Brothers & Sisters

by Brothers

  ‘That would be good,’ Michael said.

  ‘Yeah,’ Lucas added, ‘especially now.’

  Michael heard the crunch of the gravel on the driveway. ‘Let’s get back down, they’ll be waiting to see which one of us has the black eye.’

  ‘I’ll just throw these inside the room’, Lucas said and like two rugby full backs, larger than life, Michael and Lucas stepped back down the stairs, dependable agile characters ready for the ball to come their way.

  ‘Well there’s something you don’t see every day.’ Tim pushed back the door and stood dripping in the hallway. The sight of Michael and Lucas coming down the stairs together made him smile. ‘Maybe you are more like your old uncle than you thought you were.’ His innuendo made Michael grin from ear to ear, it was a joke that only the four men in the hallway appreciated.

  ‘Tim,’ Michael shook his head drolly at his uncle’s joke, ‘you just can’t help yourself, can you.’ He punched his uncle playfully on the arm. ‘Robert, welcome.’ He took Robert’s coat.

  ‘Good to see you.’ Robert reached up and hugged him, slapping his back.

  ‘Your brother George is just behind us. Either that,’ Robert braced himself as he saw Eve make a run for him, ‘or Santa clause is arriving early by tractor.’ He scooped Eve up as she jumped into his arms. ‘Marie, what’s the smell, I’m starving.’ He carried Eve back into the kitchen, high-fiving Jack as he walked by.

  ‘Nearly ready,’ she announced as she fanned the steam that erupted from the open oven door. Aromas of garlic and thyme wafted through the kitchen and the sound of glasses chinking and logs cracking and laughter filled the room.

  George came in through the back door.

  ‘Just in time, George,’ Marie said as she kissed his cheek.

  ‘Sure wasn’t I watching for smoke signals.’ He laughed. ‘I hope it’s not as cremated as last week’s.’ He winked at Jack, it was their private joke.

  ‘Sit down, George.’ Marie laughed and Michael patted him on the back; the bond between them as brothers as strong as it had always been, still the same McGrath men, both born on their mother’s bed and raised by the same amazing angel.

  Marie lifted the roast tray from the rack with her oven-gloved hands and placed it on the countertop to cool. ‘Michael, will you mash the spuds?’

  He touched her discreetly on her side as he passed her to help.

  Tim watched contentedly as the people that he loved, hugged and laughed beside each other as though they had always done so. It was Rose’s legacy, a legacy that he was proud to be part of. A family that, without her, would not be together.

  Marie placed the silver platter of carved meat on the table and began to serve. ‘I got a card from Louise the other day. They are on a Disney cruise at the moment and will be till New Year’s.’ She passed the large bowl of roast potatoes across to Tim. ‘They’ve taken Kelly’s sister, Annie, on a holiday.’

  ‘Sorry,’ Tim asked, ‘Kelly’s sister?’ He wasn’t sure who she was referring to.

  ‘Detective Kelly,’ Marie confirmed. ‘He has a sister, in her fifties with Down syndrome,’ she added. ‘And she loves Disney.’ Marie and Louise had become quite good friends in the past six months and Marie had been kept abreast of all the romantic developments between Louise and Kelly.

  ‘Detective Kelly and Louise are together?’ Tim said.

  ‘Yes, they were while they were working on the case.’ She didn’t need to give the details.

  ‘I’m all on for seizing the day.’ Tim lifted an empty glass. ‘The best of luck to them.’ If Tim had learned anything this past year, it was that life was for living and it was best to do it while you had the health and the strength to do so.

  ‘Oh, sorry, guys, it was my job to fill the glasses.’ Michael jumped to his feet to retrieve the Prosecco. Quickly he opened it and began to pour. ‘Will you do the honours, Tim.’ He reached over Tim’s shoulder and filled his glass first.

  ‘Him, toast, he doesn’t really like to be the centre of attention.’ George smirked as he chided Tim who sat across from him. On Tim and Robert’s frequent visits to the farm, George, Tim and Robert were fast becoming good friends.

  ‘If you insist.’ Tim waited until all nine glasses were full, including the grape juice that Eve and Jack had been poured. He reached inside his pocket and pulled out a navy velvet bag. ‘I was going to do this later.’ He untied the silk strings. ‘But now is as good a time as any.’ A brief flash of sadness flickered across his eyes, everyone at the table felt it. ‘I was trying to think about what I’d do with it and I couldn’t decide.’ Robert fiddled with the stem of his wine glass in his hands, he had given Tim several suggestions as to who might appreciate it most. ‘But this is something that sort of has a bit of meaning to me and my baby sister, Rosie.’ He took his wallet from his back pocket opened it and unfolded the letter from Rose. Since Lizzie had found it and given it to him that day at the hospital, he hadn’t left it down. ‘So I tried to think of how I would give this to all of you.’ He lifted up the velvet bag and dangled it in the air and in the other hand held the letter that Rose had left for him.

  ‘What is it, Uncle Tim?’ Eve was like a puppy waiting for a ball.

  ‘In a minute, Evie,’ he answered. ‘So I thought,’ Robert coughed comically, looking for his attention. ‘Sorry, we thought,’ he nodded his glass in his partner’s direction, ‘that maybe the best place for it was somewhere that we all could see it and we could use it whenever we needed.’

  ‘How about on the Christmas Tree?’ Eve suggested, she still didn’t know what was inside the velvet bag but to her the Christmas tree was the most obvious place.

  ‘You know, Eve,’ Tim laughed a hearty, warm laugh, ‘that’s not a bad idea.’ Eve was as proud as punch and Jack smiled across the table at her. ‘Which brings me nicely to the toast?’

  ‘Finally,’ Lizzie said comically.

  ‘To Brothers and Sisters,’ he raised his glass as a flash of Rose’s smiling face sparked across his eyes.

  ‘To Brothers and Sisters.’ A chorus of toasts chimed around the room as they all remembered Rose in their own unique way.

  ‘Can we do the bag now, Uncle Tim?’ Eve couldn’t wait to see it any longer.

  ‘You can, my love.’ He put his fingers inside and pulled out Rose’s whistle. Its tattered string had been removed and in its place, a purple silk ribbon had been tied. Attached on a loop was a small sterling silver tag. Tim had had it engraved.

  ‘Ooh, shiny,’ Eve said as she left her seat to touch it. ‘Can I put it on the tree now?’ she asked. ‘Jack will help me.’

  ‘Show me,’ Michael said as his daughter skipped it over. ‘It’s lovely, Tim, it really is.’ He handled it in the palm of his hand and noticed the engraving on its side. The story of the whistle had touched all their hearts and will forever be known in the family’s history. ‘It’s engraved.’ He flashed a look at Tim, looking for his permission.

  ‘Read it.’ Tim’s voice was low. He was beginning to well up inside. Rose would have loved to have been at this table. But he was sure she was around somewhere, it wouldn’t have been like her to miss a party. ‘Please.’ Tim nodded.

  Michael cleared his throat. He looked to Marie and in the glimmer of the table candles he could see her embracing smile. He knew he was a lucky man. He watched Lucas as he tenderly rubbed his sister’s back, another lucky man, he smiled, and finally, he admired Robert as he stretched a masculine arm across the back of Tim’s chair. There were a lot of lucky men in the room, he decided. He cleared his throat and began to speak.

  ‘For Rose,

  She stood in the storm,

  And when the wind did not blow her away,

  She adjusted her sails.’

  Gently he placed the whistle back into his daughter’s hand, overwhelmed by the words. He could only imagine what Lizzie and Tim were feeling right then, because he was floored. ‘There you go, guys, hang it on the tree.’ He watched as his son Jack lifted hi
s sister Eve as high as he could manage and decided he needed to do something the same to mark it. He took Lizzie’s hand and dragged her reluctantly up from the table.

  ‘What are you doing?’ Lizzie laughed. ‘You nut.’

  ‘I’m not sure I’ll be able to lift you as high as Jack can lift Evie.’ Michael laughed, gulping back the remainder of his glass. ‘But I’ll give it a try.’ Laughter erupted from the table as Michael pretended to hoist her up to help put the whistle on the tree.

  ‘Actually,’ Lizzie whirled around in front of them, ‘I might be a little heavier, than normal.’ Her beautiful eyes glinted with tears as Lucas drew a deep anticipatory breath. He had wondered how she was going to tell them. She immediately pressed on the corner of her eye to stem the flow. She placed both her hands on her stomach and lovingly caressed it. ‘Because,’ she beamed with happiness from ear to ear, ‘there are two of us to lift now.’

  ‘Are you serious?’ Michael held her hands wide, looked at her stomach and drew her in for a hug. Lucas’s earlier comment made sense to him now. ‘Especially now, you said earlier.’ He looked at Lucas knowingly, finally realising what he had meant. ‘This is amazing, guys, a cousin, Jack, Evie, a new little cousin for you.’ Michael bounded around the room with excitement for Lizzie, and if he was truthful, for Lucas too. He hugged her once more and whispered into Lizzie’s ear as he twirled her. ‘To Brothers and Sisters.’

  We hope you enjoyed this book!

  Adele O’Neill’s next book is coming in spring 2018

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  Acknowledgements

  An idea to write a book is all very well and good until you realise that the idea alone, will not get the book to the hands of readers and so I must, with the humblest of hearts and a depth of gratitude, give thanks to the patient people who helped turn my idea into the novel it is today.

  As an emerging author, the name of the game is to get your book into the hands of someone who believes in your novel and your characters as much as you do, so a special word of thanks to my very special friend, bestselling author Carmel Harrington, who not only championed my writing from the beginning but held the spotlight on me so that my agent, Tracy Brennan could find me. A special word of thanks to Tracy for guiding me along this journey.

  To my editor, Caroline Ridding, whose wonderful emails and amazing forensic insights into my characters, have transformed my novel into what it is today and to all the team at Aria, Head of Zeus for their unwavering support and amazing book knowledge. As bad as it sounds, I love hearing that I make an office full of people cry!

  I am overwhelmed with the lovely people who share their expert knowledge so generously to writers looking to make their characters as real as possible so a massive thank you to Doctor Liam Farrell who was invaluable in making sure the medical elements made sense, however this is a work of fiction so all medical inaccuracies are my own.

  To all the committee at Wexford Literary Festival who work tirelessly to promote writers and reading. Their support has been invaluable to me throughout this process.

  To all my online bookish friends and #WritersWise buddies, you make tweeting an especially funny and unmissable experience.

  A thank you also to Lorna Sixsmith for her insights into all things agricultural, again all agricultural inaccuracies are my own.

  To Madeleine Keane for her insights into the world of journalism and for sharing her world of knowledge.

  Special thanks to my amazing brothers and sister, without whom I would not have been able to write about the depths of love and loyalty there is between siblings (or know what Detective Kelly’s curse words mean).

  And lastly but most of all, to the other three A’s, Alan, Alannah and Ava, I owe you three everything, none of this would mean anything without you ‘When you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance.’

  About Adele O’Neill

  Having lived and worked in the UK and Dublin since college, ADELE O’NEILL now lives in her home town of Arklow, Co. Wicklow on the east coast of Ireland, with her husband and two teenage daughters. She writes overlooking the Irish Sea and is an active member of the Wexford Literary Festival committee.

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  Aria is the new digital-first fiction imprint from Head of Zeus.

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  Addictive Fiction

  First published in the UK in 2017 by Aria, an imprint of Head of Zeus Ltd

  Copyright © Adele O’Neill, 2017

  The moral right of Adele O’Neill to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act of 1988.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

  This is a work of fiction. All characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

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  A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

  ISBN (E) 9781786696786

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