Kynedi Chapter 13

It had been less than a week since I agreed to quit two of my three jobs and move us in with Tiernan for good. I put in my notices with the spa and the company I cleaned the buildings for. They were a third party contracted to provide cleaning staff. Neither was happy to see me go, but I gave each the standard two-week notice. At the spa, I was considered an independent contractor, so technically, I didn’t need to even do that. But it was only professional, and it gave me time to notify my regular clients. They were sad to see me go and asked if I’d do private sessions. I told them it wasn’t likely, but if I changed my mind, I’d let them know.

As for the transcription company, I informed them that I’d be decreasing the number of transcribing jobs I’d do. I was only reducing them a bit at first, but they knew it would likely decrease more over time. I knew it would take time to teach Cass and for me to get up to speed on how to accomplish it. Thankfully, I had help.

As for moving, that was done in a blink of an eye. I swear, Tiernan had people over at our apartment the next day. They took care of packing everything for us. All I had to do was tell them what to get rid of. My furniture and such wouldn’t be needed at Tiernan’s house, so I made sure it was given to those who were needy. It was how I got plenty of my stuff over the years.

The fixing of the air conditioning issue was now not my problem. The landlord tried to say I had to give him more money, but I reminded him that my six-month lease extension was over at the end of next month. And since I had to give him a month down to cover that, he had all he was getting from me. With Tiernan standing there glaring at him, he didn’t argue anymore.

The conversation with Cassius about leaving his school, moving, and being homeschooled had me tied in knots. I was worried it would trigger him to have a fit. He’d been too calm about all the changes lately in our lives. Tiernan and I sat him down a couple of days ago and told him.

“Cassius, your mama and I want to talk to you about something. Actually, about a couple of things,” Tiernan informed him. We were sitting in the family room.

“Okay, what?” my son asked, glancing back and forth between us.

Tiernan and I talked before this, and we agreed to tackle this together. He’d talk about the move, and I’d tell Cassius about the school, with help from Tiernan, if I needed it.

“Well, first, you know that you and your mama have been staying here with me for a while.” Tiernan paused. Cass nodded.

“Do you like it here?” was my man’s question.

“I love it here. You have the swimming pool and the horses. I get to play with Khloe and can go outside and run and play. It’s great.”

“I’m glad to hear you say that. What would you say to the two of you living here all the time? As in, you don’t go back to the apartment.”

I saw excitement enter Cass’s eyes. “Do you mean it? Would we stay with you or in the big house?” Some of the enthusiasm dimmed.

“Here, with me.”

It flared again. “Does that mean you and Mommy are married? That you’re my dad? That we’ll live here forever?”

I hadn’t anticipated him asking about the married and dad parts. I didn’t know what to say. We hadn’t discussed Cass thinking of Tiernan as his dad. I knew he wanted to adopt him, but I wasn’t sure if he wanted him to call him Dad or Tiernan or if he was ready to talk about what our relationship was exactly. While I floundered on what to say, Tiernan didn’t.

“Cass, I love your mama, and I love you, too. This is a forever thing. As for us being married and your dad, I want to marry her and adopt you. We haven’t decided how soon that’ll happen. But, it’s up to you what you want to call me and when you start it. It can stay Tiernan, or you can call me Dad or some form of that. It’s entirely up to you, and what your mama says is okay.”

Tiernan gave me a hopeful look. Did he think I’d deny him that? Never.

“Tiernan is right. We love each other and you. If you want to call him something other than Tiernan, that’s up to you and him. I’m totally okay with what you two decide.”

Cassius sat there silent for a good minute or more, stretching out my nerves, which they didn’t need. Finally, he answered us.

“How do you say Daddy in your words?” he asked softly and with a slight hesitancy. Like he thought Tiernan wouldn’t like it or tell him. I swear I saw tears start to enter my alpha guy’s eyes before he blinked them away.

“I’d love it if you call me Daddy, Cass. In Irish, it’s pronounced Daidí. See, it’s really close.”

“How do you say Mommy? I think I should call Mommy that so it matches. Is that alright?” he asked me.

“I’m happy with whatever you want to call me, Cassius.”

“It’s Mhamaí, again really close,” Tiernan informed us.

“I like it. Okay, so when can we move in?”

We laughed at his eagerness. “People are packing our stuff right now, and they’ll bring it here. Our furniture will go to someone who needs it, but all your other things will be here. Until you get a little older, you can stay in the room you’re in,” Tiernan told him.

“I’m old enough. Why can’t I stay upstairs? It’s cool up there. I like that other room,” he begged.

I was wary of having him so far away. “I’m not sure about that. Let me think about it, and we’ll let you know. If you stay up there, you have to be a very good boy.” The open areas overlooking the first floor below were what scared me. What if he climbed up on the rails or partial walls and fell?

“Yeah, let me talk to your mama about it,” Tiernan said. It made Cass not argue.

To get us onto another subject, Tiernan dove into the school thing. “With you staying here now, we need to do something about your school.”

Cass’s head snapped up. “Why?”

“Well, it’s a nice school, and we know you have friends there, but we want to have you come and be homeschooled here like Khloe is. In fact, Riza and other ladies would be the ones to teach you. But that’s not all. Your mhamaí will help.”

His expression was filled with disbelief. “How? Mhamaí has to work.”

“I did, but I’m not going to clean those offices or give people massages anymore. That means I’ll have time to teach you, and you don’t need to go to daycare or anything. Would you like that? We know it means leaving some friends, but you can still have playdates with them, and you’ll have Khloe,” I said, hoping to entice him.

I was shocked when he got to his feet, shouted, “Yeah!” and then jumped up and down.

Tiernan and I exchanged looks and then burst out laughing. We’d been so tense over nothing, it seemed. It took a little while to get him to calm down. Once he was we thought we’d hit him with enough for one night. A family movie night was needed. He hurried through his bath to get ready. As soon as he was, we sat down to watch the latest panda movie that had come out earlier this year. It seemed, for the first time in years, that my life was more wonderful than heartbreaking. I was anxious to see what else was coming.

???

More changes hit the next day, but it was an expected one, and it impacted the whole family for the better. We woke to a call from Aidan.

“Wake up and get your ass in gear, little brother,” Aidan said loudly through Tiernan’s phone when he answered it. We were awake but not dressed for the day. We’d just finished breakfast.

“We’re awake, what’s up?”

“I need you to get everyone together and meet me at the hospital. Karizma is in labor. I’m having a baby today!” he yelled jubilantly.

“Aidan, calm down. There’s no rush. My contractions are still far from five minutes apart,” we heard Riza telling him.

“What did I tell you about walking? Sit down. If you need something, I’ll get it. Sorry, I gotta go. See you there,” he said distractedly before he hung up.

Tiernan was shaking his head and chuckling. “This should be fun. Aidan is usually more level-headed. Childbirth is out of his control. I can’t wait to see how he loses his mind.”

“Tier, that’s mean. He’s excited and nervous. This is his first child. Thank goodness Riza has done it before, and hopefully, she can keep him calm.”

“Do you think I’ll be like that when we have a baby?” he asked.

“I, well, I don’t know.” I stumbled to answer. He caught me with that one.

“Are we having a baby?” Cassius asked keenly.

“No, we’re not having a baby, or at least not right now,” I told him.

His face dropped. “Why not? I want a brother.”

“You don’t always get what you ask for. A sister can be cool,” I told him.

“Your mhamaí and I have to talk about that. It’s a big thing to have a child. And before we have one, I’d like us to be married,” Tiernan said.

“Well, marry her then. We can do it this week, and then you can get the baby next week,” Cass said as if we were stupid for not thinking of it. We both grinned at his simplistic view.

“It takes longer than that. Listen, we’ll talk more about this later. Right now, we have to get ready so we can go to the hospital and meet Riza’s baby when it gets here,” I prodded.

“Yeah, let’s go get cleaned up. You want to look nice when you meet your new col ceathrar . That means cousin,” Tiernan informed him. Cassius delighted in learning new Irish words. He was better at remembering them than I was. It seemed to do the trick, and Cassius let us get him moving. I knew he wouldn’t be put off for long. Tiernan and I needed to talk and come up with what to say to him.

We were all dressed and ready to go thirty minutes later. Tiernna suggested we stop at the main house to see if anyone hadn’t left yet. We’d carpool if they hadn’t. When we got there, it was to find that over half of them had left, and more were about to leave. A few were staying behind to look after the other kids. Cassius was asked if he wanted to stay there or go to the hospital, and we’d come back to get him later after the baby arrived. Since Khloe was at home, he decided to wait. I gave him last-minute instructions before kissing him.

Driving to the hospital, I found I was filled with nervous energy. Tiernan noticed. “What’s wrong? You’re jittery over there.” He was holding my hand as he drove. I didn’t see Milo following us. This must be one of those times he wasn’t going.

“I am, and I don’t know why. I’m not the one having a baby.”

“No, but maybe it’s bringing up what Cassius asked earlier. I know we’re doing things backward, but I want you to know that as soon as you’re ready to marry me and have a baby, all you have to do is say yes. I’m ready, Kynedi. If I thought you’d be okay with it, I’d already have the lawyers working on the adoption papers.”

“You would? Wow. It’s insane, but I want it, too.”

“Really? Well, shit, then I know what I have to do. And the ring, marriage, and babies?”

“Tiernan O’Sheeran, get me a ring and ask me, and then you’ll get your answer,” I told him cutely. He growled teasingly, which caused me to laugh and some of my tension to ease.

The hospital was packed. I found out that the family had a waiting area to themselves. When one of them required to be hospitalized, they had a private wing, and everyone was thoroughly vetted before they were allowed in contact with the family. It might seem overkill to many, but I understood why. It seemed the word was out because when we came in, reporters were amassing outside the hospital. They tried to get us to comment as they shouted at Tiernan, asking him who I was. We ignored them. They had not only hospital security inside and out but their guys, too. I discovered Milo was already there.

“The hyenas have descended,” Milo said only half-jokingly, I think, as he escorted us to the private wing.

“They have. Do your best to keep them from ruining this for my brother,” Tiernan ordered.

“You got it. If you need me, just text.”

Milo walked off after we nodded. The family members there greeted us with hugs and kisses on the cheek. I still hadn’t gotten used to how affectionate they were. They treated Cass and me the same way they treated their kids and grandkids. I didn’t see Aidan in there. I discovered he was in the delivery room. I thought that was amazing. Bram hadn’t gone in with me. He hung out at a nearby bar, had drinks, and watched sports. When I asked if he’d stay with me, he informed me real men hung out at a bar. Only pussies went into the delivery room.

Memories of that must’ve dimmed my happiness because Aisling asked me, “You’re sad about something. What’s wrong, Kynedi?” This got the attention of Tiernan. He frowned as he came over and put his arm around me.

“ Leanbh , are you alright?”

“I’m fine—no need to fuss. I was just remembering when I had Cassius and how his biodad acted when I asked him to stay with me in the delivery room. He said only pussies stayed, and he was a real man and would go to the bar. I’m happy that Aidan is in there with her.”

“What a damn asshole. You won’t have to worry about that happening in this family. Tiernan will be at your side. Even if he were stupid enough to say he wouldn’t be in there, which he won’t, you’d have a ton of the rest of us. You may want to kick us out,” Aisling teased. There was a loud chorus of agreement when she said I’d have the others.

Tears smarted my eyes, but I was able to blink them away. “You guys are unbelievable. I can’t believe that Cassius and I have been lucky enough to find you.”

“Honey, you’re not the lucky one. We are. And we can’t thank you enough for making this big pain-in-the-ass-hardhead fall head-over-heels in love. You wait. This will be you soon,” Siv said as she nudged Tiernan. He gently shoved her.

“Get out of here, brat. You keep saying bad stuff about me, she’ll run.”

“No, she won’t. She’s made of sterner stuff, and she loves you,” Cillian chimed in to add.

Tiernan wrapped me up in one of his arms and hugged me close. He gazed down at me with an expression full of love. “She does, and I love her even more. I’ve been blessed to find my anamchara . You wait. When you find yours, you’ll understand.”

To hear and see this vast family, which was predominantly male, all agreeing and touting the beauty and desire to find their soulmates was beyond unbelievable. The love in the room was overflowing. As time ticked by, we kept each other entertained. From time to time, Aidan, Carmen, who was introduced as Riza’s mom, Cyndi, or Cormac would come out and update us on how Riza was doing. Knowing these things took hours, I prepared to be here well into the night. Except baby O’Sheeran had other ideas, it seemed.

Five hours after they arrived, Aidan came out with an update we weren’t expecting. “I have a son! He’s beautiful and healthy. Wait until you see him,” he cried exuberantly. The cheers and congratulations were deafening. He hugged his parents first, then was passed around. I even got a hug from him. Once that was over, he excused himself to be with Riza.

I thought we’d be allowed to go in two at a time and have a peek. I was wrong. Those usual hospital rules didn’t apply when you had a whole wing to yourself and had built half or more of the hospital. We were let in the room an hour later. We didn’t all mob them at once. It was in groups. Aidan’s siblings and parents were told to go first. Tiernan insisted that meant me.

Inside, an exhausted yet radiant and happy Riza sat upright in her bed. Cradled in her arms was a tiny bundle in a blue blanket. Carmen, Cormac, and Cyndi went first and fussed over him. As they did, Aidan announced the newest family member’s name.

“We want you all to meet Brannon Aidan O’Sheeran,” he said proudly.

He took his son and held him up for us all to see. Brannon wasn’t impressed, I guess because he was fast asleep. This caused several of us to laugh. Eventually, he was handed to Tiernan. As he held him and I saw the love on his face, I was struck with the desire to make him look like that over a child we created together. The way he was with Cassius, his nieces, and nephews, I had no doubt he’d be a loving dad.

“Here, your turn to hold him,” he whispered before handing Brannon over. I took him willingly. It was incredible to hold a newborn again. My arms didn’t forget how to do it.

As I gazed at his little peaceful face, I whispered to Tiernan. “I want one. We need to do this soon.”

His eyes widened, and he kissed me as if his life depended on it. I guess he was thrilled. There were catcalls and hoots as he kissed me silly. What a way to make a decision.

???

It had been four days since Brannon joined the family. He and his mom were home, establishing a routine with him and his big sister, Khloe. She was totally enthralled with him. She wanted to hold him all the time like a baby doll. Watching her practically fight her parents and the rest of the family to have him was comical.

Things had been busy on more than that front. For us, all of our belongings had been brought to the compound. A lot of Cassius’s stuff was still stored in the garage. The reason was his room was being decorated and painted upstairs.

After a long talk with Tiernan, who knew my biggest hesitation, even without me saying anything, he came up with a solution. Large decorative safety glass had been erected atop the rail and half walls of the open areas to the foyer and living room. It would keep the aesthetic of it without the danger of a child climbing it and falling. One more day, and we’d be able to move Cass totally into his new room. He couldn’t wait.

Within reason, he had a say in what color and theme his room would have. He didn’t go for anything traditional. He wanted this faux wood look on the walls, which resembled the wood on the walls of the stables. The decor was no surprise; he wanted it to pertain to horses.

Seeing what Tiernan came up with and had done to the room was incredible. He’d insisted on doing the work in his son’s room with family help but no outsiders, aka decorators. It felt like you were in an upscale stable, and on one wall was this realistic wallpaper of horses with their heads sticking out of their stall doors. Cowboy boots, hats, toy horses, and more created the perfect room for a boy who loved horses. Tiernan wouldn’t let Cass see it until it was finished. He’d shown me the final result while Cass was off playing with Khloe. Now, he was back and barely able to contain himself as we waited outside the closed door of his bedroom.

“Okay, Cass, I hope you like this. Your mhamaí loves it,” Tiernan told him.

“That’s right. I might have to move in there,” I joked.

“No, you sleep with daidí ,” he insisted.

“I’m only kidding. Show him,” I told Tiernan.

He swung open the door and waved for Cassius to enter. He raced inside and froze in the middle of the room. He slowly turned, taking it all in. He had been silent so long that I noticed Tiernan was becoming anxious. His forehead wrinkled in concern.

“Cass, buddy, if you don’t like it, we can change it. I’ll have this all taken down,” Tiernan said.

Our son whirled around and practically yelled, “No! Don’t.” Then he ran to place himself against the wall with the horse on it. He spread his arms wide as if he could protect it. “I love it. Please don’t change anything.”

Tiernan went to him and knelt in front of him. Cass was in tears. “Hey, look at me.” He waited until Cass did before continuing. “I’m not going to touch it if you like it. I was just wanting you to know if you didn’t like it, we could change the walls. Your uncaili , paipín , pappy, and I had fun doing this. I think we should tell them they can come over and you can thank them. Don’t you?”

Cass was nodding his head yes. Paipín was the name he’d settled on calling Cormac. They’d asked him the other day if he wanted to call them grandpa and grandma since he called Tiernan daidí. He’d thought for a minute, then asked if he could call them Pappy and Grammy. I had no idea where he came up with those, but they agreed. And, of course, he insisted he do it in Irish. Grammy was Ghramaigh. They were delighted. I swear he’d be fluent in Irish Gaelic by the time he was eighteen. He’d have to tutor me. Khloe heard what he was calling them, and she liked it, so she switched to calling them the same.

Tiernan sent off a text message. It wasn’t long before his brothers, dad, and Mom came. After they were through receiving Cass’s thank yous, more family members came to check out his room. They oohed and ahhed and told him how cool it was. Even Aidan brought Riza and Brannon over for a few minutes. Aidan nudged Tiernan.

“If you had a room like this growing up, maybe you wouldn’t have slept in the barn so much.”

Tiernan grinned and shoved him playfully. “Maybe. But it lacks something, though.”

“What’s that,” Shane asked.

“It doesn’t smell like horse, hay, and cac .”

They laughed. I suspected what cac meant, but I asked anyway. He chuckled and nodded.

We had to explain to Cass that we’d move his stuff, which was still in the garage tomorrow, but he could sleep there tonight. His new large queen bed was in there. That satisfied him. After everyone was done admiring his bedroom, someone suggested we order pizza and wings to celebrate. The next thing I knew, we were all gathering at the main house to eat. I felt sorry for the delivery person who had to bring all the food. They assured me he had been well compensated for his trouble. We all sat down and dug in. I couldn’t believe how perfect everything was. I never thought we’d get this lucky. I was afraid that something terrible would destroy it. I prayed that I was wrong. It would kill us both to lose this new life.