The morning came bright; the sun shone through Mary's curtains warm her beneath the sheets. She moaned and stretched, there was a satisfying crack when her back popped. She rolled over and looked at her alarm clock. She looked but never really saw the digits. Her mind was busy being wrapped around her father's condition. My father, she snorted.He was quite an adventurer. When the boys were about two or three, Mary's mother found herself pregnant. Now they could barely afford the family as it was, they would starve, there would be serious problems with another mouth to feed. SO in an effort to help the rest of the family, she hid it, and since her husband left anyway she didn't foresee any real obstacles. The trouble came when she dropped the kids off at her sisters. She was going out shopping and needed to get things for the baby, when on her way her water broke. She was a highway so her options were limited. She went to the most hole in the wall town. She went to the hospital and gave birth to Mary Theresa McManus. She let the doctors know the situation. They understood and accepted the charge of looking after her. So Her Ma called her sister and told her to keep the kids for a little while that she had things to take care of. Now the McManus family lived by a strict don't ask don't tell basis, and if Mary's Ma didn't tell her sister any more information than that, it was because she didn't need to know. Her Ma stayed with her for the first few days, but eventually left.
Mary grew up with the knowledge that Her Father was a doctor and her mother died. So her fathers 'friend', a nice lady from out of town who often came to visit her, helped to raise her. They both encouraged all the things she was interested in. One day while in his way to work, Mary asked if she could come along, just to explore the medical life. He obliged happily. Unfortunately they never made it to work, there was a car accident on the way and Mary's father got out to help. He crouched down to better see the damage, and in doing so left his side open. The engine of the other car exploded, pieces of torn metal flew everywhere. A rather large and rather sharp piece became lodged between his ribs. Mary rushed out to save him, but she had no idea what to do! As he lay there he knew he was dying, and knew he had to settle all matters now. He told her with his dying breaths, the truth of who she was, and where she came from. After he died Mary made her way to find her Ma. They sat and talked for a while, and many tears and sad smiles later, Mary learned she was not in fact Mary O'Brien. She was Mary McManus. She was told all about how her father was I America and in prison. Mary decided she wanted to go. She packed up her things, bought a plane ticket and made her way to New York. Finding it not at al the city she thought, she migrated to Pennsylvania, and then to Illinois. She eventually made her way to Boston; there she was going to college to get her degree. Sometime in New York, she had, by the grace of God, found her father. She wrote to him often, sent him pictures, report cards. She informed him about her life and how things in Ireland were.
One day she was coming home to her apartment after dinner, and found her door open. She crept inside and found a tall older man bleeding on her floor. The minute she looked into his eyes she knew it was her father. She rushed to his side and helped as best she could. She stayed by his side and helped to heal him. As the days drifted by they talked and became close. She tried to ask about his wound but he just said he got hurt on the job.
"Yer job involves bullets?" She asked
"Sometimes love." He reached out and pat her red hair.
"Who shot you?" she asked angered.
"Just a few men that's all." He smoothed out her tangles
"A few! How manys a few!" she grabbed his hand, hating the way he was being so calm about all of it.
"Three" he sighed at the look on her face, so like the look her mother used to give him, "its all right darlin', I clipped 'em a few. One with shaggy brown, I must have go I'm good cause he was a screamin' up a storm."
She gave him a dark look "is that supposed to make me feel better?"
"That means darlin', that its almost over."
She sighed knowing she could never convince him to leave it alone. He left that same day. But Mary was satisfied with finding, meeting, and loving her father. He was everything she could have hoped for. He helped to heal the wound of Dr. O'Brien. But that day he walked out, was the last she ever saw of him, until he came into her hospital, with two strange men who actually turned out to be her brothers.
Thinking on the boys she resigned her self to roll out of her bed and put on her jeans and t-shirt. She put on some ankle socks and washed and brushed her teeth. She walked out of her room and found the bedding picked up. There was no sign that they were there at all. She looked around wondering if it had all been some strange dream. Then she noticed the coffee cup sitting on her table. She went to pick it up.
"hope ya' don mind, we took the liberty of making some coffee this mornin'." Murphy stepped out from behind her walking away from the kitchen. She jumped slightly at his voice.
"Oh, no. Go right ahead. Lord knows I could use it."
She reached out and took the cup. She took a sip and grimaced. "I take it you boys don' have a female where yer stayin'."
"What makes ya say that?" Connor started drinking from his mug like it was water instead of brown liquid sludge.
" Because I know Da can't make a cup to save his life, and if you're his sons, which you've just confirmed, then you can't either."
The boys looked slightly embarrassed. But played it off. Connor cleared his throat and Murphy tried to change the subject. "So we goin' to see Da?"
"Yeah, if Jay and Lili give the okay he can probably come home today."
The boys looked confused. Murphy crossed his arms in front of his chest, and Connor rubbed his chin. "Who?"
"Jasmine and Liliana. Jay and Lili," their stances didn't change, "The doctors?" they remained still. "okay, Liliana is the blonde with hourglass figure, and Jasmine was the doctor that was built like ram-bet, with the Major T&A, and some big-'ol baby bearing hips." She gestured in the appropriate areas.
"Oh!" a light of recognition came on, then they both started to blush.
"Wha…" she looked at the both of them, then when she realized that their must be something there she pressed. "Ya' know, their still single. It's a shame! Bodies like that, and Doctors to boot! And sweet as sugar." she shook her head dramatically and sighed out "it's a shame…"
They nodded their head, and both replied distractedly "Aye."
The three of them made their way to the hospital and to their Da room. As they were walking' down the hall way they heard a sweet sound. As they neared they found it to be a voice, someone was singing. It was the most beautiful voice the boys had ever heard. Mary recognizing the voice turned to them and motioned for them to be quiet. They crept silently to the doorway and looked in, there their Da laid, a content look on his face. His head laying in Jasmine's lap, Liliana going about taking his blood pressure and other medical tests. Jasmine opened her mouth and another soothing note danced in the air, she had her eyes closed and a tranquil expression on her face. They stood enraptured listening to her song.
"October
reminds me of my home
The cold nights I would wait all
alone
Watching leaves turning from green to gold...
The waiting
feels like eternity
When waiting for love to come to me
Someone
to have, someone to hold...
Then once in a million years
A
shining white knight will appear
Fairytales are coming true
I
promise my heart only to you...
A castle stands upon a hill
Our
eyes meet and time is standing still
Your smile warmed me like the
first summer sun
There's color where once was black and
white
There's moonbeams where there was only night
I knew then
and there you were the one...
Then
once in a million years
A shining white knight will
appear
Fairytales are coming true
I promise my heart only to
you...
Then
once in a million years
A shining white knight will
appear
Fairytales are coming true
I promise my heart only to
you..."
She opened her eyes, and looked down to the man lying in her lap. He was I so much pain all she could think of to do was to sing him to silence. She was more than relived to know that he was no sleeping peacefully. Before he was thrashing and it made it near impossible for Lili to perform any tests. She looked up and saw the boys and Mary waiting there. She flushed, were they there to listen to her sing? She waited with bated breath to hear who was going to say what first.
"Hey, We're back." Mary stepped into the room quietly, the boys followed suit. "Kinda' a McManus over kill I know..."
Jasmine let out her breath, she was very self-conscience and she'd hate to think they heard her sing. That would have been too embarrassing. She carefully got up and gently layed his head on the pillows. The five of them made their way out to the waiting room. They all sat down and Murphy and Connor proceeded to stare at Jasmine. At first she thought it was because they expected her to say something, then she saw the awe in their gaze and paled.
"You have a beautiful voice," Connor commented. Lili laughed and Jasmine groaned and covered her face with her hands.
"Man..." she mumbled.
Mary reached over and smacked him.
"Hey!" He indignantly rubbed his head. Mary didn't look it but she hit hard!
"How much did you have to suffer through!" she asked still behind her hands.
Murphy reached out and pulled her hands away from her face, which was beet red.
"We heard all of it, and if by suffering ya mean being graced by God to hear one of his angels on earth, then by the lord that hurt so good."
She laughed and pushed the loose strands of her hair out of her face. She felt heat rush to her face though she was sure it was for a different reason. Murphy simple sat back and watched with pleasure that he had made what seemed like a strong unfazed woman blush like a schoolgirl.
Liliana watch the exchange I relative amusement. The girls usually got hit on, but none of the men had taken the time to compliment them in such a smooth manner.
"Okay, so what's the news with Da?" Mary pulled them from their little eye make out
"Well um…we kinda' have to wait for the tests." Jasmine told her like it was an obvious answer.
"Tests!" Connor sat up straighter "what for?"
"To determine if your father is well enough to travel." Lili replied soothingly
"Travel where?" Murphy asked still eyeing jasmine, who was studiously ignoring him
"Well we took the liberty of callin yer Ma." Lili nodded to Mary "and she's going to pick him up from the airport there in Ireland."
"How is our Ma?" Murphy asked
Jasmine and liliana smiled widely, "ya' know, same always."
"So Drunk?" Connor asked tactfully.
"Okay what?" Murphy was concerned as to why Lili and Jasmine were smiling like that.
"What?" jasmine feigned innocence?
"Why are ya' grinnin' like the Cheshire cat?"
Their smiles grew impossibly wider. " Do you boys want to know which one is the oldest?"
They both were rigid as boards. "She told ya'?"
"Aye that she did."
The room was tense in expectant silence. "Well," they tentatively asked, "who is it?"
"Okay, the older brother, is-" jasmine was cut off when a nurse came in walked over to them.
"Dr. Arroyo, your patient is asking for you."
"Which patient?"
"The older gentlemen." With a nod from jasmine the nurse turned and left.
"Shall we?"
They all got up and followed her to the room, and Murphy took special measure to wind up walking behind her. This did not escape anyone's notice, except for Jasmine's. He studied the way she slung her hips fro side to side, the way she seemed to sashay instead of walk. He let his gaze fall down to her legs, she wore the same thing as yesterday, those tight black jeans, she wore them over her hip instead of low rise as most girls do. Among other things, this gave her butt a far more defined, sculpted look. Her leg weren't long but of medium height. She must have been at least 5 '10, but she had a long torso. She did have almost exaggerated curves. A large bust, matched by her hips, and her butt wasn't exactly big, but it was by no means small. His eyes traveled up to her hair, it was a deep dark brown. It was almost black. And it was thick, and it looked soft as down. He had the urge to reach out and touch it, but knew batter and stilled his hand. Someone cleared their throat behind him. He looked back. The others were looking at him with knowing looks.
"What?" he mouthed.
The girls simply shook their heads and Connor smirked.
"Hey!" Jasmines soft voice commanded Murphy's full attention.
They all filed in the room and looked on their Da. He actually looked better. Those dark circles under his eyes didn't look so bad, and he seemed almost to be glowing.
"Hello Jassi me girl!" she went and sat down next to his bed.
"Feeling better?"
"Aye, but to be honest with ya', I could do with a good cigar and some spirits."
Mary scoffed and the boys laughed, "he's fine!"
Connor went up and kissed him on the fore head, Murphy came beside him and placed one of his own.
"You scared us Da."
"I'm sorry boys."
"da?" a small voice asked in the back of the room.
"Mary?" he searched for her and gasped when he saw her. When last he was there, she was still in college, and small gangly thing. He had no doubt she would be pretty in time, but the creature he looked at now was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. Her long red hair was free about her face, smooth and soft. Her freckles cutely dotted the bridge of her nose; her pale creamy skin suited her. She was relatively thin, with wide hips. He looked on her now and felt something he hadn't felt in a long time, pride as a father. It must have shone in his eyes, because she smiled and tears glistened her eyes. She walked over and gave him a huge hug.
"Da, you scared me…."
"I'm so sorry my dear, dear girl." He ran his hand down her hair. "its all right lass, I'm alright."
She pulled away sniffed and wiped her eyes. "don' you go scarin' me no more! Ya' here!"
He laughed " don' start naggin! Yer gonna ruin that pretty face soundin' like yer Ma'!"
The boys looked at their father uncomfortably," uh Da? We kinda were wonderin'…."
He looked expectant.
"Is she really or sister?"
"Ah course!"
"Full blooded?" they asked seriously.
"Boys sit down now. Let yer 'ol man tell ya' a story. "
they all sat on the bed and nearby chairs. He cleared his throat and then began what for the next three hours would be a long confusing and tearful tale about the lost McManus daughter.