Chapter 83
Riley
“You shouldn’t be standing there spying,” Ian says as he comes up behind me.
“I’m just observing.”
He parts the curtains and looks out with me, watching Jamie and Martin get out of the car and walk up to the door.
“Go on, open it.” I push him away, suddenly flustered as I take a deep breath and get ready to greet them.
“Good to see you, Doctor,” Ian says as he opens the door.
“Don’t be a dick,” Jamie replies.
“What have I done?”
“Not sure yet, but you will. Call it a preemptive strike.”
“It’s not always a competition, you know.”
“When at least one of the O’Connors is involved, it is.”
Jamie comes in holding Martin’s hand. He isn’t pulling him along or pushing him forward; he’s simply there with him, holding on the way you do when you care so much about someone you never want to leave behind.
“Hey, hon, how—” I don’t let him finish; I just hug him tight.
“Oh, fuck! Are we already in the hormone-crazed phase?” he says, but I feel him smile into my hair as he hugs me back. He only uses one arm, since he’s still holding Martin’s hand.
When he slowly lets go, I finally greet him too.“It’s so good to see you,” I say, excited.
“Thanks so much for inviting me,” he replies.
“Already thanking?” Jamie murmurs in his ear.
“Fuck you,” Martin mutters.
“He loves saying thank you,” Jamie teases. Martin smiles back, and I almost burst into tears.
It’s true I’m full of hormones and extra sensitive, but seeing them together in our home is overwhelming, and I don’t want to hide how I feel. Some things are meant to be seen.
“Make yourselves comfortable,” Ian says. “I’ll check on dinner. Beer?”
“Sure, I’ll grab them,” Jamie says, following Ian.
“Anything I can do?” Martin asks.
“Stay there, Doctor,” Ian tells him. “The kitchen is my kingdom.”
“He never lets anyone in when he’s in charge. Cooking is his biggest passion after rugby, and I get to enjoy all the results,” I explain.
Martin smiles at me, then asks: “How are you doing?”
“Mmm?”
“The pregnancy…”
“Oh, great, thanks. Not even a little nausea this time.”
“I’m glad to hear it. And congratulations. I haven’t had a chance to tell you yet, I didn’t want to be intrusive at Chris’ house, and I didn’t know if you…”
I move quickly and throw my arms around his neck. Martin stands there with his arms up, looking embarrassed.
“Thank you for bringing him home. He is back, I know. I can feel it. It’s him, and you… You did it.”
Martin’s tense shoulders relax as he leans into my arms. His voice shakes a little as he whispers, “Thank you.”
I pull back and look him in the eyes.
“Thank you for what you did for him. Thank you, thank you, thank you…” He squeezes me again. “You are a splendid woman, and you have raised a splendid man.”
“I only did what any sister would do for her brother.”
“No, you did much more than that.”
“Am I interrupting something?” Jamie’s voice behind us makes us pull apart, and Martin quickly wipes his eyes.
“We were just…”
“Was he thanking you?” Jmaie asks.
Martin shakes his head. “Something like that.”
He doesn’t even pretend, and I like him even more for it.
“I’m so happy you’re here,” I say.
“I am always here.”
“Now… now you really are.”
Sitting at the table, I discreetly observe Jamie eating, talking, joking, and laughing.
I also watch Martin, who doesn’t miss a single one of Jamie’s movements.
He looks at Jamie, enraptured by his manner, face, gestures, even the stupid jokes that don’t make me laugh but always provoke something in him.
Martin watches at him, and Jamie knows he is being watched — he is happy about it.
Some things you can’t fake; not even a liar as good as him could pull it off.
And then Martin listens to one of Ian’s locker room stories. Jamie rests his hand over Martin’s on the table. Martin glances at Jamie and smiles faintly; Jamie meets his eyes and returns it.
I watch the whole scene with my heart full of love, pride, and happiness. I feel everything.
My life finally feels whole. My brother has the life he wanted, not just the one I promised him.
He earned it. He struggled, went through so much, and still made it through.
Now he’s better — not completely well, but better.
I believe he’ll keep healing because now he has his Doctor, his love, and me.
I have my little brother back: my sweet, sensitive Jamie.
I have my family back.
I step outside and sit next to Jamie on the steps. He’s finishing his beer and looking up at the stars.
“Still inside?” he asks, meaning the others.
“Ian is loading the dishwasher, and Martin is enjoying Jamie.”
“He’s in love with that little girl,” Jamie says.
“And he is in love with you,” I say.
“So it seems.”
“And you are in love with him.”
He sighs and takes a sip.
“That’s wonderful, Jamie.”
“He’s wonderful, Riley. I just hope I deserve him.”
“Oh, sweetie, give it time. Sooner or later, you’ll believe it too.”
“Like you did?”
“Yes. And look what happened when I believed it. I have a husband, a beautiful, healthy baby girl, and another on the way. I have a home, a job, I have… a life, Jamie.”
I know this is hard for Jamie. It’s not that he’s unhappy for me, but he feels like something between us has changed, like our bond isn’t as tight.
He thinks he’s lost the certainty we shared.
But that’s not true; he’s still part of my world, and that will never change.
Sooner or later, he’ll see that, maybe with the help of a certain charming doctor.
“You have your own family now,” he says, a little wistfully.
I reach over, take his hand, and give it a gentle squeeze.
“And you finally have yours.”