39. Ivy
thirty-nine
Ivy
4 Months Later
Families are weird.
Weird and wonderful.
As usual, the drive to Rory and Maureen’s house is filled with excited anticipation. Sunday dinners are part of our regular weekend routine these days. Sometimes it’s the four of us and other days, like tonight, the whole gang is here. Every now and then my mom joins us if my dad’s out of town.
Considering my own family is still broken, I look forward to connecting with Cillian’s family each week. All of them have welcomed me with open arms and the warmth filling this home reminds me of my family before Forrest died.
Cillian and I always seem to be the last to arrive and today is no exception. There’s no parking on the street and Cillian is forced to block Connor’s SUV in the driveway. I’m happy they’re in town, it’s always fun to hang out with Ronni, she’s become like a big sister to me even though she always jokes I could be her daughter.
I guess, technically, it’s true—the ribs about my age are lighthearted now. Everyone can see how much Cillian and I love each other, and his brothers tease us more to get under his skin than mine. Anyways, these evenings are chaotic, loud, and filled with laughter—I look forward to them every week.
We walk up to the door and before Cillian can knock, it swings open. Connor stands there with a wide grin, holding sleeping Teagan in his arms. “Look who finally decided to show up!” Connor teases as he pulls Cillian into a one-armed hug. “We were starting to think you got lost.”
“Ha ha, very funny.” Cillian rolls his eyes but smiles as he kisses Teagan on the head. She peers up sleepily. “How’s wee Teagan?”
“Perfect,” Connor says proudly, handing her to my man. “Yer niece is a handful but I like being a girl dad.”
Watching Cillian cradle his niece with such tenderness sends a pang of longing through me. I can’t wait for us to have a child. The way he gently rocks her, his eyes full of love, makes my heart ache in the best way possible.
Ronni appears behind him, looking a bit frazzled and tired but glowing with happiness. “You’re just in time for the third season premiere.”
“Congratulations, Ronni! How amazing.” I’m genuinely thrilled for her. “We missed you while you were filming.”
“Well, one more season to go.” She shakes her head, smiling. “We’re going out with a bang. Next summer we’re all spending the summer with the band in Europe. All the wives. All the kids. It’ll be mayhem. I can’t wait.”
As we move farther into the house, Rory, Brennan, Seamus, Liam, and Padraig are gathered around the television. The Seahawks are having yet another fourth-quarter comeback. Cillian joins them and I move along to the kitchen.
I find Maureen bustling around, checking on various dishes and making sure everything is perfect. The aroma of roasted chicken and fresh herbs fills the air, making my mouth water. I’m absolutely starving.
“Need any help, Maureen?” I step up beside her, glancing around to see if there’s anything to graze on.
“Oh, Ivy, dear, how wonderful, I can always use a spare set of hands, so I can.” She hands me a bowl of boiled potatoes and a masher. “Smash those up, the milk is heating on the stove. “Now tell me, because I’ve been wondering, how are things with your dad?”
I never get sick of her Irish lilt. “It’s a work in progress. He hasn’t accepted my relationship with Cillian yet, which breaks my heart.”
“Aye. My dad was a stubborn sod too.“ She hands me a couple of sticks of butter for the potatoes.
“At least he’s still in remission. We may not be speaking, but I want him to be healthy again.” I put a bit of elbow grease into the mashed potatoes until they’re smooth, buttery, and creamy. Maureen has been teaching me how to cook, and if I could eat these mashed potatoes every day and not be three hundred pounds, I would.
Maureen gives me a sympathetic smile. “Family can be complicated, but it’s worth the effort. Rory and I have been through sheer madness and we’ve managed to make it through. Jay-sus, with the accident, his drinking, and then health scares, we got through it all. Don’t get me started on our boys. They’ve all had their own trials and tribulations.”
“Oh, Cillian has told me stories.” I laugh.
She takes the potatoes from me and hands me a block of cheese and a grater. “Next task.”
“Put me to work. It makes me happy.” I begin shredding the cheddar.
We continue preparing dinner and as usual, our conversation flows easily. Maureen’s unconditional acceptance of me as part of the McGloughlin family has meant the world to me. Especially considering she wasn’t a fan of me lying to Cillian and didn’t hesitate to scold me about doing it again. I love this big, loud family and I want Cillian and I to have the same thing.
Sooner rather than later.
“Can you go let the folks know dinner is ready?” Maureen takes the chickens out of the oven. “It’s gone quiet in there, the game must be over.”
I make the rounds but can’t find Cillian or Rory. While the rest of the family gets seated, I hunt for them in all the usual places. Finally, I locate them out back. They’re deep in conversation, leaning against the railing of the deck overlooking the sprawling garden.
“We finished the Bright construction job this week. Two months ahead of schedule, which means a significant bonus.” Rory has his arms crossed. “Stan let me know they’re going with someone else for the Tacoma project. He wasn’t open to meet with you, Kill. I’m sorry, I tried.”
I don’t mean to eavesdrop but I can’t help it. It makes me sad my dad is still being petty.
Cillian nods, not surprised. “I figured as much. It’s unfortunate, but we’ve got a ton of work lined up so we won’t miss it. Ivy’s gotten us organized, we’re going to scale on similar projects up and down the coast.”
“Excellent.” Rory claps a hand on his son’s shoulder. “I’m proud of you both for getting through a tough time.”
“Thanks, Da.” Cillian turns and I step out from the doorway. “Hey, babe.” A smile spreads across his face.
I give Rory a hug. “Dinner’s ready.”
“Aye, well, let’s get inside.” Rory leaves us in the dust.
We gather around the table and the usual buzz of chatter fills the air. Maureen always prepares more than enough for the entire family. As we dig into the food spread out on the table, the lively banter I look forward to each week begins.
“Cillian, Ivy.” Brennan smirks. “When are we going to hear wedding bells?”
He asks the same question every week. This time, though, I feel my cheeks heat up and I can’t help but smile. Cillian and I exchange a secret look, knowing we’re going to shock the life out of him.
“Yeah, Cillian,” Connor chimes in. “What’s the holdup?”
“We’re taking things one step at a time.” Cillian takes a sip of iced tea, smoothly deflecting the question. He squeezes my hand under the table. “But who knows what the future holds?”
I nearly laugh out loud, he says the same thing every week. We smile at each other and share a moment of silent understanding. A few days ago, we found out I’m pregnant. Cillian put an offer on a lot in Madison Valley, where he’s going to build our forever home. Our future is shaping up, even if our families don’t know the details yet.
Our plan is to tell everyone at Christmas. We’re hoping my dad will come around by then, but we’re not holding our breath. He hasn’t been receptive to any outreach since I moved out.
The attention shifts to Brennan, who fills us in on a financing round he closed. His AI company is poised to take off in a big way. Seamus details how stressful taking his medical boards was. Padraig and Liam seem a bit subdued. They’re back from recording in LA, but something’s clearly off. Cillian swears they have their own language, but I’ve never seen evidence of it in the time I’ve known them.
After dinner, we play Rory’s favorite game, Pictionary. It cracks me up every time because the family gets so competitive they make me draw with my left hand. Cillian and I usually win anyway.
On the drive back home, I rest my hand on Cillian’s thigh, feeling content despite the challenges we’re facing with my dad. Our relationship feels effortless, like it was always meant to be this way .
“Tonight was nice.” I gaze at Cillian’s profile. The passing streetlights cast fleeting shadows across his handsome face. Every highlight and shadow enhances his strong jawline.
God, I love him.
“Yeah, it was.” He glances at me with a smile. “Were you spying on me a bit earlier? Tell the truth.”
I suppress a giggle and shake my head. “No, of course not. Just, you know, paying attention to your every move. It’s hard not to when you’re so…captivating.” I slide my hand up to the bulge in his pants.
“Captivating, huh?” Cillian raises an eyebrow. “You have a way of making me feel like the luckiest guy in the world.” He shifts slightly, trying to focus on the road. “For transparency, I asked Da to see if your dad would speak with me one-on-one. I don’t want to go too much longer without fixing things. I know you want his blessing before we get married.”
A flutter of hope and anxiety stirs in my chest. “Yeah, I’m glad you’re making the effort because I won’t feel comfortable being in his presence until he gets help for his anger. Mom can’t get through to him, either. It’s upsetting to think he still feels justified in his reaction to our relationship.”
“Yeah, it’s hard.” He pulls into the driveway of the townhouse. “I keep thinking if he knows how much I love you and how serious we are, he’ll come around. I’d like it to happen before you start showing.”
God, I love everything about my life with Cillian. It’s everything I thought it would be and more. Even the quiet of the townhouse as we walk through the front door wraps around us like a comforting blanket.
Cillian locks the door and without a word, takes my hand and leads me upstairs. As usual, the anticipation in the air is palpable. Tonight—and every night—is more for us than a physical connection. Every time we make love it reaffirms our commitment to each other and the life we’re building.
“Ivy.” Cillian turns to me, his eyes dark with passion. “No matter what happens with your dad, I’d like for us to get married before the baby comes. But, if you want to wait we can wait.”
“I want the same thing,” I reassure him. “Let’s focus on us and on our family, and everything else will fall into place.”
He bends down and captures my lips in a slow, deep kiss, which sends shivers down my spine. We waste no time, shedding our clothes and slipping under the covers, where we lose ourselves in each other.
As we lie entwined afterward, I feel a profound sense of peace.
Our path hasn’t been easy.
Soon, we’ll be focusing on our own family and it fills me with a happiness I can’t quite describe.
I drift off to sleep with Cillian’s arms around me.
Knowing whatever comes our way, we’ll be able to face it.