[COMPLETED BUT WONT LET ME PRESS THE COMPLETED BUTTON AHAHHA]
Aurora Lockheart was once the sunshine girl-bright, kind, and full of life. But one night changed everything, leaving her a shadow of who she used to be.
A year later, just as she's be...
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"Morning," I yawned, stepping into the kitchen. The comforting smell of pancakes hit me immediately, and for a brief moment, it almost distracted me from the knot of anxiety twisting in my stomach. Tomorrow was the first day of school, and the thought of it was already making me nervous. My mind kept bouncing between excitement and dread.
Edel turned around, her face lit up with a grin that seemed a little too bright for this early in the morning.
I raised an eyebrow, settling down at the table. "What's going on? Why do you look like you just won the lottery?"
She practically bounced on her feet, her excitement barely contained. "Joey called earlier," she said, her voice carrying a hint of mischief.
I blinked, trying to piece together why Joey calling would make her this giddy. "Okay... and?"
"Aofie went into labour!" Edel blurted out, her grin widening.
I shot up in my chair, the sleepy fog evaporating instantly. "She went into labour?"I shouted, my voice echoing in the kitchen. My heart was suddenly pounding, excitement and worry all tangled up in one big mess.
Edel nodded, her eyes sparkling with joy. "Yes, and she had the baby early yesterday morning. Born at 2:20 am!"
My jaw dropped. "No way!" I gasped, hardly able to believe it. They'd had been waiting so long, and now, it had finally happened. I could barely contain the swell of happiness rising in my chest.
"Yeah!" Edel beamed, though her expression softened slightly. "There were a few complications during the birth, but it was touch and go for a while. She's doing okay now, but the doctors are keeping her in for a few days just to make sure everything's alright. Joey's coming back later to set up a few things at their place for the three of them."
My heart swelled, practically bursting at the thought. Aofie was a mammy now, and Joey—my brother Joey—was a daddy.The image of them, with a little baby in their arms, hit me in a way I hadn't expected. The tension I had been holding about school melted away, replaced with something softer, something that felt a little bit like hope.
Edel smiled, seeing my reaction. "They want you to come by and meet the baby later if you're up for it."
My eyes widened, and I felt a surge of surprise and excitement all over again. "Really? They actually want me to come?"
"Of course!" she laughed, shaking her head as if the idea that they wouldn't was ridiculous. "So, eat your breakfast, get yourself ready, and we'll head over later. John's taken the boys out this morning, so they have no clue yet, and Shannon's out shopping with Claire and Lizzie."
I grinned, suddenly ravenous. "Wow, this is... I can't believe it," I murmured, grabbing a fork and eagerly digging into the stack of pancakes in front of me.
As I chewed, a thought hit me, and I swallowed quickly. "Where's Johnny and Gibsie?" I asked, glancing around as if they might appear from behind the door.
