23.
Jonathan
I was in love with her.
As soon as she started ribbing me about the car, I knew it. Most people wore on my patience on the best of days, but with Ada, it was never like that. Even when she was being annoying, I was pathetically besotted, wishing she’d tease me more. I lapped up any kind of attention from her like a desperate fool.
I became certain of my feelings when we stopped off at a viewpoint near a lake midway through the journey. Ada sat down on a bench overlooking the water and began braiding her long hair. My gaze was glued to her. I couldn’t look away.
When she walked into my office that first time, I had no idea what she’d come to mean to me, but gazing at her now, it felt like I’d dreamt her into existence. She was beautiful, kind, hardworking, honest, insightful, everything I could ever ask for in a woman. I felt this odd sense that my mother had sent her to me. That she’d chosen her, and us meeting was her parting gift. Bittersweet grief rumbled through me at the thought. How was it possible to be so happy yet so full of melancholy at the same time?
“Hey, are you okay?” Ada asked, her hair in a neatly finished braid over her shoulder as she twisted to look at me.
“Yeah, just … you’re so fucking beautiful, do you know that?”
Her cheeks pinked, her expression modest as she stood and came to press her lips to my cheek. “Thank you. You’re not so bad yourself.” She pulled back to study me. “What’s going on? Why do you look so overcome?”
“I don’t know. Maybe it’s the view. Maybe it’s just you.” I fell quiet as I trailed my hand down her braid before fiddling with the end. “Life is better when you’re around.”
Her eyelids fluttered, her mouth opening, but no words came out. Finally, she cast her gaze down, seeming a little bashful when she replied, “I feel the same.”
Pulling her close, I kissed her deeply, her lips soft where mine were searching. I felt it when her arousal stirred, the way she clung to my jacket and squirmed against me. “We really,” she began between kisses, “should get back on”—another pause as I kissed her neck—“the road.”
Smiling against her pounding pulse, I withdrew and took her hand in mine before leading her back to the car. We listened to music the rest of the drive. The wedding was being held at The Balfe Hotel in Kinsale. The groom, Rhys, was head of security for the hotel’s Dublin operations, and Maggie’s husband, also the groom’s cousin and best man, worked at one of the Dublin hotels as part of his security team. I’d heard great things about the new location, and it supposedly had amazing views over the river Bandon.
“It looks incredible,” Ada said as we entered the building. She peered all about taking in the stylish luxury. I knew that Rhys’s best friend, Derek, had played a hand in the construction and opening of the hotel, but his father, Padraig Balfe, was the primary owner.
I slid my arm around Ada’s waist, burying my nose in the hollow of her neck and inhaling her addictive scent as we approached the check-in desk. The woman behind the desk took my card, and I spotted the entrance to the bar over her shoulder. A familiar head of dark hair caught my eye. A man sat on a stool nursing a drink, and it took me a moment to recognise Derek. He looked even worse than he had a few weeks ago, that night when he’d seemingly been going through it but had refused to talk to anyone about what was troubling him. He sported a full, scruffy beard and dark circles beneath his eyes.
“I can’t wait to see the room,” Ada said, distracting me from my observation of Derek Balfe.
“Let’s go check it out, then. I have some very specific plans for when we get there,” I murmured the last bit low in her ear and saw a shiver skitter over her.
When we reached the suite, a bellhop had already dropped off our bags. Ada slipped off her shoes and coat, dropped her handbag on an armchair and went straight into the bedroom. I followed, amused by her eagerness to see where we’d be sleeping.
“Oh my gosh, look at the view,” she exclaimed, peering at the marina through the bedroom window. She turned and walked into the adjoining bathroom. “And the bathroom. There’s a tub and everything. It’s huge.” She glanced back at me. “Want to share a bath?” Her eyebrow lifted, and I shot her a dark look.
“Yes, why don’t you get it started, and I’ll join you in a few minutes? I promised Maggie I’d check in with her when we arrived.”
Ada pouted a little. “Fine, but don’t be too long.”
“I’ll be as quick as I can.” I slid my hand along her jaw and kissed her lightly before drawing away. “By the way, check out the front compartment of my suitcase. I packed you a few Christmas presents.”
“Oh, you did?” She moved to grab her own suitcase. “I actually brought something for you, too. Just let me—"
I caressed her shoulder and leaned in for a quick kiss, “Give it to me when I get back.”
She nodded, and I departed, checking my phone with Maggie’s text where she’d told me what room she and Shay were staying in.
“Hello! I’m so happy you made it,” Maggie said when she opened the door. We hugged briefly as I stepped inside the room, which was a little smaller than the suite I’d booked for Ada and me. “I did. It was a nice drive down. Where’s Shay?”
“Oh, he’s with Rhys. Some kind of best man business, so he won’t be back for a while. Want to grab dinner with me?”
“Actually, I can’t. I brought a date. She’s waiting back in our room.”
Maggie’s smile spread quickly across her face. “You did!? Can I meet her?”
“No need. You’ve already met.”
“I fecking knew it! You’re seeing Ada, aren’t you?”
“Yes, and don’t act like you weren’t already aware since you walked in on us after—”
“After you pretended not to be shagging in your office bathroom? Yes, well, you can thank me for being discreet about that whole saga. But anyway, I’m so happy you brought her with you. She seems really lovely.”
“She is,” I said, my feelings threatening to overwhelm me as I thought of Ada. My heart practically pounded with my need to get back to her. “She’s amazing.”
“Oh my God,” Maggie whispered. “Are we going to be attending another wedding in the near future?”
“See? This is why I didn’t say anything before. You’re getting way ahead of yourself.”
“I don’t know. There’s something about you two. When I see you together, it just feels … right.”
Her statement had my chest tightening in a way that was both pleasant and a little terrifying. I was so lucky to have met someone like Ada, but at the same time, I had this irrational dread that I might mess everything up and let her slip through my fingers.
“Well, I better get back to our room before she thinks I’ve abandoned her. What time is the ceremony tomorrow?”
“Two p.m. at a little church just down the street. We can all walk there together and then back to the hotel for the party afterwards.”
“All right, I’ll see you then. Have a good night.”
“You, too!”
I was almost back to our suite when I walked by the bank of elevators and Derek Balfe stumbled out looking like he’d downed several more drinks since I’d seen him at the bar less than an hour ago.
He fumbled in his pockets, presumably searching for his room key, when it fell to the floor at his feet.
“Shite,” he swore.
“Derek, mate, let me get that for you,” I said, bending to pick up the key card. He reeked of cigarettes and alcohol, his eyes bloodshot as I handed it back.
“Thanks,” he muttered, not looking me in the eye as he moved to leave and almost fell into a potted plant. I grabbed him before he hit the ground.
“Okay, let’s get you back to your room.” I took the key card back from him and checked to see his room number. 462. Pretty sure I passed that one leaving Maggie’s room.
We headed back the way I came, and Derek mumbled a low, “Sorry,” as I kept him upright. Something about the way he said it fucked me up, and though I wasn’t typically the sort of man to pry into another man’s business, I felt the need to help him somehow. Whatever he was going through, he clearly wasn’t handling it very well on his own.
When we got to his room, which turned out to be a large suite, I set him down on the bed before I grabbed him a bottle of water from the mini fridge. I uncapped the bottle and handed it to him, and he took several long gulps.
“I’m a fucking mess. Sorry you have to see me like this,” he said at last, slurring his words a little, and again, I felt so sorry for the bloke. Derek Balfe came from a highly successful, well-respected family who owned some of the most popular hotels in the country. As far as I knew, he ran those hotels alongside his father and younger brother.
I shot him a commiserating look, even though I had no clue what was going on with him. “Want to talk about it?”
“Not really.”
“All right, well, do you want me to call Rhys?”
Derek grimaced. “Christ, no. It’s the day before his wedding. He doesn’t need me bringing him down.” I nodded and sat on the armchair across from the bed. Ada was waiting for me in our suite. Hell, she was probably naked and swishing around in the bathtub right now, but I couldn’t just leave Derek. Not when he was in such a state. It didn’t make sense because we were barely even friends, and it wasn’t like I was the sort of person who was in the habit of helping others. I’d spent the last decade being fairly selfish and self-centred, if I were being honest. Did this mean Ada was rubbing off on me? She lived to help others, went out of her way to ensure the people living in her nursing home had the best quality lives they could. It appeared her caring nature was a little infectious.
“You sure you don’t want to talk? I’m a vault. Whatever you say stays in this room,” I offered. Attending my grief counselling sessions, I’d recently learned that getting stuff off my chest helped ease some of the tension inside me. Just talking and getting another person’s perspective could lessen the load exponentially.
Derek raked a hand over his beard, a look of conflict on his face before he replied, “My ex-wife is leaving for a year and a half. She’s a violinist, and this famous pop singer wants her to come on her world tour. We share custody of our two kids, and my daughter, Gigi, has taken it very hard. She’s only fourteen and can’t understand why her mother is choosing to leave her for over a year. The other day I found her …”
His voice cracked, and I tensed, listening.
“She’d locked herself in her bedroom, and fearing the worst, I kicked the door in. I found her getting sick, having taken an entire packet of painkillers. They were only over-the-counter ones, but I rushed her to the hospital to have her checked out just in case. She was fine, but I just … I don’t know how to help her. I feel useless. When I told her mother what happened, she dismissed the entire thing as a ploy for attention. I really don’t understand her sometimes. Our daughter is fucking suicidal, and she still refuses to cancel going on tour.”
“Fuck, Derek, that’s awful. I’m so sorry.”
He sniffed, pawing at the wetness beneath his eyes. It was incredibly jarring to see a grown man like him cry, especially one that was normally so put together. It was also humbling. “I managed to convince Gigi to come to the wedding. Well, it was more my sister Nuala’s doing. She’s such a ray of sunshine. I don’t know where I’d be without her. Gigi’s staying in the suite next door, and they’re having a girl’s night. But I’m a fucking mess right now, and I hate the thought of her seeing me like this.”
Studying him, I had a feeling his daughter’s mental health wasn’t the only thing weighing on him, but he’d already revealed so much, so I didn’t push him.
“Well, then, first thing’s first,” I began, rolling up my sleeves as I stood from the chair. “You need a shower and to sober up. Then you’re going to shave while I contact the concierge to see if they can procure the services of a barber. You desperately need a haircut before tomorrow. Did you bring a suit for the wedding?”
He nodded, motioning to the wardrobe. I opened it and found a navy suit in a dry-cleaning bag. Good. Walking into the bathroom, I turned on the shower and then went to collect him from the bed. As I helped him into the bathroom, I paused on the threshold. “Derek,” I said, and he lifted his head to me. “You know I lost my mother recently?” He nodded. I exhaled a heavy breath. “It messed me up, too, and I was resorting to drowning my sorrows in drink. It was a disaster, so I started seeing a professional. Having someone to talk to, especially someone who understands depression and grief and all sorts of other mental health issues, has helped me immensely. Perhaps you should consider—”
“You think I’m depressed?” I shot him a pointed look, and he deflated a little. “Fine, maybe I’ve been a bit down, but Gigi is the one who needs help, not me.”
“Then you both should start seeing someone, whether it’s a counsellor or a psychologist, hell, even your GP could help. In fact, that’s usually the best place to start. Then they can refer you on to someone who best suits your needs.”
“Maybe it could be good,” he allowed.
“It will certainly be better than continuing as you are. And besides, if you want to be the best father to your daughter while she’s going through such a tough time, you need to be on top form. You can’t help her if you’re falling apart, too.”
Some kind of determination formed in his eyes. “You’re right.”
“I usually am. Now, let’s get you into the shower.”
While Derek washed, I texted Ada letting her know I’d been held up but would be back as soon as I could and that she should order whatever she liked from room service. Her response had me almost abandoning Derek, but I held firm. Just about.
Ada: That’s too bad. Me and this giant bed miss you. x
There was a photo attached, one that showed she’d found the gifts I’d brought her, a set of lingerie and matching silk robe. Jesus Fucking Christ. The picture only showed her top half, the robe open enough to reveal her tempting cleavage. I ground my jaw and gripped tightly to every last reserve of willpower.
About two hours later, Derek was showered and shaved, had a fresh haircut and was all tucked up in bed with a bottle of water on his nightstand. I had all the alcohol cleared out of his mini bar after a quick request I made down at the reception desk.
When at long last I arrived back at our suite, the lamps were dimmed, and Ada was asleep in bed, her breathing deep as I admired her profile in slumber. The covers only half obscured her body, and I had to bite my knuckles to keep from waking her because she still wore the silk robe and lingerie, only the robe had fallen open, revealing her lush body presented like a gift. All that was missing was a little bow.
Speaking of gifts, there was a small item wrapped in Christmas paper sitting on the nightstand next to the bed, my name scribbled across it in Ada’s messy handwriting. I had no idea how fond I’d become of her wild scrawl when I’d first seen it.
Quietly, I tore at the wrapping, finding a photo frame within. Inside the frame was a picture of Mam, and my lungs constricted. She was walking on the beach not too far from my childhood home, her blonde hair streaked with the grey that had multiplied over the years we’d been apart. Tears flooded my eyes as I stared at it, but they weren’t as grief stricken as the ones I’d shed in recent weeks. They were joyful tears tainted with only the barest hint of melancholy because Mam was smiling so beautifully in the photograph, and somehow, I knew Ada was the one who’d taken it. Mam’s feet were bare, her trousers folded up to mid-calf as though she’d been paddling in the water. The wind-swept strands of hair were up over her head, while the sky was clear and blue behind her.
It was a stunning picture, and my chest clenched with gratitude to Ada for gifting it to me. I held onto any tiny grain of Mam during our time apart so tightly, and I suspected Ada knew how much having the photo would mean to me.
Setting the frame back down on the nightstand, I undressed, turned off the remaining lamps and crawled into bed next to the bewitching woman who was entirely unaware she’d stolen my heart. She stirred, making a small noise and waking for a moment as I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her close.
“Thank you,” I whispered into her hair. “For the gift. I’ll treasure it.”
Ada smiled and shimmied closer into my embrace. “I’m glad you like it,” she murmured in response then fell back asleep, taking me with her.
***
We slept late the next day. Since we weren’t part of the official wedding party, Ada and I were free to while the morning away with no obligations. I was the one to wake first, kissing my way down her body until her eyes flickered open, hazy and surprised as she sucked in a sharp breath.
“What are you doing?”
“Making it up to you for last night,” I murmured back then slid the luxury undergarments down her shapely legs before burying my face between her thighs.
Sometime later, we finally got around to sharing that bath. I reclined against the tub while Ada’s back rested against my front, my hand splayed across her stomach, and the subtle scent of hibiscus and lemon balm filled the air.
“It’s just so heartbreaking,” Ada said after I filled her in on why I’d disappeared yesterday. “Poor Derek. And gosh, his daughter. It must be terrifying when your child is going through something, and you can’t even figure out how to help them.”
“I hope he takes my advice and finds a professional for her to speak with.”
“Right,” a faint smile shaped her lips. “I’d forgotten you’ve been newly converted to the benefits of counselling.” She paused as I absentmindedly stroked her stomach. “It was good of you to stay with him.”
“I think it’s hard for him to tell his friends and family the full truth of what’s been getting him down.”
“It can be difficult to be honest with family,” Ada agreed. “Especially when their opinions matter so much to us.”
After our bath, we ordered breakfast from room service before getting ready for the wedding. Ada disappeared into the bathroom for a while as I donned my suit, and when she emerged, my jaw dropped, hands balling into fists at my sides. Her thick hair had been styled in an updo, with loose strands hanging down around her face. Her eyes were painted with dark liquid eyeliner, rendering them even more sultry, if that were possible.
I battled the urge to throw her down on the bed and tear her clothes off. To hell with it if we missed the ceremony. And her dress, bloody hell, her dress . It was a deep red colour and clung to every swoop and curve of her body. It reached just below the knees, and on her feet were a pair of delicate velvet sandals with straps that wound temptingly around her pretty ankles.
“You look …” I ran a hand over my jaw, desire and love and need all fighting for dominance. I adored her. “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”
She flushed and rolled her eyes as she stepped towards me. “Okay, there’s no need for hyperbole.”
“I’m not lying.” My mouth dipped to hers and kissed lightly. “You’re perfect. It’s like I invented you from all my fantasies of the ideal woman.”
She laughed softly and pressed a hand to my chest, pushing me back just as my fingers had started to roam her hips, sliding up to the underside of her breasts. “Down, lover boy. We have a wedding to attend, and I’m not turning up with smudged makeup.”
I leaned in, capturing her lips gently. “What if I promise not to—”
“No!” She giggled at my disappointed expression. “We have to leave soon.”
I shot her a playful scowl. “Fine, but we may end up missing part of the reception. I’m not sure how long I’ll last not throwing you over my shoulder and carrying you back to this room.” I teasingly nipped at her earlobe, soliciting a sharp gasp from her as I finally withdrew.
“I would say you scrub up well, too,” she said. “But I see you wearing a suit every day, which is a torture in itself, so maybe today is payback.”
I smirked at that. “Oh? Is seeing me in a suit on a typical day a bit of a struggle for you, baby?”
She narrowed her gaze, lips twitching as she suppressed a grin. “Yes, and I have a feeling you know it. If you weren’t such an intimidating and scary boss, I’m pretty sure half your female employees would’ve propositioned you by now.”
My smirk transformed into a teasing grin. “How do you know they haven’t?”
“I’m not rising to that. Even though I know you’re trying to mess with me, it still makes me infuriatingly jealous.”
“Good,” I purred, taking her hand in mine, turning it and lifting her knuckles to my mouth to lightly graze my teeth over her skin. “Because I get ridiculously jealous of any man who even so much as glances your way, so that makes us even.”
She giggled when I nuzzled into the spot behind her ear before we grabbed our things and headed out to meet Maggie.
My sister stood with Nuala, Derek and Tristan Balfe, the three siblings chatting amiably with one another while a young dark-haired girl, who I presumed was Derek’s daughter, Gigi, clung to her Aunt Nuala’s side. Derek looked much better than he had yesterday, even if the dark circles under his eyes remained.
“Hello, everyone,” I greeted. “Might I introduce you to my lovely girlfriend, Ada.” It struck me that this was the first time I’d referred to her as such, and her eyes lit up a little when our gazes met. She arched an eyebrow in amusement, mouthing a questioning Girlfriend? and I suspected I was going to receive some ribbing from her about it later.
Also, girlfriend sounded too casual, juvenile almost, to describe the sheer depth of the connection Ada and I shared.
“Ada, so lovely to see you again,” Maggie said, coming to give her a hug. “You look gorgeous.”
“So do you,” Ada replied.
“This is my friend, Nuala,” Maggie went on, introducing everyone. “And her niece, Gigi.” Nuala cast Ada a friendly smile but seemed to avoid looking in my direction. “And Nuala’s brothers, Derek and Tristan.”
“Nice to meet you all,” Ada said while Derek shot me a grateful look, a silent thanks for pulling him out of his drunken state last night.
“Right, we better get going,” Tristan said, and we all began the short walk to the church.
Once there, Ada and I sat a couple pews behind Maggie and the rest of them. Derek’s daughter remained next to her aunt, and though it was clear the girl was a little withdrawn, Nuala seemed to have a way of drawing smiles out of her. Speaking of Nuala, I didn’t fail to notice her frosty demeanour towards me outside the hotel. A few months ago, at Maggie and Shay’s wedding, Nuala had drunkenly made a pass at me, and I’d turned her down. Ever since then, she tended to ignore my existence if we crossed paths, which happened on occasion since she and Maggie were good friends.
“Okay,” Ada whispered as we sat in a pew waiting for the ceremony to begin. “What did you do to the blonde? Is she a disgruntled ex-employee of yours or something?”
I was impressed by her observational skills. “Not an employee,” I replied quietly. “She came onto me while drunk at Maggie and Shay’s wedding, but I turned her down.”
Ada’s eyes flared. “You turned her down? But … she’s gorgeous?”
I smirked at how that last bit came out as a confused question. “Earlier you claimed to be jealous of the thought of any female employees making a pass at me, but now you’re shocked and appalled I didn’t sleep with someone?”
“Well, this happened before we met. Besides, she looks like a mix between Saoirse Ronan and Emma Watson. I mean, I’m a straight woman, and even I’d be tempted,” she joked lightly, and I held her gaze pointedly.
“I don’t sleep with drunk women. And sadly, neither Saoirse Ronan nor Emma Watson is my type.” I leaned closer to whisper my lips across her cheeks. “I prefer darker hair, eyes as transfixing as the night sky and curves like—” She shivered, distracting me from what I was saying. “Cold?”
“You know I’m not,” she replied softly, those bottomless dark eyes meeting mine. I enjoyed the idea of my words causing such a visceral effect.
“I can’t wait to get you back into bed,” I murmured quietly and slid my hand down to interlink our fingers, resting our joined hands on my lap just as the ceremony began. A pianist and cellist played Canon in D just as Charli appeared at end of the aisle, arm in arm with her Uncle Padraig who had been bestowed the honour of giving her away. Rhys stood by the alter with Shay at his side, and his expression morphed into one of pure love and awe when he laid eyes on his bride. Ada squeezed my hand, and I glanced at her, seeing she was misty eyed. My heart swelled as a tender smile shaped my mouth. I leaned close to whisper in her ear, “Why are you crying? You don’t even know them.” I swear I couldn’t have adored her more than at that moment.
“This part of weddings always gets to me. There’s just something about the look on the groom’s face,” she replied, and I squeezed her hand in return. A small smile shaped her lips. “Or maybe it’s just the music that triggers me,” she went on.
“You’re so beautiful,” I whispered, lifting our hands and pressing a kiss to the pulse point on the inside of her wrist before lowering them back down. She seemed to blossom under the compliment, and I found myself imagining a future where I was the one standing at the altar and Ada was making her way up the aisle. It jarred me how much I wanted that. We’d only been together a couple of weeks, but I’d never been so sure of someone, nor had I ever been in love like I was in love with Ada. The knowledge ate at me, the words pushing to be said, but I knew it was far too soon.
When the ceremony ended, we strolled back to the hotel for the reception. I could barely keep my hands off Ada as we sat at a table with several guests we didn’t know but whom we managed to make entertaining conversation with.
“You make a beautiful couple,” a woman we’d been talking to who worked with Rhys complimented. I caressed the back of Ada’s bare shoulder as we shared a glance. I’d abstained from drinking, but Ada had had two glasses of wine, and her eyes shone with merriment.
“She’s right, you know,” I said a little while later. “We do make an amazing couple.” Ada cast me a look I was beginning to recognise as arousal when the bride and groom appeared before us. It seemed they were doing the rounds, making the time to chat with all their guests.
“Jonathan,” Charli greeted, and I had to admit, she made a stunning bride in her long ivory gown. She was in the early stages of pregnancy, but it wasn’t very obvious yet. “Please introduce us to your lovely date.”
“This is my girlfriend, Ada,” I told them, sliding my arm around her waist and tugging her close.
“I didn’t realise you were seeing someone,” Rhys said, casting me a look like he was impressed I’d managed to snag a woman like Ada.
“Hello,” Ada said, dipping her head demurely as she greeted them. “It’s nice to meet you both. It was a beautiful ceremony. Thank you for having me.”
“Of course,” Charli said while Rhys put in, “I hope this charming bastard is being good to you.”
“Yes, very good,” Ada smiled, leaning into me more. We chatted for a few more minutes before they moved on to the next guests.
“So,” I said, whispering my lips across Ada’s neck. “Now that we’ve eaten and spoken with the happy couple, I think it’s safe for us to retreat to our room.”
Ada bit her lip, casting me a sultry look that had me holding in a groan. “If you insist.”
***
I made sure we had a late check out the next day so Ada and I could spend another lazy morning together. We shared a bath again then enjoyed a breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon and sourdough toast before getting on the road. The entire two days, I’d fallen deeper and deeper in love with her, and if it weren’t for how conscious I was that we were still finding our feet, I might’ve told her how I felt. But it was too soon, and besides, when the moment was right, I’d feel it.
We were only about a half an hour into the drive home when I noticed her absentmindedly rubbing at her leg.
I cast her a concerned look. “Everything ok?”
“Hmm? Oh, yes, I’m fine. Just an old habit. I’m not in pain, but I sometimes still find myself massaging the places where I had issues before my surgery.”
I nodded, her response making me curious. “Ada.” She turned to me, and I hesitated a moment then continued, “Why haven’t you ever told me what really happened to you?”
She sucked in a sharp breath. “Jonathan, it’s not really—”
“I know you were in an accident, but you always seem to avoid talking about it.” When I’d asked her about her injury before, it had felt like she was saying as little as possible, like there was more she’d prefer not to relive. And maybe it was selfish of me to prod, but I loved her. An irrational part of me needed to know everything and everyone who’d hurt her in the past.
She was silent for a long while before she spoke, “I was only fifteen when it happened. Frances was twelve. My parents had been going through a rough patch with Dad’s drinking causing a lot of problems in their marriage. So, Dad had the bright idea to take us down the country for a little trip away. He planned to stay sober so we could have some quality family time. Well, the holiday home he booked was in a remote part of Kerry just outside of Tralee. It was the sort of place where you’d barely see a single car drive past over the course of an entire day.”
She paused, and I took my hand off the steering wheel to squeeze her knee, a little sign of encouragement that I was listening and wanted her to continue.
“The first two days were good, but then on the third, Dad went missing in the afternoon for a few hours and came back steaming drunk. Mam threw a fit, and they had one of the worst fights I can remember. She told him she was going home and booked a cab to take us to the nearest train station that would bring us back to Dublin. But Dad was so drunk, and I’d always worried about him being on his own when he was like that in case something happened. I begged Mam not to leave, but she wouldn’t hear it.
“In the end, she told me I could stay and look after Dad if I wanted to, but she was taking Frances home with her. As soon as the taxi arrived, she stormed out of the house with my sister. Dad was passed out in the living room, and I decided to cook him dinner to sober him up when he woke. I spent time setting the table and then got the idea to go outside and pick some flowers to put in the empty vase. It was something I did a lot. I loved picking flowers when I was young. The garden at the side of the house was lush with blossoming flower beds since it was summer …” she trailed off then, and I took my attention off the road for a second to see a glassy shine coat her eyes as she swallowed thickly. A deep sense of foreboding washed over me, and the tension radiating from Ada had me second guessing if I wanted to hear more.
“Ada—”
“I was kneeling on the grass picking some yellow primroses—which even to this day, I can barely look at let alone smell without feeling dread. Like I said, I’d always loved flowers, but after that day, I could barely stand to smell them for such a long time. I was so focused on the primroses that I didn’t hear the door slamming. A second later an engine revved, and … and my dad, he thought I’d left with Mam and Frances. He was still inebriated, and he reversed poorly out of the drive, running me over.” My hands fisted the steering wheel as I listened, hearing the tears in her voice. That fucking piece of shit ran her over? I’d slowly changed my mind about Conor Rose since his death, but all my old resentment and grudges were suddenly returning tenfold.
“I just remember falling forward, all the air being knocked from my lungs when my chest met the ground before agonising pain shattered through my leg. The sound of the car got farther and farther away. Dad didn’t even realise he’d run me over, and I was all alone, lying on the ground, barely able to move. It was so bad I couldn’t even drag myself back into the house to use the telephone. I mean, people had mobile phones back then, but they weren’t as prevalent as they are now, and I unfortunately didn’t have one. It was the next day before Dad returned, finally having sobered up. He found me on the grass. By that point, the pain had gotten so bad and I’d lost so much blood I was barely clinging to consciousness. He called an ambulance, and the next thing I remember is waking up in the hospital.”
I didn’t even realise I’d pulled over onto the side of the road until she stopped speaking. We sat parked on the hard shoulder on a busy motorway as I switched on the hazards, reached over, undid her seatbelt and pulled her into my arms. I hugged her so tight, her horrific story cinching around my insides, squeezing painfully. It was only when her hand came up to wipe at my face that I realised I was crying.