Promise Me

“I did and he doesn’t remember it at all.” I sniffed back tears.

“Then just forget it.”

That was Ryan’s brilliant solution if only I could. I unzipped my hoodie showing her the tight tank top beneath and the roundness of my pregnant belly that I wouldn’t be able to hide much longer. Her eyes traveled down to my stomach. Her mouth formed a perfect O but no words came out of her mouth. Then her eyes came back to my face.

“Oh sweet baby Jesus,” she said then nothing else. Ryan put her hands on top of her head and everything in her body became tense and face scrunched up in horror. “You didn’t happen to show him that did you?” One hand dropped from her head and she pointed at my belly.

“Uh no,” I replied. “He’s only been out of the hospital a week. They revived him twice. I don’t really want the paramedics to be coming to the farm to revive him again.”

The screen door slammed shut behind Ciaran causing us both to jump in fear. “We need his input,” Ryan told me pointing at her husband.

“No, we do not.”

“Yes, we do. You can trust Ciaran.”

The twins came running out to the living room to see Ciaran. “Daddy,” the identical little girls shouted. Two perfect little girls with their Daddy’s beautiful, golden hued skin. An eye color that was somewhere between his and my sister’s. Eyes that were just amazing. A watery, blue-green. Long dark lashes and wavy, nearly black hair. They weren’t like Gracie who inherited the height from Fionn they were more petite like the O’Halloran girls, at least for now.

He scooped them up in his arms and chaos ensued while the two of us argued over whether or not Ciaran needed to be told. He walked over to us with a child in each arm and kissed Ryan. I glared at my sister. “What is going on?” He asked. I pulled my hoodie closed and zipped it back up before he could see the product of my night with his brother.

“Honey, will you see if the twins can eat with your mom and dad tonight?” Ryan asked. “We need to talk to Skylar without them.”

“Sure,” he replied. I could hear the uncertainty in his voice. Ciaran was laid back and didn’t like getting involved in other peoples’ business. He would really not like this situation involving me and his twin brother.

While they went outside, one twin in each of his big arms Ryan led me to the kitchen. The island in the middle of the room reminded me of the house next door where his mom and dad lived. I was at their house as much as I had been anywhere. The Moores had a pool. Many of us kids spent a lot of time at Stevie and Declan’s house so we could swim in the summertime. The triplets taught us to swim.

I plopped down on the stool and leaned back. “Have you seen a doctor?” My sister was pacing. She was nervous. Nervous equaled pacing in Ryan’s world.

“I have. I’m not stupid Ryan. I’ve seen you, Aine and Sophia have children already.” I laid my crossed arms over my small belly.

“You’re okay?” She stopped pacing and looked at me with compassion, fear, regret. All of the above. Nothing more than what I was feeling, myself.

“I am. We both are,” I replied.

“Do you want to keep it?”

“I hope you are talking about adoption?”

“Of course I am.” She scowled at me.

“I do want to keep it,” I replied. I couldn’t keep the softness out of my voice. I loved this child. “I’ve felt it move Ryan. It’s my baby as much as his.” She smiled at me even she could hear the love in my voice.

I didn’t know that Ciaran had returned. Ryan’s eyes traveling over my head to her husband’s face alerted me that he heard my exclamation about the baby. He walked slowly into the kitchen and stood by me. Then he placed his hand on my shoulder. “You’re pregnant?”

“I am,” I groaned. I really didn’t want to do this. I wasn’t sure how I was railroaded into this but it was not going to be good. If Declan Moore had been hostile when Ciaran had gotten Ryan pregnant he was going to be downright livid when he discovered what happened between me and Ronan the night I took him home.

“Ask her who the father is,” my sister told Ciaran.

“Ryan,” I snapped at her.

“He doesn’t remember,” she informed him.

I glanced up at Ciaran who was confused. “He doesn’t remember what?”

“He doesn’t remember having sex with her,” Ryan told him.

Ciaran looked down at me then he walked around and sat next to me. “I think I need to sit.” His arm never left my back. He was comforting me. “Why don’t you tell me what is going on. And you,” he said to his wife. “Why don’t you be quiet for a minute.”

She made a huffing sound at him. Her arms folded across her ample chest. My sister had a killer body even after giving birth to the twins. She said it was from running after the girls all the time. I thought it was just good genes. She was built like my Aunt Scarlett.