shared the company vehicle, but Ryder did the majority of the driving.
“I forgot to make lunch,” I sniffled, feeling like a horrible person.
“No tears,” my sister quickly said. “I made them food while you were restin’. It’s in the fridge.”
“Thanks.” I smiled as I rubbed at my eyes.
It didn’t take much for me to cry, and when I got going, it was hard to stop.
“Dadadadada!” Georgie said as she snuggled into Damien’s chest.
Dominic almost glared at his daughter. “I’m your dada. Damien is your uncle.”
Bronagh rolled her eyes. “She knows your ‘er da, but she calls everyone dada. It’s all she can say. Also, she’s a baby, and it’s probably freaky figurin’ out why another man has the same face as ‘er daddy. She’ll make that mistake until she realises who is who.”