Finding 4

Chapter 48

Marley

Two months later

The sound of a truck out front makes Bean jump up from my bed and run out of my room. I can hear her paws trampling down the stairs as she runs to the door.

We came back home a few days ago because dad is supposed to be—

Dad.

I throw my covers off, practically leaping out of bed and across my room. I quickly walk to the door, pulling it open.

I feel like a child on Christmas morning.

My eyes land on dad walking around the front end of his truck, and a huge smile spreads across my face. He sees me and smiles too, dropping his bag.

I run over to him, throwing my arms around his neck. He hugs me back, and for the first time since he left I feel myself relax.

"Hey Mar." His voice seems a little off, but I ignore it because at least he's home.

"Hi." Is all I say back.

"Daddy!" Elijah shouts, and I pull away so he can hug him to.

Dad picks him up as he jumps into his arms, wrapping the small boy against him. I look over at the door, and Brody is just standing there.

Brody definitely took it hard when dad had to leave. He's just kind of been locked up in his room, whether it was at the Kavanaghs, or here.

Dad sets Elijah down and walks over to Brody. They just kind of look at each other before doing that stupid manly handshake and dad yanks him into a hug.

Brody closes his eyes, hugging Dad tightly. I think he needed this more than any of us.

<>

"Does he seem okay?" Tierny asks, fixing the length of the microphone that she stands behind.

Over the two months that Dad has been gone, the boys and Tierny finally got that band they've been talking about. Niall is playing guitar, Finley is on the drums, and Tierny sings. They've talked about expanding and getting more instruments, but they decided against it when they looked at their options of members.

"Yeah." I lean back on the couch in Finleys garage. Keely sits next to me, and Callum has disappeared with the other two boys somewhere.

"That's good." Keely chimes in. "I know that a lot of people aren't really...there when they come back."

"I was worried about that, but he seems totally fine. I mean it's been a week and nothing seems to have changed." I shrug, glancing in between Keely and Tierny.

"How do you feel?" Keely pushes, looking over at me.

"I'm good." I give her a small smile. "Better than I was at least."

"Yeah I can tell." Tierny sits down next to me on the couch.

"What do you mean?"

"You're happier, and it's obvious." She shrugs and adds, "you're smiling and laughing and making jokes. Your eyes have a spark in them, and you aren't just stuck in bed all the time."

She's not wrong. I am happier.

I started focusing on the good in my life, like Callum said. Yeah sure I've had some bad things happen, and just because I'm better doesn't mean I don't think about my mom or Mason. Even Emily. However, I've also had some really great things happen. I met some really amazing people, and I have a boyfriend who loves me and doesn't treat me like I'm a walking Barbie doll. I'm running track at Tommen, and I've had college scouts reaching out to me ever since the season started. Callum is going professional after his final year, and I'm beyond proud of him.

I even have goals. I finally see a future for myself. After school, I'm going back to America for college. Once I finish up school I'm coming back to Ireland, because it's become my home. My family is here. My life is here. There's nothing in America for me anymore.

People have asked me if they really think Callum and I will work long distance, and I always say yes. Because Callum isn't Mason. And I'm no longer the girl who couldn't even dress herself because she was hurting so badly.

"Yeah." I smile, fidgeting with the hem of my shirt.

The door opens and all three boys walk into the garage, laughing about something.

"Come on T you can't sit." Niall says with a mouthful of a muffin. "You gotta sing."

She rolls her eyes and stands up, walking over to the mic.

Callum sits down next to me, tossing his long legs into my lap. I rest my arms on top of them. For the next hour or so, we sit in the garage as they play music, except most of the time is spent with them arguing. It's quite entertaining.

Even then, as I sit here with my friends, I realize how great life truly is.

My dad is home, and safe. I have real friends now, who care about me and treat me like I'm an actual person and not just a punching bag. My boyfriend is the best person alive, despite how we acted when we first met. My brothers are happy too, and Brody finally found a girlfriend after all of those years. I've never seen him as happy as he is with Tierny. Elijah is loving rugby, and he always goes over to the Kavanaghs as soon as he finds out Johnny is there. 

Things really do get better after all.

A/N

I think I might end it here, give or take a little epilogue because I'm so excited for these other books I have in mind but I've been forcing myself to finish this one before I started anything else lol.