“Alannah!” Bronagh squealed when she caught me out of the corner of her eyes. “I nearly died!”
“Sorry.”
She handed me Georgie, who was already reaching for me. I kissed all over her face, making her scream with delight, which made her mother laugh.
“I swear she loves you more than me.”
I grinned. “How are Branna and the twins?”
“Brilliant,” Bronagh beamed. “I was goin’ to go up this mornin’ to see them, but Ryder said Bran was wiped and has slept as much as the twins. She had a very slight tear from givin’ birth, and ’er blood pressure was high last night, but she’s okay now and will be allowed home tomorrow.”
I felt lighter knowing that.
“I can’t wait to see them again,” I gushed. “They’re so cute I could gobble them up.”
Bronagh chuckled but agreed with a bob of her head.
“Ryder said both twins are nursin’ like pros, and they’re perfectly perfect. Dominic brought ’im fresh clothes before work this mornin’ so Ry could shower and then he brought home their washin’. I just did a load. I’m gonna go to their house tonight and clean everywhere so they just have to come home and enjoy the babies.”
I paused. “Branna’s house is so clean you could eat off the floor, Bee.”
“I know.” Bronagh’s lips twitched. “But she hates dust, so I’ll tidy over everythin’ so she doesn’t feel like she should clean, ye’know?”
I nodded. “Sister of the year.”
“Please, I’m bein’ selfish.” she chuckled. “Dominic already knows that I’ll be helpin with the twins for the first few weeks until they get into a routine. Bein’ a first-time parent is like bein’ thrown in a dark pit; you never know what’s gonna happen. They’ll have double trouble with twins.”
“They’re both sorted with work, right?”
“Yup.” Bronagh nodded. “Ryder started his two weeks paid paternity leave yesterday, which he is still chuffed about.”
“Men all around Ireland were chuffed when that law came into effect, and it’s about feckin’ time if you ask me.”
“Amen, sister.”
“What’s the deal with Branna’s maternity leave, though?” I quizzed. “I know, by law, she gets twenty-six weeks of paid leave and an extra sixteen weeks unpaid if she chooses, but she’s been goin’ to work ’er whole pregnancy. Granted not as much lately, but she’s still clocked a solid thirty-hour week this entire time.”
“She worked like that so she’d have more time with the twins,” Bronagh answered. “She didn’t want to waste ’er paid leave sittin’ at home so that’s why she continued goin’ to work. She officially started ’er leave last Monday ’cause we thought she’d have the twins sooner than now until ’er doctor changed stuff around. She booked ’er time off about seven weeks ago.”
“Smart,” I said. “Very smart.”
“Ryder is so happy she gets so much time off, and that she’s still gettin’ paid.” Bronagh snorted. “Kane was the same with Aideen; they couldn’t believe how good our leave is, or the fact that we get paid.”
“I’ll say,” I said, and I turned my focus to Georgie, who was drooling as she gnawed on her closed fist. “You’re the prettiest girl in the whole wide world. D’ye know that, honey?”
She smiled at me around her fist, and it made me laugh.
“Any word on your ma today?”
I sighed as I moved towards the kitchen table and sat down, resting Georgie’s behind on the table top.
“She’s sick today,” I answered Bronagh as I straightened Georgie’s little t-shirt. “A dub doctor is comin’ out. She won’t let me come around in case I catch whatever she has.”
Bronagh frowned. “But you saw ’er the other day, so you’d probably have whatever it was already if you were gonna catch it.”
“I know,” I agreed, “but try to tell me ma that.”
Bronagh snorted. “I can’t argue with ’er; logic sometimes flees when you want to keep your kid safe.”
“You’re tellin’ me.”
I played with Georgie’s chubby hands while Bronagh made us both tea.
“How are things with you and Dame?”
“Blissful,” I answered, a smile tugging at my lips. “I’m in a state of permanent shock, because whenever I think about ’im, I just can’t believe we’re together.”
“I said the same thing to Dominic last night.” Bronagh chuckled from across the room. “I said that you had both spent so many years at odds and in denial, that for you to both to have moved past your issues and be together is simply wild.”
“The power of communication.”
“Amen.” Bronagh laughed.
I placed Georgie in her playpen while Bronagh and I drank our tea at the table.
“Today was Morgan’s first day at work.”
“Oh, how was it?”
“Brilliant, we got so much done. He has literally reorganised me entire system and improved it tenfold.”
“Nice. Does that ease some stress off your shoulders a bit?”
“Like you wouldn’t believe.” I nodded. “Me job and Damien have been two major factors in why I was so stressed out this past year, and now that I’m in a good place with both, it feels weird to just have my parents’ drama to deal with … and me ma bein’ sick, of course.”