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Da nodded with an averted gaze. “You’ve never been selfish, Finn. You comin’ home from Eton was the best thing you could’ve done for your Ma. She wasn’t happy without you here. None of us were. We couldn’t have lasted another few years without you.”

Finn stared at him. Never had he heard this take on him coming home. “You weren’t disappointed in me, then?” he asked. “For wastin’ all that money, for not makin’ a name for meself?”

Da’s voice lowered, sobering. “I’ve never been disappointed with you, son. Never. I’ve always been proud of you and the man you’ve become.”

Hearing the words on his da’s lips wasn’t surprising in any way, but they settled into Finn’s heart and locked into place, releasing the last of his insecurities.

“Thanks, Da,” he said,

They looked at each other, and a level of understanding passed between them. They were never ones to express verbal words of love between each other, but they didn’t have to. The look was more than enough.

“It’s about time the two of you talked,” came Ma’s voice from the front door, and Finn and Da looked at each other in surprise. “You wee eejits.”

“Ma?” Finn called out.

She rounded the corner and appeared in the front room.

“How long you been listenin’ in, then?” Da asked, frowning up at his wife.

“Long enough to hear nothin’ new,” she said. She pointed at Finn. “He’s still tryin’ to support our family even though his heart belongs to another, and you”—she pointed at Da—“you’re still tryin’ to keep quiet ’bout our financial strugglin’. As I said, you’re both eejits.”

Da and Finn exchanged looks again, then looked back at Ma.

“You knew?” Da asked, his frown replaced with a look that revealed exactly how ashamed he was for hiding his struggles from his wife.

“’Course I knew. I’m not as daft as the two of you.” She propped her hands on her hips. “How else do you think we’ve been makin’ do without you havin’ a job?”

Da looked away, his look calculating.

“Have you not noticed me missin’ from home four days a week?” Ma asked next. Da, once again, looked at her blankly. “Boys a dear, you’re as thick as two short planks, so you are. I’ve been workin’ at Doherty’s, you wee looper.”

Da’s shoulders fell. “Niamh,” he began, “I had no idea.”

Her features softened, and she bent low to kiss Da on his cheek. “I know. I’ve been doin’ it secret. Figured I might as well keep that to meself ’til you shared your own secrets.”

Their eyes met, and a soft smile was shared between them before Ma faced Finn, and her no-nonsense expression returned. “Now, Finny Boy, you do as you’re bid and march straight into that job and quit ’fore I do it for you.”

But Finn refused. “No, Ma. I’ll not quit ’til I know Da has another job.”

“As stubborn as his father,” she mumbled to herself. “Then you best pray for that hard, ’cause that girl isn’t goin’ to wait for you. Any woman who looks at you the way she does is somethin’ special.”

Finn smiled, though sorrow twinged in his heart. How he knew that to be true. And as he watched his parents come together as they finally shared their efforts to help each other, his heart hurt even more.

Because as much as he knew he’d made the right decision this time, he hated himself for it all the same.

The next day, Finn handed over the signed contract to Joshua, feeling as if he was handing over his freedom.

In a sense, he was. But he was doing it for his family. He had to continually remind himself of the fact or he’d turn around and leave the Northern Irish Roving Bus Tours for good.

“Thanks for this, Finn,” Joshua said with a firm nod, holding up the contract. “You’ll be glad you signed. It’ll protect you and the company from any further mishaps down the road.”

It sure would. The company had gone above and beyond in their restrictions on what tour guides could now say and do. Furthermore, there would be new security cameras added to each bus to ensure strict adherence to the rules. Finn felt like a convict, but he couldn’t do anything about it. Not while his family needed his help.

“I have to say,” Joshua continued, clearly not reading the unhappy vibes Finn was casting out, “I’m impressed with how you’ve handled this entire situation. Not many people would’ve been honest like you were, or agreed to all these changes. It just shows you’ve got a good head on your shoulders.”

A good head on his shoulders? Naw, he just had a conscience and bills to pay.

“I mean,” Joshua rattled on, “what is givin’ up a job you love for a fling, right?”