“Yeah, it's colder than a nun's t ”
“Gerald Patrick!” Her father's voice boomed from the other end of the bar. “Jesus. Mary, and Joseph, boy. You kiss your mother with that mouth?” He approached Haley, a pint in one hand, a basket of curly fries in the other, and leaned down and bussed her on the cheek. “My day has greatly improved with the vision of you. darlin' girl. I'm glad to see your work could spare you of an evening.”
More than forty years had passed since her dad had stepped off the boat from his native Donegal, but he'd never lost the warm Irish burr in his voice.
“And I take it Mom's at bridge night?” Even though they'd all stayed local, Haley's mother had been unhappy to see the last of her kids leave the nest and had taken up all manner of hobbies since. And their mother had been the only one surprised by how much fun she was having now.
“And where else?” Danny ushered Haley to a seat.
“Time to focus, people.” Gerry poured himself another.
“Gerry has twenty bucks on the over,” Danny said, glancing at the television.
“He's crazy.” Conor looked at his sister intently. “What do you say? You've always been good at picking the line. Will the game go over fifty-four points?”
Haley took a deep pull of her beer while she considered. “Dallas hasn't gotten their running game going yet.” she said with the same gravity with which she approached her scholarship. “I think it's going to be a shoot-out, so yeah, I'd side with Gerry on this one.” She raised her pint to the brother in question.
“Listen up!” Jimmy reached over the table and stole Gerry's lighter from his hand. “Hey, attention, people.” He clinked the old metal Zippo on the side of his glass. “I said shut up, you dips.” Jimmy swatted the nearest brother on the head.
“What the- ” Danny recoiled, and smoothed his hair back down into his ponytail.
“Apologies, ladies.” Jimmy ignored Danny and nodded at the women. “But we have an announcement. Maggie, love?”
His girlfriend shyly pulled her hand from beneath the table. Directing her words to Haley, she said, “We were waiting for you to get here. I wanted you to be the first… the first to hear…”
“You'll have a new sister!” Jimmy shouted, and was at once drowned out in cheers and a few female shrieks.
“Really?” Haley leaned into her, genuinely pleased. “I've got to see the ring.”
Colin spoke above the din. “And when are you going to make an honest woman of yourself', Doc?”
Haley didn't deign to give him a look, and merely kicked her brother beneath the table. She held Maggie's hand, shifting it under the light, setting the small diamond to twinkling. “Oh guys, it's beautiful.”
Maggie's sweet face bloomed into a smile. Between the strawberry blonde curls that framed Maggie's delicate heart-shaped face and the six-two length of her swarthy brother, Haley couldn't wait to see what their kids would look like.
“And look,” she wriggled her ring off and angled it up to the dim bar light. “Jimmy knew my size, and even inscribed it for me.”
Haley took it from her, focusing on the tiny script. “James loves Maggie.”
“The lout couldn't think of anything more creative.” Gerry said.
“Shut up.” Jimmy threw his brother's lighter back at him.
“Her fingers are small.”
“No.” Haley frowned at them. “It's simple and perfect. It says it all.” She turned to Jimmy. “It's lovely. Just perfect.”
“Blessings kids.” Her father raised his glass in a toast.
“May the road rise up to meet you… ”
“Get comfortable.” Gerry leaned low over the table and winked at Haley.
“May the wind be always at your back.”
“And here we go,” Danny muttered.
“May the sun shine warm ”-