14
I wheel my bag up to immigration check, which luckily is a relatively short line.
I never know what to do when going through immigration, debating if acting too friendly makes you look suspicious or if you don’t engage it makes you come off as a stereotypical asshole American.
I settle on a slight smile while I pass my passport over.
“What brings you to Ireland?” Jesus. That accent. That is going to take some getting used to. After all the FaceTime calls with Niall you would think I’d be better prepared. The immigration officer, Leon, now looks slightly annoyed.
Right, because I’ve just been staring at him.
“So sorry. Didn’t sleep on the flight. I’m here to teach at Trinity College.”
“For how long?”
“Either through December or next May, depending on how the first semester goes I guess.” Is it bad to not give a definitive answer?
“Well good luck. My daughter is at Trinity and she’s a terror.” He passes my passport back to me and gives a quick nod.
I walk out of immigration and enter the chaos that is baggage claim. I’m not sure how immigration was such a breeze and baggage claim looks like the hallway scene from Mean Girls. Quite literally, as a lady gets knocked over by a guy reaching for his suitcase.
I walk the few steps over to her and hold out my hand, the lady gladly taking it. “Thank you. That feckin arse didn’t even stop. Took me out with his bag and all.”
“Glad you seem okay.”
The lady smiles. “Welcome to Ireland. What part of the States are you from?”
“Connecticut.” When she looks a bit puzzled, I remember that the rest of the world likely isn’t as familiar with our geography and where the fifty states are. “It’s right between New York and Boston.”
“That sounds convenient. Oh, my bag!” She leans forward and grabs a monstrosity of a pink suitcase. “Well, enjoy your stay.”
When she walks off, I take a seat on my carry-on. God, what I would give for a coffee right about now. Wait, am I even at the right baggage carousel?
I was sitting at two, and find my bag taking a spin around carousel six.
I breeze through customs and take a seat on a bench shortly after. The travel day took a lot out of me, despite the short direct flight from Bradley. It was the most I’ve really been out of the condo in the past few months.
It’s still hard to think it’s been over three months since Michael died. I’m realizing how much better prepared I probably would have been for this move if I hadn’t been crippled by his passing. I haven’t even figured out how I’m getting to Aidan’s apartment.
I see signs for the taxi area and slowly peel myself off the bench, starting to shamble and follow the signs. I see what appears to be a family meeting area to my left, and I stop in my tracks.
On the edge of the crowd, I see a sign that reads Danny Pierce, which is in the hands of Niall. He’s looking the other direction, but then turns and meets my eyes.
I pick up my pace and, when I meet him, I wrap my arms around him and bury my face into his shoulder. My eyes start welling up before heading into a free fall of tears, Niall pulling me into a tighter hug.
I wouldn’t talk to anyone when Michael died. Not my mother, not any of our friends. I barely talked to Sydney, and that was only to answer simple questions about bookstore operations.
I tried with Niall. We had a couple of FaceTimes in the weeks after the funeral. Mainly because he reached out after not hearing from Michael, when I had to break the news to him. And I could see right away it broke Niall, not knowing and finding out after Michael was already in the ground.
It was too much to take on Niall’s grief and mine, and eventually I had stopped answering his calls. I think back to how callous I must have seemed, just dropping a text to Niall and that being the last I had conversed with him.
Daniel: I just can’t Niall. It’s too much right now
Niall had given me my space, and I left him to suffer on his own. And, despite it all, here he was to pick me up from the airport, like we had planned almost a half a year ago. My face soaking the front of his shirt.
I didn’t deserve any of it, but deep down this was exactly what I needed.