Rain caresses me in love before throwing herself into my arms.
“You mean everything to me. You always have. You’ve been a brother, a friend, mother and father and you’ve done it all on your own. You helped me grow up and you gave up a life of your own for me and if I have all of this,” she says, gesturing around the room with an open hand, “it’s thanks to you.”
Liam joins us, hugging both of us in his arms. “If you hadn’t accepted me into this house and permitted me to come back, if you hadn’t given me another chance, I wouldn’t be here with you all now and I wouldn’t be with her. If it weren’t for your trust in me, your loyalty, your friendship, I wouldn’t have anything. I wouldn’t even have a life.”
Jay stands up and piles on with the truth. “Friend, you are the one who got me out of trouble, who gave me a house when I didn’t know where to go and supported me when I didn’t have any hope left and you saved me when I was at the point of collapse. You are my rock and when I didn’t know where to hit my head you were there to make sure it wasn’t against a wall.”
I laugh between my tears and mess my hair.
“Alright, I get it, we’re all a bit sentimental right now.” Patrick stands up and approaches the group.
“What the fuck?” he says. “Is it possible that everything has to end in tears around this damned house?”
We all laugh and his harshness helps break the tension.
“Okay, I guess it’s my turn. What can I say, Aaron? You’ve always taken care of me, you helped me build a future, you kicked my ass when I needed it and offered me a shoulder when that was what I needed most. You took Erin on at the pub and Jesus, I should thank you every day for that alone. So friend, my sister and you… I cannot get my head around it yet and it’s probably going to take a while to accept things. But I am sure that she will always be safe with you, that you will respect her and there won’t be a day that passes where she doesn’t feel loved.”
“You’ve always gotta go one better than everyone else, haven’t you?” Jay says, making fun of him as Patrick joins the pack.
Chaos reigns in my heart and bumping into each other like this makes it difficult for me to find the right thing to say to everyone.
I’d like to thank my entire family for what they are and for always being there for me and for the love I’m presently basking in.
But then I tell myself that even a silence dense with significance speaks where words aren’t needed because this is what counts.
This hug, this intense desire and need to always be here for one another.
