I was met at the airport by a lovely older Irish priest. He introduced himself and I realized he was my guys' uncle. Uncle Sibeal, he told me, good luck with that pronunciation, I thought. He took me to Annabelle's home. I'm not sure what I was expecting, honestly, seeing as I'd only ever spoken with her over the phone.
Annabelle MacManus was a robust and loud woman. I liked her immediately. She reminded me of my own family. Opinionated, a drinker, and one of the strongest women I'd ever met. She took one look at me and asked two questions.
"Did ya brin' me ol man back wit ye?" I nodded, his body was being brought along tomorrow from the flight I'd paid for him to be on. She smiled at my charity. And followed up with a doozy. "'Ow far long are ye?"
I felt my knees shake. Dear Lord, I wasn't even showing. "What do you- I'm not sure I-" I stuttered through several false starts as she stood waiting for her answer. "A month, at most." I whispered.
She gave a gleeful chuckle and hugged me to her soft body. "Ah, MacManus babies." She sighed as she gave me a loud kiss on my cheek. "Been far too long since der cradle's held babes." She sat me down at her table and ladled something into a bowl, but when the scent of it hit my nose I ran outside and threw up the snacks I'd eaten on the flight. I felt her standing at the door watching and I burned with shame. "Cabbage tis off de menu den." She announced, and when I came back in the house I noticed the smell was gone.
Sibeal was sitting at the table watching the entire thing. Great, a priest who could judge me harshly. "Ah, I can see dat yer tinkin' I judge ye fer yer condition." He shook his head. "Nah gonna happen, my dear." I sat down beside him and felt him pat my hand. "Not like ye could marry 'em both, is it?"
I closed my eyes, thinking that the floor swallowing me would be wonderful right about now. Knocked up by at least one twin, unmarried, unemployed, although I was flush with cash because the store sold surprisingly fast, and now sitting in one of the most Catholic countries in the world. Yeah, life was sweet.
"Do ya tink ye can 'old down dis?" Annabelle asked, pushing some bread in front of me and offering butter. I nodded, and took a slice. Thinly buttering it, I tried not to notice the two of them watching me. "Yer far prettier den I expected."
Sibeal was nodding. "Do ya remember tat one girl?" He asked, and got Annabelle cackling.
"Da one wit da weird 'air?" She gasped out between laughter.
"Na, da one wit all da extra holes." They were now both laughing so hard I thought they'd fall out of their chairs.
I sat, nibbling on my bread, listening to the two of them reminisce about Connor and Murphy's greatest or most embarrassing hits. I found myself giggling when they got into a story about their fight over some girl. They still did that, not over me, but the fighting.
"Yer good fer dem." Annabelle declared, looking at the tiny bit of my bread left. "But my grandbabies need more nutrition."
Grandbabies? Um, no. "I'm sure there's only-"
"One?" She finished for me. "So was I." She shook her head and went to find me something else to eat.
FOUR MONTHS LATER~ ANNABELLE'S HOUSE
It was late and I was in my room. Well, it was their room, but Annabelle declared that it was meant for me. The babies had been extra active today and I was worn out. Yes, babies. Jesus (Lord's name), that woman was clairvoyant. She'd practically danced during the ultrasound that the doctor insisted on when he thought he heard more than one heartbeat. I rolled my eyes at the memory.
Four months in Ireland and I had a new, new normal. I woke early, or as early as I could, and helped Annabelle with the little bit of upkeep that the house required. Then, I walked to the town and worked at a small coffee shop. I'd been granted a work visa pretty quickly, which I chose to not think about, and that made my days go faster. Then home to dinner, which Annabelle was appalled to see had to be bland or everything I'd ever ingested would purge from me.
"Me own blood and dey don like nothin' good." She glared at my bump that grew steadily as though they were traitors. "No cabbage, no corned beef. Barely anyting dat has flavor." She shook her head.
I laughed at her. She was so determined that the babies would be very Irish, that she failed to get that my genetics were strong too. "Guess that's what happens when two good Irish lads fall in love with a southern American girl." I would offer, which she'd scoff at and rip off enough Gaelic to make my head spin.
I was chuckling to myself, trying to find a position on the bed that would make the babies calm down and let me rest, when I heard a noise downstairs. Looking at my alarm clock I was curious who'd be coming to visit so late at night. Then I heard them. Their voices that I could pick out from halfway across the world. Surely not. They would have told me.
I rolled out of bed and made my way down the stairs. When my foot found the final stair, I could see into the kitchen. And like a dream, there they were. Connor and Murphy MacManus hugging their mom and not having a single idea that I was pregnant.
