Never Again

Part Twenty Nine

Erin took a moment to digest the situation, she was beyond shocked, but she was wrong-footed, anything she said to this woman was a betrayal of Jack she couldn’t imagine him giving her any answers. “Mrs Reilly, I really don’t feel I should say too much to you without Jack being here.”

                “Hmmm, so he’s told you that he rarely speaks to us?” It was a little difficult to decipher such a broad accent, “he’s been troubled since he was a young boy, and it’s always been our fault...he’s a difficult man.”

Erin sank into a seat and stretched her legs, this woman was going to become a grandmother in a few months, and she deserved to know that. But it wasn’t that easy, “I don’t want to betray his confidence Mrs Reilly, as much as I’d love to talk to you, strike up some dialogue, I’d feel like I was undermining him. I hope you understand.”

The older woman sighed, “of course. But it was interesting to talk to you anyway, you seem sensible. I hope we get chance to speak again.”

                “We will. I just need to speak to Jack first.”

With that she hung up, and it left Erin to her own thoughts, already his mother was seeing her as the person to bridge the gap between him and his family, and as presumptuous as the hint was, this baby would be a part of their lives too, and if nothing else the baby deserved family, grandparents. It was only fair.

Groaning, still none the wiser; she started to make herself some lunch, the radio tuned into live commentary of Jack’s game.

It was a lot later that evening that she broached the issue with Jack. They were sat on the sofa having eaten a Chinese take-away, he’d come home straight from the game not wanting a repeat of the previous weekends hangover.

                “Your mother called today.”

If she’d thrown a drink in his face the reaction would have been less intense. He was furious. More than that even. Glaring at her, she could tell he was struggling to contain his anger.

                “I don’t want you speaking to her.” He managed after a few calming deep breaths.

Erin was prepared for this, she’d gone through the scenario several times in her head, he’d hate it, but frankly it wasn’t his decision.

                “I answered a call! That’s all! Look, I can appreciate how you feel, but this baby will be a grandchild to them and they deserve to know.” She couldn’t come to any other conclusion for all her deliberating.

He scowled, “I don’t interfere when your father thinks I’m ten types of bastard, I don’t mix in YOUR family issues, so leave mine alone!”

Erin shook her head, she refused to get into some verbal insult slanging match, “on the contrary, I didn’t initiate this, but when I was going to my parents YOU insisted on coming, you took me away from there. You have interfered in every decision in my life since you ran over my dog, so don’t make out that your life is sacred and mine is open to anyone’s opinion. You are a hypocrite Jack Reilly of the highest order. I WILL tell your mother tomorrow...I didn’t today, but tomorrow when she calls back I’m going to tell her I’m having your baby, with or without your ‘blessing’!”

With that she stormed out of the room, leaving him to dwell on that.

Jack hadn’t slept, he’d spent the night punching his pillow and staring at the clock...he had a lot to think about, and despite trying to avoid it, his mother, his future, Erin, all merging into a dream that became a nightmare. The past, his family, home in Ireland, they were places he never visited physically or emotionally, but now Erin was forcing that hand.  And he hated it. In the end he got up at four am, the guest room he’d slept in since Erin had taken on his room wasn’t comfortable, and he didn’t have all his things close to hand. So he got up and headed to the kitchen, a drink might make it easier.