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 readsDanny 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.
15
Niall leads us through the garage, sorry…car park, ultimately stopping at a blue Toyota Corolla.
“Here we are,” he says, popping the trunk and grabbing my larger suitcase. “Good thing you packed light. Not a lot of room in these.”
I slide my carry-on in the trunk and throw my backpack on top. “It’s gotta be hard driving a big car in the city. Hartford isn’t exactly a good comparison, but I know what driving in Boston’s like.”
“Ehh the city’s fine. It’s the countryside where things get dicey.” Niall slams the trunk shut, I go to head right and run into Niall. His eyebrow goes up, and he gestures to the left side. Right. Because the steering wheel is on the right.
Soon we are out of the airport and on the highway heading towards the city center. It might be my imagination, but everything seems much greener here. It also could be the lack of sleep and just thinking everything Irish is green.
